London Tour on a Budget

Question of the week: Sightseeing routes organized by tour buses/companies can be quite expensive. At TFL’s unbeatable price of £1.30 per journey, which bus route would you recommend for sight-seeing purposes?

"Take the northbound number 8 bus by Victoria Station on Buckingham Palace Road and it will tour you around Green Park and Hyde Park, on to Piccadilly and Mayfair, Holborn, and the Old Bailey. You can also catch a glimpse of St Paul's Cathedral and see the Bank of England and Spitalfields Market. Certainly beats a tour bus!"- Christina

* Photo by Chris JL, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Tour on a Budget

Question of the week: Sightseeing routes organized by tour buses/companies can be quite expensive. At TFL’s unbeatable price of £1.30 per journey, which bus route would you recommend for sight-seeing purposes?

"For sightseeing, it’s got to be the RV1, which was designed to link up 35 near-to-the-Thames sites, running from Covent Garden, past Conway Hall to Waterloo, and then south of the river, past the Tate Modern, the Globe, Southwark Cathedral and City Hall, before driving over Tower Bridge to the Tower of London."- Miss Alice

* Photo by Paul Simpson, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Tour on a Budget

Question of the week: Sightseeing routes organized by tour buses/companies can be quite expensive. At TFL’s unbeatable price of £1.30 per journey, which bus route would you recommend for sight-seeing purposes?

"Definitely either route 9 or route 15 for the old routemaster buses. Not only is it an experience in itself to ride on one of these old 'hop-on, hop-off' buses, but they also cover shortened versions of two fantastic routes, both from Trafalgar Square: the heritage 15 goes past St Paul's to Tower Hill; and the 9 goes to Kensington High Street via Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall. You can't get a more classic ride in London!"- Clare

* Photo by kenjonbro, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Tour on a Budget

Question of the week: Sightseeing routes organized by tour buses/companies can be quite expensive. At TFL’s unbeatable price of £1.30 per journey, which bus route would you recommend for sight-seeing purposes?

"Why purchase an expensive ticket on a sight-seeing bus tour of London when you can hop on a number 11 bus and see many of London’s greatest tourist attractions? Starting its journey in Fulham (with its trendy bars and pubs), the bus plies it route up the King’s Road in Chelsea, past designer boutiques and the Saatchi Gallery. Taking in Sloane Square, with Cadogan Concert Hall, The Royal Court Theatre, and the south end of Sloane Street (London’s Rodeo Drive), the bus makes it way to Victoria, passing the stunning Byzantine-style Roman Catholic Cathedral of Westminster. It then heads on to Parliament Square, with excellent views of Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. It then proceeds up Whitehall, past the great departments of state and Downing Street, and on to Trafalgar Square, the natural habit of Notre Dame students. It then passes along the Strand, past the Royal Courts of Justice and down Fleet Street (once the centre of Britain’s newspaper industry). It then rises up Ludgate Hill, past St Paul’s Cathedral and on to the Mansion House (The Lord Mayor of London’s residence), the Bank of England, and the Old Stock Exchange. The bus terminates at Liverpool Street Station, just a stone’s throw from Spittalfields Market and Brick Lane, an ideal place to end your journey with an authentic curry. What more could you ask of a single bus route!"- Prof O'Boyle

* Photo by Faipdeoiad, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London Tour on a Budget

Question of the week: Sightseeing routes organized by tour buses/companies can be quite expensive. At TFL’s unbeatable price of £1.30 per journey, which bus route would you recommend for sight-seeing purposes?

"I'm going to cheat and say for slightly more money you should take the TFL River Bus down the river from Festival Pier to Greenwich. Best views of the city imaginable!"-Jamie

* Photo by Jake Miller, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Question of the week: Autumn is fast approaching, and leaves are slowly falling. What is your favourite thing to do on a crisp, London afternoon?"

"The Jubilee Walkway. If it's a lovely (dry!) afternoon, what better than to wander London on foot, and few itineraries can beat the Jubilee Walkway which links all the main attractions and sights in London. It was first laid out as part of the celebrations for the Queen's silver jubilee in 1977 and it was rejigged slightly to mark her golden jubilee. Part of the walk between Conway Hall and the London Centre is on the route - but it's only a small part of the whole thing. Starting and ending by Leicester Square, if you're feeling energetic the 9-mile route is a great way to spend an afternoon and really gives you a view of London. If you don't fancy the whole thing, every part of the route is easily accessible by public transport so you can do sections of it as you like. The entire route is marked out by silver 'Jubilee Walkway' discs on the ground about every 30m so it's hard to get lost. The Walk London website even has audio guides to download for free.

