Are you sure you want to limityourself tothose museums?

What abou the National Portrait Gallery

the Courtauld Collection

the Royal Academy of Art

and awhole bunhc of others?

All of those are in zone 1- as are the majority of museums/galleries.

Get a zone 1-2 Oyster/travelcard

Somewhere near a tube station on the Piccadilly line would be convenient; from Gloucester Road to Holborn and anywhere inbetween. Mayfair, Covent Garden.

The big hotels on Park Lane are close to Apsley House.

This is all in zone 1 on the tube.

<<I know nothing of the geography of London.>>

Then learn it. London is the largest city in Western Europe and the #2 city is less than half its size. The Tates are not near each other; the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are. And the streets are not set in a grid, so you'll need a map.

<<We will very likely buy a travel card for a week, but I need to know the zones to get the right card.>>

This is easy: nearly all museums of any consequence are in Zone 1, therefore you need a Zone 1-2 card. Since you're a "we" and not a solo, get a paper travelcard and go to www.daysoutguide.co.uk and avail yourself of the 2for1 offers.

"Since you're a "we" and not a solo, get a paper travelcard and go to www.daysoutguide.co.uk and avail yourself of the 2for1 offers."

I purposely didn't mention the paper travelcards/2for1's since you said you are mostly interested in galleries/art museums and most of them are free. But Apsley House is one of the exceptions and is covered by the 2for1 offer

You'll find the bus map in the TfL visitor guide useful in locating yourself in relation to art galleries and other transactions. You will have to do some travelling wherever you stay (even if you stay in the Trafalgar Square area within walking distance of the National and the Courtauld, you'll be travelling to South Kensington for the V&A or to Piccadilly for the RA, or vice versa).
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/visitor-guide.pdf

Even though most museums are free some special exhibits are covered by the 2for1 offers, so I'd suggest you go for the paper Travelcard. British museums are some of the best in the world, enjoy...

If you are an art lover, you should not miss the Courtauld Gallery under any circumstances.

Portrait Gallery is also a favorite of mine...but I am really into history.

Also, not strictly an art museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum is a treasure trove of the history of design. We love the art deco and art nouveau areas -- your taste may vary, but there will certainly be lots to see there for the art lover.

As for where to stay, as long as you're somewhere in zone 1 (but not too far east or west) you'll be near everything by tube.

SS

Also, assuming this post does not get axed as advertising, here is a link to the Courtauld Gallery's website.

http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/index.shtml

...and it is currently included on the 2-for-1 list.

...and ranked #6 of 798 attractions in London on Trip Advisor

...and the cafe there is a great place to have lunch.

SS

Thanks for all the information. I actually have a list of 17 Museums that interest us. I just put a few in my posting to simplify it.

<<...and the cafe there is a great place to have lunch.>>

Or for a snack - had a great shortbread there . . .

The great thing is most of the museums/galleries have good to great restaurants. Both Tates, the Nat'l Portrait Gallery, the Courtauld, etc etc etc

They most also have nice casual cafes.

Also, assuming this post does not get axed as advertising, here is a link to the Courtauld Gallery's website.>>

ssander - as i understand it, a recommendation of someone else's gallery, museum, hotel or restaurant is not advertising - it's only advertising if YOU own the Courtald Gallery.

you don't, do you?

Clevelandbrown, I am also a lover of London museums. One of my favorites is the WALLACE COLLECTION not far from Marble Arch. Check it out…

My daughter and I stayed in Covent Garden and walked to National Gallery and Courtauld. We loved being in the thick of the action.

"One of my favorites is the WALLACE COLLECTION . . ."

I really like the Wallace Collection's restaurant - outdoor/courtyard, lovely food.

annhig...

<<...it's only advertising if YOU own the Courtauld Gallery...you don't, do you?>>

I wish I did!!! Their fauve and blue rider paintings are outstanding and would look great on the walls of my home. (Maybe I can put together a few bucks from the cookie jar and buy a few.)

SS

I like the Gloucester road tube area. You can walk to the V&A and natural hisrory museums, take a direct bus from there
, I think it's the 74 ,to National Gallery, Nat'l, Portrait Gallery , another line to the Wall
ace Collection, Courtauld many other places without changes! And there are lots of cafes and service and excellent restaurants nearby

another confession [my first was on the "where to go after Blackpool" thread]:

Despite working in and living near London for 15 years i never went to either the Wallace Collection or the Courtauld. and i used to work in somerset house at least once a week.

nor did i ever get to the National Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery.

Shocking isn't it?

I would also include the British Nuseun. While not an art museum, the works of the Egyptian, Greek, and the Assyrian works, for example, are splendid for their craftmanship and historical and artisric value.

My wife and I were both were disappointed in the Tate Modern due to both its permanent collection and their exorbitant fees for special exhibits. One was by the artist Damien Hirst, a favorite of hegde fund managers proving once again money cannot buy class.

Parade...

I agree completely with you about the Tate Modern. Lots of space and precious little good 20th c. art.

Last time I was there they had a model of what looked like an expansion plan. The last thing they need is more space.

[Sigh...] I suppose 50 million (or whatever they were planning to spend) will buy a lot of architecture but precious few great painting.

SS

Annhig...

Shame on you. Your assignment for tomorrow (Sunday...today in the UK already) is to go to one of those museums and report back to us.

Back to Somerset House for you and the Courtauld would be my recommendation.

Full Disclosure: I've lived in the Philadelphia area all 66 years of my life, and until this year, I never went to the Barnes Foundation. BTW, it was a big disappointment...but that's another story.

SS

Hi Annhig, You wrote:

“Despite working in and living near London for 15 years i never went to either the Wallace Collection or the Courtauld. and i used to work in somerset house at least once a week.

nor did i ever get to the National Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery.”

Do you feel better after your confession? You were probably too busy with your legal pursuits – understandable. I didn’t think I could do it, but I plan to return to London in late June. My first stop will be the Courtauld Gallery. Missed it the last time, probably because in the US the word “gallery” suggests a high end retail art store, not a museum.

SSander, just wondering – why were you disappointed with the Barnes collection in your native Philadelphia? I have never been there but understood that they had a fabulous collection. Hasn’t the museum been moved from its original location to a place nearer to the city?

LateLadyTraveler...

The collection was a disorganized mish-mosh. Barnes seemed to treat great paintings as kitchen tiles...completely filling each wall with them (and other unrealted items) in a symmetrical arrangement based on the size and shape of the canvas!

In addition there was no thematic organization -- either chronological, geographical, by genre or movement.

Plus many of the works were hung so high on the walls, my wife got a stiff neck within an hour of entering.

NOTE: There was such a controversy about moving the Barnes that they essentially re-created the rooms of the original building in the new building. In my opinion, if they were going to break Barnes's will and piss everyone off anyway, they should have scrapped his ridiculous arrangement and improved on the display of what could have been a great museum venue.

[end of rant]

SS

Shame on you. Your assignment for tomorrow (Sunday...today in the UK already) is to go to one of those museums and report back to us.

Back to Somerset House for you and the Courtauld would be my recommendation.>>

ssander - I'd love to accept your challenge but London is a bit far from Cornwall where i now live for a day trip.

they are definitely at the top of my list for the next time I'm in London.