Critique Trip Itinerary (10 days London)
May 16th, 2006, 02:32 PM
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Critique Trip Itinerary (10 days London)
Okay, most of this is not set in stone and we are flexible with the actual days that we do things. What I mainly need advice on is how I have grouped activities. I have listed *possible* things to do in each area, not necessarily meaning we are going to try and do it all. Of course any and all other advice is appreciated. Thanks so much in advance!!!
Day 1: Thursday 22-Jun
Objective: Survive jet lag, get settled and try to stay awake
7:00AM Arrive at STN Airport
Stansted Express into London
Later Morning: Unpack, settle into flat
Afternoon: Bus Tour
Evening: eat at a local pub.
Day 2: Friday 23-Jun
Morning: Grocery Shopping
Late Morning/Afternoon: Finish bus tour (ticket is good for 24 hr period)
concentrate on the Westminster Area.
1.) Tate Britain
2.) London Eye
3.) Parliament
4.) Westminster Abbey
5.) London Aquarium
6.) Dalí Universe
7.) Oxo Tower
8.) Vinopolis
Evening: Cook Dinner at home.
Day 3: Saturday, 24-June
Morning: Portobello Road Market
Later Morning/Afternoon: Explore our area and maybe have a picnic at one of the parks.
1.) Holland Park
2.) Kensington Palace
3.) Kensington Gardens
4.) Natural History Museum
5.) Victoria and Albert Museum
6.) Harrod’s
Later Afternoon/Evening: Cook Dinner at Flat
Night: Pub Crawl
Day 4: Sunday 25-Jun
Daytrip to Hampton Court Palace-Richmond and Kew Gardens
Day 5: Monday 26-June
Morning: Head to the City of London Area
1.) Tower of London: picnic at the tower
2.) Tower Bridge
3.) St. Paul’s Cathedral
Afternoon: Head to Southwark, Southbank
1.) Tate Modern
2.) Globe Theatre: $18
Evening: OPEN (Options: dinner at the flat, pub crawl, theatre @ Globe or Shakespeare under the stars)
Day 6: Tuesday June- 27
Morning: wander Bloomsbury, Covent Garden.
1.) British Museum
2.) Neal’s Yard and Neal Street.
3.) The Piazza and Central Market
Afternoon: Head home and get ready for tea and theatre.
Late Afternoon/Early Evening:
Tea at the Lanesborough hotel between 4 and 6pm
Evening: Mary Poppins (7:00 to 9:00)
Night: After theatre might be a good time to see the lights at Piccadilly Circus.
Day 7: Wednesday 28-June
OPEN DAY
Options:
1.) Day trip to Bath (or another city)
2.) Wimbledon Tennis Match
3.) Other tours or walks
4.) Relax, catch up on non-tourist activities
Day 8: Thursday 29-June
Daytrip to Oxford
Day 9: Friday 30-June
Explore Mayfair, Piccadilly, St. James
Note: pack picnic for Park.
Morning/Afternoon
1.) Buckingham Palace:
2.) St. James Park: picnic?
3.) Trafalgar Square
4.) National Gallery
5.) National Portrait Gallery
6.) Shepherd Market
7.) Fortnum and Mason’s
Evening: OPEN, Options: (Theatre -- Globe or Shakespeare under the Stars, Pub crawl)
Day 10: Saturday July-1
OPEN ALL DAY
(Options: see things we missed, shop for souvenirs, pack up.)
Day 1: Thursday 22-Jun
Objective: Survive jet lag, get settled and try to stay awake
7:00AM Arrive at STN Airport
Stansted Express into London
Later Morning: Unpack, settle into flat
Afternoon: Bus Tour
Evening: eat at a local pub.
Day 2: Friday 23-Jun
Morning: Grocery Shopping
Late Morning/Afternoon: Finish bus tour (ticket is good for 24 hr period)
concentrate on the Westminster Area.
1.) Tate Britain
2.) London Eye
3.) Parliament
4.) Westminster Abbey
5.) London Aquarium
6.) Dalí Universe
7.) Oxo Tower
8.) Vinopolis
Evening: Cook Dinner at home.
