please critique my itinerary for London
Aug 29th, 2003, 05:49 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
please critique my itinerary for London
One week before we leave for London! I can't wait!
We've drawn up an itinerary to use as a rough guide and don't expect to do everything listed. That said, we wanted to group places of interest roughly by neighborhood and pick what we want to do each morning. We are interested in seeing things but also want time to wander between one destination and another. We also want to see some theater and will plan on that for the evenings. Any feedback on the itinerary is greatly welcomed! Thank you!
Saturday, September 6:
Arrive LHR and take Tube to Morgan Hotel and check in or leave luggage
Dim Sum (since we?re already up and need to eat?)
Walk around Soho and Piccadilly Circus
Sunday, September 7:
Tower of London
Convent Garden ? St. Martin in the Fields
Temple
British Museum
Monday, September 8:
Westminster/St. James ? Buckingham Palace, Cabinet War Rooms, Westminster Cathedral, Wesminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Horse Guards
Pall Mall ? Fortnum and Mason
Shakespeare?s Globe?
Tuesday, September 9:
BATH (full day trip)
Wednesday, September 10:
Hampton Court
S. Kensington ? V&A Museum
Chelsea ? King?s Road, Sloane Square
Thursday, September 11:
Windsor and Eton
Tralfagar Square ? National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery
Friday, September 12:
St. Paul?s
Knightsbridge ? Harrods
Mayfair ? shepherd market, Selfridges, Wallace Collection
Saturday, September 13:
Portobello Market and Notting Hill
Orangery (tea)
Kensington stroll
Hyde Park stroll
Sunday, September 14 (until 2pm):
Bloomsbury stroll
Convent Garden (shopping)
We've drawn up an itinerary to use as a rough guide and don't expect to do everything listed. That said, we wanted to group places of interest roughly by neighborhood and pick what we want to do each morning. We are interested in seeing things but also want time to wander between one destination and another. We also want to see some theater and will plan on that for the evenings. Any feedback on the itinerary is greatly welcomed! Thank you!
Saturday, September 6:
Arrive LHR and take Tube to Morgan Hotel and check in or leave luggage
Dim Sum (since we?re already up and need to eat?)
Walk around Soho and Piccadilly Circus
Sunday, September 7:
Tower of London
Convent Garden ? St. Martin in the Fields
Temple
British Museum
Monday, September 8:
Westminster/St. James ? Buckingham Palace, Cabinet War Rooms, Westminster Cathedral, Wesminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Horse Guards
Pall Mall ? Fortnum and Mason
Shakespeare?s Globe?
Tuesday, September 9:
BATH (full day trip)
Wednesday, September 10:
Hampton Court
S. Kensington ? V&A Museum
Chelsea ? King?s Road, Sloane Square
Thursday, September 11:
Windsor and Eton
Tralfagar Square ? National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery
Friday, September 12:
St. Paul?s
Knightsbridge ? Harrods
Mayfair ? shepherd market, Selfridges, Wallace Collection
Saturday, September 13:
Portobello Market and Notting Hill
Orangery (tea)
Kensington stroll
Hyde Park stroll
Sunday, September 14 (until 2pm):
Bloomsbury stroll
Convent Garden (shopping)
Aug 29th, 2003, 06:06 AM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My only comment is that the next to last thing I would want to do after an overnight flight to London is get involved in the Saturday hurly-burly of Soho and Piccadilly Circus. The only thing I can think of that would be worse is navigating Oxford Street on a Saturday.
Why not just wander around Bloomsbury, check out the Squares, maybe walk up to the British Library and take a look around?
Why not just wander around Bloomsbury, check out the Squares, maybe walk up to the British Library and take a look around?
Aug 29th, 2003, 06:18 AM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 422
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm glad you're planning on just wandering -- London is a great place for that!
Hampton Court Palace can easily take a day, so I'm skeptical that there will be time to get to the V&A on the same day. On Sat the 13th, though, you seem to be doing a lot of strolling in the general area of the V&A, so maybe that would be a better time to see the museum.
My only other 2 cents is that Covent Garden in entertaining enough, but probably not worth 2 visits.
London is just about my favorite place in the world -- Enjoy!
Annette
Hampton Court Palace can easily take a day, so I'm skeptical that there will be time to get to the V&A on the same day. On Sat the 13th, though, you seem to be doing a lot of strolling in the general area of the V&A, so maybe that would be a better time to see the museum.
My only other 2 cents is that Covent Garden in entertaining enough, but probably not worth 2 visits.
London is just about my favorite place in the world -- Enjoy!
Annette
Aug 29th, 2003, 06:31 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the comments and suggestions so far. Keep them coming!
Ron- We'll take your advice and just plan on strolling around Bloomsbury after arrival.
Annettetx - How long do you think we need to see the V&A? We just want to stroll through with no real agenda of what to see, etc. Woudl 2 hours be sufficient?
Vivaldi- I confess I'm not sure what "Temple" is either. That's my husband's addition--I think he said it was some kind of religious ruins near Convent Garden. Don't have the guidebook on me for more information...
Thanks again!
Ron- We'll take your advice and just plan on strolling around Bloomsbury after arrival.
Annettetx - How long do you think we need to see the V&A? We just want to stroll through with no real agenda of what to see, etc. Woudl 2 hours be sufficient?
