London calling...
 

I will be traveling in London for the first time this coming up March. I have never been and know absolutely nothing about what I should do while there. Please does anyone have places that are "must sees" to both site see, eat and drink the night away?

Your post is really a tough one to answer- there is so much to do in London. What I consider a must see you may find boring. I would look at the destination guide for London on this site, read through many of the threads in this forum (there really is a lot of helpful info) and maybe buy a book or two, which will really help you out. Congrats on your trip- you are going to have a marvelous time!

Your best bet would be to buy a decent guide book. Basically London is a very metropolitan city.. if your interested in:<BR>History: There are thousands of interesting historical sights.<BR>Art: London has scores of museums<BR>Shopping: Harrads and Knightsbridge are just some of the great shopping areas<BR>Night Clubs: You'll find tons of disco's and chic clubs in underground London. <BR>Pubs, gardens, restaurants you name it London has it. <BR>Basically, you have to decide what interests you, and get a good general guidebook, like a Fodor's or an Eyewitness and take it from there.

During a month's visit to England I spent a week in London (my first except for an overnighter). There is so much to see that I went back later in the year for 2 weeks by myself. If you would like my trip report on that week please e-mail me directly. You might want to pick up Rick Steves' London guide book.

&quot;(I) know absolutely nothing about what I should do while there (London)&quot;<BR><BR>Why is that? Have you been in a cave all your life? You've never read, seen or heard anything at all which remotely interested you in London?<BR><BR>!

1) The Tower of London<BR>2) The British Museum<BR>3) Visit Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square <BR>4) Double Decker Bus tour ride (will point out things you want to see later)<BR>5) Harrods<BR> My favorite place for dining and people watching is at the Italian Restaurant in Leichester Square next to the underground - also a good place to hang out = )

Also see Buckingham Palace &amp; the changing of the guard!

As a Londoner I can suggest the places I would take a tourits:<BR><BR>- Buckingham Palace &amp; walk through St James's Street across the bridge, don't miss the fairy tale view!;<BR>- Piccadilly (the street) for Fortnum &amp; Masons the royal supermarket-Royal Academy of Arts(from Picadilly Circus);<BR>- Boat ride to Greenwich from Westminster<BR>- Covent Garden have a beer on the balcony at Punch &amp; Judy's pub-Neal Street for more shops and lunch at Food For Thought (if you are not vegetarian after this meal you'll want to be it the best beware very squashy in the restaurant but worth it!;<BR>- Hampton Court Palace by train<BR>- Kensington Palace summer house (The Orangery)for tea and scones - come from Queensway station walk through the park after your tea and scones you can walk across the park all the way to knighstbridge to visit Harrods, Harvey Nichols and designer shops;<BR>- British Museum esp. Egypt section;<BR>- See a show I recommend My Fair Lady,The Lion King, Chicago;<BR>- Best guided walks for &pound;3/&pound;4 http://london.walks.com any of the walks you choose you will absolutely love. The guides are brilliant! <BR>- Dine at the Oxo Tower restaurant or the brasserie is just as good only cheaper - there are other things to see there check out the website: http://www.oxotower.co.uk/indexIE.html<BR><BR>- Oxford Street if you want to sample the British, French &amp; Spanish high street shps and the British department Stores - The pubs are best for lunch in the back streets try The Slug &amp; Lettuce off Regent Street - www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/home.htm - gives you directions here.<BR><BR>- Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Cabinet War Rooms;<BR>- Shakespeares Globe Theatre you can do a tour of the theatre or see a play http://www.shakespeares-globe.org<BR><BR>http://www.timeout.com/london/ is a monthly London magazine for pubs, restaurants, things to do;<BR><BR>Here is the website for Hampton Court &amp; Kensington Palace – do visit Hampton Court and use there free cassette tour guide. Don’t bother with Kpalace but DO visit the Orangery at the palace in the back yard for tea and scones. http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp<BR><BR>If anyone wants more information please write to my personal address I am only too happy to help.

Janie, what lovely suggestions. Maybe you can tell me what buildings I was seeing looking west from the bridge in St. James Park going out to the St. J. tube stop. It did look like something from a fairy tale.

Looking west, you'd see a bit of Buckingham Palace. I suspect you're thinking of the eastward view, across the island - that way you're looking at the back of the Foreign Office/Treasury building and might catch a glimpse of the back of Downing Street and the Horse Guards

Thanks, Patrick. I've always been directionally challenged.

Trvlbug,<BR>I agree you should purchase a London guide book. There are several good ones out there, the London for Dummies book is an informative book if you've never been to London. Good luck.