London experiences

Cork and Allifunn are wonderful tour guides or search their trip reports. Have a grayt trip!!!

Don't eat the food! If it isn't a pub or an Indian restaurant (great Indian food!) you'll learn the hard way that the stories of English cuisine are true!

I thought the tour of the Tower of London was cool though can be a bit touristy in high season I'd imagine.

It is clean, they speak English and you can drink the water straight out of the tap. One of my favorite spots was St Paul's.

If you are a fan of the theatre in any way, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is absolutely a "can't miss": http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/

I spent an entire day wandering Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, the most scenic place for people-watching I've ever been, it was lovely: http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde_park/
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/

Have fun planning your trip, I'm sure you'll have an amazing time...

Ride the Underground as much as you can.
Go to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.
Eat a pub lunch every day.
Get a [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawarma"]Shawarma[/ame] as often as you can - on King's Road around midnight preferred.
Hang out at Picadilly Circus and watch the world walk by.

Do not miss the fish and chips. Try a fried Mars bar while ordering, it might change the way you eat chocolate bars forever. Do not miss a meat pie, cornish parstie and a doner kabob. The Ethnic restaurants are always great. You must have a Sunday roast dinner, complete with yorkshire pudding. Try your local pub for that. Camden markets are cool on the weekend. Lots of funky arts, crafts and music. Take the tube, and they are right across the street. Some great restaurants in that same area. A favorite past time of mine on Sundays, is Hyde park. Speakers corner is a very eye opening and entertaining experience. And the best thing is that both these activities are free ( More pounds for a pint) Also on Sunday's the "Church" was the best party in town. Thousands of Aussies, Kiwi's and South Africans in a old church singing and drinking like it was there last day in the U.K! Was a huge institution when I lived there 8-9 years ago. I hope it is still going. Not for the faint hearted though. The Best thing I ever found there, is a free street mag called TNT. It comes out every Thursday I think, and it is designed for the younger inderpentant traveller/ Backpackers. It is a wealth of great info on travel, very cheap airfair and priceless tips. Enjoy your trip. I am jelous! I just saw roundtrip airfairs from ATL to London for around $300 right now. Check out clarkhoward.com
Hope this helps, It has been many years since I lived there. I am sure there are a few things I am missing.

OOH! I'd forgotten about speaker's corner!

If you see a guy wearing viking horns and a cape, cancel your plans for the rest of the afternoon. :funn:

Take a tour on the double decker buses, you can buy a one, two or three day ticket and can get on and off as many times as you like a great way to see the city, most of them have guides so you get an education on the city and the history of a lot of the buildings,Covent Garden is a must full of street performers, bars and funky shops. Oxford Street and Regent Street for shopping and of course Harrods
If you like History then the museums are awesome, my uncle was the head of security at the Natural History Museum and I remember him giving us the grand backstage tour .
The English food is not as bad as you all think , ask anyone who has come to dinner at my house but do try a Ploughmans Lunch or a Pastie at the local pub, if you try the cider just have a pint , 2 will put out you under the table .
it does not always rain and the people are really friendly
If you would like a personal guide then let me know I am avaliable anytime......

One of my favorite spots was St Paul's.

Climb to the tippy-top of the dome and see all of London beneath your feet!

have a wonderful trip poodle! surely you can find some wonderful food (see tips above) -- otherwise, why waste your time?

would love to go to london someday. but when I do it shall be about food, and I will be determined to find all the best London has to offer.

Take lots and lots of money....you'll let out an audible gasp once you multiply what you paid for a pint of beer and a bag of crisps by $1.97.

Go to a theater, enjoy a cream tea and visit the food and wine sections of Harrods.


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Take lots and lots of money....you'll let out an audible gasp once you multiply what you paid for a pint of beer and a bag of crisps by $1.97.

Go to a theater, enjoy a cream tea and visit the food and wine sections of Harrods.


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It helps to think in terms of Bud & Alley's when drinking a pint in the UK. Pay a fiver for a drink in both places.

notting hill has a great street market on the weekends. food, fun, and tons o' stuff to buy.
ride the sky wheel....it's really cool!
take a boat ride down the Thames.
shop in Chelsey for all the latest fashions and styles for home and person.

Between now and September, drink up as much of the history of Britian as you can and read up on all the places you will see--it will make the visits so much more enjoyable

Oh...and on your visit to the Tower of London --check out the crown jewels.

The 530.20 carat Star of Africa in the Royal Scepter is a sight to behold.






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Yeah, I am a bit of an Anglophile so have spent 40+ years reading up on England. If you had told me when I was 20 that I would never have been there (and all over Europe) by the time I was almost 50- not to mention don't even have a passport!- I would have laughed my head off!

Funny how life has a way of going on even when we make plans.....

The Tower and the jewels is the only thing from her last trip that my sister insists on seeing again. Thanks for the neat picture.

If anyone thinks of any other special experience or off-the tourist-path thing you would like to share, I have enjoyed what has been posted and would love to read more.

If anyone thinks of any other special experience or off-the tourist-path thing you would like to share, I have enjoyed what has been posted and would love to read more.

Not sure if you have the time or just want to see London, but if you do, I would suggest taking a train to Bath which is about an hr away.
The Roman Baths/ hot springs are unforgettable as well as the Bath Abbey next door.The classic Georgian architecture in the city is striking.
http://www.cityofbath.co.uk/
http://www.cotswolds.info/places/bath.shtml

Enjoy, I can't make many suggestions for London, because although my mother lived in England for a while in Torquay, I saw most of the countryside. I never spent any real time in London since everyone else in my family had already done all the tourist spots. I do plan on going back with my husband and showing him around. I love, love, love England and if I wasn't engaged to be married a long time ago, I would have stayed.

Definitely go to Harrod's, it a London legend.

The Portabella Market is in Notting Hill on Saturday's - it is a must. We stayed in Notting Hill. The Tube intersects North-South and East-West in Notting Hill so it is easy to go in either direction.

We kept ending up in Picadilly Circus - people have all kind of spikey colored hair & pierced parts. I was in awe of "Carnaby Street". I grew up in the era of Jean Shrimpton and Carnaby Street.

There was a "Lush" in the Carnaby Street area when we were there. They have really neat soaps, powders, "girly" things that are natural and on ice in the shop. They have Lush's in lots of places.

You can see about any play you want. Great theatre district. We say Lion King & Rent.

We ate a lot of Italian food in London. I wasn't too crazy about the food there.

Have funn!!!

Oh my gosh- I hadn't thought of Jean Shrimpton in years!

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Funny how life has a way of going on even when we make plans.....

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon

Great minds!


As expensive as it is there, take advantage of some of what their high taxes provide. Free museums! Some of the best. IMO, a must see is the Rosetta Stone at The British Museum. Perhaps, one of the best museums in the world.

You may want to check to see if any of your favorite bands are playing there when you go. Could see a really great show...