FastCargo 412 Posted October 30, 2015 Alrighty folks, looks like the fam and I are going to be visiting England for about a week at the end of June, and looking for some tourist kind of advice. Here is the plan so far. Assuming a week in GB, one day of arrival, one day of departure, which leaves 5 days free. After evaluation, we decided we would like to stay in London, with one large day trip and one small trip (local London area) every day. Some things we are already planning: Royal Air Force Museum Cosford - West Midlands (hello TSR2!) Natural History Museum Stonehenge Cambridge and some local London stuff London Eye City of London perimeter walk So, for you local folks, what would you consider checking out? I'll have an 11 year old who likes aircraft, space, science, and other typical stuff for a boy his age. I'll also have my wife along. We enjoy most of that stuff. The only thing we probably wouldn't enjoy as much is pure art museums. So, ideas? Including a 'base of operations' for the week in London? FC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
33LIMA 972 Posted October 30, 2015 A few suggestions: Imperial War museum, Lambeth, London http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london HMS Belfast, London http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast ...and if you don't mind going a little further afield: HMS Victory, Portsmouth http://www.hms-victory.com/ ...and a little further (car hire?): Royal Armoured Corps Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset http://www.tankmuseum.org/home Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Sundowner 4,818 Posted October 30, 2015 Also, if you didn't want the trek over to Cosford why not take in Duxford while you're doing Cambridge..... they also have a TSR2. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stratos 3,188 Posted October 30, 2015 I really really loved RAF Hendon!! http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/ And, no I don't live in Britain, but all those glorious planes togeter was too much to resist!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MigBuster 2,884 Posted October 30, 2015 (edited) Yeah would have said RAF Duxford http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford Bletchley Park maybe? that's the WW II codebreakers Alan Turing etc http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/ Science museum http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ Horseguards? http://www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk/ Buckingham Palace? Tower of London http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/ London Bridge http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/ Edited October 30, 2015 by MigBuster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Sundowner 4,818 Posted October 30, 2015 Also in the Cambridge area..http://www.madingleyamericancemetery.info Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FastCargo 412 Posted October 30, 2015 Keep 'em coming folks...those are some good ideas there! Also, my wife (who visited London 25 years ago) says that there is so much to do and see that 5 days really isn't enough, so we're increasing to 7 days plus a travel day on each end. FC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boresight 51 Posted October 30, 2015 Well, was there (London) many years ago by school. What I best recall is: London Dungeon (if you like horror); Madame Tussaud's; and Guard change at Buckingham Palace. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skyviper 1,101 Posted October 30, 2015 Lot's of cool places to visit so ... Where are the good pubs? You can't visit all those neat places on an empty stomach ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mooncat 1 Posted October 31, 2015 The Natural History Museum is fantastic (and huge!) with the also fantastic Science Museum right next door. Bonus, they both have free admission! The wife and I spent 16 days in the UK this summer. Wish it could have been 2 or 3 times as long. Spent 12 days riding motorbikes to tour around Wales and 4 days in London. Wales has some of the most stunning castles you could ever imagine. Worth considering the extra travel distance if you are already planning on heading out to Telford. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KJakker 901 Posted October 31, 2015 You might be interested in the Royal Armouries. I know its collection in one that I would like to see some day. https://www.royalarmouries.org/home Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Platinum Rogue 48 Posted October 31, 2015 You should make the effort to visit Cosford, the cold war display is definitely worth the visit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Dave 2,322 Posted October 31, 2015 I was in London during the Blitz... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RUSTYMORLEY 162 Posted November 5, 2015 I used to work in and around London a few years ago and I can tell you that London is very expensive - so take a bucket load of cash with you. Don't bother hiring a car as there is almost nowhere to park without paying a hefty charge and the traffic in central London is an absolute nightmare. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MigBuster 2,884 Posted November 5, 2015 Good point.............Tube & buses all the way.........may be cheaper day tickets.......... a lot of Londoners only use their car when driving out of London. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FastCargo 412 Posted November 5, 2015 Oh we figured that....I don't plan on driving anywhere. The exceptions MIGHT be for areas that are unreachable by tube, train or bus and prohibitively expensive taxi. Even then I'm not sure I'd trust myself driving...other side of the road and all that. FC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Jimbib 745 Posted November 5, 2015 I live in the Midlands but am down in London most weekends... Travel stuff First of, I'm going to guess you'd be arriving into either Heathrow or Gatwick. Regardless of destination, it's worth checking out the Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express trains, both connect to Paddington and Victoria train stations respectively. You may be able to buy a family ticket which could be cheaper than paying for a taxi to wherever you are staying. Tubes and buses are the way to go, they depart roughly every 2-4 minutes (tube) and maybe a little longer intervals for the buses. Get yourself an Oystercard... it makes the trips a lot cheaper than paper on-the-day tickets, and can be topped up at any tube or train station, they also have a 'price cap' meaning you can't exceed the price of a regular all-day travel ticket. Another thing to watch out for is the buses in central London don't accept cash, you must use a train+bus travel ticket or Oystercard. Read all about them here... https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster An alternative to an Oystercard is if you have a contactless debit card... these will work just fine tapping in/out of tube stations and on/off buses. The tube is laid out to make it simple and easy to pick out combinations of routes... but sometimes it helps to get a geographical perspective on it... this is worth checking out, in that case... http://arcg.is/1QhfHgV If you do find yourself in a tight spot and there isn't a tube or bus route anywhere near... don't flag down a metered taxi, they're quite pricey... if you have a smartphone, install Uber and use that instead, it typically works out cheaper and is entirely cashless ... no faff at the end of the journey. Also download the CityMapper app on your smartphone if you have one... it is an absolute god send for finding your way from A to B. It recognises all sorts of destinations, and throws up a myriad of travel options including walking, Boris Bike (nearest lock ups and how many bikes are available), taxi (it links to the Uber app), then offers tube / bus / tram (if available). I don't leave home without it when I'm in London. Museums / Aircraft / Space stuff The museums are very much worth checking out, like others, I would recommend the Natural History and Science musuems (The Science museum actually has a modest aviation hall, right from early principles of flight). Both museums are a short walk from each other in Kensington, also nearby are places like Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall around the area. (Not too far away are Bugatti, Lamborghini and Mclaren show rooms all in Kensington / Knightsbridge if you're into your supercars also, keep an eye out though, you'll probably spot a fair few of these kind of cars crawling around London on a daily bases) Science Museum 'Flight' display list: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum_OLD/galleries/flight/ondisplay.aspx I would definitely recommend going to the RAF Museum in Hendon (Cosford as well like others have said, if you're able to make the trip). Both RAF Museums are free and there's a tonnes of stuff to see inside. Aircraft list is at the following links: RAF Hendon: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/things-to-see-and-do/On-display.aspx RAF Cosford: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/things-to-see-and-do/on-display.aspx Duxford (part of the Imperial War Museum) has been mentioned and looks to be one of your destinations (it's near Cambridge), It's a great day out if you can make it up there (public transport will take roughly 2 hours though). Definitely take the camera to Duxford, invariably there is always something flying, keep an eye out for the small 'Area 51' hangars at the east end of the airfield, beyond the public barrier on the flight line... the place is essentially a warbird factory, run by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo). If you're near Tower Bridge / London Bridge area, there are a few things you can tick off around there.... HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge itself and the Tower of London. Other stuff If you go up the Shard for the view, don't pay to go up. Instead go up to the bar and have a round of drinks, you still get a decent view from there. I would actually recommend the 20 Fenchurch Street tower (the Walkie Talkie building... sounds weird, google it, you'll why it's been named so aptly) for a great high view of London, in addition to the London Eye also. 20 Fenchurch Street has a 'Sky Garden' at the top with a restaurant / cafe / bar areas (again, check prices if you go)... the differentiator is that the building essentially has a 'glass cap' at the top, offering unobstructed views ... https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=20+fenchurch+street+london+sky+garden&espv=2&biw=2560&bih=1198&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIwquhzIr6yAIVhOkUCh23ZAmc As someone else said... London can be quite pricey depending on where you go, use resources like TimeOut to check out reviews on places to grab a bite to eat before hand. Time Out is a bit more 'London specific' than other websites like TripAdvisor, which may uncover some lesser known, yet still very decent, more friendly establishments. Avoid all the tourist-trap, 'cookie-cutter' restaurants e.g. instead of Aberdeen Angus Steakhouses which are everywhere, treat yourself to somewhere like Hawksmoor, or Gaucho. I have a list as long as your arm of bookmarked restaurants / pubs in London if you're short of recommendations. Avoid Oxford Street like the plague... my other half lives 10 minutes walk from it, and it genuinely feels like downtown Mordor on a Saturday. If you have to brave the onslaught of bloodthirsty shoppers and get from one end to the other, either a) take the tube, the Central line travels along it, or rather underneath it, or b) walk on the roads parallel to it through Mayfair (speaking of which, the US Embassy is just off Grosvenor Square in Mayfair, should you have any travel issues like losing a passport.) Final points on attractions / stuff to do and see.... for museums get there at the opening time on quiet days of the week like Tuesday or Thursday. The queues on a weekend and especially during school holidays for the Natural History and Science museums can become ridiculous. It sounds like you're going at the end of June, which means you should miss the extra school 'traffic'... if you change your dates... be aware the schools break up for summer about 2/3rds of the way through July. Lastly, apologies for the long post, have an awesome time, give me a buzz if you want to grab a beer! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
