I lived there for about 6 months and as it was the most expensive place to live, I found as much cheap and low cost things as I could.
Here are a few of the things that pop in to my head.
-Borough Market is a must
-Tate Modern Museum was nice
-Kensington Gardens and all the central parks are a really nice walk
-Enjoyed Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club (dont remember the cost on that)
-just walk around all the neighborhoods like knotting hill-where I lived.
-The touristy stuff was ok like the tower of london, buckingham palace, Westminster Abby, ect .
-
Although there are fancy, high-end restaurants, I liked to eat what you would expect to find in England. I dont remember places in particular but as far as what to eat:
-Full English Breakfast, sausages and blood pudding
-jacket potatoes with toppings--sometimes strange ones. I liked with prawns
-Sunday Roast with yorkshire pudding
-ofcourse fish and chips
There are also great Indian restaurants.
I am sure I will thing of more. Its been a long time.
sherlock holmes museum (I think that's what it was called)
on Baker street
I went to a soccer game (football) at Emirates Stadium, if you can get lucky and find a game while you're there it's hard to describe, it's very different crowd/experience than American football.
I also went to a pub and watched a game on TV and holy shit that was insane.
I stayed at the Park Plaza with views of the eye, Big Ben, etc. it was easy commuting for me.
on the Imperial War Museum, it's fascinating. I avoided the Holocaust museum in DC but couldn't avoid the display in the IWM in London, the display is horrifying and riveting.
If you only do a handful of things in London I'd do the Tower of London, the IWM, the eye, and a soccer game, and if you can't make a soccer game, then maybe Piccadilly Circus, of course it's touristy, sort of like the Times Square of London, but if you've never been it's cool to go once.
1. Burrough Market...bring an appetite
2. The Theater...great Broadway Shows at much lower prices than NY. There's a TKTS Booth in Leicester Sq.
3. Tower of London...with an audio guide
4. A day trip outside London...Windsor Castle, Bath, Stonehenge tour
5. Covent Gardens
6. Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel in Leicester Sq...perfect location and great value
7. British Museum...highlights self guided tour
8. Westminster Abbey
9. St. Paul's Cathedral...climb to the top of the dome
10. London Eye... Just once
The history and the greats of literature; I was awestruck.
Walking down Curry Road to get dinner was fun. We went to a couple plays in the West End and that was enjoyable. Walking around in general, especially around Trafalger Square and Buckingham Palace.
I’ve only been to London once but next time I want to get out fo the city and maybe go someplace like Stonehenge or Stratford-on-Avon.
Get a good English breakfast someplace and enjoy the fat coursing through your veins.
Kerbisher and Malt is a good fish and chips spot.
Honestly out of all the main tourist attractions we probably enjoyed just strolling through Hyde Park, St James park, and along the river the most. Tate Modern is interesting if you like art. Imo there aren't many must see tourist attractions relative to some other European cities. Maybe get a quick picture with Big Ben and Tower / Tower Bridge, but mainly just enjoy the good pub food and beer.
London is very easy to walk around. The Underground is easy to learn for longer distances.
(Tip - take a bus tour first to get yourself oriented.)
There are many great places to visit for a lot of different tastes.
Great museums, the standard "Must See" venues (Tower of London, Parliament, cathedrals etc) and of course the theatre district (last minute cheap seats at Leicester (say Lester) Square.
Food - avoid:
- High end restaurants (very expensive)
- Most Pubs - faux decor and the food is nothing like what you'd find in a real pub in a village outside of London
During my walks I note where there were businesses or better yet near a hospital and see where the staff and nurses ate.
Enjoy and be safe.
3. The Museum of Natural History. I don't generally like museums, but this one is special. Among other things it has the best dinosaur exhibit I've seen. I spent hours there.
4. Day trip to Oxford. Oxford itself is interesting, but so is the trip through the English countryside. Strange as it may seem, its green all year.
As for food I can't recommend anything, however you should pay close attention to the other food recommendations in this thread. Its very easy to get bad overpriced food in London, even in places that look good on the outside.
I'm also a big fan of London Walks. They've been around for a long time (well over 20 years) and have a lot of actors and historians as guides. The Beatles walks were very good and I did many of the pub tours where you get a close look at a particular neighborhood and stop at 3 pubs as well to get a "taste" of London.
some great history there. We did a Jack the Ripper tour that was pretty interesting. There are some great restaurants in Borough Market - Roast, Radot 1745 and Padella were good. Abby Road is a must for Beatles fans, and I loved walking around the West End, especially Shafstbury Ave
I lived in London for 6 months and have been back a couple times with people who had never been, so I was the tour guide. If being stuck in a pod with 30 people on a huge ferris wheel sounds appealing, then go for it. But you can get just as great a view by going to St. Paul's Cathedral and walking all the way to the top. St. Paul's is a very impressive Cathedral. The walk up to the top is fun with great views of bith inside the cathedral and outside of the city.
