To see less ads Register or Login ----- Daily Fantasy Sports games 18+

London Pass for tourists

A forum for discussion on Travel, Holiday & Leisure subjects.
User avatar
sted
Dumbledore
Posts: 7637
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Outside, fighting 3 big fellas and drinking beer at the same time.

London Pass for tourists

Post by sted »

Hello FISO friends,

Myself, Mrs Sted and the Stedsters are coming to the big smoke in October for a few days to see how you city people live. Now as country yokels, we'd like to see all the big attractions like Princess Di, Boris Johannson, coloured folk, that big ferris wheel, the sharp, red buses and cockneys (hows ya father) . We'd also like take in a show or two that doesn't involve animal husbandry, ferrets or Manx dancing.

Any ideas or suggestions would be gratefully received.

We are staying in a high rise cottage near Vauxhall Bridge and I was thinking about purchasing one of those London passes but Mrs Sted thinks that it mightn't guarantee us an audience with your Queen Elizabeth (she also made mention of Londoners being con artists due to an episode of Minder she saw on Manx TV recently)

https://www.londonpass.com/london-pass- ... AjGA8P8HAQ

I realise that you have a museum that I can get in for nowt (already top of the itinerary) but I would really appreciate advice from any soft shandy drinking Southern blerts to the best places to go and the best prices to be had.

The last time I checked, 1 Manx pound = 1 Sterling Moss pound (before Brexit, so I'm hoping for some haggle factor)

Is Herods still owned by that Fulham jouster?

Thanks

Sted

PS...is it still considered good manners to wear a shirt in London whilst dining?

User avatar
bloggie
Dumbledore
Posts: 9693
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: Tourists swarm to see your face Confucius has a puzzling grace Disoriented you enter in unleashing
Contact:

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by bloggie »

'PS...is it still considered good manners to wear a shirt in London whilst dining?' Usually no dress code but obviously depends if Savoy or Weatherspoons and both have their merits. :) I've only sampled the latter so far.
I visited this museum every week leading up to my move from London to Yorkshire and the museum's free and vast.
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum ... your-visit
The London pass looks cost effective if you're planning on going big on the attractions.
The Tate Modern is free across the Millennium Bridge if art floats your boat.
The Science Museum is a bit off central London and free at South Kensington and that's quite large if not too far from your proposed itinery. Similarly the Natural History museum and the Victoria and Albert on the same road.
The Olympic Park is also worth a visit if that's not too far away from your proposed radius area of London. It's next to Westfield shopping centre which has a cinema directly next to many open area restaurants.
If you were looking to go to the theatre then this link might suffice:
http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do ... c2QrAMW.97
Other random things are the passenger boat service on the Thames,St.Paul's Cathedral is usually open with free entry if you want to sit there in quiet contemplation :) ,there's a Docklands museum if you're planning on visiting the Canary Wharf shopping centre that has merely a Dockyards theme. Obviously there's only so much you can fit into a few days. As for safety you will be mainly mixing with other tourists so just the usual precautions should be enough to ward off any paranoia from television stereotyping though obviously some London areas have more infrequent newsworthy occurances than others.

bspittles
Dumbledore
Posts: 7607
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: In hiding

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by bspittles »

http://www.londonducktours.co.uk

This was the best thing I did last time I travelled South.

Mr Google can help with reduced fares.

User avatar
murf
FISO Viscount
Posts: 109448
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:28
Location: here
FS Record: Once led TFF. Very briefly.
Contact:

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by murf »

Don't do it!

Only one reason to visit that London that I can think of - get yourself a big laptop and blazenly post on FISO whilst stood outside Groomyd's house. Keep going when you see the curtains close.

User avatar
Brightwater
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 2795
Joined: 01 Dec 2005, 22:15
Location: ***** BrightwaterVilla.co.uk ***** lakeside at Lake Berkley Orlando /parkrunning
FS Record: 21 cash league wins. CYKI 08/09 4th, 09/10 8th. 12/13 Sky 56th, FPL FISO X League winner. 2014 UFPL Beta 7th.
Contact:

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Brightwater »

bspittles wrote:http://www.londonducktours.co.uk

This was the best thing I did last time I travelled South.

