The cuzzies went to London in recent years and used a London Guide. A person I know in the UK uses the Thames River 'water taxi' type boats where they can rather than travelling on the Tube/ Underground. Look up the travel advisory to see what the latest scam/ pick pocket diversion method is.
gzt: A uk sim card is a must have. Giffgaff (O2 network) was mostly ok and free start, will roam in paris.
From my direct experience (have been in the UK now for about 2 years) O2 has pretty average coverage (mostly 2/2.5g). Coverage is something which is quite variable in the UK, think it is to do with the low hills they have to put the transmitters on.
The best coverage comes with Voda and EE. I am on EE and my wife is on O2. On holiday in the South of England last month, she had better signal than me once or twice in the 10 days we were away.
If you want a sim for the whole time maybe go with 3 as they have free roaming to France (and other EU destinations)
Also we were in Edinburgh in May, if she is a geek send her to the Falkirk wheel we also enjoyed Edinburgh castle and the Scottish National Museum is good - it is free.
Towards the end of my euro trip including London and really wished I have checked with others - I will never again travel in July/August unless you are one of those with children who will disagree with me.
Just to watch out, everywhere you go is just queues, so arrive early and it can be made worse if there are screaming children. Every photo will be destroyed by a unsightly prams. You will be treated like cattle in those queues and you have the odd pram being steamrolled on your feet in transit. Museums like the National History Mesuem queue can take hours to get through.
Locals are quite friendly despite being a large city like London. The visitors, unfortunately are the ones who have no regard, respect, courteousness or consideration.
Lastly be wary of pickpockets in Paris especially in the main attractions.
July / august is half term (school holidays) so everywhere will be busy.
If he's going with someone (or can approach someone in a queue), he should Google 2-1 for London attractions. Sometimes you might need to buy a train ticket to get the discount though.
When I last went i got a sim card for £10 for 10gb data.
If he wants to buy stuff to bring back, go to primark and poundland lol
If you want to go anywhere popular book "skip-the-line" tours. When I went to the Eiffel Tower the tour went almost straight up where as the queue had a 2 hour wait. It had the added advantage of a guide who can point things you might never notice. Also take the time to just randomly wander the city. It's amazing what you find and you get a great feel for the city.
You don't choose a book by its cover but it does determine which ones you read.
Krishant007: Great stuff guys. Really appreciate the input.
I suggested the normal stuff in London: London Eye Tower Bridge of London Tower of London Piccadilly Circus Trafalger Sq etc
I did think of getting a sim card as well when you get to the airport - even though she is there for a week, its always a good idea to get this.
For Edinburgh - the castle is a must see. And doing one of the night tours that talk about the history and things in Edinburgh is quite nice. Arthurs seat if there is time - gives an awesome view of the city area.
For Paris - the Lourve bcz you just have to. Eiffel tower, Arc de trioumph. I also mentioned to just wander around some of the alleyway cafes etc in Paris and find your way around with a city map.
I'd pre-book for the London Eye. The line can get really long if you're just going there on the off chance. Also the day I went was overcast, so didn't have the greatest view anyway :( Tower of London is fantastic though, and would highly recommend joining a Beefeater Tour. They're free (although they ask for tips) and are highly entertaining.
Harrods Dept. store is its own icon. One of the largest stores in the world!! Has absolutely everything. Also, the central escalators that take you to the different floors are Egyptian themed (After the owner Mohammed Al-Fayed). At the bottom of the "Egyptian Staircase" are two champagne glasses and an engagement ring, from the car that crashed in Paris carrying the owner's son Dodi and Princess Diana.
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