Day 3: Saturday, 24-June
Morning: Portobello Road Market
Later Morning/Afternoon: Explore our area and maybe have a picnic at one of the parks.
1.) Holland Park
2.) Kensington Palace
3.) Kensington Gardens
4.) Natural History Museum
5.) Victoria and Albert Museum
6.) Harrod’s
Later Afternoon/Evening: Cook Dinner at Flat
Night: Pub Crawl
Day 4: Sunday 25-Jun
Daytrip to Hampton Court Palace-Richmond and Kew Gardens
Day 5: Monday 26-June
Morning: Head to the City of London Area
1.) Tower of London: picnic at the tower
2.) Tower Bridge
3.) St. Paul’s Cathedral
Afternoon: Head to Southwark, Southbank
1.) Tate Modern
2.) Globe Theatre: $18
Evening: OPEN (Options: dinner at the flat, pub crawl, theatre @ Globe or Shakespeare under the stars)
Day 6: Tuesday June- 27
Morning: wander Bloomsbury, Covent Garden.
1.) British Museum
2.) Neal’s Yard and Neal Street.
3.) The Piazza and Central Market
Afternoon: Head home and get ready for tea and theatre.
Late Afternoon/Early Evening:
Tea at the Lanesborough hotel between 4 and 6pm
Evening: Mary Poppins (7:00 to 9:00)
Night: After theatre might be a good time to see the lights at Piccadilly Circus.
Day 7: Wednesday 28-June
OPEN DAY
Options:
1.) Day trip to Bath (or another city)
2.) Wimbledon Tennis Match
3.) Other tours or walks
4.) Relax, catch up on non-tourist activities
Day 8: Thursday 29-June
Daytrip to Oxford
Day 9: Friday 30-June
Explore Mayfair, Piccadilly, St. James
Note: pack picnic for Park.
Morning/Afternoon
1.) Buckingham Palace:
2.) St. James Park: picnic?
3.) Trafalgar Square
4.) National Gallery
5.) National Portrait Gallery
6.) Shepherd Market
7.) Fortnum and Mason’s
Evening: OPEN, Options: (Theatre -- Globe or Shakespeare under the Stars, Pub crawl)
Day 10: Saturday July-1
OPEN ALL DAY
(Options: see things we missed, shop for souvenirs, pack up.)
May 16th, 2006, 04:21 PM
#2
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You've got lots of good ideas and seem to have paced yourself well.
I'd suggest Cambridge rather than Oxford for Day 8, but that's personal prejudice.
You could lose an entire afternoon just in the V& A gift shop (best museum shop in London; doing V & A and Natural History in one go might be a bit much. Don't count on Shakespeare under the stars; I think all performances are in daylight -- as they would have been in Shakespeare's time.
If you are pressed for time on Day 2, skip London Aquarium unless you are truly devoted to fish.
I'd suggest Cambridge rather than Oxford for Day 8, but that's personal prejudice.
You could lose an entire afternoon just in the V& A gift shop (best museum shop in London; doing V & A and Natural History in one go might be a bit much. Don't count on Shakespeare under the stars; I think all performances are in daylight -- as they would have been in Shakespeare's time.
If you are pressed for time on Day 2, skip London Aquarium unless you are truly devoted to fish.
May 16th, 2006, 04:25 PM
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Are you staying near Kensington?
It looks like your groupings are pretty good, but, as you recognize, you will not be able to fit in everything in each area. It's a little hard to give feedback without knowing which things you really want to do. I would suggest that each of the members of your group (don't know how many people you are talking about) establish his/er top priorities. You can then plan to include the top choices. You may find that you'll need to return to a few of the geographic areas during your scheduled free days.
You probably know that the Tower is a bit removed from the other things you have grouped with it. I think you'd be hard pressed to do the Tower and St. Pauls (and the Tower Bridge) in one morning.
I believe that the OXO Tower is closer to the Tate Modern and The Globe than it is to the London Eye/Westminster area.
