all knowledge is found in LJ -- UK help

[rm]

Weird UK questions:

1. Free or low-cost Wi-Fi in Cardiff. I have my own laptop, but I need to know where I can pick up a signal and loiter for hours. I'll buy as much damn coffee as I need to.

2. For that matter, free or low-cost Wi-Fi in London. Same as above, particularly near the British Museum, Canary Wharf, Brick Lane. God, that says so much about me it hurts.

3. Is there some roaming hotspot thing where I can buy remote access for like a set period of time and be connected wherever? I'm explaining this badly, but they had it in Switzerland and it was cool.

4. Day trips from London for non-drivers. Especially ones that make sense on Saturday or Sunday. Are France or Ireland actually viable options? What about Stonehenge? Help, help.

Comments

[erykah101.livejournal.com]

For wi-fi access, I can recommend BT OpenZone. I've bought it pay as you go when I go into London for weekends or when I go to hotels around the country for conventions.

But you get more guaranteed coverage if you go for the mobile broadband option. I've been using 3 for years and they're pretty good coverage wise: http://www.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/Choose_a_price_plan/Pay_As_You_Go

For sightseeing in London I'd recommend the London Pass: http://www.londonpass.com/ The river cruises are really nice. It's good value for getting into places, lets you skip queues and there's all sorts of dining and shopping offers too.

I've also got to plug The Royal Parks and what they have to offer (I actually do their website *wink*): http://www.royalparks.org.uk/ They do all sorts of events; guided walks, sporty things and they have deckchair rental so you can just laze in the sun (if we get any) in beautiful surroundings. There's all sorts of great places like Speaker's Corner and places like Buckingham Palace and Westminster are all in walking distance from them. There's also music festivals happening this summer. And there's the open air theatre in Regent's Park: http://openairtheatre.org/ :)

I'd also agree that Avebury is worth seeing! It's an amazing place. And the White Horse at Uffington is cool. :) This tour sounds good for seeing everything in the area: http://www.londontoolkit.com/tours/stoneseeker.htm

If you do wander down to Windsor, you should also take a walk over the river to see Eton College; the, er, traditional birthing ground for British Prime Ministers. http://wikitravel.org/en/Windsor_and_Eton

France is definitely doable. Paris is about 2 and a half hours away on the Eurostar: http://www.eurostar.com/. You can also get to Brussels but, apart from the good chocolate, it's actually the most boring city I've ever visited.

Other thoughts for places that are easy to get to on the train from London include Hastings (as in "Battle of"), Brighton, Hever Castle, and the New Forest National Park.