[N/A] Free weekday in London, UK later this month - Suggestions? Warnings?

archerdriver

archerdriver

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Archerdriver
Will have a day to myself (i.e., can do or see stuff that would bore the GF..) Setting aside big or art museums for the moment, any fun suggestions, must sees?

Wide interests, military (have seen the WW2 'War Rooms' some years ago), aviation (duh!), history, classic and tube audio, used books, firearms (not at a place to shop at Holland & Holland or Purdeys....yet)... engineering.

What suggest you?
 
Visit a McDonalds and see if Vinny was right about it being a Royale with Cheese instead of a Quarter Pounder
 
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Royal Air Force Museum
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/
Some pictures from a few years ago in this collection:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacksilver/albums/72157626682370205
You need more than a day to see it properly.

Also, Royal Museums at Greenwich that sits on 0 degrees longitude:
https://www.rmg.co.uk/

See the Tower of London (in one of the pictures in the RAF museum link).
See Parliament (with Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral- these are all fairly close together
The Royal Botanical Garden, Buckingham Palace
London Eye (costs pounds, I forget how much)
I think you can take a train to Hampton Court Palace (Henry 8th)
Take a train to Windsor and see the castle (something like 20 pounds to get in)

There are many more, but I've been to the places I've listed (except London Eye- just walked past it)
 
The RAF Museum would be my first choice.

The Tower of London follwed by a pint at the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub.

Take the No. 9 bus for a cheap tour of the major sights.

Cheers
 
If "later this month" includes either the 14th or 15th you should take the train to Cambridgeshire and head over to RAF Duxford for the Flying Legends airshow.

https://www.flyinglegends.com/

Duxford is home to the Imperial War Museum air collection, the Fighter Collection and the US Army Air Force museum.

It's a bit of a hike from London, but there's nothing comparable.
 
archerdriver said:
Will have a day to myself (i.e., can do or see stuff that would bore the GF..) Setting aside big or art museums for the moment, any fun suggestions, must sees?

Wide interests, military (have seen the WW2 'War Rooms' some years ago), aviation (duh!), history, classic and tube audio, used books, firearms (not at a place to shop at Holland & Holland or Purdeys....yet)... engineering.

What suggest you?
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I stopped in a Purdey's back in 1978 when I spent a month in London working for the US Navy. Bought a pair of changeable lens shooting glasses. That was about all I could afford in that shop. I doubt it would be any different today. :D

Cap'n Jack said:
Royal Air Force Museum
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/
Some pictures from a few years ago in this collection:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacksilver/albums/72157626682370205
You need more than a day to see it properly.

Also, Royal Museums at Greenwich that sits on 0 degrees longitude:
https://www.rmg.co.uk/

See the Tower of London (in one of the pictures in the RAF museum link).
See Parliament (with Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral- these are all fairly close together
The Royal Botanical Garden, Buckingham Palace
London Eye (costs pounds, I forget how much)
I think you can take a train to Hampton Court Palace (Henry 8th)
Take a train to Windsor and see the castle (something like 20 pounds to get in)

There are many more, but I've been to the places I've listed (except London Eye- just walked past it)
Click to expand...

GRG55 said:
If "later this month" includes either the 14th or 15th you should take the train to Cambridgeshire and head over to RAF Duxford for the Flying Legends airshow.

https://www.flyinglegends.com/

Duxford is home to the Imperial War Museum air collection, the Fighter Collection and the US Army Air Force museum.

It's a bit of a hike from London, but there's nothing comparable.
Click to expand...

Any of those would be great. I went out to Duxford back in 1998 (I think that was the year) and saw that part of the IWM. The US museum was under construction at the time. I've been donating to that museum every year since. Some day I'll have time to go back and use my membership.

Another suggestion is the cruiser tied up in the Thames. WWII vintage and very interesting.

My wife and I don't really like big cities, but we both love London. You won't get bored there. Too much to see and do. When I spent that month there back in 1978 I would buy an all day tube pass and go for a walk to see the sights on weekends. If I got turned around and didn't know where I was there was always a tube station nearby. Look at the name and my map and I knew where I was and how to get anywhere in the city from there. Worked fine. Oh, and "Mind the Gap!" :D
 
One of the best experiences is to take one of the many London Walks. www.walks.com A two hour stroll with a knowledgeable guide. Just about any topic you can think of for £10.

I try and take one every trip.

Cheers
 
Great suggestions, thanks! Keep 'em coming!
 