Tate Britain isn't all that close to the Westminster things you have listed. A shuttle boat runs between it and the Tate Modern.
Trafalgar Square/National Gallery/National Portrait Gallery are closer to the Westminster area than to Buckingham Palace.
I might consider swapping your activities for the afternoon of Day 3 and the morning of Day 6. If you do the British Museum, it would take the whole morning. I doubt you'll have time for any other wandering in Bloomsbury/Covent Garden. You could use Day 6 morning to do some of the attractions in your area so you wouldn't waste a lot of time schlepping back to the apartment to get ready for tea. On your day 3 you'll probably want to be at Portobello Rd. Market pretty early, so will have a good bit of the day left where you could strike out to Bloomsbury/Covent Garden. The British Library is a pretty cool place, and could be grouped with Bloomsbury, although it is no longer within the British Museum.
You probably have a good map, but here is a link to one online that is very useful for planning:
http://travellondon.com/templates/attractions/map.html
We had several maps with us on our London trip (we are "map people"
, and by far the best is a London map made by Red Maps (212 255-4645). It gives a very good overview coupled with impressive detail. The map covers more of central London than many other one page maps (from Earl’s Court in sw to Maida Hill in nw to Shoreditch in ne to Bermondsey in se). What I liked about it is that it is very legible and has every street labeled (excepting very little alleys). Best of all, it has the tube stations clearly shown and the tube routes drawn on, with color and name of line. The back of the map has lots of listings for various attractions, shopping, and major streets. The Red Map is a laminate/weatherproof material, which held up well with all of the stashing and pulling out, refolding, and lots of rain. You can see the map at: http://www.globecorner.com/t/t41/20962.php
It looks like your groupings are pretty good, but, as you recognize, you will not be able to fit in everything in each area. It's a little hard to give feedback without knowing which things you really want to do. I would suggest that each of the members of your group (don't know how many people you are talking about) establish his/er top priorities. You can then plan to include the top choices. You may find that you'll need to return to a few of the geographic areas during your scheduled free days.
You probably know that the Tower is a bit removed from the other things you have grouped with it. I think you'd be hard pressed to do the Tower and St. Pauls (and the Tower Bridge) in one morning.
I believe that the OXO Tower is closer to the Tate Modern and The Globe than it is to the London Eye/Westminster area.
Tate Britain isn't all that close to the Westminster things you have listed. A shuttle boat runs between it and the Tate Modern.
Trafalgar Square/National Gallery/National Portrait Gallery are closer to the Westminster area than to Buckingham Palace.
I might consider swapping your activities for the afternoon of Day 3 and the morning of Day 6. If you do the British Museum, it would take the whole morning. I doubt you'll have time for any other wandering in Bloomsbury/Covent Garden. You could use Day 6 morning to do some of the attractions in your area so you wouldn't waste a lot of time schlepping back to the apartment to get ready for tea. On your day 3 you'll probably want to be at Portobello Rd. Market pretty early, so will have a good bit of the day left where you could strike out to Bloomsbury/Covent Garden. The British Library is a pretty cool place, and could be grouped with Bloomsbury, although it is no longer within the British Museum.
You probably have a good map, but here is a link to one online that is very useful for planning:
http://travellondon.com/templates/attractions/map.html
We had several maps with us on our London trip (we are "map people"
, and by far the best is a London map made by Red Maps (212 255-4645). It gives a very good overview coupled with impressive detail. The map covers more of central London than many other one page maps (from Earl’s Court in sw to Maida Hill in nw to Shoreditch in ne to Bermondsey in se). What I liked about it is that it is very legible and has every street labeled (excepting very little alleys). Best of all, it has the tube stations clearly shown and the tube routes drawn on, with color and name of line. The back of the map has lots of listings for various attractions, shopping, and major streets. The Red Map is a laminate/weatherproof material, which held up well with all of the stashing and pulling out, refolding, and lots of rain. You can see the map at: http://www.globecorner.com/t/t41/20962.php
May 16th, 2006, 04:35 PM
#4
Just a few quick thoughts:
Your Day 2 includes three things that IMHO aren't worth visiting on such a short trip. (London Aquarium, Dalí Universe, Vinopolis). By eliminating these you can fit in one or two of your other sites this day.
