Cool Places to Visit in London?

Hey all,

I am leaving in a few days for my first ever trip to London. We're going to hit all the obvious places, but I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for interesting places that aren't obvious and might get overlooked. Also, any suggestions for good places to eat?

Thanks!

Well, here's a few tips for you.

First, there are organized tours with local guides all over the place. Most of the time you just pay, hop on the bus, and they show you all the cool stuff. One thing you may not get told, though, is that at the end it's polite to tip both the guide and the driver.

The changing of the guard at the palace is okay, but try to get somewhere you can see the parade that leads up to it. Personally, I thought it was a better show.

As far as places to eat, try to make it to the Texas Embassy. I wasn't able to get there, but I've heard good things about it. It's acually in the building Texas used as an embassy when it was it's own country. Now it's a restaurant. Now that's American for you!

Well, I can't necessarily speak for what kinds of places you personally would find interesting, but I can list where I'd go, were I in London. Who knows, maybe it'll give you some ideas.

* the Jack The Ripper sites, preferably not the publicized tours but just making my own way. See how the neighborhood's changed. And it really has, as two of the murder sites don't even exist anymore (one's contained in a brewery or something, one in a private non-accessible alleyway).

* Battle Bridge Road. Probably not much to see there (it's just a street), but there's some traditions that it's the spot where Boudicca was killed. Others say it was a battle with Canute. Either way, it's historical.

* Cleopatra's Needle. A big Egyptian obelisk down in Victoria Embankment, I think.

* I'd like to see the old Newgate prison, but I don't know if the building even exists anymore.

* No. 50 Berkeley Square. Just because I always loved that story (supposedly a very haunted house, FYI).

There's probably others, but I can't think of them right now.

Get out of London!

Seriously, there is some fun to be had in London, of course, but a lot of the tourist attractuions tend to be expensive, with long lines to boot. If you have time, take a day drive out of London and see the country. Visit Avebury or Stonehenge. Colchester is not too far, if you want to do a castle. Exeter has some nice maritime attractions, plus the Cathedral. Depends on how long you have, really.

London eh? hmmm well I've spent most of my spare time on this planet in or around London. However as a local I don't do any touristy things.

There are plenty of museums in Kensington also Royal Albert Hall may have something on.
Harrods in Knightsbridge if you're feeling rich
Orcs Nest on Charring Cross Road (get out at Tottenham Ct Road tube and walk down)
Leisure Games in Finchley Central (Northern Line Tube)
Shopping - Oxford St, Regents Street, Bond St, Tottenham Court Road, etc... But its gonna be cheaper in the US mate.
Camden is a cool place but not for everyone.
Depending on what you are looking for London probably has it! Watch your belongings and pass your blend in check please!

Take morrolan's advice and get out of the city too. If you have time Stonehenge is about a 2 hour drive from central London
Somerset/Devon is about 3-4 hours drive from central London - Best coast in my opinion is Wollacombe in NW Devon. Best scenery is found all over Somerset - truely breathtaking along the A39 Coastal Road.
Roman Historical town of St. Albans down the road from me (and a bloody good night out) about 30 mins away on the Thameslink from Kings X.

Errr loads more but as I say I don't do it A good day in London for me is:

Visit large Virgin Megastore, HMV, GW in the Plaza. Into Borders on Oxford St. for a caramel frappachino and a chat/read (its cool grab a book and sit down with it for a bit before buying) nip down to Orcs Nest for the gaming stuff then onto China Town (off Leicester Square) for an all you can eat buffet lunch. Have a wander around Leicester Sqare to see if any films are on and a sit down on the green (in the summer) then into Lillywhites Sporting goods (hella busy!). Onto Covent Garden for a look to see if anything decent is going on (usually not) maybe have a pint in the Punch and Judy there then back home or to Leicester Sqaure for a film. In the evening there are loads of gigs on - Marquee, Astoria, Mean Fiddler, Dublin Castle, Worlds End, etc...

Have a great time!

sir john soanes museum, best in london.

and the automaton museum.

I was in England and Wales over the summer... and I could go on a longer list of things, and might later, but you can't miss the modern tate gallery.... that was an amazing museum.

visit the John Snow Pub... there's a brief history in this link: http://www.sph.umich.edu/epid/GSS/pub.html


and i'll second sir john soane's museum : http://www.soane.org/

Tallok said:

you can't miss the modern tate gallery.... that was an amazing museum.

Click to expand...

Agreed-