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London: Xmas Break Trip - One Week Itinerary

London: Xmas Break Trip - One Week Itinerary

Old Oct 4th, 2015, 05:38 PM
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tyl
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London: Xmas Break Trip - One Week Itinerary

Hello Fodorites:

My family (husband, son/age 14, daughter/age 13) and I will be taking a trip to London over Xmas break. We arrive early morning on the 27th from NYC and depart on the morning of the 3rd. We've rented an apartment in Knightsbridge through London Connection. Any feedback/critiques on the below itinerary (grouped by location) would be much appreciated.

Arrival Day: Check in and settle into apt. Grocery shop for the week. Visit one museum - either Victoria and Albert or Science Museum since they are walking distance to try to get acclimated to time zone. Maybe walk around Kensington Gardens area. Anything to resist the urge to lie down and take a nap!

Day 1: Tower of London / London Bridge / Spitafields Market / Dennis Severs House (realize this may be off the beaten path but daughter is reading new book by Brian Selznick which was inspired by this house so this is on her list).
Day 2: Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, Buckingham Palace (realize it's not open so would be for photo op)
Day 3: Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour
Day 4: Windsor Castle
Day 5: British Museum. Depending if we've gotten our fill of museums at this point, we may visit the National Gallery and/or Wallace Collection.
Day 6: TBD

Peppered into our days will be light shopping (probably souvenirs), window shopping/browsing if a store strikes our fancy, although my daughter and I may do Harrods, Selfridges or Liberty without the men in tow one afternoon.
We also plan to fit in:
- Tea at Fortnum and Mason
- See a play one night (either War Horse or Lion King)

Our Interests: Husband and I enjoy architecture/graphic design/decorative arts. Son likes military history (especially WW ll). Daughter loves dolls, arts and crafts (if anyone has recommendations for stationery/paper stores, please share).

Other places under consideration but not on the list are: Tate Modern, Imperial War Museum (seeing Churchill War Rooms may be enough); Borough Market, Leadenhall Market (for the Harry Potter fan in my kids).

Next planning phase is to figure out where to eat that ties into the neighborhoods we will be in. We will have breakfast in the apt before heading out and plan on lunches and dinners out. We are fairly adventurous eaters so suggestions are welcome.

Thanks so much in advance!
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Old Oct 4th, 2015, 05:55 PM
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Paperchase for your daughters stationary fix.
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Old Oct 4th, 2015, 05:57 PM
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And possibly Smythson though it is v v expensive.
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Old Oct 4th, 2015, 06:23 PM
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I'd honestly avoid a museum on your arrival -- for one thing they will be mobbed - and overheated and you will be jet lagged.

>>Day 1: Tower of London / London Bridge . . .Tower Bridge -- not London Bridge. This is London Bridge -- is that what you intended http://s3.freefoto.com/images/31/01/31_01_8_web.jpg . . . Didn't think so

Big Ben and Buckingham Palace are merely 'walk-by's'

I'd seriously consider Hampton Court Palace instead of Windsor Castle, especially for kids.
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Old Oct 4th, 2015, 11:04 PM
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<Son likes military history (especially WW ll)> I was just about to recommend the Imperial War Museum but I see you have it down as a possibility. Given your son's interest I'd be inclined to recommend War Horse which really is very good

<architecture/graphic design/decorative arts> With these interests I'd definitely lean towards the V&A, do see the "cast Court" which gives you a sense for the origins of the collection. As someone whose interested in architecture and design the Soane Museum (round the corner from the Courtauld and among the Inns of Court) would be a must visit for me.

The Denis Severs House has very limited hours which you are going to have to work around. You could consider an evening tour. It combines well with the Spitalfields area where it's located and Leadenhall Market isn't too far away. You can walk from Leandenhall Market to the Tower or Spitalfields quite quickly.

However, I'd think about combining the Tower with some of the attractions on the Thames. I'd start at the Sky Garden for the view, head to the Tower and then either take a bus to St Pauls and cross the Millennium footbridge, or cross over Tower Bridge and walk along the SouthBank, Borough Market, Globe, Tate etc.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2015/...ie-london.html

Then on a second day I'd do the Denis Sever House, Spitalfields and Leadenhall Market. You could consider combining this with a Graffiti Tour in nearby Shoreditch which the kids might enjoy and you may find interesting from a design/art pov.
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2015/...in-london.html

You could start this day at the Duck and Waffle for breakfast with a view, I'd pick this or the Sky Garden but wouldn't bother with both.getting a view while you're in this area of London gives you a great view of a lot of the recent modern architecture.

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2015/...with-view.html

All the links are from my blog.
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 04:15 PM
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Thank you for the suggestions.

janisj - didn't even have Hampton Court Palace on my radar so will definitely look into that. Any suggestions on what to do on arrival day? We land at 7am so most of the day is open.

welltraveledbrit - will regroup my activities/sites relating to Dennis Severs House. I think my family will like the graffiti tour idea. Banksy did some works around NYC a few years back and my kids were fascinated. Loved your blog by the way!
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 04:53 PM
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Glad the blog was useful!
There are a couple of Banksy's in Shoredtich but to be honest the one on Rivington in the Cargo club is now behind a screen to protect it!

http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/Banks..._guard_dog.htm

You can get a great sense for the street art scene on Instagram.
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 04:54 PM
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On arrival day, once you've actually gotten to your apartment and/or dumped your luggage, you might want something to eat, you might want to settle in, or you might want to do something.

Your arrival day might be a good one to head over to Westminster and look at Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, et cetera from the outside. I love the view as you come up out of Westminster Tube station but also love the view from across the river (feels like being in London).

