a friend and i are going to london for a short trip at the end of march. we will be in london from a friday until the following monday. it is a first trip there for the both of us, so we are seeking some advice on great things that we could do during our trip. our hotel is near russell square, but i am sure we will be out and about all over the place. i know the city is very large, so any suggestions that you could share on the following things would be greatly appreciated:

transportation (within the city and also from heathrow airport to the city), what to wear for the weather, restaurants, cafes, shopping, fleamarkets, vintage clothing stores, museums + other attractions, etc...

thanks so much!

shollowood: if you do a search here you will fimd hundreds (literally) of threads about London answering just the same questions you have . . . . . .

thanks so much! i'm working on it...

Hopefully, you have a plan to acquire one or more good books at your local pbic library or bookstore (or both).

In the meantime, this overview - - http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...tion=london@91 - - might be an even better place to start, than struggling through hundreds of old message threads.

You need to prepare for the same kind of spectrum of weather you might find in NYC, Cleveland or Seattle - - which could range from 70's (highs) to freezing rain (but very unlikely snow - - which CAN happen in Cleveland).

Best wishes,

Rex

thanks! i do already have some london books and i have been reading them. but, i figured that i would try a posting, too, because i like to hear directly from people that have been there. anyway, thanks for the weather tip. i live in nyc, so i will pack what i usually wear here at the end of march. and, i will check out the link that you posted right now.

thanks!!!

Well, recommendations of "what to see" will depend on your interests, but IMHO a first time visit to London should include the famous "must sees" - chnaging of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London, Westminter Abbey, St. Pauls Cathedral. One of the "hop on hop off" bus tours would be a great way to get a glimpse of most of London's sites in a short time any may help you decide where to visit more thoroughly. Since you're staying near Russel Square you'll be near the Brrtish Museum so definitely pop in there (free admission, actually most of the big museums are free). If you're blessed with warm or sunny weather the parks are glorious. As for shopping, I believe it is a law that all visitors to London must go to Harrods, even if you don't actually buy anything, do check ot the Egyptian escalator - note that all the Sphinxes have Mohamed al Fayed's face - and the memorial to Dodi & Diana in the lower lever, the only place in Harrods where you can take pictures.
The only problem with going to London is that the fours days you have will just not tbe enough.

thanks so much for your suggestions! they all sound great. i will add them to my to-do list, and see what i can fit in when we are there. i know that it's a short trip for a large, large city - but, it was a spur of the moment plan and we'll have a blast just being there and seeing some of the things. i am sure i will want to visit in the future for a longer trip.

thanks again!

Here are "some", and I emphasize "some" because there is so much to see in London, of my favourites, and the sights are really a personal choice based on what one likes to do are Westminster Abbey, The National Museum, Fortnum and Mason's, Camden Market.

Sorry, should have said National Gallery.

Shollowood: Use a City guide on a PDA with maps and places of interest. Restaurants and museums. My wife,son, and I spent 5 days during the Queens Golden Jubilee and it was wonderful. My 11 year old learned to use the "tube" to go anywhere in the city. Do your homework so that you know where and how to get to the sites you choose. Take time to have a picnic in Hyde Park. Have fun. This year we're doing Ireland... I can't wait.

Get a map of the underground "tube" and the buses.....get familiar with these...will save you some time. Also not a bad idea to get a map book.

I have stayed around Russell Square. Tube connections good. Also you can go from Heathrow directly to Russell Square.

"Harrods"....great...plan a couple hours

best advice i can give you is...take one of the "hop on / off" bus tours straight away - these are great insofar as they can help you determine whether or not certain sites are of interest to you and will also help with geographic orientation as well.

I would recommend being prepared with restaurant reservations and ideas. There are so many good, and so many bad restaurants in London. The best thing to do is subscribe to zagat.com where you can search for place by criteria and print them out to take along.

If I can recommend one place I would recommend Bibendum at the Michellin House at 81 Fulham Road in S Kensington. At lunch they offer a fixed price menu, which isn't cheap, but worth every gourmet bite. While you are there you can also visit The Conran Shop and shop for nic nacs or indulge in one of the many fashion restaurants around this area.

http://www.bibendum.co.uk/index.html#

Also, there are two other good bets... Don't forget to have Fish n Chips and go to a good Indian restaurant. For an Indian restaurant ask a local, everyone knows of a good place....