Frommer's London day by day

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Frommer Media LLC

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Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer.

ISBN 978-1-62887-056-5 (ebk)

Editorial Director: Pauline Frommer

Editor: Alexis Lipsitz Flippin

Production Editor: Erin Geile

Photo Editor: Meghan Lamb

Cartographer: Andrew Murphy

Page Compositor: Lissa Auciello-Brogan

Indexer: Cheryl Lenser

Front cover photos, left to right: Big Ben. ©Chrisdorney / Shutterstock.

Doc Marten store. ©Bikeworldtravel / Sutterstock. The Globe on South Bank. ©Thomas Roessler.

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About this Book

Organizing your time. That’s what this guide is all about.

Other guides give you long lists of things to see and do and then expect you to fit the pieces together. The Day by Day guides are different. These guides tell you the best of everything, and then they show you how to see it in the smartest, most time-efficient way. Our authors have designed detailed itineraries organized by time, neighborhood, or special interest. And each tour comes with a bulleted map that takes you from stop to stop.

Hoping to see where the Queen lives, or the global treasures of the British Museum? Planning a walk through swanky Chelsea, the New London of the East End, or the shopping streets of the West End? Whatever your interest or schedule, the Day by Days give you the smartest routes to follow. Not only do we take you to the top attractions, hotels, and restaurants, but we also help you access those special moments that locals get to experience—those finds that turn tourists into travelers.

The Day by Days are also your top choice if you’re looking for one complete guide for all your travel needs. The best hotels and restaurants for every budget, the greatest shopping values, the wildest nightlife—it’s all here.

Why should you trust our judgment? Because our authors personally visit each place they write about. They’re an independent lot who say what they think and would never include places they wouldn’t recommend to their best friends. They’re also open to suggestions from readers. If you’d like to contact them, please send your comments our way at feedback@frommers.com, and we’ll pass them on.

Enjoy your Day by Day guide—the most helpful travel companion you can buy. And have the trip of a lifetime.

About the Author

Joe Fullman has lived in London for 41 years—or, to put it another way, all his life. It is, as far as he’s concerned, the best city in the world, and having worked as a travel writer for more than a decade and a half, he’s had the opportunity to compare it to some very distinguished rivals. Joe has written guides to London (five at the last count), England, Berlin, Venice, Las Vegas, Costa Rica, and Belize. He has also contributed to guides to Paris, Italy, Turkey, Central America, and the Caribbean. He is the author of Frommer’s London Free & Dirt Cheap and is a contributor to Frommer’s London 2013.

An Additional Note

Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.

Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations

Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, shopping, and nightlife are rated on a scale of zero stars (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). In addition to the star-rating system, we also use a icon to point out the best bets for families. Within each tour, we recommend cafes, bars, or restaurants where you can take a break. Each of these stops appears in a shaded box marked with a coffee-cup-shaped bullet .

The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:

Travel Resources at Frommers.com

Frommer’s travel resources don’t end with this guide. Frommer’s website, www.frommers.com, has travel information on more than 4,000 destinations. We update features regularly, giving you access to the most current trip-planning information and the best airfare, lodging, and car-rental bargains. You can also listen to podcasts, connect with other Frommers.com members through our active-reader forums, share your travel photos, read blogs from guidebook editors and fellow travelers, and much more.

How to Contact Us

In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Support@FrommerMedia.com

You can explore the wonders of science, history, and nature at world-class museums, eat yourself to a bigger dress size at top-notch restaurants, marvel at just how much gold and jewelry fill the royal palaces and castles, and say you’ve done London. But to get to know London, you need to experience the special moments that reveal the city’s true character. Here are some of the best:

Race to the top of the Shard. Two super-speedy elevators whisk you to the top of Western Europe’s tallest building for views that seem to stretch on forever in all directions. It’s a great experience at any time—particularly on the topmost viewing platform, which is exposed to the elements—but for a truly breathtaking photo opportunity, go in the evening when the sun starts sinking and the lights come on across the city. Go to page, .

Take an inter-art cruise aboard the Tate-to-Tate boat. Running between the sister galleries of Tate Britain and Tate Modern every 40 minutes, the boat allows you to instantly swap an eyeful of paintings and installations for views of some of the Thames’ most iconic sights, including the London Eye and Big Ben. The boat itself is a work of art with a colorful spotted livery by Damien Hirst. Go to page.