Mr Google can help with reduced fares.
We enjoyed the Duck boat tour. After we booked, a Liverpool Duck sank. That prompted the London Duck tour to use 2 Ducks for our tour...we swapped Ducks before entering the river. After our tour a London Duck caught fire and sank! :shock:

User avatar
Surprised
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 26528
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Home
FS Record: TFFOSM MotW in 2008 and MotM in 2003. 78th overall in TFFO for 2002/3 and 2003/4

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Surprised »

The Queen won't see you because your cats have no tails

User avatar
Beerfuelledman
FISO Knight
Posts: 13220
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: In Norn Iron
FS Record: FISO 17/18 FPL Cash Draft League Winner

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Beerfuelledman »

As a sometime visitor to the big smoke, I would get an Oyster card from the off (Travel on tube & buses for up to £5 a day). If your card has NFC it'll work too, but staff advised me for my security to get an Oyster card - make of that what you will.
Is the London Pass the one that gets the London Eye, London Dungeon et al at a discounted rate? Might be an idea if you plan to see a few of those. The London Eye I hear is a bit boring...
Over the river however, near Embankment Tube station is the "Tattershall Castle" which is a pub boat. Drink pints whilst admiring the London Eye, Big Ben etc. Its nicknamed the "Belgrano" by local MOD types after the Argentinian Boat sunk during the Falklands or some such. I like it, and go when Im in London - its prob just me :mrgreen:

User avatar
forestfan
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 36393
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:27
Location: Between Westeros and Nova Scotia
FS Record: FISODAS Champion Season 34!

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by forestfan »

Beerfuelledman wrote:The London Eye I hear is a bit boring...
Well what do people expect, to have it whizz round at white-knuckle speed? :wink: You do it to get the panoramic views, like going up to the top of a skyscraper/cathedral etc... if you like that sort of thing you can't go far wrong with it, though obviously not cheap.

User avatar
murf
FISO Viscount
Posts: 109448
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:28
Location: here
FS Record: Once led TFF. Very briefly.
Contact:

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by murf »

forestfan wrote:
Beerfuelledman wrote:The London Eye I hear is a bit boring...
Well what do people expect, to have it whizz round at white-knuckle speed? :wink: You do it to get the panoramic views, like going up to the top of a skyscraper/cathedral etc... if you like that sort of thing you can't go far wrong with it, though obviously not cheap.
Exactly - worth doing at night too

User avatar
blahblah
FISO Viscount
Posts: 108495
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:46
Location: .. he thinks that he knows something which he doesn't, whereas I am quite concious of my ignorance.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by blahblah »

forestfan wrote:
Beerfuelledman wrote:The London Eye I hear is a bit boring...
Well what do people expect, to have it whizz round at white-knuckle speed? :wink: You do it to get the panoramic views, like going up to the top of a skyscraper/cathedral etc... if you like that sort of thing you can't go far wrong with it, though obviously not cheap.
Does it not roll down that there river thing and then return you where you got on?

Completely dry, obviously.

User avatar
blahblah
FISO Viscount
Posts: 108495
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:46
Location: .. he thinks that he knows something which he doesn't, whereas I am quite concious of my ignorance.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by blahblah »

bloggie wrote:'
The Tate Modern is free across the Millennium Bridge if art floats your boat.
The other Tate (just past that Parliament thing) has better exhibitions, but the Modern has better free stuff. The National (Trafalgar Sq) is unpretty shite except for about half of those dozen thing pics, imho. But if you\her\they like Monet, van Gogh etc there is a decent room there I think there are a couple of the amazing Pissaros's in there too), but drag them to the two amazing David's in the late 18th and early 19th Century French room :wink:

User avatar
Dennisthemenace
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 1300
Joined: 08 May 2012, 10:21
Location: Dennis, not really a menace !

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Dennisthemenace »

Apparently there's a pub there that if you go out the back and tap on the wall, the wall falls apart to reveal a hidden street that sells broomsticks and there's a bank with a big rollercoaster inside.

A word of warning though; don't ever catch the triple-decker buses, they're driven by absolute maniacs

Funny old place London.

User avatar
unc.si.
FISO Knight
Posts: 11775
Joined: 11 Oct 2010, 14:08
Location: Off to buy Loctite
FS Record: 'Loser' by Beck

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by unc.si. »

Don't live there but visit the City around once a month with work, so a reasonably regular visitor.

