# Must-do things in London or within an afternoon’s drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [December 2, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314 "2025-12-02T01:42:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/21 "2025-12-02T11:05:41Z")
I love London, though I cant afford to live there. A lesser known gem is Neal’s Yard, a tiny shopping market. Go there. Go there just for the cheese shop. > **[History](https://nealsyardlondon.co.uk/history/)** > > While Neal’s Yard owes its name to Thomas Neale, who received a piece of land in 1690 from William III and created the Seven Dials area in which Neal’s Yard is situated, it was Nicholas Saunders wh… One more thing: if you are relatively fit, the vast majority of central London is better walked than taxi or bus. You may bump into oddities, like a street you read about in a Charles Dickens book, or, as I did one evening, the actual Scotland Yard. It is a deeply fascinating city. (Later ETA: do not bother with the Thames “booze cruise” boats - I worked on one. Prices were outrageous, safety standards as lax as UK law could be stretched, and the staff are underpaid foreigners.) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/22 "2025-12-02T11:43:24Z")
**Stamford Bridge:** check out this advice thread - as stated above, it’s neither easy nor cheap for random visitors to get into Premier League matches. There are other London teams in the lower leagues, but I’m no expert: [https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k15446940-Football\_and\_other\_sports\_tickets\_FAQ-London\_England.html](https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g186338-i17-k15446940-Football_and_other_sports_tickets_FAQ-London_England.html) **Mudlarking** : check the tide tables and don’t stray too far from your exit whenever you go for a wander along the foreshore. **Places to visit within a shortish train ride:** St. Albans, Winchester. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/23 "2025-12-02T13:21:18Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Ideally, November-ish, we want to avoid the summer crowds. We last went at Thanksgiving and all the winter markets are in full swing, the lights, etc. In addition, we visited Hyde Park’s [Winter Wonderland](https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/) and [Christmas at Kew](https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas). Both were a lot of fun. We lucked out with excellent weather two years ago, only one day of light rain, mostly sunny skies for our outdoor activities. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/24 "2025-12-02T13:34:22Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > The British Museum in particular can have long lines even for ticketed people. The simplest hack when visiting the BM is not to have a bag with you. If you don’t have one, the security staff at the Montague Place entrance will usually let you walk straight in, ticket or no ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/25 "2025-12-02T13:49:52Z")
And get there a half an hour before it opens, while people are still having a bite to eat and getting caffinated. This is true of just about every major attraction in the world. When you leave you will feel vindicated as you breeze pass the line coming in. I had the Palace at Versailles practically all to myself by doing so. Tour the Royal Albert Hall if you can, better yet see a concert there if you can. And look for repaired holes on the outside and count them. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/26 "2025-12-02T13:52:29Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Abby Road My favorite Batles album. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/27 "2025-12-02T13:53:31Z")
> [@APB](#): > > The simplest hack when visiting the BM is not to have a bag with you. I’ll repeat my recommendation for the [Out of Hours tours](https://www.britishmuseum.org/visit/out-hours-tours) that let you in at 8:50 for a guided tour of certain areas of the museum. Once the tour is done you have a few minutes to be alone with whatever exhibit you want. We did the Ancient Greek world tour. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/28 "2025-12-02T14:15:28Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > **Places to visit within a shortish train ride:** St. Albans, Winchester. …Croydon… 🙂 No, don’t go to Croydon. But I’ll second the recommendations for Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. > [@Telemark](#): > > We last went at Thanksgiving and all the winter markets are in full swing, the lights, etc. In addition, we visited Hyde Park’s [Winter Wonderland](https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/) and [Christmas at Kew](https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas). Both were a lot of fun. My experience with Winter Wonderland is that it was distinctly overpriced and underwhelming. Kew, on the other hand, is always lovely as long as the weather holds. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/29 "2025-12-02T14:23:29Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > distinctly overpriced and underwhelming True, but it was a good activity on the day we landed. We bought our tickets in advance (including food) so it really wasn’t that expensive. We had a ferris wheel car to ourselves and that was an enjoyable ride. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/30 "2025-12-02T14:38:11Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > This is true of just about every major attraction in the world. Absolutely true. I’ve seen it while travelling with a 2 yr old… parents will know that time waits for no toddler. It was an amazing experience touring Portugal with a young child, because A) we were up really, really early, and B) the custom is to allow parents with young children to the front of the line. I woke up at about 04:00 when in India (sans child) because we stayed in Agra on some religious holiday, and the local muzzein had been praying all night. He caused me both a bad night’s sleep, and a glorious dawn at the Taj Mahal before the rest of the tourists arrived. Shukran to that gentleman. (Veering very off topic!) Back on topic - the various curry houses in Brick Lane are worth a look, for a weird but delicious British-Indian meal. It is neither authentic to either, but is unmistakably delightful, and pure London pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/31 "2025-12-02T14:59:07Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I forgot to mention…the museum is [The National Gallery](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/). Perhaps the premier museum in all of London which is saying a lot. Definitely worth a visit (IIRC it is also free although they are keen on donations when you walk in). While there, you may want to look for _An Allegory with Venus and Cupid_, a painting with a unique role in the history of comedy. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/32 "2025-12-02T14:59:47Z")
