[lawgirl]

Look out Britain! Here I come!

[Mount Athos]

I like Bath, England. Easy train ride from London.

[Keith in Iowa]

Perhaps MadIvan has some ideas...

[cgk]

ping.

Have a great time!

[MHT]

Le Boudin Blanc (London restaurant), Bentley's seafood restaurant, The Square (and any of its sibling restaurants which have unusual names like The Glasshouse and La Trompette), and Tamarind's Indian restaurant--all great. A trip to Brighton is one of the most interesting (and atypical tourist) things to do. The Royal Pavillion there is like no other place on earth. Bath is a nice daytrip, particularly if you are a Jane Austen fan. (A viewing of Persuasion with Colin Hinds is a good introduction to Bath.)

[Jedidah]

We spent a week in Britain in May and were treated with courtesy and respect everywhere we went (London, Bath, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford), notwithstanding our Texas accents. Relax and have a great time. Remember that you can run into a jerk anywhere!
You could spend a week in London and not see it all, but if this is your first trip, don't miss the Tower of London.

[clintonh8r]

Have a great time! We've been to England three times since 9/11/01. We go down to West Sussex, about 1.5 hour drive from Gatwick. We stay in the countryside, so can't help too much with London.

If you're going to Bristol you'll be going toward Somerset. It's a beautiful rural area. Depending on your budget, I recommend the Ston Easton Park hotel in Ston Easton, Somerset. It's pricey but worth it. 17th century country home in a pastoral setting. Great kitchen and personalized service. About 125 pounds/night as I recall.

[Capriole]

Don't miss a tour of Hampton Court Palace and its gardens. A convenient train ride down there, and you can go all the way down or back on a boat on the Thames. You have to see the usual things in London--Parliament, Big Ben, St. Paul's, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, and of course the wonderful, terrible Tower of London! Just wandering the streets of London (mostly the West End) is an endless fascination, but be very wary, as the bad guys are out in force and it's pretty dangerous now. Take a day to run up to Oxford by train. Bath is gorgeous and very ancient. If you have time and money, drive through the Cotswolds where you can OD on the sheer historicity and charm. Travelling by car is staggeringly expensive as gas is about $7 a gallon. Yes, you read that right. Have fun!

[KantianBurke]

Be prepared to have your wallet annhilated. Thanks to Bush's policies regarding our currency, its deflated to the point that the British pound is exceptionally strong against it. Think 2 US dollars equalling 1 British pound. Therefore spend ur time at London's free musuems, both art and historial. They're totally free and open to the public.

[bethtopaz]

Hi lawgirl, I visited England in '97 and had a great time! I stayed with my friend in Ludlow. First day I spent hours exploring very old castle-ruins, imagining myself to be a princess up in the turrets awaiting my prince charming, galloping on his white stead in the distance. I decided not to go to London because many people told me that in order to get the most benefit one had to spend a week or so there. I went on the Magical Mystery Tour Bus ride in Liverpool. Loved it - and don't usually like tour-guided events, but we got to go by Strawberry Fields (the orphanage), Penny Lane (smalltown street where the Beatles hung out as kids and yes, it was all there - the barber shop and all), saw the homes where all the Beatles grew up, and ended up at The Cavern (where the Beatles were discovered). I sat in the pub next door (The Grapes) and wrote Beatles postcards to all my friends in America. I had fun just taking the trains, meeting people, and spent my last night at Brighton, which reminded me of San Francisco. English people are incredibly gracious and polite. They are not as outgoing as we are, but will go the second mile to help you if you need it. Once in a pub, (the English like to stand around drinking ale, vs. sitting, I noticed) I asked an Englishman what he thought of Americans. He said, "Well, we think you're pretty naive. You haven't been around very long." You will love England! Have fun!

[Final Authority]

Don't eat their burgers, eat fish and chips. Drink lager in the taverns unless you enjoy weak, warm, tasteless, and flat beer that they call ale. Travel by train only during rush hour as the hours for tourists cost several times as much.

Overall London and England in general is not a bad place to visit as most people do speak English, like Switzerland, but not like NYNY or Los Angeles.

[investigateworld]

Lucky You!. DO talk with everyone, ignore the so called aloofness. Do not leave a package/suitcase and ask someone to watch it for you (they still have IRA concerns) Never make fun of the Royal Family, regardless of what everyone else is doing. The "Tube" is great. If you are a smoker and bring out a pack of smokes offer same to your neighbor or persons closest to you. Even if your not a smoker, bring a cartoon of cig's, and if someone does you an extraordinary favor, give them a pack, it will make their whole day (everyone barters there).

[Veto!]

If it's not raining, you can see quite a lot of London in a half day from the top deck of a tourist bus. A good guide can jam centuries of history into one fascinating afternoon. Once you have the overview under your belt, you'll know which sites and attractions to head straight for on your next trip.

Sightseeing buses leave from Hyde Park and from good hotels all the time. You might call the local London American Express office and ask for their suggestion for the best sightseeing trip. When I was in Rome for a month, I took an American Express-arranged weekend bus trip to Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri, and it was just marvelous.

Secret: If you ride inside a tour bus, ride in the front window seat across from the driver. Best possible view, access to driver in case you have questions.

Have fun!

[DoctorMichael]

The TOWER OF LONDON is not to be missed!

This was one my more memorable stops on the tourist circuit in London. Provide at least 3 hours (either a full morning or afternoon) to do this site. Besides all the history there (beheadings, the Tower, The Chapel, The Castle, etc., etc. {Take the Guided Tour!!}) you'll be touring a bona fide medieval castle built on an original Roman fort dating to the 60 AD. Also, the Crown Jewels are housed there. An amazing slice of history!

Buckingham Palace, The National Gallery near the Picadilly Circus is neat, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament......

If I were to buy something on a trip there I'd get some domestically made sweaters (Shetland Wool?).

One thing I haven't seen yet.........Stonehenge!

[Taylor42]

Something I forgot to add. In central London there's a place called Leicester Square. It has a booth that sells same day tickets for the theather, half price.

Also pickup a London AZ book. It the best collection of maps to the city.

Also also, look for the walking tours. They have many different subjects from Roman London to Jack the ripper.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I was there a number of years ago, and stayed at The Bear in Woodstock.

If you have the time, spend a night, have the squab if available.

Incredible.

[sharktrager]

One tip.

Pack plenty of clean underwear.

[cephalopod]

I was there about 6 weeks ago. Enjoyed it very much, so much history. Bring money.
Check out London Walks. Inexpensive walking tours, very interesting with great guides.
http://london.walks.com/
I also enjoyed Grenwich very much.

[risk]

You have to see Welsh and Scot castles, such as Harlech and Stirling. See Hadrian's Wall.

[Moonmad27]

History buff here - after all my trips to England, I would always recommend Stonehenge, Windsor, British Museum, and Harrods (what a combination!). Dittos to those who said Bath. Since time is short, a bus tour of London is a good idea so you can at least say you saw Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, etc!

[investigateworld]

RE: Making fun of the Royal Family.
Not since I was 8 years old. My mother was a war bride from WW2, The "Royals" are sort of the glue that binds. I suspect your only regret will be that it was too short.
I've been there 3Xs and haven't done a 10th of what I want.
The British Museum had original songs, written by Lennon et al, but they rotate displays. AND always take a raincoat everywhere.