the original plan was to spend 2 days in London before we went on...but the more we thought about it (middle of December, only 2 days, very expensive..etc) we decided to leave in for the next trip. Nothing personal!

:-)

Sorry! One last question...do we need an additional ticket to go from London Bridge to Waterloo?

No, you don't need an extra ticket. The fare will be the same whether you get off at London Bridge, Waterloo East or Charing Cross (which is the end of that line). Just make sure the ticket is for Thameslink, not for the more expensive Gatwick Express: ask for Waterloo East via London Bridge so there's no confusion.

GeoffHamer, can I email you directly? I had a few London specific questions..

I will ask all of you then...

If we decide we have time and wish to store our bags at Waterloo, is there anything within a short walking distance from the station that we should try to see?

Waterloo is a VER short walk from the river. It is less than a 2 minute walk from the London Eye, or you could walk across Westminster Bridge and be at Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. Or walk down river and you come to Tate Modern and a little farther to the Globe. Or you could walk across the Hungerford bridge and be in Covent Garden/Trafalgar Square area.

There are MANY places w/i a 10-15 minute walk.

I would suggest 2 taxis. By the time you drag all of your luggage and pay for the tube, you will be exhausted and maybe save 10 pounds total divided by 5 people. Also, the stairs could present a problem (you can't always rely on an escalor or one that is always working).Having just taken the Eurostar, it is alot of luggage hauling just to get to the train and on it. We had 1 heavy large bag, a medium size bag, a 22" roll-on and it was a pain.

I just should use the preview function -- that should be "VERY short"