UK Members, need your advice about London.

I love London (and live in London) but it is really busy in the summer (as I'm sure is New York). I imagine that it is going to be especially crazy with the Olympics on as I am guessing that visitors to the Olympics will also be wanting to see some of the other attractions. I am dreading it and hoping to get out at that time haha! If you don't come while the Olympics is actually on then perhaps it will just be a usual summer level of busy-ness. Hope you enjoy it if you do end up coming though

Edited to add: you could pretty much stay anywhere and not have to drive - it's really not a driving city which I love!

If its possible London is nicest in Spring. We tend to have the best weather then. April last year was gorgeous and a lot hotter and sunnier than our summer. I imagine accommodation will be ridiculously expensive then as at a premium from the Olympics. You'll have a brill time either way though

Come to London lol
Most of the Olympic attractions wont be in central London anyway! If you stay in Central London you can get around really easy, i wouldnt suggest driving at all, you throw a stone in London and you hit a tube or bus stop! I will imagin there will be extra people this summer but you should be able to enjoy a lot of the attractions, where abouts do you want to visit?
And some advice, wonder around and get yourself a bit lost, Its full of hidden attractions, things you would never expect to find, also do you reaserch, some of our top attractions are free.

Please do come, London is a beautiful city (as is New York).

I am local to the Olympic site, but would recommend staying more centrally in London (Bloomsbury / South Kensington / Victoria) which will be akin to staying in Manhatton, has good transport links both to Stratford and to other attractions. I would recommend using the underground to travel as quicker and relatively safe (although busier).

Stratford itself has changed, but is based in East London (where I have lived all my life) which is best described as a poorer part of London. Stratford now boasts a wonderful new shopping and entertainment centre and there will be a new park, so plenty to do in the area. Take the time to visit some of the bars / pubs in Stratford (I recommend King Eddies which also serves great food). Away from Stratford, there are some wonderful shopping areas in the West End, plenty of theatres, museums, art galleries and parks.

Need any more info, let me know.

London has an extensive travel network of both buses and underground so you really will not need a car at all. It will be insanely busy and expensive, but I would imagine New York is like that too!

I would avoid Olympics time (you probably won't be able to get a hotel in London then anyway) but most of the sights you will know about and want to see will be central/west London and the Olympics are in the east.

I live in Essex which is 'next door' to London and I often go there for work.

I hate to say it, but I, along with most Londoners I know, will be doing anything and everything I can to be out of London during the Olympics - the transport situation is looking dire, and an already-overcrowded city (in summer) is going to be a nightmare. If you plan to come next summer, I would suggest doing so either well before or after the Olympic period especially - the Jubilee is expected to be busy, but not as bad.

as everyone has said, hotels/prices will be insane for the olympics but that is only two weeks and the weeks after should be much better and if you *really* want to see the olympic spectacle, consider coming over for the paralympic weeks at the end of Aug which, while still busy should be much less insane.

100% the tube/trains/buses are the way to get around. the TFL.gov.uk web site has a very good travel planner that will plan a route for you from any given location (street address, tube station, post code etc) using public transport and it is very reliable.
If you can handle adding another 30min train journey to the start/end of your tourist day, considering hotels along the main commuter train routes into one of the london rail stations, or one of the north london suburbs with tube stops is even quicker, might save you quite a lot of money. just don't plan to travel in to the center at peak commuter time (before 9am

As has been said, there are lots of beuatiful places in England. I lived in York for many years and prefer it to London, but then I dont like big cities.

London is quite hectic normally and I can only imagine that over the olympics it would be a nightmare. Public transport is the way to go though as its not too expensive (especially with an Oyster card) and its frequent and pretty safe (jsut some incidents of pick pocketing). If you live in New York (which I'm thinking of going to this year), then you shoudl deal with the crowds and the pace no problems.

Its got a lot of great things to see (Tower of London, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, National Gallery, Tate(s), Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey etc etc. if you come over for more than a few days then a train to another city or area would be a nice thing. York is a medieval walled city with some great thigns to see and is only 2 1/2 hours by frequent train away. Bath is georgian and quite nice (not so much to see imo), Edinburgh is lovely, the Lakes are beautiful.

I prefer London in September, less busy and tends to be nice weather. All the kids are back at school in September and there are less tourists. I am not sure I will bother to visit during the Olympics, it will be very busy.

I live in oxford, just an hour an a half bus ride from London. we have a ton of tourists in the summer!


I would like to visit New York this year. Probably around the Central Park. Where would you recommend to stay and visit?


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