trips

I'm going to London in a few weeks. I'll be touring alone during the day (5 days) & I love to walk. Not a big museum person, so I'm looking for your advise on where to go, what to see, where to stop to eat & shop, etc. Also, what do you suggest as the best guide book to take?

Scarlett

<BR>Aahh London<BR>My favorite guide book is Access London.<BR>My favorite maps are the Streetwise Maps.<BR>My favorite neighborhood (right now) is South Kensington.<BR>I would advise taking a double decker bus whenever possible, sitting on top. Take the Tube, it is easy and fun.<BR>Go to<BR>Covent Garden, shop there, eat there, go to the Cinema.<BR>Trafalgar Square, St Martins in the Fields, lunch in the Cafe in the Crypt in St Martins. Go in the evening and hear a concert by candlelight.<BR>The National Portrait Gallery.<BR>The Wallace Collection.<BR>Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols.<BR>Antiquing, Edgeware Road, Kings Rd.<BR>Eat in any Indian Restaurant<BR>Go to Soho and just walk and enjoy the crowds and spectacle.<BR>Hyde Park, Green Park.<BR>Take the train to Kew Gardens and walk all over the lovely Royal Botanical Gardens.<BR>Have tea at the Orangerie, Browns, the Ritz.<BR>See a play.<BR>I think that is it for now

DiAblo

For a long time I've been giving folks the song and dance about Eyewitness: London, which is the best guidebook I've ever seen on the city. Recently a cousin of mine made his first trip to London. His wife told me they took along 5 books, left 3 of them there and used Eyewitness exclusively!<BR><BR>There is bou`coup to do if you like to walk. You�ll get lots of suggestions but let me make one that not all that many people have done.<BR><BR>Take the Archway Tube exit and you�ll find yourself at the bottom of Highgate Hill. (Although it might seem illogical, this is a better stop than the Highgate exit) Take a long and leisurely walk toward the top, depending on how you amble you will pass at least one or two interesting pubs to pop into as well as one or two small, out of the way churches. You�ll eventually find yourself at the edge of Hampstead Heath. By using your guidebook search out Highgate Cemetery.<BR><BR>It may sound odd but a walk through Highgate will be one of the highlights of your trip, plus it�s not something that even many seasoned London travelers have done. Call ahead if you can from your hotel (the number is in Eyewitness). The old west side of the cemetery is accessible only via small tour groups and you�ll need the schedule. Although Karl Marx and other luminaries are buried on the newer, east side, be sure to stroll through the west first. It�s simply amazing. <BR><BR>If this whets your appetite for Victorian customs and funerary architecture you could also visit Kensal Green Cemetery. It is better kept and you won�t have to go with a group. I and an English friend of mine spent over 2 hours walking through Kensal last spring admiring the flowers, vegetation, birds and butterflies.<BR><BR>Of course there are many other fun walks depending on your tastes and one can spend half a day or more just strolling around the grounds at the Tower. Take a short boat ride to Greenwich and spend hours strolling there.<BR><BR>London is known for it's ever expanding quisine but is noted for it's Indian and Middle Eastern fare. Also do try some &quot;pub-grub&quot; (ask the locals for where) it is often surprisingly good and usually affordable.<BR><BR>London is a great town for walkers.<BR>

Belinda

Consider joining some of the London Walks (www.walks.com) It's a great thing if you're alone because not only do you get the benefit of very knowledgable Londoners for a very low price, but you also connect with other travelers, eliminating some of that isolation that happens when you travel solo.

