# Going to London this Summer



## oroy38 (Nov 11, 2009)

If all goes according to plan, I'll be heading to London this summer for about 9 days. Any ideas on things that I absolutely have to see?

So far I've got this:
Wigmore Hall
Windsor Castle
London Symphony Orchestra @ Barbican Hall (Rachmaninov Piano Concert No. 3)
Savile Row
Royal Conservatory of Music (my piano teacher went there for a year and still has connections)
Stonehenge
Various Museums

Any other ideas?


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## stevelovescufflinks (Jan 9, 2010)

*check out saville row*

very good suit material on Saville Row. Harrods is also worth a look.
Great cufflinks to shop for at Duchamp at Harrods
Beautiful museums to look at


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## Cary Grant (Sep 11, 2008)

The V&A really surprised me. Worth a visit on your museums list.

If interested in shoes, be sure to drop by all of them, especially G&G, Green, Cleverley, Lobb etc...

Great restaurant near the Row: https://www.wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk/


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## turban1 (May 29, 2008)

*toodoo*


the british museum, the best in the world.
cambridge colleges, a short train ride away and lovely in summertime
the boat to greenwich from westminster pier too see london from the river, in greenwich see the maritime museum, the observatory, the former naval college, the cutty sark;
westminster abbey, quite unbelievable
portobello road antique market (saturday early)
a traditional london gentleman's club if you have a host
bonhams, sothebys or christies auction houses if they are exhibiting anything that interests you
sheekey's restaurant for good fish
skip stonehenge. a long trip for an unimpressive experience.
good call on wigmore hall, don't miss it


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## Padme (Aug 18, 2009)

Liberty of London.


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## Garnett (Mar 9, 2010)

Buy an "Oyster Card" which makes travel on buses, the tube and the trains much cheaper.

Most of the galleries and museums in London are free. It's one thing Londoners can be genuinely proud of. I'd recommend:-

The Tate Gallery - but don't aim to see everything - there's enough rubbish to fill 2 days - dive in, and only look at half a floor. That way you'll avoid gallery-fatigue.

The V&A is definitely worth it too.

Find a Samuel Smiths pub that isn't in your guidebook and go in, for a pint in a decent off-the-beaten-track London boozer.

Try and use the buses as much as possible. You get some great views of the city.

The overland ( )train ride between London Bridge and Charing Cross is only about 5 minutes and the distance is more efficiently covered by tube ( ), but the overland is a great ride along elevated tracks through the sort of rooftops from Charles Dickens, Mary Poppins, and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Kew Gardens is worth a look.

Subscribe to Time Out to get some more ideas.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

oroy38 said:


> If all goes according to plan, I'll be heading to London this summer for about 9 days. Any ideas on things that I absolutely have to see?
> 
> So far I've got this:
> Wigmore Hall
> ...


You do know that Windsor Castle is outside London? And that Stonehenge is nowhere even remotely near London?

That said, give Stonehenge a miss, the journey there isn't worth the anti-climax that nearly EVERYBODY experiences. 
And why Wigmore Hall?

Barbican - definitely

Southbank - the walk from Lambeth Bridge all the way to beyond Tower Bridge and into Butler's Wharf was always a favourite walk of mine.

Also take in some stuff on the Southbank- either a concert at the QE Hall or something at the National Film Theatre (NFT) and don't forget MOMI the film museum. Also the huge book market there on a Sunday and the cafes and pubs. And don't forget to go into the old Bankside Power Station a.k.a Tate Modern :icon_smile:
Also there, just before Tower Bridge, on Tooley Street the London Dungeons and Hay's Wharf and of course on the river just along from Hay's Wharf the HMS Belfast. Then visit the Tower Bridge museum and tour, you can go down to the engine room that drives the bascules and all the way up the towers and along the top walkway.

Basically the Southbank will keep you busy for a whole day or two.

The most interesting IMO are:
Science Museum (my fav) 
Imperial War Museum
Museum of London
Tate Modern
Tower Bridge

The most boring IMO are:
V & A
British Museum
Geological 
Tower of London


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## Padme (Aug 18, 2009)

I know the V & A has a wonderful embroidery section, and ladies clothing collection. The British museum has mummies, and doesn't the Tower have ghosts?


