Going to London at end of month for 7 days. Will be there to catch some Wimbledon activity. Then spending rest of time to catch sites in-and-around London. Will be researching things to do prior to getting there.

However, any "must see" things any of you recommend? Been getting several inputs from friends at work and at home.

How about reasonable places to stay? Considering safety, proximity to the UnderGround, and ease of getting to sites around London.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2009 01:26PM by SKYLANE.

. . .well. . .I saw London. . .I saw France. . .I saw someone's. . .

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Apple store

I'd recommend taking a day trip to the countryside.

---

British Museum.
Tower of London.
Harrods.
The London Museum.
British War Museum.

There's about 10 days worth right there....
And that's just off the top of my head!

(And I haven't even been there yet!).

Have a GREAT trip!

---

Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

Tate Modern
London Eye (Southbank generally)
Globe Theatre

More?

London Transport Museum. Also try to get to Bath and/or York if time permits.

Record shopping. For the love of god, please.

Camden Market.

Don't forget Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral.

I haven't been there for about 15 years and am dying to go back.

Cabinet War Rooms.

Abbey Road.

Quote
Silencio
Record shopping. For the love of god, please.

Yes! There is someone else out there with their priorities in order

THE ONE "DO NOT MISS" IN LONDON IS....

"Walkers Brand Potato Crisps"

They're these flavored potato chips in a bag. But you know how we (in the US) have potato chip flavors like BBQ, Salt&Pepper, etc,... well those wacky Londoners have wacky off-the-wall flavors like: Lamb & Mint, Steak & Onion, and Roast Chicken.

ROAST CHICKEN flavored potato chips. Hahaha
Great stuff

They make great cheap, lightweight souvenirs to take home.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2009 02:15PM by 3d.

British Museum-Do not miss

Tower of London-Do not miss

Westminster Cathedral-Do not miss

You can skip the Zoo, IMHO.

There are so many other things, but those three are huge. If you can go out of town, Windsor Castle and/or Hampton Court are also well worth a visit.

---

Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

What they said. My top sites:

British Museum
Tate Modern
British Museum
Tower of London
Westminster Abbey
British Museum
Globe Theater
London Eye

Unfortunately that's going to keep you busy. London's list of great places to go and do is vast, almost unbelievable for many who haven't been to a great world city. However, besides the sites you should try to take time to go visit some of the fun walking around non-sites like pubs, covent garden, etc.

---

"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

If you run into my buddy Keen Eddie, say hello for me. I haven't seen him in a long time, and I miss him.

The London Bridge!

Ah, never mind, it's in Arizona now.

[en.wikipedia.org])

Quote
Racer X
If you run into my buddy Keen Eddie, say hello for me. I haven't seen him in a long time, and I miss him.

Is that a reference to the tv show? I loved that show!! Howzabout some Snoot Snacks?

oh, something you should plan out -

Good places to eat at reasonable prices. thats something that london is sorely lacking.

---

Quote
M>B>
The London Bridge!

. . .didn't it fall down. . .?

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

yes, yes it did, my fair lady........

I was there for a much shorter time and rather than do all the touristy things there was an oddball bus tour that went up the coast to The Broads and the North York Moors (moops!) and a much too quick stop at a train museum in York. I would much preferred to have spent all day at the train museum rather than the quick runthrough we had to do, than some of the other non-memorable crap. The tour I took went to a lot of beaches (beaches are nice, but a beach is a beach is a beach) and went as far as Northumberland. Northumberland (if you're into quiet out of the way national parks) almost feels like you're standing in England of 2,000 years ago.
I'd want to take a train back to the train museum and Northumberland and stay in a bed and breakfast and train back again.
I'd like to do all the touristy things around London some day, too, but I'm rather glad I got to do see the places I did.

I love the north country too (I'll be there in July visiting many of my cousins, aunties and uncles). I also like the York train museum (and York as a whole), plus the excavated viking village under a shopping center in York is pretty amazing too. However for a 7 day trip I'd say London and perhaps one nearby field trip is about all that is possible without spending all your time in transportation devices. Seven days really isn't adequate for any kind of international trip so you really have to minimize the time spent doing useless stuff like driving on the motorway.

---

"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

Quote
mattkime
oh, something you should plan out -

Good places to eat at reasonable prices. thats something that london is sorely lacking.

Back when I was there (a few decades ago, sadly), the best places to eat were the Indian/Pakistani restaurants. Not only were they cheap, the food was far better than the other inexpensive restaurants. Nothing like a hot Madras curry and a bottle of ale!

I took a bus tour out to Stonehenge; it's worth a visit.

If I get a chance to go back, I'd join the others above at train museums and historic rail journeys. There are many in the UK.

/Mr Lynn

---

"Hillbilly at Harvard"
Honky-tonk Country and Bluegrass
Founded in 1948 by Pappy Ben Minnich
Saturdays 9am - 1pm Eastern
WHRB-FM, Cambridge, MA
Streaming at [www.WHRB.org]
Be there!
The HAH weblog: [hillbillyatharvard.wordpress.com]

Topical weblog: [walkingcreekworld.wordpress.com]

On the river in Saxonville.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2009 04:45PM by mrlynn.

Eat at Geale's, famous fish and chips shop off Notting Hill Road.

Day trip to either Oxford or Cambridge is easy from London (Oxford is a little closer). Somebody else mentioned Stonehenge, the entire Salisbury area around it is quite nice.

