Help Planning last minute trip
 

Just found out today that my dear husband has to travel to London for business and I get to go with him! We arrive on a Saturday morning and will be there through the following Friday. Any suggestions as to which sites we should group together or specific days to visit would be greatly appreciated. I have read through some of the forums and feel overwhelmed! This is an opportunity to take a trip that we should have spent months planning and yet we are leaving in 10 days! Again - any suggestions appreciated!

Have a great trip.

Get a map and get somewhat familiar now.

Where you are staying will be somewhat of a factor.

There are as many "must-see" lists as there are respondents, probably.

Are you going to venture out on your own while he is busy?

I'd suggest choosing only 2-3 main things per day, grouped by general area.

My favorites are the Tower of London, the British Museum and Library, Westminster Abbey and area, St. Paul's and area. And the bridges and riverside walks. And the parks. The Globe. Covent Garden. And several other museums. Greenwich makes a nice half day. Oxford is my favorite day trip if you happen to try to plan one of those.

Arriving LHR? Probably get a car service to take you to rooms, unless his business has other arrangements, and buy Oyster cards for your transport in the city.

It is overwhelming. Just don't overplan too many things per day. It's huge and you have already guessed sites should be grouped by general area.

Go to your favorite bookstore and get a guide book -- or just sit there and read and take notes. Rick Steves is easy and covers most must-sees (although many fodorites don't recommend him.) Since you're very short on time, this would give you a start. Take the guide book on the plane and continue reading and planning.

This will also help with your groupings of sights, and how to get about:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/15101.aspx

And if you do a search above for London you will find tonnes of threads to help you with itineraries.

Enjoy!!

Do you really want to see someone's idea of Greatest Hits?

London's far, far, too jam packed with stuff for there to be any point in asking other people's advice on something so general.

Your life will in no way the poorer for having gone to London and not having seen Tower Bridge or the Rosetta Stone, unless they're things you're really interested in. Your time in London will be infinitely more miserable if you waste it gawping at someone's idea of a must see you can 't see the point of.

Decide what kind of things interest you (paintings? 19th century architecture? urban planning? history of books? silversmithing? medical research museums?), and ignore anything that isn't in this list.

This forum is far better at helping you uncover THE half dozen London sites in (say) the history of Jewish migration from Eastern Europe to the democracies or the development of transport systems than at answering vague "what should I do"? questions.

Thank You very much for the response. We are staying in the Financial district as that is what is best for the "work" that must be done while we are there. I obviously have my own must see lists and yes I do plan to venture out while husband is working and take in some of the things that would not be as interesting to him (museums). I appreciate the link to the guide book, that seems quite useful and I will be going out today to get an actual guide book so thanks for the suggestion of Rick Steves.

As far as someone's idea of greatest hits - that is not what I was asking, although this entire site is full of what other people thought was great and perhaps if several of them listed their must see's they might be my must see's as well.

I was looking more for some suggestions, some - hey this worked for us, maybe it will work for you. Maybe it is better to visit Westminster during the week? or on a Sunday?
I want to see all of the typical "must see's" - Westminster, War rooms, Tower of London, Museums, perhaps a day or 1/2 a day in Windsor. I do not have a particular interest in anything that I would want to focus on (like the history of Jewish migration from Eastern Europe, although that does sound interesting). I don't know anything and with the lack of time I have to plan - I am thrilled to have any suggestions! So - Thanks to you all!!

"<i>thanks for the suggestion of Rick Steves. </i>"

Oh dear GAWD - no!!!! There are so (soooooo) many good/great guides to London. Rick Steves' is NOT one of them. Sort of lowest common denominator territory.

heck-just reading the London Walks website would be better than that. And this in not from a RS hater like some on here. I've actually met the man a couple of times -- but honestly, a lot of his suggestions for London and the UK is just plain weird. (some of his guides to other countries are absolutely fine -- he is just really bad for the UK)

If you want a good general interest guide, pick up either the Michelin Green Guide, or the DK Eyewitness Guide

Agree to check out www.walks.com they give great tours!

Rick Steves is not not great for the uk...I like the green guide but others are good too.

If you are short on time get a good guide book then spend a few hours here reading posts and trip reports to see typical itineraries and lots of advice. Just search London above...

Here is a great one to get you started
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...irst-timer.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-414401-2.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tes-to-see.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-171925-2.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...anner-alas.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rst-timers.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...d-old-pros.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-356521-2.cfm

Hopefully this will get you started!

@jamikins - thanks for the link to walks.com - which one to choose!

& janisj I have not bought a guide yet - so I will check out the Michelin & DK as well!

Thanks Again!!

Check out the www.walks.com day trips - they are excellent for a lone traveler and I would highly recommend the Salisbury/Stonehenge, bath, Cotswolds, Canterbury, and Oxford trips! They are super affordable, great guides, and you would be fine on your own!

www.londontown.com - great suggestions for self-guided walks grouped by area, as well as a ton(ne) of information about what's going on in London.

Find a good pub on Saturday May 19 so you can watch the Champions League final live with hubby and a crowd of Londoners, just for the experience (it's the European equivalent of the Super Bowl and this year London's own Chelsea faces a German team [Bayern Munich] and the English still have a respectable disdain for Germans). Jamikins knows good pubbery.

And here's some English to English translation for you:

http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml

P.S. - No to Rick Steves. Moppyhaired bugger doesn't like the UK.

P.P.S. - No to hop on/hop off buses. Overpriced and if you're going to be stuck in traffic, why overpay for the privilege? Take the 9, 15 and 136 routes through every main spot you can imagine.

P.P.P.S. - No to London Pass. Get a travelcard or Oyster (depends on how much you and hubby will do together). Many top museums are FREE admission.

P.P.P.P.S. - No to shopping at Harrods (other than the clotted cream shortbreads). Go to Jermyn Street and Saville Row. Fortnum & Mason food halls are great.

Rick Steves has Bath up his rear and misses out on some great places in London and other cities to visit-IMHO.
Rough Guides London(UK travel guide) and the DK Eyewitness are the best for London.
When planning your sites, look at a tube map and try and do everything in that area rather than traveling all over town back and forth in one day?
I go to London at least once a month for work and would highly recommend you do the War rooms and Churchill Museum-so interesting!Some of the best times over there are just wandering along the Thames and stopping off at a cute pub for a drink/snacks or a meal. Enjoy!

No to Rick Steves - thanks for all the honest opinions!

@BigRuss - thanks for all the suggestions. Exactly what I was looking for! Husband has already declared that Saturday we will watch the match. He is actually from South America originally and our entire family is very involved in soccer here in the states. My oldest son is a big Chelsea fan and is quite jealous that I get to be in London to watch the game. Perhaps jamikins will post a suggestion for where to watch the match?

@dutyfree Thanks. I am trying to get my days planned and do as you and others suggest by grouping sights by location. I def want to see the Churchill war rooms!