London Changed, Mostly For The Good

Q. We will be in London this fall, my favorite city in the world.

We have not been there for a few years, and wonder what to expect as far as costs and new things to do.

Also, what’s the best way to convert dollars to pounds?

A. I hadn’t been to London for two years, and when I was there in May, these were some of the new, or new-to-me, things I noticed.

A restaurant chain called Pret a Manger is attracting crowds at a number of locations. I liked the clever name, and asked a Londoner about it. He said the Pret a Manger restaurants are “very good, very popular.

They have sandwiches, salads, soups, snacks, everything fresh. The chocolate-filled croissants are wonderful.”

You know those super-comfortable London cabs that look like black boxes on wheels? They are still boxy, but more and more of them come in various shades, including red, and many have advertisements on their sides, like buses.

I saw a taxi painted to look like an American Express charge card. I also climbed into a traditional London cab and noted that the driver (gasp!) was a young woman.

There are still plenty of double-decker red buses, and now there are sightseeing boats painted the same red, looking like floating buses.

When I order lager in a pub (Americans say beer) I expect something English. This trip, my first draft lager was Carlsberg (Danish) and the second was Foster’s (Australian).

The Globe theater, a faithful reproduction of the place where Shakespeare staged plays, is finally finished and open on the south side of the Thames, not far from where the original stood. Nigel Foxell, a London theater buff, told me that scenery is minimal, and many productions are in modern dress.

The season extends from spring through fall, but the open-air Globe is closed in winter.

The trash cans that once stood along downtown streets are still missing, taken away after several were used as bomb drops. For the same reason, luggage lockers have disappeared from rail stations and airline terminals, and “left luggage” counters are closed.

London seems to be tilting eastward. Each time I visit I see more housing and industrial complexes rising along the Thames River throughout what’s called the Docklands, downstream from central London.

Ride down to Greenwich on the Light Railway to see what’s happening, then return on a sightseeing boat. From the boat, you can see big billboards along the banks, advertising another new apartment or industrial block that will rise there.

Use credit cards for most purchases and services. Paying by credit card will usually yield the best exchange rate.

You’ll need cash for smaller transactions. Use a credit or debit card to get cash from ATM machines that are available all over England. Using my Visa card and PIN number, I drew out cash in pounds.

I got an excellent exchange rate - $1.68 to the pound.

Q. My sister came home from Mexico recently complaining about paying $65 for a five-minute call to the United States. Is Mexico a bad place for telephone overcharges?

A. She was probably a victim of one of the alternate long distance companies that have sprung up in Mexico, charging rates far exceeding major long-distance companies’.

Profeco, Mexico’s consumer protection organization, has immobilized more than 450 illegal phones so far.

According to an AT&T Direct caution to Americans vacationing in Mexico: “To avoid racking up charges that rival the cost of your airline ticket, it’s recommended that travelers pay close attention whenever they make long distance calls. Although some tourists have been told to avoid certain phones, it’s best to be careful when using any phone.”

Before leaving home, AT&T advises, be sure you know how to reach your provider network and “if you come across a phone that blocks your call to the access number, choose another phone that can connect you.”