Tuesday, February 17, 2009
London Calling
With our itinerary (mostly) set for the trip, Jessica and I are now about to enter into the details phase of our planning, and we thought we would begin with London. So we are now officially requesting information from anyone and everyone who has been there. Given that we have just a few short days in the city, what should be on our must-see list? Information on sites, events, lodging, and food will all be helpful. Also, are there underrated or little-known sites we should know about? Major tourist stopovers that are overrated and can maybe be pruned from our visit? Any and all comments are welcome!
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What a great blog! I would recommend the London Dungeon, even though it's touristy. It has a roller coaster inside, Jack the Ripper, and lots of dungeon stuff.
ReplyDeleteVictoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern, the British Museum has more mummies than you will ever see, all museums are good really since they're free. Have fun!
Like I said earlier, avoid Sega World like the plague (if it still exists - that was 11 years ago, after all). The Museum of the Moving Image was also underwhelming and skippable.
ReplyDeleteGuess those were more like anti-suggestions.
Hey Aim, we went to the Tower of London and I honestly thought it was a waste of money, i guess it was kind of cool to be there but for the most part I wish we hadn't. seeing it from the outside is good enough. The eye I heard is pretty cool for a view you can get some great shots of London and such but might be a bit pricey. Westminster was cool, I wanted to go into Parliament but I think we didn't have the right attire. I can't remember the other places we went i will have to think about it. if you have questions ask.
ReplyDeleteHi ladies! I'm a friend of Brian's, and an anglophile through and through. Brian mentioned your trip and asked me to stop by and give you a few suggestions. (disclaimer: I was in London about seven years ago, so while I was there for three months, my info may be a little outdated. :))
ReplyDelete*Hit most touristy stuff. Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament, National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, Windsor or Hampton Court Palace (if you have time to get out there) etc. Tate Britain is also great. My favorite art museum in London is a smaller one called the Cortauld. Don't miss the British Museum.
*You can live without the Tower of London (unless you love gore and the crown jewels, in which case, GO), Madame Tussauds, Herrods (unless you like shopping, in which case, GO), and maybe even the changing of the guards (I know that's blasphemous, but there it is).
*Go to the Globe if you like Shakespeare at all
*If you have literary tendencies, check out the exhibit at the British Library (it's also relatively near, if I'm remembering right, King's Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4...)
*literary tendencies cont: Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens
*Portobello Rd street market is a fun morning
*The best way to see cathedrals is to attend evensong (in my oh-so-humble opinion :))
*You'll ride the tube a lot, I imagine, but if you have time, walk central London from one side to the other. Or, check out a book called _Walking London_ by Andrew Duncan. Self-guided walks--good ones, I thought. Hands down the best way to really experience the city.
*this is the longest comment in the history of blogspot.
*Percy Pigs. Find them at Marks and Spencers.
*Cadbury chocolate.
*Wagamama's (trendy noodle joint)
*scones and clotted cream (heaven).
*An hour before many shows you can get discounted tickets, esp if your a student. They call it the student rush discount, I think.
*They used to have candlelit concerts at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. I think I heard the Four Seasons. Completely fantastic.
*Timeout Magazine will give you the whatwhat on the city's goings on. Available at most newsstands in the city.
*Let me know if you have questions or need more suggestions...
England will absolutely live up to your expectations. Isn't that nice?