London calling

[krau]

Going to London for a long weekend (Thursday to Sunday). What should I do?

[JebblehMooo]

Bring Money.

Lots of it.

But keep it safe in a coat breast pocket or something.
Hyde Parks good :) Madame Tussauds, Hard Rock Cafe, look at the back alley nick nack shops Natural History Museum (free to get in), The Tate Gallery... lots to do!

[gembird]

Ooh, ooh, Camden!

But only buy things from the market stalls, the shops are fucking expensive.

[Kratzenbourg]

Return home as soon as you can. London is rubbish.

[krau]

Bring Money.

Lots of it.

But keep it safe in a coat breast pocket or something.
Money, no problem!

Is it really that dangerous in London? Even New York sounds more pick-pockety to me but I never witnessed a crime during my time there. I'm bringing my way-too-precious camera and planning to keep it with me all times (not visibly hanging around my neck though). Any need to worry?

And what about restaurant manners, here in Finland waiters are usually rude and food is awful, therefore only tourists leave tip. Anything special about eating at a restaurant?

[jonffm]

Ooh. I made a thread like this in Feburary. My tips from my visit;

London Eye - looks good, but we never went on it because they refuse to run it in shit weather.

London Dungeons - Totally worth the high ticket price. Really quite alot of fun, but it sure goes on for a while!

The Aquarium - Shit. Stay well away. Fucking awfull and felt robbed...if I wanna see Trout, i'll go to a sodding river. Very few interesting species on show.

Tate Modern - Absolute toss in my opinion, but its free if you're stingey.

National Gallery - Awesome. Bloody massive but every room is full of absolutly astonishing artwork. REAL art. *ahem*....*points to the point above*

Sightseeing - All the major sights are all fun to see, but they can be really really crowded, obviously.


With crime...just be sensible. Keep your wallet in your FRONT pocket, and keep everything where you can see it at all timers....aka, wearing a backpack is asking for it and there ARE pickpockets lurking on the tubes and they WILL steal your goods if you give them the chance.

With restaurants....service is usually NOT included so tip around 10%, more if you reckon the service was really that good. My top tip; theres a noodle bar in Baywater a few doors down from Tescos. The service there is so good, we ate there 3/5 nights and their girls who are from canada tipped their remaining holiday money on the last night, which for 3 nights service ended up being about a £30 tip. They really were sodding excellent.

Have fun!

[GorillaBearBear]

Clubbing. Fabric, The End or Turnmills for preference. The egg is supposed to be good, too.

Other than that, I don't really know what to suggest. There's such a massive amount to do in London, and I barely do any of it because I saw most of the touristy stuff as a kid. Nowadays I go there mostly just to catch up with my bro and sister, and have a few drinks and stuff.

If you're into your 1960s music you might get a kick out of going to The Troubadore in Earl's Court. Little cafe bar that was the location for Bob Dylan's first UK gig, amongst others. A lot of musical knick knacks and silly arty types in there. Nice beer, pretty good food.

I don't know what's on in the V&A right now, but they quite often have decent exhibitions on, and they're near natural history museum. Science Museum is always good fun. If you fancy a walk and it's a nice day I'd recommend taking a walk round the Docklands area.

Don't really know what else to suggest.

EDIT: Only go to the Tate Modern if you are open minded, and prepared to think a little bit about what you see there. When I went, quite a lot of it was wank, but there were some really fantastic pieces in there if you were just prepared to think about them a little bit.

EDIT 2: With regards to crime and that. Depends where you go really. Pick pocketing is rife around touristy areas, I think, although I've never been pick pocketed. Just be careful if you have a backpack. As for the rest of it, well, you're not that likely to get mugged in the daytime.

[Timmeh]

Crime isn't as bad as people make out, just don't act like an idiot and flash large amounts of cash.

Food is generally good as long as you apply the principle of "you get what you pay for". I've never had impolite serving staff, so I don't imagine that'll be a problem either.

