soon_a_mrs

Thanks all!

jody

do you mean London theater, antique shows , or what?

soon_a_mrs

2 seperate questions- I should have put 2 posts so sorry:

1) good London theater?
2) sites not to miss for a first time visitor

david_west

On the theatre stuff: There will be the old warhorses (Mamma Mia, We Will rock You, Mousetrap etc etc). They are pretty much a permamnent fixture.

If you are looking for something a bit more up-market keep your eyes on the sites for the National Theatre:

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=171

Also the RSC, Glovbe and Old Vic have interesting stuff on. Most "serious" theatre doesn't sell out every night so if you look in Time Out you will see whats on all over London - and in almost all cases you will be able to get in.

Also the "warhorses" do sell out but tickets are always available - at a price.

janis

soon_a_mrs: Since there are many, MANY more "musts" in London than you could possibly visit in 3 days - give us an idea what sorts of things you enjoy.

You might start by clicking on the destinations link here on Fodors. The London city guide will give you a lot of ideas.

But tell us what you like and we can give you useful advice . . . . . .

(for instance Kew is a MUST for some folks but if you aren't into gardens then it would be a waste of about 1/2 a day. Same for the National Gallery - definitely a MUST for most people - but if you hate art galleries you should give it a pass. Same for lots of the major sites in London)

cambe

Hi Jody,

The last time I was in London I went to the Globe to see Romeo & Juliet and throughly enjoyed it. Could only get standing tickets in the Yard (£6) but it was great. The actors interact with the audience and the whole thing was so casual.

Throughly recommended

I also like the Royal Mews, the Cabinet War rooms, Westminster Abbey, V&A, and Imperial War Museums. Outside of London, Hampton Court, Arundel, Chichester in fact almost anywhere in Sussex.

Have a good trip
Helen

nugi

Hi there,
Not sure what type of show you are into, but I can definitely recommend "Woman in Black" - play not a musical, but oh, what a play (Fortune Theatre - www.theambassadors.com/fortune)! Go for the 8pm show, then book a table at Cafe du Jardin for an excellent dinner to follow (book online via toptable.co.uk or squaremeal.co.uk) for a great night out. Both are based in the Covent Garden area, which would be great for you if you are planning to do more than 1 show as you'll be in walking distance of most theatres. Among the many hotels in the area, I can personally recommend the Radisson Mountbatten in a quieter part of Covent Garden, still in walking distance - try londontown.co.uk for cheap weekend deals that you can book online.
Spend some time in Covent Garden itself, there are some great little boutique shops (e.g. Molton Brown, Penhaligon's, East), as well as the two craft / antiquey markets, and it's a great 'people-watching' place.
From there you are also in walking distance of Leicester Square, Chinatown / SoHo, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the National Gallery (some great historical portraits), Pall Mall and (a short taxi ride away) Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park (which is lovely to walk through in most weathers).

London is a big city, so with 3 days you are best to stick to one key, central area to give you a flavour. Enjoy!

nugi

Sorry - forgot to mention one other idea - how about taking a ride on the LondonEye, and/or (depending on your tastes!) stroll down the Embankment area via Big Ben / Houses of Parliament / Westminster ? Security may well be heightened even by Sept, but there's no reason for not strolling along to them.

However, as Janis says, London is a city that has much to offer - depending on what you personally like to do.

brookwood

Any good shows in London?
3 days in London?

You will need to prioritize in a hurry.

Theater? If you have any kid left in you, I highly recommend Mary Poppins. The singing was good, the acting was excellent, the stage production was incredible, and the whole effect was stunning.

I can say the same for The Mousetrap, except it has no singing.

Places to see? Good grief, so many.
My suggestions: British Museum, National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Courtold Gallery, the Wallace Collection, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, Kensington Gardens, and the Museum of Natural History.

I left out the Tower of London on purpose because I don't like the place even though it is a slice of brutal history. And oh yes, Kew Gardens.

A little out from the city center: Windsor Castle and Hampton Court.

And the London Eye is a big attraction for some people. I did not venture up in it, but it is a money maker.

That is probably 6 days worth if you hurry.

topcat

We saw "The Woman in White" at the Palace Theatre last month and really enjoyed it.

We were in London for 5 days and barely scratched the surface of all the things to see and do. Must-sees(IMHO only): Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, British Library, London Eye, walking in Hyde Park

david_west

There is a reason that most of the "top 10" attractions in London are in the top 10. It's that they are very very good. The only very popular thing I would seriously advise against is Madame Tussuads which is a wate of time and money.

kleeblatt

Hi David West,

If you've never been to Madame Tussaud's before, I'd thoroughly recommend it. I really enjoyed my visit there. Just get tickets in advance.

kleeblatt

Oops, hit the wrong button. That should have been:

To soon a mrs:

(I had David West in mind because I didn't agree with his opinion for someone who has never been to the museum before.)

david_west

It is only my opinion, but if I were on a very time-limited trip it is something that I could easily miss in favour of many other attractions - chacun a son gout and all that, but it's a long way to come to see some wax dummies.

Just my opinion (and I would throw the London Dungeon into the same category).

xyz123

Of the new musicals...

Mary Poppins is fantastic. Not for very young kids however.

I can also highly recommend Billy Elliot but it is more than just a story about a kid who prefers ballet to boxing; you have to appreciate some of the history of what the Thatcher did to the coal miners union to really appreciate it. Also the kids curse a lot and the accent is sometimes a little difficult but I really enjoyed it.

Also caught the Producers in London and as a matter of fact saw it on the Friday after the bombings. Was good to go into a place of entertainment and laugh.

All of above are musicals and all 3 need booking in advance although odd seats are sometimes available by calling at the theatres.

I don't know if you've seen Les Miz but it's a classic. Also if you have kids, or have a lot of kid in you, you might enjoy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which is closing on 04 September. Both are generally available at TKTS booth in Leicester Square although one would wonder if as CCBB approaches its closing whether tickets will become scarcer.

All above are indeed musicals and many consider musicals not to be British like but all are very enjoyable IMHO.

janis

re Mme Tussauds - I am not one of the anti-Tussauds fodorites (of which there are many). I have probably been there 6 or 7 times over the last 30+ years - it does keep changing. But on a very short, first time visit it certainly should NOT be on the "musts" list.

Even w/ advance tix to jump the looooooong queues, it is still a major time investment and would take away from a 100 other better sites.

but all the above suggestions are pretty since the OP has not yet told us what sorts of things she enjoys. the sites already mentioned are a good 2 weeks worth . . . . . .