Headin to good-ole-London with the wife and kid for about a 10 days, 3 days in middle will be in Paris' Disneyland though. Any tips for what to check out in London? What to avoid, what to bring, what to do, what NOT to do? Thanks!
TFL operate all Tube, Bus and DLR, as well as Overground train services. River ferries are operated by another company and require separate tickets. Like many cities, London is split into Zones, so a TFL Zone 1-6 ticket will work on any Train/Tube/DLR or Bus within those zones. Simply google TFL Tube Map/Bus Map. The Shard is good, but quiet expensive, Book in advance for a cheaper ticket. London Eye is very popular, and i highly recommend booking in advance. Walkie Talkie Sky Garden is free, but is only available on reservation. There are ALOT of hidden gems in London, It's a nice walk along the Thames from London Bridge/The Shard towards Tower Bridge. Cross the Thames on Tower Bridge, and you've got the Tower of London, Great Fire of London monument and many more. Hope that's some start, I'm away in France currently so it's only a wee little list. Sam
Tip for London. You can use you contactless debit card on the underground. Tap on and tap off and the max you get charged the whole day is capped at like £6.40 as long as you stay in zone 1
^^ I would recommend doing a riverboat from Westminster down past North Greenwich/The 02. Its by far the easiest and most relaxing way to see the city, other than that, I would really recommend just walking about - and definitely check out the Science Museum and Natural History Museum in South Kensington, then from there you can walk to Harrods and up to Buckingham Palace. If you want a more detailed list, ping me a PM
Sorry, Id recommend the exact opposite - you'll get charged at the banks exchange rate etc - FAR better to use cash for an Oyster card, and then you still get the Cap limits. And then you don't have the possible hassle of your card carrier cancelling it abroad. What not to do? Don't block the escalators. Don't stop at the top of the escalators Don't get on the tube/bus until everyone's got off. Don't push to get on the tube/bus Don't wear shorts and white socks and look like American Tourists (even though you're in Canada) Don't walk super duper slowly and wiggle about. Londoners are grumpy people, but if you screw up their transport routines they will go Nuclear.
If a museum person, you could spend the entire time in the British Museum, which is why I don't recommend it. I second the the science museum but suggest that if your only see one then it must be the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum. I also enjoyed the Transport museum. If you don't mind walking and stairs, a trip to the top of Saint Paul's Cathedral, nice view.
thx all! I... don't think I look American.... because I'm actually Asian Canadian....... I'll PM you Mankz, but others, please feel free to keep posting here! The missus have charged me to take care of the itinerary, so there's that... I'll be arriving June 25th in London until July 2nd. (28-30 is Disneyland Paris) Never been to Europe, so kinda excited! Good friend is letting us stay at their place as they're abroad during Summer and it's near the "Water Gardens Square"... South side of Thames.
The best view of London would be through your rear view mirror Nah, seriously, just have a walk around. I have been many times (every time I go into the office I have to go into London!) and it isn't too bad. There is always something to find and do.
Ok, so you're by Canada Water, which means you've got the Jubilee Line on your doorstep, so getting around London will be a breeze. Its also a quiet, safe place to get back to in the evenings.
If it's not too late for postage, go here to buy your Oyster cards before travelling:- (Special tourist version which includes discount entry/meals etc) https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/london-visitor-oyster-card/ Failing that, you should be able to buy them at Heathrow. Be warned that buses now only take Oyster in London. Also, Oyster does not expire. Any credit remaining will still be available next time. Alternatively, you can get a refund when you get back to Heathrow.
Just remember that the place is vast, as such I'd try to plan your excursions by area. There's tonnes to see and do around in every borough, just don't expect to be able to visit anything in both the west and east on the same day etc. It takes me around an hour by tube to get into Central London from West. Most of the central London bits will be well known and listed in all the guides etc. so are easy to tick off the lists. But one thing I would definitely consider is a trip into West London to see the likes of Richmond park or Hampton Court Palace etc. If the weather is on your side (which bizarrely given the forecast for the next week it could be) then Richmond is an idyllic place. The park is huge, there are many points where you can't see any city buildings in a 360 degree view, only rolling hills and woodland. You can rent bikes there for a fun cycle ride, go check out the deer and have a nice cream tea in Pembroke lodge. It's quaint and also a fun family activity, we do it fairly often as it's nearby. Hampton Court is a great place, chock full of history and lots to see, I had a great time there as a kid running though the maze etc. Plus you can get there from Richmond by taking a ferry on the Thames, so you could visit the park for an ice walk, then head onto the palace without much trouble. Food though is a tough one throughout the city. Again there is tonnes of amazing food in London, but it's a bit hidden. Places like the Southbank often have cool street food type places, same with the area around Hatton garden near Holborn. Restaurants are basically all pretty expensive, although some are much better value than others in terms of quality. If you like burgers you're never that far from a Byron (nice and dependable IMO) but there are loads of other places too like Honest Burgers or Patty and Bun. Lots of artisan/hipster coffee shops have recently opened up too, so you can top up on some of the good stuff all over. Unfortunately sites like TripAdvisor almost completely break in London as ratings get ruined by people reviewing standard places simply too well (why is a Pret special???) so I'd only use it as a light reference. Some targeted google-fu will usually sort you out though. Search around in advance for where to eat in a given place and you'll be good to go.
Escalator pro tip when coming on and off the tube, everyone sticks to the right, do the same! Natural history museum is free which is great as said being near Canada Square (ironic) means your on Jubilee so its easy to get around. Remember you don't need to tube everything especially if the weathers good stay up top youll see more for a start plus the time lost isn't a big deal if your just going one stop down. Food & drink, loads of choices as said most of the gems are hidden and or really tiny. Evening meal wise though you are spoilt for choice though if you are looking for good food, don't got to Nando's.
Definitely book the Sky Garden in the Walkie Talkie if you have time in advance, great free trip to overlook the river & the Tower of London. My children (16 & 13 yrs) love going to Camden Lock, to see the market and the shop; they ask to go every time we're in London. The food stalls are great and not necessarily expensive. We did the O2 climb the other week, and went on the Clipper Ferry from the South Bank - a worthwhile way of seeing the river and bits of London from a different perspective - cheap too! (compared to a dedicated cruise, RIB ride or Duck Tour...)
I've been living near London for 7 years, 4 of which are in Greater London, I've not done half of what's been suggested! As mentioned, with any European cities, do try to walk more rather than catch the tube/metro. A few stops in London Zone 1 is almost always within walking distance. This is a great site recommended by Tom Scott (London based youtuber) on checking to see latest what's-on in London. https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/
