Anyone with any tips on London/Brussels please post here for me.

 

I will be staying near buckingham palace for three nights in london and staying near grand palace for three nights in Brussels.

 

I would like:

 

-Best way to get around: including are there public transportation three day passes?

 

-Must eats.

 

-Must sees.

 

-Neat neighborhoods/neighborhoods to stay away from.

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

When you get to London, go to a ticket window at a Tube station and ask for a three-day Oyster pass. They are good for all London Transport services, including bus, tube and overground rail. All you have to do is wave it in front of a ticket reader when you go through turnstiles at Tube and Overground rail stations, and when you board buses.

 

A good suggestion is to take one of the London bus tours, which is a great way to familiarize yourself with the city. Taking the tube is a great way to get around, but you don't really get to learn where things are. This is a good bus tour: http://www.theoriginaltour.com/ and you get on/off the bus when you see something interesting.

 

Tourists tend to spend most of their time around the Thames, between Westminster Bridge and London Bridge. Go to the usual haunts, like Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Westminster Abbey (different from the cathedral), Covent Garden and the Tower of London. But don't ignore the wonderful neighborhoods. I especially like Hyde Park (near Paddington Station), Soho (I prefer the eastern part between Covent Garden and the British Museum which is less seedy), and the neighborhood around Victoria Station has lots of great restaurants and theaters like the Apollo. If you like shopping, definitely walk up the streets and closes leading from Piccadilly Circus. There are some great restaurants just about everywhere, but you will find that you can live off pub food, which is good and inexpensive. And every pub is different in some way, though a few have become a little too mainstream/corporate for me. Walking is a great way to see just about any part of London.

 

I've been to London in each of the last three years. It is by far my favorite European city. It is clean, safe, walkable, vibrant but not intimidating to me at all.

 

I've only been to Brussels once and didn't have much time to venture beyound the immediate area around the Midi train station. That area is very modern and corporate, so it wasn't too enticing to me.

THank you very much.  Will get the oyster pass and take the mentioned tour.

Definitely Notting Hill.  That's includes the area around Picadilly Circus.  I stayed in a hotel in the neighborhood and the architecture and variety of restaurants were both outstanding.  Central London is also very very easy to navigate, so wear some good boots made for walking.

If you're into architectural history and generally awesome stuff, definitely check out the small but nifty Victor Horta museum in Brussels. 

 

Have a great trip!

Hopefully I can help out, although you already have some good suggestions above.  I have lived in London for about six months now, I also spent 3 months in London back in 2007.  I also have a good friends in Brussels and travel there every month or so.  If you are comings soon be sure to pack a good umbrella; I just spent 3 days in Ghent and it rained everyday and returned to London via Eurostar a few hours ago to a rainy, cold, and windy London. 

 

All of central London is very safe.  Just make sure you are smart and aren't flashing loads of cash while walking down the street.  The majority of theft in London that I hear of takes place at ATMs, so just stay aware and if anyone approaches you or tries to distract you just cancel your transaction and walk away.

 

I think the best way of seeing London (and Brussels to some extent) is on foot.  Most of all the main sites in London are walkable.  If you are staying near Buckingham Palace I would head towards Parliament than follow the Thames until you get to St. Pauls and the Tate Modern.  Both are worthwhile to visit, especially on a clear day where the views from the top of St Pauls are great.  Along the way you will pass the Eye and the Aquarium, both of which aren't worth the time/money to visit.

 

Tower Bridge and Tower of London are further down the Thames.  The tours of the Tower are very good, so allow some time for that.  From there head back towards Central London.  Where you can see the National Museum and National Gallery, both top notch and free.  Nearby you can walk past 10 Downing Street, Whitehall, etc.

 

This probably needs to be spread out over a few days.  I would also recommend exploring Covent Gardens, Soho, and Kenninsington (stop by Harrod's).  For a more relaxing day walk through Regent's Park and to the top of Primrose Hill for a great view of London.  For shopping visit Oxford, Regent, and Bond Street.  Bond Street is where you find Cartier, LV, Armani, etc.  Camden Town is also known for their more out there shopping, and worth a visit if you like to barter.

 

As for food, there is great Chinese in Queensway.  My favorite fish-and-chips is called North Sea Fish, located on Leigh Street in the Bloomsbury neighborhood, not far from the National Museum.  They have a sit down restaurant as well as a take-away window.

 

In Brussels, my knowledge is far more limited.  Most of the stuff to see is located in the Lower Town.  It is there will you will find the Grand Place.  Gare-du-Midi is the main train station, however the area immediately surrounding it isn't that great and doesn't appear that safe.  You can also head towards the EU zone in Brussels where the Natural History Museum is architecturally beautiful and surrounded by a gorgeous park.  If you want I can dig up a list of good restaurants in Brussels, as I have probably had more good meals there than in London.  Also be sure to pick up some waffles with chocolate.  Also don't forget to try some Belgian beers.  Duvel or Orval you can find in the states, but most aren't exported. 

 

Feel free to PM me with any questions you may have.  Depending on when you visit I may have some free time to show you around, although I am back in Cleveland for the holidays.

Thanks!  Will write all of this down.

London

• Imperial War Museum
  
• National Gallery
  
• Tower of London
  
• Westminster Abbey
  
• Borough Market
  
• Harvey Nic's
  
• Harrods
  
• The West End
  
• Trafalgar Square
  
• Billionairs Row/Kensington Palace (makes the UES look like Public Housing)
  
• High Street