What to do in London?

[Juan Vancouver]

Hey guys,

 

I am going to be in London very soon, (from March the 29th to April the 10th), and I was hoping that you would share your inner knowledge of the town with me. Half of that time is for business, but the rest is for plain entertainment, so any recommendation about what to do would be very very appreciated.

 

I love Museums, art, galleries, jewelry, history, good food, theatre, dance, good music... shopping... and why not, a little bit of debauchery now and then. Which means that I am very easy going, so if there is anything that you feel passionate about just try me.

 

Also, I would like to know if any of you have any recommendations about a place to stay. We know how expensive London is so i won't ask for something inexpensive... but what about something not that crazy, with a bit of personality, but still at walking distance from the fun places? (I know, my wish list should include naked chambermaids and a dungeon and free food...but why not asking for exactly what you want?) ;-)

 

 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions. You can answer in here or send me a private message or an email.

 

A big hug to you all!

[flguy]

Juan, I think in the past few months (less than 6) it seems there were two similar threads here in the forums. They addressed the same questions and you may find some answers there by doing a search. I love London and have done the town about 4 times in the past 5 years. Private me with any questions you may have or I can give you a call.

[BgMstr4u]

On the where-to-stay question...

 

May I assume you want a conventional hotel, not a bed and breakfast or a hostel? Far and away the best way to get a decent price on a decent London hotel is Priceline. You will find very good advice on Priceline at biddingfortravel.com. Pay close attention to the bidding strategies and you will profit from them. A wonderful site for reading up on actual experiences at London hotels (and hotels anywhere else, for that matter) is tripadvisor.com.

 

If Priceline isn't your scene, try expedia.com or the like. On the tripadvisor.com page for the hotel you're interested in there are links to various hotel aggregators. But they will almost certainly work out at more than Priceline.

 

If you haven't bought your airline ticket yet, the best airfare/hotel combo I have found is on Priceline, but in their vacation packages. Some of the deals are truly astounding.

 

For general fun for the tourist, I think London Walks are absolutely a blast, cost almost nothing, have excellent guides and interesting subjects, you get to meet some nice people and get a little exercise: http://london.walks.com.

[+ Charlie]

Juan, you could spend all your time going to museums and still not hit all of them. I love the National Gallery, because I studied art history there, but right around the corner is the National Portrait Gallery, which is easily manageable in a short visit. A curious place is Sir John Soanes Museum, a memorial to a very interesting character. The Courtauld Galleries, long the bailiwick of the famous Soviet agent Sir Anthony Blunt, is worth a visit, and the new Tate Modern on the South Bank is absolutely not to be missed. And although it sounds hokey, the London Wheel is a wonderful experience, but get there early in the morning. If you get tired of Merrie Olde London, go out to Canary Wharf to see where the city is going in the 21st century.

 

I know you are interested in opera, so you should probably try to see something at Covent Garden, but it has become ridiculously expensive. The musical quality is usually just as good at the English National Opera at the Coliseum, though the days when I could see a performance there for 50 pence are long gone.

[foxy]

If you plan on seeing the Crown Jewels (and how can you not?) here's a little known tip. Avoid the big crowd and bottle-neck at the front of the line where you enter. Walk through the outdoor courtyard and head for the gift shop which is where the tour ends (naturally). Enter there and walk into the back end of the exhibit which is where all the "good stuff" is on display. Do the whole thing in reverse. It's so much easier.

 

Head down to gay Brighton for the day and see the Royal Pavilion. The beach is fun if you get a sunny day. This does actually happen in England.

[BgMstr4u]

Ahh -- the Opera...

 

Almost all productions at Covent Garden are sold out long in advance. There is however a way out on this. They have tickets on sale for every performance except galas the morning of the event. The box office opens at 10 am. But of course the line forms much earlier, so the drill is to get a coffee and a paper or book and wait in line with the other true believers from 7 or 8 or so. It sounds perverse, but it's actually fun. People talk to each other, etc.

 

Here's the information from their website:

"Day Seats: 67 seats are sold from 10am on the day of the performance to personal callers at the Box Office. The queue forms at the entrance situated under the covered arcade in the corner of Covent Garden Piazza. There is a limit of one ticket per person. Day seats are not available for galas."

 

And you need to know about the half price ticket booth at Leicester Square. Not every production is listed, but quite a few are, including the ENO from time to time. Try it.

[edjames]

You won't be bored in London. It's one of the most exciting cities in the world. I've been there many times and I am anxious to return very soon. The British Museum (go see the Elgin Marbles), the tate Gallery, The National Gallery, and the National Portrait Gallery are all worth a visit.

