London 6 day itinerary

Old May 22nd, 2017, 10:15 PM
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London 6 day itinerary

Good afternoon,

I would dearly love some thoughts & feedback on my first draft itinerary please.

We are a family of 3, myself & hubby & 16 year old daughter. Hubby & I have travelled to London over 20 years ago, but first time with together & with our daughter. We will be I. London from Saturday 9 Sept until the Friday morning when we leave for Paris Disneyland on the Eurostar.

Saturday arrive 2pm & will get the Heathrow/London Express to Paddington. We're staying at the Hilton Metropole which includes full buffet breakfast.

After check in we plan to freshen up then head down to Hyde Park, walk down to the Princess Diana Memorial playground & past Kensington Palace. Possibly stop for an espresso at a cafe in Kensington High Street, before walking back up to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and then back to hotel to crash!!

We tend to find that hitting the ground running & getting in tune with the time zone best, but we'll just be prepared to play it by ear as the evening goes & how we feel.

Sunday

After breakfast head to Abbey Road for a photo opp on the Bakerloo Lime to Maide Vale
Head to Little Venice for a wander & lunch with some friends from Oz around 1 in an old pub.
Water bus back to Regents Park.
See how we go for the evening but possibly Piccadilly Circus and head to Soho for dinner.

Monday

Madame Tussaud's
Tube to Westminster & see the Chiurchill War rooms
10 Downing St
Big Ben, Westminster Abbey & House of Parliament,
Possibly the Shrek adventure & London Eye but not fussed on either of these so they're not essential

Tuesday

Tower of London
London Bridge
Walk to Monument to the Great Fire of London
St Pauls cathedral
Lunch at Breac Street Kitchen (Gordon Ramsey's - just throwing this in as a maybe if time permits)
Harrods
Back to Oxford street for shopping for the female contingency if we're not completely worn out

Wednesday

Leaving the morning a bit loose at this stage because I realize my first 3 days are ambitious.
2pm tix for Buckingham Palace already booked
5.45 pre-theatre dinner in Covent Garden
7.30 tix to Dreamgirls in the West End

Thursday

6.45pm dinner at The Narrow on The Thames

Friday

9.15am photo opp @ Kings Cross Station
10.15 St Pancreas leave on Eurostar

So things I still want to do are:

Trafalgar Square
Regent St
Noting Hill
The Shard
Carnaby Street

So should also point out that we are conscious of making this a family trip & not boring the teen with too many cathedrals, churches & museums as we are heading to Paris for a week after 4.5 days at Disney, then onto Venice for 4 nights, Florence for 4 & 6 in Rome.
And we both did museums etc years ago.

Also if we can't do it all or need to stop to refuel & something gives or we get sidetracked by enjoying the moment, so be it. But I do like to have a structure to work to.

Thanks for any feedback anyone wishes to make!
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Old May 25th, 2017, 10:16 PM
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I also like to have a structure to work from always knowing we can make a change as we go. On Monday I would drop Madame Tussaud's and focus on the rest of your list. Churchill's War Rooms and Westminster Abbey will be inside visits but the others will be a walk by for photos unless you have arranged a tour of the Parliament building. The best view we had of 10 Downing Street was from the top of a double deck bus. Two inside visits of major sights each day can be a good way to plan.Tuesday seems like too much if you plan to visit inside the Tower of London and St. Paul's. Tower Bridge (London Bridge was shipped to Arizona about 40 years ago) can be a photo stop from the riverbank by the Tower. And only go to the Monument if you plan the to climb the stairs to the top for the view.

Wednesday you might spend the morning in Notting Hill and visit shops on Portobello Road before taking the Tube to Buckingham Palace.

On Thursday how about a day trip to Hampton Court Palace?
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Old May 25th, 2017, 10:32 PM
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Randome thoughts:

>>before walking back up to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinnerskip it. Besides, there would not be time enough to hit Mme T, the Cabinet War Rooms, and Westminster Abbey on the same day. Generally you can plan on two major sites a day w/ maybe 1 or 2 minor-ish sites squeezed in.

