I found Brakeaway through TripAdvisor and booked the Greater London bike tour for 4 on the phone…read morewith Chris. Visiting with kids age 10 and 12, wanted to book a bike tour to see the sights but avoid too much walking. This was perfect! Our guide Paul was attentive and informative and fun. The route was fine for my least coordinated kid and family of almost-never-bikers. They put us with 2 other families with younger kids (youngest was 8), which was smart. Adults enjoyed frequent stops for history and stories, while kids enjoyed the exercise. Win all around!

This had to be the highlight of my trip to London! Me &…read moreJames had booked & paid for this well in advance. We got crossed up on the Tube coming from Chelsea. Because we were in the tube, didn't get their attempts to contact us by phone, text or mail. When we got out of the Tube, we got a call from Chris; they waited for us! We were about 10 minutes late and I felt so bad but I give them credit for making the effort to accommodate us. Our guide, Heath did an excellent job giving us the Grand Tour which I would highly recommend. He knows his History of the city well and weaves in interesting story lines with intrigue and humor.

Its a free museum/tourist information/brewery/culture venue. There are some interactive exhibits…read moreabout the history of Greenwich which are both good for kids and grownups. I would say about 30-45 mins in needed depending on how fast you read/how many people are in the centre too. Well worth it as a first point on your tour around Greenwich.

Discover Greenwich is a new £6 million contemporary cultural venue at UNESCO World Heritage site,…read morethe Old Royal Naval College. Alongside an excellent opportunity to immerse oneself in Britain's past is the chance to enjoy some quality tipples at The Old Brewery, the site's very own micro-brewery. With over 500 years of history on display from Henry VIII's Tudor Palace to Wren's Royal Hospital for Seamen and the Royal Naval College Discover Greenwich has fascinating permanent and temporary exhibitions. For the kids (and the kids at heart), there are plenty of hands-on activities. Trying on a knight's helmet is a sure fire way to keep the little ones (and dorks such as yours truly) engaged for at least a little while. For architecture fiends and history lovers there are all sorts of geek-out worthy artefacts, models and resources. It's beautiful, it's FREE and it's fun. Plus, there's quality beer!

Hever Castle is one of the most popular castle to visit. This castle is one of the top castle in my…read morelist. The castle is about 1 hour drive from London. The castle is beautiful. It has several beautiful gardens, two mazes, jousting tournament, falconry, and night tale. The garden includes the Italian gardens, rose gardens, sister lawn, faith garden. The compound has one garden maze and a water maze. The compound also has 4 other attractions. At the back of castle is the owner housing. The castle has good decoration. The interior was well decorated. The castle requires tickets. But it worth the visit. The entire visit can be half day and more. Great for adults and kids.

Thatcher would be proud…read more Looking around Hever, many would be left with the impression that the owners are enormous fans of Anne Boleyn. The unfortunate wife of Henry VIII is, after all, the main focus of the exhibition and makes an appearance on much of the marketing material. But look a bit closer, and the more astute visitor may notice a different, more 'true blue', streak permeating the house. Yes, Labour voters clutch your pearls, but the proprietors appear to be worshippers of none other than Margaret Thatcher. (More so than Ms Boleyn, I would wager.) In the castle, visitors are treated to a near life-size oil painting of the union basher. And for those lucky enough to stay in the guest house for the price of £300 per night, they will find a letter written by the Iron Lady to thank the castle for her stay that has been framed and hung in one of the hallways. Among the owners personal possessions, I note Ms Boleyn has not received a similar dose of affection. Of interest is also the fact that this castle, its stunning gardens and water maze, owe their amazing condition to our friends across the Atlantic. Most stately homes in Britain are now virtually on their knees, with years of decline and underinvestment in the country reflected in their faded carpets, moth-eaten curtains and peeling paintwork. Hever, however, has avoided this fate for the good reason that it was bought by... gasp... an AMERICAN. Horrifying as it may sound, Mr Astor - who owes his astounding wealth to the rise of New York City - purchased the castle and injected nothing short of a fortune into it in order to create the attraction that we see today. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit so often absent in Britain, he then had the vision to order the construction of a second moat, a lake, a walled Italian garden complete with artefacts from Pompeii, a 'wall waterfall' and to direct the gardeners to shape some bushes like a chess set. I don't think he was involved in the water maze, so loved locally, but its presence reflects Hever's enduring ambitious spirit. Perhaps it was this spirit that so inspired Margaret Thatcher to write of Hever: 'I have seen several castles and large country houses but none as perfect as Hever.'

We were on a walking tour of Greenwich and our guide mentioned that one could get free admission to…read morethis information center/museum but showing your cruise card. That allowed access to the main level. It was filled with informative displays. There is model of the River Thames embedded in the floor. We would have explored more of the displays but they were closing and we had to leave. It was well worth of our time during our visit.

Eric was my pilot for my English Channel crossing in 2009. He did an excellent job of plotting a…read moregood course for me, coaching and providing encouragement and getting me across. He met me prior to the swim, was professional and made every effort to ensure my success. I highly recommend Eric to prospective channel swimmers.

My parents used to visit the original location in the 1970s close to Mayfair. I was in Kensington…read moreone evening and was walking past looking at the establishment when the door opened, a friendly face appeared who very kindly gave me a tour of the institution. Classical Indian music and dance lessons are available here. At the weekends for about two hours they have a reasonably priced cafe which I am yet to try and an art gallery space upstairs which I believe can be hired. South Asian language classes are also available. A few weeks later they invited me to join them for Indian Independence Day celebrations where the students performed and the Indian High Commissioner to London gave an excellent speech.

Nature Calls When…read morethinking of London and The Thames, it's hard not to imagine all of the monuments in the center of the city. Following the Thames Path west or east will provide another view - at times picturesque - of London Town. The buildings diminish in size and number and the green spaces grow increasingly large, while the sounds of the city fade into the distance. In a surprisingly short amount of time, the crowded, noisy, polluted city feels like it is a world away and the natural beauty - yes, it does exist in London! - embraces all who visit. Note: The section we walked was from Hammersmith Bridge to Chelsea Harbour

If you like to take long walks, this is your place! Loved strolling along the Thames with the…read moreChristmas lights and vendors. From souvenir stands to food stands, a little bit of everything. And I think every country was represented by al of the food stands. On one of the chilly days, we stopped by a middle eastern stand had an Halloumi wrap that also had tzatziki sauce, cabbage and salsa- yum!

Can't imagine a more convenient way to visit Windsor and what must surely be the most iconic castle…read moreon the planet (and fully repaired since 1992 when it formed the icing on the cake of QEII's annus horribilis!). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_horribilis Parking is a zoo and horrendously expensive - take the train to Eton and enjoy :)

Windsor & Eaton Riverside is located right at the bottom of the hill from the Castle and gets you…read morevery close to town. This is a good overground train station with trains that go to Waterloo station in Central London. Having this line makes a day trip out of London to Windsor very easy and affordable if you do not want to take a tour on a tour bus. For us, we were able to find a late morning train and got to Windsor & Eaton in around a half hour. The train was nice and air conditioned and when we pulled into the station it was easy to exit and find our way to the items on our list including a trip to the castle and a boat tour. The attendants at the station were very nice when we returned and let us know which train we needed to board. The station is small but it does have two platforms and a little news stand with refreshments.