I'm off to London at the bank holiday and just wondered what people do when they go.

What is the best place in London you've been....eg...restaurant, shopping, attraction?

I wouldnt bother goin to london, there's not much going on really. Just a few houses I think.

You must go to Harrods. Even if you can't afford to buy anything from there, it's nice to just have a look around. Although you can buy things from their food hall and stuff like that. For resturants, there is a load of Italian restrants called Bella Italia. There are quite a few in Leicester Square. The past two times we have been we have gone to the same one which is next to an ice cream store near one of the big night clubs. The food is so nice there.
Sometimes though, we have had our best times just wandering around and usually ended up spotting a few celebs!!!
When do you go?:D

Definately go to one of the museums, they're free.

I'd recommend the British Museum, the Natural History Museum or the V&A, but you'll not manage all 3 in one day.

Kew Gardens is nice and so is London Zoo.

Shopping has to include Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Carnaby Street, Regents Street, Bond Street (very expensive, so good for window shopping mainly) and Oxford Street.

The Aquarium is good and is near the London Eye, if your feeling brave.

We went in November and it was great, but v v v busy!
We went to see Saturday night fever on first night which was really good fun.

We also went to a Japanese restaurant called Bennihana's. Its one of those where they cook your food on the table in front of you.We went to the one in Chelsea, but apparently there are another 2. Its v pricey though, my boyfriend bought his mum a glass of brandy which was £20!!!!! He almost fainted!

If you want to go shopping, go to Oxford street, but prepare for your feet to ache as its a long day! You have got to go in Selfridges! Its the best shop ever for clothes, i blew a fortune in there.

We also went to Madame tussauds which is cool.

I wanted to go on the London Eye which is bloody huge but nobody would go on with me! :(

Have fun xxxxx

for shopping i'd reccomend covent garden, a nice place to look around too, also, camden for the more alternative shops but perhaps not with kids. For kids, I'd say the science museum is a must - great 'launchpad' section with loads of interactive features for kids, also, hampton court palace is nice, especially the gardens and maze. for resturants, chinese - got to be china town, there's a massive dim sum resturant which serves great food - go between 12 and 2pm for lunch :) Indian - check out brick lane for great curries. Anywhere in town - covent garden, leciester square etc has a good range of resturants, but for less pricy options try venturing out of the main centre :)

Camden market for the atmosphere, hippy clothes, T-Shirts leather goods, jewellery and lots more :)
Loads of shops on Camden High St, too.
Oh, HarrietStar just beat me to it by one Minuit:)

Legoland Windsor :)

Some ideas

A walk -

Start at Charing Cross Tube, have a look at the new pedestrianised bit of Traflagar square and walk towards the River at Westminster and see the Houses of Parliament. Then cross the river either at Westminster Bridge or the snazzy New Hungerford Footbridge. On the South Bank, walk along the Thames to the London Eye, and maybe even go on it.

Keep walking until you get to the Tate Modern Gallery and go and have a look inside (free) and have a look at Shakespeare's globe while you are at it. From here you can either take a short walk further along the river and pop into Borough, a little explored area by tourists and have a look at the great food Market and see the replica of Drake's ship the Golden Hinde and have a pint in the old Thameside pub, lovely. Walk a bit further along the river and take a look at Tower Bridge.

Alternatively from the Tate you could walk along the 'wobbly' bridge to St Pauls - the views of the Thames are amazing.

Museums - all the major museums and galleries are free. The British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate, The Science museum, take your pick, all fantastic.

Avoid Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus - rubbish tat: two good reasons why people who don't know London hate it - they go straight to these places and it they are both dumps then wonder what all the fuss is about

Shopping - Camden Market if you are there at the weekend, Covent Garden - I think Oxford Street is a dump myself, but the dept stores are good. Harrods for high tea is supposed to be good- about 8 quid for unlimited tea, cake and sandwiches.

You could do worse than wondering around Soho for lunch - lots of £4 all you can eat asian buffets.

