<p>My mom and I are going to London in July, and we're still getting the details ironed out regarding exactly what we want to visit, see, etc. Obviously I have travel books and stuff, but does anyone have first hand accounts of awesome things to do in London? Even in all of England, for that matter, because I think we're doing a day trip out of London.</p>
<p>London is a massive city. As such, if you leave your hotel without a plan, it’s easy to get lost in the everyday hustle and bustle of it without seeing anything.</p>
<p>Walking tours (the Beatles, Jack the Ripper, Harry Potter, etc) are great. One caveat: they are very hit or miss. You may get a great/fun guide who makes the whole walk worthwhile. You may get a dreary moron who’d rather be doing something else with his life. The gamble, in my opinion, is worth it. You’ll see and experience things that aren’t on any of the maps. After all, an enthusiastic guide with a specialty in a narrow field will top the detail of any comprehensive guidebook.</p>
<p>If you’re taking a day-trip out of London, that puts most of England/Wales into play. The island isn’t a big place. You’ll have to give us more to go on (ie, do you want to see the birthplace of Tom Jones or do you want to go to Salisbury Plain to see Stonehenge).</p>