Heron Tower lift has good views. The Walkie Talkie has a big open plan cafe type area at the top. Don't think yu have to pay for either. Could visit Brick lane and petticoat lane while you're in that area (Brick lane curry overrated though IMO)

I like walking around Farringdon (well its Clerkenwell I think but the area round Farringdon station). Smiths of Smithfield for great steak. St John for the best Welsh rarebit you'll ever taste, jellied marrowbone, ox tongue, devilled kidneys and pigeon breasts so pink they're still flapping. Decent beer in the bar as well.

Tourist stuff - some of the more bearable ones are Camden Lock and Covent Garden (will be rammed though, but its still a great place to wander round).

The walk from Marble Arch, through Hyde Park and Green Park to Buckingham palace, then through St James's park to Westminster Abbey is I think one of the great city walks if you get a nice day.

Of course St Pauls is one of the worlds great buildings. Don't even need to go in, just wander round outside then chill in Paternoster square watching the big screen.

Borough Market's a classic place to grab some street food, but I was in London a while ago and someone took me to Maltby Street, near Tower Bridge I think and it was awesome. Small market but great food and no tourists, so if you're visiting the Tower (and if you pay to get into only 1 place in London I'd say that was the one to go for) and Tower bridge worth looking up.

You can't go wrong to be honest. I love just walking around, although Oxford Street and Leicester Square are probably 2 of the worst places that I've ever been to :D

User avatar
unc.si.
FISO Knight
Posts: 11775
Joined: 11 Oct 2010, 14:08
Location: Off to buy Loctite
FS Record: 'Loser' by Beck

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by unc.si. »

Or you just get pissed with Dot in the Kings Arms.

Seriously - despite what some people say he's a good guy and I owe him a beer so you can get him one from me :D

User avatar
Beerfuelledman
FISO Knight
Posts: 13220
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: In Norn Iron
FS Record: FISO 17/18 FPL Cash Draft League Winner

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Beerfuelledman »

forestfan wrote:
Beerfuelledman wrote:The London Eye I hear is a bit boring...
Well what do people expect, to have it whizz round at white-knuckle speed? :wink: You do it to get the panoramic views, like going up to the top of a skyscraper/cathedral etc... if you like that sort of thing you can't go far wrong with it, though obviously not cheap.
When one has taken in a Skyscrapers view one can then go back down again at the point of one's choosing, not have to remain there for an hour. And Skyscrapers are a lot cheaper.

User avatar
unc.si.
FISO Knight
Posts: 11775
Joined: 11 Oct 2010, 14:08
Location: Off to buy Loctite
FS Record: 'Loser' by Beck

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by unc.si. »

unc.si. wrote:Or you just get pissed with Dot in the Kings Arms.

Seriously - despite what some people say he's a good guy and I owe him a beer so you can get him one from me :D
Never post when pissed! of course he's a complete chap. Don't know what came over me.

User avatar
Bramernic
Dumbledore
Posts: 9204
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: Dartford, Kent
FS Record: Plenty of super league prizes, nothing from the organisers.
Contact:

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Bramernic »

Beerfuelledman wrote:As a sometime visitor to the big smoke, I would get an Oyster card from the off (Travel on tube & buses for up to £5 a day). If your card has NFC it'll work too, but staff advised me for my security to get an Oyster card - make of that what you will.
You not been here for a while then? Zones 1-2 daily cap is £6.50, but still cracking value. I use contactless all the time so I'm not quite sure what the security issue is. Contactless may even work out cheaper if you decide to go a little further out one day (say Hampton Court). If you do go for an Oyster card then make it a normal one (£5 refundable deposit) rather than the rip off visitor one (£3 non-refundable activation fee).

Final transport tip. If you venture out to Docklands Light Railway land then make sure you find and use the Oyster validators at the ends of each journey. The system is largely ungated and you can get into issues if you forget (running out of money and/or penalty fares). Almost all rail/tube stations in zones 1-2 are fully gated so you won't have issues there.

Don't ask me about touristy things - I live here so don't do them often.

User avatar
sted
Dumbledore
Posts: 7637
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Outside, fighting 3 big fellas and drinking beer at the same time.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by sted »

Many thanks FISO chums,

All very sensible advice.