The river trips down the Thames to Greenwich are good (1/3 off if you show your one day travel pass) try to go with one that has a live commentary rather than a recording, the guides are comedians.

Also the Tower of London is brilliant, allow about 4-5 hours though and do the guided tours and walks with the Beefeaters.

enjoy.
Have a look on lastminute.com and there might be some offers for theatre tickets for a show in the evening.

ps Borough Market only on Sat

One last thing - try and walk from place to place if they are closeish and don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to get the tube absolutely everywhere - you see so much more above ground.

yeh e.g. covent garden to leciester square = 3 mins by tube cos of the damn lifts - only a 30 second walk! if you are in the town centre, you can walk around soho, picadilly, china town, regents street etc really easily.
oh just thought, hamleys toy shop for the kids on regents street :) and libertys on regents street - even if just to browse and not buy!

Thanks for all the replys....

I've done most of the stuff mentioned and can endorse what people have said....but is that it?

I'm off to the Albert Hall to see Mark Knopfler in concert and just wanted to do or see something different to the normal stuff.

I ain't been to the Tower....or Legoland though.

Any other ideas?

Sunday morning take the tube to Shoreditch, then have a wander up Brick Lane to Columbia Road flower market. Have a bagel en route, they're amazing and incredibly cheap - about £1.30 for one stuffed with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Columbia Road has lots of plant and flower stalls, but also is lined with shops selling all sorts of bits and pieces, and lovely cafes.

From Columbia Road make your way to Spitalfields Market, which has lots of "arty" stalls - homemade jewellery, clothes etc.

That's what we did last time we were in London, and it was great. Missed all the tackiness of Oxford St - not a London Bus fridge magnet in sight.

Another nice place to go is Islington - an easy walk from St Pancras/Kings Cross. It's a bit self consciously trendy, but there's a lovely Turkish restaurant there called Gallipoli - the meze is £16 ish per person, but leaves you utterly stuffed.

And I'd second Borough Market on a Saturday - it's definitely worth the 30 minute queue for a toasted cheese sandwich from the barrow outside Neal's Yard Dairy. You can have a pint from the pub across the road while you're queuing :-)

Just noticed that many of my suggestions are food based... but all the walking makes you hungry!

I worked in London for about 20 years, and have to say I actually hate the place ~ I won't go into all my reasons why, because some of them don't apply anymore.

That being said though, if you're going to travel by public transport, buy either a LT card, which covers buses and tubes, or a Travelcard which covers buses, tubes and trains. You can buy these cards from any tube station, and a lot of paper shops and the like sell them also. Transport for London (http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/tfl/) will give you prices, and you can download maps etc.

As for somewhere to go, there's the London Eye, which apparently is worth waiting in a mile long queue for, unless you book in advance (I'm terrified of heights so can't go on that, even though I probably would like to). London Zoo if you want to see conservation in action.

As someone has already mentioned, there's a bagel shop in Brick Lane that beats others hands down. People from where I used to work in the City used to go there to get their lunch, and there used to be a London early morning DJ who was always raving about it.

Petticoat Lane market is open all week, but Sunday is when the full market is open....lots of characters there.

Loads of river trips go up and down the Thames, plus the River Bus.

Get on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) for a trip round Docklands, get off at Canary Wharf and look around the shopping area. Get back on the DLR, go under the river to Greenwich, and the Cutty Sark, and Greenwich Park is just across the road.

Oh dear....sorry....I got carried away...lol

;)

We have links with hotels and tourist attractions in London as well as the theatres.

Drop me a line and I'll send you a breakdown of the activities that we can pre-book for you.


Regards

Mike

go to marlbe arch,catch the big bus company bus,it will take you all around the sights of london you want to see, you can get on and off the bus as many times as you want,it also includes a boat trip down the river thames,all for £15.
when you have finished that you may have time to go on the london eye £11,
:clap: :clap: :clap: fantastic,you also need to go to camden market , if you want to buy clothes go to fontell rd, ooh you will spend a fortune,oh and dont forget sellbys the dept store, the only downside is all the immigrants on every street corner in islington ,camden and finsbury park, trying to sell you anything and everything,but dont buy off them,:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Update.....

