A British vacation (but I'm also going to Japan)

[rbjhan]

Well yes, I do occasionally go to Europe....
This will be a special trip though, as I'm taking Motherrbjhan with me！

She's not a great fan of travels, at least not like me. I've taken her to Japan once about 8 years ago and she never felt like going again
Last time we went anywhere together was in 2022, to Queenstown. So UK would be quite the challenge! Wish me luck.

I certainly didn't have enough points to take the two of us to Europe, so tickets were revenue fairs on ANA.
MEL-SYD-HND-LHR return. I bought the tickets back in Dec 24 when prices were okay-ish.

Normally I hate the domestic-international transfer in SYD, but ANA doesn't fly to MEL. And JAL prices were.....ridiculous.
Sure, there are other airlines, but I wanted a week in Japan

So this is it.


In the UK:
London 7 nights - York 1 night - Edinburgh 3 nights - London 2 nights.
Apart from a transfer in LHR a few years ago, I've never been to the UK! So this will be the first time for both of us and we will be hitting all the touristy spots ha ha

Japan:
Toyosu - Izu Inatori - Gotemba - Tokyo 4 nights
If it's just me I'd go somewhere else, possibly Nikko or Gunma or even Shizuoka but the middle part. However mother likes the idea of Izu Peninsula and lounging by the ocean....plus last time we were there in Hakone we had really bad weather and didn't get to see Mt Fuji at all....so I booked a fancy ryokan in Izu Inatori (with private onsen on the balcony facing the Pacific), couldn't find one in Kawaguchiko though (this palce has gone mad....), Gotemba will do, if the weather is bad at least we can do some shopping!

Readers of my previous TRs would know that Tokyo for me = shopping. Ha but mother is not a fan, at all! In fact she hates the ideal of spending money.
So I've come up with an alternative list of sightseeing spots, we shall see....I did sprikle in *some* shopping

One week to go!

 

[rbjhan]

Things I booked in London:
Well I'm not sure but all the major museums *strongly recommend* you to book a timed ticket even if it's free....So I did. British museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum...etc
V&A is the only one didn't ask visitors to book, but I wanted to see the Cartier exhibition so I bought tickets to that one, good thing since it's sold out now!

And a few paid ones, St Paul's Cathedral, Ceremony of the Keys in Tower of London, Wimbledon tennis museum...etc.

A few concerts in the Royal Opera House and St Martins in the Fields, yes I like classical music.

Edit, oh yes how can I forget Oxford! Booked the Bodleian Library tour, damn that was a difficult task!

Didn't book anything in York/Edinburgh, still debating whether we should go on a bus tour from Edinburgh....

Edit to add, booked the Caledonian Sleeper from Edinburgh to London. As a train lover, I feel like this is a must.

 

[rbjhan]

Things I booked in Japan:
Not much really
I won the lottery to attend the tuna auction in Toyosu Market, that's about it?
Mother is not interested in the ANA/JAL hangar tours....or any other factory tours at all, le sigh.

Ah yes I did manage to grab tickets on the Saphir Odoriko
It was a real struggle! I had a brain fart and got the times wrong, went online a few hours late and all tickets departing Tokyo were gone
Luckily I tried starting from Atami and there were a few green car seats left, that's the least expensive one btw. Not what I wanted but alas...

 

[RooFlyer]

still debating whether we should go on a bus tour from Edinburgh....

Not sure whether I'd do that. Where would it go? Edinburgh has a lot to offer, just wandering around. A walking tour might be good, though.

 

[ShelleyB]

Things I booked in Japan:
Not much really
I won the lottery to attend the tuna auction in Toyosu Market, that's about it?
Mother is not interested in the ANA/JAL hangar tours....or any other factory tours at all, le sigh.

Ah yes I did manage to grab tickets on the Saphir Odoriko
It was a real struggle! I had a brain fart and got the times wrong, went online a few hours late and all tickets departing Tokyo were gone
Luckily I tried starting from Atami and there were a few green car seats left, that's the least expensive one btw. Not what I wanted but alas...

Would your mum be interested in the Team Labs art galleries? Or have you both already done them? We did Planets in 2023 and Borderless just a few days ago. I know I am probably telling you things you already know, but Borderless is very accessible and the tea room was amazing as well.

 

[rbjhan]

Not sure whether I'd do that. Where would it go? Edinburgh has a lot to offer, just wandering around. A walking tour might be good, though.

Problem is mother can't walk for long periods, she needs lots of rest, in that sense sitting on the bus is okayish...and I feel like two whole days in Edinburgh should be good?
Generally I'm no fan of bus tours but...we'll see how she feels after one week in London and decide.

 

[rbjhan]

Would your mum be interested in the Team Labs art galleries? Or have you both already done them? We did Planets in 2023 and Borderless just a few days ago. I know I am probably telling you things you already know, but Borderless is very accessible and the tea room was amazing as well.

Maybe it's a me problem but from what I can see *almost* all people in there are foreigners.
Nothing wrong with it, but in Japan I avoid those places - you will see my alternative Tokyo list
It's fun, and less touristy.

 

[ShelleyB]

Maybe it's a me problem but from what I can see *almost* all people in there are foreigners.
Nothing wrong with it, but in Japan I avoid those places.

Yes, it is probably 80% non-domestic tourists at Borderless and Planets, but that may be partly the number of years it has been open (particularly Borderless) and that Tokyoites don't generally have time off during the week. But Japan has been a world leader in digital art and TeamLabs a leader in Japan this century. When TeamLabs make a new installation there is usually a rush of Japanese domestic tourists.

 

[rbjhan]

Yes, it is probably 80% non-domestic tourists at Borderless and Planets, but that may be partly the number of years it has been open (particularly Borderless) and that Tokyoites don't generally have time off during the week. But Japan has been a world leader in digital art and TeamLabs a leader in Japan this century. When TeamLabs make a new installation there is usually a rush of Japanese domestic tourists.

Oh I'm sure it has its merits, it's wildly successful after all.
Just doesn't do it for me...

 

[jastel]

A few months back I took my mother (80) to UK, her favourite thing in each town was the hop on/hop off bus - I know they are cheesy but they do work good for the elderly.

She cant walk too far and even the steps on the tube slowed her up.
There are only a few stations that are actually step free.
Cobblestone streets, like York, really slowed her up as well.
Standing in museums all day tired her out a lot too.l.
She needed more breaks and stops than I thought she would...
or more that SHE thought she would!

Im glad we went but be prepared for them to be slow.

 

[rbjhan]

A few months back I took my mother (80) to UK, her favourite thing in each town was the hop on/hop off bus - I know they are cheesy but they do work good for the elderly.

She cant walk too far and even the steps on the tube slowed her up.
There are only a few stations that are actually step free.
Cobblestone streets, like York, really slowed her up as well.
Standing in museums all day tired her out a lot too.l.
She needed more breaks and stops than I thought she would...
or more that SHE thought she would!

Im glad we went but be prepared for them to be slow.

Thank you!
Oh yes I plan alternatives and lots of pit stops. Our hotel is also very central near Covent Garden so if she doesn't like it we can go back.
And of course I plan to take some buses in London, the normal red double decker I mean. She doesn't like metros anywhere.

 

[jastel]

We stayed at Covent Garden as well.
In my experience its quicker to walk in Central London than take a red bus....but did that with mum as well. It does avoid the steps on the tube.
Usually by dark she was tired so I would go exploring on my own then while she stayed in the room and watched TV or read books.