London recommendations?

[krystee]

Hello! I am going to London for a work trip from Sunday-Thurs, and I'll have all of Sunday and Monday for fun, plus Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

My tentative plan is to do the Tower of London Sunday and a hop-on/hop-off bus tour on Monday. I was also thinking about doing a play on Monday or Tuesday night.

I am staying right near the London Eye and have had no time to research how to get from place to place yet. Is it easy to get to the theatre district from there? I have this bizarre anxiety when I don't know where I'm going, so I like to know exactly what I'm doing. That said, I have been once before and managed to navigate just fine, so I know I'm being ridiculous. I wanted to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, but I didn't realize it was two full plays in one day, and I don't have enough time to do that.

When I went last time, I only had one full day and another night of free time. I went to Westminster Abbey, took a picture by the Parliament building, walked through Trafalgar Square, walked through a park to Buckingham Palace,  took the tube to Piccadilly Circus to walk around and shop. I also went to see Phantom of the Opera. It was a packed day or so, and I'm hoping to do a bit of the same this time.

Any recommendations for food near where I'm staying? (I prefer relaxed, fun pub to fine dining). Any tips on where to spend most of my time on the bus tour?

[ECB]

Following this! We're going in September.

[mbcdefg]

We went to London in 2010, and again last summer. 

We ate at this pub on our first trip and got a little meat pie sampler platter that was pretty good. It doesn't seem too far from your area: www.yelp.com/biz/the-kings-head-london 

We had a nice dinner on our second trip at The Counting House, which is part of a chain of Fuller's pubs. We got an ale and pie tasting board, which is a sampler of three small pies paired with beer, and mashed potatoes and gravy. Very tasty. The Counting House was near where we stayed on Tower Hill, but it looks like there's a Fuller's location called The Red Lion close to where you will be staying, and Yelp is showing that the menu looks the same so I'm sure it'll be good: www.yelp.com/biz/the-red-lion-london-2 

We didn't do a bus tour, or see a show, on either visit. But we found the Tube very easy to navigate. 

I really liked the Tower of London tour on our first visit. I wanted to go back on our second visit for a better look at the Crown Jewels (since I've become a royals/jewel buff since then and have way more knowledge of those things), but it didn't fit into our schedule this time.

We went back to Westminster Abbey again so I could get a better look at all the royal gravesites. We also did the National Portrait Gallery on this trip. We walked down the Mall to Buckingham Palace and I stopped to see the George VI/Queen Mother memorial along the way. I also wanted to look at the Royal Mews (stables) at the palace but they were closed by the time we made it there. 

We also did a boat tour on the Thames on our first visit - this was included as part of the London Pass we bought. We got off at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, and walked up the hill to see the Prime Meridian. On the way back we stopped at a pub on the waterfront called Meantime for beer and prawns. We actually missed the last tour boat back into the city, so we caught a (faster) commuter boat instead. 

[mrsd2006]

My favorite thing in London was the Tower and the Crown jewels. We too only had a couple days, so I did a hop on/off bus tour that was good for two days. DH had to travel out of town for business, so I spent the first day riding the bus and figuring out where stuff was so when he came back the second day, we could see everything. The tour included a boat ride on the Thames and a walking tour, we chose the one to see the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

[Deleted]

Few recommendations:

Holborn Tube Stop:
Get drinks / snacks at Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood Hotel - it is gorgeous!
www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/london/dining/Scarfes-Bar

Nearby (walking distance) there is a pub called Ship Tavern - 500 years old and they have a lovely dining room upstairs or you can just enjoy hanging out at the pub / eating at the bar (way more reasonable than Scarfes)
www.theshiptavern.co.uk/

OR if you'd like to try something a bit more modern (but not TOO), also walking distance is The Hoxon hotel which has casual dining (in their bar area) as well as a restaurant, Hubbard & Bell: thehoxton.com/london/holborn/restaurants-and-bars/hubbard-bell

Other Areas of London:
Liberty London - www.libertylondon.com/
It's an institution, and in a gorgeous Tudor building - explore the Hall of Scarves which is one of my favorite shopping destinations in the entire world.

Covent Garden: Just wander here - you'll happily find so many shops, eateries, etc. www.coventgarden.london/

As for "touristy" things - I agree that the Tower is a fun tour / locale to explore. With limited time, I find the boat tours on the Thames to take up too much time - if you splurge on a Taxi at non-peak times, you can see many of the same sights just by traveling up the Thames.

Good luck with your trip and keep us posted on any fun finds! Last time I was in London, I saw Prince Harry so maybe you'll see Duchess Kate

[tacokick]

We liked the British library, the Foundling Museum and the V & A Museum of Childhood a lot. All were easy to get to using the underground.

