London Concert Advice

[richardfinegold]

I will be in London in 2 days, first time in 30 years. I want to attend a concert. The choices seem to be Wigmore Hall (lots of choices which gives us flexibility), the LSO at the Barbican Thursday night, or theLPO at south Bank Wednesday night.
Our Hotel is in South Kensington. Which of these locations might be the easiest for a pair of Innocents Abroad to navigate to? Also, Wigmore Hall seems to have a restaurant associated with it. Is it recommendable?
Thank you in advance.

[Dave2002]

Have I got this wrong? The most interesting option to me seems to be the RFH with Jurowski and a Russian Orchestra doing Vaughan Williams and Prokofiev on 4th October. I also think that the RFH is in a better location - good views, and there are some reasonable restaurants, including relatively cheap (Strada), the Skylon restaurant in the RFH and the Canteen at the back. There is also a good restaurant in the National Theatre a few minutes walk away. That has the cheapish cafeteria at the bottom, or the slightly more expensive, but good, Terrace restaurant a couple of floors up.

The Wigmore Hall concert with the Prussia Cove people is a good programme.

If you're only in London for a few days I'd say the RFH is the place to go, though you could just visit, and go to a concert in one of the others. You might also want to go and look at the RAH if you've not seen it before. There's not much on though, although they haven't sunk to the level of ladies' mud wrestling.

There are other attractions on the South Bank. Walking east you can reach the Tate Modern gallery - an old power station, and you could try eating in the Oxo Tower.

Re navigation from South Ken, tube Circle Line to embankment, then walk over the bridge. Alternatively there are buses from Kensington High Street - e.g 9 and 10 which go to the Strand/Aldwych. Then walk over Waterloo Bridge or Hungerford Bridge to get to the RFH.

Check out the day or multiple day tickets before getting on London buses or tubes. Bus passes are quite cheap. You can buy them at stations and in newsagents. Single tickets on the tubes are very expensive. Apparently many tourists get taken in. The day travel passes which do tubes and trains and the DLR are not too bad outside rush hours, and there may be good ones which'll do a few days. London does not operate a per journey system on buses, like in some continental systems, so if you don't have a pass each leg of a journey will add to cost. It is almost certainly cheaper to have a Travelcard than to do a couple of single journeys.

[Hornspieler]

Have I got this wrong? The most interesting option to me seems to be the RFH with Jorowski and a Russian Orchestra doing Vaughan Williams and Prokofiev on 4th October. I also think that the RFH is in a better location - good views, and there are some reasonable restaurants, including relatively cheap (Strada), the Skylon restaurant in the RFH and the Canteen at the back. There is also a good restaurant in the National Theatre a few minutes walk away. That has the cheapish cafeteria at the bottom, or the slightly more expensive, but good Terrace restaurant a couple of floors up.

The Wigmore Hall concert with the Prussia Cove people is a good programme.

If you're only in London for a few days I'd say the RFH is the place to go, though you could just visit, and go to a concert in one of the others. You might also want to go and look at the RAH if you've not seen it before**.

I agree absolutely.

HS

** The Royal Albert Hall is not far from South Kensington. You might as well take a look at where the Proms take place, whilst you are in London.

[Richard Tarleton]

Good advice from Dave - RFH is just 4 stops along the Circle line!

The Barbican is trickier to get to from South Ken - but good choice of restaurants and a great venue once you've found it - if there's anything on that tempts you, and you're new in town I'd even consider getting the Piccadilly Line from S Ken direct to Kings Cross and getting a taxi the short distance to the Barbican concert hall. The Barbican's exterior is confusing. The nearest stations are Barbican or Moorgate.

Also - get yourselves Oyster cards when you arrive - from a station or other outlet - they are touch cards usable on buses and underground that greatly cut the cost of getting around.

[kernelbogey]

If you're only in London for a few days I'd say the RFH is the place to go...

Check out the day or multiple day tickets before getting on London buses or tubes. Bus passes are quite cheap. You can buy them at stations and in newsagents. Single tickets on the tubes are very expensive. Apparently many tourists get taken in. The day travel passes which do tubes and trains and the DLR are not too bad outside rush hours, and there may be good ones which'll do a few days. London does not operate a per journey system on buses, like in some continental systems, so if you don't have a pass each leg of a journey will add to cost. It is almost certainly cheaper to have a Travelcard than to do a couple of single journeys.

If you're of an age to have a free bus pass issued by your local authority*, take it with you as it's valid on all the London buses - but not the tube, which, as Dave says, is expensive. If you have the bus pass, and are brave enough, it's worth getting a bus routes map, as the card means you can get on and off buses as much as you like without any extra cost or penalty.

