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THANKS TO RICK STEVES
The Life Galleries at London’s Natural History Museum feature exhibitions on everything from creepy insects to giant mammals.
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COURTESY OF CAMERON HEWITT
In the thatched Globe Theatre, Shakespeare plays are performed as the author intended: under the open sky and without amplification.
With 600 square miles, 8 million residents, and too many sights to see at once, London can be a daunting task for travelers. On a trip to update my travel guide, I only had a week to see the city’s top sights—but I was up for the challenge. I had no time to waste: After landing at Heathrow, I took the tube to my hotel, dropped my bag, and got straight to work.
First I ran to the Natural History Museum. As I entered, I quickly remembered how much I love this place. In the great hall, a sculpted Charles Darwin sat on his throne under a giant sequoia. A few rooms were closed, not “for renovation” but because the museum was “evolving.” The natural world was put into perspective: the elephant was large, but it looked like a dangling ornament on the sperm whale’s charm bracelet. In the mineral vault, a piece of Mars was delivered with an explanation of how it got there.
Then I went to the always exciting Victoria and Albert Museum. It has always displayed one of the world’s best collections of decorative arts: vases, stained glass, jewellery and fine furniture. And after the V&A I had dinner in my favourite pub: it was a great start to my visit.
Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years. Public transport is the most efficient way to get around this huge city. For a week-long stay, opt for the 7 Day Travelcard, which gives you a flat rate for most attractions. For this visit, instead of paying £60 (around $76) for a taxi from Heathrow to my hotel in South Kensington, I paid around £70 for a 7 Day Travelcard transport pass, which not only covered my tube fare from the airport to the city, but also gave me unlimited tube and bus travel for a week.
While the Travelcard covers most transportation needs, a double-decker bus tour is still a classic London experience. I recommend saving this for a Sunday morning, when many attractions are closed, making it a convenient time to get an overview of the city.
London is one of the most expensive cities in Europe and sightseeing can quickly add up. However, many of the city’s best museums are free (although donations are requested). These include the Victoria and Albert, British Library, British Museum, National Gallery and Tate Modern.
There are certainly attractions that require an entrance fee, but if you can’t save money, save time. Souvenir stands and the City of London Tourist Information Office sell ‘Fast Track’ tickets at no extra charge, which allow you to skip the queue at certain attractions. These are especially worthwhile for places where there can be long queues, such as the London Eye.
If you’re struggling to fit it all in, the evenings can be a great time to go sightseeing. On any night of the week, you’ll find that some attractions are open until at least 8 or 9pm.
A good itinerary shouldn’t just include the big sights. You’re on holiday, remember? Some of my favourite London experiences have nothing to do with art, royalty or artefacts; instead, they’re about enjoying a picnic lunch as you cruise the Thames, watching Londoners play in Hyde Park, having afternoon tea at the Wolseley or browsing the street markets in Notting Hill or Camden Town.
In the evening, take advantage of London’s theatre scene, which rivals Broadway in quality and usually in price (try for discounted same-day tickets at the “tkts” stand in Leicester Square). Between high-energy musicals in the West End, groundbreaking plays starring A-list celebrities and Shakespeare productions at the Globe, London’s theatre has the perfect show for you.
In my opinion, London is one of the few cities in Europe (along with Rome, Paris and Istanbul) that can fill an entire week with blockbuster sights and experiences. It’s impossible to see it all in one go, so why even try? Countless visits later, I still leave here with a healthy list of reasons to return.
Rick Steves writes European travel guides and hosts travel programs on public television and radio. Contact him at [email protected]. His column appears every other week in the Travel section.