[mbcdefg]

Feb 13, 2017 11:01:42 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Oh, also meant to ask if you're interested in doing tea while you're here? Prices range from £30-60, which is kinda crazy for what amounts to tea, pastries, scones, and sandwiches, but it's such a British thing to do and you eat so much you probably won't need dinner. The settings can also be so lovely. I've only tried a handful of places (The Wolseley, Fortnum & Mason, St. Ermin's) and I would recommend them all.

Oh, I forgot about tea! We had tea at Kensington Palace on our first trip. It cost £20pp with the London Pass.

[krystee]

RockNVoll I love museums and history, so thank you for that list! I would love to get to at least one or two of those places. Also thank you for the app rec! A bus sounds easier to navigate. I think it's being underground and not being able to see where I am that makes me feel lost.

One last question! I have only traveled internationally twice. Any tips on where it's best to exchange currency for the lowest fees? I plan to use my credit card as much as possible but want to have some cash.

[mbcdefg]

Feb 13, 2017 11:28:53 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Feb 13, 2017 11:13:45 GMT -5 krystee said:

RockNVoll I love museums and history, so thank you for that list! I would love to get to at least one or two of those places. Also thank you for the app rec! A bus sounds easier to navigate. I think it's being underground and not being able to see where I am that makes me feel lost.

One last question! I have only traveled internationally twice. Any tips on where it's best to exchange currency for the lowest fees? I plan to use my credit card as much as possible but want to have some cash.

The beauty of the free museums is that you can walk in, see if you like it, and walk out if it's not your cup of tea without any pain of an expensive entry fee.  I also forgot to mention that the Rick Steve's app has great walking tours for many of the museums that helps narrow down your first visit to many of the highlights.  Most of them are 1.5 - 2 hour tours, perfect for a first visit.

For almost any international trip, you'll get the best rates by pulling cash from an ATM.  See if your bank has any reciprocal relationships with any of the UK banks to minimize any fees, but I always go with ATMs when traveling.  Honestly, though, credit cards are accepted at 99% of places in London so I really wouldn't pull out much (I actually think you could probably get away with not having any cash).  And ATMs are plentiful.

This is what I did in London, and also in Paris and Brussels last near. No issues. 

We just pulled out maybe 200-400 in local currency at a time. I think we did it once in London and 2-3 times on the Continent. (MH preferred to use cash over cards.)

[alleinesein]

Get your Tower of London tickets online. There is a slight discount. Get there when they open and take the first Yeoman warder tour of the day.

Get cash from the ATM. You get a better exchange rate.

As an alternative to the traditional afternoon tea I prefer to go to Laduree at Harrods. I get a variety of maracons (or one of their pastries) and a pot of tea. It is a little bit cheaper than afternoon tea and they have a full menu if you want something a bit more substantial.

If you do the British Museum pick 2-3 sections that you want to see. There is no way you can see all of it in a day so it is easier to just check out a few areas.

The Natural History museum is huge and if you like gemstones it is worth a visit.

I like to use an Oyster card to get around town. As long as I am not heading out to LHR I can get around for a few days on GBP $20-25.

[tacokick]

Oh, you can preorder your Oyster card and they will send it here you in the US. It was easy and cheaper than getting it there.

[mrsukyankee]

I also wanted to chime in and say that the tube is REALLY easy to use - lots of good signage, though I understand wanting to be above ground and see stuff. Just don't let it put you off entirely (sometimes it's just faster).

[dirtyred]

It's pretty easy to get around on the Tube.  Buy a pass when you first get there.

I did several walking tours (can't remember the tour name--Walking Tours of London?).  One was the Jack the Ripper tour at night, because I like that sort of thing.  We got a history of the East End, went to all the spots where the bodies were found, and ended up having a drink at the pub where the last victim was before she was killed.

[mrsukyankee]

My favourite more central (or slightly south) London pubs:

The Harp, Covent Garden
Princess Louise, Holborn - place pronounced Ho-born
Queen's Head, near St Pancras station
Ye Olde Cheddar Cheese (because it's old and cool), near Smithfield
The George, Southwark (also old and quite cool) - note, the area is pronounced South-uck
The Coal Hole, The Strand near Covent Garden/Charing Cross Station

I'm always happy to recommend pubs (my H and I are into beer)! Thanks for thinking about that RockNVoll.

[mrsukyankee]

Feb 13, 2017 13:20:48 GMT -5 dirtyred said:

It's pretty easy to get around on the Tube.  Buy a pass when you first get there.

