For those of you who haven't been to London before, it's very big, very busy and very expensive, but it's also a very exciting city, with heaps to see and do.

We last visited London thirteen years ago with Sarah and Kate, so thought this time we'd try and do some things we didn't have a chance to do last time.

- Don't forget to take warm clothes and a raincoat, even in summer. It was 14 degrees Celsius and raining when we arrived.
-Do buy an 'oyster card', it gives you unlimited underground train travel capped at £6.40 per day in the central city zones. Using the underground will make it easy and fast to get from place to place.
-Don't be surprised if at least once a ticket gate malfunctions when you swipe onto the underground, taking an extra £10.40 each off your 'oyster cards', to go two stops on the train, to purchase £8 of groceries. Don't expect too much help or sympathy from British rail staff, they're really not interested.
-Do visit the Tower Bridge after dark, its really well lit at night and is great to take photos of.
- Do also wander around the city after dark, there are lots of buildings illuminated and great reflections in the Thames.
-Don't expect Buckingham Palace to be lit at night, I think Lizzy must be keen on energy conservation and flicks the off switch early.
-Do visit Buckingham Palace during the day, apart from the obvious royal building to see, the gardens in front are immaculate and if you want to see 'the changing of the guard', that happens daily at 11.30am.
-Do buy a London Pass, as well as it saving you lots of money, having 'skip the line' on many attractions will save you lots of queuing time.
-Do visit the Churchill War rooms, it is packed full of history and the audio guide well worth listening too. I had my doubts, but even I found it incredibly interesting.
-Do visit Westminster Abbey, it's a very grand building and has a very Royal history. Don't however arrive after 4pm as it will be closed and you won't be able to look inside.
-Don't forget (like we unfortunately did) to take the lift to the top of 'The Shard', the tallest building in London. Apparently the view from the top is spectacular. That now goes on the 'next time' list for us.
-Do take a look at the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. It's lit up at night and equally good to view during the day. If you didn't already know, 'Big Ben' is actually the bell inside the clock tower not the clock itself.
- Do take the time to wander around the streets of South Bank and Blackfriars, there are some amazing buildings both old and new.
-Do visit the Tower of London and do get there early. The London pass will save you time queuing for tickets but doesn't give you 'skip the line' to actually get in. We arrived before it opened and were second in when the gates opened. We then headed straight to the Crown Jewels and were first in for the day, there were hundreds queuing up for the Crown Jewels later in the morning.
-Do visit the Tower Bridge, free with the London pass. Great to look around and if you dare, walk on the glass floor to watch cars on the bridge and boats on the Thames below you.
-Do go on the 'London Bicycle Tour Company' cycle tour included with the London pass. It gives your legs a rest from all the walking you'll be doing and you get to see some different parts of London. Frequent stops along the way gives your guide (in our case a frenchman) the chance to share lots of interesting information and history about London. Don't be disappointed if you make a stop at Buckingham Palace just after the changing of the guard, what we didn't know was the guards parade down The Mall when finished and we had a 'front row' spot on the side of the road, perfect for taking photos.
-Don't expect to wear a cycle helmet in London, as in Paris, the ground is obviously much softer than in New Zealand and the traffic less dangerous!
-Do have a wander through Hyde Park and Green Park, they both provide a much quieter area in the middle of the city to have a break.
-Don't expect to see any squirrels in the parks, they'll see you coming and head for the nearest tree.
-Don't be too afraid to go on the 'London Bridge Experience'. You will enjoy a fun and interactive history of the London bridge including sounds and smells, just have your wits about you when you go through the last part of the tour.
-Do go on the 'city cruises' boat down the Thames to Greenwich, you get a 24 hour ticket free with the London Pass. As well as an informative commentary on the way, in Greenwich there is the 'Cutty Sark' (a lovely old sailing ship) to look around and the Royal Observatory where you will find the meridian line, if you are wondering, that's where Greenwich mean time is set.
-Do take the time to go to a show on the West End. We went to Miss Saigon, which was an awesome stage show with incredible lighting, sound and sets.
-Do have a wander around Soho, Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown after dark, the atmosphere is humming, the lighting on the buildings great for photos and there are lots of restaurants and bars around for dinner or a drink.
-Don't forget to return your 'Oyster card' before you leave London City, you'll get your £5 deposit back and all remaining value on the card.

Finally before you leave the London area

-Do visit the Warner Brothers Harry Potter studios about half an hour north of London. The studio tour is great, but I'm not going to spoil it, you'll just have to visit Hogwarts yourself.