NYC to London soon

[Kofi]

I'm trying to make a trip out to London from NYC soon.

Anyone have any suggestions as to when's the best time of year to go? where to get good tickets? whats the best airport to leave from?

Would appreciate info on some hotspots (non-touristy) to check out.

Making Africa Pop!!!

[kiteless]

Best time to go: January and July (that's when the sales are). Autumn is dry, spring is wet. Summers are not as bad as NYC but close.

Heathrow is 20 mins from Paddington stn and the closest airport (except for London City Airport for UK/EU destinations only) -- avoid Stanstead (ca 1 hr), Gatwick (40 mins) and Luton (days) like plague. Although sir Norman Foster redesigned the terminal building of the former.

BA leave almost every hour from JFK/EWR with a late flight leaving from JFK. Avoid AA, United and especially Delta at all cost. Another popular idea is to fly AF to Paris-CdG and get on the Eurostar to London or vice versa. Returns cost less than 100 GBP for two.

As for recommendations... check the topics on the forum. Pretty good stuff from all kinds of people.

[Kofi]

Thanks for the very usefull info.

Making Africa Pop!!!

[Guest]

Tips for travelling to Londinium

Avoid going to Picadillly Circus and Oxford Street, both are awful and really busy.

Walk to the top of Primrose Hill, has the best views of the city and is much cheaper than the london eye.

Go to a london 'Greasy spoon' [locals cafe] to meet obscure and interesting londoners,

Go to Berwick Street, Soho for record shopping. Endeavour Pub here is also good.

Dont go to Camden - Full of teenage goths and tourists who think it represents hip London.

Hoxton/shoreditch area is good for bars and exhibitions - is the london equivalent of Williamsburg. Public life near Spitalfields market is an interesting bar in a converted underground toilet, also try dreambagsandjaguarshoes on Kingsland Road. Further east in Bethnal Green there are more start up galleries and a really good boozer called 'the Approach'.

London is like a mixture of connecting towns, each area is very different so try and visit places outside of central london such as Brixton and Brick Lane[Whitechapel] e.t.c.

[Guest]

Tips for travelling to Londinium

Avoid going to Picadillly Circus and Oxford Street, both are awful and really busy.

Walk to the top of Primrose Hill, has the best views of the city and is much cheaper than the london eye.

Go to a london 'Greasy spoon' [locals cafe] to meet obscure and interesting londoners,

Go to Berwick Street, Soho for record shopping. Endeavour Pub here is also good.

Dont go to Camden - Full of teenage goths and tourists who think it represents hip London.

Hoxton/shoreditch area is good for bars and exhibitions - is the london equivalent of Williamsburg. 'Public life' near Spitalfields market is an interesting bar in a converted underground toilet, also try dreambagsandjaguarshoes on Kingsland Road. Further east in Bethnal Green there are more start up galleries and a really good boozer called 'the Approach'.

Go to Brick Lane market on a sunday morning.

London is like a mixture of connecting towns, each area is very different so try and visit places outside of central london such as Brixton, Whitechapel e.t.c.

[al]

Alex's guide to Londinium

Take a walk up Primrose hill, amazing views over London town.

Avoid going to Camden, too many goths and tourists. The Lock Tavern pub is good though but is closer to Chalk Farm tube station.

Go to Peckham Libary, is an amazing building and would allow you to visit REAL London.

Bricklane market on a sunday morning is always good, can also cover spitalfields at the same time. Some good vintage shops and the 'Rude' shop are nearby, also loadsa curry. Private Life by spitalfields market is a bar in a converted underground toilet, which is small but interesting for a pint.

Dreambagsandjaguarshoes on kingsland road is one of the better bars in Hoxton[ NYC's equivalent is Williamsburg area]. Loadsa bars and galleries in this area but becoming a bit yuppiefied and stale. Further east in Bethnal Green rents are cheaper and has more galleries beginning to open up/relocate such as Modern Art.

Avoid Oxford street and Picadilly Circus!