Tuesday is nuts. (I assume you mean Tower Bridge -- not London Bridge). There is no way you can fit in the Tower and St Pauls before lunch. In fact you will still be at the Tower by lunch time.

If you want a traditional shopping street, do Regents Street (and this is where you could squeeze in Carnaby Street - thought it might be disappointing) instead of Oxford Street. Oxford Street is an absolute ZOO. Extremely crowded.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 01:12 AM
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Hi,

Since you are focused on entertaining your daughter as well, I would definitely recommend the London Dungeons, easily done before or after the London Eye as they are next door to each other.

I can see why people would suggest you skip MT, but I imagine your daughter would enjoy it. Lots of Instagram opportunities

I wrote a short review here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ter-report.cfm
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Old May 26th, 2017, 07:30 AM
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Sure the DD might enjoy Mme Tussaud's -- but that doesn't solve the problem of time. Mme's takes a couple of hours, (and especially in summer it will be very crowded so even 2 hours might be short), the War Rooms = a couple of hours, the Abbey 90 mins to 2 hours and when you factor in travel and lunch -- not really doable unless you are running full tilt. The last entry for the Abbey is at 3:30 PM.

London Dungeon - really??
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Old May 26th, 2017, 07:32 AM
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Ask your daughter if she would rather visit the (schlocky to the max) Dungeon, or spend time doing actual 'London things' or shopping?
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Old May 26th, 2017, 07:52 AM
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Hmm. Here goes:

Sunday

After breakfast head to Abbey Road for a photo opp on the Bakerloo Lime to Maide Vale
Head to Little Venice for a wander & lunch with some friends from Oz around 1 in an old pub.
Water bus back to Regents Park.
See how we go for the evening but possibly Piccadilly Circus and head to Soho for dinner.


Ok. This is whatever type stuff.

Monday

Madame Tussaud's
- pure Tourist trap rubbish
Tube to Westminster & see the Chiurchill War rooms
10 Downing St
Big Ben, Westminster Abbey & House of Parliament,
Possibly the Shrek adventure & London Eye but not fussed on either of these so they're not essential


If you're really going to go spend a ton(ne) of cash on seeing stylized candles, then you won't have time for the Churchill War Rooms AND the Abbey too. To the extent you can actually see them, 10 Downing St, Parliament and the clock are all walk-bys.

Tuesday

Tower of London
London Bridge
Walk to Monument to the Great Fire of London
St Pauls cathedral
Lunch at Breac Street Kitchen (Gordon Ramsey's - just throwing this in as a maybe if time permits)
Harrods
Back to Oxford street for shopping for the female contingency if we're not completely worn out


London Bridge is a boring arch of concrete and the original is somewhere in Arizona. If you're thinking of the bridge by the Tower with the two ... towers on it, that's Tower Bridge and you can photo it from outside the Tower itself. Going from the Tower/St. Paul's area to Harrod's and back to Oxford St will have you bopping over 1/2 of central London in a day. The "monument to the Great Fire of London" is just "the Monument."

Wednesday

Leaving the morning a bit loose at this stage because I realize my first 3 days are ambitious.
2pm tix for Buckingham Palace already booked
5.45 pre-theatre dinner in Covent Garden
7.30 tix to Dreamgirls in the West End

Thursday

6.45pm dinner at The Narrow on The Thames

Friday

9.15am photo opp @ Kings Cross Station
10.15 St Pancreas leave on Eurostar
Pancras. He wasn't the patron saint of insulin. ;-)

So things I still want to do are:

