[Ulrik]

Well, finally, after visiting half of Middle-East it came time to visit London! And honestly, sometimes its harder to make itinerary that in Iran So I would love to hear some recommendations. Im coming with wife and except classics like St.Paul, Parliament etc I dont have any tips on "smaller" sightseeing. For my obsession by military history...is there something beside British Museum? And for Navy? (heck, there must be, its nation of Horatio Nelson!) And some good tips on cheap and tasty food in Earls Court? Thanks for any tips!

[Jade-Green Pig-Hog Swine-Beast]

The Tower of London is usually pretty good, especially on a nice day. There's HMS Belfast across the river—that could be good, still, though I've not been in there in years. And the Imperial War Museum maybe.

You could go on the London Eye, too. That's pretty cool at night time.

Getting a boat down the river is good in nice weather. Dunno about eating in Earls Court though.

[Tiste Simeon]

Get on a train, go to Yorkshire. Thank me afterwards.

[Braven's barber]

York is a great old city (also has the only almost-palatable beer in UK. Yeah, I said it) but London will more than take all your time. The British Museum alone can consume your entire trip. Don't disregard it because it's "touristy" - the place is one of the world's treasures. I cannot recommend it highly enough. The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square (statue of man on top of a really tall post, some lions, two bird-baths) is also recommended. For pure fun, take a walk down Regent street and look at all the things you can't afford and marvel at how crazy/stupid rich people are. The Victoria & Albert museum is also good, but really......the British Museum.....

[Una]

Go the the Natural History Museum and take the "Spirit Tour". It's free, but you have to reserve a spot when you get there because they only take about 10 people at a time. If you ever read China Mieville's Kraken, it's the tour that they go on in the book where you get to see the preserved body of the Giant Squid. They have all these biological specimens, most of them the first specimen of its species ever discovered and catalogued. But for me, the highlight of the tour was when they showed us these fish specimens that were collected by Darwin himself when he was on the Beagle. Being a biology nerd, I almost cried when I realized what they were.

This post has been edited by Una: 10 May 2013 - 02:51 AM

[James Hutton]

 Una, on 10 May 2013 - 02:51 AM, said:

Go the the Natural History Museum and take the "Spirit Tour". It's free, but you have to reserve a spot when you get there because they only take about 10 people at a time. If you ever read China Mieville's Kraken, it's the tour that they go on in the book where you get to see the preserved body of the Giant Squid. They have all these biological specimens, most of them the first specimen of its species ever discovered and catalogued. But for me, the highlight of the tour was when they showed us these fish specimens that were collected by Darwin himself when he was on the Beagle. Being a biology nerd, I almost cried when I realized what they were.

Seconded!

But then, I'm a natural sciences fan too.

[Mrs Savagely Wishy Washy]

For war/navy/army nerds, Churchill War Rooms of course!, and his statue outside Parliaments. The London Imperial War Museum is closed until end of July for major refurbishment.

All museum tips are great. Go see the Science museum too and the first steam engines. It blows your mind how big these things were.


Great and cheap food is in the East, e.g. Sunday up market in the old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, only on Sunday's, though.

[Ulrik]

Thanks for all tips! But but but...Imperial War Museum closed? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

[Mrs Savagely Wishy Washy]

Churchill War Rooms are still open as far as I'm aware. Only half bad.

[Xae]

Well, there's a giant M&M store right off Leicester Square. As for food, if you stop by Pimlico, there's a great little place called The Orange.

When I go into London, it's usually to grab a coffee and walk along the Thames. Come sunset, it's really hard to go wrong with any of the restaurants lining the water. Pizza Express (whilst not the most interesting of places to eat) has a great view.

[polishgenius]

If you like your Naval history you need to go to Greenwich. National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory (for early astronomy geekiness), the Cutty Sark, and the bonus of some quite stunning views across London.

For less-known ideas, I reckon this book might be worth acquiring. But if you're just there for a few days you might not have time for that sort of thing.

This post has been edited by polishgenius: 11 May 2013 - 07:22 AM

[Mrs Savagely Wishy Washy]

Check out Store Street Espresso. Phenomenal coffee. The guys and gals are cool. The sandwiches are gorgeous.

Along the Thames is the British Film Institute- they have a fab bar looking over the Thames. A friend of mine brought all of his dates there, and it worked. At least sometimes.


For a piece of unusual art, go to http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/.

Are you a tea drinker? Excite your tastebuds with some crazy tea cocktails -> non-alco, something I have never seen anywhere else! Head to camden High Street: http://chinalifeweb.com/tea-bar/ they also sell really really good Chinese teas of all sorts and colours.

North London/Stoke Newington is really great for Turkish food, East End/Whitechapel is fab for Indian, although I would stay away from Brick Lane curries and go to http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/ . Be early unless you don't mind queuing for hours. Best Vietnamese is in Camden: http://www.thanhbinhrestaurant.co.uk/

For pubs, check out http://www.camra.org.uk/, good pubs, good ales, good food.

Enjoy your trip!

Edit: The places above are cheap - under £10 for food, and you can get to them fairly easily from Earl's Court by tube. I don't know the West that well, particularly the Chelsea/Kensington boroughs, except there are a few decent pizzerias and a great cocktail bar in Notting Hill on Portobello Road; although my Italian neighbours say the only decent pizza is from Franco Manca in Brixton, the http://brixtonmarket.net/ is by they way another great place for tropical and exotic cheap food on Friday and Saturday. The continental/British and more expensive but still great market version is http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/, usuall on Thu-Sat.

This post has been edited by Miss Savagely Wishy Washy : 11 May 2013 - 10:37 AM

[Fid]

Some additional points on maritime history. First of all in London itself, as well as Greenwich for the Cutty Sark, then if you go to HMS Belfast between London Bridge and Tower Bridge there is also a replica of Drake's Golden Hind just around the corner - amazingly small really. There is St Katherine's dock with a fair number of old Thames boats moored - near to Tower of London.

Get a day return from Waterloo Station to Portsmouth Harbour - visit the Naval dockyard and see HMS Victory and also the Mary Rose - Henry VIII's flagship that sunk and was raised and is now a museum piece.

[Ulrik]

Aaaaand Im back It was wonderful, but painfully short... four days were not enough (and London is pretty expensive place, my wallet!) to all our plans...so next year again. Thank you all for the tips!

[Una]

Yeah. 4 days is too short. I could have spent 4 days in the British Museum alone. That place was better than Disneyland!

[Satan]

This thread is now about what I should do next weekend. I've got a day off from my work trip, but don't really fancy staying in London. Got a weird impulse to go down to south western parts of England. Anyone familiar with that area? Anything in particular I should see?

[Obdigore]

 Satan, on 06 June 2013 - 06:36 AM, said:

This thread is now about what I should do next weekend. I've got a day off from my work trip, but don't really fancy staying in London. Got a weird impulse to go down to south western parts of England. Anyone familiar with that area? Anything in particular I should see?

Chavs? I hear that is all that is in London. Oh, and Gypsies, apparently.

[Mrs Savagely Wishy Washy]

http://www.visitsouthwest.co.uk/