Recommendations for Trip to London

Thats like saying I am going to visit America- what should I see - except there is more to see in London You need to do some research first, then we can help you with additional suggestions. Also let us know what you enjoy.

You should head to the library or bookstore and check out some of the guidebooks for things to do. Here's a a couple of handy online resources: http://wikitravel.org/en/London http://www.timeout.com/london/ http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/brit_menu.htm http://www.youtube.com/user/RickSteves#g/c/7C576D3DE635344E There is literally so much to see and do in London that there isn't enough space to list it all here:) But the good news is that most of the top attractions like the National Gallery, British Museum, and the Tate Museums are free! For walking tours head here: http://www.walks.com/ For the West End theater scene head here: http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/ Be sure to check out the section for the half-price TKTS booth. Let us know how much you're looking to spend on lodging and we can give you some recommendations.

London is an expensive city, but you can have a great time without buying any admission tickets. I've done it. Walking tours provide some of the best value for seeing London. London Walks (www.walks.com) is the big player. Eating: London is filled with coffeeshops (Starbucks, Costa, etc.) and soup and sandwich franchises (Eat!, Pret a Manger, etc.) that are good places for breakfast and lunch. Unless dinner is going to be a special event itself, I usually grab something where I happen to be at the time. Chances are that what you'll enjoy doing in London is pretty much the same as you enjoy doing anywhere. If you enjoy walking and exploring cities, you can do that. If you enjoy visiting historic locations where history shaped our lives today, you can do that. If you enjoy world-class museums and art, you can do that. If you enjoy clubs and staying out all night, you can do that. Get a couple guidebooks and/or scour the web. Your problem will be getting your list down to size.

London is a marvelous place. You don't have to spend an unreasonable amount of money if you plan well. Check out the London School of Economics. They rent dorm rooms and apartments to tourists. They have several locations, all near the tube, many in the heart of the city. Their rates are great and you get a kitchen or kitchenett, ensuite, and access to student services like the laundry room (and game room/lounge, etc.). Here is their website
http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/ You might find this article helpful (I wrote it a few years ago after more than 40 trips to the UK) http://www.aaacarolinas.com/Magazine/2008/Jan-Feb/britain.htm?zip=28105&stateprov=nc&city=matthews

Churches are free to go into, you just pay if you want the audio tour. So see Westminster Abbey (see asap as Will and Kate's wedding is 29 April and who knows when they'll close it for preparations), and St Paul's. The Tower of London is a bit expensive IMHO, but oh so worth it, and you can see the crown jewels. The Beefeaters (guardians of the Tower) give a great, free, 1 hour tour. Get a RS London book and do his walks, I've done many of them and they're great. Also, in his book I think he recommends one of the bus lines to take (not the tourist bus) to see a lot of the "sights"-get on that bus. London Walks has great tours, usually around 7-8 pounds for about 2 hours, the pub tour is fun.

I'd recommend both the British Museum and the National Gallery... you can spend hours at both, for free, and even if you and your family members aren't generally museum or art buffs, you'll still likely enjoy these two because they're the cream of the crop. As others said, definitely see Westminster Abbey and Saint Paul's... the Tower of London is great, but if the price is prohibitive, you can still stroll by and take a walk over the Tower bridge. For cheap food, duck into a pasty shop... Not only will you be eating 'authentic', pasties are also really good and really cheap! I think a pasty and a drink would probably run you about 7 pounds. London also has tons of ethnic restaurants. If you like Thai or Indian, you could eat for probably 8 to 10 pounds a head at the most. The buffets are usually decent.

On a side note,we spent 3 days in London last week. They are shutting down on weekends, certain tube lines for repair.The lines that remain open are full of people,doing a 'plan b' to get to their destinations.As a result, there are delays, some worded, 'serious delays'. So see which are open,so you can make the best use of your time.
The weather was great for our trip there,too.

We have been to London twice in the past two years. We wil be going back in September. We suggest you go to Harrod's dept. store to eat. You can take the tube directly there. There is a delicious food court on the ground floor. We ate fish and chips there once. If you go UPSTAIRS you can go to tea or eat their absolutely fabulous buffet. The high tea is served adjacent to the buffet area. The buffet is only served until 3:30 PM though. It is outstanding. You can take the tube almost anywhere you want to go. We also suggest if you have time to take a Gray Line Tour of London. The Gray Line bus will most likely pick you up near your hotel or at a central meeting place. Gray Line Tours are based here in the U.S. You can make your reservations here or when you get over to London. Most tours have to be booked in advance though. We totally recommend Gray Line Tours. Elaine

There's a great article in the New York Times by the Frugal Traveler that has a ton of great tips for you. http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/a-visit-to-london-with-students-as-my-guide/?src=me&ref=travel

St. Paul's is lovely but someone posted that churches are free, this Cathedral charges entry fee about 13 pounds per person don't remember about Westminister. Definitely try London Walks, usually can find brochures at tube stops or check with local tourist bureau, they are free but you really need to tip the guide, or at least we felt we did. Enjoy.

Westminster Abbey is definitely not free. London is a great walking city. However, rather than paying for walking tours, you could go to amazon.com and pick up the boxed set of cards called City Walks and a book: Frommer's 24 Great Walks in London. Just got the Frommer's book so can't vouch for it, but the City Walks series is fabulous (also ones for Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC) I would recommend checking out the pubs for lunch and dinner. Check menu, prices, smells,a and ambiance. We particularly like the Hereford Arms near Gloucester tube station, about 2 blocks south on Gloucester Road. The Lamb and Flag looks and smells great, and I have read good comments, but it is only open for lunch. Don't recall exactly where it is located.

Lots to see in London. My favorites that cost money were St. Paul's, Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, and Globe Theatre. The free favorites were walking around Westminster, British Museum, and National Gallery. We also enjoyed seeing a show by buying the ticket at the half price theatre booth at Leicester Square and eating in pubs (good food and beer for low prices).
You can download free audio tours on this website. Go to the homepage and follow the link. Great tours of the British Museum, Westminster area, etc. all for free.

The walking tours with a real guide are usually well worth the price. They're experts in their area, and point out so many things that would be missed. And they can often get you discounts on things, or let you know of great opportunities like a free morning at a particular museum. London Walks, A+.

Elaine How much is this fantastic buffet? Are there more than 2 zeros in the price?

As of last summer Westminster Abbey did charge admission, and my memory is that it was not cheap, even for students. But I can't imagine going to London and not visiting Westminster Abbey!

Westminster Abbey does charge an admission fee. It's well worth visiting. But, London has many large churches that don't charge a fee, or only ask for a donation. (The old buildings cost a lot to keep up.)