My daughter and I will be making our first trip to London in May. She is college age and we would appreciate any tips or suggestions? The only thing I have done - is plane tickets. Thanks! we are getting excited. A fellow student told her to go to a club called Fabric?? though I am not sure if it is somewhere we should be going? All input from you seasoned travelers is welcome!

&quot;<i>we would appreciate any tips or suggestions</i>&quot;

Sorry - but you need to tell us more if we can be of ANY help. What do you want suggestions for - hotels, apartments, theatre, museums, transport, walks, weather, restaurants, shopping ????

There are thousands of threads on here about London and clicking on DESTINATIONS above will give you a good general overview.

Tell what you are interested in and we can help . . . .

Ok. she loves theatre, transport suggestions would be helpful-I read a little about a London pass with and without transportation, not sure which is the best option though and would like suggestions on any must do things for a young adult and her mother. And yes, shopping but we would only be interested in any shopping experience that would be unique to London. Also, as I said earlier the nightclub suggestion was a must do suggestion by this other college student, though this isn't something I normally would do but- trips are made for doing different things! - just as long as something like that would be a safe adventure. We are from the midwest-Kansas City.

It would probably help to know how long you have there. The London Pass isn't a bargain unless you're going to RUN from place to place in a very short time. But to know how to choose items, people need to know how long you have. And for housing, what sort? Budget? What other constraints? London has a million permutations of sights/travel/housing possible, so you would get more specific help the more specific you are. I could start spouting out what i've decided to do for my 2 weeks, but I'm in my 50's, with my DH, have been there briefly once before, and LOVE history and literature (and am a teacher) so that guided my plans. Help the Fodorites guide you with some more specifics.

Fabric is an enormous danceclub in Clerkenwell, very well known and hugely popular. It's not really a mother &amp; daughter kind of place to go...it's not dangerous or anything but if you don't normally go to that sort of nightclub, I don't think you'd want to go to Fabric, especially not with your daughter. She would probably love it if she went with a friend her own age, but...it's just not the sort of place most people want to go with their parents, or with their adult children for that matter.

If you two wanted to experience some nightlife together, instead of a danceclub maybe look into some more loungy type places where you could sit and have drinks. You can look up ideas and read reviews at the Timeout website.

hendrenl- I have used this http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/ a lot.

To get an idea of what there is to do and see in London that might be of particular interest to you and your daughter, go to your local library and take out some travel DVDs about London (Globe Trekker, Rick Steves, etc.). If your daughter has an iPod, have her download any of the free podcasts (available through iTunes) on London and listen to them to get more tips and ideas on what to see and where to go.

I don't think the London Pass is really a great bargain. There are lots of sights in London that are completely free and you can just get an Oyster Card if you plan on taking the tube a lot.

It is worth checking out Portobello Road, Camden Locks and the other markets in London for the atmosphere - though I don't know how much you might actually want to shop given the current exchange rate.

Let your daughter go to Fabric on her own, as it is not the place for mother/daughter bonding. Instead, get some tickets for a theatre performance at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square - or maybe check out a pub together one evening.

You'll have a great time with your daughter. There is tons of info on this site. I'd suggest a few searches and you'll turn up a wealth of suggestions.

I've been to London 3 times with one or the other of my daughers (but not both at the same time) - at ages 17, 18 and 21. I could go on and on, but here are some thoughts -

Shopping:
Make sure to window shop on Old and New Bond Streets. All the high end designer stores are there.

My girls love Liberty, a beautiful home and fashion store:
http://www.liberty.co.uk/
If either of you sews, the fabric is exquisite. We've always found a little memento of the shop to bring home with us (sachet, etc.)

Fortnum and Mason is a wonderful London specialty food shop. I've always wanted to go to tea in the restaurant there, but haven't done it yet. I do love the boxed tea I purchased.

Near the British Museum is a venerable umbrella shop, James Smith &amp; Sons:
http://www.james-smith.co.uk/

Oxford Street has all the &quot;high street&quot; stores. TopShop is a great UK chain - it's spread over several floors and can be a bit overwhelming.

