England in March - advice needed

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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I was just in London at the beginning of the year for a few days, and we stayed at a really cheap and friendly B & B at a terrific location in Greenwich- but that might not be central enough for you. It’s right on the park. Strictly no frills, but they do have an enclosed carpark:
Greenwich Parkhouse Hotel

If you’re looking for a proper hotel, the Holiday Inn Express across from the Dome occasionally has some brilliant deals on, although be aware that it is in the middle of absolutely nowhere and you really need a car in order to stay there:
Holiday Inn Express, Greenwich

PS: The Chinese restaurant underneath the hotel is FANTASTIC. We were the only non-Chinese table in there when we went.

And just for laughs, there’s an Ibis in Greenwich too: http://www.gmt2000.co.uk/meridian/sleep/slphia1.htm

Hmm…The tariff on that last link seems a lot lower than what I remember being posted outside the hotel as I lurched drunkenly past it on my way home a few weeks ago. If you can get that price, it’s a brilliant deal.

I’m sorry those links are so SE-centric, but all it’s very true about London being a series of linked villages, and all I know of it is the sahff east bit.

 Anyway, because my mother had never been to London, what we did was take the afore-mentioned boat trip from Greenwich to the London Eye and not only did she really enjoy it (and my mother is, embarrassingly, an afficionada of the video recorder of near-Niponic proportions), but I myself was pleasantly surprised.  They give you a good overview of the sites and it's surprisingly affordable (we paid 5 pounds something one-way, but the return is not much over a pound more), and then, of course once you get there, you're central to a lot of the tourist sites anyway. 

  We went from there to the [Wallace Collection](http://www.the-wallace-collection.org.uk), which I thought was brilliant but the others didn't enjoy so much (You have to be really fond of painting-  I'll admit some of it was a bit Rococco for my tastes, but the 16th century collection was FABULOUS.  I hear the cafe's nice too, but it looked a little black turtleneck-improvisational-jazz-fan to me).  Later during the trip, we also took in the [Imperial War Museum](http://www.iwm.org.uk), which I can't recommend vociferously enough- although I think my mother's German boyfriend didn't enjoy it quite so much; there is a poignant and very harrowing Holocaust exhibit and he doesn't like to mention the war.

Hope this helps. We had a great time. Saw more of the inside of various pubs than the sites, though.

Happy hols.

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I forgot to mention that I found black cabs surprisingly affordable in central London. I don’t know if that’s only because we’d just come from Hogmanay in Edinburgh. Talk about price-jacking. Sheesh.

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It’s because 1) I sometimes make a point of doing the tourist thing myself every now and then, and 2) my friends and relations occasionally stop by and want to know “what’s good”.

Personally, I found the Tower of London to be an overpriced waste of time, but YMMV, and I know many other who like that sort of thing.

More stuff to see:

Covent Garden Market – usually lots of stalls and shops to buy stuff, buskers of quality ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, and way too many people crammed into a small space. Just off the marketsquare one can find:

  • St. Paul’s Church. No, not the cathedral, but the Inigo Jones church known as the “actor’s church”. Worth seeing if 1) you’re into architecture, or 2) you’re into actors.

  • The London Transport Museum. This one costs money, but I found it more interesting than even I expected. If it’s not your thing, the gift shop is still a good place to troll for fun gifts and souvenirs.

  • The Royal Opera House. There’s usually something on, although it will be at the usual opera prices. There’s also a gift shop for your arty friends. Don’t eat at the ROH cafe, though – it’s ludicrously expensive.
    There’s also the South Bank area, featuring the Royal Festival Hall (there’s a decent sandwich place there, and they often have live jazz concerts in the lobby and free art exhibitions likewise), the Hayward Gallery (there’s an admission charge, alas), the National Theatre, and the National Film Theatre.

Nearby is the aforementioned London Eye (btw, bring binocs if you’re planning on going – they help), which is also next to the Aquarium (to which I’ve never been, so I can’t tell you if it’s worth it).

Down river is the aforementioned Tate Modern (not to be confused with the Tate Britain, which is its older, more traditional brother up to the river), the Globe, Vinopolis (for the serious oenophile), the Golden Hind (sailed by somebody famous – Captain Cook? I forget), the HMS Belfast, etc, etc.

If you’re into macabre entertainment, the area around London Bridge features the London Dungeon (expensive historical house of horrors), the Clink Prison (the original “clink”), and the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret (see how they did surgery in the good old days before anaesthetic and basic hygiene!). All three cost money.

There’s the sights of Greenwich, of course – the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, and the Cutty Sark, and if you’re a real river rat you might take a trip to see the Thames Barrier further downstream. The Millennium Dome is still there, but closed, empty and wasting money like crazy. Marvel at its uselessness as you go by.

Oh hell – buy a guidebook…