For some, Times Square is a glittering, buzzing hub of energy; for others, it's a necessary evil to push through on the way to a restaurant or show. Whichever camp you fall in, you'll likely take to Covent Garden and Seven Dials, both bustling intersections located steps away from West End theatres. (Both are generally less packed than Times Square, too.)

Both areas are home to familiar global chains alongside establishments unique to London, including plenty of traditional pubs. Seven Dials has an eponymous market featuring various cuisines — but Pick & Cheese's self-service conveyer belt stocked with bite-size local cheeses is a highlight.

Chicago is the longest-running show currently on Broadway and the second-longest-running of all time — though at 30, it's gunning for The Phantom of the Opera's 35-year record. But both shows' runs are dwarfed by Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, the longest-running play not only in London's West End, but the world. Having opened in 1952, it's nearly 75 years old.

Fans of Chicago will appreciate both The Mousetrap's historic status and its genre: Chicago is a crime drama and The Mousetrap a murder mystery. There are stark differences — musical vs. play, gritty urban vs. remote countryside setting — but you'll get your fix of the murderous and macabrely entertaining all the same.

Get The Mousetrap tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get Chicago tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

You might not expect Buckingham Palace to be located smack dab in central city, right on the edge of a major public park. But it is. Sure, there's a massive gate around it, but you can hang out at the plaza and nearby Queen Victoria monument even when the palace is closed to tours.

So, spend some leisurely time by the palace and in the park if you're craving some outdoor time. Like Central Park, Green Park is big enough that if you go far enough in, you might just forget you're in a city.

Green Park is about a 20-minute walk from the West End, so plan accordingly. Visit the palace at 11 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday to watch the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony; a complete schedule and times are available online.

When The Lion King opened on Broadway in 1997, the Disney musical immediately proved it wasn't just a children's show. It changed the game of Broadway stagecraft. Its inventive animal puppetry is the showpiece of all-around stunning design that still awes the adults just as much as the kids.

Thirty years later, Paddington The Musical is taking up that mantle. I defy anyone not to be charmed by the adorable title bear, brought to life not as a puppet, but a fully formed character who looks right at home among the human actors.

The buzz that erupted when Paddington first stepped on stage in London made this little bear an immediate big hit. You can wait until spring to see it on Broadway, but catching it at London's intimate and iconic Savoy — referenced multiple times in the show — is worth it.

Get Paddington The Musical West End tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get Paddington The Musical Broadway tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Get The Lion King West End tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get The Lion King Broadway tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

NYC's Lincoln Center contains all types of arts and culture in one plaza: The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, Broadway and Off-Broadway venues, and a public library, plus restaurants for your pre- or post-show cravings. London's Royal Ballet and Opera has much of that not just in one complex, but under one roof.

The bright, airy opera house is home to — as the name suggests — performances by England's Royal Ballet and Royal Opera companies, as well as multiple dining spots, including the open-to-the-public Cicoria and its associated rooftop terrace bar. (Other on-site restaurants are only available to ticketholders.)

And much like the renovated lobby of Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall, the airy RB&O lobby is open to the public. Anyone can go and grab a pick-me-up from the cafe, do work, browse the gift shop, or simply hang out and escape the bustle of the city for a bit.

The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q overlapped in NYC for eight years, so you might have already caught both if you were a theatre fan in the 2010s. But if you missed Avenue Q back then, you'll get the closest thing at the London production staged by the same director, Jason Moore.

Both musicals also share a co-writer, Robert Lopez, and a similar brand of R-rated humor: Avenue Q is Sesame Street for grown-ups, and The Book of Mormon gleefully ridicules religion (and a lot of other things) with its story of hapless Mormon missionaries in Uganda.

Avenue Q is a limited-time addition to the West End scene, while The Book of Mormon has open-ended runs in both London and NYC. Save these for a kid-free trip!

Get Avenue Q tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get The Book of Mormon West End tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get The Book of Mormon Broadway tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

The Delacorte Theater in Central Park draws thousands of people each summer to its free Shakespeare in the Park productions. Spending an evening under the stars at the open-air venue, frosé in hand, is a staple of a summer in the city (if you're lucky enough to win the ticket lottery).

In London, Shakespeare's Globe fills that niche with open-air summer productions of Shakespeare shows and other classics. You'll get the closest thing possible to an authentic Elizabethan-era experience: The venue is a replica of the 17th-century original, audience members on ground level watch the show standing up, and attendees are incorporated into every performance. There was no such thing as a fourth wall in Shakespeare's time!

For more outdoor entertainment, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre offers a varied summer lineup that may include plays, musicals, Shakespeare, dance performances, and/or children's shows. Unlike at the Delacorte, Globe and Regent's Park shows aren't free, but you aren't at the mercy of a lottery and can secure your ideal seats in advance.

Get tickets to Shakespeare's Globe shows on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get tickets to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre shows on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Learn more about Delacorte Theater shows on New York Theatre Guide.

"Everyone deserves a chance to fly," Elphaba belts while soaring high above the stage at the end of Wicked's first act. If you, too, want to defy gravity on your U.K. trip, then ride the London Eye, a Ferris wheel that gives you 360-degree views of the city from 443 feet in the air.

From there, follow the Yellow Brick Road — er, the Hungerford Bridge — across the Thames River back to Theatreland, where you can see Wicked or another magical, family-friendly show unique to the West End, like Matilda or My Neighbour Totoro.

Get London Eye standard and fast-track tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get Wicked West End tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Get Wicked Broadway tickets on New York Theatre Guide.