You have to see Tower Bridge and Parliament. In fact, if you like to walk (which I do on vacation) check out Big Ben/Parliament/Westminster Abbey...then walk across the bridge and turn left to walk east along the south bank of the river. You can walk all the way to Tower Bridge, with most of it along the river. It is a great way to get outside and see a lot of the city along the Thames River with all the bridges...and some good pubs along the way too. When you get to Tower Bridge walk across it, and Tower of London is right there. And whether you do Tower of London or not there is a City Cruise boat dock right there that brings you right back to where you started, with a great boat ride with a guide that points out a lot...usually with some great humor injected in too.
The Imperial War Museum is also great.
None of them are that far from one another, IIRC.
Here are a few of the things that pop in to my head.
-Borough Market is a must
-Tate Modern Museum was nice
-Kensington Gardens and all the central parks are a really nice walk
-Enjoyed Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club (dont remember the cost on that)
-just walk around all the neighborhoods like knotting hill-where I lived.
-The touristy stuff was ok like the tower of london, buckingham palace, Westminster Abby, ect .
-
Although there are fancy, high-end restaurants, I liked to eat what you would expect to find in England. I dont remember places in particular but as far as what to eat:
-Full English Breakfast, sausages and blood pudding
-jacket potatoes with toppings--sometimes strange ones. I liked with prawns
-Sunday Roast with yorkshire pudding
-ofcourse fish and chips
There are also great Indian restaurants.
I am sure I will thing of more. Its been a long time.
tower of london and the crown jewels
sherlock holmes museum (I think that's what it was called)
on Baker street
I went to a soccer game (football) at Emirates Stadium, if you can get lucky and find a game while you're there it's hard to describe, it's very different crowd/experience than American football.
I also went to a pub and watched a game on TV and holy shit that was insane.
I stayed at the Park Plaza with views of the eye, Big Ben, etc. it was easy commuting for me.
If you only do a handful of things in London I'd do the Tower of London, the IWM, the eye, and a soccer game, and if you can't make a soccer game, then maybe Piccadilly Circus, of course it's touristy, sort of like the Times Square of London, but if you've never been it's cool to go once.
2. The Theater...great Broadway Shows at much lower prices than NY. There's a TKTS Booth in Leicester Sq.
3. Tower of London...with an audio guide
4. A day trip outside London...Windsor Castle, Bath, Stonehenge tour
5. Covent Gardens
6. Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel in Leicester Sq...perfect location and great value
7. British Museum...highlights self guided tour
8. Westminster Abbey
9. St. Paul's Cathedral...climb to the top of the dome
10. London Eye... Just once
Walking down Curry Road to get dinner was fun. We went to a couple plays in the West End and that was enjoyable. Walking around in general, especially around Trafalger Square and Buckingham Palace.
I’ve only been to London once but next time I want to get out fo the city and maybe go someplace like Stonehenge or Stratford-on-Avon.
Kerbisher and Malt is a good fish and chips spot.
Honestly out of all the main tourist attractions we probably enjoyed just strolling through Hyde Park, St James park, and along the river the most. Tate Modern is interesting if you like art. Imo there aren't many must see tourist attractions relative to some other European cities. Maybe get a quick picture with Big Ben and Tower / Tower Bridge, but mainly just enjoy the good pub food and beer.
(Tip - take a bus tour first to get yourself oriented.)
There are many great places to visit for a lot of different tastes.
Great museums, the standard "Must See" venues (Tower of London, Parliament, cathedrals etc) and of course the theatre district (last minute cheap seats at Leicester (say Lester) Square.
Food - avoid:
- High end restaurants (very expensive)
- Most Pubs - faux decor and the food is nothing like what you'd find in a real pub in a village outside of London
During my walks I note where there were businesses or better yet near a hospital and see where the staff and nurses ate.
Enjoy and be safe.
Recommendations:
1. The Tower Bridge exhibit
2. The Crown Jewels / Tower of London
3. The Museum of Natural History. I don't generally like museums, but this one is special. Among other things it has the best dinosaur exhibit I've seen. I spent hours there.
4. Day trip to Oxford. Oxford itself is interesting, but so is the trip through the English countryside. Strange as it may seem, its green all year.
As for food I can't recommend anything, however you should pay close attention to the other food recommendations in this thread. Its very easy to get bad overpriced food in London, even in places that look good on the outside.
I absolutely adore London - the history is palpable.
London Walks - ( New Window )
#2 for me is Tower of London.
Go online and buy tickets for most attractions with set times so you skip lines.
also, if first time in England then get a full English breakfast and clog up your arteries.
You have to see Tower Bridge and Parliament. In fact, if you like to walk (which I do on vacation) check out Big Ben/Parliament/Westminster Abbey...then walk across the bridge and turn left to walk east along the south bank of the river. You can walk all the way to Tower Bridge, with most of it along the river. It is a great way to get outside and see a lot of the city along the Thames River with all the bridges...and some good pubs along the way too. When you get to Tower Bridge walk across it, and Tower of London is right there. And whether you do Tower of London or not there is a City Cruise boat dock right there that brings you right back to where you started, with a great boat ride with a guide that points out a lot...usually with some great humor injected in too.