I did several walking tours (can't remember the tour name--Walking Tours of London?).  One was the Jack the Ripper tour at night, because I like that sort of thing.  We got a history of the East End, went to all the spots where the bodies were found, and ended up having a drink at the pub where the last victim was before she was killed.

www.walks.com - best London walks around (I do about 1-2 every year for the last 12 years)

[gardengal]

I third London Walks. I've done several & they've all been really interesting.

[krystee]

The London Pass is legit, right? Looks like it's a hop on/hop off bus tour included, plus free entry into pretty much everything I want to see. 85 GBP for two days.

[Deleted]

Feb 13, 2017 11:28:53 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Feb 13, 2017 11:13:45 GMT -5 krystee said:

RockNVoll I love museums and history, so thank you for that list! I would love to get to at least one or two of those places. Also thank you for the app rec! A bus sounds easier to navigate. I think it's being underground and not being able to see where I am that makes me feel lost.

One last question! I have only traveled internationally twice. Any tips on where it's best to exchange currency for the lowest fees? I plan to use my credit card as much as possible but want to have some cash.

The beauty of the free museums is that you can walk in, see if you like it, and walk out if it's not your cup of tea without any pain of an expensive entry fee.  I also forgot to mention that the Rick Steve's app has great walking tours for many of the museums that helps narrow down your first visit to many of the highlights.  Most of them are 1.5 - 2 hour tours, perfect for a first visit.

For almost any international trip, you'll get the best rates by pulling cash from an ATM.  See if your bank has any reciprocal relationships with any of the UK banks to minimize any fees, but I always go with ATMs when traveling.  Honestly, though, credit cards are accepted at 99% of places in London so I really wouldn't pull out much (I actually think you could probably get away with not having any cash).  And ATMs are plentiful.

I would caution against going with NO cash. For some reason, the ATMs at Heathrow hated all our cards. And the tube ticket machines did, too. Fortunately I had taken out $200 US before we left so we were able to change it at the currency exchange. Not a great rate but better than being stranded at the airport. We had no problems with other ATMs or with using CCs once we got into the city.

[Deleted]

So we were there in October and had some amaaaaaaazing food, which I know is not what most people think of when they hear London.

We went to this place in Soho called Barnyard. We had these garlic lemon chicken wings that are legitimately the best chicken wings I've ever eaten. They were HUGE and crispy and garlicky and OMG next time I go to London I'm going back and just ordering all the wings. The sticky toffee pudding and popcorn ice cream with smoked fudge sauce were also incredible. It is hipster as fuck and would fit in perfectly in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, by the food was so delicious.

We also went to Dishoom for Indian. Holy fuckballs. It was so good. SO GOOD. It's super popular and doesn't take reservations after 5:45, so we did a 5:45 pre-theater booking.

We had some other good meals but those are the two worth mentioning.

Oh, and if you go to the British Museum, there is this little cafe down the street called Of Syrup and Soot. Absolutely delicious Portuguese tarts (I forgot the name of them).

And don't see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It sucks.

Attraction-wise, we did Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, walked around Palace of Westminster/10 Downing Street/Trafalgar Square, walked around Hyde Park, walked around Buckingham Palace and St. James Park, Churchill War Rooms and Churchill Museum, Hampton Court Palace, Victoria & Albert Musem, and British Museum. And the aforementioned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I HIGHLY recommend the Churchill War Rooms and Churchill Museum. Incredibly well done. And really unlike anything you'll see elsewhere.

[mbcdefg]

Feb 13, 2017 14:11:26 GMT -5 krystee said:

The London Pass is legit, right? Looks like it's a hop on/hop off bus tour included, plus free entry into pretty much everything I want to see. 85 GBP for two days.

It's legit - we bought it for our 2010 trip and it got us into pretty much everything we wanted to see.

We also showed it to the commuter boat I mentioned above (when we missed the last tourist boat from Greenwich) and asked if it could do anything for us, and they knocked a couple pounds off our fare. 

That being said, plan out your itinerary and then take a look at the entry fees and then decide for yourself if the Pass is worth it. It was worth it for our 2010 trip because we packed in a ton of sightseeing to the standard touristy sites that charged admission fees, but it wasn't worth the money for our 2016 trip since we had already done most of the touristy stuff the Pass includes.

We looked into the Paris Pass for last year's trip as well, as well as a Paris Museum-only Pass, but after pricing it out it just wasn't worth it for us. We just paid the individual entry fees. Good thing, too, because we skipped several of our planned outings because we got tired or found something else to do.

[Deleted]

Feb 13, 2017 14:11:26 GMT -5 krystee said:

The London Pass is legit, right? Looks like it's a hop on/hop off bus tour included, plus free entry into pretty much everything I want to see. 85 GBP for two days.

