shineandsparkle

First time to London with my 17 year old daughter in August. We do not want to see everything but we wouldn't want to miss what is important. We love people and would love to get a feel for what it would be like to live in London. We will spending 2 days in the Cotwolds prior to arriving and then spending Saturday afternoon until Wednesday evening in London staying at a B&B in a neighborhood where it will take 20 minutes to get downtown. Any suggestions?

ElendilPickle

That depends - we had priorities on our first trip to London, like the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, that many people would skip.

What are your interests, besides people watching?

Lee Ann

stokebailey

Oh, fun.
Random suggestions:
The Jewellery Gallery at Victoria and Albert:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fas...ery/index.html

Borough Market is open until 5PM on Saturday, but I'm afraid it'd be too mobbed after noon.

Everyone PoohPoohs the Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park, but I think it's fun to go by on a fine Sunday morning. Mostly religious diatribes anymore, but still.

janisj

"<i> . . . staying at a B&B in a neighborhood where it will take 20 minutes to get downtown.</i>"

Are you saying you booked a B&B 20 minutes from 'downtown', or are you asking for recommendations for a B&B?

I ask because there is no concept of "downtown" relating to London. Central London (where 90% of the major sites are located) is huge. 20 minutes from say Kensington Palace could be an hour+ from the Tower of London.

If you've booked a B&B 20 minutes out -- where is it located?

"<i>We do not want to see everything but we wouldn't want to miss what is important.</i>"

Besides people watching - give us more info. 4 days will significantly limit how much you can see/do so you do need to be selective.

(And -- IF instead you were asking where to stay, what is your budget? )

nytraveler

London is not really the best city for people watching because there isn't a very strong cafe culture - as you will find n France or Italy. There are areas you can go to - Covent Garden, for instance. but it would help to know your other interests - since there is no way you can see all or even most of the major sights in just 4 days.

KayF

I'd recommend a guided walk with this company www.walks.com

They have a great range of walks so you can pick something that appeals to you. We've been on quite a few and the guides are always informative and interesting, some are actors which can be fun.

We lived in London up until recently (back home in Australia now) and the best part was there is an enormous amount of fabulous things to see and do, plus it's so close and cheap to visit Europe. The downside is it's overcrowded, people can be unfriendly and unhelpful, and it's dirty. We were horrified the way people throw litter on the ground.

Some idea of your interests - shopping, museums, theatre, etc would help.

Kay

shineandsparkle

We are staying in the suburb of Ealing. We like to shop but I don't think our dollars wont go very far. I think we would enjoy seeing the jewels and a walking tour sounds lovely. Would love to see the changing of the guard but heard it is almost impossible to see. Would love to see a play but I am uneasy about transportation at night. In addition we are a "G" or "PG" family. Married to a military man so we would enjoy the Imperial War Museum. Daughter would probably love going on the Eye but mom is not tooo keen. We love to go to tea, however my lovely daughter is gluten intolerant which will be tricky in the UK.Thank you again!

flanneruk

"I am uneasy about transportation at night."

Millions of us manage it happily and unscathed. This is London: not some banana republic.

jent103

<i>Would love to see a play but I am uneasy about transportation at night. In addition we are a "G" or "PG" family.</i>

Transportation is really no problem as long as your b&b is close to a tube stop. I'm not sure where you're from, but London is as safe or probably safer than just about any city in the US. If you want to see a show, go see a show - it'd be a shame not to. If you're really nervous about it, there are matinee performances, though that takes out a chunk of good sightseeing time.

As far as "G" or "PG" - what exactly do you mean? Les Miserables is a classic show that I love, but there is some cursing and non-G-rated song lyrics as part of the story line. Any 17-year-old has heard worse, though. Wicked is pretty "safe" as far as I remember. There are lots of threads here about show suggestions.

<i>Daughter would probably love going on the Eye but mom is not tooo keen.</i>

Daughter can always go on her own - it's a fun thing to do. If the issue for you is motion sickness, the pods are actually quite still - when I went it never even felt like we were moving, really. I'm not that sensitive to motion sickness or heights, though. There was a thread here awhile back asking about that - you might find it in a search.

goddesstogo

I agree that you don't need to worry about public transportation at night. Plus the theatre performances don't end all that late.