Oh, and because I used to live near there (well, relatively near) how about the Aldgate pump? From Wikipedia: Served by one of London’s many underground streams, the water was praised for being “bright, sparkling, and cool, and of an agreeable taste”.([Aldgate Pump - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldgate_Pump#cite_note-civil-7)) These qualities were later found to be derived from decaying organic matter from adjoining graveyards It is still there, but inoperable. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/33 "2025-12-02T15:02:33Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > Back on topic - the various curry houses in Brick Lane are worth a look, for a weird but delicious British-Indian meal. It is neither authentic to either, but is unmistakably delightful, and pure London pleasure. Up at the north end of the road there are also two “famous” beigel (note spelling) places, Beigel Bake and Beigel Shop, if that piques your interest. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/34 "2025-12-02T15:12:35Z")
We’re contemplating a London (or more generally England→Scotland) trip for next May, so I’m spying on this thread for advice too. 🙂 If @HeyHomie doesn’t mind me tacking on a specific question, do folks here have any thoughts or experience with Oxford as a 1 day destination for someone who is an immense Tolkien fan? Or are there other smaller cities that would make better destinations for a couple looking for a mix of museums/food/walks/history/local vibes? My wife is also moderately interested in Bath because of Jane Austin connections. It’s farther away but looks like it might be a more interesting destination than Oxford? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/35 "2025-12-02T15:15:42Z")
I’m going in January and am currently wrangling my itinerary, so this thread has been helpful for additional things I hadn’t come across! I have no answer to your question though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/36 "2025-12-02T15:57:06Z")
Some lesser-known but easily-accessible sites: > **[Two Temple Place](https://twotempleplace.org/)** > > Two Temple Place is one of London’s hidden architectural gems. Completed in 1895, this stunning neo-Gothic mansion was built for William Waldorf Astor as his London Estate Office. It hosts exhibitions and is available for exclusive hire. The building... > **[Benjamin Franklin House – The world's only remaining Franklin home](https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org/)** > **[The Wallace Collection](https://www.wallacecollection.org/)** > > Discover exceptional paintings, sculpture, ceramics, furniture and arms and armour, gifted to Britain in 1900, in a historic London house museum. > **[Outernet London - Home](https://www.outernet.com/)** > > Find out all about Outernet London - retail, restaurants, leisure, hotel, live music venue, broadcast studio and much more. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/37 "2025-12-02T16:17:47Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Are you really only going to see Wrexham in Wales…? I mean, I assume there’s a justification I’ve adopted Wrexham as one of my three British football teams that I’ve chosen to follow\*, ever since I started watching [Welcome to Wrexham](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14674086/). In a way, I feel a bit of kinship to Wrexham because it’s a lot like Joplin, MO (a city where I lived for several years, and is very close to my heart). Both have similar populations (c. 60k people), both are rural (by the standards of their countries), kind of poor, and have suffered devastating tragedies (Wrexham a mine disaster, Joplin a deadly tornado). So I figure I’ll support the city by renting an airbnb, watching a match, and having a few pints. As regards the difficulty of getting an EPL ticket, I know that I’ll be paying a king’s ransom for a ticket on the resale market, and I’m fine with that. I’m preparing myself for sticker shock (I expect to pay in the low four figures). \*Wrexham, because of the show; Chelsea, because they won the FIFA Club World Cup in the US and the President of the US saw fit to steal their trophy and some of their medals, and I feel bad for them because of that; and Aston Villa, because they came through St. Louis and played a friendly against my home team, St. Louis City SC. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/38 "2025-12-02T16:21:14Z")
Send pics of cool places you visit (if you want). Also, an update of where you went and what was cool would be great (again, if you want). I live vicariously. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/39 "2025-12-02T16:24:31Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Bear in mind in November it won’t only be cold and wet, it will be dark early. You’ll only be getting daylight from ~8am to 5pm, It’s the same where I live. I know from winter, trust me 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314/40 "2025-12-02T16:50:10Z")
Go to the rear of Buckingham Palace. The front has things like the changing of the guard. The rear looks like the wall of a prison: https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=%213m2%212sen%214v0%216m8%211m7%211sAdeLVN0GdfrYiJKsYGq4vA%212m2%211d51.4981671%212d-0.1467015%213f20.98%214f7.819%215f0.75 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-do-things-in-london-or-within-an-afternoon-s-drive/1025314.md?page=3)