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## Garnett (Mar 9, 2010)

The Earl makes some good suggestions and has actually made me correct myself - I said the V&A when I meant the National Gallery. Can't comment on the V&A but personally I'd rate the National Gallery very highly :icon_smile_wink:

However! I must correct the Earl on something. Do NOT waste your money on the London Dungeon. It is a recurrent source of embarrassment to see the queue of tourists outside each time I go past. We went with some friends from Italy when they visited. It's really really poor. Painfully so.


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## cbird (Oct 27, 2006)

In London, visit St. James's street, which is only a couple of blocks long, but has such renowned shops as Truefitt and Hill, DR Harris, John Lobb (St James's), Swaine Adeney and Briggs, and others, and intersects with Jermyn Street and is near to the Burlington Arcade, all just a few blocks from Savile Row.
The trip to Cambridge is worth it, much nicer than Oxford.
There are great theaters near Picadilly Circus. Also fun are the several guided walking tours in the evenings.


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## cbird (Oct 27, 2006)

In London, visit St. James's street, which is only a couple of blocks long, but has such renowned shops as Truefitt and Hill, DR Harris, John Lobb (St James's), Swaine Adeney and Briggs, and others, and intersects with Jermyn Street and is near to the Burlington Arcade, all just a few blocks from Savile Row.
The trip to Cambridge is worth it, much nicer than Oxford.
There are great theaters near Picadilly Circus. Also fun are the several guided walking tours in the evenings.


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## oroy38 (Nov 11, 2009)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> You do know that Windsor Castle is outside London? And that Stonehenge is nowhere even remotely near London?
> 
> That said, give Stonehenge a miss, the journey there isn't worth the anti-climax that nearly EVERYBODY experiences.
> And why Wigmore Hall?


I am well aware of the locations of Windsor Castle and Stonehenge. I'm more interested in the opportunity for photography at Stonehenge than the actual place itself.

And why Wigmore Hall? Well, it's a classical musician thing.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

oroy38 said:


> I am well aware of the locations of Windsor Castle and Stonehenge. I'm more interested in the opportunity for photography at Stonehenge than the actual place itself.
> 
> And why Wigmore Hall? Well, it's a classical musician thing.


Okay. I was never impressed by the Wigmore, having been to several concerts there.
Don't forget the RAH. Among other performances, I saw Prince Charles sing there with his choir many, many years ago.
Also, there are several churches in central london that put on regular concerts. St Martins in the Field. And the "actors" church in Covent Garden. And the church in Piccadilly close to Geeen Park. Someone else will know the names of those last two, I for the life of me can't remember.


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## turban1 (May 29, 2008)

*wigmore*



Earl of Ormonde said:


> Okay. I was never impressed by the Wigmore myself having been to several concerts there..


Wigmore Hall is one of the finest, small concert halls in England, perhaps Europe. its acoustics are superb and its performers are often world-class. I go there as often as possible and not just because i live nearby.

but if one has no a great thirst for lieder, chamber music, song in solo or duet and so forth, sample the many other musical treats in which London is so very rich.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

turban1 said:


> Wigmore Hall is one of the *finest*, small concert halls in England, perhaps Europe. *its acoustics are superb* and its performers are often world-class. I go there as often as possible and not just because i live nearby.


It's all a matter of taste and opinion. I never liked the place.


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## Georgia36 (Jan 14, 2010)

Wow, I love London.. When I saw pictures of the places in London I really want to have a vacation there.. As of now.. I'm too busy can't even hang out with my friends.. But London really is a nice place.


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## cclayton79 (Nov 30, 2016)

The key to being in London is not limiting yourself to London - once your there its so easy to see so many other fantastic parts of the UK such as the Cotswolds, Windsor, Stonehenge or Bath. These are places that are so easily in reach and there are tours that can take you to these simply and easily or you can drive yourself... take a look a the below for example:



The other thing to remember is that London has an amazing West End scene - so you should look at shows that are on there, they are fabulous!


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

It's a safe bet that the OP has already made his trip to London.

Some of the advice he was given is clearly incorrect, but I hope he managed to enjoy his trip even so.


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