点评:I've always wanted to go to the Biltmore House, so we finally made a trip to see it. We pre-purchased our tickets and selected the day for our visit based on ticket pricing. We paid $80 before taxes, etc., but if we'd bought our ticket at the door, it would have been more. We had a timed ticket for 10:15, but they were letting people in regardless of ticket time around 10 AM, so we joined the queue to get started.
The audio tour is very good. They use handheld devices that you press the numbers corresponding with the tour stop and then hold the device to your ear like you would a telephone (before the days of smart phones and speakers). Each stop is a few minutes with some having optional additional information. You are allowed to spend as much time in each area as you would like, so there's no rushing from room to room. There are 35 stops on the tour with about a half dozen optional recordings. The tour took us 2 hours but that included a 10 minute break on the porch between stops 8 and 9. You are allowed to take photos (no flash, please) and there are docents along the way that are happy to answer any questions you have.
There are no restrooms available for guest use inside the house, but you can find them in the former stables that have been converted to gift shops. The gift shops are toys, books, Christmas, a confectionary, and a general store. The Biltmore is cashless, so come prepared. If you find that you need a restroom while touring, you are allowed to exit and return.
On the other side of the house are the expansive gardens. There is a shuttle that runs between the Biltmore House and the Conservatory (free) so that's a great option on a hot day. In hindsight, we should have done the gardens in the morning and had a later tour time for the house as there was hardly anyone touring the house when our tour ended. It's hot in North Carolina in August! The shuttle driver told us it's 1/3 mile walk from the house to the conservatory, and another 2/3 mile to the back of the gardens. The gardens sure were beautiful and the flowers smelled so lovely.
When you first arrive at the Biltmore Estate, you can stop by the guest relations building for Estate Map or to obtain additional information about parking, etc. We had intended to use Parking Lot C and take the shuttle to the house but missed the turn as the signage didn't says Parking Lot C - it said Park and Ride. We ended up going to Parking Lot A which turned out for the best because it has you walk to the wall in front of the Biltmore house and you get to have your WOW moment when you get your first glimpse of the house.
翻译:我一直都想去参观比尔特摩庄园,所以终于有机会成行了。我们提前购买了门票,并根据票价情况选定了参观日期。我们支付了80美元,这还不包括税费等费用;如果我们在现场买票,价格还会更贵。我们拿到的门票上指定的入场时间为10点15分,但大约10点左右他们就开始不限时间地放行游客了,于是我们也加入了排队队伍,准备开始参观。
语音导览的效果非常不错。他们使用手持式设备:游客只需按下与各个参观点对应的数字,然后像使用电话那样把设备贴在耳边即可(那时还未出现智能手机和扬声器)。每个参观点的讲解时长约为几分钟,部分地点还提供额外的可选信息。游客可以自由决定在每个区域停留的时间,无需匆忙地从一个房间赶往另一个房间。整个导览路线共有35个参观点,还有大约六段可选的录音内容。这次导览全程耗时2小时,不过这其中包含了在第8站与第9站之间在门廊上休息的10分钟。游客可以拍照(请勿使用闪光灯),沿途还有讲解员随时解答大家的疑问。
宅邸内没有供客人使用的洗手间,不过在原先用作马厩、现已改造成礼品店的建筑里可以找到。这些礼品店分别出售玩具、书籍、圣诞用品、糖果以及各类日用品。比尔特莫尔庄园实行无现金支付。所以请做好相应准备。如果在参观过程中需要上厕所,也是可以离开后再返回的。
房子的另一侧就是广阔的花园。有往返于比尔特摩庄园与温室之间的免费班车,在炎热的日子里这是个很不错的选择。事后想来,我们本应该上午去逛花园,再把庄园的参观时间定在稍晚些时候——因为我们的参观结束时,庄园里几乎没什么游客。八月份的北卡罗来纳州可是非常热的哦!接驳车司机告诉我们,从别墅步行到温室的距离大约是1/3英里,而走到花园的尽头则还需再走2/3英里。花园确实美不胜收,花朵的香气也令人心醉。
初次抵达比特摩尔庄园时,您可以先前往游客服务中心索取庄园地图,或了解有关停车等方面的信息。我们原本打算使用C停车场,然后乘坐接驳车前往庄园,但由于指示牌上写的是“停车换乘区”而非“C停车场”,我们错过了转弯口。最终我们去了A停车场,结果这反而是件好事——从那里只需步行到比尔特莫尔庄园前的围墙处,就能第一次看到庄园的全貌,那种震撼感真是无与伦比。