Day 5: It is nearly <u>impossible</u> to visit the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and St. Paul’s in a morning. The Tower itself takes about 3 hours to just see the highlights. Plus it really isn't a venue for picnic-ing. I wouldn't plan a picnic that day (wouldn't want to tour the Tower while lugging picnic lunches)
Consider visiting the Tower first - then walk across the bridge, stop for lunch in a pub on the south bank or the cafe at the Globe or at Tate Modern. Then walk across the Millenium bridge to St Paul's.
Your Day 2 includes three things that IMHO aren't worth visiting on such a short trip. (London Aquarium, Dalí Universe, Vinopolis). By eliminating these you can fit in one or two of your other sites this day.
Day 5: It is nearly <u>impossible</u> to visit the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and St. Paul’s in a morning. The Tower itself takes about 3 hours to just see the highlights. Plus it really isn't a venue for picnic-ing. I wouldn't plan a picnic that day (wouldn't want to tour the Tower while lugging picnic lunches)
Consider visiting the Tower first - then walk across the bridge, stop for lunch in a pub on the south bank or the cafe at the Globe or at Tate Modern. Then walk across the Millenium bridge to St Paul's.
May 16th, 2006, 04:36 PM
#5
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I know I couldn't keep up that pace!
Day one looks good.
Day two -- Pick two or three of the eight.
Day Three -- Do you like flea markets? Portobello is mostly junk. PM -- pick two of six.
Day Four -- either/or.
Day Five -- Sounds reasonable.
Day Six -- the British Museum will take up considerably more than a morning.
Days Seven & Eight sound OK.
Day Nine -- National Gallery alone will take most of this time.
Day ten -- Personally, I like to wander around the City, Inns of Court etc. Temple Church will be popular because of the dreaded movie.
Honestly, you will have a wonderful time if you see half of what you've planned. Enjoy!
Day one looks good.
Day two -- Pick two or three of the eight.
Day Three -- Do you like flea markets? Portobello is mostly junk. PM -- pick two of six.
Day Four -- either/or.
Day Five -- Sounds reasonable.
Day Six -- the British Museum will take up considerably more than a morning.
Days Seven & Eight sound OK.
Day Nine -- National Gallery alone will take most of this time.
Day ten -- Personally, I like to wander around the City, Inns of Court etc. Temple Church will be popular because of the dreaded movie.
Honestly, you will have a wonderful time if you see half of what you've planned. Enjoy!
May 16th, 2006, 04:45 PM
#6
We were all posting at the same time - just to clarify a couple of things noe847 said --
Tate Britain IS near Westminster. It is only abnout a 10 minute walk - less than 1/2 a mile from the Tate.
And Buckingham Palace and Westminster are essentially the same distance from Trafalgar Square. Both walks are about 1/2 a mile so you can group those three however you want.
Tate Britain IS near Westminster. It is only abnout a 10 minute walk - less than 1/2 a mile from the Tate.
And Buckingham Palace and Westminster are essentially the same distance from Trafalgar Square. Both walks are about 1/2 a mile so you can group those three however you want.
May 17th, 2006, 06:09 AM
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If you're planning to go to Tate Britain in June, you have to go to the Constable exhibition (If you don't like Constable, you're unlikely to find much at Tate Britain you do like!)
Book your tickets online now, then organise the rest of your days around it. He's Britain's most popular painter, this is going to be a real antidote to the modernist junk cluttering up most of our major museums, and tickets will be going pretty fast.
Since you're putting so much energy into museums, you should also investigate rescheduling the British Museum, since its Michelangelo exhibition closes while you're here, but before you'd planned to visit.
I doubt any other complusory booking exhibition that's on during your visit would be as essential. But whizz round all the museums' websites and check.
Book your tickets online now, then organise the rest of your days around it. He's Britain's most popular painter, this is going to be a real antidote to the modernist junk cluttering up most of our major museums, and tickets will be going pretty fast.
