Buckingham Palace tour?
 

Hello everyone,

I will be in London for (only!) 3 glorious days and am trying to fit in as much as I can in those 3 days.

Question: if I take the Buckingham Palace tour on Sunday morning at first opening (9:45am) will I have enough time to tour the Palace and see the Changing of the Guard at 11:30am?

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Judy

No. To see the Changing of the Guard you need to get to the area far in advance - or you will be so far back in the crowd you will see nothing. Also - are you sure the Palace will be open for visits the days you are there - timing is very limited?

Ah....hadn't thought of that!

My plan for that day (last Sunday in September) is to watch the Changing of the Guard, then head out by train to Windsor for the afternoon for a nice pub lunch in the village and a tour of the castle afterward. Too ambitious?

Our days are limited as we arrive Friday morning and leave Monday morning for Paris.

The first draft of my itinerary is as follows:
arrive Friday at our hotel noon'ish from Heathrow. Hop on the HOHO bus for an overview of the City, stop at Churchill War Room (must see for us) and possibly Westminster Abbey.
Saturday's plan is to get to the Tower of London first thing, then maybe take advantage of the free river cruise (free ticket on this from buying the two-day HOHO ticket).
Parliament and Big Ben, St. Paul's on Saturday's list. Theatre Saturday night.
Sunday as mentioned above.
Monday -- Kensington Palace, maybe Harrod's then off to St Pancras for the train to Paris.

I'm trying to fit in my must see's while still trying to 'relax'....LOL

Any advice on my crazy itinerary is greatly appreciated!

I'm assuming this is your first visit to London. I know that Changing of the Guard is one of those things on everyone's list (along with Stonehenge if touring England) but it is something of a let down, especially if you aren't in a good position to see, which can be difficult as it can be really, really, really crowded. Maybe leave it for your next trip?

I think you are correct! After talking things over with our travel group, we are going to skip the Changing of the Guard and instead take an earlier train to Windsor. If we get back early enough we'll visit Buckingham Palace and maybe do a walking tour somewhere interesting.

"<i> If we get back early enough we'll visit Buckingham Palace</i>"

The Palace tour isn't a 'drop in if we have time' sort of thing. You need pre-purchased, timed tickets. So What I'd consider - book the Palace for the 9:45 if tix are still available. then hop on the train to Windsor around noon-ish or a bit before and spend the rest of the day there. Forget about the Changing of the Guard.

If 09:45 isn't available on your date - then just do Windsor.

Another sound suggestion, thank you!

My itinerary is starting to take shape. Thinking of the 2-day HOHO bus Friday and Saturday. Visit Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Churchill War Room, Big Ben, Tower of London, using the HOHO to get around the City.

West End theatre Saturday night.

Windsor Castle on Sunday (Buckingham Palace first if available to schedule).

Monday Kensington Palace and Harrods.

What am I missing?

Also want to take in afternoon tea and a good pub lunch. Any suggestions?

Thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts with me!
Judy

Unfortunately the H-o-H-o buses are that great to >>get around the City<<. They are slow, and at every stop some are boarding/getting off. It will take most of a day to do one loop if you get off to visit any sites.

You can do the H-o-H-o one day, it does have some advantages since there is a commentary. But they are expensive and for the number of places you want to visit --just taking the tube or regular buses would be much more efficient.

remember- visiting the Tower usually takes at least 3 or 4 hours, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's and the War Rooms will easily eat up 2 hours each - not counting travel time which can be significant. (Though there is essentially no 'travel time' between Westminster Abbey and the War Rooms -- just a few minutes walk)

You can't "visit" those sights on the HoHo - you will just be driven past them., The HoHo is a really bad way to get arond the city since it runs so rarely and is often full when it gets to the stop. For transit you should use feet or tube, Also - there are certain sights that are MOBBED - like Tower of London. You should go there first thing - before it opens to avoid waiting inline for an hour or more to get in.

Following the HoHo bus will get you to places when they are the most crowded and slow to get into. It is OK for an overvie - but then you need to go back to the sights on another day to actually see them.

