I'm going to London for a few days.

[mr.propre]

Yes, I'm going to London for 3 days @ the end of October, together with my GF, just for fun.

The originally plan was that she would plan the trip, but because she doesn't find the time for it, it's up to me -_-

So my question now to all the people here that live in London or visited it, what should i really visit? I'm also looking for a nice, not to expensive vegetarian bistro/restaurant. If somebody got tips, please let them know.

Also, what is the price of a starbucks coffee over there?

Thanks in advance.

PS: Though my GF is not into Linux and computer, if somebody would know the address of the Canonical office, let me know so I can accidentally pass by it. ;-p

[smoker]

have a look here:
http://www.visitlondon.com/

have a good time

[mr.propre]

Thanks for the link, I have a travel guide, the problem is that they are a little overkill and it's hard to get an idea what is really worth visiting.

[aysiu]

PS: Though my GF is not into Linux and computer, if somebody would know the address of the Canonical office, let me know so I can accidentally pass by it. ;-p Isn't Canonical based off the Isle of Man?

[issih]

Visiting wise...hmmn tricky, depends what you are into, the science museum and the victoria and albert museum are right next to each other, so thats a good place to go, also trafalgar square, leicester square and of course buckingham palace are all good places to go look at. You'll probably get better advice if you say what bit of london you will be in, its a big old town...

On the veggie front, I really like this place:

http://www.mildreds.co.uk/

which is nice and central, and not too expensive, it isn't cheap, but its not too frightening by london standards...and it is all veggie stuff, which is great.

I've also heard good things about this place, but I've never been myself:

http://www.222veggievegan.com

Theres a little vegetarian chinese place in soho somewhere too that does an all you can eat buffet, can't remember where that is though, I'll let you know if it comes to me.

Hope you have a great time

[smoker]

Isn't Canonical based off the Isle of Man?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonical_Ltd.

[issih]

Oooh yeah go to the tate modern too, its cool and its free!

[Tomosaur]

I don't particularly like London. The science museum is good, and it's got great architecture - but it's far too busy for my liking. Stay away from Oxford Street if you don't like crowds - it's insanity!

[Sealbhach]

Best thing to do in London - walk along the South Bank of the Thames. Start at the Westminster Bridge and finish at Tower Bridge.

Lovely views of the city and really really interesting things to see along the way.

http://www.southbanklondon.com/walkthisway/

http://www.sbeg.co.uk/walkthisway/downloads/WalkThisWay_YoungPersonsGuide.pdf (PDF)


.

[nowin4me]

PS: Though my GF is not into Linux and computer, if somebody would know the address of the Canonical office, let me know so I can accidentally pass by it. ;-p

Have a little look at this
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?near=Canonical&q=google+maps&f=p&btnG=Search+Maps

You should be able to find your way around. And good luck on your trip.

[Sealbhach]

Have a little look at this
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?near=Canonical&q=google+maps&f=p&btnG=Search+Maps

You should be able to find your way around. And good luck on your trip.

It's quite near the Houses of Parliament. That building used to be the HQ of the UK Labour Party.


.

[fballem]

Depending how long you're over for, you might want to take a day trip or two. I would recommend Windsor Castle and a day-trip that includes Stonehenge and Bath.

[mr.propre]

Thanks for the response, more ideas are welcome :-)

I'm going to stick in London though, don't have the transportation to get out of London. :-)

[Thelasko]

My favorite neighborhood in London was Covent Garden. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covent_Garden) It's the theater district and there were street performers everywhere. (it was tourist season, they might not be there now)

Really, there is so much do do in London, it's hard to say. Many of the museums are free. I visited the British Museum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum) myself, it was quite nice. (it has the best public restroom I ever used:)) I believe you have to pay for the Tower of London (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London), but it's worth it.

You should be able to take The Tube (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1108.aspx) just about anywhere, but don't forget to walk, London is very beautiful on foot.

