London "Must Do's"

[sayhello]

Do you think there is anyone in our group who doesn't want to go to Harrod's?

I don't think anyone has said "No" to Harrod's yet! I think we'll have a blast!

And was the tea at Harrod's previously listed in the ABD itinerary before? If not, I'm wondering if that is another "spoiler". Whenever I notice these things, I can hear the "cha-ching!" from all the money I'm saving our group. I've saved you some good pub money because of the London Eye spoiler.

It's possible that it's completely off the tour, though.

It was actually on the itinerary prior to this year. I have the brochures for 2008, 2009 & 2010, and tea at Harrod's is mentioned as a part of the trip in all 3 of them. Maybe they've changed it to a surprise, but I'm not going to count on it.

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

Here are a few things that I am considering on our visit to London. Does anyone have any good or bad comments about the following:

The Sherlock Holmes Museum
http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/

Dr. Who Experience
http://www.doctorwhoexperience.com/

London Showboat dinner cruise on the Thames
http://www.citycruises.com/showboat.htm


-Paul

I'll be interested to see what folks have to say about these. I didn't even know there was a Sherlock Holmes Museum!

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

Hi Sayhello!

Your trip really is getting closer - you must be so excited. You've gotten a ton of good suggestions for your time in London. Will you have a chance to do any day trips out of London? The countryside is just beautiful, and Oxford is one of my favorite places in the world. Definitely worth a trip if you have the time.

It's finally starting to feel real. It was so far off, it was hard to get too excited. Now it's hitting me.

I'm staying the first 2 days in Winchester before heading to London, and was planning a day trip to Oxford for the 2nd day. Any details you can give me would be much appreciated!

My family's favorite experiences on our very short trip to London last fall were: eating treacle tart in a pub, seeing Les Miserables (get tix in advance if you really want to see it, as they weren't available at the half price location while we were there), taking a flight on the London Eye, and touring spots where the Harry Potter movies were filmed!

Those all sound like wonderful things. What is a treacle tart? I've heard of them, but never had one. Definitely doing the London Eye with ABD, and I'm definitely looking at the Harry Potter tour. Did you take an actual tour or do it on your own?

Thanks!
Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

Wow, you guys! Thanks for all the fabulous suggestions! I'm not sure if it's made it easier or harder to choose; everything sounds so fabulous!

Please keep the suggestions coming! I'm loving this.

Sayhello

 

[pigby]

Who are you doing the Harry Potter walking tour through? That really sounds like something I'd enjoy. Mix walking tours with Harry Potter -- what's not to love? I really do intend to come back to London for a longer trip (of course, I said that 31 years ago, and look what happened! )

Thanks!
Sayhello

We are going with a company called Brit Movies tours - here is the link

www.britmovietours.com

There was a link on the Virgin trains website when we purchased our train tickets down to London - if you are buying train tickets as well you can get a 2 for 1 voucher - I don't know if this will apply to you but here is the link - it covers a lot of other attractions as well - click the button on the webpage on the right hand side - it also includes Hampton Court

daysoutguide.co.uk

 

[glassslipper2004]

I'm so glad you'll get to spend some time at Oxford! It's been forever since I was there, so I don't have any particular recommendations. So many of the colleges are beautiful. I think you can probably pick up info on a walking tour, or maybe even jump in to a guided tour. You will probably recognize some of the colleges as they are so grand, they are often used as backgrounds in movies. The pubs are fun too. Do try to get into some of the colleges to see the quadrangles inside, many are open only at specific times of day.

Treacle tart is sort of like a butterscotch kind of pie - hard to describe! My daughters had heard about it somewhere and were just thrilled to find it on the menu at Salisbury Pub (right near the theater area, very nice pub, very old and a great example of a nice pub). We did a guided tour of Harry Potter sights, but I know you can find pretty good suggestions online of places to see if you want to do it on your own. We enjoyed it tremendously!

 

[okworbust]

http://www.trooping-the-colour.co.uk/keys/index.htm

http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx

Tickets are free, but you must apply in writing and follow all instructions contained in the second link above. I applied in March for July tickets.


-Paul

The Ceremony of the Keys is by far one of the most impressive things I have ever seen - one word of advice - go to the Tower of London before your Ceremony of the Keys invite - it is much more meaningful and the Tower is much creepier at night when you know all the things that have happened there over the years.

Don't miss The Globe Theater - great museum/Theater -possibly see a show.
The West End - any show - just to have the experience.
Aug. & Sept - Buckingham Palace is open for Tours - quite amazing
Taxi ride - the cabbies are the best in the world and are London's best tour guides.
Piccadilly Circus/Convent Garden - great places to people watch.


