Fun Things To Do In London Welcome to London!   London is one of the most exciting and interesting cities in the world. But it's enormous. You will never be able to pack in everything you'd like to do in a few days or a week. Here are some of our favorite things to do when friends visit London. We hope you have a wonderful visit and will come back time and again. Our suggestion for the first day is to get outside and walk around as much as you can, to keep the jetlag from setting in. Take one of the double decker Tours of London. Pick up spots are located all over central London. The buses tour this large city, so you can get an idea of the layout and size. You can hop on and off as much as you like within a 24 hour period. It will help you decide where you would like to spend more time over the remainder of your trip. If you do get off and on, it could take the whole day and be a great start. Other ideas for the afternoon: You may be dragging by now so if the weather is nice, visit Kensington Gardens or one of the parks. London is unusual in having so many public parks compared to most large cities - and they are beautiful: Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park, St. James Park, Regents Park are the main ones. If you have young children, we recommend Kensington Gardens and the new Princess Diana Playground. It's a wonderful playground at the northwest end of Kensington Gardens, just beyond Kensington Palace. The theme is Peter Pan and the kids can climb on the pirate ship, play in the teepees, swing, and play in the sand. Stop for tea next to Kensington Palace, at the old Orangery, which used to be the palace greenhouse. Pru Leith runs the restaurant there, a well known chef in London. Nearby is the entrance to the Royal Dress Collection, a fascinating exhibit of 'coming out' court dresses from the Victorian era, of important ceremonial clothes worn by the British royal family. There is a permanent exhibition of some of Princess Diana's dresses, including include a lavishly-embroidered pink silk dress with matching bolero jacket worn to a state banquet in India in 1992. There is also the ink blue silk velvet dress, worn for a dinner at the White House in 1985 at which the Princess danced with John Travolta. If you've managed even a few of these activities on your first day, well done! Dine at any of a dozen local restaurants, from pizzeria's to Indian food and fine French food. Alternatively, stop at the Marks and Spencers store and stock up on high quality chilled meals or ingredients to prepare your own. Lunch Ideas: There are excellent sandwich shops all over London, a good idea if you don't wish to stop for a long lunch. Stop in any of a wide number of small supermarkets: Tesco's, Sainsbury's, Waitrose or Marks and Spencer to find a large selection of salads and sandwiches. Other well known stores are Pret a Manger, Eats and even Starbucks. BEFORE YOU GO: GOOD WEBSITES: www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp The official site of the British Monarchy. A must! www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp The official site to the royal palaces www.nmsi.ac.uk The official site of the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, nearby. www.google.co.uk or www.google.com The best way to find the official sites for all of the monuments and museums in London. www.timeout.com Time Out is the Bible of London events with everything from Theatre reviews, to movies, to museum opening times, etc. It was founded in the 60's as a guide to 'Happenings' in London. Until a few years ago, there was even a weekly guide to 'Agi Prop', Agitation and Propaganda events; they've grown up a little since then. Either buy the London online guide or buy the magazine when you get to London and you will find everything you need! www.theatrenow.com: Good source for theatre listings and tickets. www.visitlondon.com: Good ideas for activities, theatre, etc. www.londonnet.co.uk: If you click on the top left menu choice, Guides, you will get to the page with all of the London information. MORE SUGGESTIONS IN LONDON: Changing of the Guard: Of course! Green Park Tube. Check the schedules in one of our many guides which we have left in our London vacation rental. Note that from August through March, the Changing of the Guard (a daily event in the summer) occurs only every other day; so check schedules before you plan. A London Walk: Go to google to find a list of the companies who offer walks. They are an excellent way to discover parts of London and learn things that you wouldn't have known! There are walking tours with walks for all ages and interests: from Jack the Ribber, the Beatles, ghost tours and many others. Science Museum: The British Lottery has helped refurbish these museums and they are loads of fun, especially for families. Highly recommended, especially if the kids are tired of seeing 'old dead things and paintings'. Some of the exhibits are fascinating, especially in the basement where there is a large interactive room, as well as on the second floor. Word of advice: it's so large that you should hurry past some of the rooms which are less interesting to your children: i.e. the steam engine collection is not one of our favorites. The Natural History Museum: Great exhibits on everything from dinosaurs to insects. You can't miss this enormous, beautiful Italian-style building on the Cromwell Road. Thank you to the British Lottery for the funds which have transformed the old Victorian museum, filled with Victorian glass cases that were too tall for children to see into, into an interactive and fun museum. The dinosaur section is the most popular, but don't stop there as the other wings are fascinating as well. Pick up their quizzes at the entrance to keep children interested. The Victoria and Albert: More appreciated by older visitors; a fantastic exhibit on clothing thru history. A new gallery on British design which has had excellent reviews. Also excellent new English decoration section, along with oriental art and much more. Sundays: Speakers corner in Hyde Park: a must. People are allowed