[Thelasko]

I just remembered some things I would see if I had more time.


Royal Observitory, Greenwich (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Observatory,_Greenwich)(I think there is a boat that goes there from The Tower of London, but I'm not sure)
Imperial War Museum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_War_Museum)(my dad talks about it anytime I mention London, I guess it's really cool)

[fballem]

Thanks for the response, more ideas are welcome :-)

I'm going to stick in London though, don't have the transportation to get out of London. :-)

We took a tour bus for the trip to Bath and Stonehenge and took the train to Windsor. Both were easy and relatively inexpensive.

[fiddledd]

Just to add that some places in London, which are tourist attractions, also attract vermin that make a living by ripping off tourists. So keep your cash and credit cards safe and don't buy anything from strangers.

I live in an unpleasant area of London, so I'm not repeating what I've heard, but what I've seen (even unpleasant areas attract tourists sometimes).

[nothingspecial]

I`d go to Manchester instead.

[public_void]

I`d go to Manchester instead.
I'd agree, but I'm bias because of where I live. You should also try and get outside of London and see other parts of the UK. Just visiting London (like many tourists) only really shows a narrow view of the England and the rest of the UK. The UK is very diverse for its size and well worth exploring if you have the time and means to travel.

[forger]

The first time I visited London I went for a tour with a double-decker tour-bus :) It was in front of the hotel we were staying, but I forgot the name of the hotel unfortunately..
They go around most monuments and places of historical importance which are worth visiting and they explain it too.. you can get off any time and continue on foot :)
Be sure to visit the british museum, it's enormous and wonderful!

If you're staying more than a week, you might want to buy an oyster card used for public transport

[mr.propre]

I'd agree, but I'm bias because of where I live. You should also try and get outside of London and see other parts of the UK. Just visiting London (like many tourists) only really shows a narrow view of the England and the rest of the UK. The UK is very diverse for its size and well worth exploring if you have the time and means to travel.

That are plans for the future, I live in Belgium, so the UK isn't that far from my door and there are allot of places in the UK that is on my still-need-to-visit-in-this-life-list.

Transportation in London isn't a problem, I a have a 3 day travel ticket and also a London pass.

@fiddledd, Thanks for the advice, but I don't think it would be allot different than in Paris, Brussels or other large European city. To bad you can't pay in Euros tough.

Thanks for the hints and tips, keep them comming :-)

[rax_m]

I lived in London for 6 years and loved it a lot!

In addition to the other suggestions I would also say:

- Natural history museum
- Trafalgar square and China town
- Madame Tussaudes (wax museum)
- London eye
- I definitely recommend the walk on the south bank of the Thames as a previous poster suggested.
- Oxford street if you like shopping with lots of people around ;)
- Definitely walk around some of the great parks - Hyde park is one of my favourites
- Speakers corner (only on Sundays) in Hyde park is good fun
- If you like plants, Kew gardens is quite good and relaxing.

*EDIT*
- And don't forget going to a night club or two in central london if you like that kind of thing
- Last time I was there a starbuck "tall" mocha was in the region of £2.00

[rax_m]

Oh yeah... and don't forget to visit some of the markets .. like Nottinghill market.

[CJ56]

If you're into museums and galleries 3 days isn't enough but we have huge, world-class collections at

The National Gallery
The British Museum
Tate Modern
The V & A
The Natural History Museum

To name just the big ones

Small, groovy ones - too many to list, but try

Sir John Soane's Musuem
The Wallace Collection

Churches (if that's your thing)

Westminster Abbey
St Paul's Cathedral

Are the big ones, although there are many beautiful Hawksmoor and Wren churches in and around the City of London (worth a visit in itself, in a way, start at the Bank station, opposite the Bank of England)

Bizarrely, you have to pay to get into the big churches, but the museums are often free...

If you want to hang out with the rich & good-looking, go down the King's Road in Chelsea (start at Sloane Square) & check out the swanky shops and the side-streets - beautiful buildings all the way. Or go to Knightsbridge & look at Harrods, but it's pretty crowded & tiresome.