A lot will depend on the weather, and as we go late October, that may dictate the need for indoor museumy type entertainment. The main thing that we've had to decide up to now was where to stay. We plumped for Vauxhall (on the river), but I was tempted to go nearer to Canary Wharf.

Oyster cards it is then, and probably write up a daily itinerary before deciding on the London Pass. A boat trip up that stream of yours sounds good and a couple of theatre trips are definitely on the Agenda. Toss up between Mama Mia, Les Mis or Charlie and his chocolate thingies.


SUGGESTED LONDON PASS ITINERARY
DAY 1
ATTRACTION TICKET PRICE
Tower of London £22.50
Tower Bridge £9.00
Shakespeare's Globe £15.00
Thames River Cruise £18.00
DAILY TOTAL
WITHOUT LONDON PASS
£64.50
DAY 2
ATTRACTION TICKET PRICE
Hop on Hop off Bus Tour £25.00
Churchill War Rooms £17.25
London Bridge Experience £26.95
HMS Belfast £16.00
DAILY TOTAL
WITHOUT LONDON PASS
£85.20
DAY 3
ATTRACTION TICKET PRICE
Westminster Abbey £20.00
Kensington Palace £16.30
London Zoo £22.50
DAILY TOTAL
WITHOUT LONDON PASS
£58.80

User avatar
Surprised
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 26528
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Home
FS Record: TFFOSM MotW in 2008 and MotM in 2003. 78th overall in TFFO for 2002/3 and 2003/4

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Surprised »

If your kids are still small enough to go up chimneys they can earn some cash when in London Town to pay for those trips

User avatar
forestfan
FISO Jedi Knight
Posts: 36393
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:27
Location: Between Westeros and Nova Scotia
FS Record: FISODAS Champion Season 34!

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by forestfan »

Brightwater wrote:
bspittles wrote:http://www.londonducktours.co.uk

This was the best thing I did last time I travelled South.

Mr Google can help with reduced fares.
We enjoyed the Duck boat tour. After we booked, a Liverpool Duck sank. That prompted the London Duck tour to use 2 Ducks for our tour...we swapped Ducks before entering the river. After our tour a London Duck caught fire and sank! :shock:
I was in Seattle around a year ago, and was looking into the duck tour... then shortly after I arrived, news broke that one of them had lost control on a narrow bridge (seemingly due to a mechanical failure) and ploughed into a bus coming the other way, killing at least a couple of overseas students on the bus, I think people were injured being thrown from the Duck as well.

Not sure if they ever returned to the roads there, but I think Liverpool ditched them for good after a couple of sinkings. They're converted wartime vehicles and their road/sea-worthiness as tourist attractions must be highly questionable.

User avatar
sted
Dumbledore
Posts: 7637
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Outside, fighting 3 big fellas and drinking beer at the same time.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by sted »

Surprised wrote:If your kids are still small enough to go up chimneys they can earn some cash when in London Town to pay for those trips
Jeez louise. I've just been checking ticket prices for Mama Mia and Wicked. I didn't realise that they were the prices for EACH ticket.

'Clean yer shoes guvnor?'

User avatar
sted
Dumbledore
Posts: 7637
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Outside, fighting 3 big fellas and drinking beer at the same time.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by sted »

..and being originally from Liverpool, you would not get me on a duck boat tour for love nor money!

User avatar
morganb
FISO Knight
Posts: 11149
Joined: 10 Aug 2009, 12:25
FS Record: Fantasy Advent Calendar 2012 Winner; The FISODAS Cup - Season 22 Winner; Ralfbergs EPL prediction game 2013/14 winner; FISO Goals 2022

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by morganb »

There are plenty of free things you can do in the City and there are also a number of voucher sites to make other things cheaper. If you are at Vauxhall you can buy the cheapest single trip rail ticket then take advantage of this site's offers:

https://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

Not only do you need to write an itinerary but we'd also like a diary of what you've got up to every day in London. I'm positive it would make good reading!

User avatar
Dennisthemenace
Grumpy Old Man
Posts: 1300
Joined: 08 May 2012, 10:21
Location: Dennis, not really a menace !

