lizann

We have 3 1/2 days in London at the beginning of October and as this is our first time in London we would appreciate help with planning our itinerary. We had thought of doing the Hop on Hop off but from reading through the forum it does not sound so good. We are looking to stay at the Oxford Hotel in Bayswater. Your thoughts. Help please.

ncounty

If you enjoy theater, I highly recommend catching some shows in the West End. Some of us base our trips around this. I go every day to the half price tix booth in Leicester square and line up my entertainment for the evening then spend the day sightseeing.

There are so many wonderful neighborhoods to discover in London. I personally just like to wander about and get lost in it. For a first trip, others may comment with more of an agenda though.

I did get the hop on and off bus pass; it is great.

texasbookworm

You will get a bit more specific help if you give a few more details about your interests. History? Photography? Shopping? Literature?

My must-sees include the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and/or St. Pauls, and the British Museum. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the houses of Parliament and many other iconic sights are walk-bys for photo ops. I've spent over 13 days in London on 2 trips and am going back for 4 more this August and have/am repeating seeing only a couple things.

Get a map, make a list of preferences, and GROUP THEM BY AREA so you're not retracing your steps. Many things take many hours and travel time must be factored. Plan only a few things each day. Don't get overwhelmed by the possibilities; whatever you decide will be good.

There are tons of threads on the Forum that address such itineraries.

jent103

Any particular reason you've chosen Bayswater? It's okay, but it's not the most convenient neighborhood for tourists. Especially with only three full days, I'd want to be in walking distance of at least some attractions. There are lots of relatively inexpensive hotels that are more central; if you post your lodging budget, you'll probably get several recommendations in your price range. My favorite neighborhood is Bloomsbury; you might also check out Mayfair, Soho, and the Victoria/Belgravia area. Those are all closer to the most popular tourist sites.

As others have said, to be most helpful we need to know your interests. For generic ideas, you can check out Fodor's London destinations page or any number of guidebooks at the library. texasbookworm's advice is right on - when you decide what you want to do, group by area. No sense in taking the Tube across town three times in one day. For example, you might visit the Tower of London and St Paul's on the same day, then Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the National Gallery on the same day.

Some of my favorites: I love the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. I took three tours with London Walks (walks.com) on my last trip, and all three were great ways to get to know specific parts of London.

lizann

The only reason that we chose Bayswater is that a friend from Vancouver BC stayed there and she said it was a good B & B, you could take the train from the airport, the hop on hop off was close...I guess that 's about it. Having never been to London we would like to see all the big touristy attracations, I was just wondering if there are things I don't know of that are a must see. Any suggestion for accomodations would be appreciated. We would be paying about $126 cdn per night includes breakfast.

jamikins

I would get a good guide book and determine what you are interested in.

I love the walk from London Bridge to Waterloo along South Bank, lots of pubs etc.

I also love Borough Market (at London Bridge) and its great on Thurs as its less busy. http://boroughmarket.org.uk/?module=whats_on:156

I also love the Tower of London - expect to spend at least 3-4 hours there.

Other than that - what are you intersted in

janisj

>> . . you could take the train from the airport,<< - unfortunately the train is an expensive way to get to London.

As jent103 says, it isn't that central/convenient.

The good thing is the hotel really isn't that "Bayswater-ish" -- it isn't far from the Lancaster Gate tube station. Would not be my first choice of neighborhood, but it definitely isn't terrible. Mostly depends on how much you are paying - if it is a real bargain, you'll be OK.

jent103

Ah, I didn't bother to look up the hotel on a map before (just went by the "Bayswater" description). It's a little closer in than I expected. Definitely agree with janisj. It's not in a bad location; you'll just have to take the tube or bus just about everywhere instead of walking, except maybe to the park.

Are you flying into Heathrow? If so and if you do stick with that hotel, the train (Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect) is probably the most straightforward way into town (other than a car service) - it's just pricier than the tube or possibly even the car service, depending on how many of you there are. If you are flying into Gatwick, you should be aware that that train does not go to Paddington Station.