Robbie

I just read the article mentioned in a lower post from the London Observer and it sure makes things sound grim....and of course they can be if one just follows the tourist path. This article could have been written about any large tourist attraction..replace London with New York or San Francisco or Chicago, and the same things could be said. The secret folks is to NOT be a tourist following the crowds and the tour groups and the bus rides and all that crap...do everything on your own, stay away from the tourist trap cafes and find the real London in its wonderful pubs, its musuems, and its wonderful historical attractions. It just is not as bad as this article makes it out. For example, reading this one would think that as you leave the tower you are FORCED to walk through some kind of toursit trap mall to get out side...not true. You exit and if you choose to walk over to this trap (which it is) it is up to you but you are not FORCED to. So, take this article with a grain of salt....

elaine

Robbie<BR>I was thinking the same thing.<BR>We tourists all have at least one story about being ripped off or about <BR>going to a place that just screams "trap" (my visit to the London Dungeon comes to mind) but I think with some advance reading and message boards like this one most tourist traps can be avoided.<BR>I live in New York, and I see some of the tourists buying exorbitantly-priced electronics in shops around Times Square, and I worry for them.<BR>I think it just takes enough confidence to explore a little and to recognize that you can eat well, sleep well, shop, and enjoy yourself in popular cities for a moderate price if you do some research. On the other hand, if people are pleased with all their experiences in "tourist central", good for them.

Ellen

Robbie, you're so right! When I read that story, I was thinking , "One could have the very same experience here in Boston." That certainly is not the London that I visited last summer! <BR><BR>Sounds to me like the author just got cranky and depressed (technically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder) from getting caught out on the rainy day. Hey, if he's such a real Londoner, how come he wasn't prepared for hte weather?

Sally

I am trying to locate the post with the article, but I can't find it. What is the name of the post? Thanks.

Joanne

The post is called "london: The inside story (from British press)". Here's the story (caution: don't read during lunch):<BR><BR>http://www.observer.co.uk/review/sto...,660694,00.htm

egg

I'd agree that the article is really OTT. You just wonder what his agenda is, perhaps he hates tourists and wants to keep them away.<BR>There are places Londoners avoid, e.g. Leicester Square is somewhere you pass through on the way to theatreland or Soho. We certainly wouldn't eat there. Similarly, we'd never go to Madame Tousauds or the London Dungeon.<BR>