We are going to London for a short trip (Friday arrival to Wednesday return flight). What would everyone recommend for someone who's never been to England? We've been to Europe in France and Germany within the last few years and never to anywhere else in Europe. We are very touristy types and would like to see a play or show if possible as well as enjoy a good meal on at least one night while we are they.
Thanks
DavidNWendy

Besides the usual sites, make time to visit both the British Museum and the V&A Museum. You could linger for days in both, but even a quick run-thru is time well spent. ENJOY!!

If you're arriving in London early and you're up to it, I would recommend the Big Bus tour to get a great overview of the city making sure you have "live" commentary (the taped ones will immediately put you to sleep!)and sit up top. There are 3 routes and you could actually take them all (given enough time and a one price ticket) - it's hop on/off if you want and a ticket is good for 24 hrs. Of course, there's the Tower of London & the jewels, Westminster Abbey and the Parliament bldgs, St. Paul's, National Portrait Gallery, St. Martins-in-the-Field (next to the portrait gallery)at Trafalgar Square. A particular highlight for me were the Cabinet War Rooms (but, then I'm a WWII buff). And, of course, there's Harrod's. Even if you don't like shopping (and I don't) this is a gorgeous dept. store and worth a visit to the food section and the, I think usually Harrod identity, gift section (I always pick up Christmas/B-day gifts). A visit to London would not be complete without one short trip to Harrods. I'm a touristy-type, too There were other highlights but I had 6 days. Any questions, feel free to ask at [email protected]
P.S. If you like sushi, Yo!Sushi is very good and fun. Also, Wagamama's but neither of these are fancy.

I forgot to add that if you connect with the 1 1/2 hour tour of the British Museum it's a great way to see some highlights without wandering around endlessly. I just happened to arrive at the right time and caught it. You can also get Rick Steves' London guidebook for his walk or someone elses. It's very worth it.

It is certainly possible to see plays in London with little or no preparation. You can just go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square the afternoon of the performance and select any of the plays they have available for half price. You can see what is available by going to www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk
and clicking on the TKTS box on the right side of the screen. That will show you which plays are available that day at the TKTS booth.

My favorite way of starting a London trip is to go to the National Portrait Gallery. Go to the top floor and work your way down for a quick refresher course in English history. Then, if you like art, go next door to the National Gallery (the restaurant in the Sainsbury wing is good for lunch). Or go across the street to St. Martins in the Field for architecture and lunch and music. Or feed the pigeons in Trafalgar Sq. (corny, but I enjoyed it the first time I was in London). Or take a short walk up to Leicester Sq. to the half price booth for theater tickets. And there's a nice book store diagonally across the street.

A few months ago I drew from the forum notes of attractions that most American tourists seem to go to, and I append it here.

I can add to the useful note from Joe_in_Silver_Spring that there is a new and additional restaurant in the National Gallery, with an entry from the pavement just south of the National Portrait Gallery. I dropped in to see it yesterday: it is full of light and air, and I look forward to eating there. The restaurant in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields is a little cheaper, but a little more enclosed in feeling. If I want that style of meal I walk 200 yards to Embankment tube station and eat at Gordon?s Wine Bar with fresher tasting food.

I agree with Nikki on going to a play among the popular shows. If you have a favourite play, or favourite author (such as Shakespeare) then in the arrivals concourse of your hotel you can buy the listings magazine Time Out, look up fringe theatre, and see listed the wealth of good things on show at twelve pounds or so.

Welcome to London. There is only one first time, and I wish you great enjoyment.

[email protected]

TWO DAYS

Places that draw most visitors are Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Whitehall, St Paul s and the Tower. You can string these together if you start at the Tower when they open at nine, take a seat on the top of a bus to St Paul s Cathedral (your travel card is valid), take a bus to Trafalgar Square (for the National Gallery), then down Whitehall to the Banquetting House, the Horse Guards, the Cenotaph, snd Downing Street, then see Westminster Abbey, Parliament, and Big Ben. Now into St James Park, and walk along the lake (not along the boring road) to the palace, and on to the nearest tube station, Victoria. I can e-mail you a list of good pub lunches in these areas if you ask me to.


A WEEK IN LONDON for a first visitor

I think the first thing, on the day of arrival, is a bus top guided tour of main sights, to see what they look like and ready for visits on later days. Then if the visitors plan to see the Museum of London they should go there next, to get a view of London s history through time, to let them know on later visits how each place they see slots in with the life and times of this city. After that the top attractions for visitor numbers are Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Whitehall, St Paul s and the Tower. But if they have a week they can see much more. They should group their visits, and cover an area a day. On their first day or at their arrival airport they should buy a one week two zone London Travel card for 19 pounds 60 pence, and pick up a bus map at any tube station. Then they should travel short distances outside the rush hour on the tops of busses, and make other journeys by tube. In these notes, square brackets show contradictory or additional thoughts by correspondents to Fodors forum for Europe.

[It is a complete waste of time to spend a precious half-day looking at the outsides of places that I'll be coming back to.]

The Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum [If people are not museum fans, I should list other things instead]. Perhaps the Albert Memorial and tea in the Orangery. South Kensington tube. I suggest lunch at the Daquise Polish restaurant, by the tube station

Harrods store, Knightsbridge tube, or bus from South Kensington. There are good meals at the Nags Head, 53 Kinnerton Street, and the Wilton Arms, 71 Kinnerton Street. [Perhaps a walk along The Serpentine, the Lake in Hyde park, would be more appealing than visiting Harrod's? Also, Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly may make a better shopping visit. Add Apsley House, at Hyde Park Corner]

[Add Tate Britain, by bus from Victoria]

Starting from Victoria Station the Royal Mews, the Queen s Gallery, and Buckingham Palace. The Palace is a large, dull, grey building, and I do not know why people go there. [Buckingham Palace was a disappointment for me, but most Americans will flock to it on a first visit. A visitor suggests the horse guards as a better visit]. From the palace walk through St James Park beside the lake, feed the royal ducks, do not walk on the very dull Mall. I suggest lunch at the Two Chairmen, just outside the Gardens, a block from St James Park tube station.

Up to the south east corner of St James Park. Westminster Abbey (opens early, 9.30 [take one of the Verger-led tours at 1100 or 1400 if there on time]), view Parliament and Big Ben, the London Eye [some people deplore the Eye], Ten Downing Street, The Cabinet War Rooms on King Charles Street, the Banqueting Hall, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery (half a day), the National Portrait Gallery (two hours: twice a week closes late at 9pm), The National Gallery (half a day: it is open till 9 on Wednesdays, the National Portrait Gallery (two hours: it is open till 9 on Thursdays and Fridays), lunch in Gordon s Wine Bar on Villiers Street near Embankment tube station, ten minutes walk east along the Strand, [add St. Martin in the Fields Church and Crypt and Covent Garden] Somerset House for the Courtauld Gallery Impressionists and Russian Imperial Collection, weekday lunch upstairs at the Devereaux Arms, between the Courts of Justice and the gate of the Middle Temple

Church of St Bartholomew the Great (Farringdon tube), Museum of London, St Paul s Cathedral, [lunch in Crypt Café] Tate Modern [some people disliked the Tate Modern. Add Shakespeare's Globe. Southwark Cathedral, Borough Market, and the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret: London Bridge tube. Add daytrip to Greenwich]

The Tower (opens early, 9am: takes 2 ? hours at least) and Tower Bridge

The British Library by Kings Cross St Pancras tube. The library is open till 8 on Tuesdays). The British Museum (2 hours at least. The museum is open till 8.30 on Thursdays and Fridays). The monumental rooms at the British Museum are of course Greek and Egyptian, but I think of Shelley?s Ozymandias (http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/d.../poem1904.html) and prefer the upstairs rooms for Roman, Anglo Saxon and medieval Britain. I suggest weekday lunch in MacMillan s refectory on the ground floor of Senate House. Sir John Soane s Museum, Holborn tube.

The following are other points from readers

I'd recommend seeing at least one play while in London.
Spare one evening from shows to take a walk from platform 1 at Charing Cross station over Hungerford Bridge across The Thames, then along the south bank

Eat at an Indian restaurant, Brick Lane north of Aldgate East tube or Drummond Street west of Euston main line station
Afternoon tea (a search at the top of the Fodors forum page for Europe will bring plenty of advice. Or, I can send a file on less elegant tea in London -- BH
A visit to a local market: your hotel can suggest one
On a week s visit only one out of town day trip: Hampton Court Palace. Kew Gardens
Greenwich, or Windsor Castle

And a further point from a reader: Every visitor is different in not only their interests but also their pace. I'd rather spend a full day at one or two places, learning them in depth, than dash around to four or five

For later visits people consider their own tastes and interests, dig into London, and find small museums, hidden corners, and little known suburbs, and go there.
[I cannot agree with this basic strategy. Visitors should do some of that on their first visit, and save the more popular destinations for another time].

What not to do is worth listing.
Madame Tussaud?s. The National Portrait Gallery does the job better, and free
The London Dungeon and the Clink. OK for sado-masochists, but few of us are. Otherwise, emetic.
The changing of the guard, at either site. Lots of waiting in heat or cold, and not a lot to see.
Big Ben: So what ? [The view of Big Ben, Parliament buildings and Westminister Abbey is a classic "must do"]
Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. Crowded, good for pickpockets, littered, and run-down. [Leicester Square is sort of a "must" if they want to get discount theatre tickets].


In August 2004 a Fodor s discussion noted two displays as cheesy, Madame Tussaud s and the London Dungeon. One writer added: the Tower Hill Pageant or something like that. It was a "dark ride" ... I was tasting cheese for a long time afterward! (I think it is similar - from what I understand - to Jarvik (sp?) in York). Tower Hill Pageant, 1 Tower Hill Terrace, EC3 (0171 709 0081). Tower Hill tube. Open 9.30am-4.30pm daily.
http://www.hartline.net/Baumholder/Attractions.html

Most writers found medieval banquets cheesy, and commented thus on two of them:

The medieval banquet at the Wharf near The Tower was dreadful. Not so good food and amateur (now we will laugh!!) entertainment. We sat cheek to jowl, literally, with other tourists and I eventually waited outdoors where I could breathe. The Medieval Banquet in the Ivory House: 020 7480 5353.