I've just booked an extra night...on Sunday.....I'm staying in Travelodge by the way at £26 per room.

I fancy a look around Brick Lane and Petticoat lane on the Sunday.

Any where else I should try to see?

The London Eye is awesome by the way.....you just have to hope for a clear day!

If you're interested in 20th century history then the Cabinet War Rooms are fantastic, well worth the visit. I think its about £7 to get in, and they are just off Whitehall. You could then go for a walk around St James' Park afterwards which is lovely even when it's raining. The Imperial War museum is also worth a visit, and it's free. They've got all the usual displays of armour (some scary bombs, V2 rockets and one-man submarines) but also have a lot of 'people's history' sections. Some of it is very sobering stuff though.

Apart from the galleries and museums if you've already seen most of them, simply picking an area and then exploring it is a good idea - say SoHo or Mayfair, somewhere with history - look out for the blue plaques and old buildings, and find interesting unusual shops.

As for shopping why bother with what we've already got here? Covent Garden has the pricey but individual fashion shops, while Camden has the mad stuff, but both areas are full of unique shops. Shaftesbury avenue has Forbidden Planet, who have appearances by film/tv stars all the time, and Charing Cross Road has the bookstores.

For food I always seek out the little London pubs as they're great. Cheap, friendly and full of character.

Originally posted by Silverblade
Update.....

I've just booked an extra night...on Sunday.....I'm staying in Travelodge by the way at £26 per room.

I fancy a look around Brick Lane and Petticoat lane on the Sunday.

Any where else I should try to see?

The London Eye is awesome by the way.....you just have to hope for a clear day!

You should be able to fit in Spitalfields market as well then. The Imperial War museum in Lambeth is well worth a visit as well as the cabinet war rooms. For something a bit different try the Soanes Museum - John Soanes was an eccentric collecter type, a google search will show up the place.

When I go I tend to get dragged round:
Selfrdges
Harvey Nic's
Liberty
Harrods
Dickins & Jones
and all of the rest of Oxford St and Bond St.

Unless you're seriously into shopping; Avoid at all costs!!!

Did you know there is a farm on the Isle of Dogs? Now that's certainly worth a visit.

A while ago I found a couple of good web sites giving details of all sorts of things to do in London.

Here's a few ideas:

Hyde park and Kensington Gardens - Kensington Palace, Serpantine Gallery (hosts exhibitions of contemporary art in summer), Speakers corner (Sunday mornings)

The National History Museum - The restless earth (if you're interested in modern geological concepts such as plate tectronics and volcanic hotspots), The Earthquake Experience

Banqueting House (open Mon-Sat)

Changing of the guards - 11.30am (daily between April & July)

Cabinet War Rooms - (open 10.00 - 18.00 daily)

London Zoo

BBC Experience - advance bookings: www.bbc.co.uk/experience

The Wallace Collection - (Manchester Square) open Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00 Sun 14.00-17.00 it's one of Londons best kept secrets. Contains the private collection of Sir Richard Wallace.

Courtauld Gallery - located in Somerset House (a riverside palace newly restored)

Sir John Soane's Museum - 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields. Guided tours Saturday 14.30 but arrive well before tickets go on sale at 14.00 in order to obtain one of the 25 places.

The South Bank - HMS Belfast, Conran's Design Museum, County Hall, Vinopolis (if you love wine, you'll love this)!

if its nice weather you could go to kew gardens as well :) oh and hampstead heath/kenwood/highgate cemetary makes a great and interesting walk/picnic - highgate cemetary has famous people like karl marx, and hampstead heath is beautiful with films like Notting Hill filmed next to Kenwood House :) If you do go to Kenwood, visit the Spaniards Inn for a great historic and nice tasting pub lunch!
I know people have mentioned museums etc - but if you are going to brick lane and borough market, why not check out the tate modern whilst you're in the area :)

Originally posted by theflyingfish
One last thing - try and walk from place to place if they are closeish and don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to get the tube absolutely everywhere - you see so much more above ground.

