Quote:
Originally Posted by mrschilicook
I'm going to Scotland via London this fall and it's the first time I will have ever traveled "single" (my husband died last year) and not for work. I have worked in Scotland and have friends, but I'm doing London for three days after I leave Scotland. I've read an earlier thread on London with great ideas as to what to do.
However, I'm a little concerned about doing London alone for three days. Are there any tour guides that you can recommend or that you would avoid?
Private tour guides vs tour groups?
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London is VERY easy to navigate, though admittedly I haven't done it on my own. I try to stay away from organized tours of cities that are easy to get around because I find that they want to spend too much time at places I get bored with and too little time in places I have loved.
I've been to London a few times and my all-time favorite tour is The Big Brown Bus tour. You can buy your tickets at nearly every corner near the main attractions, get on and stay on (and listen to the fun facts) or get on and off all day as they drop you off at the major tourist destinations. I've been on nearly all of the tour buses, but once we found TBBB, we never went on another. They have a great tour of the changing of the guard so if you can, make sure you take TBBB on the day there is a changing of the guard ceremony.
Also, buy a copy of Rick Steve's book on London and follow his advice (and self-guided tours). His advice about the Tower of London was spot-on and we had a great time.
Go to London with a plan. Take TBBB tour on one of the days you are there. On the other days, take the tube around and see what you missed (or want to spend more time at). Of all the cities I visited in Europe, London and Paris are the easiest to get around. London makes it even easier since everything is in English! When you get there, you can take mini tours of places you are visiting...like the Globe theater for example.