Piccadilly (not Picadilly Circus; start at Green Park) is fun, some very swanky shops (Fortnum & Mason, the food store) & go to Jermyn Street & the Royal Academy art exhibitions

If you want young & funky, go up to Camden Town. It's a bit of a joke, but entertaining all the same. Most of Camden Market burned down a few months ago, not sure how it's doing now

Soho is good for food - lots of different restaurants - also street life & Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (if you're into Jazz) and the nearby Pizza Express in Dean Street with great Jazz in the basement

If you like parks, Green Park, St. James's Park are central & pretty. Hampstead Heath is a bit of a way out, but Hampstead is very pretty (and touristy) & there's a nice art collection at Kenwood House. If you can get out to south-west London (my neck of the woods) Richmond Park is beautiful & has Red Deer and Fallow Deer. The Thames at Richmond is wonderful, with famous views. Kew Gardens, nearby, is terrific, with magnificent hot houses. Kensington Gardens are also nice & you can go and look at Millionaire's Row & Kensington Palace (where Princess Di lived....)

The South Bank, starting at Waterloo Station, is great for music & theatre, with the National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, Old Vic, Queen Elizabeth Hall, National Film Institute & more - you can walk along the Thames (great views) down to Tate Modern & even further.

Greenwich is fantastic if you're into Naval history or architecture generally, but a long way out

DO get a daily travelcard - costs £5.90 (or thereabouts) works after 9.30 in the morning and gives you unlimited travel on the Tube and the buses

DON'T go to Oxford Street, however tempted you may be. It's horrible. Probably a good idea to avoid Madame Tussaud's, big queues & just a load of bad waxworks at the end

With all due respect to other posters, 3 days isn't long enough to see London as well as other bits of the UK. Just do London, then come back for Oxford, Cambridge, Bath (the famously pretty ones) plus Edinburgh (if you can get that far) & Manchester & Leeds, all great places...

Sorry! I seem to have gone on a bit...

Anyway - have a great time... :)

[TimboUK]

In keeping with the Opensource ethos, you should consider visiting RAF Hendon (Museum) which is free to enter.

Regards,
Enjoy your stay!

[Prefix100]

London is expensive man, and I means really expensive..

[Slystone]

I would also recommand Camden market. It's pretty huge and varied, many cultures are represented -watch video on this page: http://www.camdenlock.net/
If you don't mind the crowded Oxford Street, you can as well walk down it until you reah Marble Arch, this famous monument is just in front of the speakers' corner in Hyde Park.
If you want to visit some museums, I would recommend going there in the morning or in the afternoon, some of them close around 5pm, that leaves you plenty of time to go shopping or go out after.
If the sun is shining, you should walk along the Thames, there are plenty of sights along the way from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge (the Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tate Modern, the Millenium Bridge, Saint Paul Cathedral, a view of the City's towers, the HMS Belfast, the mayor's office, Tower Bridge...)
And there are many other things to do, London is So big!

[gjoellee]

madame tussauds or however it is wirtten. thats cool...but remember to order tickets on the internet or you may have to stand 3hours in que for buying one!

You may find a menu here: http://www.starbucks.com/

[skankster]

Definitely recommend a boat to Greenwich and the observatory. Boats go from Westminster Pier (right outside Parliament), London Eye (opposite bank), by the Tower of London and possibly one or two others. You can return by boat, or by DLR and tube (depending on where you're staying). (The bigger) Boats have bars on them, too which makes it a pleasant trip.

I would recommend having a few itineraries. Wet weather and dry weather ones. The museums etc. in wet weather, and the walks, boats etc. in wet weather. You could get a mix of weather or several days of either. Don't rule out buses - and check out the following sites:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
http://www.tom-carden.co.uk/p5/tube_map_travel_times/applet/
http://rodcorp.typepad.com/rodcorp/2003/10/london_tube_map.html
(Sometimes it's quicker to walk)

[Thelasko]

madame tussauds or however it is wirtten. thats cool...but remember to order tickets on the internet or you may have to stand 3hours in que for buying one!

