In London, every American should see...

The main factors to consider are how long he/she/they will be in London, location of the accommodation (unless you are tasked with finding that too, eek!), interests and how much money they want/have to spend.

First they need to get a guidebook and start visiting websites like Rick Steves. There is a helpline that can answer all sorts of questions and relieve you of the burden. I like TimeOut too for ideas. London is HUGE. Even after five years, I am still finding new things.

London is 'exotic' but easy to figure out because it is all in English and people will help. It isn't that scary if you show basic confidence. There are tourists everywhere.

The no-brainer London trip is the on-off sightseeing buses. There are at least three companies and pretty much offer the same. Big Bus Tours, The Original London Sightseeing Tour and CitySightseeing. Check for the free Thames tour.

I highly recommend it to give a good idea of the spread of London. If the weather is bad or they just have a couple of days they can hit the main spots with little effort. Prices are reasonable too.

London is very walkable once you know your way around. Walking tours are good too. Self-guided with a map or download a podcast or join a walking tour. There is even a 'free' walking tour that you only pay tips. I've been on few in Berlin, Dublin and London and always an excellent value. Sandeman's New Europe: London

There are so many museums but the biggie is the British Museum for a taster but if they like to museum hop there is also the V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum all on the same block. Plus, dozens of other free or reasonably priced museums dotted around. London sightseeing can be done on the cheap or big bucks of they want to see the 'touristy' things that have entrance fees.

Oh and markets!! Don't get me started! A Sunday over in Spittalfields and Brick Lane area or a weekend day in Greenwich (or Greenwich in general) or everyday Covent Garden. There are so many to name.

A night out at the theatre is very doable and some great deals can be had by booking online. Lastminute.com does theatre and meal deals and LondonTown is good for cheap tickets. I've never used the 1/2 price ticket booths in London but if they have the time and money it might be worth it if they want to pick on the day. Likewise, going straight to a ticket office of a show they want can get them seats in their price range.

http://www.londonforfree.net/index.php

My advice is to point them into the direction of experts and save yourself the grief.

Any London airport will do. Transport links are fabulous on most days.

Man!  I think they are asking a lot of you.  That's like saying, "I know you live in San Francisco, but can you plan my itinerary in Los Angeles?"


I would tell them to get Rick Steves London, and read it from cover to cover. 

I just had a colleague ask me that this week! I just said LA is huge so you have the decide what kind of thing you want to do or see.

Rick is simple and no nonsense. As much as I hate seeing tourists carrying his blue books (or worse yet, nose deep) they give so many ordinary people a clue on what to expect.

On my first trip to England I spent 4 days (or was it 3?) on my own in London armed with two books, "London for Dummies" and DK books' "London".  I enjoyed...
the London Eye
the Tower of London
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
an afternoon in Hyde Park
Victoria & Albert Museum
St. Paul's Cathedral

And I was always back in my hotel room before dark.   

Borough Market! Borough Market! Borough Market!

Borough Market! Borough Market! Borough Market!

Well, I suppose tourists are the majority of the crowds there these days... We're local but we stopped going as the scrums were unbelievable and you get idiot tourists stopping dead to take a 10min photo session and dragging their enormous wheeled suitcases 5 feet behind them. IMHO, Broadway Market up by London Fields has a lot of the same stallholders  (but with added vintage clothing and quirky shops!) but at cheaper prices and way fewer crowds. I guess the tourists don't venture there as it's far from the tube, but it's a much better shopping experience!

1.   Camden – I love the markets and just the atmosphere
2.   I love to walk from Parliament to Tower Bridge on the south side of the Thames – it takes about an hour and gives a great peak into the city.
3.   Gordon’s Wine Bar – DF and I end up there a lot.
4.   Go see Arsenal play (or I guess another London team)
5.   Brick Lane
6.   Beyond Retro Vintage Clothing shop
7.   I really want to do a Jack the Ripper tour, maybe in February?
8.   The museums are stunning, but my favorites have already been mentioned.

As for getting to into London the tube is the cheapest.  I like the Heathrow Express, but often you still need the tube once you arrive.  This can be problematic if you have a lot of bags or aren’t familiar with public transport, or are just plain tired.  I would suggest looking into National Express buses as well.  Sometimes they go much closer to your hotel, when I lived in Regents Park I had a stop about 5 minutes away.  It was always easier than the tube or Heathrow Express.

Well, I suppose tourists are the majority of the crowds there these days... We're local but we stopped going as the scrums were unbelievable and you get idiot tourists stopping dead to take a 10min photo session and dragging their enormous wheeled suitcases 5 feet behind them.

This is why I stay out of Times Square!  London is a fabulous city, so there will always be those pain in the butt tourists, but I still think its worth it. 

I don't live in London (not my thing), but we do go about once a year for a weekend. So, yes, I am one of those 'pain in the butt' tourists. We may get in your way, but we spend a lot of money while we're there so be grateful we exist! 

I think I need to define ‘pain in the butt tourists’ as I didn’t mean to be mean.  They are the kind that can’t move to the side to take pictures, ask for ice in Spain, and say loudly “I can’t believe people live like this.”  I could go on and on about annoying things I’ve seen other people do while traveling.  I’m sure I’ve had my moments as well, but they were moments.  If you travel around South East Asia you’ll see some westerners walking around without shoes on, if you ask why they reply that it’s to get closer to the locals.  Unless the locals can’t afford it they wear shoes, and walking around Kao San Road without shoes is just dumb. 

I can’t think of anything particular to London at the moment, but I’m sure that it will come to me.  If you’re not one of those tourists, you’re not a tourist at all, but a traveler.  It’s much better

My list of things to see would include:

1. Regent's Park
2. British Museum and British Library (I'm biased)
3. Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House
4. Walk along South Bank (Globe Theatre and Southwark Cathedral)
5. Walk through the City on a Sunday when it's quiet (The Gherkin, St. Paul's Cathedral, etc.)
6. Imperial War Museum
7. Cabinet War Rooms
8. Any homes of famous people, e.g. Carlyle's House (24 Cheyne Row, Chelsea), Keats House (Keats Grove, Hampstead)
9. Inns of Court area (The City/Westminster)
10. Maybe the Eye

Things I would avoid personally:
1. Mme. Tussaud's
2. Oxford Street
3. Camden High Street at the weekend
4. Tate Modern

I actually really like the Tate Modern. But I love, love, love the British Library. Love it.  You get SO CLOSE to so many cool things! (and it's super easy to find from the tube stop and etc.) I go every time I go down to London. Which means I've seen those copies of "Alice in Wonderland" about 100 times, and yet I still just love it.

I really like that people are picking out different things on this thread or at least if they prefer something someone else doesn't, people are saying why.  It's so useful.  I may actually sound like I know what I'm talking about and hopefully someone planning their own trip to London can use this if they happen across it when googling what to do in London!  All fab stuff!!  Any more ideas gratefully received (and hopefully not just by me)!

The Museum of London would be a must for me!

The Museum of London would be a must for me!

I LOVE that place even though I just found it.  I will definitely be recommending it, unless they don't like history.

I LOVE that place even though I just found it.  I will definitely be recommending it, unless they don't like history.

They've just redone it and I'm dying to go!  I'm really hoping to see it during my trip in Feb, but it might be all meet the family for me!

Also, I really want to do the Dr. Who Expirence. 

Also, I really want to do the Dr. Who Expirence. 

If I went, I doubt I'd leave that.  DH would have to crowbar me loose!