Hi everyone. DH & I had a few days in London last spring & loved it. So we are returning this coming spring for a longer visit - YEAH!

However, for our Italy trip this fall (leave Nov 1), we & our adult son will have an overnite. DS has never been to London. We arrive at Stansted at 12noon on Wed., Nov. 14, and are staying at the Stansted Hilton. I have read about the Stansted Express & we plan to use it for going into the city on our arrival day.

Since we have such little time, we prefer not to spend it inside buildings, unless the weather is really bad. However, our son loves history (we do too) & may want to see the Rosetta Stone at the British Musuem - but not a long visit. He's not sure if he wants to sacrifice so much time to see Churchill's War Rooms. DH & I have been to both places, but would enjoy a return visit.

We are not foodies, so don't want a white table cloth experience. We are not drinkers, so don't want a party pub. However, maybe he would enjoy fish & chips in a London pub (know I would!) - know of any in a good & interesting walking area?

Then there is the hop-on, hop-off bus, but it will probably be too cold to sit on top & the view from the lower area is not that great. Also don't know how long it runs in Nov.

Then there is London Walks tours. Haven't looked into what they are offering on a Nov. afternoon. I'll take their info along in case it is a nice day.

Question - is there a food market area (not fruits & veggies) with walk-up counters of food varieties to graze upon, like cheeses, meats, bakeries, sweets - walking while eating type foods? If so, is that a safe & interesting area for an afternoon/early evening stroll?

Any other suggestions for a place to wander & see & experience the wonderful atmosphere of London?

Thanks, Julie

There's a great food market at London's Borough Market (next to London Bridge)

http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/index.php?module=visit

open thurs, fri and sat.

There are some great places to eat here too.

Yup, the Borough market has all sorts of snacks and samples, it's wonderful fun to wander

have you thought about a short cruise up/down the Thames, perhaps to Greenwich and back? That might be fun, especially as the tour operators point out things of interest along the way.

I really enjoyed the London Walk Tours. I went to several and there were a lot more I wanted to go to but didn't have the chance. For only 10 pounds, I thought it was a great way to enjoy the city. I particularly enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes walk around Baker Street - the guide was excellent. I also really liked the Jack the Ripper walk however ghoulish.

MollyB

For a history enthusiast, I'd say Westminster Abbey (although it is indoors) and a walk around the area - along the Thames, Houses of Parliament/Big Ben, Horseguards, Banqueting House, Downing Street (from behind the fence), Trafalgar Square.

Since you arrive on a Wednesday, the Borough Market will not be going. There are some fixed shops along the edges, such as the Neal's Yard Dairy, which has lovely cheeses. But it also has a location in/near Covent Garden.

Oh, that's too bad that the market will not be open on our Wednesday. That sounded just like what we are looking for. Thanks for the link Lynneb. I printed it out for our spring trip.

GreenDragon, I did think about the cruise. I'll have to check my guide book & see where we catch it.

MollyBrown, the Ripper tour with London Walks may be to his liking. I'll look that up on their website.

noe847, thanks for the heads up on the market being closed. Saved us some time. Your suggested walking area may be a good one for us also.

Thanks everyone, Julie

I agree with noe847's suggestions about things to see in London on a short visit. the British Museum has a great collection but visiting it won't give much sense of the city. the Inns of court and the Old Bailey are also interesting to explore in Central London

The only time I was in London in November it was cold and foggy and I would not have wanted to take a cruise on the Thames

Instead of Borough Market, you may want to browse through Food Halls at Selfridges or Harrod's. They have good selection of cheeses, cold cuts etc.

Fish & Chips... the only one I've been to and like are Golden Hind nr Marylebone or Seashell in Lisson Grove (not so central location, I admit). There is another one on Cleveland St nr Great Portland St but can't recall the name right now.

I second London Walks. Aside from that the usual--Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St Paul's, Westminster would do. If you just want a bird's-eye view, you can do London Eye. Depending on your son's interest (which periods?), you can find London Wall (from Roman days) remains in City, or walk the southern banks (start with Borough Market, go via the Globe theatre).

