4 day Itinerary to London - Comments anyone??
 

Hello everyone,

My wife and I are heading to London next week and I just put this itinerary together....thoughts anyone?

Friday, May 25
Arrival in LHR at 9:25am
Arrival at hotel at around 11:30am – 12pm

Sites to see:
• London eye
• London Parliament
• Big Ben
• Westminster Abbey

Saturday, May 26
• Tower of London
• London Bridge
• St. Paul’s Cathedral
• Show: Les Miserables

Sunday, May 27
• Buckingham Palace
• Change of guards at 11:30am
• Trafalgar Square
• Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
• Kensington Palace/Gardens???

Monday, May 28
• Noting Hill
• Harrods
• Hyde Park
• Kensington Palace/Gardens
• Leave to airport at around 4:00-4:30pm
• Departure at 8:05pm from LHR

my thoughts, for what they are worth:

I enjoyed the London Eye after dark.

I thought Kensington Palace and gardens were very dull and drab.

What do others think??

I, too, seem to remember not being blown away by Kensington Palace. I'd put the gardens over the palace. If you want to see a great palace, go to Hampton Court.

I think you can fit a little more in on Saturday. Maybe an hour - 2 at Tate Britain?

On Sunday, I hope you at least plan to duck into the National Gallery and/or Portrait Gallery in your Trafalgar Square time.

I'd recommend a play at the Globe if you can. That would also free up sightseeing time in the day.

I also really like the area around Picadilly, and there is a supposedly super Monet exhibition at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. However, you seem to be fairly full up.

I've never been to Notting Hall and am not quite sure what there is to see there. I think Harrods is okay but I wouldn't spend a huge amount of time here.

A couple more thoughts.

I much prefer Tower Bridge to London Bridge.

You seem to have a bunch of sites listed that you can really only see from the outside (Parliament ... you'd need a tour for the inside which is only available in the summer, I think; Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben). So those will really just be photo stops.

I am pretty sure you mean <b>Tower Bridge</b>. London bridge would be a HUGE disappointment :)

What are you expecting to see in Notting Hill?

Thanks everyone! Yes, I meant Tower Bridge.

Where is Tate Britain and Hampton Court?

Notting Hill....I guess just walking around, stopping at cafes before we head back home.

I do remember now...that Kensington Palace was sort of boring last time I was in London, I do remember a huge park nearby....I believe it was Hyde Park....in any case, thanks everyone!

Any other suggestions are welcome!

While Hyde Park is more well known, we prefer St. James Park (near Buckingham Palace) or Regent's Park.

Suggest you get yourself a good London area map and a guide on sights and attractions in London. If you don't know where Hampton Court is, you need to do more research.

I would also recommend either the Cabinet War Rooms or the Imperial War Museum if you are interested at all in WWII as they are both fascinating.

I recently spent 4 days in London-my first time- so here are my thoughts for what they're worth.

I like your first day.

Your second day, Saturday, would be way too much for me, personally- we spent 6 hours at the Tower of London, including lunch and gift shop browsing (but my family and I are really, really interested in history).

Monday would be too crammed for me, as well- is your hotel in Kensington? Maybe Harrods, and Hyde Park-Kensington Gardens?

It's so funny to read these comments about Kensington Palace- I agree! From the outside, it's beautiful, very English country garden/Merchant Ivory, at least it did in late April with the spring flowers and tree blossoms.

The interiors are very dreary, but interesting (in many ways all the more interesting because of its very dreariness). I loved seeing Diana's dresses, though.

They've also recently opened up some rooms from Princess Margaret's apartment-talk about dreary! And, I'm afraid, just plain bad taste in decor, though you have to use your imagination from the photos and the wall colours, because there isn't one lick of furniture or any sort of knick-knacks at all, the rooms are completely bare.

I could just picture her getting wheeled around those rooms, hooked up to an oxygen tank, chain smoking, and verbally abusing her staff.

Thanks again! WE are not too much into museums, love to see more of the architecture, cultural surroundings etc....

But again, thanks to everyone! any other thoughts or ideas are welcome!

Keep in mind that if you aren't a UK resident, the only way you can get into Pariliament is to queue up to watch a debate in the Commons or the Lords, and that Parliament will not be sitting on May 25.

I commend you on your theater choice. Les Mis is excellent! I you haven't bought your tickets yet, they go on a discount at Broadwaybox.com/london . That's where I got mine. Enjoy!

Go figure. I enjoy Kensington Palace &amp; usually visit it every trip. Not wild about the Eye.

Thanks! Yes, we already got our tickets sometime back! Not a UK citizen, so the Parliament, Big Ben will just be Photo places ...and that's it.

I just got back from 4 days in London too. Your schedules seem good to me. For the changing of the guards you will want to get there by 10 at the latest to get a spot. We skipped it when we went since my wife saw it two years ago and was thouroughly unimpressed.

Also, be sure to check the work schedules on the Underground. Our last day there we hit a weekend where they were doing major track work and half of the lines were shutdown (District, Circle, Waterloo, and Northern)! The trains were all super crowded to handle the extra traffic on the Piccadilly line. Also, from your times on May 25th it seems that you're not taking the Heathrow Express. I agree with this, but bear in mind that the tube ride in takes about 40 minutes and is fairly crowded.

If you're into architecture you'll have a fantastic time. The parks are all fantastic too. My favorite is Green Park, with Hyde Park in a close second. Don't forget to see the Albert Memorial while in Kensington Gardens, and look at Royal Albert Hall across the street.

Also, you're not into museums, but the architecture of the Victoria &amp; Albert Museum is pretty cool. They also have a lot of old furniture inside on the ground floor. It's free admission with a suggested 3&pound; donation.

I'm also a bit confused as to why you're visiting Notting Hill.

oh yes, we are taking the heathrow express, but I'm expecting to spend 1 hour going thru customs/immnigration since we are coming from the US. So, that's why I put some cushion time.

Notting Hill....well, you need to ask my wife that....so, she told me that she read it somewhere that it's good for people watching, cafes, shopping and what not....I'm just trying to make her happy and go with the flow :)

Where are you staying? The Heathrow Express may or may not make sense depending on your hotel.

For a lot of areas, a car service in from LHR will be better - and cheaper when you factor in a cab from Paddington to your hotel.

we are staying at a hotel walking distance from Paddington station.

in that case the HEX makes perfect sense :)

I'm not crazy about &quot;rides,&quot; so the London Eye holds no interest for me. But for people watching and some fantastic restaurants and cafes, Picadilly would be my choice. You may not have the time or the inclination, but I like to take a hop-on, hop-off bus tour on my first day to a city to get the lay of the land. The one in London includes a boat ride on the Thames. Something to consider.

if you haven't been - don't knock it. The Eye is not a carnival ride or anything of the sort. It is an observation wheel (not a Ferris wheel) that takes one revolution every 30 minutes. The best view point in the city - and no sensation of movement at all. A champagne &quot;flight&quot; on the Eye at dusk would be a definite highlight of most people's trips . . . .