You may find a menu here: http://www.starbucks.com/
I skipped Madame Tussauds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Tussauds) when I was there. I figured, they have locations all over the world, and there are more unique things to see in London.

It really depends on what interests you. Since you only have a limited amount of time, make a list of things to see, with the most important at the top. Go down the list (maybe make a few adjustments for geography, and time required) so you will be sure to see all of the things that interest you the most. If you have time, you can go see the others.

For me, Madame Tussauds was at the bottom of my list. I had other things I would have rather seen, but still didn't have time. (Greenwhich, Imperial War Museum) You will likely have different priorities.

Keep in mind that museums can take all day, and famous buildings such as Parliament, and Buckingham Palace take about 10 minutes. ("Wow, there it is!" *take a picture* move on) You can see these on your way to other things.

[Paqman]

what should i really visit?

Under no circumstances go to The London Dungeon or Madame Tussauds, they're dire.

The London Eye is good, but with the weather turning to autumn you might not get a nice day. I'd say go for a stroll along the South Bank. The walk from the Tate Modern up towards the city is nice, and there's plenty of places to eat and drink.

Toppest Tip: Get an Oyster card (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/oysteronline/2732.aspx). It will save you a LOT of money if you use public transport (which everyone does). Oyster fares are generally about half what the cash price is.

Generally though, the parks are good, as are all the museums in Kensington (Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A).

[directcharitycontribution]

try open-source?

wikitravel
londonfreelis

but London has big Gay spacs as well

and watch out for the thiefs, those say u can make some your urine saving for throw on them thief and police see the urine knowing who is.

[intense.ego]

Perhaps buy a ticket for one of those tourist bus companies like The Big Bus Company (http://www.bigbustours.com/eng/london/default.aspx). It stops by all major tourist attractions and you can get on and off whenever you like.

If you're looking for something less touristy go to Camden Market - there is so much variety. Perhaps visit the Docklands in the east of London. Its a newer area of the city and I found it to be cleaner and better looking than other parts. Lots of good views as well. Also make sure you visit Covent Garden, lots to do there, though it is a bit crowded on the weekends.

If you're not going very far away, try using the nearby buses (they are everywhere). I'm talking about the public buses (red ones) not the one i mentioned before. Its a lot less stuffy than travelling underground, plus you can see the views. Sitting top deck on the double decker buses is the preferred option, especially the front seats.

[Slystone]

True enough, you can enjoy the view sitting in a double decker! But you've got to be careful when you go upstairs/downstairs -especially when the bus brakes- it is sometimes So dangerous.

[t0p]

I recommend going to Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. And Big Ben - the largest clock in England - next door to the Houses of Parliament.

:)

[aeiah]

if you're into contemporary art, the new saatchi gallery just opened the other week *ducks*

also, a francis bacon exhibition is on at the tate britain (not the same as the tate modern. rothko is on at the tate modern right now).

[jgrabham]

- Last time I was there a starbuck "tall" mocha was in the region of £2.00

I think it's about that up here, so I'd expect it to be a bit more than that in London now.

[.jeger]

Go to The Monument. I enjoy visiting it, and it gives a pretty good view of the city. It's free to climb if you can handle the 311 steps. It's outside the tube station aptly named 'Monument'.

[mr.propre]

Thank you people for the reply's.

I'm also looking for a cheap buffet, if somebody would know one,please let me know, thanks.

[xpod]

If you start having any withdrawal symptoms give me a shout and i`ll let you come install Ubuntu(or distro of choice).Just head for Eltham in Greenwich then find a street called "The Vista".......i live in the next street-ish:)

Shame you could`nt get out of London though,and up to Bonnie Scotland...oh well.:)
Just joking,have fun.