Given your post, I'd say don't miss the Churchill War Rooms. Also, our favourite market was Spitalfields. We loved Borough Market but it's a food market which is handy if you're staying in an apartment and cooking. We felt Spitalfields was best for art/crafts/vintage clothing etc. There are also many places to eat there.

Re the Eye, if you're hesitating about going because of a fear of heights, let me tell you that it's the sturdiest ferris wheel I've ever been on. You don't even feel a bit of a sway or jostle. If you're comfortable in a high-storey building, you'll be fine on the Eye.

avalon

ANd plays do have matinees! We loved War Horse, it just won a Tony for the best play on Broadway now when it was brought over from London. The theatre is very near Covent Garden.Though I would never worry about night time transport in London unless you are planning to be out after midnight , even then there are Night bus routes and the tube

Cowboy1968

I'm not quite sure what a "G" or "PG" family is, but maybe this is what you are looking for:
http://www.officiallondontheatre.co....don_shows/age/

I never found riding the tube at night in any unpleasant way eventful, but I also have never stayed that far outside.

OTOH, even if you don't watch a show or a play, you will hardly want to have an early dinner and be "back home" in Ealing at 8 to spend the rest of the evening watching TV, don't you?

goddesstogo

I think avalon is spot on! War Horse would be great for a 17 year old!

janisj

"<i>We are staying in the suburb of Ealing</i>"

Have you pre-paid? If not, I might want to reconsider staying there --unless your rooms are free. For instance, depending on exactly where in Ealing - the fastest trip to the Tower of London will be more than 50 minutes. The British Museum or Covent Garden - 40 minutes. That doesn't include the time it takes to get to whichever tube station you are closest to in the Ealing area.

That really isn't a convenient location for a short visit -- especially for someone slightly uneasy w/ the public transport or traveling at night. There is nothing to worry about the <i>safety</i> of travel -- but the time involved is a worry.

I know I wouldn't stay there.

janisj

meant to add -- even for free, it might not be a bargain.

goddesstogo

Oh, and if you're going to the Victoria & Albert, be sure to have lunch or a snack in the cafe. It's gorgeous.

shineandsparkle

48 year old mom needs to handle it! I will go on the Eye! We would love to stay in closer but I could not find anything in or budget of 100 pounds. Used to be a flight attendant where they put us up in the Milford Plaza downtown New York. We called it the Mildew Plaza and laid towels on the floor from the bed to the bathroom. I don't want to remember London like I remember New York. It doesn't have to be too fancy, but we don't want to stay anyplace yucky. But if there are any recommendations, I have not prepaid my B&B. War horse looks like it would be great!

jent103

Try londontown.com. It's a discount site I've used a couple of times in the past with good luck. You do need to pay attention to reviews (look on TripAdvisor) and location, but there's a good chance you'll find something that works. The advantage of it over something like Priceline is that you know before you book which hotel you're getting, so you can check all that and make sure you're getting a decent deal.

Aduchamp1

Mom take a deep breath. Take a look at the hotels in Knightsbridge, Bayswater, Paddington, Kensington. We always find something there even if it is a little cramped.

We have now used Bookings.com in seven countries including the UK and have always been satisfied. They use Gooogle maps which also indicate tube stops.

emily71

Please rethink staying outside of Central London. Yes, most Londoners live out there but commenting to and from the sites on a packed Tube can be an unpleasant experience. As for public transport after dark, traveling as a single woman, I never been scared about taking the Tube at night. After the theaters close, there are many people traveling in the subway system.

if you can spring for it, War Horse is the hot play to see. Everyone who's seen it in London has raved about it and it seems to be "family friendly". Or else just go to the Half Price Ticket booth and ask for recommendations.

Also, a trip to Oxford Street Top Shop or Primark is usually a must for teenage girls. It's fun just to look at the fashion differences.

Have fun.