Half a day doing what?

[Bangkok]

I will be in London for a couple of days soon.  I haven't had half a day to myself in the UK for 7 years, and now is my chance.  I will have an afternoon (noon until 7ish) to do what I want.  The trouble is there is too much that I want to do!  Given a reasonably healthy budget, what would you do?  (I had thought of posting this in people and places, but it is not just the places that count, it is also what you do when you are there)

[stoo_pid]

I'd recommend a flight on the London Eye http://www.ba-londoneye.com/ and, weather permitting, an open bus tour

[IM A GENIUS]

How about a day out in Soho. heard the is some good bars and clubs down that way.

[jenky]

Since you were there last, all the museums are free. Also Greenwich is a nice spot that people don't often make it out to. The Cutty Sark, the observatory, the park - all quite nice.

[stoo_pid]

Or, if the weather's OK you can walk around many of the best known landmarks without wasting time on the tube. Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Covent Garden, the Millennium Walkway, St Pauls, the Tate Modern, South Bank, the Houses of Parliament (to name but a few) are all closer to each other than you might think. Depending on how energetic you feel & how much time you spend looking at stuff you could actually walk the above route in the time you have (I've listed them roughly in the order I would take). Invest in a Pocket A-Z, plan your route & take in all the sights & sounds (& a few smells!).

[Dark Angel]

If you go to Trafalgar Square you can visit the National Gallery and the National Portrait gallery. Admission is free for both to my knowledge. Both Tate galleries are also free of charge. The old one is in Pimlico on the Victoria line, the other is somewhere near Southbank/Southwark on the Northern Line.

If you are a theatre fan, you may want to go to Leicester Square there are several theatres there - you can catch a matinee.

For shopping, Oxford Street and the adjoining Regent Street and Bond Street are ideal.

To see the national monuments, I once read that the best place to get off at on the tube is Embankment and walk - you'll see the signs for the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben etc etc.

The Cutty Sark is a bit out of the way, and you'll only be able to see that and the Greenwich meantime centre. If you want to see more things as Smudge said stay aroung the central london Picadilly, Leicester Square, trafalgar square area.

I' m a big fan of London as you can see!

[Dark Angel]

I'm sorry, it was not smudge it was stoo_pid who said that.

[georgit79]

If you're a girl and anything like me, go into Topshop on Oxford Street and you'll wonder where all the time went when you emerge 3 hours later!

Seriously, though, I'd go to the Theatre Museum on Drury Lane, it's really interesting and free.

[Bangkok]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I will bring a pair of boots and a brolly and see where I end up, and if there is a decent pub on the route, so much the better.  Is the free museum bit one of Ken's ideas?  Doesn't seem like the London I remember!