What to do in London if...
London is an enormous city with no apparent rhyme or reason, making it hard to decide what to do once you get here. Many people come here with the idea that they have to run from museum to gallery to tourist attraction, completely overlooking the interest and allure that lies in London's architecture and neighbourhoods.
Wandering aimlessly will bring guaranteed pleasant delights and surprises and undoubtedly be more satisfying than shelling out lots of cash to see things you probably don't really care about to begin with.
I've put together some ideas for itineraries based on time available. Obviously they build on each other (I didn't feel the need to repeat "visit Trafalgar Square" each time).
You only have a few hours:
If you literally only have a few hours in London and want to make the most of it, Whistle Stop Tours offers taxi tours of central London. Phone 0207-624-3978.
If you don't want a tour, I'd stick to walking around the area covering Trafalgar Square - Covent Garden - Leicester Square - Piccadilly Circus, which are all in close proximity to each other. For shopping, head to Oxford Street, the area between Marble Arch Tube & Oxford Circus is best.
If your few hours are after dark, Trafalgar Square and the Parliament Buildings are more impressive at night when they are all lit up than in the day when they show their filth, and they are only a short walk from each other. For something a little more laid back, you can always catch a West End Show. Half-price tickets are available from the both in Leicester Square, and most theatres offer cheap rush seats a ½ hour before the show starts.
Of course the obvious alternative, day or night, is to spend your precious hours in an authentic London pub, and you don't need to venture very far from any point to find one of those!
You only have a day:
The Big Red Bus Company, London Pride and The Original London Sightseeing Tour all offer open-top bus tours on several routes around London, as well as a river cruise. There is commentary, and it is live on the Big Red Bus Company. All tickets are hop-on-hop-off so you can explore areas of interest to you on foot before resuming the tour.
If you have time in the evening, half-price day-off tickets can be bought in Leicester Square. The only official booth is the one located in the centre of the square (cash only). If you purchase from one of the other booths, be aware that you may be paying more than the face value of the ticket.
You only have a weekend:
London's so big, it's hard to imagine how to choose what to see in a weekend. Only catch a museum/gallery if
a) you're really into that kind of thing or
b) it's raining.
Try to visit the Tower, but don't just do attractions. You might find the most fun is just wandering around some of the areas, like South Kensington or the City. It might be a good idea to take an organised walking tour, just to add colour to what you're seeing.
You have an entire week:
Try to get out of the central tourist traps and explore other areas London has to offer. The Docklands, Greenwich, Hampton, and Hampstead are all sure bets, and many people find it fun just to randomly pick a tube stop and go explore the "real" London.
Also be sure to visit one of the many museums and gallery on offer, see the January 2000 article for an idea of which one you would enjoy (but don't over do it!). Some tourist attractions are definitely worth a visit, but don't clog your week with attraction after attraction. They're expensive, wear thin fast, and don't give any representation of the city.
You have a phenomenal two weeks:
It's hard to say what would make someone want to spend two weeks of hard earned vacation in any city, but if you are there's certainly enough to do in London to keep one pre-occupied (although the pre-occupation may turn to your dwindling bank account!)
London is such a large city and to add to the confusion is made up of several boroughs and therefore has many feels. To make matters worse, there are two centres, the City and the area around Trafalgar Square.
Two weeks is just the beginning amount of time needed to piece this city together. If the reason you're spending two weeks in London is to get to know it, then I suggest you focus your time on this. The key is to do some research before you get here, and the best way I can think of to do that is by reading Edward Rutherford's novel "London".
Also, try to get to the far reaches of London, Windsor Castle, St Alban's, and even farther afield Cambridge, Oxford, and Canterbury are all easy day trips.
Questions?
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