I am an American who wants to visit London for the first time in the near future. I am not sure what area I should be looking into if I want to find a hotel and see a great deal of the city. I would like to be in the middle of it all. What locations do you suggest are the best if I am interested in experiencing London as if I live there? Thanks.
2007-03-09 08:19:18 · 6 answers · asked by amandakosborne 2 in Travel ➔ United Kingdom ➔ London
It really depends on what you are into. To get in the thick of it all, I suggest staying in the centre of town. I lived in Bloomsbury for a semester in college, and there was plenty to do within walking distance. Your best bet is to find a map of the Tube (their subway system) and try to find hotels/hostels within Zones 1 or 2. You can easily get to Buckingham Palace, the houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Harrod's, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, etc. by using the Tube system. However, note that it can be sort of expensive to take a cab from the airport to this part of the city-- pack as light as you can and take a train.
Some of my favorite things to do? West End theatre. Some theatres will offer student discounts (if that applies to you), and others will sell discounted front row seats to the first customers of the day. Museums are generally free-- go to the National Gallery to see priceless works of art. Take the bus to Hackney and go to the Burberry outlet-- you can find lots of neat stuff!
Hungry? London has some amazing restaurants. I recommend Punjab off of Neal St. in Covent Garden as my favorite place to get Indian. The Grand Bazaar (on James St., off of Oxford St.) has really awesome Turkish food.
Those were just some of my favorite things to do. Hope you have a blast!
2007-03-09 08:39:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the activity is in the West End of London, although you'll still want to access other areas. Transport is excellent to all points.
As a first step you need to research what you want to do. so I've given you a link to the Official Visit London site.
The next step is to decide where you you want to stay, what budget, what star rating and amenities that are important to you. So I've given you a tool at Cheaper than Hotels in London , where you can sort by these things and receive discounts and free inclusions
Areas in the West End are Kensington, Marble Arch , Mayfair , Hyde Park , Earls Court - so I've given you some handy linsk to check this through. Cheap places are Earls Court ( very basic ) and luxury to moderate in the others.
I hope this helps
Good luck with your planning:
2007-03-09 09:44:30 · answer #2 · answered by Snowman1234 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch. Walk through the Park to Harrods and do a lot of shopping.
Be sure to feed the Pigeons in Trafalgar Square and visit the National Gallery. At night -
go to the Opera or the Theatre.
Have Tea at Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly.
2007-03-09 16:28:49 · answer #3 · answered by fatsausage 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am an American who lived there for a couple months. I lived in the West end in Marylebone/Mayfair area. It was right in the middle of everything and I could walk almost everywhere I wanted to go. If you don't want to stick out as a tourist, rent a flat for a couple weeks instead of renting a hotel room. Craigslist might be a good place to look. Sometimes its cheaper than a hotel too.
2007-03-09 08:36:47 · answer #4 · answered by Eisbär 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The London Pass is the ultimate complement to a London sightseeing trip, offering FREE entry to over 55 of the best London tourist attractions with one affordable ticket.
As well as free entry, the London Pass gets you freebies and discounts at loads of restaurants, shops and entertainment options around the city, plus at many tourist attractions it allows you to skip the queues.
From the Tower of London to London Zoo, the best things to do in London are free with a London Pass, and if you opt for a London Pass with travel, public transport in London is free too.
http://www.londonpass.com
For Hotels try Park City, Chesterfield Mayfair, or the Milestone, for further info on these properties visit http://www.tripadvisor.com They are listed as the top 3 hotels. There are reviews posted their from people who have just returned.
Happy Planning =)
2007-03-09 08:33:52 · answer #5 · answered by flightpillow 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well definatly~ Harrods~ ....I also found that I ate a lot of Indian food there and it was near Knightbridge ~ of course Windsor Castle too~ don't forget~...I mainly hung out in Oxford though~
2007-03-10 07:14:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