brampton

Hello London:

I am travelling to London Heathrow from Canada close to Xmas and have a long layover for 15 hours. I land at 6.30 am so have the whole day until 9 pm. I would like to go out and visit:
1. Buckingham Palace
2. Eye of London (want to go on it)
3. London Bridge
4. Big Ben
5. Westminster Cathedral
6. Harrods
7. If possible meet Mr. Bean

I do not need a visa to exit and my bags will be loaded by the airline for onward travel.

What would be my best option to travel and explore. Do I have enough time considering day time traffic in London. Does the airport have tours that arrange this?

Any input would help. Thank you.

janisj

>>1. Buckingham Palace<<

You can't visit the Palace since it is only open for 2 months in the summer. Walking by takes 5 mins at most.

>>2. Eye of London (want to go on it)<<

Only if it is nice weather -- if it is pouring down w/ rain you won't see anything.

>>3. London Bridge<<

You probably mean Tower Bridge -- London Bridge is just a modern concrete bridge.

>>4. Big Ben<<

A 2 minute walk-by

>>5. Westminster Cathedral<<

My guess is you mean Westminster <u>Abbey</u>. Westminster Cathedral is an entirely different thing.

>>6. Harrods<<

Harrods just before Christmas will be a total and absolute zoo. You won't be able to even walk through.

>>7. If possible meet Mr. Bean <<

Can't help w/ that

By the time you clear immigration, drop your carry on at Left Luggage and take the tube into central London it will be around 9AM. You should take the Underground (Tube) to the Hammersmith station, get off, walk a few feet across the platform and jump on the next train. Get off at the Westminster station. When you walk up out of the tube station 1) Big Ben wil be right in front of you, 2) Westminster Abbey will be across the street, and 3) the Eye will be just to your left across the river.

So three of your wish list are right there and Buckingham Palace is a few minutes walk away. So you can cross off four of them by just after lunch time.

Then you can take the tube to Tower Hill from the same station and see both the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Then eat an early dinner and make your way back to Heathrow.

And easy day really.

flanneruk

Should your brief have seriously meant Westminster Cathedral (which would be a significant tourist site anywhere else, routinely attracts far more worshippers each week than Westminster Abbey and requires neither steep fees nor queues to visit), get off the tube from Hammersmith at Victoria, walk a few yards east to the Cathedral, look at it, then continue along the same street for half a mile to the Abbey.

janisj

flanner is right - Westminster Cathedral is truly worth visiting. It is just that it probably isn't the building you envisioned.

brampton

Thank you for your replies. Yes Westminster Cathedral is a MUST on the list. I would not mind foregoing other attractions if need be. Janisj thank you for details. Is the Cathedral close to Abbey? I can drop Harrods from the list if it would be a nightmare. If time persists is there any other place you can recommend.

Thank you.

Cathinjoetown

Harrods MIGHT clear out a bit later in the afternoon and its stop (Knightsbridge) is right on the tube line back out to Heathrow. I'm guessing you want to be back there by 7:00 pm.

On your way in from Heathrow and if you want to walk off jet lag, get off at Green Park, maybe stop in Fortnum's which is more fun imo than Harrod's, then walk through Green Park to the palace then on to the river, Parliament, etc. Obviously, this suggestion is highly weather dependent.

janisj

>>Yes Westminster Cathedral is a MUST on the list.<<

I'm still not 100% sure -- The Cathedral is the Catholic Cathedral. The Abbey is the place where the kings/queens are buried, where William and Kate were married, where the Queen's coronation was held, where Poets Corner is, etc.

But yes -- the two are not that far apart.

>>If time persists is there any other place you can recommend.<<

You probably won't have time for anything else -- perhaps a quick early dinner. If your flight out is at 9PM you will have to leave central London by 6PM.