Hi, <BR>I need some help. I am coming to London for the first time. Some of my must do things are seeing Buckingham Palace, going to the art gallery the National Gallery, having lunch at a pub, going to Harrods, and seeing the countryside. I only have a week and desperately need a logical order any help would be appreciated.

Well, I would suggest the following: <BR> <BR>1. Just wander and learn the city. Start at Palace of Westminster, note the Churchhill statue, check out Big Ben, wander down to Trafalgar Square,go to St Martins in the Fields Church basement for lunch, walk up to St. Pauls, take it all in and then find a pub and enjoy. <BR> <BR>2. Go to the Tower of London and take the tour. Very interesting, genuine beefeaters lead you around and don't miss the crown jewels. Visit the Tower Bridge, go to the top. Then take a boat up the Thames to the Westminster Palace. Visit the Westminster Abbey and the treasury. Go to Westminster around 5 PM for evensong. Find a pub and enjoy. <BR> <BR>3. Spend half the day shopping at Harrods. Start around 10 AM, don't miss the food courts, check out the wine bar, and be sure to buy a Harrods Teddy Bear. <BR> <BR>4. Try the new Tate Gallery and the British Museum. (Full day here) <BR> <BR>5. Go to the Globe Theater. <BR> <BR>6. Skip the changing of the guard, boring, and see horse guards instead and above all enjoy yourself!

Tower of London may have lots of tourists, but it's still worth it. The Tower Bridge is right there too. The short tour is worth it for the view from the top walkway. Westminster Abbey is near Big Ben and should not be missed. St Martin in the Fields often has live music (free lunch concerts or pay for an evening candlelight concert). <BR> <BR>Check out the Half Price Ticket Booth on the south side of Leicester Square for big savings on theatre tickets. Only go to the freestanding official booth right in the square, not the shops w/ "1/2 price" signs. <BR> <BR>I agree with walking around and seeing the city. Drop into a pub when you feel like a pint (ask for a cask ale for a real treat you can't get in the States). <BR> <BR>A day trip by train to Cambridge is a nice way to get out of town. Punt on the little stream by campus. <BR> <BR>Pubs have some of the best simple foods, and Indian restaurants can be excellent too. <BR> <BR>I general I suggest looking at a map and see what else is around a main sight you want to see. I often took the tube to a site and then walked back to my hotel (or part of the way) just to see the odd corners of London. ENJOY.

I would exchange Harrod's for Liberty--more beautiful, authentic and genuinely different from US dept. stores.

Diana <BR>Unlesss you have tickets already to go next month or in September, Buckingham Palace is not open to the public during most of the year. Of course you can see it from the outside. <BR> <BR>I have some London notes, gathered from my own trips and sources like this forum; if you would like to see them, email me. They include some info on daytrips. <BR>Although the tube is excellent for getting around, bring comfortable shoes and plan on walking as much as possible. <BR>It's the only way to really get to know the city, and, armed with a good map, London is quite visitor-friendly. <BR>Any good guidebook will have suggestions for walking itineraries. <BR> <BR>

We just got back from our first trip to London last month. It's wonderful! We were only in London for 3 days and then we drove around the country for 10 days. We stayed at the Travel Inn County Hall--very reasonable(62pounds) and we were able to walk across the Thames to Westminster Abbey(don't miss),walked to the Changing of the Horse Guard, back to Trafalgar Square to see the National Gallery(don't miss). We did this during the first day. The second day we took a Big Bus tour around the city and this really helped us get our bearings--gave us an idea about the size of London and where things were. We hopped on and off all day. Saw Harrods, the British Museum(a short visit,and walked all over Covent Garden(loved it!!!) and Soho. The third day, we saw Hyde Park Speaker's Corner(Sunday afternoon), Tower of London, and took a Jack the Ripper Walk. Then we drove on the fourth day to Stonehenge, through the Cotswolds and up to Stratford on Avon. We continued up north after that. Have a wonderful time and enjoy!!!!I'd be glad to answer any questiuons.

I would recommend a London Walks walking tour. Search other posts regarding the types of tours available. <BR>