Going to England for a bit and want some advice

Shentar

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My job is sending me to England for a week. I'll mostly be visiting our office in Coventry for the week, but I elected to stay an extra day in London to look around. I've always wanted to go to England, so its a dream come true really. Hopefully this will be the first of many trips.

So on Jan 11th and 12th I'll be in London, and to be honest, I don't know what I should do in such a short period of time. Seeing things like Big Ben, Parliment, Tower Bridge, and the Eye of London are on the list, but what else is worth doing if you only have a day? I'd like to get a beer or two while I"m there, so what are some good pubs to go to? I don't even know which hotel I'll be staying at. I'll leave out of Heathrow on the 12th mid-day. Any advice is appreciated. This is the first time I'll be travelling out of the US so yay!
 
Firstly; get out of Coventry. Its a shithole and there's nothing there (I went to uni just outside Cov). Its an hour on the train to central London so do that. Continuously.

Alternatively if you're in the office during the daytime then in the evenings perhaps get a train out to some towns nearby (maybe Warwick or Kenilworth - they both have nice castles if you're looking for 'ENGLAND LOL' attractions :p) - see where your colleagues in the UK office go. If they all stay in Cov; go somewhere else or suggest an outing. There are some nice pubs in Kenilworth (my favourite - yes go laugh at the name then stay for the incredible burger).

Be aware that drinks are very expensive in London, and if you want a genuine 'English countryside' pub then it won't be found in a city (duh, right!). Coventry is a fairly well connected place by train so look into train lines if you want to venture out.

I've lived in the West Midlands/Coventry/Leamington Spa area for a few years so if you have any further questions do ask.
 
Well yeah, but where? I live close to San Francisco and I have a hard time picking out a bar there when I'm just a short train trip away. :)

Doesn't really matter... hop into Saabtouch's Dave and see where it takes you :p
 
No the Famous Virgin Sandcastle. Or maybe it should be infamous...

@Narf: I don't live in that area anymore, but I do visit it occasionally. Only at weekends though and unlikely that soon in January :(
 
Firstly; get out of Coventry. Its a shithole and there's nothing there (I went to uni just outside Cov). Its an hour on the train to central London so do that. Continuously.

Sadly, Coventry is where the office is, so that part is forced on me. I may sneak away from the group a couple of times and go to nearby places. We are going to Birmingham for the Autosport International Car Show while we are there. My option was to go back for a day with the public on Saturday or go to London.

Be aware that drinks are very expensive in London, and if you want a genuine 'English countryside' pub then it won't be found in a city (duh, right!). Coventry is a fairly well connected place by train so look into train lines if you want to venture out.

I've lived in the West Midlands/Coventry/Leamington Spa area for a few years so if you have any further questions do ask.

I think I just want to say I've had a beer and got to interact with some locals some. I'm shy, so that might not happen, but I want to try at least.
 
If you're interested in military history, The Imperial War Museum is good.
 
^ Ah well my location is accurate so about 35 miles/55km away from Coventry but I do have a job and don't like doing much in the evenings :p Different scales I suppose - my daily commute is 2.5 miles/4km.

My option was to go back for a day with the public on Saturday or go to London.

Go to London. You could spend years there. Even the tourist stuff would take weeks.
 
As far as pubs go, I recommend the Anchor Bar. I was just there this past weekend and I loved it! A nice atmosphere, not too touristy, and the damn thing's been there since 1615. It's within walking distance from St. Paul's Cathedral and Tower Bridge.

Giving another vote for the Imperial War Museum as well. It's one of the best museums I've ever been to. The HMS Belfast is also worth a visit if you're at all into military history.
 
Also for travel when you're in London; get a travelcard. An individual journey on the Tube will be ?4.70 (irrespective of length) and a travelcard is unlimited travel on that day (on all public transport in London) and costs ?9. You do the maths. Because you'll be in England and Math isn't a thing.

You don't want to be walking long distances across the city if you're there for a couple of days. And hey; the tube is awesome!*

*Not a guarantee.
 
London eye is good for a view over London. River trip down to Greenwich from Tower Bridge is OK. Nelson's Column and the National Gallery - very cultural. Go to Kensington and you can go to the Victoria and Albert, the Natural History and the Science museums - they are very close together once off the tube.
 
So on Jan 11th and 12th I'll be in London, and to be honest, I don't know what I should do in such a short period of time. Seeing things like Big Ben, Parliment, Tower Bridge, and the Eye of London are on the list, but what else is worth doing if you only have a day?

OK, here's a Plan.

Take one of the two Tourist Bus Tours.

The Original London Sightseeing Tour or the The Big Bus Company

It is a duopoly and they run the same routes for the same price, currently ?25 and it would take about 2 hours to complete the original route if you just stayed on.

wiki said:
Big Bus Tours London operates three routes with stops at these tourist destintions Madame Tussauds, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, London Eye, Covent Garden, St Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens.

The company runs hop-on, hop-off bus tours of London, with one 24-hour ticket valid for unlimited journeys on the route. Buses offer recorded commentaries in several languages which can be listened to with headphones.

So, anywhere you want to get off and explore, shop or take photos, you can.
Then just wait for the next tour bus to come along.
It is best to wrap up well and go on the open top upper deck, for as long as you can stand and take photos as you are on the move.

So, get a Tube travel card from the station, travel to Picadilly Circus and buy a tour ticket or buy it online and hop on anywhere on the tour.

Personally, I would use the Original Tour company, because of the Red Buses and just do the "Original Tour". (see website virtual tour, for details)

:smile:

BTW, during the Tour the Bus runs down Park Lane.
This is the home of many Exotic car marques, such as Bentley, Rolls Royce Aston Martin, etc. Also, there is a Ferarri shop in Oxford Street, or somewhere like that.
 
[...]This is the first time I'll be travelling out of the US so yay!

Get ready for an outright shock then ...

:twisted::twisted::twisted:

I?ll leave the touristy advice thing to the Brits here, just from what I know from my american friends when they first came over to Europe - the tone around here isn?t quite so friendly and takes some getting used to. People seem less friendly in the eyes of our american visitors, especially the service people when you?re in a shop or bar. That?s not that they are actually meaner ... it just said differnece in tone.
 
Did Tottenham replace Villas-Boas yet?
 
Don't go to Harrods, even if you think it sounds great. It's incredibly stuffy and up it's own ass. You even have to carry your backpack in your hand...
 
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