King's Road, from Sloane Square southwest, is another fun shopping street. L. Bennett and Jigsaw are good to look around, but a bit expensive these days! Steinberg &amp; Tolkein (193 King's Road, is a vintage clothing shop on two levels that has some beautiful clothes and a sale room downstairs.

Covent Garden has lots of shops. Be sure to stop at Neal's Yard Dairy for a great taste tour of artisan cheese - the staff are very enthusiastic and make wonderful recommendations. We always purchase some for a picnic.
http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/

We went to Portobello Market (vintage), Camden Market (goth, punk, and vintage) and Borough Market (food). All were fun. Our favorite is Borough. Gets crowded on a Saturday!

Dinners out are a lot of fun. My girls loved being &quot;legal&quot; and sitting at a meal having a wine or a beer with their mother! Belgo Centraal is a fun Belgian restaurant for mussels, ale, and more.

Thanks to all of you. My daughter just called me from school reading your suggestions and getting even more excited about the trip! We will be there for 9 days. Do any of you think we will have time for any day trips?? or will London completely fill our 9 days. What day trips would you suggest if you think we have time?

Have taken each of my daughters after high school graduation...in 2003 and 2000. Highlight of the trip each time was seeing Mama Mia..a great mother daughter show. My husband and I just got back from London during Easter week and we saw Jersey Boys and just loved it. There are so many great shows there, I would definitely add one or two to your itinerary. Also we found great shopping on Marylebone High Street (Madonna has a flat there I think). Cute shops and very interesting shopkeepers. Have fun!

Lille, France is only 1.5 hrs away on the Eurostar. Paris is 2.5 hrs.

Within England, places like Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury, York, and Brighton are popular daytrips.

With 9 nights in London I'd say you could easily do a couple of daytrips. You could also very easily spend every day of your trip in London, but if you wanted to get out to see something different you've got plenty of time. Again, it's really down to individual interest- would you want castles, or cathedrals, or art museums, or ancient ruins, or medieval town centres, or ???

I don't know if you have your accomodation booked yet, but you might want to think about renting an apartment. A kitchen and washing machine are great things to have during stays of several days, and often you get much more space than you would from two hotel rooms. It's nice to be able to have breakfast at a kitchen table, and make dinner at home some nights. If you do a search here for london apartments, you'll find tons of links and information about renting.

Ditto what Noe847 and paris1953 said.
1. Your rooms will in some way influence what you do, so when you choose that, you can look at good maps and chart your days in logical neighborhood ways.
2. Definitely plan a couple day trips (do your 9 days include your arrival and departure days, or do you have 9 full days there?) My daughter and I LOVED Hampton Court, Oxford, and Salisbury/Stonehenge, all doable in a day each, either by planning a trip yourself or on a &quot;tour.&quot;
3. Lists of must-sees in London tend to include the Tower of London, a walk around Westminster/Big Ben/Parliament area (with or without visit to Westminster Abbey), and the British Museum. I'd certainly include those.
4. Plenty of shopping to do! Even if it's just browsing. Again, check out good maps and see where major shopping venues are (like Oxford and Regent streets) and all the different markets--but all the markets aren't open 7 days a week, so arm yourself with accurate info.

Plan hard! The more you know about what the choices are, the better you can pre-plan what needs to be pre-planned and the more flexibility you'll have when you're actually there, too.

You'll have a blast.

Fabric is a well-known nightclub in London that over the weekend is open until 6-7am. How old is 'college age'? In the UK that's between 16-19, the nightclub is over 18's, i'd definitely bring ID if 18+ too. Find reviews of Fabric http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/clubs/fa...view-9378.html

I agree with Apres_Londee that Fabric is not a mother/daughter place though, however there are many, many other things to see and do in London. Have a great trip!

Well, if you want to rent an apartment in May, better get hopping. In fact, ditto for hotel reservations.

We prefer apartments, but you need to be a bit independent: find your way around, buy your own theatre tickets, etc. A first time visitor might be more comfortable in a hotel with a concierge.

The English countryside is beautiful in May, green and blooming. In the London environs Kew Gardens and/or Hampton Court Palace make good excursions.

With 9 days you could even stay a few nights away from London. Your daughter might like a trip to Oxford or Cambridge. Then there's Bath and York, both fun towns, Brighton,....

