readywatt

I'd love any suggestions regarding my London itinerary:

Arrive at hotel (County Hall)around noon, Saturday
Lunch: Somewhere near County Hall
Cross Westminster bridge,
Visit Westminster Abbey
Walk down Whitehall to Admiralty Arch
Walk up The Mall to Buckingham Palace
Take the Big Bus around past Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus, get off at Trafalgar Sq
Go to St Martin's Cafe in the Crypt for refreshments
Back to the hotel

Sunday: Take London Walk of The City starting at Monument Tube
Lunch: Cheshire Cheese Pub
Tower of London
River Cruise back to Westminster Pier
Dinner: Giraffe in the Royal Festival Hall
Evening: Ripper walk for those not afraid, still not sure what I will do with my 8 year old, maybe just sleep!

Mon: Stonehenge/Salisbury (leave at 5 am)
back around 2pm, St Paul's Cathedral
Dinner: ?
London Eye
Along the Thames Pub Walk

Tuesday: British Museum
Lunch: ?
British Library
Dinner: Porter's English Restaurant
Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre

Leave Wednesday am.

Thanks for your input! We are aged 8 to in our 60s. The Stonehedge trip is a private access tour, already booked, so that is not changable. I realize its a short trip, but it was on the must do list!

SallyCanuck

That's a busy first day!

The Museum and the Library seem a lot for one day - the Museum could take all day.

janisj

Just a couple of things to consider:

Sunday is the most crowded day at the Tower. You will not get there until mid afternoon at the earliest and it will be very crowded and the queue to get into the crown jewels could be an hour or more.

On Monday will you have the mini bus drop you directly at St Paul's? If so this will work. But if they drop you back at the hotel it may be a problem. If your group is like most where once you are at the hotel there will be lots "Oh - just let m go up to the room and freshen up" - or "I'll just be a minute, I want to see if I have any messages". Next thing you know 45 mins have passed and it will be too late to make it to St Paul's before they start restricting access in preparation for Evensong.

tod

Just a few suggestions;
About the Jack The Ripper tour and your 8 year old - I don't think the gory details of blood and entrails will suit his/her delicate ears. Children at that age should deal with childish things like a great afternoon playing in Kensington Gardens. The Princess Diana Playground looks a very happy place.
There are several places to get a light lunch at County Hall.
If you are staying at the Marriott Hotel they have a lovely Chinese Restaurant and probably a couple more choices but I'm not sure. I like the Italian food at a place downstairs (tables on the sidewalk of the Thames).
You can have a wonderful lunch at Waggammamma, a stones throw away from the British Museum - a great fun Japanese Noodle restaurant for the whole family.

readywatt

Thanks for the replies. Tod, I agree that the Jack the Ripper walk is inappropriate for an 8 year old, what I meant to say was I didn't know what she and I would be doing while the others went on the walk. Maybe we'll do the Tower of London on Saturday after lunch if it's less busy than Sunday. I am having a hard time fitting in getting INTO St Pauls since both WM Abbey and St Paul's close early and on Sundays. Do you think it is skippable for a short trip, esp since we are already going in WM Abbey and Salisbury Cathedral (church overload??).
Also, I don't expect to spend more than 2 or 3 hours in the British Museum, although I know it could eat up a week! Isn't the British Library a short walk from there? I thought we could go in for less than an hour to see the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Magna Carta, and Shakespeare portfolios, all in the same room as I understand.
Thanks again for the help!

tod

Sorry about getting mixed up - I see now what you meant!
According to my EyeWitness Travel Guide of London ( a great book to take with you)it gives a gallery guide thus:
Greek, Roman, Western Asian and Egyptian exhibits occupy the west side of the ground floor, the British Library exhibits are on the east and the rest of the floor is taken up with library reading rooms. The collections continue on the first floor and in the basement.
Now, my book is quite old and I remember when last at the museum they were doing alterations so things may be different.
There also a good cafe in the museum if I remember rightly.
Wishing you a great time in London!

janisj

OK - St Paul's is fabulous of course. But if you don't have time so be it. I'd prefer Westminster Abbey for a first, and very short, visit. Plus you will see Salisbury cathedral.

