London To-Do's

x2 on the Cabinet War Rooms......fascinating.

And definitely the Tower of London. I spent an entire day there, listened to every bit of the walkabout headset, going in and out.  It's a return trip everytime I visit.

You want enFORCEr to do Tony??  You're a sick, sick man.

Um.... no. 

Though maybe if the price is right, I'd consider pimpin' him out...

Don't be selfish.  Everybody can use a little Muppet in their lives.

We enjoyed seeing Westminster Abbey and the changing of the guards at the palace.

BTW, you don't need a rental car in London.  The tubes are a great way to get around.

I lived in London several months and never had a car. The London Underground can get you wherever you want to go faster, cheaper and with no parking.  They have a thing they call an Oyster card which looks like a credit card that you pre-pay, that lets you get on any train or bus.

If you're a history buff the Churchill museum is a must.  Also, If you know of the speeches Churchill gave at Hyde park then go there.  I felt like I could almost feel history walking there. The Tower of London is well worth while and Parliament (where Big Bend is) is across the street from Westminster Abbey.  So, both can be done quickly.  

I've been to almost every museum in London and the Royal British Museum is probably the best unless you're into more modern art in which case the Tate Modern is the best.  St Paul's Cathedral is cool if you're into architecture.

Regents park is my favorite park, it's a great place to go for a run.  Even in the winter it's pretty.  Walking along the River Thames is great and most folks like seeing the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace (I didn't care so much).

And finally, since you're close to Regents park you might want to check out a small museum on Sherlock Holmes at 222b Baker Street (of course). Glad to answer any questions.

The tourist buses are a great way to see lots of the city in a day and you can hop on and off all day long and into the night.

British Museum is excellent as is the tower of London. For people watching go to Covent Garden or aim for the London Eye (ferris wheel) and stroll along the south bank of the Thames until you get to the reconstructed Globe Theatre (shakespeares theatre).

Also the river cruises give you the best view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Steer clear of Oxford Street it is very trashy now and frequented by gangs of pickpockets.

Enjoy

I love London.  Most of these are listed above, but here's my list off the top of my head:

Buckingham Palace/changing of the guard

Victoria Station

Tower of London

Harrad's

Boat tour on the Thames

Westminster Abbey 

Trafalgar Square

British Museum

Piccadilly Circus

If you're a tennis fan Wimbledon is a short train ride.  They have a museum, restaurant and you can visit Center Court.

Used to go there a lot on business and stayed in the center of the city.  When I've gone on vacation I've stayed at one of the tourist hotels in the Kensington Park area close to the  Earl's Court tube station. 

Forget any idea about trying to drive.  The tube & buses are the only way to get around.  Try to buy a rail/bus pass before you go, you can usually get a better deal here than you can over there. 

If you can spare a entire day, there are a lot of one-day guided bus tours to places like Dover and Canterbury.

I was never big on going out to dinner in the evenings,  so I usually try to find a pub close my hotel and kind of use that as a base of operations.  I love a place called the 'Rat & Parrot', but unfortunately it had closed the last time I was there.

Have fun.

Mark