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Dennisthemenace »

1. Westminster Abbey - old and smells of dead people
2. St.Pauls - must see - go up as far as you can go and get great views of all the smog over the city.
3. Greenwich observatory - not been there but apparently it's very interesting
4. Wheel - get there early, but it's actually pretty good
5. Boat trip down the Thames - good, as you will the city from a different angle. Get on it early so you're sat by a window, otherwise the only thing you'll see is the back of some Japanese tourists head.
6. Shard - you can go up to the top and come back down again
7. Don't get off at Leicester Square tube station as you are about 2 miles underground and will take all afternoon climbing the 10,000 steps to the surface if the lift is packed. Actually it might be Covent Garden but it's one of them.
8. Madame Tussauds - queue for 3 hours to see waxwork figures. All a bit daft really.
9. If you want to see a really big escalator then get off at Angel

10. But by far the best thing you can do in London is to stand side by side on the the Tube escalators and annoy the City types. Rush hour is a particularly good time to do this.

User avatar
blahblah
FISO Viscount
Posts: 108495
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:46
Location: .. he thinks that he knows something which he doesn't, whereas I am quite concious of my ignorance.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by blahblah »

Dennisthemenace wrote: 10. But by far the best thing you can do in London is to stand side by side on the the Tube escalators and annoy the City types. Rush hour is a particularly good time to do this.
Yep great fun: all these bods who think they are posh etc start swearing :lol: :lol: :lol:

How young\old are the sprogs?

The Science Museum is good, with things for them to play with and they can say: "They went to the moon in that? Wearing that?" :shock: :lol:

User avatar
sted
Dumbledore
Posts: 7637
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Outside, fighting 3 big fellas and drinking beer at the same time.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by sted »

blahblah wrote:
Dennisthemenace wrote: 10. But by far the best thing you can do in London is to stand side by side on the the Tube escalators and annoy the City types. Rush hour is a particularly good time to do this.
Yep great fun: all these bods who think they are posh etc start swearing :lol: :lol: :lol:

How young\old are the sprogs?

The Science Museum is good, with things for them to play with and they can say: "They went to the moon in that? Wearing that?" :shock: :lol:
The sprogs are 12 in October......and they were named (sort of) on FISO.

Don't time fly?

User avatar
sted
Dumbledore
Posts: 7637
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:32
Location: Outside, fighting 3 big fellas and drinking beer at the same time.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by sted »

Dennisthemenace wrote:1. Westminster Abbey - old and smells of dead people
2. St.Pauls - must see - go up as far as you can go and get great views of all the smog over the city.
3. Greenwich observatory - not been there but apparently it's very interesting
4. Wheel - get there early, but it's actually pretty good
5. Boat trip down the Thames - good, as you will the city from a different angle. Get on it early so you're sat by a window, otherwise the only thing you'll see is the back of some Japanese tourists head.
6. Shard - you can go up to the top and come back down again
7. Don't get off at Leicester Square tube station as you are about 2 miles underground and will take all afternoon climbing the 10,000 steps to the surface if the lift is packed. Actually it might be Covent Garden but it's one of them.
8. Madame Tussauds - queue for 3 hours to see waxwork figures. All a bit daft really.
9. If you want to see a really big escalator then get off at Angel

10. But by far the best thing you can do in London is to stand side by side on the the Tube escalators and annoy the City types. Rush hour is a particularly good time to do this.
Deffo gonna do number 10...and keep apologising in Manx!

User avatar
blahblah
FISO Viscount
Posts: 108495
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:46
Location: .. he thinks that he knows something which he doesn't, whereas I am quite concious of my ignorance.

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by blahblah »

Definitely the Science Museum, then.

And old enough to run up down escalators? :wink: :lol:

User avatar
Spinynorman
FISO Jedi Fish
Posts: 33327
Joined: 23 Jul 2006, 08:12
Location: West Midlands.
FS Record: Under Ordinary

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by Spinynorman »

Russell Square is always a nice place for a small mooch. Lots of pubs, Cafes, Restaurants, small shops and a big Waitrose. Also right by the British Museum and it's on the Piccadilly line so you can get to the other museums, Covent Garden (tube or walk) and Green Park station which oddly enough drops you off by a big park on the other side of which is Buckingham Palace.

bspittles
Dumbledore
Posts: 7607
Joined: 13 Oct 2005, 18:26
Location: In hiding

Re: London Pass for tourists

Post by bspittles »

Don't bother with the zoo, very disappointing.

View Latest: 1 Day View Your posts
Post Reply

Return to “Travel, Holidays & Leisure”