little help with london

wegotitugetit

wegotitugetit

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going for a couple of days tommorrow

we are hoping to travel via tube most of the places we don't have a lot of money so is there any free places worth going to see

i am going to natural history museum as thats free i belive

oyster cards are they worth it for 2 days traveling in london ????
 
loads of free places to go, natural history museum as mntioned, VA museum, Science Museum , British Museum, All along the south bank is great for photography, hyde park,, regents park etc ( if not to chilly ), not to everyones taste but the TATE modern on south bank is Free too. and the National gallery at trafalgar square also free st martins in the fields ( also trafalgar square
http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/visiting/opening-hours/
( photography also allowed )
should keep you going for a couple of days
plan ahead though as a couple of the museums are clustered together so do those one day and trafalgar /south bank the second day
 
thanks dean

got kids too so won't get all that done lol but will have a bloody good go at some of them

we hoping to see parlimient , town of london poppy's and as we taking a friend down there she is off to some theatre as she has no clue how the tubes work thats why I'm going done it a few years back but didn't get to do a great deal
 
ok.. its a route i do all the time... make your start point Tower of London for the poppies.. once done cross Tower bridge and head along south bank past city hall building and a the HMS belfast on the thames. a bit further along is shakespeares globe theatre too.. further along from that is millenium bridge and the Tate modern, then along to the south bank and the London eye ( mcdonalds right there for the kids if you dont mind that kinda thing ). then across westminster bridge and your at big ben and Parliament square
. heres a very basic map of route but google maps it so you can see better and you can look at tube stations / of just jump on bus if you wnat to miss bits out ).
If you and kids are a fan of Pizza.. honesly go Victoria station. the Pizza buffet place upstairs is to die for. its cheap, you get about 8 varieties of as much as you can eat pizza plus a massive free included salad bar which is awesome and for kids is about a fiver a head and 9 quid for adults with drink included.

the above is easily done in a day without pushing it or rushing ( say from 10pm until 4pm )
science museum, VA and Natural history are all free and within 100 yards of eachother.. you can get through 2 of them at most in a day.


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Dean's given a nice route.
I'd also want to include other free stuff. Others may disagree.
St James's Park.
Green Park.
Buck house.
A wander around SOHO.
St. Pauls.

So much to see. So little time.
 
as i mentioned about the pizza at VIctoria station you could actually go from trafalagar square, down the mall to buck palace and gree park ( horseguards parade too ) and then on to victoria for food.
eating in london is damn expensive expecially when you got a couple of adults and couple of kids hence why its worth knowing certain places.
if you want a "sit down low cost but reasonable fare meal.. slug and letttuce chain of pubs which are family based ( bit like a weatherspoons i guess ) can be found dotted around and wont break the bank .
 
When we went "up to town" last year, we did the NHM and SM and followed up with a meal at a middle eastern restaurant very close to them. Great nosh and a decent price too. Hopefully Yv or her Geysir will remember the exact location and maybe even the name of the place! We went the oyster card route since we were going into central London from Higher Barnet tube station.
 
in regards to oyster card they are capped at price of a day travel card anyway so either or as both are around the same.. however travel cards may actually work out a fraction cheaper as you have to pay £3 for each oyster card you need so for 4 thats £12 out your pocket straight away.. and a travel oyster card though cheaper takes 2-4 days to get online as it arrives pre topped up to the amount of your choice. so paper one day off peak travel cards may actually be better ( around £9 per adult i think now
 
Just back from a day in London, cable car across the Thames from the Excel to the dome, royal observatory to look at the astrophotography exhibition. Greenwich Park and maritime museum followed by walk through the tunnel under the Thames from the cutty sark to island gardens then DLR back to the city for my train home to Cambridge

Travelcard in with my rail ticket, all i paid for was the cable car and that was at a discount with the travelcard

Born and lived in the east end for forty years so do know my way around which helps, but can recommend all the above especially the cable car. Brilliant views across the city and canary wharf from the observatory, took a few photos, but should really have taken a wider lens

Was going to go back on the river clipper, also third off with travelcard, but ran out of time and daylight
 
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As mentioned above - lots of great museums but depends how old your children are and what they are interested in. There may be some free fireworks displays in the evenings and if you are staying near a hill might be worth (weather dependant) going to the top and looking at a view over London where there will probably be a number of displays.

