lc12

We will flying into London from Boston early in the morning on a Thursday at the end of May 2014 and staying until Saturday afternoon.....what should we make sure to do while there for this quick visit?

Rubicund

Hi lc12. In a city like London this is far too broad a question to get coherent answers. What do you like/dislike? It's very easy to say:

London Eye
Houses of Parliament
St Pauls
Westminster Abbey
Tower of London

That should be more than enough to fill the day and a half that you have.

msteacher

There are a zillion things you could do in London, all of which are a "must-do" on somebody's list. But since you will have extremely limited time (only one full day) you should do the things that most interest YOU. If you are into art or history, select one or two of the fabulous museums. If you are into theater, see a show. Or take a ride on the London Eye if that interests you. There's churches, buildings, parks, concerts, restaurants and many other wonderful treats to enjoy. But you don't have time for most of them, so you need to think about which would give you the greatest enjoyment. Start with reading trip reports on this forum to get a sense of what others have done. Read a guide book and see what jumps out at you. You will easily come up with the best "must do" list for you. The planning is half the fun. Enjoy your trip!

sofarsogood

you should do something you can't do in Boston

such as drinking a decent cup of tea, rather than it chucking it overboard

pixiedeb

For a short trip like this, I like to keep the logistics of travel as simple as possible. If you're flying in and out of the same airport, consider leaving your bags there. If you have a different point of departure, minimize efforts to get there on Saturday by planning your route in advance, maybe even choose your location with this in mind.

I frequently try to fit in a visit to the Globe theatre. If I do that, it usually makes sense to stay somewhere easily accessible. A location like Premier Inn County Hall will put you reasonably close and within walking distance of the Globe, Southbank generally, Waterloo station, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s, Borough Market, and many other interesting places.

One quick overnight visit, I stayed in the Tower vicinity and worked backwards to the Globe and other places on my “to do” list. Another time, I stayed in the Victory station area (Lime Tree Hotel) for an early morning departure via the Gatwick Express and visited Buckingham Palace, took a London Walks foodie tour, stopped by Hatchard’s, Fortnum, and Liberty. From this area you could easily walk to Piccadilly, Covent Garden, the National Gallery, and St. Martin in the Fields.

Since I usually visit London on my way to another location, I try to remind myself that what I think I will accomplish is usually too much, that enjoyment is key, and that I will return. I include a London Walks tour or two if possible.

Enjoy your quick trip.

janisj

>>.....what should we make sure to do while there for this quick visit?<<

There are hundreds of things you could choose from. W/o more info from/about you how can anyone give useful suggestions?

You will only have part of one jet lagged day, one full day, and a few hours the 3rd day. Not time to do an awful lot so we need to know your interests to help you focus on what you might enjoy.