Packard Forum Index » General

I know we are an international group who visit the Packard Information website. Me from "Exotic" Tomball, Texas and you from lands far away and far more "exotic!!!"

Spending 3 weeks in London to visit my daughter. Will anyone acquainted with car museums in London and its environs please suggest some "car things" for me to visit.

Thanking you in advance.

Try for the British National Auto Museum, in part formerly the Lord Montague collection, at Beaulieu.

EDIT: Here's a couple of pictures (thanks Gusha for the idea). Anyone know who that distinghuished-looking PackardInfo member is?

Attach file:

---

  (149.64 KB)


  (129.14 KB)

Juan (zougeride), go this way to find three different car museums in or nearby London:

1) Whitewebbs Museum of Transport, a real car museum (picture attached) which smells like petrol, tire rubbing and old leather. A privat collection without extravagances, made of oil and sheet metal. Highly recommended.

2) Haynes International Motor Museum, more than 400 cars and hundreds of motorbikes, a kind of industrialized viewing. Good for rainy days.

3) London Motor Museum, muscle and movie cars, celebrities, customized cars. Not my cup of tea but maybe yours.


[picture source: Whitewebbs Museum of Transport]

Attach file:

---

  (32.11 KB)

If I was going to England I would want to see the RAF Museum in addition to the British National Auto Museum. The RAF Museum has two locations - London and Cosford. Link to their website is: www.rafmuseum.org.uk

(o{}o)

If you are going to include the RAF museum then definitely visit HMS Belfast, a WWII light cruiser now a museum ship moored in the Thames River in London. It took part in the famous Battle of North Cape wherein the German Kriegsmarine Battlecruiser Scharnhorst was sunk by the British ships in pursuit. HMS Belfast is part of the Imperial War Museum (located separately) which should also be included in any London visit.

Though the original poster asked specifically for car museums, I agree with Craig - HMS Belfast is well worth seeing when in London if your interests run to maritime and/or WWII history.

Attach file:

---

  (98.36 KB)

Juan,
Don't forget to brush up on your auto (not car) vocabulary. Rather amusing.
http://www.effingpot.com/motoring.shtml

Joe

Why limit yourself to auto museums? See Big Ben, Parliment, St. Pauls, the bridges, and all the other wonderful and historical sights in London.

(o{}o)

I just came back from London two weeks ago.

British Museum, get tickets for the Pompeii Exhibit. London Science museum, lots of steam, I went to see the Chas Babbage Difference Engines (first computer ever, mechanical).

I went to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich to see the Harrison Timekeepers (they are running), they solved the Longitude question in about 1750.

Get a London Card online as it gets you a week in the Tube as well as a bunch of free admission to lots of historic London. We did everything on-line in advance and it all worked perfectly.

With the on-line travel we booked the airline and hotel in London which came with a Heathro Express rail pass into central London. We stayed near Paddington station and bought one tube ticket to go to Charring Cross station where we picked up the London Pass card and Rail Pass.

If you want more guidance feel free to Pm Mail me. I had never been before.

The Tube and rail are flawless-on time and get you everywhere in the isle.

Pack light, dress warm.

Jim

My wife and I spent 2 weeks in the UK in 2011 and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Yes, you must see Beaulieu and try and go when the have an auto-jumble (swap show) or car boot sale (swap meet)

Do not miss The Imperial War Museum at Duxford Airfield just south of Cambridge.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

The best car and motorcycle themed restaurant is the iconic Ace Caf? where the mods and rockers hung out.
http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/default.aspx

Great tour in Dover at the Secret Wartime Tunnel in the Cliffs of Dover
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/dover-castle/wartime-tunnels/underground-hospital/

In London see Churchill's War Rooms.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms

I also recommend the Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

In three weeks you can cover a lot of ground. Best of luck.