Welcome to the final Travel Prep for our adventure to England & Scotland and Wales. In this session, we’ll wander thru the planning for our five days and six nights in the at times overwhelming but incredibly satisfying London! We’ll use our process to help us determine:
- What we should see
- Where we should sleep
- Where/what we should eat.
This is day 19 – 24 of our England/Scotland/Wales adventure. We’ll catch the train in York and find ourselves delivered in London in just over 2 hours. We’ll eat London in little chunks – not letting it overwhelm us. 🙂
600 miles of urban jungle… that is how our patron saint Rick Steves describes London in his Great Britain Guidebook. Many have described the feeling of being in England as making them “feel small”. It is like slamming Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City… all together.
It’s a city of 8 million separate dreams, inhabiting a place that tolerates and encourages them.
London has long attracted tourists… it seems perpetually at your service. It’s list of sights, places and eateries, all linked by the tube and bus… is simply incredible. With only a few days here, no one gets more than a quick dip. But with some planning – and some help from Saint Rick and Saint Lonely Planet, we hope to get a good sampling of the city’s top sights, history and cultural entertainment.
The sights in London along could easily fill a trip to England. Easily a week. But since we’re here for three weeks… I am going to take Rick’s advice… kind of. He suggests three full days. But this is the place my wife has dreamed about… this is what she wants to see. Most everything before now was for me. So let’s not do three… let’s do four and a partial five.
We’re not going to see everything. We’re not even going to try. I’m guessing that once Jackie experiences England… she’ll want to come back.
I think some of Rick Steve’s best work is how he describes London. He suggests you see it as an old town in the city center. Don’t think about the modern, congested sprawl around it. Even at this smaller perspective, it is HUGE!
The Thames River (pronounced “tems”) runs west to east through the city. Most items are on the north bank. If you look at a tube (subway) map, you’ll see a circular line in the old city… if you think of everything in or just outside this tube, you’ll be covering 80% of the main sights in the city of London.
For our Day 19 start, we need to get to London. We dropped our car in York, remember. And there is NO WAY I’d suggest anyone drive into London. We’ll take the train. From York, it is a touch over two hours before we arrive into London. From there we’ll take a cab out to our Bed & Breakfast in the Kennsington area. Once settled in (a bit after noon), we’ll play it be ear… we’ve got tickets to a show on the West End and we’ll grab dinner out here.
What should we see?
With these 11 other travel preps, I’ve normally included two or three lists – (1) In my opinion, the “Must Sees”, (2) Other suggested sites that may interesting to you and (3) unique smaller sites that might be exactly your thing. London’s lists are… well… HUGE. Just a quick note… be sure to take a look at Rick Steve’s App on Audio Europe. He has some fantastic tours that you can take… such as a Westminster Walk, British Museum, British Library, St. Paul’s Cathedral… I could go on. I for certain will take in Rick’s Westminster Walk, his British Museum and British Library tours. Here are the big sights to see for certain:
Westminster Abbey – this is simply the greatest church in the English-Speaking world. It is where England’s Kings and Queens have been crowned and buried since 1066. The Abbey has many stories to tell… Rick has a nice self-guided tour that you can read along with.
Churchill War Rooms – Offers a fascinating walk through the underground headquarters of the British governments WWII fight against the Nazis in the darkest days of the Battle of Britain. It has two parts: the war rooms themselves, and a top-notch museum dedicated to the man who steered the war from here, Winston Churchill.
St. Martin-in-the-fields – This Church, built in the 1720s with a gothic spire atop a Greek-Style temple, is an oasis of peace on wild and noisy Trafalgar Square. St. Martin cared for the poor. “in the fields” was where the first church stood on this spot (13th century), between Westminster and the City. Stepping inside, you still feel a compassion for the needs of the people in this neighborhood – the church serves the homeless and houses a Chinese community center. The modern east window – with grillwork bent into the shape of a warped cross – was installed in 2008 to replace one damaged in World War II.
Buckingham Palace – the working headquarters of the British monarchy, Buckingham Palace is where the queen carries out her official duties as the head of state. She and other members of the royal family also maintain apartments here. James I (1603-1625) first brought the site under royal protection as a place for his mulberry plantation, for rearing silkworms.
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is the spectacle every London visitor has to see at least once: stone-faced, bearskin-hatted guards changing posts with much fanfare, accompanied by a brass band.
