3 days in London - what to do? UPDATE: TRIP DONE

London

That’s a pretty good list and many of the things we just did with 3 in London recently. Maybe add Borough Market and Harrods. The hop on hop off bus will take take around the city and by all the main tourist attractions in about 2 hours for the full loop.

It depends on what your boys like to do. Hyde Park is nice. The Soho, Mayfair and Notting Hill areas are fun to walk around. Harrods is impressive. The Tower Bridge is worth seeing as is the area around it. My wife and I took grandkids to see Elton John a couple of years ago at O2 Arena. We also saw a play. Royal Albert Hall usually has something going on too. Someone mentioned Kensington Palace. We walked through there and the question that kept popping into my mind is what historic value is there to seeing the dresses Lizzo wore to some awards show over there.

I was there 10 days in Nov and suggest:

1. ride London Eye Ferris Wheel
2. take Uberboat on Thames to Naval Museum
3. shop mens wear at any Hackett store, a few to pick from. Harrods is a crowded overpriced mess.

Due to the high price of dining out there are many new lower-priced fast-food shops offering eat in or carry out fare of every ethnic variety.

Use public transport... buses, subways, trains, taxi and Uberboats all use tap credit cards. Quite a few shops are cashless as well... less so in Ireland. We had a number of Dublin cabs whose credit card machines were on the blink.

Yes Elizabeth is buried in St George's chapel in Windsor Castle. It's also the best place to see the changing of the guard (I think Tue/Thur/Sat)- you can actually get up close and it's not behind a iron fence Iike at Buckingham palace.

If you can catch a St. George’s guide get them to talk about the crypt below the chapel. Fascinating stories of royals being stored down there.

I can recommend getting a Blue Badge Guide, giving him a few 'must see/do' places and get his recommendations. BBGs can get tickets to places/events early plus act as an official guide to many stops. BBGs are licensed and professionally trained.

We have had tours of "Harry Potter" filming sites, Palaces, an 'inside the ropes' tour of Stonehenge, and a tour through the Cotswold with these Guides. They have also taken us to the castles, abbeys, and churches/cathedrals in London. Many of these places let the Guides escort you around, since they have passed exams.

The last group we used was Gren Tours. We will use them again. No waiting on buses or trains. He brings the car/van to you.

Get into a machete fight in the street

Westminster Abbey is really, really beautiful and full of history. Your boys will enjoy it.

Edit: if you want a nice pub meal, get a reservation at Lamb and Flag.

Well, the trip was fricking awesome.

London was big (old) city and jam packed with humans. The pulled pints were glorious and we dug high tea at Swans. Epic time was an extensive pub crawl from Tower Bridge to Buckingham Palace and back (we stayed around the Tower) for dinner at an Indian restaurant. Full English breakfast at Terry’s was perfect.

Ireland was damn near magical. We stayed at Mount Juliette (didn’t get to play golf:(, but had a rental car and toured lots of south Ireland from Cork/Blarney to Waterford and back. Kissed the stone. Spent time in Kilkenny hitting local pubs of course, touring the castle, and did a Smithwick’s tour (pronounced Smiticks). Finished that area with a dinner at The Helen (wow).

Last night in Dublin. Way more people but NoLa vibes no doubt (only no crime and even older). Hit Temple Bar, O’Neills, The Harry Lemon, and visited the hooker statue by the church.

Irish people are straight wonderful. Beyond words how warm they are. I’m almost sad to be back.

I really appreciated the sense of safety in both places…..now back to Htown and road rage shootings lol.