Reply to: Tourist visit to London next week. Good idea?

[MrMark]

Of course, if you do come, you'll be using the Tube no doubt. Here's a map of the London Underground for your convenience. Daily Mail version though.

The London Underground

[Scrag Meister]

We live in the countryside and not far from the beach, so going in to London is variety and a different day out. I know when you live in London you want to get out to the seaside and the countryside, but it does work the other way round as well.

So, do people expect London to be packed next week? Even more than usual I mean, or about the same, or a bit less?

I came up from Devon in 2005 and love it here. Loads to do and see, amazing selection of restaurants and other eateries. Immense ethnic mix. I still have my place in Devon so on the occasions I need to get away I can. Oh yeah and amazing public transport, no 1 hour wait for a bus as in Devon, of course it has issues sometimes but in general its fab, outside of rush hour.

Be exactly who you want to be in London without anyone staring, except for the folks visiting from elsewhere.

Great walk, Leicester Sq, Traf Sq, White Hall, Downing Street, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, The Eye, South Bank, The Tate, St Pauls across the way, London Bridge, Towerbridge, Tower of London. Lots of pubs, and bars en route.

Next week I suspect it will be manic though. As you say a lot of people are taking the 3 days off to give themselves a nice 11 day break.

The Friday, royal wedding day, will be mad!!!!

[stek]

Especially if you get this guy....

I've actually got all four bits of this and made one long version! Thanks tho the power of the Mac...

[DaveB]

We did the Tower last year, or was it the year before? Can't remember but it was brilliant fun. Try to get on a beefeater tour thingy, the kids will love it.

Especially if you get this guy....

[cailin maith]

We did the Tower last year, or was it the year before? Can't remember but it was brilliant fun. Try to get on a beefeater tour thingy, the kids will love it.

[swamp]

London will be like a ghost town next week. Good time to visit as a tourist. Best to drive down, especially as you'll be against the general flow of traffic.

[Clippy]

Would have to agree - think there will be an increased influx of Johnny Foreigners due to the wedding.

[MrMark]

Please bring water. South east is drier than the Sahara.

Britain on drought alert after driest spring for nearly a century - AOL Travel UK

According to the Met Office, parts of Cambridgeshire had just 0.14in of rain during the whole of last month, making it the driest March since 1929, meaning many days were on a par with the almost non-existent rainfall in the Sahara.

The south and south east has had only 4% of the rainfall it would usually expect at this time of year and all areas have had far less than usual.

[Moscow Mule]

If you want something different, try the old operating theatre near London Bridge, followed by the London Dungeon or The Clink with lunch at Borough Market.

Next week should only have the normal level of foreign tourists as the kids will be backto school.

[Spacecadet]

I just realised you lot are talking about "that there London" not the real one.
So I don't know. I'm guessing the London villages will be quiet, the centre a nightmare

The clue was in the title granddad

[thunderlizard]

Even when London is ridiculously busy, the hordes stick to the same obvious places - Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Charing Cross Road, Covent Garden, Piccadilly, the interesting bit of the South Bank. Even when it's total human soup on Oxford Street, Wigmore Street and Gt Marlborough St (the 2 parallel streets either side) you can hear a pin drop. Pick a few off-the-Monopoly-board places in advance to hang out, and you'll have a great time.

If you do want to see the sights, as long as you get there before midday you'll still be OK.

[sasguru]

I just realised you lot are talking about "that there London" not the real one.
So I don't know. I'm guessing the London villages will be quiet, the centre a nightmare

[norrahe]

I would say even more than normal and normal generally means heaving anyway

Agree, the influx of tourists has started early this year and next week will be pretty bad. Especially with this wedding nonsense.

[doodab]

So, do people expect London to be packed next week? Even more than usual I mean, or about the same, or a bit less?

AFAIK the kids are supposed to be at school on those three days so it shouldn't be full of people enjoying family days out, on the other hand it will be full of foreign tourists, people working, and all the usual crap.

But then if you want the genuine London experience, a bit of heaving is a good thing.

[sasguru]

We live in the countryside and not far from the beach, so going in to London is variety and a different day out. I know when you live in London you want to get out to the seaside and the countryside, but it does work the other way round as well.

So, do people expect London to be packed next week? Even more than usual I mean, or about the same, or a bit less?

As a Londoner I expect all the Northern Numpties, Home Counties Homies and European Existentialists will bugger orf back to their origins.
Bank holidays in London are usually very quiet and I expect this one to be more so than usual, or I'll be very disappointed.

I don't know if the parasite's wedding will change the normal pattern of events though.