This is true if you are going to use transport in London use the busses get on the top deck and see the world go by .By the way you can buy a transport day ticket that includes the underground and busses for about £7 that covers most of the areas of interest.

If you go to Morroco, or some of the ex communist bloc countries it is advisable to pay someone to be your guide, to negotiate stuff for you, show you round and ensure you stay safe.

I am a cockney by birth, I come cheap, know my way round London like the back of my hand, and..................would you believe it, free on the days you are thinking of going.

Originally posted by Silverblade
Update.....

I've just booked an extra night...on Sunday.....I'm staying in Travelodge by the way at £26 per room.

I fancy a look around Brick Lane and Petticoat lane on the Sunday.

Any where else I should try to see?

The London Eye is awesome by the way.....you just have to hope for a clear day!

£26 per room? thats cheap for London or is that the cost per hour lol.

I have been on the London Eye on a clear day and it is a fantastic site when you get to the top

I have not used them but www.EasyHotel.com run on same principle as EasyJet and start at £5 per room, also try F1 for anyone travelling south.

Petticoat Lane/Brick Lane is full of political activists, and if you have a sensative disposition or your family/partner does, at all costs avoid Club Row

Dont try to navigate your way round using a tube map. The plan isn't an accurate reproduction of where places are in relation to each other......
I'm only telling you this because I know people who've tried to do it.......

Does anyone know if all these markets mentioned are there on a Bank Holiday Monday?

i think camden is open saturdays and sundays, portobello road is fridays and saturdays

Deffinatly visit harrods and we went to visit buckingham palace to that was good!

i would suggest columbia road flower market if your there on a sunday morning followed by lunch at the dove on broadway market e8, one of the best pubs in the whole of london.

Tate modern is brilliant! St Pauls is worth a visit but DON'T go right to the top (whispering gallery) if you suffer vertigo like me ... I passed out! :gag: We managed an evening at Royal Albert hall watching Cirque du soleil ... absolutely fantastic! :D

Recently visited the British Music Experience at The O2 (Dome). Recommend it to all music fans

I'm going to that Ice Bar in a few weeks, it better be good!

Kew Gardens is nice too.

Definately go to one of the museums, they're free.

I'd recommend the British Museum, the Natural History Museum or the V&A, but you'll not manage all 3 in one day.

Kew Gardens is nice and so is London Zoo.

Shopping has to include Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Carnaby Street, Regents Street, Bond Street (very expensive, so good for window shopping mainly) and Oxford Street.

The Aquarium is good and is near the London Eye, if your feeling brave.

You have no chance at the NHM unless you are happy to queue for an hour or so. Better off at Science Museum if weather is bad.

Camden Lock is a good place to take a day. It is a really hip place. Some great shops and great eating places. There is even a Wetherspoons selling real ale at £1.80/pint. Also very lively at night.

Take a boat from there to Little Venice.

Covent Garden is OK but expensive.

Buy Oyster Card for underground otherwise you will be queueing for half an hour every time you travel. They also work on buses and river boat. Use it to go to Grenwich and the Dome (which is a right dump). You can then go tu tut "That cost us £1 billion.

try www.londonaletrail.co.uk for decent pubs. Go to 5 and get a free T shirt.

The Eye

Hyde Park for a walk around the Serpentine. Enjoy a beer or two and a meal at the cafe at the end of the Serpentine nearest the main entrance

Covent Garden including the London Transport musem

Madame Tussauds waxworks museum

The Tower and the Crown jewels

A boat trip from Westminster Pier down the river for a day at Kew gardens

The Imperial War museum and the British museum

Hampton Court

Harrods and Fortnum and Mason just worth a visit even if the mercahndise is very pricey



Greenwich and the fantastic museum

Just to name a few

I cant believe the OP would need to ask such a question.



Still one of the best and most interesting cities in the world