My friend and I are headed across the pond to visit London for the first time. It's my friends first time to Europe but I've traveled to Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey. Since I'll be coming from Utah, where it is cold and snowy, I'm not too concerned about the weather. However, I am curious what we can do while there. I know that London fashion week is going on and so the European 6's for Rugby which I'm hoping to get tickets to, but I want to know if the markets are still open during this time of year. I've read quite a bit and talked to a few friends from London on things to see and do but I'm still a little overwhelmed with all the information. I would like to go to Pemberly-huge Jane Austen fan, as well as Harry Potter sites. But one thing I love to do is hang out with the locals. When I was in Italy and Greece we had an opportunity to do this and it was a lot of fun. Any suggestions or insight would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
"What to do in London?" go here for a few hundred ideas to get you started or here for many prior discussions of London's top sights http://tinyurl.com/2cysx8g
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
A very English thing at this time of year is "Point-to-Point" racing. Amateur steeplechasing, sometimes on very sophisticated courses, sometimes in a farmer's fields (the ones I enjoy). You are mixing with locals and get really up close and personal with the horses and the jumps (sometimes a little too close). Usually on weekends - probably Sunday. From now probably into March
Posted by
Saratoga, NY, USA
75 posts
Spend lots of time in pubs, and you'll meet tons of locals and eat some good food! Pretty much everything is open, regardless of the time of year... You should hit up some of the museums, which are among the world's best and completely free, like the British Museum and the National Gallery. I also really enjoyed the Tower of London (pricey, but worth it), and Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral are both stunning! Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
The markets generally run all year. Covent Garden has different vendor everyday; Camden Lock is more "funky" ; others, such as Portobello, Greenwich and others are only on set days. There are also lots of day trips you can do by train- Canterburry, Dover, Windsor, York, Brighton, Bath, Cardiff, Stratfor-upon-Avon, Oxford, Cambridge, Winchester, just to name a few. Some of these also have various kinds of markets. London also has some marvelous museums, many free. Do you have any special interests other than fashion? Let us know and we'll make more reccomendations .