It takes place right in front of Buckingham Palace, but before and after that, over the course of about an hour, several guard-changing ceremonies and parades converge within a few hundred yards of Buckingham Palace in a perfect storm of red-coated pageantry. We’ll follow Saint Rick’s plan for taking it all in – be sure to revisit the video events of the day once it is posted. 🙂
British Museum – Simply put, this is the greatest chronicle of civilization… anywhere. A visit here is like taking a long hike through Encyclopedia Britannia National Park. The vast Museum wraps around its Great Court, with the most popular sections filling the ground floor: Egyptians, Assyrian, and ancient Greek, with the famous frieze sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. I hope to be able to see those this time… that exhibit was closed during my visit last August. The Museum’s stately Reading Room – famous as the place where Karl Marx hung out while formulating his ideas on communism and writing Das Kapital – sometimes hosts special exhibits.
British Library – In just two rooms, there are the literary treasures of Western civilization, from early Bibles to Shakespeare’s Hamlet to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland to the Magna Carta. The British Empire built its greatest monuments out of paper, it’s through literature that England made her most lasting and significant contribution to civilization and the arts.
St. Paul’s Cathedral – Wren’s most famous church is the great St. Paul’s, it’s elaborate interior capped by a 365-foot dome. Since World War II, St. Paul’s has been Britain’s symbol of resistance. Despite 57 nights of bombings, the Nazis failed to destroy the cathedral, thanks to St. Paul’s volunteer fire watchmen, who stayed on the dome.
Tower of London – The Tower has served as a castle in wartime, a king’s residence in peacetime, and, most notoriously, as the prison and execution site of rebels. You can see the crown jewels, take a witty Beefeater tour, and ponder the executioner’s block that dispensed with troublesome heirs to the throne and a couple of Henry VIII’s wives.
Greenwich – Time permitting, we hope to take a boat downstream to Greenwich. This borough of London is a brief half-hour boat ride from downtown. Along with majestic, picnic-perfect parks are the stately trappings of Britain’s proud nautical heritage – the restored Cutty Sark clipper, the over-the-top ornate retirement home for sailors at the Old Royal Naval College, and the comprehensive National Maritime Museum are found here. It is also the home to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, with a fine museum on how Greenwich Mean Time came to be and a chance to straddle the eastern and western hemispheres at the prime meridian.
If you are a broadway nut like my wife is… we can’t pass up an opportunity to take in a Big West End Show. Nearly all the big-name shows are hosted in the theaters of the West End, clustering around Soho between Piccadilly and Covent Garden. With a centuries-old tradition of pleasing the masses, they present London theater at its grandest. We’ll take in a play that Jackie has never seen before… I am hoping she likes it as much as I did! 😊
Here is my list of other great items to see… if it is underlined it is highlighted by the good folks at Lonely Planet:
- National Gallery
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Covent Garden
- Imperial War Museum
- Tate Modern
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- Tate Britain
- Natural History Museum
- Cutty Sark
- Kew Gardens
- Hampton Court Palace
Finally, here is my list of the less known (and visited), but might be exactly your thing. 🙂 Underlined? Recommended by Lonely Planet:
- House of Parliament
- Trafalgar Square
- St. Martin-in-the-fields
- Changing of the Guard – Buckingham Palace
- London Eye
- Millennium Bridge
- National Army Museum
- Apsley House (Wellington Museum)
- Hyde Park and Speaker’s Corner
- Science Museum
- Tower Bridge
- Banqueting House
- Piccadilly Circus
- Soho
- London Transport Museum
- Courtauld Gallery
- State Rooms at Buckingham Palace
- Sir Joan Soane’s Museum
- Wallace Collection
- Madame Tussauds Waxworks
- Sherlock Holmes Museum
- Old Bailey
- The Guildhall
- Museum of London
- Old Royal Naval College
- Painted Hall
- National Maritime Museum
- Royal Observatory Greenwich
- The Docklands
- Monument
- Sky Garden
Where to Stay?
London is an expensive city for sleeping. From the list of sights I’ve just covered, you can see we’ll be covering some territory. So something in the right neighborhood and near a good tube location. For the family fun B&B’s – contact them directly if you can – they may offer you a discount since they avoid the commission of the mass web-sites. Book well in advance… before your tickets for sights or even before airfare. In the big cities, its bed before flight for me. 😊
Saint Rick breaks things as normal into neighborhoods:
Victoria Station
The streets right behind the Victoria station teem with little, moderately priced (at least for London) Bed & Breakfasts. It’s a safe neighborhood without a hint of the trashy, touristy glitz of the streets close by.
South Kensington
Stay on a quiet street so classy it doesn’t even allow hotel signs… this upscale area has plenty of colorful restaurants and easy access to Victoria & Albert and Natural History Museum… for the shoppers Harrods and the designer shops of King’s Road and Chelsea are nearby.
Rick Steve’s calls the Aster House – found in a lovely Victorian town house, his “home in London). It is run by Simon and Leonie Tan. Rick describes it as a stately and sedate place, with 13 comfy rooms, a cheerful lobby, and lounge.