to stand up (in the old days, they stood on soap boxes, thus the expression) and say anything they feel strongly about. Heated arguments break out and it's fascinating to wander from speaker to speaker to hear what they have to say. Highly recommended for the family. The northeast corner of Hyde Park, near Marble Arch, late Sunday morning or early afternoon. Boat Tours: There are several boat tours of London, including the amphibious 'Frog Tours', a unique way to see parts of London by land and sea. Most of the tours to go Greenwich, an excellent destination to show children where time 'begins', explaining time zones and of course, Greenwich Mean Time. An interesting nautical museum in Greenwich as well… To catch a boat: Go to Embankment Tube (on the district and circle line: yellow and green lines) and cross the street. We recommend this for later in your stay, when your feet might not want to visit yet another museum. The British Museum: The museum is enormous and fantastic. However, if you were dragged through museums as a child, you know what it can be like if you are not imaginative. We try to find one or two areas that would interest children (or they we think they should see), briefly explain what it is and then send them on a hunt to find it, or find out something about it. The highlights to us are: the Elgin Marbles (did he or didn't he steal them) the Rosetta Stone (who found it, what was the key language, what did it say) and for fun, the mummies in the Egyptian section. National Portrait Gallery: The new Sainsbury's wing is beautiful; English impressionists and more. Thank you the British Lottery for helping to fund these museums. The Royal Academy: Check the internet to see what exhibition is currently on. Go to Fortnum and Mason for some royal tea afterwards. Or let the adolescents visit the (corny) rock museum on Picadilly. Or walk towards Hyde Park Corner to the Hard Rock Café and buy your t shirt. Note: the oldest apartment building in London is next to the Royal Academy. Similar to New York condominiums, it is a rigorous process to be an approved buyer. Beautiful building, simply called Albany. If you say 'The Albany', it's similar to telling a San Franciscan that they live in 'Frisco'. The Tate Modern: Near the City of London and across the famous 'no longer swaying' pedestrian bridge. It's a conversation provoking museum, to say the least. Unless you are wild about modern art, it is hard to appreciate displays of toilet seats etc. But it's fun to argue about with the kids afterwards. Tower of London: Go early! This is a half day visit at least and well worth it, especially the crown jewels. There is a Prêt a Manger sandwich shop nearby, so you can buy sandwiches for a picnic lunch on the grounds. Buckingham Palace: Check your guidebooks for the opening schedule. City of London: You are basically in the City of London when you are near the Tower and the Tate Modern, called the Square Mile. It's in this square mile and now in the docklands where worldwide banking is done. For London traders, Tokyo hands off its trades to London in the morning, which are then handed off to New York when the traders go home. It is not a gripping place in terms of site seeing (maybe I spent too many years there as a banker). The City of London was actually the birthplace of London, filled with wonderfully named, meandering allies and streets. It was totally bombed during the blitz in WWII, so most of the buildings are new. However, the names of the streets tell it all I I love them. The City of London started out as a market town, so the street names still reflect ancient history: Pudding Lane, Milk Lane, Cheapside, Old Jewry (where the moneylenders were), Breadlane, Threadneedle, Cornhill. If you need a distraction with tired and cranky children, show them a map and have them find some of these streets; there are loads of them! Bow Church and Bow Lane is also in the City of London. If you were born within the sound of the bells of Bow Church, you are a true Cockney. Cockneys invented 'rhyming slang' which is still used by Londoners, especially city traders today: 'Pick up the dog and bone' means 'Pick up the phone'. 'Trouble and strife' is 'wife'. Children love rhyming slang: go to google, punch in rhyming slang to learn more phrases. St. Paul's: Christopher Wren's masterpiece and the church where all Royal Weddings take place. It's a beautiful cathedral and especially important to Londoners. The Germans understand that it represented the soul of London and tried desperately to destroy it during the blitz. Miraculously, it survived with minor damage, but everything around it was destroyed. Londoners took heart when, every day during that terrible time they heard that St. Paul's was still standing and continued to fight when most of Europe had surrendered. Madame Tussauds: An institution in London. Go early to this famous wax museum, as the lines wrap around the block. If you didn't make it early, buy the Planetarium combination ticket. The show is very interesting and you go directly into Madame Tussauds afterwards, without waiting in the queue. Use your own discretion on which children you will let see the Jack the Ripper exhibit… London Wheel: Nice to visit on a sunny day; note that 'reservations' don't mean an exact time slot so be prepared to wait or go early. It is next to the London Aquarium which is fun. Other Ideas: We have only covered some of the high spots of your visit to London. Other destinations which are a little further afield include: Kew Gardens, Richmond Park and Hampton Court. AFTERNOON TEA: Having afternoon tea is a highlight of staying in London and a refreshing way to relax after a long day of sightseeing and shopping. The most famous spots for taking tea are: The Savoy Hotel on the Strand Fortnum and Mason's on Piccadilly. Their tea has the royal seal, they make good gifts. The English say the queen may buy her tea at Fortnums but she buys her undies at Marks and Sparks (Marks and Spencers). The Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly Brown's Hotel on Dover Street The Lanesborough on Hyde