nola77382

We arrive at LHR on Monday 5 September at 7am. We'll go to our hotel, The Ampersand in South Kensington, to drop off our bags. Then we need to stay awake! We've been to London twice before but South Kensington is mostly new to us (we went to the amazing V&A museum and spent an hour or so at Harrods). Can you please suggest some good ways to pass the time and stay awake on our arrival day?

Thank you very much. NOLA

PatrickLondon

Walking through the parks? Just go on past the V&A up Exhibition Road, cross over to the Albert Memorial and beyond. You could go over and look at the outside of Kensington Palace, turn back and look at the Serpentine Gallery and Pavilion (free), carry on through the Rose Gardens in Hyde Park, carry on over to Green Park, past the Palace and through St James's Park to Trafalgar Square.

If you've still got some energy, you can walk from there to Covent Garden, through "Theatreland".

MmePerdu

The secret, we're told, to resetting our clocks is light, being outdoors. Less than a mile from your hotel, south almost to the Thames, is Chelsea Physic Garden, the "second-oldest surviving botanical garden in England, founded in 1673 for medicinal plant study." http://chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/

After the Physic Garden head west to Cheyne Walk.
https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/vmtours/chel...newalk30_1.asp

http://general-southerner.blogspot.c...y-special.html

A comprehensive list of former residents:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyne_Walk

Off Cheyne Walk heading north again is Cheyne Row where at #24 you can visit Carlyle's House https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carlyles-house. Whether you care about Carlyle or not, any excuse to see inside an historic house is my motto.

There are galleries in Chelsea, the area between your hotel & the Thames, including Saatchi http://www.saatchigallery.com/

All in all, a very nice area for a long stroll.

bennnie

We had this same dilemma in mid July. After dropping our bags at the hotel in South Kensington, we went to a cafe for breakfast and then to the V&A. Enjoyed the museum for about 2 hours but we were dragging. On the second floor, we wandered into a little niche/theater with cushioned benches that was showing old films of English gardens and before you know it, we had nodded off. So embarrassing. But we were refreshed enough to visit much more of the museum and it was one of the highlights of our trip.

What I wished we had down was book the hotel for the night before so that a room would have been waiting for us.

laurie_ann

I did just what you are doing a few summers ago (including staying at the Ampersand, loved it!)

I didn't to all the way to Physic Garden but the walk through neighborhoods down to Saatchi is great.

You might also check out Londonwalks tours (www.walks.com). They have a Chelsea one in the same area, not sure what day of the week, but I did it another time there. You just show up at the meeting point at the time.

nola77382

Great suggestions, thank you all. We do need to stay outside: that and staying up until at least 930pm local time are the keys to beating jet lag for us.

I love the V&A and since it's free we might pop in before our meander in the parks. We missed the Jewelry Collection last time so that would be a priority. If it's a nice day, the parks walk will be perfect! And probably keep us busy until check-in-time at the hotel.

I also love the Chelsea Walk idea, especially since it includes the Carlyle House which I've noted from the National Trust page. It's just unfortunate that we can't pick up our NT Touring pass there.

MmePerdu

I didn't mention it on your Cotswolds thread, afraid you wouldn't have time. But I will now and suggest you call Royal Oak, instead of trying to join online and ask if they can send your membership materials immediately, expedited, overnight. Membership includes the NT book, entry and parking at virtually all National Trust sites. You seem to be going to so many I'd give it a try: http://www.royal-oak.org/

KyraS

On a couple of our trips we've done a London Walk tour on the afternoon of arrival day, when we have an early morning arrival. This keeps me moving without having to navigate or decide where I'm going, for a couple of hours. Although if it's a nice day I would also be tempted by walking through the parks, as Patrick suggests.

I've only breezed through it, on my way elsewhere, but the jewelry gallery at the V&A is stunning.

On 5 September I like the looks of Legal & Illegal London, London's Secret Village, and a Village in Piccadilly. I'd even do the Westminster one in the evening (never tried an evening walk on arrival day; might be time).