So, would you recommend just the first day on the HOHO and then take a regular bus?

Someone told me the number 15 bus would take me everywhere I need to go. Are you familiar with this route?

Yes -- many advise against the H-o-H-o tours. I personally think they are fine if one has a long visit in London and needs something first thing to sort of see what's what. But for a short visit they use up a LOT of time and really only give you a glimpse of the outsides of places. If you hop off to visit an attraction, then you waste even more time waiting for a later bus to continue the tour.

Some recommend the #15 (and other routes) because it goes through many of the major tourist areas. But really, IMO on a short visit you really want to get places as easily/quickly as possible. So you'd want a combo --some tube, some buses, some walking.

Sure --you miss seeing the city pass by when you are on the tube. But if you are going quite a distance - like say to the Tower - do you want to spend some 'Tower time' sitting on the #15, or do you want to get there faster on the tube?

Buses are good for many journeys, but the tube is best for quite a few. And often some get fixated on a bus or tube route, not realizing two sites are actually walking distance from each other.

OK, so I might skip the HOHO altogether and take the tube/bus. Is it the oyster card that allows me to add money to it as I go?

>>Is it the oyster card that allows me to add money to it as I go?<<

Yes:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14836.aspx
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/15101.aspx

Judy_Rosa, I am in that camp that favors the HOHO bus for first timers on a limited stay. London is HUGE and the bus provides a basic overview of its different neighborhoods.

You mentioned using the ticket for the cruise on the Thames which is included in the ticket. Go for it because that gives you another perspective of the famous landmarks in the city.

Do you really want to see Windsor? With only three days, I would stay in the heart of the city.

In any case, you will really enjoy London and be planning a return trip no doubt…

I would bag the HoHo (you can get an overview of the geography and the sights (IMHO a much better one) from a decent map before you start out. Just pick where you want to go, hop on the tube and get there. You should always do the most crowded things first thing in the AM - as in before they open to avoid wasting hours standing online. (People who are not used to living n the center of large cities often underestimate the amount of time you will spend siting in traffic on the HoHo - just watching locals go to work or out to lunch or whatever.)

I think HoHos make sense only if you have 7 or 8 days and don;t mind spending the first one sitting on a bus just figuring out where things are - and looking at the outside of secondary and tertiary sights. I personally never use them -- since I prefer to explore new areas on foot,

I really want to thank all of you for your invaluable input as I plan my trip to London.

I am taking your suggestions back to my travel group so that we can make some firm decisions regarding our itinerary.

Windsor is on my bucket list so even if I spend just a few hours there it'll be well worth the trip!

Again, thank you SO MUCH for all your help, and if you can make any additional recommendations regarding nice restaurants or where we can go for afternoon tea, I'd be most grateful.

The next portion of our trip takes us to Paris, then Normandy, Loire Valley, Provence and finally Nice where we end our trip.

Judy

Judy_Rosa, I agree with NYtraveler about the importance of a good map. I always carry one in a tote along with an umbrella in London. (Don’t have an Iphone yet with map apps :) )

When you choose your hotel, check out its location on google – usually available at hotel web site. Then familiarize yourself with the surrounding streets and landmarks.

Another useful tool is walkit.com – just plug in your destination from your hotel or from one destination (museum, historical site, restaurant etc.) to another and you will be given the distance in miles and street directions.

Example, last summer I mapped the distance from my hotel on the Strand to the Charles Dickens Museum of Doughty Street – a mile or more. Still needed my trust map at a few intersections but it worked.

Happy planning…

Make that "trusty" map - LOL

Latedaytraveler -- I have an iPhone, am researching the best apps for both London and Paris. I'll check out walkit.com, thank you so much!

Judy

Glad to oblige.

“The next portion of our trip takes us to Paris, then Normandy, Loire Valley, Provence and finally Nice where we end our trip.”

Just returned from Paris, Normandy, and the Loire in June – wrote a lengthy trip report on the subject, mostly about museums and historical sites.

Of course, Provence is special too – sounds like a great trip…