Advice 2.5 day trip London (20 something yr olds)
 

I am in desperate need of help for planning a last minute trip with my sister and cousin.
We will arrive on the 28th of July and leave the 31st of August. (coming and going through Brussels by train) So it will most likely be half a day, two whole days, and possibly half a day.

We know it will be hectic b/c of the olympics. We're not planning on seeing any olympics.. but perhaps watching some sports at a nice bar in the evenings would be nice. We're staying in bloomsbury area apparently just 3 min walking form Dicken's house (though sadly we've heard it's closed til Dec).

I'd like to see the:
camden markets
Big Ben
Tower
We dont really have any interest in something like Trafalgar (we don't really want to see anything 'too touristy' except of course a "must see" like Big Ben and the Tower. And probably no museums, as it would take up too much of our time and since it's already a short trip?

Open to suggestions.. THANKS in advance.
p.s. If one could also include a bit of route planning suggestions as well. Cheers!

I assume you mean 31 July, not Aug.

You have 2 full days so I would devote 1/2 day to the Tower - go first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds as much as possible. Then you could take the tube to Camden Town and go to the markets.

The other day you could head to Parliament which is just a walk by really but you could go into Westminster Abbey which I highly recommend, and walk through St James' Park to Buckingham Palace.

The other days you may like to just play by ear.

You may not be going to Olympic Events but your transit is going to be impacted as people travel to events. Westminster tube stop (the stop for Parliament) will be busy because beach volleyball is being played at Horseguards.

Check out the website www.getaheadofthegames.com and see how the days you will be here will be impacted.

take the hop on hop off buses that circulated tourist London constantly - get off and on at will - running commentary the whole way - good for the whole day - get off when you see something you like.

Camden markets are best on weekends - actually only on weekends I believe.

For route planning get a good map and tube map. All the sites you can google and you will find directions by public transport so you can map this out easily. Also use www.tfl.gov.uk for tickets and journey planning.

I wouldnt take the HOHO during the Olympics - many routes are altered and traffic could be a nightmare with Olympic lanes interrupting normal traffic flow. If the bus gets snarled up in traffic its not a great way to get around.

Yes, thanks for the replies. I did make a mistake, I MEANT 31 of July :D

I'm not a fan of those 'hop on hop off busses'... but thank you for the suggestion. I also think it would be a bad idea esp. since during olympics and all.

What is the difference and which would you recommend between an oyster card and travel card?
Do you think it's necessary? I've also heard from a friend about a 'food card' that gets you special deals or prices at participating restaurants.. is that something to look into or not? :)

I've never heard of a "food card", but my guess is that any saving you might get on the prices at the participating restaurants might well be less than the saving from eating at cheaper places that don't participate in the scheme anyway.

The Oystercard is an electronic debit card for public transport. A travelcard is a tariff that covers public transport in the zones you pay for (you'll only need zones 1 and 2) - it can be held on a Oystercard, but what you're thinking of, I think, is the 2for1 scheme which works if you have a travelcard issued on paper by one of the national rail companies rather than Transport for London. You can only get these for one day at a time or for 7 days - you could them at St Pancras when you arrive from Brussels (but from the Midland Mainline ticket office, rather than the Underground). You would need to specify the days that you want them for.
www.daysoutguide.co.uk