Anyway, if it's your first time, be a tourist; Tower of London, Buckingham Palace (make sure to go when a changing of the guards is imminent), Madame Tussauds, London Eye, London Dungeons are all musts. Then I suppose it's mostly down to how much time you have left and what your interests are, but other things that are great if not musts are the Imperial War museum, Shakespeare's Globe and The BBC experience. If you're really fast, while they don't characterise London as such also pop in to the Science and Natural history museums; they're free, right next to each other and both absolutely brilliant. :)

[jonffm]

EDIT: Only go to the Tate Modern if you are open minded, and prepared to think a little bit about what you see there. When I went, quite a lot of it was wank, but there were some really fantastic pieces in there if you were just prepared to think about them a little bit.


Yeah but that's all modern 'art' is. They throw down an object and say "What do you make of this?", mostly appealing to those who enjoy overanalysing things but mainly to just plain pretentious twats. The latest exhibit is a crack in the floor. A crack. In the floor. Deep. Literally. O i see wut tey did thar. :trex:


But one thing I forgot with London - Soho. It's actually really quite nice there and I enjoyed a few pretty interesting meals.

Oh...and go to Yo! Sushi. I sodding hate sushi, but it's a big deal or something these days. :rolleyes: ...unless you're a Russian Spy, then you should probably give it a miss.

[BlueIncaPilot]

Go to Madamme Tussauds (spelling?) and in the Chamber of Horrors. Oh the fun I had in there.

[GorillaBearBear]

Yeah but that's all modern 'art' is. They throw down an object and say "What do you make of this?", mostly appealing to those who enjoy overanalysing things but mainly to just plain pretentious twats. The latest exhibit is a crack in the floor. A crack. In the floor. Deep. Literally. O i see wut tey did thar. :trex:


But one thing I forgot with London - Soho. It's actually really quite nice there and I enjoyed a few pretty interesting meals.

Oh...and go to Yo! Sushi. I sodding hate sushi, but it's a big deal or something these days. :rolleyes: ...unless you're a Russian Spy, then you should probably give it a miss.

No, that's the stuff you hear about in the news because people complain that it isn't art apparently. I fin d it strange that supposedly liberal minded people can be so conservative in this one area.

I would cite examples of modern art that is genuinely interesting and why I think that - and why it's not just me overanalysing I guess, but I don't want to hijack this so perhaps I will make a debate topic.

[basstard]

Yeah but that's all modern 'art' is. They throw down an object and say "What do you make of this?", mostly appealing to those who enjoy overanalysing things but mainly to just plain pretentious twats. The latest exhibit is a crack in the floor. A crack. In the floor. Deep. Literally. O i see wut tey did thar. :trex:

Having said that, the Tate Modern's previous 'big art display' was fantastic - the twirly slides that went from the top floor to the ground floor.

I'm not just saying this because I am a 5 year old at heart (well, I am) but if you looked up the artist's books and info, you learnt he was genuinely into slides as both a means of transportation, as emergency escapes and so on. And some of his concepts were intriguing (he had thought through a lot of maths, and planned out a city block all interconnected with slides).

[skoo]

A urinal in a perspex box is not art. It's taking the piss.

[jonffm]

Having said that, the Tate Modern's previous 'big art display' was fantastic - the twirly slides that went from the top floor to the ground floor.

I'm not just saying this because I am a 5 year old at heart (well, I am) but if you looked up the artist's books and info, you learnt he was genuinely into slides as both a means of transportation, as emergency escapes and so on. And some of his concepts were intriguing (he had thought through a lot of maths, and planned out a city block all interconnected with slides).

That was on when I went in Feb. It WAS fun, but i'll protest to the death that it isn't art :p

But hay, go there for the gift shop anyways.

[Mr stabby]

Go next Sunday instead and meet me :D
Off to the film festival.
Is it possible to get into clubs underage? Hypothetically of course.

[jonffm]

Probably not. Every club I saw had doormen - so unless you look well over 21, and possibly don't get asked (Though...don't they just I.D everyone now?), you're not getting in.

