natester

I am losing my sanity. My wife and I are planning a trip to London for 7 days in early August. How should we travel around in London? What is the most economical way to travel to Bath for a day trip? Is the London Pass worth the price? Can you recommend must see sights in London? Can you recommend must see day trips from London? We also planned on spending two night additional somewhere else just outside of London - a special place to celebrate our anniversary -yet within a short distance of Gatwick Airport. Any suggestions on where to stay for those two nights? Thanks to anybody in advance for your help.

prue

I am sure you will get lots of replies - but in meantime if you were to enter each one of your questions into the Search function at the top of the page you will discover many, many posts about everything you need to know.

Scarlett

I will try to answer some of your questions~
When you get to London, settled in your hotel, go buy a Travel Card. With this you can take trains and buses during your stay.
You can take a train to Bath for the day.
Kew Gardens, Bath, Oxford, Cambridge are lovely day trips.
I would really recommend going out and buying some guide books, like my favorite, Access London. And a map like Streetwise London.
Study them carefully and then you will be able to pick things that appeal to you.
Recommendations on sights to see.....
If you like antiquing, shopping, flea markets, museums, you can ask for help, but it is so hard to think of what you might like, without knowing your likes and dislikes.
So here are my favorites:
Big Ben
The Tate Museum
The V&A
Buckingham Palace/Changing of the Guard
Kensington Palace
Hyde Park
Camden Locks/Camden Market
Kings Road/Sloan Sq-antiquing
Portabello Road
Green Park, Mayfair, Belgravia,
Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges
Knightsbridge, South Kensington,
The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew
Hampton Court
riding down the Thames
High tea
Soho, Covent Garden
See a play
Go to the cinema
Walking everywhere

There, that should get you started

Surfergirl

Get a travel pass and use it for both tube and bus. Definitely take both. I like the number 8 and 25. Rent a row boat on the Serpentine if the weather is good. It's fun and romantic. Salisbury makes a good day trip, as does Windsor. Train to Bath or rent a car and stop at little country pubs.

Kayb95

<<How should we travel around in London?<<

Purchase a 7-day Zone 1 TravelCard at any tube station in London or in advance at www.ticket-on-line.com The travelcard is good on the tube and the city buses. Don't even think about a rental car in London

>>What is the most economical way to travel to Bath for a day trip?<<

Cheapest would be via bus (www.nationalexpress.com) but the train will get you there and back more quickly (www.thetrainline.com) Once you are in Bath, it is very walkable - or take the Guide Friday bus tour.

<<Is the London Pass worth the price?<<

Generally not, most museums in London are now free. You would need to add up the admissions of attractions you plan to visit and compare it to the cost of the pass. Do NOT buy the transportation option with the London Pass. It's much cheaper to buy it on your own.

<<Can you recommend must see sights in London?<<

IMHO, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, a walk past Big Ben/Parliament and Buckingham Palace are must-sees. I have tons of links to all kinds of London sites - e-mail me if you want me to send them to you ([email protected])

<Can you recommend must see day trips from London?>

The two closest and easiest daytrips are Windsor Castle in Windsor and Hampton Court Palace in Richmond. Each is about a 30 minute train ride from Waterloo Station.

>>We also planned on spending two night additional somewhere else just outside of London - a special place to celebrate our anniversary -yet within a short distance of Gatwick Airport.<<

I have never stayed there, but Amberley Castle always looked like an incredibly romantic place to stay for a special occasion. It's 35 miles from Gatwick. Here's the website: www.amberleycastle.co.uk

Nigello

I second all that Kayb95 has said. She (he?) has got it spot on as regards Bath trip, London Pass, Travelcards (a 7 day Zone 1 is good for all Tubes at ANY time in zone 1 and all buses in ANY zone at ANY time, no photo needed, and even if you stay in London for only 5 days, it will be worth it) Also, try a 'flight' on the London Eye if it is a nice day. Worth the cost. www.lastminute.com for theatre bookings and fancy restaurants.