Things to do...

[Babylon]

I'm going to London for a few days soon and wondered what people recommend doing there?

Already going to see a show and got the London Eye booked so rules them out.

[Tommy G]

Lion King?

Hire a boat on the Thames & go to CoventGarden on a sunny day

[Babylon]

Lion King?

Hire a boat on the Thames & go to CoventGarden on a sunny day

Boat ride on the Thames, I like that one... already got the lion king tickets

[Finnegan]

Sod the tourist attractions.

Shop for a bit, fill your stomach in Misato (awesome, cheap, Japanese food - real Japanese, not some trendy chain do), tube up to Camden, pub crawl, dive into Koko or the Electric Ballroom, get ruined, dance like a spacker, fall asleep somewhere, go home tomorrow.

[Tommy G]

Boat ride on the Thames, I like that one... already got the lion king tickets

You will enjoy that, it was fooking awesome

[Katy]

Ahh lovely London. When I go I'm going around the markets, absolutely love them. No sure that would be your thing though Babs.

[Finnegan]

Get Kevin Spacey's autograph in Hyde Park?

[Babylon]

I'm up for a bit of everything really... having lived in this country for 30 years i've never actually done the tourist thing in London. Only knocked about there before gigs or the footy. I want to do all the usual tourist shit and a few off the wall things.

Get Kevin Spacey's autograph in Hyde Park?

I'm going for George Michael.

[Finnegan]

Then in all seriousness the parks are pretty nice and Covent Garden can't be missed.

Other than that I'm a really bad person to give suggestions. I spent two years living there and did very little of the touristy stuff.

[James.]

The speedboat trips up and down the river are pretty good fun. You get to see the sights and get a bit of adrenalin pumping.

Camden is a good shout if you like that kind of thing. The market is awesome, the pubs and bars are cool and there's always a lot to see.

Round my way is decent. Spitalfields, Brick Lane (curries are decent, bars are better), etc.

Greenwich is nice, good park, bit touristy - only bother if it's sunny.

If you're going out after I'd recommend a few beers round Old Street if you fancy somewhere with a bit more edge than the tourist holes in the West End.

Let me know if you're looking for good restaurants or good clubs - I have lots to suggest.

Lastly just get a copy of Time Out - shit loads of good suggestions and full listings of pretty much everything that's going on.

[Babylon]

Cheers

I'll be turning 30 sat on the London Eye!!

[syston_fox]

Insult some tube drivers who are fooking up my plans for the next couple of days!!

[Finnegan]

Fuck me, Babs, you ain't that old are you?

And yeah Brick Lane's alright if a little bit pretentious.

Camden market's largely overrated unless you're some twelve year old emo but there are some really decent CD shops hidden about if that's your thing. Mostly I'd just head there for the pubs and bars, personally.

[Monk]

If you're doing London Eye on a Saturday I suggest starting off at London Bridge, go to Borough market, walk along the south bank passing the globe theatre, tate modern, millenium bridge & waterloo bridge, ending up at the eye. It's a great walk, have done it many times lovely in the summer.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Seven Dials - http://www.sevendials.co.uk/

Have just used the hotel to illustrate where it is - http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&um...ge&resnum=1

[lou]

Get Kevin Spacey's autograph in Hyde Park?

DONT diss the Space!!!!! Youve just shattered all my illusions

[James.]

And yeah Brick Lane's alright if a little bit pretentious.

i.e. Finnegan isn't cool enough to go there.

If you're doing London Eye on a Saturday I suggest starting off at London Bridge, go to Borough market, walk along the south bank passing the globe theatre, tate modern, millenium bridge & waterloo bridge, ending up at the eye. It's a great walk, have done it many times lovely in the summer.

Good shout. Borough Market is brilliant. As is the walk down the South Bank.

Seven Dials - http://www.sevendials.co.uk/

Have just used the hotel to illustrate where it is - http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&um...ge&resnum=1

At first I wondered what the fuck Seven Dials was, never heard of it before, but yeah that area is quality.

[davieG]

See if you can get in to the Old Bailey, is it still going and listen to a trial.

Shame the Parliament isn't in session they're always good for a laugh. Can you get in there these days?

[General Smuts]

If you're doing London Eye on a Saturday I suggest starting off at London Bridge, go to Borough market, walk along the south bank passing the globe theatre, tate modern, millenium bridge & waterloo bridge, ending up at the eye. It's a great walk, have done it many times lovely in the summer.

Did this walk on the way to the Tate Modern on Thursday and it is really good. I was gonna suggest the Tate Modern actually. We also visited Bucks Palace as we got off at Green Park and were too lazy to walk to Hyde Park. If you do go to the Tate Modern i highly reccomend the pub right outside it on the bank of the river for grub - The Founders Arms. It's fantastic.

[Finnegan]

Not worth a thread of it's own but James / Monk do either of you know if Oyster pay-as-you-go cards expire? I've not used mine in about ten months and I'm going to be picking up a friend from Heathrow on the 20th and can't be arsed getting a new one just for one journey across London.

[Monk]

As far as I am aware pay as you go cards do not expire. My american cousins each have one and use it when they visit every year or two. No problems.

[James.]

As far as I am aware pay as you go cards do not expire. My american cousins each have one and use it when they visit every year or two. No problems.

Yeah agreed. On the same subject you can actually claim your £3 deposit back if you return your Oyster to a station ticket office.

[Finnegan]

Yeah agreed. On the same subject you can actually claim your £3 deposit back if you return your Oyster to a station ticket office.

Yeah I know, but I visit my uni friends a fair bit and it's not really worth it for £3. It's the hassle of having to queue and talk to the moron at the tube station I want to avoid, not the fee.

Get to London, have to conform to the London norm. This means not talking to anyone and going everywhere as efficiently and quickly as possible and tutting and sighing at anything that slows you down.

I've never been to Heathrow before, mind. How does it work with the tube? Is the tube to Heathrow just like it is to the major stations? Like, I can get off of the tube and pretty much be straight in the airport?

[Sooper Steve's shin]

You could try the Design Museum (near Tower Bridge) and then a short walk to Borough Market near London Bridge for some food (excellent cheeses, good premium burger/sausage stalls or bubble & squeak from Maria's Cafe in the middle of the market).

On second thoughts, switch those round - breakfast in Borough Market and then walk to the Design Museum. You can get some touristy photos on Tower Bridge along the way and views of the Gherkin, Canary Wharf, London Bridge, St Pauls and the Tower of London.

Other good options for breakfast here are the Garrison pub on Bermondsey Street and the Chop House in Shad Thames.

Proper tourist things to do in this area (all within a 5 minute walk) are HMS Belfast, London Dungeon, London Bridge Vaults/London Bridge Experience, Tower of London and Monument (I think they recently re-opened Monument so you can climb to the top).

[Sooper Steve's shin]

I've never been to Heathrow before, mind. How does it work with the tube? Is the tube to Heathrow just like it is to the major stations? Like, I can get off of the tube and pretty much be straight in the airport?

Yep - Heathrow Express takes you into the terminals.