I was wondering if anyone out there has vacationed in London recently and if they have any traveler's tips?

Question

I would love to hear tips on how to get around London, the hotels and the sightseeing.

Answer 1

Tip #1 is a tube/bus pass. It is the cheapest way to get around, and you can get them for 1-3-7 days. Once you figure out the tubes and buses, you can really get anywhere pretty easily. note: buses are sometimes more enjoyable than tubes as at least you can see something.

Tip #2 is to review your hotel as best you can BEFORE booking. The website http://www.tripadvisor.com is a MUST before selecting a hotel. Coming from the US, I would look at the *star ratings* of UK hotels and subtract one to get a comparable US star rating.

Tip #3 is be prepared to pay quite a bit. The exchange rate is pretty rough on Americans, and basically things in the UK are the same amount, just a different symbol in front, i.e. a coke in the US is $1.50. A Coke in the UK is £1.50. After you do the conversion, you see the price of a drink double. Same with meals, shirts, shoes, etc. It's pretty expensive.

Tip #4 is try to do something non-touristy. Visit a city like Bath, Oxford, or Cambrige which are a relatively short train ride away. Take in a football game if you can to get a flavor of local life. Definitely try some Indian food, and visit some local markets on the weekends.

Have fun.

Answer 2

The absolute best hotel is called The Thistle Charing Cross Hotel. It is within walking distance to EVERYTHING (ok.. well most things). It's located directly on top of a subway (Tube) stop (I believe the stop is called the Charing Cross stop). There is an internet cafe across the street. The hotel is nice and clean. The staff is friendly. We had requested a non-smoking room, but got a smoking room instead. They didnt have any non-smoking rooms available, but said they would move our stuff to the new room when it was available. They asked us to leave our stuff and they would move it while we were out and we should check with them when we return. They moved our stuff just as asked and we got a nicer room. It's also located diagonally across the street from Trafalgar Sqaure and the museum that's there. It's a few blocks from the theater district, and Westminister Abbey. There's a McDonald's just around the corner from the hotel which was convenient also. It's also walking distance to lots of food and shopping. Anything that is too far away to walk to, you can take the Tube.. which is conveniently located literally 3 steps outside the doors of the hotel!!!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d193104-Reviews-Thistle_Charing_Cross-London_England.html

You can either walk anywhere or take the Tube to get there. There's no need for a taxi or a rental car. The best place to get money is probably your ATM card or bank. Banks have the best exchange rate. You should find out where the Half Price Ticket Booth is. It's within a few blocks of the hotel in a park. You can purchase 1/2 price theather tickets if you are interested in watching a musical or play. The tickets for same day shows.

Answer 3

Well the first thing.. DO NOT RENT A CAR! You can't get anywhere by car in London. I recommend the Tube and the Bus. They also have Taxi's but they arn't going to be very cheap. They have a great transportation system. You will probably walk more in the time your in london then you have in your entire life! haha... I think I walked more the week I was there then I can ever imagine!
You can get really great maps off their sites and also if you go to the train station in London they have maps all over on where things are and how to get there. Also most of the people i ran into seemed very nice to help but they wont just offer help- lol
But most buses and trains will get you anywhere you need to go in London! Hope you have fun there I sure did! Im going back in March! lol :)