Thread: London Town

I have heard so much and seen lots about London, but i really would like to know what exactly is so special about Londin....Why would i spend my hard earned money on a trip to London?

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." - Samuel Johnson

A question like this is probably too tough to answer in a single forum post, but I'll have a quick go. Apart from golden beaches and sunshine, everything else you might be interested in is in London.

History fan? Visit the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, Jack the Ripper's trail.
Theatre goer? You've got a bunch of the best productions in the world on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Sports fan? A bunch of Premier League football clubs, and some excellent sports bars.
Sightseer? How about Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square
Museum lover? British Museum, V&A Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum

I could go on and on. London isn't exactly under-represented on the internet and in books, so you'll be able to find many, many reasons to come. I hope that, if you do, you have lots of fun!

You don't necessarily have to spend a lot of money in order to see the sights in London. You can take sightseeing tours on hop on-hop off buses where you decide to go where you choose to. This avoids you having to take London by foot - which is quite tiring based on experience. There are those that allow you to purchase unlimited rides for 24 hours or a week. From then, you can decide what you want to do. Once you have that in your belt, all you really need to be concerned with is lodging - there are quite a lot of bed and breakfasts around London that you can get at a cheap rate. It helps to canvas online. Whilst you are in the UK, I suggest going to the countryside and not just confining yourself to London.....the countryside is way better than London -- this is if you have enough days booked in your holiday.

I suppose London's attraction is different for everybody. Some people will go for the shopping, some people will go for the museums, some people will want to see it for the architecture. In my case, I was awed by the history. Here in the States, something is considered old if it dates back to the colonial days. You rarely see anything from before, aside from the occasional Native American arrowhead or other artifact. In London, you can visit palaces that are hundreds of years old. You can go to Westminster Abbey and see the oak door that's a thousand years old. You can go to baths that date back to the Roman times. You can even go to one of the many Neolithic monuments and see stones that were put in place long before recorded history. It's mind blowing.

There is a lot of brilliant art and history to be found in the city but the main selling point for me is the terrific shopping, although some of the fashion in London is slightly over zealous the main chunk of the shopping is simply fantastic. The food is also very good and there is always something different to try.

I went to London in November (bad choice in terms of weather but good in the sense that there weren't too many tourists). We took a free walking tour of the city (again, bad choice weather-wise, but very informative and entertaining). You only pay the guide if you enjoyed the tour otherwise you don't have to pay. We went to the main sites, Big Ben, London Bridge, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Windsor Castle.

I totally enjoyed myself (despite the cold). London really does have many things to offer!

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

I suppose London's attraction is different for everybody. Some people will go for the shopping, some people will go for the museums, some people will want to see it for the architecture. In my case, I was awed by the history. Here in the States, something is considered old if it dates back to the colonial days. You rarely see anything from before, aside from the occasional Native American arrowhead or other artifact. In London, you can visit palaces that are hundreds of years old. You can go to Westminster Abbey and see the oak door that's a thousand years old. You can go to baths that date back to the Roman times. You can even go to one of the many Neolithic monuments and see stones that were put in place long before recorded history. It's mind blowing.

I'm very fond of that, as well. The art and history is just breathtaking...especially for someone who spends the majority of their time in the States.

As Samuel Johnson once said, "If you're tired of London, then you're tired of life". You don't have to spend all your hard earned money. I spend a weekend there every few months (OK, I am only a 2 hour train journey away...!). You can get a Travel lodge near London Bridge for £20 a room a night, most of the museums are free, all the parks are free and of course all the sights are free. There's nothing nicer than spending a summer evening walking along side the Thames and the stopping for a drink in an old 17th Century pub (OK, maybe that's where all your hard earned money will go !) Most of the 'traditional' touristy places aren't worth it e.g. I've never seen the appeal of Madam Tussards, however if you are going to spend money on anything make sure it's the Tower of London. It may cost a bit, but it's a full day out.

Well - why spend your hard earned money on NYC or Tokyo or LA? Because you're not looking at a simple town or city - you're looking at a bunch of sites that have merged together. At least that's the appeal for me - finding lost pieces of history, stumbling across strange little enclaves, enjoying ethnic neighborhoods, scoping out the small shops (such finds), and of course - hunting for edible food... and/or fantastic liquor.

There's a lot in London, much more than we could put into one post, but despite living in the UK I've been there only twice. I found it very busy, which I didn't like, but at the same time you can really blend into the background while walking along a street, giving quite a nice feeling of anonymity.
I would recommend going to the Tower of London and on the London Eye.

London is a huge city with lots to do and take in from great Museums to great Theatres. You name it, London has it. With the London Eye, Tate Modern, The National Gallery and all the other amazing things to do, you are really just spoilt for choice in London. London just thrives on its diversity; treasuring thousands of years of history whilst embracing its creativity.

I visited London in February (not the best time, I know). I signed up for a free walking tour (you pay as much as you want and only if you feel that the guide had done his or her best!). It's called the London Free Tour and is run by a company called Sandemans. We went to Buckingham Palace, Kensington, and had a fantastic tour of the city of Westminster, where we walked outside the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
We even witnessed the changing of the guard, so it was definitely a great tour, if only the weather were better, but that's London weather for you.
I gave the nice chap who served as our guide 5 pounds; others gave more or less.

London is one amazing city really. I love the street food there and sitting in a pub with an ice cold beer and fish and chips is an amazing experience too. London does offer everything to everyone. The history buffs, the architecture lovers, the traditionalists and also the modernists. Uk and London in extension have many things peculiar to it like their high tea. I feel it's something only the Brits indulge in and it's a great experience too, eating cupcakes and muffins and scones and gossiping for hours and hours at end. The other posters have already talked about the main attractions but you got to try the food there. I am usually always about the food when I travel..haha...and oh yeah.. Indian food there is phenomenal, much better than the Indian food in United States.

There are many sites in london big ben, London eye etc you may be asking well whats good about a clock well its just sites people enjoy to look at but we are not just famous for that we are famous for our shops the clothes shopping in London is fantastic its great if your a shopper i'm not but if you are there are some great designer shops quite expensive but worth it if your coming once.