For the tube it's worth getting an Oyster card, which is free in itself, and which you can acquire at any ticket office window at any station. It's a debit card, so you can start by putting say £20 on it and this can then be used on tubes and buses. You are charged (i.e. debited) a flat fare for each bus ride by swiping the card at the driver's window. For the tube you swipe the card on entering the tube and on leaving: it debits an amount in relation to the length and time of day of the journey. Stations have a list of fares for all destinations from that station and it shows both the regular and the Oyster fares for each journey, so you'll be able to see the potential savings, which are significant. You can reload the card with further money at one of the larger, more elaborate ticket machines, just like buying a ticket from it.

Despite the city's reputation I have found the natives helpful with information about buses and the vagaries of the ticket system .

Edit * Maybe English authorities only - check with yours!

[amateur51]

Sound advice all round - especially the Oyster card - it's essential and if you're not coming back you can always pass it on to a friend who's visiting

If you do get a chance to go to Wigmore Hall, do take it even if just to glimpse the interior which is quite ... kitsch It's a small (550 seats) venue and has an outstanding acoustic. The restaurant is reasonably priced and quite good value.

[french frank]

For the tube it's worth getting an Oyster card

Will this be the case for an American just in London for 2 days and presumably not likely to be returning soon?

Tube day tickets for the central zones might be the best bet (personally I still don't dare travel by bus). There will be a limit to the number of journeys they'll want to make - otherwise they won't have much time to see anything.

[kernelbogey]

Will this be the case for an American ...

Oops, thanks, FF - not spotted by me .

...just in London for 2 days and presumably not likely to be returning soon?.

...but IMHO, yes.

[doversoul1]

If you are going to the National Gallery, it may be worth checking the free (donation expected ) lunchtime concert at St Martin in the Fields church. You wouldn't hear world-famous performers but if you are happen to be there, it’s a nice thing to do and the church is interesting in itself. And it has a café, too.

http://www.smitf.org/visiting/

http://www.smitf.org/music/concerts/

amateur51

- especially the Oyster card - it's essential and if you're not coming back you can always pass it on to a friend who's visiting

That’s what I tell my visitors.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Hmm. A lot of talk about the Circle Line. Does anyone know why the Circle now longer goes on for ever. I rather liked the concept of a train that just carried on going round and round.

[Petrushka]

Good advice here for the most part though I'd agree with FF that two day passes on the Tube is better in this case. Personally, while in London for this year's Proms, I found that the Oyster card offered little in the way of saving over a day pass and I experienced a few problems with mine when it failed to work leading me to think that I had been charged more than once. I can't track the Visitor Oyster online but looking at the history on the Underground machine proved inconclusive. Anyway, I seemed to be forever topping it up.

I recall reading somewhere about people staying on the Circle Line all day and weren't there reports of a skeleton being seen of someone who'd been going round for rather longer?

[Dave2002]

I was trying not to mention the age thing. If our OP is travelling by train, and hasn't already bought train tickets, and if the distances are long (a lot of ifs there ...) then a Railcard is a good buy, even for just one or two journeys. The saving on a trip back from Scotland could more than cover the cost of the card - particularly if travel is First Class.

Re First Class - it's useful on some trains, such as the ones from Scotland, as this then gives "free food" and copious coffee, plus "free wi-fi". Really picky people will choose the best time to travel. Personally I think it's good to travel fairly early, so that one can get breakfast (good) and then later lunch/dinner. Travelling mid morning only gets lunch, followed by snacks. Travel at weekends only gives trolley service.

It's probably not worth buying first class tickets on most lines - it won't make the trains go any faster, and the cost will be higher with marginal benefits - but on some lines the benefits are worth the extra.

Railcards should also reduce the price of tickets bought in the London area. Since he was apparently last in London quite some while back, I doubt that he is eligible for student or under 25 Railcards. Visitors from abroad are eligible to buy these things, which are available immediately at major rail stations, but not at LHR (which is not a regular rail station).

[Osborn]

...the LSO at the Barbican Thursday night...

I think Sir Colin Davis has cancelled due to illness; you would need to check. For me that would be a reason to give it a miss. Personally I don't much like the Barbican, its acoustics or the sometimes uncouth LSO brass. They're not exactly the Chicago SO.

[Petrushka]

I think Sir Colin Davis has cancelled due to illness; you would need to check.

A great pity but, yes, you are correct: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/eve...l.asp?ID=13115

I am a big fan of Manfred Honeck so all is not lost. Let's hope Sir Colin gets well soon (and belated 85th birthday wishes too).

[salymap]

A great pity but, yes, you are correct: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/eve...l.asp?ID=13115

I am a big fan of Manfred Honeck so all is not lost. Let's hope Sir Colin gets well soon (and belated 85th birthday wishes too).

Yes, I echo good wishes for a quick recovery and also birthday greetings to Sir Colin. I thought he was coming upto 84.