Hope you have a good trip!

nola77382

@MmePerdue, I already bought the pass through the National Trust website. It was 57 GBP for 2 people for 2 weeks. We can pick it up at the visitor's centre by St. Paul's so we'll get try to it before we leave London or at our first stop (Petworth). I thank you for the Royal Oak idea, though.

@KyraS, We took the London Walks Jack the Ripper walk last year and enjoyed it so thanks for this great suggestion.

MmePerdu

For future reference, a Royal Oak membership is £72 at today's exchange rate ($95US) for a year, $65 for 1. So if 2 weeks is all you need then you've done the right thing.

raincitygirl

Firstly, good job for booking the Ampersand! Spent nine nights there in 2013 and loved it.

We walked to the Physic garden and it was really lovely. They have a nice cafe for lunch too.
Patrick's idea is another nice walk.

Or a mooch around the V&A is always a favourite of mine, plus lunch in that lovely cafe there.

ChgoGal

If you enjoy history, I have to second the Chelsea Physic Garden (be sure to take the tour or it won't mean as much), and Carlyle House (with or without the National Trust/Royal Oak Membership) for the most beautifully preserved Victorian house (of the upper middle classes). The 4-story house is remarkable, and so little changed. The docents there were charming, so definitely ask them their insights into the property. And about the number of house-servants that Jane Carlyle employed though the years. I found the house and the history fascinating, and that was something I did on my arrival day from Chicago. Being outside really does seem to help.

Around there is a Daunt bookstore on Fulham Road. I like to jot down titles that look intriguing (to read in the US). I remember talking to the young man who worked there, and he was so knowledgeable and happy to share his recommendations.

Have fun!

MmePerdu

I didn't know about the Daunt's on Fulham Rd. I first discovered them on Marylebone High St. which may be the original and is my favorite bookstore on the planet. Then found the one near Hampstead station when I stayed nearby. My Daunt tote bag is one of the nicest I own and will be filled with essentials in case of forest fire (the things we think about in No. California)!

ChgoGal

Yes, MmePerdu! They gave me a wonderful, blue canvas tote when I bought a few books that I used for the longest time. It's a great bookstore.

KyraS

Thank you for the recommendation for Daunt's!

nola77382

With all the positives from y'all, I'm really liking my decision to book the Ampersand! It was relatively affordable with their stay 3 nights; pay for 2 deal.

If we don't get down to Chelsea, the Cheyne Walk, the Carlyle House and Daunt's bookstore (I love bookstores!) on arrival day, we can probably go another day. Sounds like a lovely "off the beaten track" kind of day.

raincitygirl

Another fan of Daunt's and of Marylebone High street itself which is lovely to wander on.

lovs2travel

We found the excitement of just being in London gave us enough steam to see a lot on our first day! You can read my trip report from January 2012 to see how we spent our first day.

Definitely look at London Walks. I have gone on the Illegal and Legal London, as well as Westminster by Gaslight and they were both fantastic. I fashioned part of our first day around the "London's Secret Village".

texasbookworm

I also recommend either walking around Chelsea on your own, especially making it into the Physic Garden(but check their open times on your day/s if you want to make that work) OR finding a London Walk to keep you moving and focused.

DD and I loved the London Walk in Chelsea, so since it seems to not be on the day of your arrival, you still might see if it will work on another of your days; however, you don't go IN anything, so if you want to see inside Carlisle's House or go into the Physic Garden, then plan to do that after the walk or on your own.

(There's a great little book called <i>For All the Tea in China </i> about how botanist/gardener Robert Fortune got (stole!) tea for England from China--sorta the first industrial espionage/theft! And there's a connection to the Physic Garden, as Fortune worked there for a time. Good book.)

Thanks for heads up about Daunt's on Fulham; I'm chaperoning a group next June and we will be in 4 apartments just a couple blocks from that one. Daunt's is still on my list of "next visit" places, so maybe as it will be in "my" neighborhood, I can make it.