Hypothetically.

[GorillaBearBear]

A good club? No chance.

[Dr_nwa]

Go next Sunday instead and meet me :D
Off to the film festival.
Is it possible to get into clubs underage? Hypothetically of course.
Unfortunately, no.

London is one of the few places I always take ID, because even with a beard I still get hit in pubs and clubs :/

As for crime, I've never ever been mugged in london. The only people I know who have been were generally idiots and wandering around with ipod, phone and obviously lots of cash on show

[Mr stabby]

Oh well, no harm in asking.
I'll have to find another way to kill time on a night till 1am, or just go back to my hotel room like a little girl.
Either that or find a shit back alley club.

[GorillaBearBear]

You might, might have a chance at some of the rock/metal clubs in Camden? I don't know, but all my mates seemed to go to those underage. Not really my scene, though.

[Mr stabby]

Depends how metal it is, because I like a bit of rock, just not too heavy.
I get told I look older quite often, but I have no form of fake ID.
Plus I have no idea whereabouts in London we are staying, pfft.

[basstard]

As for crime, I've never ever been mugged in london. The only people I know who have been were generally idiots and wandering around with ipod, phone and obviously lots of cash on show

I was scammed out a fiver in London.

Always check what you are buying is a Big Issue and not a folded up free magazine.

And then remember Big Issue sellers will never ask for more than 1 quid.

In my defence I was tired and waiting for CoX to show up

[Mittwoch]

I've never been pickpocketed in London either. to be honest (as i always normally skate around the subject, mostly i plain lie) I think it's just a case of keeping whatever valuables you have close to you, in places where people can't get their hands without you noticing (oo-er).

I can't give much input on what to do there because when I visit it's usually to stay with friends but we always put a day aside to wander around oxford street then down berwick street (s'where the record shops are if you're into that) and mill around soho a bit - I recommend this, it's nice even to just look around and take everything in. Chinatown is great too, good food and relatively cheap.

Oh and Camden, that is, if you're prepared to come out smelling like a hippie. One tip - if you're buying stuff there make sure if you're carrying a lot of money to keep little bits in seperate pockets, it makes for getting prices down easily. Stallholders will give you a price, and you can often get it down a fair amount by pulling out a little bit of money and saying that's all you have left.

P.S. Also walk a lot, as public transport is bloody extortionate unless you can pass as under 15.
P.P.S. You would probably be able to get into the Underworld in Camden, they have gigs most nights but maybe a bit too heavy? Depends on what's on really.

[i_stalk_badgers]

Eat at a Wagamamas

Lust at the contents of the shops in Carnaby Street

Be a big kid in Hamley's, but don't buy anything because it's ever so pricey.

Soho and Camden are fantastic fun

Go around as many markets as possible. Fantastic atmosphere, great food and fun trinkets.

Visit the British Museum

Visit the National Gallery

Walk as often as possible. You miss so much on the tube, and you'll generally end up in someone's sweaty armpit if you use it during rush hour.

[krau]

Cheerios from London! Madame Tussauds was crap and the tube ever so confusing. Besides that the journey was umm, nice. New adventures, new crap, but where.. Paris, Paris Texas, Paris Hilton, Tokyo, Barcelona, Sydney, Toronto - Reykjavik?

[Mat^]

Harrods, and try to get some viagra from Mohamed Al Fayed.

Apparenly he does this?

[Mister Qwerty]

Don't go to Paris. I went in July and it's full of tramps. Some people still say it's the most romantic city on the world, those people are idiots. The people are rude, they push past you, there's too much traffic, too many people trying to sell you crap. I advise you, don't go.

[vampiress]

So really, how cold am i going to be when I'm in London Nov 12?

It's not easy to buy winter coats in florida.

[Nocashvalue]

So really, how cold am i going to be when I'm in London Nov 12?

It's not easy to buy winter coats in florida.
Fairly chilly ;<