Where to shop/visit in London?

Even though it sounds touristy, the first thing I do in big cities is hop on the Big Bus. It is very helpful in orienting yourself, and will give you ideas on what you want to see. Usually your ticket is good for 24 hours and you can hop on or off at any stop.

Also, www.londonpass.com has quite a bit of info. If you plan on cramming a bunch of stuff in while you're there, it can also be cheaper if you get the pass.

Here are some of my favorites: Madame Tussaud's, Trafalgar Square (within walking distance of Buckingham Palace), Kensington Palace, Millenium Eye, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Phantom of the Opera (sometimes you can get cheap tix for matinees), Hyde Park, the Cutty Sark. Good daytrips are Hampton Court Palace, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle. I never worry about where to eat - you'll stumble onto something. Ask your Big Bus driver about street shopping - they will lead you in the right direction! Have fun!

For shopping you should check out Oxford Street, Knightsbridge (where Harrods is), and the High Street Kensington area. Go to Top Shop at Oxford Street, you will have fun there.

As for sight seeings, Tower of London is a must see. Then go up to the London Eye to see all of London. If you you are interested in palaces, go see Buckingham Palace. Kensington Palace is okay, can skip if you don't have time. Check out the museums: British Museum is a must and then Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate Modern Museum . If you have time, travel to Hampton Court Palace in Surrey (30 minutes away from Waterloo Station) and then take the River Thames cruise back to London.

London has so much stuff to see and if you don't see what you want this time around, you can aways go back! =)

Enjoy your trip!

Camden Town in north London is a very thrifty, cultural market center that spans a whole street and Camden Lock area. They have very interesting shops for nearly anyone. It's often crowded with both Londoners as well as tourists, but it's worth a visit. Lots of cheap places to grab a bite, but there are some nice restaurants nestled in there as well.

Enjoy your visit!

Covent Garden is very very cool. The tower of london is a bit crowded, but still neat, the museums... all of them...
The globe. There's the jack the ripper tour (ha!) Picadilly Circus (which is just neat to see), Big Ben, the biggies, etc. Trafalgar Square. Buchingham Palace, Hyde Park.
See if you can find the old streets in london, in the main sections... pre-WW2 before the germans bombed the hell out of it. It's pretty cool. Umm... Yeah, get a map, and don't look like a tourist. If you're an american, tell them you are canadian, and make sure you wear all important documents on your person, NOT like in a purse or a back pocket. Doesn't matter where you go if you're not in your own country. Make sure you can get home.