London 2013 Guidebook
Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:
Best: Palace of Westminster
Why: Loved this Tour (Buy Tickets at the Jewel Tower or order on-line.) Westminster Hall is 900 Years old and full of History (see plaques on floor including one about Sir Thomas More). Queen's Changing Room, House of Lords (with the gold Throne) and House of Commons were highlights. Learning about traditions and history was quite interesting (including why the houses of parliament are physically arranged the way they are: got to go to find out the answer).
Craig in Tallahassee, FL USA 03/26/2013
Best: Art Museums
Why: Low cost, accessible treasure houses of the world. Especially -- British Museum, National Gallery, British Library, and Tate Gallery.
Gregory Frux in Brooklyn, NY USA 02/22/2013
Best: National Gallery and British Museum
Why: These are great museums. They're free, easy to get in (no security hassle), you can carry your daypack, and then there is the amazing art and antiquities.
Anthony Jones in Seattle, WA USA 10/12/2012
Best: Buckingham Palace & Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Why: It was very easy to get to the Palace and there were a lot of other sights around within walking distance. Our children also really enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes Museum; although that was not a place we had planned to visit.
Worst: Stonehenge/Bath one-day trip
Why: The bus ride is really long and if you get stuck in traffic, much worse. We did not have very long at each place and felt rushed the entire time. There was so much to see in Bath, but we did not get to spend more than a couple of hours there.
Randy Bost in Champaign, IL USA 08/04/2012
Best: Queen's Gallery
Why: Went in for the DaVinci exhibit---absolutely stunning and perfectly done. We talked about it for hours at dinner.
Worst: Two, CityCruises and London Eye
Why: City Cruises says "hop on, hop off", well, sure, if you have an hour to spare. In the time it took for our boat to arrive, four boats for another company departed on the same route. Long, slow, and crowded. The Eye is expensive, slow, long lines, and for the cost, I'd rather visit the other sites. Nice views, but for forty-some pounds. I expected more. I really felt like a "tourist" for the first Time in London. Ugh.
Robin Fingerson in Erie, Co USA 06/29/2012
Worst: Big Bus Tours in London
Why: While we can't compare the quality of the tour with other tour companies, we can compare the quantity. There were 2 to 3 times more buses from The Original tour company. We often had waits while we saw the other company's buses. We once waited 40 minutes before we simply gave up and took the tube.
Dave in Greenfield, Mn USA 03/15/2012
Worst: Changing of the Guards
Why: I'm not suggesting that the ceremony itself was the worst, but the write up in the book is not helpful. First, we went to London in February. The guidebook says "Winter travelers find absolutely no crowds...". Seriously? Have you been there in the winter lately? The Changing of the Guards was massively crowded! I predict that it will be totally unmanageable in the summer of 2012 with the Olympic crowds! Rick mentions that the best views of the ceremony are from the Victoria monument. Granted, you get a little higher up and might be able to view more of the comings and goings but with these caveats: 1) if you aren't tall, you will still have a hard time seeing things. 2) with the advent of digital cameras where you can hold the camera in the air to take a picture rather than having to use a viewfinder, you are likely to get alot of other people's cameras in your pictures, even when you are on the steps. There were a couple of people even using ipads as cameras and holding them aloft. 3) if you are standing on the monument, you will be viewing the courtyard part of the ceremony through the fence. There is not much you can see in this case. If you want to get pictures of that part of the ceremony, you will need to be at the fence. 4) Rick recommends being there by 10:30 to get a good spot. I don't think that's going to work as things get closer to the summer! In February, you could not pick and choose your spot at 10:30. You might still get a good spot, but it might not be the spot you want. We got there at 9:45 and had a pick of spots but by 10:30, it was pretty crowded. If I had to do it a second time, I would stake out a place by the fence, because my goal was photography. And if I had to do it a third time, I would find a place along the marching route to get better pictures of the marching formations. It's difficult, if not impossible to get it all in one viewing, due to the difficulty of moving around with the crowds!
Joan in Fort Worth, TX USA 02/27/2012
Best: Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court
Why: If you are there in January or April you should do the guided tour of Buckingham Palace. It costs about $100 and you have to book way ahead, but they really deliver. It feels like you are being taken through like a guest with a host, not a tourist with a guide. The coolest part is that unlike in the summer they don't take you out through the garden exit, you leave by going right out front where the policeman lets you out the front gate while all the other tourists are trying to figure out if you are somebody important enough to photograph because you're inside the fence.
I'd also give an honorable mention to Hampton Court, which does not deserve the dissing it gets. It's more interesting w/regard to Henry VIII and the Tudors than anywhere else in town, the building is fantastic, and the staff are really, really knowledgeable and engaging. Unlike a lot of places in London they were downright friendly. Is it Versailles? No, but what is? It's certainly worth the half-day it takes to do.
Worst: Sir John Soane's Museum
Why: Rick goes on and on about how wonderfully quirky a place this place is. Well, I was disappointed to find that the guy was basically just a hoarder. Sure there's lots of stuff, but it's just piled up everywhere and kind of a curatorial train wreck. Staff was rather Addams Family aloof and not at all engaging. I'm generally a big fan of house museums but this one did not live up to its billing. Spend the extra hour at the British Museum or go to any of the other house museums you might be considering instead.
John in Austin, TX USA 02/10/2012
Best: Big Bus Tours
Why: Very enjoyable way to see London....excellent narration on the Red Route buses. It appears that both Big Bus and Original Bus offer "buy 1 day, get 1 day free" deals during the winter.