Vivaldi- I confess I'm not sure what "Temple" is either. That's my husband's addition--I think he said it was some kind of religious ruins near Convent Garden. Don't have the guidebook on me for more information...
Thanks again!
Aug 29th, 2003, 07:00 AM
#6
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not that you asked but I think 2 hours for te V&A is plenty--then again, it wasn;t my favorite museum or anything. If you plan to see the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, plan to spend at least half a day at the Tower.
You say that you don't expect to see al the things on your list, and I think that's good to go in knowing that. For any of those things that require going "in" to something (like Cabinet war Rooms, British Museum, etc.), you'll probably need to take at least 1 or 2 items off the rest of the day's list of activities.
Also, always make note to keep an eye on opening and closing hours of the sights most important to you...I think the National Gallery is open late on Thursdays, for instance, while the Houses of Parliament are very restrictive on when they'll lelt people inside. Better to plan ahead so you can see them when they're allowed to be seen!
Have fun
You say that you don't expect to see al the things on your list, and I think that's good to go in knowing that. For any of those things that require going "in" to something (like Cabinet war Rooms, British Museum, etc.), you'll probably need to take at least 1 or 2 items off the rest of the day's list of activities.
Also, always make note to keep an eye on opening and closing hours of the sights most important to you...I think the National Gallery is open late on Thursdays, for instance, while the Houses of Parliament are very restrictive on when they'll lelt people inside. Better to plan ahead so you can see them when they're allowed to be seen!
Have fun
Aug 29th, 2003, 07:54 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You may like to take a trip on the London Eye.Its a giant ferris wheel that rotates slowly (takes half an hour for a full rotation), over the Thames river and is a very popular tourist attraction. You view the city, through a glass capsule. Ive been on it and loved it. Great views of the city especially when its dusk and the lights start going on across town. Very beautiful. Heres the website for more info http://www.londoneye.co.uk/
Aug 29th, 2003, 10:06 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,682
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I find this well-planned
Late openings are the National Gallery till nine on Wednedsday, the National Portrait Gallery till nine on Thursday and Friday, and selected galleries of the British Museum till 8.30 on Thursday and Friday. The Temple is an area of eighteenth century buildings set among courtyards and gardens and with a medieval church of the Knights Templar. Motor cars are few. It has the offices of many judges and barristers who serve the main law courts, on the Strand, and the Old Bailey. It is quiet and beautiful. Piccadilly Circus is a roundabout for traffic, not pleasant for walking, and better missed.
Welcome to London
[email protected]
Late openings are the National Gallery till nine on Wednedsday, the National Portrait Gallery till nine on Thursday and Friday, and selected galleries of the British Museum till 8.30 on Thursday and Friday. The Temple is an area of eighteenth century buildings set among courtyards and gardens and with a medieval church of the Knights Templar. Motor cars are few. It has the offices of many judges and barristers who serve the main law courts, on the Strand, and the Old Bailey. It is quiet and beautiful. Piccadilly Circus is a roundabout for traffic, not pleasant for walking, and better missed.
Welcome to London
[email protected]
Aug 29th, 2003, 03:05 PM
#9
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 422
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kathy -- 2 hours is probably plenty to just go into the V&A and get a brief feel for it. It's so huge that seeing everything would be impossible.
In May we spent 2 hours in the British Gallery and only got half-way through it -- there are so many hands-on things to do that we really dawdled.
The good news is that the museum is free, so you can pop in for just a short time and still feel like you've gotten your money's worth!
Annette
In May we spent 2 hours in the British Gallery and only got half-way through it -- there are so many hands-on things to do that we really dawdled.
The good news is that the museum is free, so you can pop in for just a short time and still feel like you've gotten your money's worth!
Annette
Aug 29th, 2003, 04:54 PM
#10
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I enjoy London more each time we visit. If you don't get to see half of the places on your list then you can do it the next time! Be sure to make time for London theatre. It is varied, excellent, and cheap - unlike NYC. Go the Leicester Square half price ticket booth (the REAL booth is right on the corner of the park itself not on the side streets around the park) each morning and choose your evening's entertainment.
As others mentioned choose the right time for visits to Buckingham Palace (changing of the guard in the morning), Parliament (open only certain days), and for a tour of Westminster Abbey. Day trips to Hampton Court and Windsor will take the whole day if you take time to enjoy their settings. London Tower, although a real tourist spot is a lot of fun. Bath, although a lovely city, seems like overload. I'd suggest skipping it and doing London in a more relaxed way. Tea or lunch in the Orangery is fun after a walk in the park ( or visit to Kensington Palace to see the display of Diana's gowns). Whatever you do will be great fun.
As others mentioned choose the right time for visits to Buckingham Palace (changing of the guard in the morning), Parliament (open only certain days), and for a tour of Westminster Abbey. Day trips to Hampton Court and Windsor will take the whole day if you take time to enjoy their settings. London Tower, although a real tourist spot is a lot of fun. Bath, although a lovely city, seems like overload. I'd suggest skipping it and doing London in a more relaxed way. Tea or lunch in the Orangery is fun after a walk in the park ( or visit to Kensington Palace to see the display of Diana's gowns). Whatever you do will be great fun.
