PDA

View Full Version : What to do in London jan 14 to 16?


espen
01-12-2004, 11:28 AM
Hi everyone, me and the ms are going to London on wednesday and we'd like some tips on what to do and where to go swipe our visas! We'll be staying at some Best Western hotel in the middle of London.

Of course we could do like old people and go see Cats and shop at Harrods... perhaps throw in Mme Tussauds and Picadelly Circus for good measures... or perhaps not... :crazyeyes:

So please, I'd like some insider tips like where would you go shopping for those great deals on designer stuff and fashion thingies (ms) and sports gear, cool motorsport dvds and such for me.

And what to do on the evenings?

In return, I promise to write a comprehensive guide to Bergen, Norway if you should have the misfort... uh, luck to come here one (supposedly) fine day ;)

Fleischmann
01-12-2004, 12:29 PM
1. McLaren saloon on Park Lane
2. Shopping - Whole of Oxford street, Harrods or Hamleys (it's a 7 story toy shop, if you have any kids)
3. Evenings...hmmm...spend them like the British...in a a Pub :)

coombsie66
01-12-2004, 12:59 PM
A walk down park lane is always gud, if its dry! Oxford street is gud for shopping (especially selfridges), hamleys is on regent street (which oxford street crosses with half way down) harrods is on cromwell road, together with gap and fcuk and quite a few other shops. Exhibition road has the natural history museum on it (right next to my uni!!) and the royal & albert hall is quite nice to have a look at (next to my union!!) the V & A has some nice exhibitions on, thats where cromwell road meets exhibition road, and is about 5 minutes walk from the lamborgini london show room (south kensington), If you like steaks then sophies steak house on the fulham road (313-314) is a top place, not tooo expensive if you stay off the wine!!
Hope u have a wikid time, london is a unique place! hope it stays dry 4 u aswell, weather has bin shite recently!!

jon_s
01-12-2004, 03:08 PM
Appart from the big music shops and selfridges Oxford street is just a crowded pain in the arse. If you want designer, wander down bond street (new and old bond street-off Oxford Street). You are unlikely to get any good deals there though, but the ms will love you for it. (cough, 'lose' the credit cards as you enter the street!)

Park Lane........a deffo! One of the partners in my firm lives just off Park Lane!

Motorsport DVDs', hummmmm, that is a difficult one!

As for the nights out, if you want somewhere classy but expensive, The Gardners Club in covernt Garden is the way to go.

I find the most fun pubs are the 'Walkabouts' basically places that the Australian's have taken over. Reasonable prices, and just a laugh.

Go to the National History Mus, the new roof they have put in over the courtyard is stunning!

If you want to get the best of central London, once you have been and done everything, go somewhere, lose the map and explore, the stuff you can find is cool.

Have fun.

Smahatma
01-12-2004, 03:23 PM
a big place that carries all sorts of video should have it like virgin megastore for example

coombsie66
01-12-2004, 06:48 PM
The gardening club is very nice, with the rock garden being the wine bar part of it next door. Last time i went it was happy hour!!!! Half price on every drink!! (Still steep tho!!) But i cant remember when it is!?
U go there often jon_s??

jon_s
01-12-2004, 06:51 PM
I have been known to go there.........not all that often though. I am not sure of the happy hour either!

stradale
01-12-2004, 07:11 PM
Maybe a bit of a cliché tourist attraction, but I thought the whispering gallery of St. Paul's cathedral was very cool. Unreal acoustics... You have to experience it to believe it.

espen
01-13-2004, 04:25 AM
Thank you all for the tips, guys!

I suppose I'd better recharge my VISA and roll up my sleeves :lol: The whispering gallery of St. Paul's cathedral sounds interesting, is there an easy way to find it, or should we get a cab?

One more question, anyone know of a Freeport or similar factory outlet mall near London? A friend insistes there is one pretty close & his gf went totally crazy there, yet his VISA somehow survived with merely 2nd degree burns!

espen
01-19-2004, 06:35 AM
Well, thanks for the tips guys - had a great few days and a fun weekend!

Must say I'm hugely impressed with the general state of cars - seen more Bentleys, Rollers, Porsches and fat BMW/Audi/Merc park or driving the streets than there are in all of Norway - each day :D

Also piled up on car mags and dvds; they're about half the price of what I'm used to, so it seemed only fair. I'm surprised we were'nt charged huge overweight fees with my mags and the GFs mountain of clothes. :lol:

jon_s
01-19-2004, 09:21 AM
where abouts did you visit??