If you're inspired by this walk, check out that website for other led walks that will be offered free over the weekend of 24-25 September as part of Walk London's 'Autumn Ambles Weekend'."- Clare

* Photo by TGIGreeny, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London-y things this week - Miss Alice

Question of the week: What's the most London-y thing you've done in the last week

"I took advantage of an unavoidable early start this morning and the glorious weather to take a different route into work. Rather than taking the tube, I took the train to Fenchurch Street, on the east edge of the City, and walked the rest, leaving my usual river-side route in favour of exploring some different City roads and lanes. I stopped off at London's Mithraeum (currently surrounded on three sides by building site), nodded to the London Stone, grabbed a coffee inside the and appreciated the view of St Paul's, framed by the buildings of Watling Street instead of the soaring bridge struts of my more usual approach, and picked up a coffee at One New Change, although I didn't have time to go up to the roof terrace to enjoy the views from there.

A tiny bit 'touristy', maybe, but changing the angle, even if just by a few streets, is a wonderful thing to refresh how you see somewhere. Even though my phone was low on battery so I don't have photos, I spotted dozens of details and angles and people and moments during my morning's walk, and reminded myself how much I love this place and why."- Miss Alice

* Photo by RachelH, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Touristy things to do in London - Phillippa

Question of the week: What's one of the touristy things to do in London that you'd recommend?

"As you've probably noticed, there are thousands of touristy things to do in London: one of my favourites is sampling the Italian ice cream available from the large, garishly-coloured shops on Leicester Square. However, I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone, as the prices are also touristy and two scoops of cioccolato are likely to absorb the best part of your weekly food budget.*

After the obvious visits to look at the Crown Jewels (quite good fun: you have to stand on a conveyor belt to see them) and standing outside in the sleet to witness the Changing of the Guard, many guide books are wise enough to recommend Camden. This is a very vibrant part of town, crammed full of an unfeasibly large collection of markets, each with its own identity, atmosphere and clientele. Take the Northern line to Camden Town and turn left out the exit. From here, simply wander up Camden High Street, past the many shops and restaurants, bars and clubs, making sure that you visit Camden Market, Inverness Street Market, Camden Canal Market and perhaps best of all, Camden Lock Market, where you can get everything from a juggling set to Indonesian silverware to a full-body tattoo (not that we'd necessarily endorse any of those things, of course; remember, juggling can be dangerous). In the summer, the canal front is a great place to relax with coffee and peoplewatch. For now, however, it's good to know that if you arrive just as the shops are beginning to close, the food stalls will begin to sell takeaways very cheaply. So cheaply, in fact, you might even be able to afford an ice cream.

*If you're interested, there is a much more reasonable ice cream shop on Villiers Street called Gelato Mio and, during the summer months, another place just opposite Kamen-Minerva. See the Rectors for details."

- Phillippa

* Photo by Tim Cowlishaw, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Touristy things to do in London

Question of the week: What's one of the touristy things to do in London that you'd recommend?

"Take a tour at the Tower of London. Yes, it's a tourist cliche, and yes, it's a little expensive to get into the Tower - once you're in the tour is free - but it really is worth it. There's so much history crammed into the Tower site, having a guide who really knows their business makes the world of difference, and as each of the Yeoman Warders - or Beefeaters - has not only been awarded their position against stiff competition, but also completed at least 22 years of military service, they have plenty to say for themselves! It's almost an advantage that the weather's so cold and dark at the moment, as you'll be able to enjoy the tour - and the Tower - without the crowds that gather in warmer months.

An additional option, which most tourists don't get to do, because you have to apply at least 2-3 months in advance, is to send in your application for a free ticket for the Ceremony of the Keys, and be part of a very select band each night who watch as the Tower is secured for the night."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by mbrand, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Touristy things to do in London

Question of the week: What's one of the touristy things to do in London that you'd recommend?

"Another touristy thing that I actually get a real kick out of is taking a boat trip down the Thames. The Thames Clippers are a nifty alternative to commuting on the underground, but for the full touristy experience, pick up a guided cruise - from Westminster east to Greenwich, or west to Kew, or even Hampton Court. The Thames is such an integral part of the city, and it's a fantastic way of seeing London. Bus tours hold no appeal for me, but I look forward to friends coming to stay who I can use as an excuse to indulge in a river trip."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by Nevalenx, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Touristy things to do in London - Miss Alice

Question of the week: What's one of the touristy things to do in London that you'd recommend?

"I'm going to go with St Paul's Cathedral, which is stunning inside and out. Whilst it's wonderful to visit for free and be part of a service here, it's also worth paying the tourist fee for the tours, to explore the crypt, and most importantly, climb the dome for incredible views both inside, from the whispering gallery, and then outside from the top. You could also head across the Millenium Footbridge to the Tate Modern or the Globe to continue your explorations of the London tourists come to see - and that us locals are so fortunate to have close at hand."
- Miss Alice

You may also be interested in these posts about non-touristy things to do.

* Photo by Pamela Machado, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.