Park Corner The Mandarin/Hyde Park Hotel across from Harvey Nichols Harrods also has several restaurants which serve tea, if you happen to be shopping there The Connaught Hotel Cream Tea is the simpler tea, usually with scones: the price varies greatly, but expect to spend about £12.50 each. You won't be hungry for dinner with either tea. Traditional Tea includes sandwiches and pastries: price is approx. £21.50. These hotels are accessible via direct tube lines from Gloucester Road and easy to get to. I would recommend going around 3pm to be sure there is room. For all high teas, dress nicely and get there early. Closer spots for tea, near our vacation rental apartment: I've had excellent high tea at the following, both within walking distance: The Milestone Hotel: just across from the Park on the way to High Street Kensington. Beautiful red brick building with doorman. The Hotel at the corner of the park, as you head towards high street Kensington. Side note: The English also use the word 'tea' for their supper, as in: 'I gave the children the leftover casserole for their tea.' SHOPPING: High Street Kensington: 10 minutes walk from our London apartment vacation rental and full of boutiques, a large Marks and Spencers store, lots of restaurants and a department store. Knightsbridge: Home to Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Chanel, etc. From our apartment, walk along Kensington Gardens for 20 minutes and arrive at Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Sloane Ave., home to many designer Boutiques. Harrods: fun to wander around and highly recommended. Beautiful food halls on the ground floor. The store has gone much more commercial over the last 10 years and you can no longer takefree pictures of their food displays - you must buy the postcard instead. It's become a little touristy on the ground floor and prices are high, so we tend to look but not buy. Harvey Nichols is the best known department store for fashion. Princess Diana was allowed shop there after the store was closed. There is a new wonderful food hall on the top floor as well as a chic restaurant which is open for dinner by a separate entrance. Fulham Road/Brompton Cross: Hip shopping area, especially for home furnishings such as Conrans and interior design. Oxford Street: Oxford Street has loads of department stores including my favorite, John Lewis. Reasonable prices, good quality. Largest Marks and Spencer store in London, open late. Watch your wallets! As in any large city, they look for tourists on busy streets. Bond Street: Upscale and the place to shop for designer clothes, shoes and jewelry. If the shop isn't on Bond street, then it's likely to be found on the other designer street, Sloane Street, heading south from Harvey Nichols. Regent Street: Near Oxford Street and has Hamley's Toy Store, Liberty's (famous for home furnishings and fashion), Burberry's and Aquascutum. Piccadilly Street/Jermyn Street: Walk down Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus and turn right at the Tower Records store. Home to Fortnum and Mason, a wonderful old store and great for tea. Their teas are among the most famous in England and they have the royal seal. The English say: 'The queen buys her tea at Fortnum's but her knickers at Marks and Sparks!'(rhyming slang for Marks and Spencers. We think M+S has great quality underwear too). Covent Garden: Loads of shops, street entertainment etc. It's fun, especially for adolelescents. King's Road: Still swingin' and definitely the place for adolescents. Find several antique arcades along the road,mixed in with ready to wear stores. At the end of the road (very long, take a bus) you will find the Furniture Cave, which is full of antique shops. Take the tube two stops on district/circle line to Sloane Square. Peter Jones, our favorite department store is there and we use it for all of our basics. Also find GTC, the General Trading Company with fascinating home accessories. ANTIQUES: Christies: There is a Christie's near South Ken Tube station, about 10 minutes walk from our London apartment vacation rental. It auctions more affordable antiques. Lots road/Furniture Cave: Way down the King's Rd.; auctions every week of new and old furnishings. The Furniture Cave has loads of antique dealers. Kensington Church Street: Many antique dealers and a pleasant walk from home. Portobello Road: Saturday mornings only, so wake up early. On sunny days, it becomes extremely crowded by 11am. Smaller, decorative antiques. Dealers from all over the world come here. Wander up and down the streets and into the arcades: known for silver and silverplate, jewelry, small decorative items, wooden boxes, antique clothing, china etc. There is some furniture, but you will find more in the shops on Kensington Church Street, or the King's road or Camden Passage. Bermondsey Market: Across the river; go early on Friday mornings. Bermondsey was the only market in England where stolen goods became the property of anyone who possessed it. If you had been robbed, it was the first stop on Friday mornings to try to acquire it back. The courts finally abolished this medieval law and if someone possesses stolen goods in Bermondsey, they can now be prosecuted. Alfie's Market: On Church Street, off of Edgeware Road. Antique stores which sell mostly to dealers. Fulham Road: Beautiful antique stores. THEATRES: The apartment location is ideal, as it is on the direct tube line to the theatre district. Most Londoners feel it is the only way to go to the theatre, due to the heavy traffic in central London, day and night. Check the websites above, including the timeout site for descriptions of the latest plays as well as reviews and you can book online. There is a half price ticket booth at Leicester Square, a direct tube ride from our vacation rental apartment. You must go there to buy your tickets; it's the best way to afford lots of theatre while you are in London. We have only covered a few of the many sights to see in London; there is so much more in this enormous city! We hope you have a wonderful stay and will come back again! Links