Get to know Londoners in their natural habitat with a pub crawl through the City. A trip to a traditional boozer can combine many interests, such as history (many pubs are housed in ancient buildings), dining, pub games, and, of course, there’s a wide range of beers and wines to be sampled—just be sure to pace yourself. Map.

Dig the music (classical or jazz) at the Late View at the V&A, held under the museum’s thrilling Dale Chihuly glass chandelier on Friday evenings. Several of the renowned museum’s galleries are open for exploring, and the relaxed atmosphere—helped by the open bar—makes for a leisurely and seductive visit. Pick up a ticket for one of the lectures that start at 7pm, and round off the night with a browse through the gift shop. Go to page.

Dine next to a celebrity at the Wolseley, but act unimpressed. Don’t even think about autographs, cameras, or gaping at this Piccadilly hot spot, where the modern British cuisine is good and the clientele often stellar. Make lunch and dinner reservations in advance of your visit. Weekdays and nights are better than weekends to catch sight of a celeb, and remember that only Americans dine before 8pm. Go to page.

Print a poster of your favorite masterpiece at the National Gallery. The Sainsbury Wing shop offers virtual reconnaissance tours of this huge, world-renowned, treasure-packed museum and allows you to print high-quality posters of any of its 2,000-plus paintings in a variety of sizes. Go to page.

Crisscross the scenic Serpentine in a pedal boat on a sunny morning as ducks and geese wheel overhead. The little island on the north side is reputed to be local resident J. M. Barrie’s inspiration for the Island of the Lost Boys in Peter Pan. Bring a camera. If you’re not feeling too energetic, opt for a rowboat and let a companion do the work. Go to page, .

Let Yeoman Warders (or Beefeaters) regale you with tales of murder, mayhem, and badly behaved royals at the Tower of London, which has been standing guard over the city for nearly 1,000 years. Be sure to take a glide past the Crown Jewels on a moving walkway, too. Go to page.

Haggle for a bargain at Portobello Road Market, either at the open-air stalls or in the warrens of indoor arcades. You may get 10% to 15% off the asking price, which everyone involved knows is set just for that probability. Saturday’s the big day for this famous antiques market, and part of the fun is sharing the street with seething crowds of bargain hunters and loiterers. Go to page.

Listen to Big Ben strike the hour. The bongs at midnight on December 31 will obviously get the biggest reaction, but this is a very London pleasure whatever the hour. It’s the bell itself that’s named Big Ben, though most assign that name to the whole clock tower (now officially known as the Elizabeth Tower). Although the bell has a crack in it and can’t sound an E note, its chimed aria from Handel’s Messiah is the undisputed aural symbol of London. Go to page, .

Ride down Hyde Park’s Rotten Row on horseback and you’ll feel like a character out of a 19th-century English novel, as you pass joggers, in-line skaters, and cyclists. There’s no better way to absorb the atmosphere of London’s most popular park. Only skilled riders should let their horses try a canter; novices will still enjoy the experience at a walking gait. Go to page,

Stand in the middle of the Thames on the Millennium Bridge, which spans not just the river but also the centuries, with St. Paul’s Cathedral on one side and the Tate Modern on the other. The views of the cityscape are impressive, especially at sunrise and sunset. Go to page, .

Become part of the play at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre as one of the groundlings who stand in front of the stage, much as the rabble did during Shakespeare’s time. You never know when the actors might mingle among you as they bellow out their lines. It’s a truly Elizabethan experience, minus the pickpockets and the spitting. Go to page.

Stuff yourself with a full afternoon tea at the deluxe Goring hotel that rises to the task of impressing visitors with an array of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and cakes—all washed down with a strong cuppa. Don’t make dinner plans—you won’t be hungry. Go to page.

Explore the breadth of the old Empire at the British Museum, where priceless treasures acquired from all parts of the globe—including the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles—testify to the power that Britain once exerted over the farthest reaches of the world, and give you insight into just how greedy its adventurers were. Map.

Lose your way inside Hampton Court Palace’s famous Hedge Maze, with winding paths that cover nearly half a mile. When you manage to extricate yourself from its clutches, stroll through the many centuries of architectural styles featured at this stunning palace, which was the country home of many an English monarch, including Henry VIII. Don’t neglect the gift shops. Go to page, .

This tour is of Iconic London. You’ll be visiting attractions, including