Trafalgar Square
Regent St
Not[t]ing Hill
The Shard
Carnaby Street


You're a bit fixated on roaming London and trying to shop for stuff you can get worldwide and probably for less - thus your Regents St, Oxford St and Carnaby St entries. Consider shopping at places that are not outlets for brands you can get at your local mall - that'd include Saville Row and Jermyn Street, and probably Notting Hill area. If you're Australian and you read (and I've heard that some Aussies do), consider puttering up Charing X Road because books in Australia are ridiculously expensive.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 10:42 AM
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It's the Victorian version of London Bridge that's in Arizona The original fell down ��
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Old May 26th, 2017, 11:07 AM
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Yes and no. The first LB was demolished; the Victorian is in Arizona, the third is dull (but was cheap!).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge
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Old May 26th, 2017, 11:46 AM
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consider puttering up Charing X Road because books in Australia are ridiculously expensive.>

Books -what are they?

we are heading to Paris for a week after 4.5 days at Disney, then onto Venice for 4 nights, Florence for 4 & 6 in Rome.>

Trains are best to Paris of course - www.eurostar.com for self-booking and neat discounts if book far enough in advance.

Fly to Venice or take the overnight train Paris-Venice (www.thello.com) -could be cool for teens - get a private compartment and bring any food and drink aboard- saves daytime travel time over flying.

Italian trains -again discounts if book really early - www.trenitalia.com - save a lot over waiting until there - check www.seat61.com for sage advice on discounted tickets and help with booking them -- for general info check www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

4.5 days at Disney? Seems a bit long -what are your plans there?

I'd consider doing a day trip one of those days -like to Reims for asweet regional town and famous Champagne House/Cave tours or other places- can easily do from Disney base.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 01:17 PM
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I find that depending on guide books gives a factual visit, but overall a trip could use someone else than myself/mom/dad..reading from a guide. Long story short, take one or more London Walks. You get a local to guide you around a neighbourhood, telling stories, and seeing things that may not be in a guide book. Wide selection, and can usually be done in 2 hrs.

I might also let her plan part or all of a day, without much input from you. There are some cool neighbourhoods that she might like
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Old May 26th, 2017, 01:49 PM
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London Dungeon - really??>

teens may love it - I liked it - many like it - one of London's top paying sights for Brits. But yes it's kitsch but again teens may love it. As well as Madame Tussauds - my teen son liked both. A little kitsch can be fun.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 02:30 PM
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When your teen son liked it . . . Princess Diana was the featured Royal and NSYNC was the hot boy band.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 03:06 PM
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Just a few short comments.

The Hard Rock Cafe may well mean a wait of an hour or more. The reason I didn't take my grandkids there this past summer. Who wants to waste London sightseeing time waiting in a long line ?

London Walks are great. Go to their website and see if there's a walk that's of interest. Can't imagine you won't find something.

Personally, I'd skip Madame Tussard's for any number of reasons. Viewing a bunch of mannequins seems a horrible waste of time when London offers so much more.

Note Big Russ's comments.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 05:36 PM
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BTW for a substitue for Hard Rock Cafe have a look at Sticky Fingers near the Kensington High Street tube station. We didn't get a chance to eat there but considered it an alternative to H.R.C.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 06:00 PM
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Ooh -- Sticky Fingers is a good idea. Especially with the music decor, Stones connection and such. But it gets crowded too so I'd book.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 06:02 PM
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Yes, you can book at Sticky Fingers but not at Hard Rock Cafe.
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Old May 26th, 2017, 10:04 PM
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Yes to Sticky Fingers instead of HRC!

Going past Kensington Palace; there's an exhibition now on Princess Diana's clothes. Get tickets in advance.

My teens were never interested in Madame Tussaud or Dungeon. We lived in London for 10 years, never went. so can't comment, but the lines I see at MT are always huge.

For dinner near the Metropole I'd go for one of the numerous Lebanese places on Edgeware Road. Easy for a casual meal of mezze. For something more British walk over to Marylebone High Street and try the Golden Hind on Marylebone Lane for fish & chips - no reservations. Marylebone High Street is a very nice shopping street. Go to Daunt Books.
Pop into the Wallace while you're in the area, have tea there.

For teenage shopping; Topshop was always a favorite with mine.

Sounds like a great trip, have fun!
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