London weekend
Discussion
So me and SWMBO are going to visit London for a couple of days later in March as she's never been. Now I've been "up the smoke" many times as part of my job but never done the tourist thing, so I'm after a few tips.
We've booked into a Holiday Inn Express at Wimbledon as it's opposite an underground station and parking should be easy.
I understand I can get oyster cards to use on the tube but I'm not sure how they work, I'd like to buy cards that can give us unlimited travel for a couple of days, is this possible? I'm not to bothered about finding my way around the tube as I'm told it's very simple and I've also got an app that tells you exactly what to do.
How close are the sights? For example if we went to see The Houses of Parliament can we walk to Buckingham Palace? How far from there is Trafalgar Square? What should I not miss and what should be avoided?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
We've booked into a Holiday Inn Express at Wimbledon as it's opposite an underground station and parking should be easy.
I understand I can get oyster cards to use on the tube but I'm not sure how they work, I'd like to buy cards that can give us unlimited travel for a couple of days, is this possible? I'm not to bothered about finding my way around the tube as I'm told it's very simple and I've also got an app that tells you exactly what to do.
How close are the sights? For example if we went to see The Houses of Parliament can we walk to Buckingham Palace? How far from there is Trafalgar Square? What should I not miss and what should be avoided?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Not sure whether you'd be better off just buying travelcards rather than Oysters for a weekend/2 say trip as Oysters are primarily aimed at reduced cost single journeys. If you're buggering about on the network all day they might not be the most efficient. But I confess to not using them much myself (Season myself).
http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/g...
http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/
Those tourist attractions you mention are easily walkable - indeed if you don't know the capital that well you really should be walking around that part of town if you have an interest in architecture/the State. You might be surprised quite how many recognisable institutions the UK is blessed with within walking distance of Buck House/Whitehall. You'd miss out hugely by tubing too much. Take a bus tour on your first morning.
Emjy your trip. London is very well set up for visitors.
(I wouldn't have started my visit in Colliers Wood, mind - it's in a relatively scabby part of South London and not really in Wimbledon at all (Although it is directly opposite the tube). Despite its low rent looks there are even plenty of nice places to eat or drink within stumbling distance of your hotel but if I were only a brief visitor to London I wouldn't spend too much non-sleeping time near your hotel).
http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/g...
http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/
Those tourist attractions you mention are easily walkable - indeed if you don't know the capital that well you really should be walking around that part of town if you have an interest in architecture/the State. You might be surprised quite how many recognisable institutions the UK is blessed with within walking distance of Buck House/Whitehall. You'd miss out hugely by tubing too much. Take a bus tour on your first morning.
Emjy your trip. London is very well set up for visitors.
(I wouldn't have started my visit in Colliers Wood, mind - it's in a relatively scabby part of South London and not really in Wimbledon at all (Although it is directly opposite the tube). Despite its low rent looks there are even plenty of nice places to eat or drink within stumbling distance of your hotel but if I were only a brief visitor to London I wouldn't spend too much non-sleeping time near your hotel).
Don't bother with Oyster cards, just go to the ticket desk at the station and ask for zone 1-6 travel cards and they will give you both unlimited travel for the day across the network.
Take the tube from Wimbledon, change at Earls Court onto the Piccadilly Line, get off at Green Park. From there, walk down Queens walk to Buck Pal, then along The Mall under Admiralty Arch into Traf Sq, down Whitehall past Horse Guards (with the ceremonial guards on horses being mobbed by Chinese tourists), stopping at Downing Street, then onto Houses of Parliament. Walk across Westminster Bridge to The London Eye (book tickets - it's a great way to see London). Meander along Albert Embankment, back across Waterloo Bridge, up to Covent Garden, then either head left-ish to Soho via Leicester Square, or right-ish into Holborn where all the Court buildings are.
That's a full day of sightseeing right there, and a nice healthy walk which could be rounded off with copious beers - plenty of good pubs along the way...
Take the tube from Wimbledon, change at Earls Court onto the Piccadilly Line, get off at Green Park. From there, walk down Queens walk to Buck Pal, then along The Mall under Admiralty Arch into Traf Sq, down Whitehall past Horse Guards (with the ceremonial guards on horses being mobbed by Chinese tourists), stopping at Downing Street, then onto Houses of Parliament. Walk across Westminster Bridge to The London Eye (book tickets - it's a great way to see London). Meander along Albert Embankment, back across Waterloo Bridge, up to Covent Garden, then either head left-ish to Soho via Leicester Square, or right-ish into Holborn where all the Court buildings are.
That's a full day of sightseeing right there, and a nice healthy walk which could be rounded off with copious beers - plenty of good pubs along the way...
Thank you for the advice chaps.
Scenario, I picked that hotel mainly because of the parking and easy access to the tube. It really is only somewhere to rest our heads and load up on the complementary breakfast. We're flying out to Vietnam from Heathrow after our London weekend so it's also an easy drive round to the airport parking. Do you have any recommendations for some good food near our hotel?
