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We have a god daughter coming from OZ who wants to see the sights of the big city, Buck House,St Pauls,London Eye,etc. Has anyone any clever advice about how to pack it all in at a reasonable cost instead of having to pay all the extortionate ticket fees ? T.I.A
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google earth imo
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ta roida but I was hoping some of the locals might have some specific ideas for getting around,saving queues and dosh
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My hometown Treetop.
Some of the main tourist attractions really aren't worth the money and there are lots of free things to do, such as the National History and Science Museums. A lot of art galleries are also free. The best way to see London is to get in close and experience it - spend an afternoon around Covent Garden, it's wonderful. Or walk across the Millennium Bridge (or many of the other bridges for that matter) and the views are superb. Also good is a leisurely stroll along the South Bank or visit some of the parks such as Regents Park and Hyde Park (not on the scale of Central Park in NY but just as enjoyable). Soho and Chinatown at night are well worth going to (not without an element of danger but keep your wits about you and you'll enjoy it). Why not try some of these and mix it up with a couple of paid-for attractions? |
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Thames clipper down to Greenwich and back. You can see all the sights you listed from the river other than Buckham Palace. Pick up the boat at embankment pier. Costs about £12 or so return with a bit of discount for a travelcard or oyster card holder.
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musty is ya man
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with a bit luck you may stumble across johnny busking in soho
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Tell her to get an Oyster card for bus and tube fares. (Technically you can use any contactless card but I'm guessing Aussie credit cards might be excluded.) One side-benefit is that each day's total fare is capped.
Plan in advance where to go so she travels by the shortest route, not like an Apprentice candidate from Up North driving across London to buy a packet of crisps. If she goes anywhere past Westminster tube, she should break her journey there: just step out of the station and you see Parliament just across the road, with Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Turn round to look up Whitehall and you see Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column. A few yards up the road you can see a bunch of tourists and armed coppers outside Downing Street. Then she can go back down the tube and resume her journey. London Eye -- buy tickets in advance unless she is a big fan of queueing (and that might apply to other places as well). Consider the river buses: https://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/river/ |
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Thnx lads,will incorporate ideas into our plans,just got to win a bit before though to pay for it all. Still,they took me to the Melbourne Cup on one of my best days racing when I was there.
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If she's a foodie, there is incredible street food and dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants.
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Make sure she is tooled up and has a can of mace on her.
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Treetop, we recently took the family to New York for six days and did most of the (quite expensive) attractions. The irony is that the children enjoyed doing the free things (Central Park, Battery Park, downtown Manhattan) much more than most of the paid-for ones and I suspect many feel the same way about London.
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Oh, Abbey Road as well. That's a great freebie laugh watching everybody re-create the album cover whilst the locals, taxis and buses get pissed off and give it large on their horns
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Aye, johnny suspect the same but you feel obliged to make an effort,was thinking things like the open top bus tour and river trip best with a couple of paid tickets to the Eye and Tower might suffice (we have to accompany her due to age )
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Hampton Court is easy to get to and is worth spending an afternoon at the Palace and the maze, it's not expensive about a score per adult.
I'm a Londoner born and bred and I wouldn't go to Soho or Covent Garden if they were giving beer away for free but as a tourist then you have to go and have a wander around. An Oyster card is definitely the way to go, you can't pay cash on buses so that is a must. As a treat then how about afternoon tea at The Ritz for example. Lots of things to do that are free like The British museum which is quite a fascinating place to go to. Oh and if she likes sport then a visit to Lord's to see the Ashes is a must. Make sure she is aware at all times, pick pockets are rife on the tube and places like Oxford and Regent Street but that aside it's a very safe place. |
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Find out what she likes -- whatever it is, there is almost certainly a London angle. For instance, if she likes art, there is the Summer Exhibition at the RA, as well as all the famous galleries, and less famous ones, and auction houses. Anyway, you get the picture!
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Yep would recommend HCP as well, riverboat from Westminster on a fine day. Also ToL, and the Eye is a must do. We had a pod to ourselves on a clear night, epic.
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Agree with you Slippy Blue about everything you mentioned and as a born and bred Londoner myself, I wouldn't go to most of those places. But as a tourist, then yes you have to. When we stay at Claridges we usually have afternoon tea there but it is overpriced in my opinion (around £90 if I remember and I suspect the Ritz would be similarly priced - so that would probably dent their budget considerably). Great shout about Hampton Court and it's a nice walk from there along the river to Kingston.
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i would suggest using one of the London sightseeing hop on hop off buses. will learn and see more than just wandering around on your own
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btw -- Eurostar to Paris for a day?
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Its getting more interesting and more expensive lads but thanks, plan to drive down and stay in st albans and get trains in/out, might make a dent in the old pension if I stay at Claridges though Johnny !
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leicester sqare,soho,china town,shaftesbury avenue all in close proximity.
riverboat hop on hop off -greenwich cutty sark,houses of parliament,london eye,south bank takes in all this. my personal suggestions but i would say you wouldnt go too wrong with it |
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and get off at knightsbridge tube station to take in harrods and buck palace
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I don't make a habit of staying there Treetop, would bankrupt me.
Chavvers, good info there. You're not from here though are you, thought you were in the north? |
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married a good east end girl johnny
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Ah, ok. Well done you.
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I used to stay in B&B's at Finsbury Park whenever I worked in London, I could always get somewhere for £50-£60 a night.
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she was only an urchin when i met her
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You're a regular Fagan Chavvers!
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All going well until you added the "an" JM...!
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Lol CL!
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hard to believe johnny the estates in east london didnt get central heating until 1988
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I think that was the year that Mrs Mustang let me turn ours on Chavvers.
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Windsor Castle is another place to consider, Monday nights at the races as well for good measure, jobsagoodun
 Sod the pension treetop, you can't take it with you ! Richmond Park is lovely for a spot of lunch / picnic. On a sunny day it's glorious with all the deer running about. |
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Borough Market on a saturday morning
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Borough Market on a saturday morning
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tres expensive slip
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Emirates Stadium is great. Whilst you're there pop in to our neighbours at White Hart Lane to view their trophy cabinet. It ought not take you too long.......
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Recommend this restaurant while in London, treetop. Cheaper than Claridges ;)
.http://www.barbecoa.com/about |
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My suggestion is that she plans to walk around central London rather than travel by tube.In my view the following 'free' visits should be made
Harrods food hall Hyde Park The Tate Big Ben,Parliament Leadenhall Street market Spitalfields Walk along South Bank from Waterloo to London Bridge Tower Bridge |