Tarantism

My boyfriend and I are leaving for London on August 1st. While he is more interested in soaking up the atmosphere and relaxing with a pint, I am more interested in seeing a lot of the sights. I'm basically trying to find a balance between these dichotomies. I promised him that we wouldn't be in museums all day. That is not to say that he doesn't enjoy museums- he does- but he wants to make sure that we take plenty of pleasant walks throughout the city and really get a feel for London.

Here is what I've come up with so far:

Day 1 - Saturday
-*Hopefully* land in Heathrow at 9:30 a.m.
-Check in hotel in Kensington- get settled
-Walk around Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park
-See outdoor movie at Somerset House. Movie starts at 9:15 (We both think this would be absolutely lovely, but we wonder if jet lag might ruin the experience?)

Day 2 - Sunday
I'm having a few problems with this day. We are going to see King Lear from 1-3 (unfortunately we will be "groundlings" as I waited too long to book the tickets). I'm not sure what else to do this day. St. Paul's would be convenient, but since it's Sunday, we won't be able to tour. I'd like to go to Regent's Park and the Freud museum. Perhaps we could squeeze that in?

Day 3 - Monday
-Westminster
-Buckingham (not interested in changing of the guard, I'd just like to see it)
-St. James' Park

Day 4 - Tuesday
-Tower of London
- Dr. Johnson's House

Day 5 - Wednesday
-British Museum
-British Library
-Dickens House
-Depart for Paris at 5:30 (I know I probably have too much planned on this day since we're leaving at 5:30).

We return from Paris on Sunday around 1 p.m. We booked our hotel right next to Gatwick, as we have an early flight going back home the next morning. However, I'm thinking we will still have a little bit of time in London before we go to our hotel... I'm just not sure what we would do.

Any help would be great! Thanks!

janisj

&quot;<i>outdoor movie at Somerset House. Movie starts at 9:15</i>&quot; Probably not the best idea. Jetlag can be a killer and you'll probably be wanting to get to bed by about 10 PM. But go ahead and try - you can leave any time during the film

For you final Sunday I wouldn't stay near Gatwick. How are you getting back to London? Train to St Pancras or flying into Heatrow or ?? How early is your flight out of lGW? Unless it is 6AM, I'd stay in central London. You can stay near Victoria station and be w/i 30 minutes of the terminal at LGW.

But if you do want to stay at LGW, depending on how you are arriving in London, stash your luggage at Victoria or St Pancras station (&pound;6.50 per bag) and spend the whole day in London.

For your Sunday - The Tower of London from 09:30 - til noon, quick lunch, walk to the Globe (that will be a looooooong time standing), then next door to Tate Modern, then walk along the rive and end up riding the Eye.

Your Monday is very short of &quot;stuff&quot; so even a museum/sites averse boyfriend should be OK adding something else. Westminster Abbey for 1.5 - 2 hours, Buckingham Palace is a &quot;walk by&quot; and St James Park is a &quot;walk thru&quot;. There is a nice place for lunch in St James - called <i>Inn the Park</i>.

If you did the Tower on Sunday - your entire Tues is free for other things.

zeppole

I don't think you're packing in too much in except the last day. Your Monday is actually quite light. But you've got to realize that weather in London is highly unreliable -- unless you're counting on rain and chill (even in August). Or worse, you could get stuck in a very sticky heat wave which will make you longing for air conditioning.

I think you're going to have to play it by ear, and be willing to substitute an indoor activity for an outdoor one when necessary.

I think you'll enjoy being groundlings for Lear. There is a Pizza Express right next to the theater that has a fantastic view of the Thames, or a nearby Turkish Tas restaurant if you'd sooner something fancier. The theater restaurant isn't bad, but costs run up to $60 per person with wine and coffee.

I think you'll fall asleep during the Somserset movie. (Where is your hotel?)

I adore London's parks, but there are interesting neighborhoods for strolling. I particularly like Marylebone, and there is a pub there that lets you bring your own food (I forget the name, but it's central) which is nice, because the neighborhood has lots of lovely food shops.

I also like wandering around the book stalls near Charing Cross Road and just off Trafalgar.

The British Museum is an extraordinary piece of architecture. Try to stop by.

zeppole

Sorry. I now see your hotel is in Kensington. Were it me, and I had any energy, I'd hop on the tube or bus and head straight for the heart of town -- Westminster Bridge, I guess, for me. You might go to St. Paul's that day.

yk

A few comments:

Day 1 - Unless you take a nap in the afternoon, you will definitely fall asleep at the movie. So perhaps after your walk at Hyde Park etc, return to your hotel for a nap before seeing the movie.

Day 2 - ditto to janis' suggestion of Tate Modern

Day 3 - You'll have plenty of free time as Buckingham Palace is just a walk-by. You can definitely add more sightseeing that day.

Day 5 - Seeing both British Library AND British Museum is too much on a short day. Move one of them to another day when you're less busy. Are you taking the Eurostar? You can stash your luggage at St Pancras so you don't have to backtrack to your Kensington hotel.

Return Day - You definitely have plenty of time to see more of London given that you'll be back by 1pm.

It's hard to recommend what you should do as you didn't say what interests you. Obvious places that are missing from your itin include:

National Gallery
V&amp;A Museum
Covent Garden
West End Play/Musical

carolyn

Dr. Johnson's house is close to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, 145 Fleet Street. It was a hang-out of his--and of Dickens--and has his chair suspended over an area in one of the many rooms. Google calls it a &quot;rabbit warren&quot; of a place.

My daughter and I had lunch there and really enjoyed it. It should suit your BF to a tee.

Tarantism

Thanks for all of the comments! This is so helpful!

I think we'll try to get a nap in before the movie on Saturday. But if we're too tired we'll just have to skip it.

I now realize that I have lots of time for other stuff on Monday. I'm still working on what else would be best for that day.

Moving the Tower to Sunday before King Lear is a good idea. After the play we can eat (and rest our feet!), and then stroll around the South Bank. I'm really not convinced that we would enjoy the London Eye much. But, who knows, we might see it and decide that we must go on it!

That leaves Tuesday with just Dr. Johnson's House... It looks like this day would be a good day to go to St. Paul's Cathedral. Thanks for the tip carolyn! That sounds like a great place! I think I recall hearing about it in one of my lit classes.

I don't think I'll add in any art museums in. I'm saving those for Paris...

Since we already booked our hotel near Gatwick, I think I'll take your advice and stash our luggage at St. Pancras for the day while we enjoy our last day in London. I think I'll move the British Library to this day (that will open Wednesday up a little).

4 more days and so much to do!

zeppole

You should have a good idea where the art museums are in case you change your mind and want to duck into one. They are free. The National Portrait Gallery is unique.

If you go into an art museum and are bored, you can always leave. Try not to miss the British museum (or did I say that?)

Merseyheart

You might want to eat at the refectory at Southwark Cathedral before the play. Do wander around the South Bank. There are usually street performers to watch, as well as the bookstalls near the National Theatre. Sometimes it's nice to just sit there and watch all the river traffic, as well as the people strolling by.