LONDON TIPS FOR TOURISTS (AND THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE ONE)
If you're visiting NYC, I've got you covered. So many people asked me for advice, I finally wrote it down. You can check it out here:
NEW YORK CITY TIPS FOR TOURISTS AND THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE ONE
Now let's do the same for London!
WHERE TO STAY
My sister's? That's where I stay and she's located in central London, which is wonderful. Walking distance to Piccadilly Circus, just off Berkeley Square in a posh neighborhood. Loads of theater everywhere you turn. Really, ideal. If money is no object, central London is great.
If money is an object, you don't need to be in central London. I've no good ideas to suggest. Just make sure your hotel is within a very short distance from a tube station that gets you to the heart of London quickly-ish. But remember: the subway is not 24 hours a day. London is not the city that never sleeps and many Tube stations simply close around 10 pm or 11 pm. The buses still run but they take much longer, are very infrequent and really. So just be aware of your station, how late the tubes run and how often they run. You don't want to go to a West End musical and discover it will take an hour and a half to get home.
You can also stay somewhere that has a train into central London and then use the tube. But that's making your life much more difficult. Unless you are staying with friends for free, that's a poor choice. As in NYC, you won't be staying in your hotel room, so a good location is more important than fancy amenities. To me, at least.
HOW TO GET AROUND
Walk! As in NYC, wear comfortable shoes because you'll do a lot of walking. If you insist on having heels or some dress shoes for an event, for heaven's sake put them in your shoulder bag and switch in to them right before you arrive. Don't walk around in them.
App–Download the Transport for London app (TfL Go) right now. Seriously, right now. I'll wait. Done? This app is brilliant and I wish NYC (and every major city) had one just as good. Every building in London has a unique zip code, which is what helps this app work so well. You just put in the name or address or zip code of where you want to go and choose either your current location or where you want to start from and it will immediately offer you multiple options: how to walk there, take the tube there, take the bus there or some combination of tube/bus/walking. It's extremely simple and clear (listing every stop on the way) and works wonderfully well, including an estimate of when you'll get there. (I'm a fast walker, so I find it's estimate is pretty accurate but with a little padding.)
London is famously a confusing maze of streets, which is why the test to become a licensed black cab taxi driver is among the toughest in the world. But today a combination of this essential app (which you've already downloaded onto your phone) and Google Maps (or whatever tool you prefer) means the wildly confusing aspect of simply getting around London is no longer a hassle. It's easy!
However, this means you will be using your phone. A lot. You definitely want to bring along your charger (with a plug adapter) and probably a portable battery pack for recharging on the go. Whenever you stop for a bite or a cuppa or you're back at your hotel or visiting someone's flat, plug in. Recharge your phone because Google Maps and the TfL Go app are heavy drains on your battery.
MUST DO!
It's not a test! There are no must-do's. One common mistake when visiting a city for the first time is to try and do as much as possible. But that's no way to enjoy yourself! I mean, if you really like cramming in seventeen events into 36 hours, go ahead! Yet, if you're like me, you'll probably enjoy what you do more if you're not immediately rushing off to the next event. That said....
TOURIST STUFF
I've done pretty much every tourist-y thing you can do in London. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace? Check. The London Eye? Check. The crown jewels on display at the Tower of London? Check. Touring a stately home (though not, yet Highclere Castle aka Downton Abbey)? Check. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum? Yep.
Guess what? They're all fun. Really! If any of them appeal to you, do it. You'll enjoy yourself.
Fancy a viewing platform akin to the Empire State Building in NYC? The Shard has a good two level platform. Or the London Eye or Horizon 22 (which is free, and thus especially crowded) or what have you. I prefer the Shard to London Eye because on the Eye you are in one car for the entire time and you'll be sharing it with other people. Maybe they're young and loutish. Maybe they're old and in the way. In any case, you're sort of trapped. Plus, the car moves really slowly and maybe you're ready to leave but still have to wait and wait for it to get to the ground again. At the Shard, there are several levels so you can easily avoid any annoying people (most don't even realize there's an upper level), have a very expensive drink or snack and best of all take as much or as little time as you want.
Double Decker Bus–You'll see the classic double-decker buses all over the place. In central London, you'll also see tourist-friendly tour buses. They now have taped info on what you're looking at, rather than a person talking you through the sites. Now, you can jump on ANY bus and just ride around, especially if you've been walking a lot and want a rest. But the tourist buses are fun to do once. You can buy a ticket and hop on and off all day long. It's a good option if you are heading somewhere they stop at (like the Tower of London or whatever). Usually the buses have two or three different routes they take. You absolutely want to go upstairs for a better view (and no roof, if it's not rainy and that's good with you). You don't even need a destination. It's just a fun way to go around the city and get a look at all sorts of neighborhoods in an easy, restful way. Heck, I've done it in NYC: just jumped on a bus and rode it through Manhattan. You can do the same in London. As a bonus, position yourself well and you can take some good photos if that's your thing.