On our last trip to London, we took a London Walks tour on arrival day. This worked for 3/4 of our group. It happened to be a nice, sunny day and it kept us outside and moving for a couple of hours. As a bonus, we didn't have to navigate during the walk (not my best skill on top of jet lag). I require fresh air and walking, to counter the effects of the flight and fight off jet lag. You might see if any of their offerings appeal.

I agree that Hampton Court Palace is amazing. Not to give you more ideas, but also consider the National Portrait Gallery, perhaps. I am sure the Churchill War Rooms will not disappoint.

Hope you have a great trip!
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 05:45 PM
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>>We land at 7am so most of the day is open.can get in, you won't be there until probably 9:30 or 10AM. Then you have to learn the 'quirks' and how to operate things from the manager, do your grocery shopping, etc. You will have at most the afternoon.

I'd play that day by ear -- some of your 'walk-by's' would be good that day. Then IF everyone is still vertical/functioning - maybe a short visit to one of the museums. The good thing is they are free so you don't have to push through. If some are exhausted/grumpy you can leave and visit another day.
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 06:50 PM
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The Museum of Childhood is a short bus ride from the Denis Severs House, with its collection of dolls and doll houses. (You could even walk if it was a pleasant mild day)

http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/page/dolls/

http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/page/dolls-houses/

http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/visit/
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Old Oct 5th, 2015, 09:43 PM
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How fun to be planning a trip to London! Here are a few random thoughts:

I find it difficult to go to museums on arrival day - a bit too much concentration and I really feel the jet lag. We often do our window shopping/souvenir shopping on arrival day. It's also great for walking and getting a sense of the city. One time we rode the London Eye around sunset on arrival day - we booked just a day or so in advance when we saw the weather forecast. But even doing the grocery shopping can be a fun adventure for the young ones especially - the food and the experience is different enough to be diverting without requiring too much concentration.

We've not been to Hampton Court but we loved Windsor, and Queen Mary's Doll House is there.

You might want to consider visiting the British Library. The Treasures Room is really something - containing the greatest hits of the Library's collection (Magna Carta, Da Vinci notebook, Shakespeare First Folio, etc.) http://www.bl.uk/events/treasures-of...ritish-library St. Pancras station is right nearby, which has been beautifully restored.

My girls and I love stopping at Liberty when we've visited London.

-nancy
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 02:26 AM
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British Musuem's Egyptian collection wonderful & would interest your children, too, I think. Could be a short visit.
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 09:51 AM
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How early will you be able to get into the flat. Often it's not available until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. If so, you need to find out if the agency has a place for you to leave you luggage.

The best thing to do on arrival day is to wander the neighborhood - so you are outside and get some sun to help reset your clock - but may not be doable based on weather.

An hour or two in a museum may be OK - but unless the weather is bad I wouldn't do that for much of the time.
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 01:53 PM
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Bring passport-sized photos.

When you drop off your stuff, go to Victoria station and get 7-day PAPER travelcards for everyone. No Oysters, dammit. You need orange-bordered, cheap plastic coated paper travelcards for Zone 1-2. And you get those at a National Rail station, not a Tube station. Best to buy from a manned ticket booth, which will be on the same level as the M&S Simply Food, Boots Pharmacy and the other omnipresent Brit chains that infest the various rail stations.

BEFORE you go to London, go to www.daysoutguide.co.uk and print off TWO of every interesting voucher you find. These vouchers give you TWO admissions for the price of one (2for1 deals). You need two sets - one twofer for you and the old man, one twofer for the spawn.

This will save you a boatload of cash on (1) the Tower, (2) War Rooms, (3) Hampton Court Palace . . . and possibly on St Paul's or one of the various London Walks if you choose to take any (www.walks.com) (although your progeny are free - 15 and under have no charge if they're with the oldies).

Finally, when you're done, feel free to remit 10% of your savings to the BigRuss travel fund because we have two hobbits and they evidently need to be fed when traveling. Little blighters.
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 02:16 PM
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Hampton Court Palace and grounds are lovely for anyone but especially for kids - have them try the Maze there and the tour thru the palace is not your normally dry affair - rooms are livened up with musicians, demonstrations of old cooking in the most complete set of Tudor kitchens I think in the UK and the ghost of one of Henry VIIIs beheaded wives is said to still haunt the castle.

Hampton is especially famous for the Christmas time visits with many special things, again neat for kiddos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMAi2yQ5V3Y

https://www.google.com/search?q=tudo...BucJGg&dpr=1.1

Trains take you right to near the Palace entrance - just across the Thames from the Hampton Court train station - trains from Waterloo station in London and I think Richmond, which may be better for some to reach by Tube than go to Waterloo.

Get a paper train ticket and I think you get 2 for 1 entry (at this and other sights - like if you get a paper TraverCard issued from a national rail station:

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/?gclid...1ZIRoCfuLw_wcB
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Old Oct 6th, 2015, 04:33 PM
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bookmarking
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Old Oct 7th, 2015, 01:25 AM
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If I've calculated correctly, your Day 6 is New Years Day. Many (though not all) visitor attractions and shops will be closed as it's a public holiday. It's also not unusual for places to close earlier on New Year's Eve. Worth checking as you firm up your plans.
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Old Oct 7th, 2015, 05:30 AM
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Is there still a New Year's Day Parade in London - last time I saw it a lot of American high school bands were marching. something to do on New Year's Day anyway.
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Old Oct 7th, 2015, 10:26 AM
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You might consider afternoon tea at Cliveden House if you're open to other options. It's a short train ride from London and an amazing/unique experience imo. I went on the tour and had tea afterwards. The tour was really short and I could have skipped it. The tea experience is like being a guest at a gorgeous country estate. It's worth a look if it fits within your budget and schedule. I thought it was a unique experience compared to some other options. good luck. : )
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