As above Greenwich is great.

Tubes are fine - Londoners are not as unfriendly as people make out, if in doubt ask someone, or the station guard.

Keep in mind Tower Hill station is often being closed, but you can walk from Aldgate East tube station in 10 minutes or so.

Definitely go and see the outside of parliament - an amazing building. And of course Buckingham Palace.

Richmond Park is really nice, but a bit out of the way. Lots of deer. Regents and Hyde Park a lot closer probably to where you will be.

If are are staying in SE London, there is a museum near me, the Horniman Museum is excellent (like a smaller version of the Natural History museum - children love it) and Crystal Palace Park is also really nice with large Dinosaurs. Unless you are close though not worth the trip out if your first visit to town.

Enjoy!
 
Just remembered, lord mayors show on Saturday followed by fireworks and its all free.
 
Dont worry about Oyster cards if your bank/credit card has 'touch n go' as the Oyster system uses the same technology and you get charged the same fee as an Oyster card.
 
That didn't come out correct lol. Sorry just loving car in hotel as they charge you if you don't move before 9am even though it is free from 5pm -9am if you don't move the car you get charged for the overnight stay bloody stupid


Yes I was asking for the route to see if we will be near later on
 
wegotitugetit said:
Is it just me or all Londoners thick / don't know how to drive a car. Had 6 near misses never had them that close before within 10 mins been cut up 3 times aswell
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You get used to driving here very quickly. Of course you could also argue that you just don't know how to drive here yet too :)
 
One example is waiting to turn out of a side road, no point sitting there all day, get out halfway across the road when you have a chance
 
whit van drivers, cyclcists and buses all to be avoided like the plague when driving. other than that keep your window down ready to hurl abuse and where a blindfold while driving with your passenger yelling directions and you should be good to go :P
 
wegotitugetit said:
we are hoping to travel via tube most of the places we don't have a lot of money so is there any free places worth going to see
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My advice is to buy a street map and walk. I used to travel around London by tube until I was with a friend who lived there. We walked about and I realised that short trips I used to take by tube were much closer than I thought.

For me, no London trip is complete without a visit to the National Gallery in Trafalgar square and the National Portrait Gallery just around the corner.


Steve.
 
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Well fun 1st day

Not a great deal pics

But a warning to all around Westminster abbey my bag was opened without me realising it

Luckily my camera is not in that compartment as I have to take my bag off to get to my camera and thank god I bought it for that reason

Nothing taken by looks of it

Be careful guys
 
I'd recommend the citymapper app if you have a smartphone. Brilliant tube and London map. Updates on tube closures and delays. You put in your start and end destinations and it tells you what tube to take etc. The tube is very easy and maps on all platforms. Don't get an Oyster card. Get a Off Peak Travel Card... £9.20 and can be used all day after 9.30 a.m. on zones 1-6. You won't need to worry about crossing over zones or travelling during the afternoon peak time then. Depending on the age of your children, the science museum is free...although you are encouraged to make a £5 donation. Have a lovely trip.:)
 
When my children were teenagers and we would visit, they would always enjoy Camden market as there was lots to see and no compulsion to spend any money.

I remember a few years ago at work the conversation turned to days out and visiting London (about 100 miles away). I asked a colleague, a woman in her mid-fifties, if she had spent much time in our capital city: "I went once and didn't like it" she said. End of subject!
 
Cartus said:
I remember a few years ago at work the conversation turned to days out and visiting London (about 100 miles away). I asked a colleague, a woman in her mid-fifties, if she had spent much time in our capital city: "I went once and didn't like it" she said. End of subject!
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Seems reasonable!


Steve.
 
reminds me of one of the stories int he James Herriot books. He was talking to one of the farmers who had been to LOndon and hated it. asked why farmer said he couldnt get a decent stride on.. it was all " big steps little steps".. lol hasnt changed much in that respect , though not so many big steps now. more like little steps , stop, start
 
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