I had a day to spend there a couple of years ago. Went to see the Taming of the Shrew at the Globe theater (it's a replica of the original but a few hundred meters from the site). Toured the underground war rooms from WW2- https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms . Fascinating as they essentially dropped everything and walked out the day the war ended. It's all original. If you're a WW2 buff (as I am) it's a must see. Not on the same day, but the same trip, went to see The Mousetrap (https://uk.the-mousetrap.co.uk) - the longest running play in history. Also well worth the time & money.
 
From memory -

London museum near the Tower. It comes across as sketchy, but is actually very well done.
Sherlock Holmes museum on Baker St if you're a fan. A little difficult to find as the numbers on that street are not at all contiguous.
Tour of St Pauls
Play at the Shakespeare Globe

A warning - Stay out of any bar selling anything other than food or drink.

And then I cheated because the memory is slow this morning - found a few unique things that I've seen
New London Architecture - a miniature model of the city. Believe it is free
Look up "cabman's shelters". They were set up to help feed cabbies in the 19th century. There's only about a dozen left, very inexpensive lunch.
Climb up "The Monument". I've been there but I never knew there is a set of stairs inside. Kind of like climbing a lighthouse, but 311 steps.

Leave you with this site to look through - 236 unusual things to do, many of which will never make it into a guide book.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/london-england
 
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X3 Skier said:
The RAF Museum would be my first choice.

The Tower of London follwed by a pint at the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub.

Take the No. 9 bus for a cheap tour of the major sights.

Cheers
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This

The bus tour is worth it and you can get off and get back on at any time. If it is nice, sit on the top deck.
 
Greenwich. Tower of London is worth the visit. RAF museum. Science museum. London transportation museum. Train museum.

If you have a choice of hotels, the Renaissance hotel at Heathrow is great for plane spotting - high floor, view of runway, or the executive lounge.
 
There is also a Churchill museum. And even Jack the Ripper gets one, too.
 
Timbeck2 said:
This

The bus tour is worth it and you can get off and get back on at any time. If it is nice, sit on the top deck.
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"Guide Friday" is the name of the bus tour.

Bob
 
There’s lots of bus tours including The Original Tour.

I’m talking about the regular No. 9 bus route on London Transport. If you have an Oyster Card or any kind of London Transport Pass, you can just use the No 9 between Aldwych and Hammersmith to visit Kensington, Albert Hall, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St James Palace, Whitehall, Covent Garden and other places.

Cheers
 
X3 Skier said:
There’s lots of bus tours including The Original Tour.

I’m talking about the regular No. 9 bus route on London Transport. If you have an Oyster Card or any kind of London Transport Pass, you can just use the No 9 between Aldwych and Hammersmith to visit Kensington, Albert Hall, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St James Palace, Whitehall, Covent Garden and other places.

Cheers
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Despite the propensity for the private operators to stick their hands deep into the pockets of tourists, some of London's public transport options are as good, and far more cost effective.

For example, never take the Hoppa bus between LHR terminals and the airport hotels. There are a couple of public bus lines that run from the terminals past a number (not all, but many) airport hotels. The public bus is free between airport and those hotels. Hoppa will set you back a fair amount. Likewise, it's possible to take theTube in from LHR and save a considerable amount of money over Heathrow Express. Yes, it does take longer, but makes up for it in price (and a bit in flexibility if you're not staying near the train station.
 
wsuffa said:
Likewise, it's possible to take theTube in from LHR and save a considerable amount of money over Heathrow Express. Yes, it does take longer, but makes up for it in price (and a bit in flexibility if you're not staying near the train station.
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A great improvement over my first trip to London in 1978. The tube didn't run out to LHR back then. The airlines had a shuttle bus (cheap) that ran from LHR to a downtown terminal. Get a cab from there to your hotel. Coming home from that trip I had 5 pounds and a few pence left in cash, enough for a taxi to the downtown terminal and then the bus to the airport. Hopped in a taxi in front of the hotel and asked him to take me to the downtown terminal. He kept saying he could take me to LHR. No thanks, the terminal is fine. Heck, I didn't have enough cash for the cab fare to LHR. Finally he said that he would take me to LHR for 5 pounds. I said, "Go!" He just wanted to get there for the fare coming back.
 
archerdriver said:
Will have a day to myself (i.e., can do or see stuff that would bore the GF..) Setting aside big or art museums for the moment, any fun suggestions, must sees?

Wide interests, military (have seen the WW2 'War Rooms' some years ago), aviation (duh!), history, classic and tube audio, used books, firearms (not at a place to shop at Holland & Holland or Purdeys....yet)... engineering.

What suggest you?
Click to expand...

Don't wear a MAGA hat....Trump is not well regarded over there.

Bob
 
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