OJani goes to London!! :) :)

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having been to London a few times I can say there really is lots to see and do! Make sure you take a good pair of shoes and have a tube map to hand as well. The thing that stuck with me about London was the sheer pace of the place and the number of people. Its also very diverse. England is a beautiful country and its a shame more people don't go anywhere else apart from London when visiting so its good to see you looking to explore a little bit more. I'm a big fan of Northamptonshire but I'm biased as that's where my family are from but its hard to believe you are in the same country as London. Another thing about London is its REALLY expensive! Also on Saturdays there can be transport delays due to maintenance on the tube and also bear in mind that the football season has started again which puts transport under real pressure particularly if there is a local derby on. I'm sure there are loads of people who would like to have a meet. BTW I hope you don't mind me saying but your English is excellent!

It's like any large city, I think. It can be if you want it to be (and, it's true, it's a lot, lot easier to pay the Earth for things than in other large cities in Britain) but if you know what you're doing and how to spend wisely, you can keep costs down.

But yes, I agree with what steffan says - London can be nice, but there's an awful lot more to the country than just London.

Thanks for the posts! I'd really like to see more people voting and posting in the meet-up thread, but so far there's only one vote besides mine... Ok, I know I'm not the funniest person around but there are many Aspies who could come if they wanted to. (My English is not so good in real life as it may seem in writing)

So, basically my plan looks like this: 10 nights in London in a YHA hostel, my primary objective is to visit as many places as I can manage (museums, a bicycle tour, Dickens walks with Richard Jones) and slowly getting know this place while doing so. I have a good city map, maps loaded into my phone, lots of printed information, and arrangements for the transportation. I plan to visit the suburbs to see the not-so-spectacular side of the city too. I will spend 2 nights each in Oxford and Canterbury visiting famous places and buildings but I also plan to hike in the countryside. Maybe I will rent a bike if I get low rates and can make up the courage to participate in left-side traffic...

Next time I'll come to Albion I will put more emphasis on other parts of the country.

One thing I would recommend: Poundland and Poundworld for cheap chocolates, crisps, drinks and so on. A lot, lot cheaper than regular shops/the newsagents.

For those who might be interested, I'm quite impressed by what I've seen of London so far. I've been in a few parts already and my opinion stands.

Gees, I'm in the 'Three Cripples' now, you know, the pub filled with criminals in Oliver Twist... Okay it's called The One Tun, but it's more than likely it's the one, only Dickens gave it a different name in the novel, as what he wrote about this place was less than flattering.

It's a nice and cosy pub now, no crowd, no noise, Oliver memorabilia, and free wi-fi.

Do you like real ale? You can do a pub crawl with the help of your Wifi.

At first I asked for beer but the bartender told me they only serve "proper" ale. So I had a pint of ale, a light one, only 3.4% alcohol. It was like a pils type beer, as it had a touch of bitter taste. However, it was good.

On my quest to find places related to Oliver Twist I've so far covered quite a few places, including Fagin's den, Clarkenwell Green (where the pickpocketing happened), and the court of Magistrate Fang's, who sentenced Oliver to three months "hard work", without evidence. On my way to searh for Jacob's Island (where Sikes hanged himself accidentally) I've discovered Dickens' Estate, among the buildings there's one that bears the name 'Oliver'.

Get someone in London to take you on a proper pub crawl. They can show you the different styles we have.

Sounds like you're getting to see a lot!!
Sorry I won't be in London for your meetup on Saturday as I'm catching a 26hour(!!8O ) flight on sunday

Theres a pub really close to the Chandos called the Harp, that has a variety of ales.

Harp Covent Garden

Well, sometime, maybe. It would be an interesting experience for sure, only I don't have much time left for London, soon I'll have to leave for Oxford.

Maybe we could move to this one, but only after we have given enough time to those wanting to join us at Chandos.

I've arrived in Oxford, it's a nice town, pretty large. Lots of colleges and historical buildings are here, but I somehow miss London already. It's so great, so many interesting things and places are there, with so different styles.

Edit: In the meantime I have learned that Oxford is a city, not a town, as it has a cathedral, even if it's the smallest in England.

Now I'm in Canterbury, after visiting the cathedral, which is just as great as I have imagined. In Oxford I visited the Dickens and his World temporary exhibition, so I feel at least partly compensated for the closure of the Dickens Museum in London.

I hope to see some pictures when you have a chance to load them up.

It seems like you're having a very good trip.