THEATER
London has some of the best theater in the world. And unlike NYC, it's not crazy expensive (yet) and far more accessible. In NYC, if a show is the hot ticket of the moment, good luck finding a seat without paying an exorbitant amount. In London, you can have good luck strolling up to the box office on day of performance (the earlier the better) or even a few days in advance to see what's what. Plus, subsidized theater means less expensive options are out there. If there's one or more shows you must see, book in advance and pay what you must. (It will still be far less than NYC.)
If you're flexible, wait till you've arrived, see what's getting good reviews and head to the box office. You can even call the box office, which is impossible in NYC. If they're not crazy busy, they're very helpful. Some options.
Shakespeare's Globe–For me, this really is a must-do event if you enjoy theater at all or just want to experience Shakespeare the way it (sort of) was back in the day. The Globe is a circular outdoor venue with standing room all around the stage and seating (under an overhang) along the back. If standing is out of the question, the seats are not expensive (and do buy a cushion). But if you can, do buy a "groundling" ticket for £5, arrive half an hour early and then stand right at the lip of the stage. You can lean against it to rest a bit and being so close to the actors is tremendous fun. They always play to the crowd, usually wander through the crowd at times and do a little dance at the end, as they did in Shakespeare's day. It's tremendous fun, often good to great theater and there's nothing like it anywhere else. Also, you don't have to stay! It's just £5 and quite casual. Enjoy the experience and if you want or standing is too much, just leave at the interval (or very discreetly, if you can't wait that long). No judging. Usually, the standing tickets don't sell out so you don't have to plan this in advance. (Though I'd just buy a ticket and if I decide not to go, no big deal. It's like a £5 donation to this non-profit venue.) If the weather suits and you're in the mood, go! It's good for kids, too, though depending on their age, all the more reason to head out once they've had a taste and start to get fidgety. It's very inexpensive, high quality and fun. (As a bonus, it's on Southbank so you can combine the Globe with a stop at the Tate Modern or the Hayward Gallery while you walk along the water.)
The National Theatre–like Shakespeare's Globe, this venue is also along Southbank, where you'll also find several museums. It has very inexpensive tickets to shows but unlike the Globe those are snapped up fast. Still, it has multiple shows on all the time. Check out what's playing, the reviews and if anything appeals at all, consider snapping up a cheap ticket (that involves planning ahead) or not £15 but still pretty cheap tickets. (It's right near the Hayward Gallery, one of my favorite museums in London. And out front are food trucks and outdoor venues. The duck sandwich/salad thingie at one truck is really good!)
Getting home from the Globe or the National? Walk across a bridge! There's the pedestrian-only bridge near the National and a busier one near the Globe. On the other side, you'll find buses and tube stations and it's a lovely stroll.
Those are two mainstays. But the West End is always bustling and terrific smaller venues should be spotted out by theater fans right away–Donmar Warehouse, Menier Chocolate Factory and the like are always worth checking to see what's on and how well reviewed. They are smaller so these venues will among the harder ones to snag a ticket. Check out Time Out London's website and other listings to see what's on and recommended. London is bursting with theater. Oh and if Punchdrunk has anything on, I go, no questions asked.
Tickets–But as with NYC, if you are flexible and love theater but on a budget, you can have great luck just going to the box office day of (or day before) a performance you want to attend. House seats are often released the day before or on Friday for the weekend shows. So if you've got several shows you might want to see and they're hard to book, don't despair. Head to the box office when they open in the morning, be polite and you can get lucky.
MUSEUMS
London is filled to the brim with museums large and small. Some are free. Others are partially free, though invariably the exhibit you want to see incurs a fee. If you're like me, two or three hours at a museum or two is the max I can enjoy in a day. So space them out, combine them with a trip to the theater or a lunch out or high tea or what have you and you'll enjoy them all the more. In general, if you can plan your museum visits on weekdays, you will be happier, since they're always crowded but the weekends especially so. Save the weekend for ticketed events like theater and music.
A number of museums have multiple locations–some quite far away from central London–so make sure you know what's playing at what location! In no particular order because they're all good and you never know what new exhibit will appeal to you.
TATE MODERN–this is along Southbank between the National Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe. It's very modern (you won't find any Turners on display here!) and fun. A former power station, it has a massive, impressive lobby that usually has some giant art installation on display that's free to see. It's worth popping in just to see the space and check out the lobby show. It's free, but they always have some cool exhibit that's all the rage which you really want to go to and costs extra. So it's free-ish. (Outside on the river is a sort of round pub/restaurant called Founder's Arms. I walked by it ten thousand times figuring it was just a tourist trap, given its fantastic location. But it was good! Typical pub food, slightly elevated and not crazy expensive. Plus the view is great. I mean, not bad, which was a shock.)