Don't get me wrong - St Pauls is a very special place but in just 3.5 days you just don't have time for everything.

As for the Tower - Saturday is also crowded. But the main point is that any time after opening it gets crowded and the lines for the Jewels will be miles long. The best way to see the Tower is to get there at or just before opening time.

I would prefer going to the Tower Sunday morning rather than the City Walk. You could still do the river cruise afterwards and have the late afternoon for something else.


The Br Museum and Br Library are not really a short walk apart. I'd guess about 3/4 of a mile. Not a bad walk of course - but maybe a bit far for a varied group including an 8 year old. You could take the tube from Russell Sq to Kings X but w/ all the walking to/in the tube stations you would still be walking nearly 1/2 a mile.

readywatt

I really appreciate all of the great feedback. How is this revision? I know I still have the Tower of London on a wknd afternoon, but I think it will be ok to have an outdoor activity that interests us (ie, keeps us awake awhile!), and perhaps it won't be too bad on the first wknd in March.

Sat: Arrive, eat lunch, big bus to Tower of London, tour Tower, cruise back to WM pier.

Sun: 10:30 City Walk, 2000 yrs of history; lunch at Cheshire Cheese, British Museum

Mon: Stonehenge/Salisbury; back around 2pm; St Paul's if we can be dropped off there; Dinner; Along the Thames Pub walk:

Tues: Westminster Abbey, walk Whitehall, the mall, back to Trafalgar Square. Maybe some time for Nat'l gallery?; Dinner: Porter's; Lion King

Any better? Worse?

janisj

I'd personally feel better going w/ your new plan.

One thing to remember - the bus tour is good for 24 hours so if you start it on Sat afternoon you can still take the buses on Sunday.

And you'll have plenty of time for the National Gallery on Tuesday. Westminster Abbey, a walk through Whitehall/St James and the Nat'l Gallery will even leave you time enough for St Martin's in the Field, and a chance to get back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner/Lion King.

PatrickLondon

tod, your guidebook sounds SERIOUSLY out of date on the BM. The British Library moved into its new building at St Pancras 7 or 8 years ago, and has its own exhibition areas, one of treasures from the collections (sound as well as print), one on printing, and temporary exhibitions.

The British Museum Reading Room is retained as a reading room on topics specific to the BM, and is now beautifully refurbished and open to the general public to look into. The surrounding Great Court has been roofed over as a wonderful circulation, refreshment and temporary exhibition space.

Doing both in one day does seem a bit intensive, but not totally impossible. I'd be inclined to start with the BL, which I don't think would take all morning, and take a bus (10, 73 or 390) from there down to the bottom of Gower St to the British Museum. Plenty of places to eat in and around the Museum (don't forget both the BL and the BM are free, so you don't have to worry about re-admission).

PatrickLondon

Websites for more detail on both BL and BM (see the special section for children on the BM site)

http://www.bl.uk
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

readywatt

Thanks again for the great suggestions! Now I am officially obsessing! Taking the business into account, and trying to coordinate visiting St Pauls with the Tower since they are relatively close to each other, I have itinerary #3:

Arrive, walk to WM Abbey, go inside for an hour to an hour and a half, then walk to Buckingham palace, Trafalgar Square, etc until we're too tired, then back to hotel.
Sunday, London City Walk at 10:30, Lunch at the recommended Wagamama by the Brit Museum, then visit the British Museum.
Mon: Stonehenge/Salisbury; then spend the afternoon seeing what we missed Saturday, such as the Nat'l Gallery or St Martins, The London Eye
Tues: Tower of London, lunch at the Cheshire Cheese, St Paul's Cathedral, Lion King.
Do we have a winner?

janisj

readywatt: I think you have a winner

(Didn't know this was going to be such hard work, did you?)

Your Tuesday is such a better plan for BOTH St Paul's and the Tower.

Do be prepared for a wait to get inside Westminster Abbey. But it is March so the crowds won't be horrible. Once inside - see IF you can get one of the Verger tours. Not totally likely since they do book up - but the tour desk is just inside after you enter so easy to check.

You have to follow a specific route through the Abbey so you can't really cut your visit short - but 60-90 minutes will be fine.