Calling all Londoners

Well London is in it's monsoon season (no really ... I woke up on Christmas morn to thunder and lightning ... )
Mayfair and Kensington is incredibly expensive ... But not knowing what your budget is - it may be fine and it will be useful for getting about the place.

Bring an umbrella regardless of which time of year you come but the best time tends to be summer/late summer - spring can be quite iffy in terms if rain.

Depending on what you want to see ... I would go for the central historical sites, but then I am fascinated by things like the Tower of London and the historical aspects.
I would deffo take in The London Eye
West End show is a must - there are tickety places in Leicester Square.
Go have a nibble in Chinatown ..

Oxford St and Regent st for shopsies ...

I'm sure I'll think of more useful things when I come out of my Xmas Roast induced stupor!!!

Likewise PM if you want to perhaps look at more options nearer the time

Not a Londoner but thought I'd chime in anyway.

I'd make sure you look into getting an Oyster card (maybe with a 7 day travel pass) when you're over here. It lets you on the tubes and the buses and is the cheapest (and easiest) way to get about if you don't want to walk. Walking is nice though as things aren't *too* far apart if you're staying central and you'll get to see all the things above ground. And no matter what time of year you pick, it'll probably feel cold and rain!

Another thing for hotels, if most of the attractions and things you're going to see are in central London and zone 1 or a or whatever they call it might be worth getting a hotel in that zone too to keep the travel costs down a bit. Check on the tube maps on the TFL website.

If you like history and are interested in Royal history then check out the Royal Palaces pass. I did that with some friends when we went down to London in October and for the price of 2 attractions we can visit any of the Royal palaces as many times as we want in a year. Saved us a fortune as that was the purpose of our trip (we did 4 because a 5th was closed for an event)! That includes things like the Tower and Hampton Court (which is a train ride out but very nice!).

I'm also somewhat biased, but as you said outside London you could get a cheap flight or a train up to the North East of England, hire a car and visit lots of castles and Hadrian's Wall too (along with some pretty scenery. If you're after a more 'city' holiday with just day trips that won't help though lol. You can do a day trip to Cambridge though which is a nice place.

You could do a bus tour or a duck tour (they go on the river as well) if you want to get about and see things. There's also Greenwich with the Royal Observatory and the date line. If you're on a tighter budget there's plenty of museums and gallery's which are free (the British Museum for example). I'd budget a small fortune for food! I don't know how prices compare to over there but compared to where I live London is expensive and if you're doing a hotel you won't be able to cook anything.

Not a Londoner but thought I'd chime in anyway.

I'd make sure you look into getting an Oyster card (maybe with a 7 day travel pass) when you're over here. It lets you on the tubes and the buses and is the cheapest (and easiest) way to get about if you don't want to walk. Walking is nice though as things aren't *too* far apart if you're staying central and you'll get to see all the things above ground. And no matter what time of year you pick, it'll probably feel cold and rain!

Another thing for hotels, if most of the attractions and things you're going to see are in central London and zone 1 or a or whatever they call it might be worth getting a hotel in that zone too to keep the travel costs down a bit. Check on the tube maps on the TFL website.

If you like history and are interested in Royal history then check out the Royal Palaces pass. I did that with some friends when we went down to London in October and for the price of 2 attractions we can visit any of the Royal palaces as many times as we want in a year. Saved us a fortune as that was the purpose of our trip (we did 4 because a 5th was closed for an event)! That includes things like the Tower and Hampton Court (which is a train ride out but very nice!).

I'm also somewhat biased, but as you said outside London you could get a cheap flight or a train up to the North East of England, hire a car and visit lots of castles and Hadrian's Wall too (along with some pretty scenery. If you're after a more 'city' holiday with just day trips that won't help though lol. You can do a day trip to Cambridge though which is a nice place.