Since you're putting so much energy into museums, you should also investigate rescheduling the British Museum, since its Michelangelo exhibition closes while you're here, but before you'd planned to visit.
I doubt any other complusory booking exhibition that's on during your visit would be as essential. But whizz round all the museums' websites and check.
May 17th, 2006, 07:18 AM
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Thanks for all of the replies! I have taken all of your suggestions and done some major tweaking to my itinerary. Also, I hope it was clear from my original post that I don't intend to do everything I had listed. I just listed them as options in each area. We really prefer a relaxed pace. We are not trying to do it all.
I have switched things around in such a way that my last 2 days are actually the open days now, so that we can revisit or do things that we feel we missed. I particularly liked the idea of swaping out day 3 and 6, that was excellent advice! I have taken the Aquarium, Tate Britain, Vinopolis and Dalí Universe off of the list.
I am always open to more advice. If it helps to know more about us: we are 3 ladies in our late twenties (actually very late twenties, we are all celebrating our 30th birthday's on this trip). We are staying in a flat in Notting Hill. We would like to keep eating costs as low as possible and plan to eat in as much as possible. When I say picnic lunch, I really mean packing some sandwiches and snacks in our daypacks in most cases. We have pretty varied interests and are pretty easily amused
The other 2 do not love museums quite as much as I do, but I am really trying to sell them. We are very interested in parks, people watching and great scenery. We like to have a few drinks (wine and beer), but are past partying at night clubs all night.
Hope that helps! Thanks again!
Chandra
I have switched things around in such a way that my last 2 days are actually the open days now, so that we can revisit or do things that we feel we missed. I particularly liked the idea of swaping out day 3 and 6, that was excellent advice! I have taken the Aquarium, Tate Britain, Vinopolis and Dalí Universe off of the list.
I am always open to more advice. If it helps to know more about us: we are 3 ladies in our late twenties (actually very late twenties, we are all celebrating our 30th birthday's on this trip). We are staying in a flat in Notting Hill. We would like to keep eating costs as low as possible and plan to eat in as much as possible. When I say picnic lunch, I really mean packing some sandwiches and snacks in our daypacks in most cases. We have pretty varied interests and are pretty easily amused
The other 2 do not love museums quite as much as I do, but I am really trying to sell them. We are very interested in parks, people watching and great scenery. We like to have a few drinks (wine and beer), but are past partying at night clubs all night.Hope that helps! Thanks again!
Chandra
May 17th, 2006, 07:42 AM
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Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun. For what it's worth, here's my two cents:
Day 1 - I'd actually try and get some groceries the first day. We always try and stay up as late as possible the first day, but always wake up sometime in the night hungry as heck. We find if we have something to nibble on and a glass of milk we go right back to bed and sleep until morning.
Day 2 - You might try the Bermondsey Market on Fri. Have to get their really early tho' - but it's much more interesting than Portobello.
Day 3 - Agree w. others re: a lot to see, but as you noted, this is a list of possibilities.
Day 7 & 8 - In our experience it is deadly to do two day trips back to back, particularly when you seem to spend a lot of time travelling. But you are 'way' younger than we are, so perhaps you can do it.
Day 9 - National Portrait Gallery - I love this place but there are a lot of faces to see. My recommendation is start on the bottom two floors (contemporary paintings and the royals) and then go to the very top floor and work your way down - your pace will depend on your interest.
Have fun.
Day 1 - I'd actually try and get some groceries the first day. We always try and stay up as late as possible the first day, but always wake up sometime in the night hungry as heck. We find if we have something to nibble on and a glass of milk we go right back to bed and sleep until morning.
Day 2 - You might try the Bermondsey Market on Fri. Have to get their really early tho' - but it's much more interesting than Portobello.
Day 3 - Agree w. others re: a lot to see, but as you noted, this is a list of possibilities.
Day 7 & 8 - In our experience it is deadly to do two day trips back to back, particularly when you seem to spend a lot of time travelling. But you are 'way' younger than we are, so perhaps you can do it.
