Top Days Out in London

London is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, and is replete with wonderful historical sites, monuments, museums, galleries, theatres, parks, restaurants, pubs and so much more. Whether it’s your first time visiting London or your tenth, you’ll find a vast array of new things to experience. So if you’re trying to plan your London trip, then here are a few fun activities and sites that you won’t want to miss-out on.

The London Museums

London is home to a dizzying amount of museums that house collections ranging from Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek ruins, to dinosaur bones and modern technological wonders. Some of the most popular museums include: the British Museum in Bloomsbury, which is dedicated to human history, art, and culture; the Natural History Museum in SouthKensington, which exhibits specimens from across all of natural history; and the Science Museum, also in South Kensington, which features space and technology exhibits. A major plus to the London museum scene, is that there are no entry fees, but donations are recommended.

Walking Tour of London

The best way to tour all the most famous landmarks of London would be by purchasing a ticket for the hop-on-hop-off bus tours that circle the city. However, if you’re looking to get in a little exercise and want to roam the streets like the locals, consider taking a self-guided walking tour along the banks of the Thames. Starting from Parliament and the famed Big Ben clock-tower, you can head east to the London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, the Tate Modern gallery, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London.

Visit London’s Great Parks
In a metropolis like London, once called The Big Smoke, one would think it would be difficult to discover some greenery, but fortunately there are plenty of parks located throughout the city, each featuring its own unique looks and atmosphere.

 Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks and was created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park. Today, you can still observe herds of deer roaming through its open paddocks. Closer to the centre of town you’ll find Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, the former of which is a well manicured mixture of grass and flower beds, and the latter of which is more rugged and open, and home to the Serpentine waterway and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.

For those looking to experience all the great things this city has to offer, and not break the bank, there are lots of discount vouchers available for some of the best things to do in London, so a trip to this fantastic city won't cost you an arm and a leg. 

Date Like The Movies

London is a city of culture, history and charm, and has been the setting for a huge number of films of many genres. However, when it comes to romance, London provides that special something – be it a stunning historic backdrop, cosy tearooms or busy streets where two people fall in love. Here at Lovestruck.com, we thought we’d look at the best London scenes from our favourite romantic flicks:

Love Actually (2003)

This classic rom com, from Richard Curtis, outlining the complex love lives of eight different couples living in London, is always a huge hit. The film opens and closes with real footage from Heathrow Airport and features many London hotspots throughout. At the start of the film, Peter and Juliet, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Keira Knightly get married at the Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair, while later Peter’s best friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln) later declares his undying love with cue cards at the couple’s house at 27 St Luke’s Mews in Notting Hill. Mark’s ‘South Bank’ gallery was an empty house on Great Sutton Street. Selfridges is the department store where Harry, played by Alan Rickman, goes to buy his assistant a present and is served by Rowan Atkinson and almost all the characters attend a nativity play at Elliott School in Putney.

Top Quote: “True love lasts a lifetime.”

Date Idea: Head to one of the regular lunchtime recitals at the Grosvenor Chapel (www.grosvenorchapel.org.uk).

One Day (2011)

This adaptation of David Nicholls bestselling novel follows the lives of Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) who meet at Edinburgh University and after becoming firm friends, eventually fall in love. The plot sees the characters in the same day every year and was shot across 50 locations, including London. Landmarks in the film include the Lady Chapel at Westminster Cathedral and the nearby Big Ben, the West End's Sanderson Hotel and the Parliament Hill Lido in Hampstead, where Emma swims and the Rio Cinema in Dalston, where Emma goes on a date with boyfriend Ian, played by Rafe Spall.

Favourite Quote: “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today.”

Date Idea: Sunday matinee film at the Rio (www.riocinema.org.uk), followed by a follows by a meal at Mexican restaurant Mezcal Cantina, in memory of Emma’s doomed job at the “graveyard of ambition.”

Sliding Doors (1998)

This British-American comedy sees Gwyneth Paltrow playing Helen, who follows two parallel story lines after catching – or missing – the tube one morning. When she makes the train, she falls in love with James, played by John Hannah after learning her boyfriend is cheating on her. When she misses the train, she only finds out about the infidelity much later but fate leads her back to James.

London underground features heavily and it is at London Embankment that Helen misses the tube, although they were shot at Waterloo and Bank stations. There are also scenes from Fulham Broadway and by the Thames, near Hammersmith Bridge.

Favourite Quote: “James: What are you doing Saturday?
Helen: Probably killing myself.
James: Excellent. What time does that finish? Do you like boats?”

Date Idea: Head to Dine On The Tube, an underground supper club at Basement Galley (www.basementgalley.com)

Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

The film adaptation of Helen Fielding’s book, features Bridget at 30-something Londoner set on self-improvement. Her love life sees her embark on a romance with handsome playboy Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), while eventually landing the gorgeous Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Bridget’s flat is above the Globe Pub in Borough Market and the fictitious Greek restaurant that Mark and Daniel comes to blows is Bedales, a wine shop nearby. Daniel’s Cleaver apartment is on Clink Street a minute or so away and Bridget gets advice from her date at the Maghreb restaurant, which is now Momo on Heddon Street. Bridget has two embarrassing career moments in the film, one at the launch of Kafta’s Motorbike, which was filmed at The ICA on the Mall and later she reports from court outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. However, romance is always on the cards and her romantic kiss with Mark in the snow is outside the Royal Exchange Buildings, near Bank.

Favourite Quote: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces.”

Date Idea: A look around Borough Market (www.boroughmarket.org.uk) followed by a wine-tasting evening at Bedales (wws.bedaleswines.com).

Notting Hill (1999)

No list of romantic films set in London would be complete without Notting Hill, another gem of a film from Richard Curtis. The story sees the famous actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) walk into the bookshop of William Thacker (Hugh Grant). After a second chance encounter, they meet again and romance begins to blossom. In the opening scene, William is seen walking down Portobello Road Market and Hugh’s house in on Westbourne Park Road and Bella and Max’s house is on Lansdowne Road, nearby. Opposite the tube station is the Coronet Cinema, where William sees Anna in sci-fi short, Helix and it is in the communal Rosmead Gardens, where Anna and William break into after having too much to  drink at a dinner party. Anna stays at The Ritz in central London, while the press conference for her film takes place at The Savoy.

Favourite Quote: “I’m just a girl, standing in front on a boy, asking him to love her.”

Date Idea: Check out Portobello Road Market (www.portobelloroad.co.uk) and map out the film’s main spots.

Have you got other favourite London-based films that you think deserve a mention? Tell us @lovestruck

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