London Has Something For Everyone ....
We have taken some very enjoyable day/weekend trips to London.
Museums, Shopping, Parks, Restaurants and "Tourist Spots" that are
definitely not run-of-the-mill. Travel in the city is mostly inexpensive and
convenient, with taxis, busses and the tube (subway -- our favorite mode).
Walking to most of the attractions in the central city (tube Zones 1 & 2) is
possible for the "reasonably fit", but it is a little time consuming. So, we
think the best investments are .... a day / weekend pass for the family on
the tube for Zones 1 & 2 .... comfortable shoes, and .... a good map.
| "Tourist Spots" | ||||
Tube Line |
Station/Directions |
Comments |
||
| Big Ben / Houses of Parliment | Circle/District | Westminster (exit & look up) | Impressive -- Get there at the hour, to hear the bell toll | |
| Buckingham Palace | Victoria/Picadilly/Jubilee | Green Park (head south thru park) | Don't miss the daily changing of the guard -- Plenty of good spots for pictures, but it will be crowded, so get there early | |
| Circle/District | St. James Park (head west thru park) | |||
| London Planetarium | Circle/Metropolitan | Baker St. (head north) | ||
| Jubilee/Central | ||||
| London Zoo | Northern (shorter walk) | Camden Town (head a few blocks west) | Good full day needed -- great for kids, with a few animals not normally seen | |
| see Planetarium above (longer walk) | Baker St. (head several blocks north) | |||
| Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum | see Planetarium above |
Baker St. (head north) |
Worth the price of admission -- watch out for attendants masquerading as wax figures | |
| St. James Park | Circle/District | St. James Park (a block north) | Our personal favorite -- lots of aquatic birds, and beautiful flowers on the east end of the park | |
Central |
St. Paul's (1 block south) |
 |
||
| Tower Bridge | Circle/District | Tower Hill (bridge is a couple blocks south) | ||
| Tower of London |  Circle/District |
Tower Hill (tower is about a block south) | Crowned Jewels and Beefeater Tour should not be missed | |
| Westminster Abbey | Circle/District | Westminster (across the street from Big Ben) | ||
| "Other Fun Places" | ||||
Tube Line |
Station/Directions |
|||
| Restaurants -- Burger Style |  |
Picadilly | Hyde Park Corner -- head east for a few blocks, north side of street -- the first HRC built | |
| Planet Hollywood | Picadilly/Bakerloo | Picadilly Circus -- head east a block or two -- north side of Coventry St -- heart of central London | ||
| Rain Forest Cafe | Picadilly/Bakerloo | Picadilly Circus -- head east a block or two -- right behind Planet Hollywood | ||
| Shopping | Hamley's Toy Store | Central/Victoria/Bakerloo | Oxford Circus -- a few blocks south on Regent St -- east side of street -- Smaller than ToysRUs, but a much more fun atmosphere | |
| Harrods | Picadilly |
Knightsbridge -- couple blocks sw on Brompton Road -- east side of street -- The Mother of All Dept Stores -- Gotta see to believe | ||
| Millenium | "The Dome" | Jubilee |
North Greenwich -- 20 pounds each -- better be worth it (not been there yet) | |
| Theatre | Theatre District | Central/Picadilly |
Covent Gardens -- fun place to look around -- shows are probably good too | |
Links to Good "London in General" Sites |
|
| Site | Comments |
| Londontown | The easiest to navigate, most comprehensive site we've found |
| MiningCo. | Mostly for the whole UK, but click "London" -- some useful links |
| NetLondon | Well laid out -- business and pleasure -- Very comprehensive |
| Virtual London | A good resource, but alot of ads |
| London Net | Easy to navigate -- incl. a virtual tour feature -- but a distant 2nd to Londontown |
| TravelBritian | Thank them for the excellent maps of London at the top of this page |
| ThisIsLondon | Seems mostly for Londoners, but a good resource for little known events |
| LonelyPlanet | Some good information and interactive maps |
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[Hits Since 01/02/99 20:00 GMT -- {or, English Style, 02/01/99}]