If you have a history buff, I'm stunned you haven't mentioned the Tower. It is my daughter's favorite place in London. You can take one of the circle hop-on/off tour buses or the regular bus that does the same circuit. The tourist one goes over Tower Bridge and the tour includes a boat ride and a walking tour or two, and is good for 24 hours. In November, it may be nice enough on top-they're having extremely mild, lovely weather this fall.

Thanks for more info. DS was here yesterday & here is what is on the "choice" list I gave him (with input from all of you, of course!).

British Museum "shortened version"
London Walks-printed our time period
Churchill's War Rooms
Tower of London
Thames Cruise
Hop-on/Hop-off
Walk--Big Ben, London Eye, and Westminster, etc.

Of course, all of this depends on the weather. However, he definitely wants to visit the British Museum just long enough to see the Rosetta Stone, & maybe take a brief look at some of the Egyptian displays, which are in the same area. Not do a long, thorough visit, obviously.

He would like to see Churchill's War Rooms, but that depends on time & there probably will not be enough time.

London Walks has a London overview walk at 2pm. However we are scheduled to arrive at Stansted at noon, hotel shuttle bus pick us up, checkin, drop bags, shuttle back to airport, take Stansted Express. So we probably will not make this tour.

Then he wants to do the Jack the Ripper London Walks at 7:30pm.

We decided the 30 minute narrated cruise will be good even if weather is not, because we can sit inside.

Then, The Tower. He talked about maybe doing just the Crown Jewels & the White Tower museum pieces. Don't know if that is realistic. We'll see.

Yeah, I know! Lots of good suggestions, but obviously we won't be able to do it all.

W9London, I thought of Harrod's Food Hall last nite! (Great minds think alike!) Realizing Harrods is a very big place, to save us time, do you know which street entry is the closest, which tube stop (I didn't see one that is close), & what part of the store? If we don't eat anywhere else, we could hop on the tube & eat there (if there is time!).

With my London map & tube map, I went over it last nite to notate the fastest route for us to take while doing all of this! At least everything is in Zone 1.

Re: the tube. Is a "1 day ticket, Zone 1" what we get? Do you know if there is a tube/Stansted Express combo ticket that is a better buy?

Thanks, Julie

The closest tube station for Harrod's is Knightsbridge. Get on the South Kensington end of the train. As for entrances, I usually use the main ones along Brompton Rd and just walk through the Egyptian room.

As for transportation, you can just get a regular one-day travelcard (the cheapest one cover both zones 1& 2). Oystercard daily cap is marginally cheaper (50p) but probably not worth the hassle of paying the GBP3 deposit UNLESS you're planning to come back to London in future (in which case you may want to get an oyster card).

To add more ideas to the mix...

The Stansted Xpress lands you at Liverpool Street Station. Spitalsfield Market is just up the road. You could also get a quick bite to eat at Cargo, which has lunch for under 10 gbp. There are lots of interesting place to eat in Hoxditch.

You could then take the Central line over to Holborn and pop into the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone. You could also poke your head into the King's Library.

Next, you could tube or bus south and make your way to Trafalger Square. Walk down Whitehall to the Houses of Parliment. Depending on the time, you've got the London Eye, Westminister Abbey, and the War Cabinet Rooms to choose from.

I think Harrods Food Halls are open in the evenings, which makes for some flexiblity. Personally, I would put this at the bottom of the list.

If your son really wants to see the Tower, I would go there directly from Liverpool Street. You can actually get a decent meal at the cafeteria at the Tower.

Thanks W9London for the tube stop. I thought that was the only one, but wasn't sure. Haven't been inside Harrods, so good to know which road for entering. Info we don't use this trip, we'll use in the spring! Looks like the regular 1 day card is for us.

Apres_Londee, your site routing is a big help. Found the Spitalsfield Market on google - looks like a good spot for us. So disappointed that the Fine Food Market is not open on Weds! But DH & I will gladly use your info for our spring trip.

Thanks all, Julie

The Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum take about two hours; you could skim through the museum part, but it's interesting too. You'll be by Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey and it's easy to walk around and see them once you're in the area.

Lee Ann