UK - London and area

[Cooked Rice]

I've been interested in traveling to the UK for quite some time. And I finally have a little bit of time and money to do so now. It's just so vast I am unsure of where to start. So what are some things I have to check out while i'm there? Also what is the best way to get around, best area to stay in etc?

I'm planning on going in Sept. and hitting up the year end JDM Driftstars finale at Silverstone to finish off my trip. I'm planning on staying about a week. Also if any fellow DJs know any good record shops with a large selection of vinyl and cds?

[Feruk]

I'd say definitely spend a couple days in London. I'd see Parliament, Westminster Abbey, London Tower (they have a pretty good tour here), Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace. You know, all the famous stuff.

Also when in London, if you're hostelling stay as FAR away from Palmer's Lodge as you can! WORST hostel I have ever stayed at (despite being in top 4 on hostels.com). I have alot of bad to say, but let's sum it up this way: if you enjoy an overpowering smell of BO so bad that you have to wash all your clothes at the next city you go to, then Palmer's Lodge is for you. I also stayed at the Generator hostel in London; great place.

[kaput]

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[Cooked Rice]

10 days or so. I don't get affected by jet lag.

What is the best way to get around? Is the transit system easy to use for a tourist?

[kertejud2]

Originally posted by Cooked Rice
10 days or so. I don't get affected by jet lag.

What is the best way to get around? Is the transit system easy to use for a tourist?

The tube is easy as it gets really. If you know what station you want to go to, there's nothing to it. Getting your bearings when leaving the station is generally the hard part for most.

If you've never been, I'd recommend the Big Bus Tour. Takes you to all the big sights (with a guide) and its good fr 24 hours so it can double as a transit pass pretty much. Better than trying to get around on the city buses and more informative as well. The Jack the Ripper Tour was pretty cool as well if you're into that sort of thing.

I'd also recommend making it up to Edinburgh. Better place to party, lots of sights and history to take in as well.

[kaput]

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[JWL]

I live in London right now, this post will be kinda all over the place...

What ppl have recommended is a good start. Like what someone said, the Big Bus Tour will stop at all the big tourist spots. Definitely do the tour of Westminster Abbey - it's amazing inside. Just make sure you stand in the correct line (I should say queue), one is for credit cards and other one is cash.

There are a lot of small hotels close to Victoria station. Not sure what's they're like, but that area is pretty convenient transportation wise.

On the weekends, there are lots of cool markets you can check out. One of my faves is Camden Town Market cuz it's a place to get some "one off" items. Another cool market is Brick Lane and there are TONS of East Indian restaurants. If you're a foodie, there is the Borough Market near the Westminster tube station. You can actually walk along the Thames from the London Eye to the Market, it will probably take you about an hour or two, depending if you stop to take pics, etc. The Borough market is only open on Fridays and Saturdays.

There is also Picadilly/Oxford Circus if you want to do some shopping (not the cheapest of all places).

I would skip the Buckingham tour and do London Tower. I wasn't too impressed with Buckingham. If you have time, take the train to Windsor Castle.

All museums are free to get in unless you want to check out an exhibit. The Imperial War Museum is quite something as well as the Natural History Museum.

Not sure if you're into Musicals, but that would be something worthwhile to see... Wicked was pretty amazing.

Food wise, if you're on a schedule and budget, hit up any Pret-a-Manger for some good quality sandwiches and salads. Definitely try the ciders out here, it's nothing compared to what you get in Canada. Their ales are tasty as well.

That's all I can think of right now, but feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Have fun planning!

[kaput]

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[JWL]

Originally posted by kaput
Do the Wetherspoon pubs still have the £5 burger and beer deals?

I don't think I've been to a Wetherspoon pub before, there are so many pubs out here. But looking at their website, it doesn't look like they have their £5 special.

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by Cooked Rice
10 days or so. I don't get affected by jet lag.


i thought the same thing, going to HK and back I never get jet lag, but man going to London, jet lag hit me big fucking time, I arrived early in the morning, slept through most of the day, but was up and ready to go out n party by the time night came around.

FYI this is going to be a partying/ shopping post for the most part...

If you're into partying, Leicester square is the place to be for the most part.

If you find you have some spare time, take a walk through hyde park to kensington, in kensington you'll get to the science museum and the royal albert hall, also its quite the balling residents area, you'll see plenty of nice cars there.

Whether you're into shopping or not, oxford street is a good place to go and take a look at things, you'll spot A LOT of nice cars driving up and down this road, also when you're here, get lost. Walk through the side roads, where you'll see smaller interesting boutiques, the bape store is somewhere there, also you'll find a bunch of small, good eating places.

If you're not really into designer clothes, but you want to pick up some new gear and don't want to spend a lot, Topman is a good place to shop at. High quality jeans and shirts, I get all my jeans sent to me from a friend living there. You'll leave with money in your pocket for sure.

Harvey Nichols is your one stop shop for all your high end stuff, marc jacobs, harvey nichols, bbc, d&g, y-3 etc etc.

Chinatown is lame. Don't bother.

[Cooked Rice]

Is kensington a good area to book a hotel in terms of it's distance to attractions etc?

[JWL]

Originally posted by Cooked Rice
Is kensington a good area to book a hotel in terms of it's distance to attractions etc?

Absolutely! West, South or High Street Kensington are pretty posh areas. I would say places closest to the South Kensington tube would be ideal as you have access to the Circle, District and Piccadilly lines. It's also close to the Natural History Museum, Harrods (aka high end shopping), etc.

[Bladeh]

I've booked the Best Western Victoria Palace for a couple of nights in end of May, got good reviews. 10 minute walk to the major attractions, I'll let you know if it works out.

[ExtremeSi]

I'm planning on heading there in May too. Some good advice in this thread! Any other things to check out?

Anyone how how much I can expect to pay to rent a car just walking up to a rental place? And what is the cheapest car rental place? Do I need an international driver's licence there or is my AB one fine?

[JWL]

Honestly, I would not drive... there is no need to drive in London as public transportation here is really good. The roads are pretty crazy and so are the drivers. It can be expensive if you are driving in the city cuz they will charge you for congestion and parking is expensive. I would only rent a car if you want to explore outside of London... then again the trains are pretty good.

[heinz256]

Speaking of exploring outside of london...you could check out stonehenge and Bath. If soccer is your thing, you could go watch a premier league game or take a tour of stamford bridge