r_adeoba

Hi Everyone,

I will be visiting London for the next three weeks. I will be accompanied by my little brother (age 16), I'm 24 and I am looking for things to do. We will be staying with family in South Ockendon and Dagenham.

I'm hoping you could provide some local suggestions for us to explore. I'm big on photography and socializing and he is big on history and science. We are definitely going to explore the museums. Any other recommendations or scenic areas (Hyde park, Kew garden, etc.)?

Also, he would like to do a tour at Oxford University. After reading reviews we will probably just make it a day trip or overnight. Can someone elaborate on whether we should purchase a travel card or oyster and what the stark differences are? I'm trying to make this as budget-friendly as a trip possible.When we come back to NYC, we also have a few other trips lined up. We aren't real touristy individuals but we will try out the London eye. More so, we just are trying to explore the city and any help would be great.

Thanks for all your help/suggestions!

PalenQ

Do a day trip to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court -both easy by train- history and lovely surroundings - In Windsor be sure to trek around Eton just across the river with colleges now re-opened for touring after being closed for a bit.

I enjoyed walking along the Thames near Hampton - did a neat walk Kingston to Hampton Court along north bank of Thames -can take boats too.

PalenQ

Can someone elaborate on whether we should purchase a travel card or oyster and what the stark differences are?>

Oyster for that long for sure - just ask your hosts - assuming they know it all. TravelCards can be loaded on Oyster Cards but at times you may want to get a paper TC from a national railway station as it gives you 2for1 at many expensive sights.

https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

pavot

Don't miss the Museum of London -- they always have great exhibits.

Since you have so much time, and you are a photographer, one "neighborhood" I would suggest is Hampstead. It's very picturesque, but full of history and nice places to eat and drink, too. And for additional wandering, I would recommend Chelsea.

Also, I know you don't want to be too touristy ... but be sure to take in the iconic sights that you may regret missing once you're home again, like Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, or a ride on the top of a bus, in the front seats.

Have a great time!

janisj

Those two towns are in eastern London (zone 6 for Underground/train purposes). You can get your Oysters or paper travelcards at the Upminster station (both tube and train stations are there) or other stations in the area.

If you want to use any of the days out 2for1 discounts it will have to be paper travelcards which must be purchased in a <u>train</u> station -- not a tube station. https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

To get to Oxford you'll take the tube or train into central LOndon, then the tube to Paddington and train from there to Oxford. The trip from Paddington to Oxford won't be covered by the oyster/paper travelcard so you'll have to buy a separate tix to Oxford.

flanneruk

The most straightforward way of getting to Oxford is to get the tube into town, then a train from EITHER Marylebone or Paddington.

Typically, trains from Marylebone take about 5 minutes longer, cost about 30% less and are usually more comfortable at peak hours. Fast direct trains leave each station half-hourly. It's almost always cheaper to return to the same London station you departed from.

But the crucial thing is to choose your travelling times carefully. The Marylebone route offers a wider range of times when discounts are available.

There are also further savings if you commit to (and pay for) specific departure times in advance. But with the frequency of trains on this route, you might prefer not to be committed: in which case you want to buy offpeak tickets (available only for weekend journeys, and for weekday travel outside the morning and evening peaks), for which there's no benefit in buying ahead of time.

Go to nationalrail.co.uk, describing your origin as London and your destination as Oxford. To see the benefits of advance commitment, tell the system you're travelling in about two weeks' time.

Carolmom

I loved Oxford...Lots of photo ops. Browsing at the bookstore ( can't recall the name) was fun and free. As a fan of Tolkien and CS Lewis, a stop at the Eagle and Child - the pub where they hung out as part of the Inklings - was a highlight for me.

dwdvagamundo

Oxford would be a natural fit for both of your interests, as would Windsor and Hampton Court.

Maybe Cambridge too--you can see Newton's own copy of his Principia with his marginal notes in the library. That was quite a thrill for this non-scientist.

Oxford and Cambridge are quite different and each is worth a visit.

r_adeoba

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for the suggestions/tips! We are HERE! We will be going to Oxford and Cambridge wed and thursday this week. London is such a 'small' city compared to NYC we have been walking and enjoying all the greenery a lot. We were in South Kensington yesterday for a festival at Imperial College and loved the area (visited the Science Museum too). We will be going back to that area for sure. Afterwards we walked to Hyde Park and took some pictures. Thanks again for your help!