Had Ham. Thanks for the sight seeing advice. It's good to know all of these things are close enough together to walk. Should I book the London Eye in advance or is it possible to just turn up?
Scenario, I picked that hotel mainly because of the parking and easy access to the tube. It really is only somewhere to rest our heads and load up on the complementary breakfast. We're flying out to Vietnam from Heathrow after our London weekend so it's also an easy drive round to the airport parking. Do you have any recommendations for some good food near our hotel?
Had Ham. Thanks for the sight seeing advice. It's good to know all of these things are close enough together to walk. Should I book the London Eye in advance or is it possible to just turn up?
LuS1fer said:
Try not to get robbed before you fly out. 
Thanks LuS1fer. We'll try and blend in and I won't have much cash on me. Passports will stay locked in the hotel safe and I won't have any Vietnamese Dong with me as you can't get any until you get there. Makes for an interesting taxi ride from the airport!Further to the above, don't start your tube journey at Wimbledon as that'll involve a 20-30 minute walk through some of the less desirable streets of Merton borough and you'll be wondering how the hell Wimbledon looks so nice on the telly when the tennis is on. (It actually is nice but you'd be approaching Wimbledon from its $hitty side and not walking far enough beyond the station to spot all the million pound homes and the tennis club).
Cross the road and literally in front of you is Colliers Wood tube. Buy your travelcards and hop on the Northern Line (your only option) north to Stockwell, a very easy interchange onto the Victoria Line where you'll get a seat even at rush hour north to Green Park from where you can follow the other poster's excellent suggested route.
The London Eye is worth a punt and if it was me I'd book if only to avoid the potential of a very long wait indeed if you time it badly for a foreign visit by the Chinese delegation for cultural exchange or something.
The part of South London you're staying in really is several steps down from Clapham let alone Chelsea so you'll probably be quite disappointed by the very local eating options so either eat while in London, get a cab to Wimbledon or if you fancy a bit of a rough and ready experience (it isn't really that bad but it's just scruffy and a far cry from the posh bits of London you might have been hoping for) there's a really nice family run Lebanese restaurant my brother took me to once in South Wimbledon (one tube hop south on the northern line or about a five/ten minute walk from your hotel). I only went once and it was a while ago so forgive me if the review is out of date but the food and atmosphere was great. A bit of googling and I think it must have been "Aya Lebanese".
Cross the road and literally in front of you is Colliers Wood tube. Buy your travelcards and hop on the Northern Line (your only option) north to Stockwell, a very easy interchange onto the Victoria Line where you'll get a seat even at rush hour north to Green Park from where you can follow the other poster's excellent suggested route.
The London Eye is worth a punt and if it was me I'd book if only to avoid the potential of a very long wait indeed if you time it badly for a foreign visit by the Chinese delegation for cultural exchange or something.
The part of South London you're staying in really is several steps down from Clapham let alone Chelsea so you'll probably be quite disappointed by the very local eating options so either eat while in London, get a cab to Wimbledon or if you fancy a bit of a rough and ready experience (it isn't really that bad but it's just scruffy and a far cry from the posh bits of London you might have been hoping for) there's a really nice family run Lebanese restaurant my brother took me to once in South Wimbledon (one tube hop south on the northern line or about a five/ten minute walk from your hotel). I only went once and it was a while ago so forgive me if the review is out of date but the food and atmosphere was great. A bit of googling and I think it must have been "Aya Lebanese".
If you get a 'main line' train from Wimbledon into central London, you'll qualify for 2for1 entry on the majority of attractions http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london. Went for a weekend last year and saved close to £40 in total on visits to the Tower of London and Churchill's war rooms.
We did a couple of walks with a company called London walks.
Very knowledgeable guides who took us down lanes thru office courtyards to see stuff we'd never of found by chance.
Best thing is you don't pre book just turn up at a tube station then pay, we ended up doing three in one day which was interesting but a bit over the top, they do a good evening one going really old historical pubs in London.
Very knowledgeable guides who took us down lanes thru office courtyards to see stuff we'd never of found by chance.
Best thing is you don't pre book just turn up at a tube station then pay, we ended up doing three in one day which was interesting but a bit over the top, they do a good evening one going really old historical pubs in London.
scenario8 said:
Further to the above, don't start your tube journey at Wimbledon as that'll involve a 20-30 minute walk through some of the less desirable streets of Merton borough and you'll be wondering how the hell Wimbledon looks so nice on the telly when the tennis is on. (It actually is nice but you'd be approaching Wimbledon from its $hitty side and not walking far enough beyond the station to spot all the million pound homes and the tennis club).
Cross the road and literally in front of you is Colliers Wood tube. Buy your travelcards and hop on the Northern Line (your only option) north to Stockwell, a very easy interchange onto the Victoria Line where you'll get a seat even at rush hour north to Green Park from where you can follow the other poster's excellent suggested route.
The London Eye is worth a punt and if it was me I'd book if only to avoid the potential of a very long wait indeed if you time it badly for a foreign visit by the Chinese delegation for cultural exchange or something.