Hatfield House medieval banquet. We had a driver take us, but I think that it is part of a day tour from London as well.
Another writer: The medieval banquet at Hatfield House. Hatfield is an interesting stately home with a fascinating history and the medieval banquet is fun, if schlocky.
Another writer went to the Elizabethan Banquet at Hatfield House and had a nice time. It's actually held in an Elizabethan Hall - nice atmosphere, enjoyable evening. I haven't heard much good about the one in London.
Web sites http://www.theoldpalace.co.uk. and
http://www.theoldpalace.co.uk/banquets/history.htm

Hi everyone,

We will have three full days in London. Any recommendations on putting an itinerary together for the following so we have smooth days:

Westminster Abbey
Parliament
Tower of London
British Museum
Buckingham Palace
The war rooms
Harod?s
St Pauls

I know there are other sights I probably should, but these are the top ones for my hubby and me. Your input will give me a good start.

Ben, could I please have your pub listing? Also, would you have any restaurant list for inexpensive dinners (say under $60 for two people with a drink)? I would really appreciate it. [email protected]

Thanks so much!

Mary

Hi Mary
Most basic guidebooks for London, such as Fodors and Frommers, have suggested itineraries. Right here at fodors.com if you click above on Destinations you will get to a lot of tips for seeing London. You will also need a good map.
For a short visit, Streetwise London (Amazon and many chain bookstores in the US carry it) is helpful.

I've been to London a number of times and still don't feel I know it well, it is very large and varies in character from area to area.

The Tower of London is good for a full morning, arrive early, take the Yeoman Warder's (Beefeaters) tour. After that, you can visit St Paul's, finding a lunch in a pub in the City. Weekdays are best as many pubs and cafes in the City are closed on weekends. If it interests you and if you have stamina left, the Museum of London is quite close to St Paul's and even in a skim offers a lot of good exhibits on the history of London.

I don't know what the rules are these days on visiting Parliament, limited access used to be available by waiting in a long line, but I don't know if security concerns have put an end to that. You can check the website
www.parliament.uk

Even if you just walk by Parliament, that and the Abbey and the Cabinet War Rooms are all within a 15 minute walk of each other. You'll also be walking just near the Horseguards, where a relatively uncrowded viewing of the changing of the guard takes place.

Before those, take a stroll to or start at Trafalgar Square. If you don't want to visit the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, that's fine, buy you should see Trafalgar Square I think.

After War Rooms, you can continue on along St James's Park. Eventually you will find yourselves in front of Buckingham Palace for picture-taking purposes. You can then cut through Green Park, walking uphill, and find yourself on Piccadilly. If you go left, you can pick up Knightsbridge and head to Harrods. If you go right, you can shop on Piccadilly, perhaps stop at the Ritz Hotel for tea (reservations required) or at Fortnum and Mason. Fortnum's also has afternoon teas served in its various restaurants, and it's also good for picking up souvenirs such as boxes of teabags, jams and jellies,etc.

I meant to add, I have a long file on London, if you'd like to see it, email me at
[email protected]

Elaine, could I get your London information? My Mom and I will be in London 3 or 4 days next May before our cruise.

Thanks!!!

Monica
[email protected]

HI-

A DEFINITE IS THE BIG BUS TOUR WHERE YOU CAN HOP ON AND OFF AND GET A GREAT VIEW OF THE CITY. MY SISTER AND I DID IT ON THE LAST DAY BUT FELT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE IT THE SECOND DAY SINCE THE FIRST YOU ARE A LITTLE JET LAGGED.

THOUGHT SPEAKERS CORNER WAS GREAT TO SEE FOR A HALF HOUR STOP ONLY ON SUNDAY.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE - SEE A PLAY - WINDSOR CASTLE - TOWER OF LONDON ALSO A MUST

we did London in 4 days in March (1st time we went) - we did one full day bus tour out of London to see the countryside by Astral Tours - they have a website - I would 100% recommend it - they use smaller buses for 15 people and we went to Stonehenge, Salisbury, Avebury, Sarum Castle and was one of the best days in my life. It was about $85/pp including a pub lunch. It was definitely worth it!

<b>IMO</b> a walking tour book, a tourist bus map, and a bus pass are much better than the hop-on-off tours, unless you only have a day or two to get a superficial overview. There are audio tours of all the standard tourist routes available on cassette or CD. Here's one example:

<b>http://www.europeincontext.com/london.asp</b>

Use your bus pass* down to Greenwich to the Prime Meridian, Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, and Maritime Museum. Go a little further downstream to the Thames Barrier.

* Or take a cruise. Some boat operators give a discount to the holders of certain transport passes, such as Travelcards.