It is. It's not necessarily worth it, unless you're going to do a TON of sightseeing. But we got ours on sale. I think we basically broke even with what we would've spent a la carte. But we got priority entrance at a few places and it was nice not to feel bad if we were meh on something and wanted to leave. It was also nice just to have so much stuff paid for. So it's convenient and not a scam or a rip off. But depending on what you do, it's not necessarily the BEST value.

[mbcdefg]

Feb 13, 2017 15:19:59 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

We also went to Dishoom for Indian. Holy fuckballs. It was so good. SO GOOD. It's super popular and doesn't take reservations after 5:45, so we did a 5:45 pre-theater booking.

OMG I'm so glad you mentioned this!!! We had dinner here (Convent Garden location) and I'd forgotten the name and it was driving me nuts. 

I actually had those egg custard tarts over the weekend, and I just texted my Portuguese friend to ask for the proper name ... pastéis de nata. 

[raangoli]

This thread is making me miss London. Have a great time on your trip!

[audette]

Feb 13, 2017 14:11:26 GMT -5 krystee said:

The London Pass is legit, right? Looks like it's a hop on/hop off bus tour included, plus free entry into pretty much everything I want to see. 85 GBP for two days.

Yep!  DH and I used it for a trip a few years ago.  Worked well for us.

[UnderProtest]

Okay, so RockNVoll, has some irrational hatred of the Tube. I personally find it MUCH more efficient and very easy to use. There are maps everywhere and the CityMapper app is excellent. I only once had issues with walking directions (it was a hotel with multiple entrances so that didn't help, so don't use it trying to get to the bar @shoegal recommended). I love tea at Fortnum and Mason (OMG, the cookies that you could buy in the store too!!!!) and the Churchill War Rooms. I loved walking down the Southbank from the London Eye towards the Tower Bridge. Good sight seeing and a couple museums if you want. There is a restaurant outside of the Tower of London that is good and very convenient. www.perkinreveller.co.uk I tended to stay over in SW London so if you want to head that way, I can recommend some yummy restaurants. Oh, the Duke of York Square has a market on Saturday mornings that is all sorts of prepared foods. I could spend the day there and shopping on Kings Road (all in Chelsea). The Royal Mews is a nice small museum if you only have an hour or so. It isn't free, but I think its around 10GBP. I highly recommend seeing Kinky Boots on The Strand if its still showing. Great cast and the tickets were too bad.

[UnderProtest]

Feb 14, 2017 13:49:57 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Whatever, whatever, UnderProtest , I do what I like! And no bus strikes or wheels falling off like on the tube

You never had the grumpy bus driver that won't open the doors for your double stroller or being kicked off multiple times on the same trip because wheelchairs have priority over strollers.  

[ashsummer]

Feb 13, 2017 10:57:24 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

• Barrafina - AMAZING tapas. The down side is they don't take reservations so your wait could be an hour or so but you can order drinks and snacks while you wait. Each location has its own menu; I'm partial to the one on Dean Street.
  
• Eat Tokyo - I don't know if you have access to decent sushi at home but this place is pretty solid and very reasonably priced. Several locations around central London.
  
• Roti King - Hole-in-the-wall Malaysian place.  Also doesn't take reservations but the line moves decently fast.  Good roti, amazing noodle soups (the coconut curry one is so good).
• Mother Mash - In the Carnaby Street area, which is fun to walk around for shopping so this could be a good stop while in the area.
• Pubs are sort of everywhere and I don't have a specific rec.  Pick any one that looks like it has a decent number of people in it in whatever part of town you happen to be in when you get hungry
  

For things to do, are you interested in any of the amazing (and mostly free) museums?  The buildings themselves are beautiful to look at, never mind the exhibits

• Victoria & Albert - Really eclectic collection of stuff, fun to explore
• British Museum - The museum London is probably most famous for
• British Library - My personal favorite.  The collection of historical documents and books is in just a couple of large rooms to the left of the entrance but they pack so much in there--Gutenberg bible, original Beowulf, original Beatles lyrics on napkins and greeting cards, Jane Austen's portable writing desk, letters from Anne Boleyn/Henry VIII, Magna Carta, and more.
• National Portrait Gallery/National Gallery
• Natural History Museum
• Tate Modern/Tate Britain
  

Absolutely perfect list! Nothing to add, really. I've saved it for my next visit to London. Thanks!

Do you like theatres, operas, concerts etc? You can search the Internet for current events in London and book a ticket in advance.

[scout8]

Another London walks vote here!