Cider is a fairly popular drink here and it shouldn't be hard to find some. Of course it varies from over-sweet mass produced crap to quality stuff. Not being much of a cider drinker myself I can't recommend a good name unfortunately.

Outside Euston Station there's the Cider Tap http://www.eustontap.com/pages.php?navid=9

I've never been, but I have been to the "Beer Tap" just over the road (run by the same people). It was nice (if a bit cramped).

Also the Bree Louise normally has 12 odd ciders on gravity (including normally some 7+% ones):

http://www.thebreelouise.com/

Also just outside Euston,

Depending on what you like... Blackthornes is some nice mass produced crap and can be found in London. Strongbow is the standard and generally costs the most, it's as generic as you can get really taste wise. Scrumpy Jack is quite good on tap if you can find it and it tastes of fresh apples, the extra strong is like sipping it through a pair of mysterious old rubber wellies that have mouldy, sweaty socks sitting in them. Bulmers and Magners are popular bottled ones which you get behind the counter but they're expensive and overly sweet. If you can find them, 2 gorgeous Welsh ciders are Black Dragon (strong in every way) and Happy Daze. I had them at an ale festival in London for a change of pace and enjoyed them both.

(Note I enjoy cider but I'm a real ale drinker really. Cider disagrees with me a bit and necessitates a minimum safe distance rule for my loved ones the entirety of the day after drinking it.)

I hate to dig that specific part of the subject up, particularly in a thread that has nothing to do with it initially ... but I somrtimes think I have to 'spread the word'.

An old french saying (middle age old) is 'To smell like faggot' (sentir le fagot) which means 'To be suspected of heresy' => because as many people may know, such accusations were solved by burning the victims (I won't use the term culprits) at the stake. I think you understand the link.

Now, concerning gay people, I don't know if it's related to this 'heresy metaphor' but I think it's likely the case ... so calling people fags can just be like telling them they should be burned alive. I hope anyone will remember this the next time they want to use the word 'fag'.


Edit : Forgot to wish OP will have a memorable trip over there :).

When I was in London, I usually had breakfast at Starbuck's, lunch at a kiosk or whatever grocery store happened to be nearby, and dinner at a pub. I know that pub food gets quite a bit of bad press, but I honestly thought it was alright. The quality varies somewhat - I guess they can't be bothered to maintain the food too much during quiet hours or something - but it's usually alright, and invariably filling and doesn't cost a fortune (somewhere around £8 around a year ago, plus drinks).

Additionally, can anyone recommend an Android app for a tourist in London? Basically what I'm after is just a decent map with GPS functionality. Free is best, but a small price is also fine.

I've got a Nokia, so I can't help you with the app thing, but I noticed that the GPS thing was pretty useless in London, either taking a decade to locate itself or failing to do so altogether; I think it's because of the buildings. It sure as hell wasn't because of my phone, because it worked just fine in Beaulieu and Cambridge. You may have to resort to - gasp - looking at signs and search street names to figure out where you are.

Google maps? :P I've never needed anything else and it has GPS.

Edit: One tip. Bus stops tend to have a mini map of the area on that show other nearby bus stops. I've used these to work my way to places before. I seem to have an inbuilt ability to find my way around London though. To be fair Central London is actually pretty small.

But your phone subscription is from a British provider. Are you aware of what data traffic costs when you're in a foreign country??? No, Google Maps is not an option ;-)

My data interface will be switched off for the duration of the trip. It would cost me something on the order of £1/MB to use it over there. So I need something I can download at home before I leave.

Good point but surely all android GPS apps will also use data traffic. Is your phone contract/locked to one carrier? I bought an American HTC phone years back that was android and used a British mobile company.

If you want to bring your own cigarettes, you need to get to know their custom's laws. Because they may limit the numbers of packs you may bring with you.

Good point. I think the limit is 800 cigs, although you can bring more if you open the individual packets as the rule is mainly to ensure you don't sell them in the UK.

No, why would they? GPS is not facilitated by a data network, it's a satellite signal. Several satellite signals rather, containing a synchronised timestamp, which are picked up by the GPS unit (in this case the phone). From the difference in timestamps between the different signals, the GPS unit calculates the relative difference in the distance to each satellite, and from this it can calculate its precise location in relation to those satellites.

And no, my phone is not locked to one carrier, but I'm not buying a new phone subscription for another country when I'll only be there for a week ;-)

The Diana memorial in Hyde Park is a good place to chill out if it's a pleasant day.

Big Ben/Houses of Parliament which is a magnificent buiding

Tate Gallery is interesting if you're creative.

Covent Garden is a good place to see a more relaxed part of London.....which is close to....

If you're well off, try get tickets for Les Mis show

Overrated (for me)
- Tower of London (herded like cattle and feel like you can't pause too long),
- London Eye (close to the financial district and lot's of jumped up suits). Same could be said for all the sterile corporate buildings in London such as the Gherkin
- Madam Taussards (in my view THE most overrated, go for a walk around Buck Palace and you'll see some magnificent statues
- London Dungeons
- Camden Market. Diverse but generally crap stuff sold or very dodgy food on offer