The part of South London you're staying in really is several steps down from Clapham let alone Chelsea so you'll probably be quite disappointed by the very local eating options so either eat while in London, get a cab to Wimbledon or if you fancy a bit of a rough and ready experience (it isn't really that bad but it's just scruffy and a far cry from the posh bits of London you might have been hoping for) there's a really nice family run Lebanese restaurant my brother took me to once in South Wimbledon (one tube hop south on the northern line or about a five/ten minute walk from your hotel). I only went once and it was a while ago so forgive me if the review is out of date but the food and atmosphere was great. A bit of googling and I think it must have been "Aya Lebanese".
Great advice above, hadn't realised where you were staying OP - apologies for that!Cross the road and literally in front of you is Colliers Wood tube. Buy your travelcards and hop on the Northern Line (your only option) north to Stockwell, a very easy interchange onto the Victoria Line where you'll get a seat even at rush hour north to Green Park from where you can follow the other poster's excellent suggested route.
The London Eye is worth a punt and if it was me I'd book if only to avoid the potential of a very long wait indeed if you time it badly for a foreign visit by the Chinese delegation for cultural exchange or something.
The part of South London you're staying in really is several steps down from Clapham let alone Chelsea so you'll probably be quite disappointed by the very local eating options so either eat while in London, get a cab to Wimbledon or if you fancy a bit of a rough and ready experience (it isn't really that bad but it's just scruffy and a far cry from the posh bits of London you might have been hoping for) there's a really nice family run Lebanese restaurant my brother took me to once in South Wimbledon (one tube hop south on the northern line or about a five/ten minute walk from your hotel). I only went once and it was a while ago so forgive me if the review is out of date but the food and atmosphere was great. A bit of googling and I think it must have been "Aya Lebanese".
Book the London Eye, and, most importantly, have a great time!
OK, for the London Eye do the following.
District line from Wimbledon to Westminster.
Jubilee Line from Westminster to Canary Wharf.
DLR (Docklands Light Railway) from Canary Wharf to Cutty Sark. Get on the front of this train (no drivers) and it's great when it goes under the river.
From Cutty Sark take the river bus back to Westminster. The best way to see London for very little cost. The Thames IS London. Walk over Westminster Bridge and get on the London Eye.
The whole route, Wimbledon to Westminster to Canary Whary to Cutty Sark to Westminster will take about 2.5 hrs. If you have your travel card for the day the only big you pay for is the river bus (about £8 each I think) and the Eye. Eye is best booked in advance.
District line from Wimbledon to Westminster.
Jubilee Line from Westminster to Canary Wharf.
DLR (Docklands Light Railway) from Canary Wharf to Cutty Sark. Get on the front of this train (no drivers) and it's great when it goes under the river.
From Cutty Sark take the river bus back to Westminster. The best way to see London for very little cost. The Thames IS London. Walk over Westminster Bridge and get on the London Eye.
The whole route, Wimbledon to Westminster to Canary Whary to Cutty Sark to Westminster will take about 2.5 hrs. If you have your travel card for the day the only big you pay for is the river bus (about £8 each I think) and the Eye. Eye is best booked in advance.
best way to see central London (rather than just small chunks interspersed amongst a joyless tube ride) is on an open top sightseeing bus. I lived around London all my life but still enjoy doing this. Last time I did it, cost me around £20,but for that you get to hop on/off all day. As long as its not raining great fun
I was at Westminster Abbey yesterday and saw a lot of Italian tourists with one of these;
http://www.londonpass.com/
Check their list of attractions where the card is accepted, do a bit of research on how much the entrance fee is for the ones you want to see, and see if it'll save you some money.
http://www.londonpass.com/
Check their list of attractions where the card is accepted, do a bit of research on how much the entrance fee is for the ones you want to see, and see if it'll save you some money.
We're down the big smoke for a couple of days later this month and have been thinking about going up the shard, done the eye a couple of years ago, tempted with the view from a different location and a bit higher up, I'll be pulling in another Tate visit too.
The one thing we can never find is any suitable pubs/clubs for the over 30's around Leicester Square?
The one thing we can never find is any suitable pubs/clubs for the over 30's around Leicester Square?
There's no decent clubs around Leicestershire Sq for any age!!
Did the Shard last weekend. Great views and interesting to look down as well as across if you see what I mean. Train lines from the east through London Bridge and on to Canon St and Waterloo - like watching a game of Snake!
Ignore the whole experience bit and as your booking will be for a half hour slot avoid the queue and arrive a few minutes before the end of your slot then go straight to the front of the queue.
Also don't forget to walk up the two more flights of stairs to get a more open air view. I reckon a lot if people missed that.
Did the Shard last weekend. Great views and interesting to look down as well as across if you see what I mean. Train lines from the east through London Bridge and on to Canon St and Waterloo - like watching a game of Snake!
Ignore the whole experience bit and as your booking will be for a half hour slot avoid the queue and arrive a few minutes before the end of your slot then go straight to the front of the queue.
Also don't forget to walk up the two more flights of stairs to get a more open air view. I reckon a lot if people missed that.
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