Eat at Geale's, famous fish and chips shop off Notting Hill Road. Also Kalamaris, old family-owned Greek place, one of the best in the city.

Day trip to either Oxford or Cambridge is easy from London (Oxford is a little closer). Somebody else mentioned Stonehenge, the entire Salisbury area around it is quite nice.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2009 05:02PM by Will Collier.

Wow! Lots of good stuff here. Thanks... any more eating places of interest? Reasonable places to stay? Looking for a place to throw down the bags for our entire 7 night stay (probably).

A friend mentioned Earl's Court in Kensington which is close to subway stations etc. We are currently looking at places in County Hall (?) area. Would like to keep cost around $100/night, just started looking so not sure how possible that is yet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2009 05:36PM by SKYLANE.

wagamama was an oasis for me when i lived in london - many years ago at this point. the food was fresh and reasonably priced which seemed to be a rarity.

---

Go to a Chelsea-Arsenal game!

Quote
Buck
Go to a Chelsea-Arsenal game!

Take your brass knuckles!!

---

"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

If you're positive about the dates, consider going through Priceline for a place to stay. Use [biddingfortravel.yuku.com] to get some idea of what to bid. London's a brutally expensive place to visit, but PL makes it a bit more affordable.

Quote
davester

Quote
Buck
Go to a Chelsea-Arsenal game!

Take your brass knuckles!!

ROFL! Too bad the EPL season just ended.

Did nobody hear say The National Gallery? Jeez. Too many good museums in that city.

Everyone's already hit on the attractions.

My advice: Slow down, let the feel of the city work over you, don't try to pack too much in.

Get an "Underground" map and ride the tube as much as you can.

Make sure you just sit in Trafalgar square on a weekday at lunchtime and watch people on their lunch break.

Have a cappucino and a scone in the crypt beneath the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

Try to see the London Symphony, or the London Philharmonic, or the Philharmonia Orchestra on their home turf.

Take at least one architectural boat tour.

Buy a Time Out! London for the event/culture listings.

---

New forum user map 8/2015: [www.zeemaps.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2009 10:41PM by Black.

Anybody mention the half-price ticket booth for the West End shows? If not, they should have...

Quote
Will Collier
Anybody mention the half-price ticket booth for the West End shows? If not, they should have...

Great point. We saw two shows like that in 4 days we were there last year (Wicked and Spamalot)

Most of the high-points already covered.

Stop for a Guinness in every pub!

If you are a Beatles fan, watch "A Hard Day's Night" before you go, and then take the "In My Life" walking tour. The guide will point out the places in Marylebone station from the film and it will give you shivers! Plus, you can get the obligatory photo in the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road studio.

. . .but won't the Guinness be warm. . .?

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Quote
NewtonMP2100
. . .but won't the Guinness be warm. . .?

I have a story about that.

I noticed that they had Guinness "Extra Cold" in the pubs last time I was there. I asked for a Guinness, and detecting my American accent, the barmaid asked if I was an "Extra Cold" drinker.

So, I asked her what the difference was. She replied, "It's colder."


"oh."


I said no thanks and got my not-warm-but-not-as-cold-as-other-beers Guinness.

The pubs are nice. I used to like Double Diamond ale, though I'd probably find it a bit sweet for my taste nowadays. A pint o' plain old bitter goes down well, too.

There was a pub in the West End that had a big Great Dane they claimed was the original Hound of the Baskervilles.


/Mr Lynn

Forget Guinness and other mass-produced brand-name beers in pubs. Ask the bartender if he's selling "Real Ale". There's a huge movement in England to keep pubs stocked with cask-aged ale drawn directly from the casks with hand pumps at the bar, rather than artificially pressurized mass-produced stuff in the back rooms that travels through lots of plastic piping to get to your glass (i.e. like the US). Most of the real ales are local, and way better than mass-produced ales. Most pubs will have a few real ales, except perhaps the ones owned by the major breweries (Double Diamond

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the english don't drink warm beer as an american would understand it. The stuff americans call beer is called lager in England, not beer. The english serve lager chilled, just like here, because it doesn't have a whole lot of flavor. English beer, the type served at room temperature, is for the most part not available in the US, except as a specialty at some brew pubs and in a very few high end supermarkets (Fullers, Boddingtons and Old Speckled Hen are bottled examples that are imported to the US).

---

"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

Boddingtons is available on tap at quite a few places around here. Mmm, the Cream of Manchester...

I tried the house-made cask ale when we ate at the Spotted Pig last time we were in NYC. Tasty, tasty stuff. Now I really need to get back to ol' Eng-er-land.

Somebody already mentioned it - fish and chips. Oh, and anywhere that serves beer! Or, is it called ale or lager over there, like davester's post?

Jeff

Actually, I should clarify...

It's all beer, which is subdivided into ales and lagers. Ales are generally served "room temperature" (which probably translates to 50 degrees F in england). Lagers are generally served chilled.

In the US if you ask for a beer you will likely be given a chilled lager. If it's a crappy american mass-produced beer it will be served ultra-chilled (near freezing) to mask the taste.
If you ask for an ale you will be given an ale, though many places don't even serve ales, and you're unlikely to get anything that resembles a pub-served english ale. Much of america also chills the ales so the flavor is suppressed.

In england if you ask for a beer you will be given an ale at "room temperature", and there are many different kinds.
If you ask for a lager you will get a chilled (but not ice cold) lager.

---

"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan