Spending a week in London

[jollyFE]

Wife wants to go to London so we are, she wants to check out castles and stuff like that.  Im encountering extreme difficulty trying to get her to go to Duxford.  Any suggestions on sights we should check out?  We have a few in mind but I wanted to get some input from others.

[Lusche]

Wife wants to go to London so we are, she wants to check out castles and stuff like that.  Im encountering extreme difficulty trying to get her to go to Duxford.

Tell her about Duxfort Castle, Lady Di's favourite place to spend her holidays.
Oft course, nobody will be more surprised than you when you find out that the castle had been razed to make room for a collection of old planes...

 

[jollyFE]

sounds like a plan

[Hoarach]

Spent 12 weeks in London via undergrad (they paid for most of the trip), best time of my life.  You'll only scratch the surface in a week.  Unfortunate if she won't let you see the museums.  Countless museums in London, all free, but if had to pick one and can get away try to get to the RAF museum its about a 20 minute tube ride from Westminster. 

If I had to pick the top castles I saw in London during my time, would have to go with White Tower solely on the fact that the beefeaters are entertaining with some of the history and the amount of history in that castle.  Plus the crown jewels.  Hampton Court is impressive with just shear size and they have jousting viewable at the castle.  Also have the massive Greenwich Castle which overlooks the massive Greenwich park which also contains the Royal Observatory and the official line of the Prime Meridian.  If you go out of London, the Royal Pavilion in Brighton was one of my favorite.  If I remember it was a 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minute train ride out of London.  Not really castles but Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral are also must sees.  You can see all of London from the top of St. Paul's Cathedral and will give one of the best views you can see.  I didnt go to the very top of it though, something about rickety stairs that you can see through the bottom 300 feet down was not for me.  Horatio Nelson's coffin is in the cathedral one of the reasons I wanted to go to it.  Westminster Abbey is incredible where you can literally stand right where very important people are buried such as Charles Darwin. 

Running off a memory of my trip that was 4 and a half years ago so hope it helps. 

[oldskool65]

I used to be a Tourist bus driver/guide in London and the most popular visit is Windsor castle (not far from Heathrow) it is the Worlds longest continually occupied Royal residence and the home of the order of the Garter
Also the Imperial war museum has lots of Air War exhibits Free entry!!!
Another thing if you want (or the wife) see lots of history don't use the tube the bus service in London is excellent and lots of the routes go past interesting places you would otherwise miss

[Ratsy]

I had the same dilemma in 2008.  Duxford was out, but RAF Hendon is in north London!  It's an easy tube ride from most London locations.  Hendon is the RAF Museum and it is worth the trip.  The whole facility is a living time piece.  The presentation of the Battle of Britain pavilion is so well done your wife would enjoy it, too.

Crossing my fingers for you.

 

[xbrit]

We are visiting in June, will only be in the London for about 5 days the rest of the time we will be running around England and Scotland always lots to see outside of London(never did like that place).
While in London we will be going to Hendon, not been there since it opened(was still in the RAF at that time). That is my part of the London visit then we will be doing the normal tourist stuff for my wife and her brother who we are taking with us.

[Brooke]

In London, I'd pick these things to see:

Inside of Westminster Abby.  Don't miss that if you haven't seen it.  It is *amazing*.

British Museum.  Hey, is that *the* Rosetta Stone?  Oh, and the outside of the Parthenon?  Oh, and a guardian of the gates of the Assyrian capital?  Etc.

Tower of London.

RAF Museum London (Hendon).

Churchill's war rooms -- where the war was run.

Get a good curry, fish and chips, and English breakfast.

I love London! 

[-ammo-]

+1 on the RAF museum in Westminster.  Don't forget to grab a bottle of Champagne and take her for a ride on the Eye at night.

[palef]

Go to Hendon if you want a WWII aircraft fix. Simple tube trip. Fantastic range of aircraft on display. Westminstaer Abbey is fantastic. Do me a favour and find where they've hidden Darwin's marker. They keep moving it because they don't really like having it in there.

Most of all, enjoy the things you see and do. Don't bemoan the things you don't get to do.

[Petrol]

There's nothing to see here.....move along!

 

[-ammo-]

And don't waste your money on the hop and ride.  You'll never see anything since traffic is terrible.  Just get a pass for the tube - it's so easy and convenient to use.

I also recommend stopping by the Hard Rock Cafe.  I go to every one of them I get a chance too and the London one is the best.  Get there early though - Effin line is long

Stay away from Harrod's - you'll be a broke Joe if you go.

[oldskool65]

And don't waste your money on the hop and ride.  You'll never see anything since traffic is terrible.  Just get a pass for the tube - it's so easy and convenient to use.

Not true at all central London 's bus service is quick , cheaper than the tube and you get to see interesting sights you would otherwise miss (this comes from my  20 years driving the number 8 bus, Bow (East end) to Oxford Circus

[SysError]

Not true at all central London 's bus service is quick , cheaper than the tube and you get to see interesting sights you would otherwise miss (this comes from my  20 years driving the number 8 bus, Bow (East end) to Oxford Circus

I agree with you, except for saying going from the center of London to say RAF Hendon.  For short / mid distances I think that the bus service is great.  BUT, I do think that it sometimes seems easier to take the tube b/c of the schematic diagram that is used to display the system.  A bus map takes some work sometimes.

... You'll never see anything since traffic is terrible...

Fair point sometimes - @ rush hour - but otherwise the bus is usually the better bet.  (Have you been on the tube during rush hour??). 

Get on the top front of a double decker bus and see London as you otherwise would not.   

[-ammo-]

Not true at all central London 's bus service is quick , cheaper than the tube and you get to see interesting sights you would otherwise miss (this comes from my  20 years driving the number 8 bus, Bow (East end) to Oxford Circus

My experience is limited to a 4 day stay so I will say you guys know better.  We bought hop on hop off tickets at a discount in Stuttgart before arriving.  Went to the designated stop - bus (double deck open top) was an hour late and extremely crowded. Wife and I couldn't sit together and the trip was stop and go - very slow.  We finally bounced off and jumped on the tube.  Yep - I know we missed a lot of sights but did see our picked destinations.  Just a personal experience obvious on the wrong day. 

I loved London!  We stayed at the Holiday Inn and there was this awesome Pub stumbling distance away.  Fresh Spitfire and Bomber Ale and darn good food.  I now like mushed peas LOL.