As you can see from the thread on out-of-the-way sights in London, we could all go on forever.

Do NOT buy the London Pass Travel Extension. It's a <u>6-Zone</u> Travelcard, when a 2-zone is all you will ever need (except possibly to get from and to Heathrow, which costs &pound;1 or &pound;1.80, depending on the time of day).

Thanks once again, if we decide to do a day trip or two, do you all think we should try it on our own or take a tour? If we take a tour, what tour companies do you recommend?

1..I would suggest that the Camden Market would be something I could thoroughly recommend...Really cool clothes,records,shops....in fact a real heavenly place...
2..&quot;Food for thought&quot;....is the best value for money veg.restaurant that I think you will find....It is in the Covent Garden area..(even if you are not a veggie like me,you have to try this place,at least once..).
3..British Museum...has world-famous things such as the Rosetta Stone..O.K.,you do not really have to like history to visit...
4..Harrods was somewhere that I used to shop in..But there are many cheaper places...but it is still fantastic for fresh food...Worth a visit..
5.&quot;Hairspray&quot;....was out of this world..if you can get tickets..One of the most happy,feelgood musicals ever.....
6.Tate Modern....From it you can see St.Paul's Cathedral..It is an old Power Station turned into a world-famous venue for Modern Art..Even people who claim to be totally dis-interested in art will pay the place a visit...
7.Design Museum..O.K.it is a bit dear to get into this place,but I thought it worth it...The area around it was also fascinating...

8.National Gallery...I just go there to see some of my favourite paintings,by Andrea Mantegna..World-famous stuff here.....I left the best one till last,as you can spend a full day here,and it is free...But they do suggest that you put some money in their box..
Have a great time......in London.

Hendrenl:

I don't think you will be bored with London after just 9 days. I spent 14 days in just London and still didn't get to see everything I wanted to. But you aren't so short on time that if there was something you really wanted to do as a day trip, then by all means, go ahead - Bath, Cambridge...even Paris if you are very ambitious.

You might like a day trip to Windsor to see the castle and the cute town. It's a short train ride from London. Evan Evans tour company does a good job but is expensive. If you get a good travel book, either from the library or a bookstore, you can read up on the various towns and see what you might prefer.

In London there are a great number of guided walks done by a company called London Walks (http://www.walks.com) that cost &pound;6 each and are really interesting. Get a copy of Time Out magazine when you arrive to check out the theater offerings, walks, etc.

The Richoux chain of tea shops is not as expensive as the hotels are for afternoon tea. The British Library is great. The Special Documents Room has originals of everything from the Gutenberg Bible and Magna Carta to handwritten Beatles lyrics.

My daughter and I are a lot older than you two, but London is our favorite place and we have gone a number of times. It never palls. I hope you have as much fun as we always do.

&quot;Thanks once again, if we decide to do a day trip or two, do you all think we should try it on our own or take a tour? If we take a tour, what tour companies do you recommend?&quot;

It depends on where you go. We took a great day trip last year from Bath. We took the early train from London Paddington Station to Bath and from there hooked up with Mad Max tours http://www.madmax.abel.co.uk/. The tour we chose was Stonehenge/Lacock/Avebury/Cotswalds. It was great. The tour group is very small (10 people only), so you don't have to wait around for a huge group. I booked it all in advance through the internet. They are really nice.

As mentioned before Hampton Court is a great day trip also. If you do that and are going to do the Tower of London, you should purchase a duo ticket. It is for entrance into both locations and will save you some money. We also like to do the Ceremony of the Keys (nightly lock-up of the Tower). You need to arrange tickets before hand, but they are free. Here is the website for both places: http://www.hrp.org.uk/

As Carolyn mentioned, London Walks is a great company. We do at least two to three &quot;walks&quot; per visit. I love the &quot;Jack the Ripper&quot; tours. They are very interesting. The ghost tours are informative also. The also have tours like Medieval London, Courts, and Pub Walks. It depends on what day of the week you want to do a walk. They have some pretty good &quot;explorer&quot; walks, which are day trips. The only problem with them are that they tend to be large groups and you are at the mercy of the slowest walker.