Near Earl’s Court
This neighborhood is a nice compromise between local-feeling and accessible to travelers. It has a stately residential feel, and a high concentration of high-capacity, relatively expensive hotels. Soho travelers might consider one of the several quality chains here.
During my August stay, I lodged at the Henley House… very central, reasonably quiet, and really good for traveling solo.
Bayswater, Notting Hill, and Nearby
From the core of the tourist’s London, vast Hyde Park spreads west, eventually becoming Kensington Gardens. Along the northern edge of the park sits Bayswater, with a cluster of good-value, reasonably priced accommodations in an area that’s sleepy and very “homely” (Cozy). Your money will go a bit farther here than other parts of London.
North London
These hotels are north of Regent Street, a long walk or quick Tube or Bus ride from the lively Soho area and Hyde Park. These the closest hotels on Rick’s list to central London, and they are also some of the most expensive. The wide streets and grand homes (Including Sherlock Holmes’) gives this area an elegant aura…
Lastly – Near Covent Garden
Pricey but oh so central… are a short walk from Covent Gardens, in the heart of the action.
Here is a compilation of the hotels from Saint Rick and the Lonely Planet (By neighborhoods as identified by Rick Steves):
Victoria Station Neighborhood
- Lime Tree Hotel
- B&B Belgravia
- Luna Simone Hotel
South Kensington
- Aster House
- Number Sixteen
- The Pelham Hotel
Near Earl’s Court
- K+K Hotel George
- NH London Kensington
- The Nadler Kensington
- Henley House Hotel
Bayswater, Notting Hill and Nearby
- Vancouver Studios
- Phoenix Hotel
- London House Hotel
- Princes Square Guest Accomodation
- Garden Court Hotel
- Portobello Hotel
North London
- The Sumner Hotel
- Charlotte Street Hotel
- The Mandeville Hotel
Covent Gardens
- Fielding Hotel
What/Where to Eat?
Far from the dated stereotypes of dreary British food, London is one of Europe’s great food cities. Whether it is Eating Well, sharing hearty pub fare with the blokes, or venturing out to find the latest hotspot, eating out is an essential part of the London Experience. Sheer variety is the name of the game… it is simply astonishing.
Saint Rick does a nice job of separating them by neighborhood. Get his guidebook for sure if eating well (or great pub fare) is on your must-do list. See the blog for this video for a few highlighted names by neighborhood. Here are what Jackie and I are going to give a try:
Andrew Edmunds Restaurant – a tiny, candlelit space where you’ll want to try your hardest to not act like a tourist. 😊 Rick describes it as a little place – with a loyal clientele – is the closest he has found to Parisian quality in a cozy restaurant in London. The extensive wine list, modern European cooking, and creative seasonal menu are worth the splurge
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Café in the Crypt is – as Rick describes – just right for a tasty meal on a monk’s budget. It might be served on a monk’s tomb. 😊 It is a buffet style that is kept stocked all day – serving breakfast, lunch and dinner – all hearty.
The Anglesea Arms – with a great terrace buried in a classy South Kensington residential area, is a destination pub that feels like the classic neighborhood favorite. Rick Steves describes it as a thriving and happy place, with a woody ambience. While the food is the main draw, this is also described as a fine place to just have a beer.
Temper Soho – aims to please carnivores. From the nondescript office-block entrance, Rick describes descending to a cozy, stylish cellar filled with rich smoke and meat grilling on open fires.
Finally, on the edge of Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue from the ornate gates, clatter and dim sum of Chinatown, we’ll find the Y Ming Chinese Restaurant. Rick describes the service as serious but helpful. The food authentic Northern Chinese.
I’ll wrap up this rather long (sorry) session with my currated eats – both the “Eating – Well” list and the “Eating – Pub” list – again by neighborhood as identified by Rick Steves:
Heart of Soho
- Andrew Edmunds
- Temper Soho
- Bocca di Lupo
- Nopi
Near Carnaby Street
- Dishroom
Near Covent Garden
- Dishroom
- Shapur Indian Restaurant
Near Trafalgar Square
- Terroirs Wind Bar
Victoria Station
- The Thomas Cubitt
Near Bayswater
- Hereford Road
Notting Hill
- Geales
- Mazi
Near Kensington Gardens
- Maggie Jones
- The Shed
Here is the Eating – Pub list:
- Old Brewery (Greenwich)
- Cafe in the Crypt
- Bao
- Seafresh Fish
- Anglesa Arms
Pubs – by tube stop!
Helborn
- Princess Louise
Blackfriars
- The Black Friar
Temple
- The Old Bank of England
Victoria
- The Jugged Har
Bank
- The Courting House
A bit longer than other posts… but London is a huge place! I hope you have found this helpful. Next up will be the actual trip – we can’t wait to have you join us on our adventure!