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Photo: The original uploader was Sue Wallace at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
In many cities a local transport museum would be of very narrow interest - not London, however! London's public transport is iconic, and the story of how it developed from horse and cart through early buses, Tube trains and trolleybuses to the present day is well worth coming to find out about. There is plenty of opportunity to clamber aboard the historic buses and Tube trains on display. Also, because London's transport is so well known, the museum shop contains plenty of items that make interesting and original gifts and souvenirs.
The London Transport Museum (LTM) is a transport museum based in Covent Garden, London, England. The museum predominantly hosts exhibits relating to the heritage of London's transport, as well as conserving and explaining the history of it. The majority of the museum's exhibits originated in the collections of London Transport, but, since the creation of Transport for London (TfL) in 2000, the remit of the museum has expanded to cover all aspects of transport in the city and in some instances beyond.
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Once an important working market, and the backdrop for the musical My Fair Lady, Covent Garden today is a covered shopping mall with shops predominantly selling clothing, but also gifts and cosmetics, as well as stalls selling handicrafts (Tu-Su) or antiques (M), and restaurants. It's well worth a visit just for the attractive ambience, with classical musicians busking in the lower part of the market and a famous location for street entertainers. There is a popular pub, The Punch and Judy Tavern at the western end, with a large balcony overlooking a square where street entertainers perform. Most shops are open daily 10AM-8PM, but may close earlier on Sundays.
One of the world's great opera and ballet venues. Peak time tickets are like gold dust and it is very unlikely that a casual visitor will be able to obtain one. However, at least 65 tickets per performance are held off for on-the-day in person sales from 10AM, and tickets are sometimes available for off peak (especially matinee) performances and can be surprisingly affordable. Check the website or at London ticket agencies. Whilst there's no formal dress code for attending a performance, dressing smartly is advised. Casual styles (jeans, trainers) may get you disapproving looks from other attendees.
Home of Mamma Mia since 1999.