I just returned from first trip to London and would like to offer my suggestions. Many were given to me before and many are from first hand experience.

DO:

*Try to sleep on the trip over if coming from US
*Arrive as early in the day as possible
*get out in the sun first day and go to bed at local bed time
*stay at a Travelodge - clean safe- super cheap - 4 nights for three people with own bathroom $333!!!
*Attend Ceremony of The Keys at Tower of London
*use walkit.com and tfl for journey planning - know where you want to go and do before you get there - you wont waste time with "what do you want to do " where do we go".
* Mark and Spencers - fav store - cheap cheap grab and go food and candy and local goodies to bring home
*buy international calling card - cheap and work great
*eat at pubs
*afternoon tea at St Martins in the field
*MInd the Gap!!

DON'T
* mess with a convertor - heavy and we blew ours first thing - if you have to have appliances get dual voltage and adaptors!!
*forget alot of things are closed on Sunday - Mark and Spencers etc
* worry if you get lost - you never know what you will stumble upon
*expect phones and clocks in all hotel rooms
*expect to blend in - all the women wear high heels - black hose - black skirt and black coat - they look gorgeous!!!
*over pack!!!

You're back I wondered how your trip turned out. Sounds like you had a good time . . . .

I like your suggestion to give up trying to fit in. I intend to wear my sneakers and jeans because it is the only way I'll be able to walk all day with comfort. I've been worried that such garb will elicit stares and derision. My husband is amused that things like that even worry me because everybody will know I'm American as soon as I open my mouth.

I did buy a terrific dark grey coat for London though. I live in Orlando and have no warm coats except for my 1989 vintage ski jacket.

LauraG

Um...the description of what the 'natives' wear only applies to office workers during office hours! And only some of those - don't fret, you'll see zillions of variations of clothing all over the place.

Glad you enjoyed your trip oh2doula. I might take issue with your description of Travelodge though. Which?, the UK's leading consumer publication, took a look at budget hotels a couple of months ago with the following result:

http://tinyurl.com/cch872

I subscribe to the magazine and you really don't want to see the pictures. There are other budget chains to choose from. I've never been disappointed by Premier Inn.

Never heard women in the UK described as gorgeous before. I'll keep my lecherous old eyes wide open next time I'm in town.

Thanks, doula. I'm obsessing about upcoming trip, but am still likely to forget things like adapter for cell phone.

Don't think I'll have room in my bag for heels; London will just have to forgive me.

my 2 cents ...

DO ... eat Indian food, best outside of India

UK women stereotype is not applicable to London, women are absolutely beautiful, dress nice, etc.

<i>DO ... eat Indian food, best outside of India</i>

According to my son, who lives in Kampala, London comes in third after Uganda

we stayed at the London City Road Travelodge and it was great - VERY clean - and updated - I have pics if anyone wants to see them.

Like I told my daughter and her friend - no one is paying any attention to us - in our jeans and "trainers".

I'd add the other phrase that Transport for London repeats ad nauseam: "Always touch in and touch out" (unless you want your Oyster card to charge you full fare, that is, I hasten to add)

>>*forget alot of things are closed on Sunday - Mark and Spencers etc

Maybe 20 years ago, but Sunday trading has bcome well established in the UK. There are some restrictions on opening hours for medium/larger sized stores, but the vast majority are open between 10-4pm or 11-5pm on Sundays (every M&S I know of included). Smaller corner-shop type places can open all day. Its possible you were in somewhere like the City where shops cater for the office workers who're not there at weekends.

we had a mark and spencers down the street from our hotel and it was closed in the morning when we left and evening. H and M were closed all day. alot of pubs were closed. Tesco was open but closed at 5:00

"Don't" Number 1

<b>On your first visit to a real city, don't generalise on the basis of near-zero knoweledge</b>

The poster's entire experience of London seems to be based on spending a couple of days on the northern periphery of The City (the term we use to describe the financial district at the east of central London) - an area with virtually no inhabitants, practically no hotels, and devoid of business life from the time New York closes on Friday till Tokyo opens on Monday

As Gordon R points out, practically everything in The City closes on Sunday. That tells you nothing about shops everywhere else. Precisely of M&S' 560 UK branches are in The City and close on Sundays. Not a single one of the hundred or so other London M&S stores closes on Sundays.

Nor does anything else in London, outside The City.

corli33, what a sad little post. It is the equivalent of basing my opinion of American food on a visit to Dennys. Take the blinkers off.

<<< but Sunday trading has bcome well established in the UK. >>>

The Sunday Trading Laws only affect England & Wales. Up in Scotland they never had restrictions on Sunday Trading so many shops are open "normal" hours

I'd also add - look right when crossing the road & don't stand in a huddle in the middle of the pavement when trying to work out what to do next

Right on flanneruk! I've been to London many times and find this post amusing and doesn't apply...for example, I try to take a day flight so that on arrival I can go right to bed and get a good night's sleep....and the description of London women is laughable....

What a ray of sunshine Corli33 is. Ignorant, boorish, and not in te least bit funny. He probably wonders why Americans aren't well liked.....

doula, a flannerreaming means you've arrived.

corli33 appears to be a troll. Time for him to be taken out Katie.