Have a wonderful time!

 

[okworbust]

Oh - and don't forget to order a Pitcher of Pimms at a pub - quite refreshing and very British!

 

[Mrs. Sojourner]

We spent a week last June for our 10th Anniversary and our favorites were:
*Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
*The Monument; we opted for this instead of The London Eye. Probably not as cool, but I loved it. Be prepared to walk 311 stairs though.
*Dinner at Gordon Ramsay at Clairidge. Best. Meal. Ever. (Of course I have no idea if the fact that 3 days earlier we were eating in an African village, squatting in the dirt, around a communal bowl with rice and sauce had an effect on our review of this.)
*Changing of the gaurd and The Royal Mews.
*Tower of London (but you already said you were doing that).
*National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. (A great place to sit after picking up lunch from the previously mention Pret a Manger.)
*Hard Rock Cafe (It was really cool to go to the original Hard Rock. American food and sodas with free refills after a year of living in Africa may also have influenced our love for this as well.)

Things we did and wished we would have skipped:
*London Zoo (no offense to others who loved this but we thought it was a sad little zoo, but we've been fortunate to live next to some amazing zoos).
*Kensington Palace (it had been just transformed into an "enchanted palace" which we thought was very stupid. There is a place for tea there that we didn't get to try though. And it is located right in Hyde Park which others have mentioned.)


Things we wish we would have done:
Chrurchill War Rooms; we have heard great things about this and DH is a total history junky. It just means we have to go back again sometime!

Hope you have an awesome trip!

 

[sayhello]

We are going with a company called Brit Movies tours - here is the link

www.britmovietours.com

There was a link on the Virgin trains website when we purchased our train tickets down to London - if you are buying train tickets as well you can get a 2 for 1 voucher - I don't know if this will apply to you but here is the link - it covers a lot of other attractions as well - click the button on the webpage on the right hand side - it also includes Hampton Court

daysoutguide.co.uk

Thanks for the links! I like the look of britmovietours. I'm traveling solo, so the 2 for 1 is not really that helpful (at least for the pre-trip stuff). But I'll take a look at that, too!

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

I'm so glad you'll get to spend some time at Oxford! It's been forever since I was there, so I don't have any particular recommendations. So many of the colleges are beautiful. I think you can probably pick up info on a walking tour, or maybe even jump in to a guided tour. You will probably recognize some of the colleges as they are so grand, they are often used as backgrounds in movies. The pubs are fun too. Do try to get into some of the colleges to see the quadrangles inside, many are open only at specific times of day.

I guess it's time for some research. I've heard it's a beautiful area.

Treacle tart is sort of like a butterscotch kind of pie - hard to describe! My daughters had heard about it somewhere and were just thrilled to find it on the menu at Salisbury Pub (right near the theater area, very nice pub, very old and a great example of a nice pub). We did a guided tour of Harry Potter sights, but I know you can find pretty good suggestions online of places to see if you want to do it on your own. We enjoyed it tremendously!

I'm pretty sure Harry Potter mentions treacle tarts somewhere, probably during one of the start-of-year feasts or something. The HP tours sound cool. I'm definitely researching those!

Thanks,
Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

The Ceremony of the Keys is by far one of the most impressive things I have ever seen - one word of advice - go to the Tower of London before your Ceremony of the Keys invite - it is much more meaningful and the Tower is much creepier at night when you know all the things that have happened there over the years.

I remember Samantha Brown did the Ceremony of the Keys during one of her London programs. I'm *DEFINITELY* going to look into doing this!

Don't miss The Globe Theater - great museum/Theater -possibly see a show.

I'll check that out. Don't know if I have time to do a show there, but I really want to see it.

The West End - any show - just to have the experience.

The ABD includes seeing The Lion King in the West End. And I think we get primo seats. I'm really looking forward to that!

Aug. & Sept - Buckingham Palace is open for Tours - quite amazing

grey204, earlier in the thread, linked me to some tours of the Palace. I really do think I need to do this!

Taxi ride - the cabbies are the best in the world and are London's best tour guides.

That's great to know. In some places, you really try to avoid the taxis!

Piccadilly Circus/Convent Garden - great places to people watch.

I love to people watch. Thanks for the tip!

Have a wonderful time!

That's the PLAN!

Oh - and don't forget to order a Pitcher of Pimms at a pub - quite refreshing and very British!

Noted!!!!!

