First time in London
 

Hi everyone, <BR> <BR>I will be in London in early September and would like some advice on where to go/what to see etc. Shall I consider going to Wales or Scotland or 7 days are too little time for all that? <BR>Thank you. <BR> <BR>Olga

Olga, <BR>If you really want to capture the flavor of London, seven days is far too short a time to allow for traveling elsewhere. You'll find that after six days in London you've hardly touched the surface regarding things to do, places to see. At best, you might consider a day trip to Oxford, Cambridge, Bath or Salisbury, but don't shortchange your time in London. Come back to the forum and let us know of your interests and respondents here will provide you with a wealth of suggestions. Feel free to Email me directly, if you'd like. I may have some ideas of interest to you once I know your interests. In the interim, visit your library or bookstore and look for a couple of good introductory guides, "The Eyewitness Travel Guide to London" and "The Insight Guide to London".

As an alternative, come straight here. Dr Johnston got it wrong. "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life!", indeed! <BR> <BR>We promise to make you very welcome, my pretty....

Hi Olga, <BR>I 've been twice to London etc. in the last 2 years, once for 7 nites and the second time for 8. <BR>On the 4th day of my first visit I did a day trip to Edinburgh to see the castle. I left from King's Cross Station at 8:00am and was there around noon (100mph train - 400 miles). I did the Royal Mile/Castle/lunch and was back on a train around 5:00pm. Admittedly it makes for a long day, but I found after pounding the London pavement for three days, I was ready for a relaxing view of the country side with a bonus, spectacular castle at the end of the line to look forward to. People thought I was crazy to do it in a day but we Canadians are used long distance travel in short time frames. <BR> <BR>The second time a day trip to Liverpool fit the bill. <BR> <BR>I would suggest if you want to do it, go for it. <BR> <BR>Have fun, I'm jealous. <BR> <BR>

Olga, I was in London in April and stayed for a total of 8 days. Every day was spent in London, except for a day trip to Bath. There is so much to see and do in London that the time will pass very quickly. I would recommend trying to go to a 1 or 2 places near London instead of travelling great distances.

With only 7 days, I think you'll find that there is plenty to do in London and the surrounding area. The trip up to Scotland by train I believe takes around 4-5 hours so its not really feasible as a day trip (for most people Daryl!). <BR> <BR>There are several fabulous day trips to take that are only an 1/2 hour or hour away-Bath, Oxford/Blenheim Castle, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court. And there's so much to do in London itself. Visit the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, visit the markets, the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Museum of London..... <BR> <BR>I'll be in London early September as well for my third visit and I'm still finding more than enough to keep me busy in London. Have a great trip!

One of the best ways, in my opinion, to capture London is by taking the walking tours offered by London Walks. The walks are about 2 hours in lenght and cover all of the major (and not so maor) areas of london. The tours are inexpensive, usually only 5-10 people strong and are lead by wonderful guides. Enjoy!

Just feel I must comment on the London Walks comments. I recently did their Jack the Ripper walk. No exaggerations - there were at least 50 people on the tour and only 2 guides. It was awful - couldn't hear half of it (people talking over the guide and so forth). For 7 days, I'd recommend as the others have, about 2 day trips depending on your taste. Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon can both be done on the same day. Bath is a great day out, as are Oxford, Cambridge. Maybe even pop into the countryside to the Cotswalds. Also, for £19.95 per person there is a day trip to Leeds Castle by train which is well worth it (£13 by National Express bus but much more travel time). In and around London I'd recommend Tower of London, Thames trip to Greenwich, Richmond Park and ferry to Hampton Court Palace - you could possibly even squeeze Kew Gardens in, don't forget the markets, Covent Garden for a bit of fun, Harrods, and of course all the museums. For day trip travel prices/times check out: <BR>www.thetrainline.co.uk <BR>www.nationalexpress.co.uk <BR>

Just feel I must comment on the London Walks comments. I recently did their Jack the Ripper walk. No exaggerations - there were at least 50 people on the tour and only 2 guides. It was awful - couldn't hear half of it (people talking over the guide and so forth). For 7 days, I'd recommend as the others have, about 2 day trips depending on your taste. Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon can both be done on the same day. Bath is a great day out, as are Oxford, Cambridge. Maybe even pop into the countryside to the Cotswalds. Also, for £19.95 per person there is a day trip to Leeds Castle by train which is well worth it (£13 by National Express bus but much more travel time). In and around London I'd recommend Tower of London, Thames trip to Greenwich, Richmond Park and ferry to Hampton Court Palace, don't forget the markets, Covent Garden for a bit of fun, and of course all the museums. For day trip prices/times check out: <BR>www.thetrainline.co.uk <BR>www.nationalexpress.co.uk <BR>