You could do a bus tour or a duck tour (they go on the river as well) if you want to get about and see things. There's also Greenwich with the Royal Observatory and the date line. If you're on a tighter budget there's plenty of museums and gallery's which are free (the British Museum for example). I'd budget a small fortune for food! I don't know how prices compare to over there but compared to where I live London is expensive and if you're doing a hotel you won't be able to cook anything.

We went to Cambridge for a day out and saw Stephen Hawkins there!!

I echo much of what others have said! I'm fairly familiar with London now, and so here are a few of my recommendations. I live in Yorkshire, so I'm not a Londoner but am pretty close!

First off, I can't recommend Rick Steve's books enough. His series is called "Europe through the Back Door," and he has walks that highlight the best of cities, maps with his recommendations for local food off the beaten track, and possession of his book can give you discounts at tour companies. He's gotten me through London, Venice, and Florence on my own!

Kensington is quite expensive, and Westminster is probably the most centrally-located. Perhaps look at laterooms.com for options. I had a night in a REALLY nice hotel in the City (near Tower Bridge and the Gerkin) for about a third of the usual price when I booked there. The last time I stayed in a London hotel for an extended period of time instead of at a friend's, I stayed near Paddington station which is on the District, Circle, and Bakerloo lines. If you're planning on using the Underground (which I *highly* recommend if you're physically able to use stairs), figure out what you'd like to see and plan to stay near a station which can take you to those places. The Central line goes to many of the main tourist spots, and Bank/Monument station probably has the best line combo because it has access to the Central, Circle, and District lines.

I love autumn or spring in London, but it really depends on what you'd like to see. Buckingham Palace is only open to visitors in the summer, and there are special exhibits at various museums which are timed so that they're open during this high-traffic season. For me, the must-sees are:
British Museum (Bloomsbury, Holborn station)
British Library (especially if it's hosting a special exhibit) (Bloomsbury, King's Cross/St. Pancras station)
The Victoria and Albert Museum (Kensington, South Kensington station)
The City area (Tate Modern, Globe, St. Paul's)
The Westminster area (Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Eye)
National Gallery (Westminster, Leicester Square or Westminster station)
Houses of Parliament (I haven't been here, but when my parents visited me in the UK they went here and it was their ABSOLUTE favourite!) (Westminster, Westminster station)

Outside of London, there are coach tours you can take for a day. I've been on one to Salisbury and Stonehenge and another to the Cotswolds and Stratford. Those might be worth it for you. Oxford and Bath are absolutely LOVELY, and if you want to get away from the busier south, I highly, highly recommend the north of England. I've lived in York and Durham, and they are gorgeous places for a day trip or a stop for a night on the way from London to Edinburgh. Even the rail trip from London up the east coast is gorgeous. If you like Scotland, St. Andrews is a bit out of the way but is a quiet and dreamy beachfront town.

I've done the tourist thing in London and now am more familiar with the city because my boyfriend lives there. If you need recommendations for restaurants or anything else, please don't hesitate to message me!

Took my daughter there this past March and had sunny and 70 every day. I think that was super lucky though. We stayed in Hyde Park on the main road and it seemed central to everything, and across the street from Kensington Park. Be sure to eat Thai and Indian food while there. it's some of the best i've ever had. Consider at least a half day highlights tour, as it will give a wonderful overview of the city and you can note what you want to go back and see better.
Also, the Eurostar is amazing and you can get to other countries FAST, even for a day. Enjoy!!

With everyone's help here, we've planned a trip to London July 27-August 4, staying in Bloomsbury area. We booked a daytrip to Stonehenge/Bath during that week, and will book a daytrip to Paris as well. Yay! Ok, we've decided our must-see's include the London Eye, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, Westminster Abbey, The Tower, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, British Museum, Houses of Parliment, the Old Operating Theatre, and a ghost tour.

Any other suggestions would be more than welcome!

I'm sure you'll love it here!

One more thing, the dates you'll be here is when Notting Hill Carnival is on, the last weekend in August, Sunday and Monday. It's an amazing experience, sunday is quieter than the monday, it's really mad on the monday.