Thanks!
Sayhello

 

[BriarRose59]

My daughter and I are on this tour next month. I can't believe its so soon! We have done the Ceremony of the Keys before and its fantastic. Definitely a must do. We have already bought tickets for the Dr. Who experience because it is time reserved. We are so limited on extra time that we wanted to be sure and get the time we needed. I'll let you know when we return what we thought. I am enjoying reading all of the suggestions you are getting and taking lots of notes! If you are into the BBC show "Merlin" there is a Merlin exhibit at Warwick Castle outside of London http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk/. We are going to try to fit it in, but it would be a day trip and I don't know if we'll have time.

 

[gayleaboone]

I am so envious! My votes:

--evening ceremony of the keys is one of the most amazing events in London.

--If you go to the Cabinet War rooms at the end of the day, you may be the only one down there---really lets you mull over the events that occurred.

--If you take a boat ride on the Thames, be certain to find out how long the rides are, and when they return to your dock---a wonderful ride, but some of the journeys can take an entire day and I don't think you have that kind of time

--Completely agree with Kristilew re the 100 Objects; overtherwise, you can get sucked up into an entire day at the British Museum. My picks at the Museum: Elgen Marbles; Rosetta Stone; Lewis Chessmen

--A nice lunch and walk:

----Fordham and Mason

http://www.fortnumandmason.com/the-store.aspx

for treats to bring home, with lunch in the upstairs Fountain Restaurant for Welch Rarebit. I always do this my first morning in London---the rarebit and a glass of white wine revive me!

(http://www.fortnumandmason.com/the_fountain_restaurant.aspx) ;

----then look around Picadilly Circle;

----then walk down to St. Martin in the Field (check to see if there is an afternoon rehearsal and slip in to hear it

----see the lions at Trafalgar square;

----walk past White Hall and the memorials;

----go past Big Ben and Parliament to Westminster Abbey, and go inside for evensong (it is free if you are a worshiper) and really take in the lovely music;

----back to hotel to freshen for dinner!



--I have taken many of the walking tours that others have referenced, and often at night. I am often in London alone, and these tours are a GREAT way to see the little nooks of London and meet interesting people.

--The British Library has reading rooms where you can request any number of rare and fine manuscripts, don white gloves, and view them yourself! Check the details on the website....

So much to do!

 

[sayhello]

We spent a week last June for our 10th Anniversary and our favorites were:
*Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
*The Monument; we opted for this instead of The London Eye. Probably not as cool, but I loved it. Be prepared to walk 311 stairs though.

Where/what is the Monument? I've never heard of that.

*Dinner at Gordon Ramsay at Clairidge. Best. Meal. Ever. (Of course I have no idea if the fact that 3 days earlier we were eating in an African village, squatting in the dirt, around a communal bowl with rice and sauce had an effect on our review of this.)

I'll check this out! Thanks.

*Changing of the gaurd and The Royal Mews.

The changing of the guard is a part of the ABD, and some of us have already signed up for a tour of Buckingham Palace (on the day before the ABD) that includes the Royal Mews!

*Tower of London (but you already said you were doing that).

Yep. Included in the ABD.

*National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. (A great place to sit after picking up lunch from the previously mention Pret a Manger.)

These 2 are on the list.

*Hard Rock Cafe (It was really cool to go to the original Hard Rock. American food and sodas with free refills after a year of living in Africa may also have influenced our love for this as well.)

Well, since I'll be fresh from the US, not sure if I'll need this. But I'll keep it in mind!

Things we did and wished we would have skipped:
*London Zoo (no offense to others who loved this but we thought it was a sad little zoo, but we've been fortunate to live next to some amazing zoos).
*Kensington Palace (it had been just transformed into an "enchanted palace" which we thought was very stupid. There is a place for tea there that we didn't get to try though. And it is located right in Hyde Park which others have mentioned.)

An interesting point (things I shouldn't bother with.) I may need to start a new thread for this!

Things we wish we would have done:
Chrurchill War Rooms; we have heard great things about this and DH is a total history junky. It just means we have to go back again sometime!

I do love my history. Others have recommended it. I love this thread, because I'd never heard of them!

Hope you have an awesome trip!

That's definitely the plan!!!!!

Thanks!
Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

My daughter and I are on this tour next month. I can't believe its so soon! We have done the Ceremony of the Keys before and its fantastic. Definitely a must do. We have already bought tickets for the Dr. Who experience because it is time reserved. We are so limited on extra time that we wanted to be sure and get the time we needed. I'll let you know when we return what we thought. I am enjoying reading all of the suggestions you are getting and taking lots of notes! If you are into the BBC show "Merlin" there is a Merlin exhibit at Warwick Castle outside of London http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk/. We are going to try to fit it in, but it would be a day trip and I don't know if we'll have time.