 

One hint, if you plan on doing a lot of walking through the city, invest in a copy of "A to Z," a city map guide which will help you naivigate the streets. London is not a qrid system and many of the streets covergence and become other avenues. For the novice visitor, it can be confusing. The softcover book is available at local newstands and bookshops in London. The Underground is the most efficient means of getting around the city and is easy to navigate. Traffic in London can be horrendous, so beware of jumping in a taxi during rush hour because you can be stuck in traffic for quite some time while the meter ticks away!

 

By all means, take advantage of London's great theater offerings. A quick look on-line can provide you with a listing of what's currently available in the West End and you can buy tickets online before you depart the states. Another hint, check the starting times, many productions start earlier or later, there is no set time, like Broadway, so you wouldn't want to arrive to find out the show is already in progress and you won't be seated until a "proper interval."

 

If expedia or priceline is not your cup of tea, most major hotel chains offer online discounts on their websites. Beware though, most European hotels offering a "single room" are much smaller than their American counterparts. Since you'll be very busy in London, the size of the room shouldn't matter too much.

 

Finally, if time allows, a day trip outside of London is always recommended. A trip to the city of Bath is quite pleasant and other tours travel up to Stratford, Windsor Castle and other historic and scenic locations. Check with you hotel for tour brochures.

 

Finally, the bars are busy in London and there are a number of gay pubs and discos you may want to check out. The baths in London are not the same as in other places. They are strictly regulated and are more sauna and steam, than sex. Plenty of escorts to choose from though. In fact, just for fun, take a look at the phone booths in London, many escorts, male and female, post flyers in them, although I would not recommend them. Also you might want to stop into one of the gay bars and pick up a local gay city guide, there are ads for bars, pubs, restaurants and escort listing in them. Earls Court, the West End and Chelsea are all gay friendly neighborhoods.

 

Enjoy!

[Guest TNT Ted]

Aaah, London, my favorite city in the world. I had the good fortune to live on the outskirts of London for a couple of years, and since I did not need to work, spent many hundreds of hours being a tourist.

 

A few suggestions, since the city can be overwhelming. At your first opportunity, take one of the open-top bus tours (even though a bit pricey, and even in the rain, if necessary) to give you an overview of the things you'll want to spend more time on. Use the Underground -- fast, efficient, inexpensive (get a pass -- many ways to do that -- one day, three day, etc.). Get a good map of central London. You'll find that many, many of the things of interest are very close to one another.

 

To satisfy your listed interests:

 

Museums, art, galleries: Charlie put together a nice list. Tate Modern my favorite. Also high on list is Victoria & Albert Museum. You should check ahead to see if there's a show of interest.

 

History: Just look around.

 

Good Food: Lots of it everywhere. Lots of bad stuff, too. My suggestion. Get hold of Zagat's guide for London restaurants. I used it all the time -- for high end Michelin star restaurants to local Indian places. My favorites: Rules in Covent Garden (the Dover Sole is superb); Zafferano in Knightsbridge; Chutney Mary on King's Road (best Indian food I've ever had). Best to get the latest Zagat's, because it's been a couple of years for me, and restaurants come and go. (The 3 I mentioned are almost sure to still be there). BTW, I never found a decent Mexican restaurant in the entire country.

 

Theater: Gotta do it. There's always something. Suggest the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square. Lots of shops in the area that advertise half-price tickets, but they usually add a fee. The one on the Square (by the clock tower, I believe) is the cheapest one -- and usually with the most available performances. These tickets are for same day performances.

 

Good music: If you want free, try Covent Garden, lower level. There's an area there where very talented musicians perform every day -- for tips. I think the music style changes from day to day. My best memory: sitting at a table, sipping wine, listening to a soprano singing love arias from Italian operas. The beauty of the music and the setting brought tears to my eyes.

 

Shopping: Hell, it's London. What can't you buy? Must go to Harrods, of course, if you've never been there. While in that area, walk down Sloane Street for all the couture shops -- Armani, Prada, Gucci, and more. Can't miss the Oxford-Regent Street area. Crowded with tourists and shoppers. Try Selfridges department store. Probably my favorite -- for men's clothing, they carry all the best designer labels and you can go from one area to the next and compare. Take lots of money. Oh, and I found that if you're interested in buying expensive Italian labels, London prices aren't that bad. You get a refund on the VAT when you exit the country. Don't buy American goods there. Stuff like Levi's or Hilfiger or Nike is outrageously expensive.

 

Debauchery: You're on your own, Juan. I was pure as the driven snow back then.

 

Remember, no matter how much you're able to cram into your days, you'll never have enough time to do much more than scratch the surface. The city never ends. There are new discoveries around every corner.

 

Drop me a note if you have questions. I have more resources.

 

Enjoy, and give us a travelog when you return.

 

Ted