Day 9 - National Portrait Gallery - I love this place but there are a lot of faces to see. My recommendation is start on the bottom two floors (contemporary paintings and the royals) and then go to the very top floor and work your way down - your pace will depend on your interest.
Have fun.
May 19th, 2006, 12:34 PM
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Disagree with last post on bus tour - especially if weather is good and you can be in fresh air - for me it is a great way to see way more than I would do otherwise on the first day after an overnight flight - yup I might nod off now and then, as might my partner, but I still reckon to see much more than if I was on foot
May 19th, 2006, 06:46 PM
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Chandra, a picnic in the park (esp. St. James) sounds great, but you might note that the deck chairs are not free. They run about a pound for four hours. You'll see them in several of the London parks. I also like Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath. There's fine scenery (a view of the city) and lots of locals to people-watch. Take the tube to Belsize Park and ask for directions to East Heath and the Hill.
Jun 9th, 2006, 02:00 PM
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One of the most interesting things to see in London are the Cabinet War Rooms, where Churchill led the British from during WWII. They're close to Westminster, so you could include them in Day 2.
Swap out the London Eye to Day 1, after the Bus Tour.
One of your evenings in London, take a taxicab ride around to see all the landmarks floodlit. You'll be glad you did.
The OXO Tower has a nice restaurant at the top with a view of the city, but it's not really a tourist attraction in itself.
Save the British Museum for one of the rainy days. You can spend a good three hours in there, so it's a great place to stay dry.
Same advice for the V&A and Natural History.
See about going to Blenheim Palace the same day you go to Oxford. It's not too far away by bus.
When you go to Harrod's, definitely check out the food halls.
Since you have two open days, go to Bath for one of them and to Wimbledon for the other. Be forewarned that you will most likely be getting a grounds ticket for tennis. Centre Court and Court No. 1 only have about 100 tickets each first thing in the morning when everyone queues up.
If that prospect doesn't appeal to you, go to Windsor Castle. I'm surprised you didn't list it already.
Swap out the London Eye to Day 1, after the Bus Tour.
One of your evenings in London, take a taxicab ride around to see all the landmarks floodlit. You'll be glad you did.
The OXO Tower has a nice restaurant at the top with a view of the city, but it's not really a tourist attraction in itself.
Save the British Museum for one of the rainy days. You can spend a good three hours in there, so it's a great place to stay dry.
Same advice for the V&A and Natural History.
See about going to Blenheim Palace the same day you go to Oxford. It's not too far away by bus.
When you go to Harrod's, definitely check out the food halls.
Since you have two open days, go to Bath for one of them and to Wimbledon for the other. Be forewarned that you will most likely be getting a grounds ticket for tennis. Centre Court and Court No. 1 only have about 100 tickets each first thing in the morning when everyone queues up.
If that prospect doesn't appeal to you, go to Windsor Castle. I'm surprised you didn't list it already.
Jun 12th, 2006, 07:22 AM
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Great advice, trip is 9 days away! So excited! I've tweaked the itinerary and it's all ready to print out. For the past week I've been lurking and reading about restaurant recommendations. We do plan on eating in and snacking as much as possible, but I have to be realistic. We all love to eat and I know we'll eat out a bit more than we think. I've really appreciated all of the advice so far and I know all the tips are going to make my trip more smooth and enjoyable! Thanks so much and I'm always open to more!
Jun 12th, 2006, 01:46 PM
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Wow! I do envy your London trip! Have been there twice and could go every year if the pund wasn't so darned high against the dollar! Here's a food tip for you - every evening at Harrod's about 20 mins before closing at 7:00 PM, they put all the fresh food on sale half price. The sandwiches on baguettes are delicious and you can split them in half, one for dinner and one for the next day at lunch.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the river trip from London to Greenwich on a gorgeous sunny day. You can go half-day or all day and explore the city (lots of great shops, a beautiful park and the Prime Meridian!) Have a great trip!
Another thing I really enjoyed was the river trip from London to Greenwich on a gorgeous sunny day. You can go half-day or all day and explore the city (lots of great shops, a beautiful park and the Prime Meridian!) Have a great trip!
