3 day London Itinerary - please comment on
 

Hey guys. After reading some useful posts, and trying to do my own research, here's what i've come up with. For those who know the area better than me (ie: everyone) and the locations, please comment and help me revise. I would like some help with what I need to buy tickets for in advance.
This is from Tues Aug 19 to Thurs Aug 21.

THANKS

Day 1

Arrive at 12:30pm at Euston Station

Check into hostel by Hyde Park

Buckingham Palace
Stroll down the Mall
Piccadilly Circus
Trafalgar Square
South from Trafalgar à Whitehall, then the Horse Guards Parade
Head past 10 Downing Street -- the Prime Minister's residence -- to the Houses of Parliament
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
Changing of the Guard

Day 2

Travel up to London?s most famous "village," Hampstead
(What can i do in Hampstead? Everyone recommended it)
Abbey Road, in nearby St. John's Wood
Tube it down to Baker Street, visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum
Madame Tussaud's (Wax Museum) (near Baker St. apparently)
Take the tube to Tower Hill and the Tower of London
Tower Bridge
The Salvador Dali exhibit
London Eye
Jack the Ripper Mystery Walk through the East End (7pm)

Day 3:

Museum of London
St. Paul?s Cathedral

What is the location of these, and where (if anywhere) can I fit in and replace other things?

Imperial War Museum
Stone Hedge
Hampton Court
Windsor Castle

Thanks in advance

CUT:
Madame Tussaud
Hampstead
Abbey Road
London Museum (?)

ADD:
British Museum (Court)
National Portrait Gallery
Covent Garden (in the evening)
River cruise (Thames or Regent's Canal)

Imperial War Museum is on the South Bank and a bit inconvenient. Hampton Court and Windsor Castle is via train to the west of town. Stonehenge is too far.

Day 1: Tues


First day. At a machine in Euston station buy a one day London travel card for zones 1 and 2. It is valid for busses. From in front of Euston station busses numbers 10 and 73 run to Bond Street, and there you change to busses 12 or 94 to the northern side of Hyde Park. You sit downstairs to keep an eye on your bags and you ask the driver to tell you when you reach Bond Street. Much more comfortable than lugging bags on and off the tube. From any tube station you can get the free bus map of central London: they may have a kiosk also at the bus stands in front of Euston station. From your hotel to Buckingham Palace is a dull walk. Bus 12 or 94 to Marble Arch, then any of five busses (all from one bus stop) to Victoria. Walk past the Queens Gallery and Royal Mews to Buckingham Palace (a boring place). Do not stroll down the Mall, a long straight, dull walk, but across from the palace enter St Janes Park and walk past flowers, lake, and ducks to Trafalgar square. Miss Piccadilly Circus, which is not up to much, and you can see later. On the top of bus 24 from South Africa House or 11, 77A rest your feet and roll along Whitehall past the Banquetting House, Horse Guards Parade and Downing Street to Westminster. View Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I am afraid they change the guard in the morning.
Day 2. Weds.
Your 2 zone travel pass is valid only from 0930 Mon to Fri, so you will need a tube ticket from hostel to Hampstead. All I ever do in Hampstead is have coffee and cakes at a nice central European place three doors from the tube station and see films at the Everyman cinema. Tourists go because it looks a bit like a village, green, with hills and good houses.
Bus number 46 runs from Hampstead to Queen?s Grove, St John?s Wood, and there you walk to Abbey Road. Busses 139 and 189 run along Abbey Road and to Baker Street, for Mr Holmes? rooms. Madame Tussaud?s is indeed in walking distance. As you say, Circle Line underground to Tower hill. You can buy the Tower entry ticket at any tube station, and so avoid a queue (=line).
I think you may find a waterbus or other boat from the Tower pier to the London Eye.

Day 3: Thurs

The Museum of London is 400 yards north of St Paul s Cathedral, which is slightly to the west of centre in the City of London.
So, let s fit in your last three. I am afraid you cannot reach Stonehenge in your three days without serious loss of other visits: Stonehenge is far. I am glad to see the Museum of London in your list: it is just the place for getting a view of the whole city and its past, ready to go to individual places later. So I think at Euston station you should dump your bags at left luggage, buy a one day two zone travel card, pick up a free bus map from the tube station ticket office, and take the northern line tube to Tottenham Court Road and Central Line to St Paul s, who close at four. On to the Museum of London, who close at 5.50. Collect bags, off to an early bed.

Wednesday. Buy a single tube ticket from your hostel to the Tower, and a Tower entry ticket: the Tower opens at nine. Catch a Yoeman s free guided tour, funny and gruesome. Underground via Embankment to Waterloo. Choose a visit to Hampton Court or to Windsor: I am afraid in your time you cannot manage both. In the evening take the London Eye.
Thursday. Give Hampstead a miss. Tube to St John?s Wood, walk to Abbey Road, bus to Baker Street and Madame Tussaud s, bus 13 past Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square, change to any bus for Westminster via Whitehall. If time allows bus 12 or 53 to the Imperial war Museum, which closes at 5.50. In the evening bus to Victoria, walk by Buckingham Place and St James Park.
I have failed to include Stonehenge, Hampstead, Windsor or Hampton Court, and the changing of the guard. Sorry. And welcome to London

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Wow. Thank you VERY much for your detailed and helpful responses, especially Ben's.

Is Hampstead outside of Zone 1 or 2 (ie: do i need a 6 zone pass)? I think i might just miss it, as you have suggested.

Any advice for buying advanced tickets for any of these tings (Madame Tussard's, London Eye, etc). Can i tour Buckingham Palace and Westminister Abbey at all?

thanks

Hampstead is outside of Zone 1 or 2, about zone 3 or 4 I think.
I am afraid I do not know about buying tickets in advance, but their web sites will tell you.
You can readily tour Westminster Abbey, outside service times (shown on their web site), and Buckingham Palace just in the high summer season, shown in their web site. If you can book ahead for the palace please do: the queues are long.

Ben Haines, London

Not wanting to be picky after Bens fabulous itinerary for you, but Hampstead tube is on the border of 2 and 3 zones which means you can use your 1-2 zone card.

ben is usually so accurate - I am surprised he goofed on this one. Sara is correct - Hampstead is the dividing line between zones 2 and 3.

That means if you are coming from zone 1 Hampstead would be zone 2, but if you are traveling from zone 4 it is in zone 3.

so your zone 1-2 transport pass is the best bargain

Never trust a cyclist as to travel zone boundaries. Bur seriously, sorry.

Ben Haines

thanks for your help; no worries about the minor mistake; it was caught in time.
ok, tonight is the flight to manchester, 1 week till i'm in beautiful London. thanks for all your help ben and others.

cheers

If you go into http://www.manchester.gov.uk/visitor...nts/august.htm you will find what is on in Manchester. Some of the exhibitions look interesting, and you know that the art galleries of Manchester and Salford are good. It seems you are in the middle of a celebration by lesbians and gays.

A good city, but of course not London.

Ben Haines, prejudiced

You might want to wait on advanced tickets to the London Eye until you get there and check the weather reports. When we went a few weeks ago the line was not long and it was mid-day. I highly recommend Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms (near Westminster Abbey) and a verger tour of the Abbey. Have a great trip!

thanks for your further reply Ben, and your insight Kathryn; i think i will check out the war rooms.

just wondering what the intersecting street is with Abbey Road for that classic Beatles cover. Abbey Road and which other road?

ok, heading to the airport now. cheers