HAYWARD GALLERY–Also located on Southbank, this is right near the National and I've had great luck checking out whatever's on display at the Hayward. Whoever curates it has great taste! It's not conventional oils and such, but more modern a la Tate Modern. If you're adventurous when it comes to art, head to the Hayward.
V&A / VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM(S)–The V&A is a mainstay of museum-lovers. They have several widely dispersed locations, so if there's a specific exhibit you want to see, double check you're headed to the right V&A. You'll find the main location on the aptly named Exhibition Road, which also features the Science Museum (great for kids, with a cool exhibit of time pieces I loved), the Natural History Museum, the Imperial College and other museum and handsome buildings. The V&A often has some really popular exhibits but they can sell out, so plan in advance if there's something there you really want to see. Other than paying to become an annual member (in which case, you can go see anything), shows there can be hard to catch.
SERPENTINE GALLERY–After the V&A or any of the other museums on Exhibition Road, I always head to Hyde Park. There you'll find some outdoor cafes or benches to relax at. Plus, I always check out the TWO venues for Serpentine Gallery. They're free and usually have some great stuff on display. Plus, they always have an outdoor portion, which is always fun to check out. Best of all, it's casual, intimate and fun. Plus, you're in a park! Oh and do check out the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain nearby in Hyde Park. It's lovely, unassuming and good fun once you get close and pay attention. Also great with kids, since they can splash around.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY–Honestly, I'm always a bit underwhelmed by the National Portrait Gallery. But they sometimes have really good special exhibits, its right in the heart of London and it's free. So do pop in.
TATE BRITAIN–This is the venue where you can see some of the iconic classics, works by Turner and the like. It's free for the permanent exhibits and those are definitely worth seeing. Still, they'll lure you into some current exhibit which has a fee. Those are easier to resist here, since the permanent stuff really must be seen.
ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS–Right off Piccadilly Circus (and near my sister, stop in and say hi!), with loads of classic artwork and sculptures. I really enjoy the art shows (with stuff on sale) and the student exhibitions, since the Royal Academy is a functioning school. But the permanent stuff is well worth a visit, though again they always have on some special exhibit worth seeing.
WHITE CUBE–One of many terrific venues that feature new artists. They also have a location in NYC and it's always worth popping in for half an hour to see what's on display.
I'm only scratching the surface, but the same advice applies to all of them. They're great. Current exhibits–especially popular ones–can sell out but permanent displays worth your time. The government-sponsored ones have free entry for the permanent artwork. One of the great aspects of visiting London.
FOOD
You're talking to the wrong fella.
BOOKS
Now you're talking to the right guy. London is filled with great bookstores. You can go to Charing Cross Road for all the specialty and "used" bookstores. Just don't expect a lot of bargains. I love Hatchards on Piccadilly near the Circus. It's a general bookstore, but if you're a book lover you are guaranteed to stumble across some titles you've never heard of that you must buy immediately. The UK is really into travel so that section is bursting with narrative nonfiction, which has become more popular in the US in recent years but their selection is still eye-popping. The UK is also great for history lovers (more great nonfiction) and a section you never see in the US: naval fiction. That's where you'll find Horatio Hornblower and Aubrey/Maturin of Master & Commander fame and the like. Waterstones just off Piccadilly Circus is an even bigger flagship store for the chain. Think Barnes & Noble back in the day. I like the small cafe on the second or third (?) floor towards the back which is good for tea and a sit-down. They have larger cafes in the basement and a cafe/bar on the top floor with wait staff.
Some other favorites:
Daunt Books–a stunning travel bookstore; the venue itself is a showstopper
Hurlingham Books (like the Strand in NYC, but with more character and a searching for treasure vibe)
Foster Books (used and rare)
Gosh! Comics (comics, natch)
Walden Books (not the US chain; used and rare)
Pickled Pepper Books (kids store)
ELECTRICITY
You do not need a converter to adapt UK power to U.S. appliances. This includes laptops, hair dryers and you name it. However you will need adapters so you can plug your tool into the adapter which then plugs into the wall. But everything you buy now can handle the electrical charge from UK sources. So just get light, plastic adapters. One can buy adapters that work in multiple countries, which is useful if you travel often and all over. But if you're just in the United Kingdom (including Scotland and Ireland), they all use the same Type G, so one adapter will work for them all. I recommend having multiple adapters so you can leave one in the wall in your hotel and bring one or two with you when going around town, just for convenience's sake. No need arguing over who gets to power up first.
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