Thanks so much! I really would love to hear your opinion on the Dr. Who experience. I'm sort of so-so on the series "Merlin". But I'll check out that website.

Thanks!
Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

I am so envious! My votes:

--evening ceremony of the keys is one of the most amazing events in London.

I remember Samantha Brown including it in one of her shows, but I'd totally forgotten about it! I've requested tickets; we shall see if I get them or not!

--If you go to the Cabinet War rooms at the end of the day, you may be the only one down there---really lets you mull over the events that occurred.

That's good to know. I'll have to check out what time they'll be closing while I'm there.

--If you take a boat ride on the Thames, be certain to find out how long the rides are, and when they return to your dock---a wonderful ride, but some of the journeys can take an entire day and I don't think you have that kind of time

Uh, no, I don't! Thanks for the warning!!!!!

--Completely agree with Kristilew re the 100 Objects; overtherwise, you can get sucked up into an entire day at the British Museum. My picks at the Museum: Elgen Marbles; Rosetta Stone; Lewis Chessmen

I've subscribed to the podcast. Now to start watching!!!!!

--A nice lunch and walk:

----Fordham and Mason

http://www.fortnumandmason.com/the-store.aspx

for treats to bring home, with lunch in the upstairs Fountain Restaurant for Welch Rarebit. I always do this my first morning in London---the rarebit and a glass of white wine revive me!

(http://www.fortnumandmason.com/the_fountain_restaurant.aspx) ;

Heavens! I haven't had Welch Rarebit in over 30 years! Thanks for the rec!

----then look around Picadilly Circle;

----then walk down to St. Martin in the Field (check to see if there is an afternoon rehearsal and slip in to hear it

----see the lions at Trafalgar square;

----walk past White Hall and the memorials;

----go past Big Ben and Parliament to Westminster Abbey, and go inside for evensong (it is free if you are a worshiper) and really take in the lovely music;

----back to hotel to freshen for dinner!

Sounds wonderful. I think this is all relatively near the hotel I'm staying at. I *love* to walk, so this is great!

--I have taken many of the walking tours that others have referenced, and often at night. I am often in London alone, and these tours are a GREAT way to see the little nooks of London and meet interesting people.

I'm definitely checking them out. It sounds like a wonderful way to see the sights!

--The British Library has reading rooms where you can request any number of rare and fine manuscripts, don white gloves, and view them yourself! Check the details on the website....

Sounds cool!!!

So much to do!

And so little time to do them! Should be my biggest problem, figuring out what I have time to see & do!!!!!

Thanks!
Sayhello

 

[mmmears]

We were just there a few weeks ago.

Highlights for us:

Tower of London (there is soooo much to see and do here. The Yeoman Warders give guided tours (no reservations, no charge) and really add in lots of color and make the place come alive).

St. Paul's Cathedral (you can walk up a ton of stairs to the base of the big dome. From there you can get amazing panoramic photos of the entire city).

Westminster Abbey (make sure you have plenty of time there).

Churchill/Cabinet War Rooms -- quite nice and in the state that they were left after the war.

British Museum -- if you have any interest in ancient artifacts, they have an amazing collections of statues and art from Greece (the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon), Assyria, and Egypt (including quite a few mummies). The Rosetta Stone is a must-do.

There was some good shopping on Bond St (new and old) and Regent Street. And we saw the Lion King show -- amazing!

 

[steve76]

I would agree with previous posters that the Churchill War Rooms (also/previously known as the Cabinet War Rooms) are worth a visit. It takes my vote as the best 'secret' attraction as it's not on most people's radar but it fascinating. It took me probably about 1.5 hours. You go through the underground headquarters for the war, including living quarters, offices and map rooms - many of which are exactly as they were left when the war finished. The detail, particularly in the map rooms, I thought was absolutely fascinating.

Westminster Abbey is fantastic - there is so much history in the place its's amazing.

At St Paul's Cathedral: if you want to climb all the way to the very top for the great view over London, be aware that it is a very long climb including through some very tight spaces. If you are claustrophobic or on the larger size, then bear this in mind. I did this a few weeks ago for the first time in ~20 years, and I was surprised. The climb is in stages so you can still get to the whispering gallery and one of the outside galleries without having to go all of the way to the top.

And my top tip to avoid: Tower Bridge (not the Tower of London, though very close by). In my opinion it's a huge waste of money - nothing particularly exciting to see.

 

[disneylove69]

The Warwick Castle was awesome. It included Madame Tussads figures. THis was part of an all day tour that included a few different spots. Also did the double decker bus tour that had three routes and you can get off and on wherever you want. There was also a audio portion.