Though everyone wants to go and see it, once you get there it's crowded and surrounding by large gates. When I visited, we couldn't take a tour through the palace. Visiting the palace is mostly like seeing a large building surround by gates, with guards.

You might not catch a glimpse of the queen, but you'll be sure to see the changing of the garden as Buckingham Palace, as well as plenty of tourists lined up with their faces pressed to the gates.

Unless you're fortunate to be in London in the summer months when the royal family is away and the palace is open to the public, or you're there on a day when the changing of the guard is taking place (every other day in the off season), the palace is a reasonably boring place to visit. If you do make it on a day when the guard changing is taking place, go early to get a good spot otherwise the crowds are horrendous (even in December when we were last there).

On your way back to the Underground stop, this area has several little pubs and restaurants that are excellent. Wander in and try one!

I was able to tour inside Buckingham Palace in 1994 when the Queen first opened it to the public to raise funds to rebuild Windsor after the fire. I didn't think the outside was all that impressive, especially since I knew that Nash had remodeled it for George IV in the 1820's - I had expected more. What is inside makes up for whatever is lacking on the outside in terms of opulence and over-the-top decor. I can't imagine being a child inside the palace - priceless pieces of furniture, gold inlaid stairs and all kinds of other things, priceless art objects and paintings and portraits, mirrors everywhere.

We weren't allowed to take pictures anywhere inside or even in the courtyards or the lawns. You can buy postcard pictures of the rooms you were able to tour though. As far as I know the palace hasn't been opened to the public again, but with all the anti-royal sentiment and use of tax pounds, it probably will be (or has been and I never noticed). The Queen Victoria Memorial at the center of the traffic circle is a good place to sit and look at the Palace, watch the tourists, watch the guards not move. The changing of the guard only takes place every other day, at 11:30 a.m. but get their early so you can see.

Wave to the Queen!

Buckingham is more of an eyesore than a palace. Although one does have to see it, if one is in London, one does not have to enjoy it.

The changing of the guards can be fun to watch, if you don't mind waiting around in throngs of people for awhile. More enchanting than the palace are the parks that surround it. Hyde Park is truly beautiful with rows and rows of daffodils, which are bright and sunny. On a warm day, Hyde Park is the perfect place to spread out a picnic or read a book. On a winter day, grab a cappuccino and stroll through.

While in London, you have to see the palace, but only so you can tell people when they ask, "Yes, we went to Buckingham Palace."