Curt

I would also suggest that you get a copy of the map London A-Z, which is a really great detailed street map book. It comes in a variety of sizes. I like the small one as it will fit in a pocket. They are great map books. I have worn out more than one. You can purchase one at any news stand when you get there. I also agree that the Access guide books are excellent. I also agree with all of Scarlett's ideas and would add the Tower of London (my fave), perhaps Greenwich, for sure Hampton Court, and if you want a nice little outing visit Windsor Castle. Even if you are not a musuem person a visit to the British Musuem is worth while. Walk along the river, stroll around the area of Parliment and see Big Ben, walk down Oxford street if you like crowds. Take a stroll through Hyde Park (if you are there on Sunday go to Speaker's Corner - great fun). Oh, there is so much to do in my favorite city.

welltraveledbrit

You've got lots of great suggestions already...Highgate cemetary is fascinating the grave of Karl Marx opposite the grave of Herbert Spencer the social Darwinist! <BR>Anyway, I'd also suggest a walk along the Thames past the Oxo tower and the National Theater. <BR>You could also stop in at the Courtauld Institute on the Strand which has a wonderful gallery. if you don't fancy the art you can pass the entrance and look at the stunning interior courtyard of Somerset House it's beautiful... there's an expensive restaurant and a cheap cafe with views over the river.<BR><BR>I love the eccentric Sir John Soane Museum located on Lincoln field near the inns of court. It's a very small museum so it won't bore you and it gives you a sense of the interiors of arll the houses you are passing on you walk... the whole area is wonderful for wandering for architecture and law.<BR>Hope this helps!

ira

Hi<BR> If you have an interest in Shakespeare, you might wish to go to the Globe Theater.

tammylouky

Walk the parks! Pick up a picnic lunch somewhere, Pret a manger, Boots, or anywhere you like and then head to one of the parks and enjoy the scenery and people watching. Last May my favorite picnic lunch was at Green Park, but they are all wonderful. May was a wonderful time to be in London. I also 2nd the trip to Hampton Court Palace, tea at the Orangery at Kensington Gardens, and the orignal London walks. Also, one of my favorite walks was going from St. Paul's Cathedral down the Strand right in the heart of London. London has so many beautiful neighborhoods. No matter what, you'll have a great time.

trips

Thanks so much for your help! I'm so exicted for my trip to London!!

Angelika

Trips,<BR><BR>Out of curiosity where are you staying in London?<BR><BR>I do hope you have a wonderful time, it is a GREAT city. I love travelling alone and the ability to be totally selfish for a few days

carolyn

I did the Mayfair walk from the Eyewitness Guide, and it was very nice. You will find Fortnum and Mason's and Marks &amp; Spencer, the Running Footman Pub, a Richoux tea shop, small parks, and, best of all, Charbonnel et Walker chocolate shop on Old Bond Street. Their candy is to die for.

Kate_W

The &quot;Time Out&quot; Guidebook series publishes the &quot;Time Out Book of London Walks&quot;, which is easy to purchase in any London bookshop. It provides very quirky itineraries proposed by London literary types, and covers a wide range of neighbourhoods throughout the greater London area.

EnglishOne

I second the vote for the DK Eyewitness Guidebooks. I try to get an Eyewitness Guidebook for everywhere I visit, our last trip was to Rome and the book was invaluable. Off to NOLA and the book is just as good to help organise my itinerary and I'm taking it with me! The books are good because they show you photos of daft things such as bus stops and the buses, but... you know what to look out for and are more streetwise about these things when you arrive. They always have good detailed maps too, and Underground and bus route maps.

ErinS

Another great walk is from Marleybone to the London Zoo/Little Venice. Start your walk at the Oxford Circus tube station, walk up Regent Street until it ends at the beginnings of Regent's Park. Walk through the park (one of London's best IMHO) to the end. Go left if you want to go to the zoo. If you go right walking along the edge of the park, you can take a bridge over the canal into Little Venice. May want to double check a map, we did this years ago...so my memory is a little shoddy.

ronradio

we took a number of &quot;london walks&quot; last spring and were impressed with each guide http://london.walks.com. as for books, we bought a number of them but carried only one - &quot;aaa spiral guide&quot; - surprisingly well organized including v do-able walking itineraries and detailed, readable maps. opens flat and it's small enough to carry. we bought it at borders. our local aaa ofice didn't sell it.