Jimmie Tatum in Hendersonville, NC USA 01/30/2012
Worst: Cherry Court Hotel
Why: They will not honor the special room rates listed in the 2012 London guidebook. If you insist, they simply stop responding to your e-mails.
Mae Lum in Oakland, CA USA 01/11/2012
Best: Rick Steves self-guided walking tour
Why: We were able to read and walk at our own pace, stopping when we wanted to learn more or grab a bite at a local pub that Rick suggested.
Chris in Woodland, CA USA 01/09/2012
Best: Kew Gardens
Why: We were in London during the recent record heat wave spending the afternoon at the lovely Kew Gardens was a great way to enjoy the outdoors away from the crowds. There was one area already closed for the winter, now that was a hoot.
Wendy in Chatham, Ma USA 10/15/2011
Best: Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Tate Modern, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms
Why: So many things! The charming staff at the Tower and Windsor. Pricey sites but totally worth it! Very efficiently organized. Very classy. Tate Modern has great works and is free. The War Rooms were very enjoyable.
Worst: Hampton Court Palace
Why: To Rick's credit, he correctly warns that this site "doesn't dazzle." Of all the sites I visited, I found this the most poorly organized. The closing times are all over the place - they are different for the gardens than for the house, so you feel rushed through the house so you can see the gardens before they close. I would advise visitors to maybe try seeing the gardens first, if possible.
Katherine Hutchison in Chicago, IL USA 09/03/2011
Best: The Museum of London in The City area
Why: An amazingly detailed two-floor exhibit- and object-laden history of London from pre-Roman times to relatively present day. There is tons to see for every age (even kids will enjoy most of it), and they have portable stools available to borrow for those who have trouble standing for long periods of time. My mother and I both enjoyed it enough to return on our second trip last month, and it was still just as good as we remembered! We recommend it to everyone!
Worst: Day trip to Paris via Chunnel
Why: The two things we wanted/planned to see were the Eiffel Tower and the Opera Garnier. Other than an extremely long wait (mostly anticipated), we found the Opera unavailable for entry because of a rehearsal. (We checked their website prior to our day and nothing was scheduled.) We then had a lot of trouble finding our way to the correct place in the Gare du Nord to catch Eurostar back and missed our 30 minute window for checking in (we arrived 15 minutes before the train departed). We were denied boarding and they wouldn't/couldn't reschedule us for two hours. Beware that "suggestion" that you arrive at least 30 minutes before the train is to leave!
Allison Britting in Milford, CT USA 08/30/2011
Best: National Gallery
Why: We used the written guide and map in your book and it made the huge museum manageable. I just read the descriptions to my family and we knew just what to look at.
Laura Zimmermann in Hagerstown, MD USA 08/21/2011
Best: National Gallery
Why: We used the written guide and map in your book and it made the huge museum manageable. I just read the descriptions to my family and we knew just what to look at.
Laura Zimmermann in Hagerstown, MD USA 08/21/2011
Best: Cabinet War Rooms
Why: Fascinating. Lived up to the billing in the guidebook.
Steve Macfarlane in Carmchael, CA USA 08/07/2011
Best: Victoria and Albert Museum
Why: Fascinating collections include everything from medieval art to Mick Jagger's jump suit.
Worst: Portobello market
Why: The tremendous crush of humanity.
Granville in Durham, NC USA 08/06/2011
Best: London Walks tour of Bath
Why: It was quite well-organized, the guide was knowledgeable, and there was a good balance between free time and time with the guide. I'll try London Walks again when I next visit London.
Craig in Cherry Hill, NJ USA 06/27/2011
Best: Queen's Gallery
Why: An unexpected jewel . . . small but with lots of first-rate artwork and a *free* audioguide. Note: you need a reservation (which you can make by internet) to enter.
Worst: Tate Modern
Why: The collection is not well presented; in retrospect, I should have focused on the Miro show rather than on the permanent collection.
Craig in Cherry Hill, NJ USA 06/26/2011
Best: WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL
Why: Not to be confused with Westminster Abbey - one at one end of Victoria Street and the cathedral at the other end near Victoria. We came accross it by chance, a huge red Byzantium styled church and we walked in on a part of the religious (Catholic) service with the choir singing - awesome voices!
John and Kate Dagmar in San Jose, CA USA 06/10/2011
Best: WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL
Why: Not to be confused with Westminster Abbey - one at one end of Victoria Street and the cathedral at the other end near Victoria. We came accross it by chance, a huge red Byzantium styled church and we walked in on a part of the religious (Catholic) service with the choir singing - awesome voices!
John and Kate Dagmar in San Jose, CA USA 06/10/2011
Best: podcasts
Why: Enabled us as a family of 5 to walk and experience the town at our own pace.
Chris Anderson in Portland, OR USA 04/03/2011
Best: Tower of London
Why: Because our beef-eater was a jewel. He was interesting and fun. He was very involved with us, tourists and we had the best time listening to him.
Gaucher in San Diego, CA USA 02/21/2011
Worst: Blades Hotel
Why: I agree with the Liz. The Blades Hotel should be avoided. Our room was very small even by London standards. I also had to deal with the mean lady who let me know that she did not enjoy taking phone messages for me.
Greg in Georgetown, KY USA 02/19/2011
Best: Tate Gallery & National Art Gallery
Why: The walking tours saved me a ton of time and still helped me hit all of the highlights.
Pradnya Parulekar in Los Angeles, CA USA 01/08/2011