Help with London Please
 

I am in the early stages of planning a UK/Europe vacation and will be starting in London England. We aren't spending alot of time in England and really only want to see a few things, not really do any tours. We are staying at the Comfort Inn Victoria which looks close to all the things we want to see. Can someone help me with what order to see things?? We aren't afraid of lots of walking.
We want to see
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
Trafalgar Square
St Pauls Cathedral
Piccadilly Circus...
Then maybe head to the Roman Baths in Bath England.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kim

For starters, up above "Post a Reply", click on "Destinations" then "Europe" then "London". Among many other things included are some "great intineraries". I think that will help you a lot. How many days do you plan to be in London?

Thank you.

We really only wanted to spend a full day in London and then move to Bath for the day??? Is that totally unrealistic???

I suppose you could probably cram most of those things into one (reaaaaaally long) day, but it would be a shame to give such a great city such short shrift. Any particular reason for staying only one day?

Kim,, it looks to me that you have a list of places to walk pass, cross that site off of your list and continue on. For heaven sakes, slow down and stop and visit the places to want to see. You cannot do London in one day!!

When is your trip? It makes a difference.

If you are flying in to Heathrow, you could take a bus from there to Bath directly. It's a better place to get over jetlag. Then train to London. If you are interested in Roman ruins, part of the Tower of London is Roman.

To get a quick overview of the highlights of London, you could take the Hop on Hop off bus, which combines transportation with sightseeing information.

How are you getting to the continent? More options from London, in particular the Eurostar "Chunnel" train to Paris or Brussels, which is quicker than flying and not too expensive if you buy the tickets early.

I agree you can "see" all those things in a day, but without lingering at any of them. Personally, I would skip Bath (I've been there, and liked it, but I wouldn't give up another day in London for a day in Bath).

Big Ben, Traf Sq, the Palace and Piccadilly Circus (as a matter of interest, why?) are things to be looked at for about a minute (or in the case of Pic Circus, ignored), You can do all that - if you want to, and I really can't stress the pointlessness of Pic Circus too strongly - in an hour's walk. Absolute tops. Any longer and you're wasting time.

That leaves the Abbey and St Paul's. Allowing two hours for each, and half an hour to get from the Westminster complex to St Paul's you've got a pretty easy day. And anywhere in central London is equally handy to stay.

All except Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's are walk bys. You haven't included the Tower of London--maybe for good reason but it is quintessential London attraction and will take several hours at the minimum.

Check opening times.

I would start at the Tower of London, move on to St. Pauls. Cross the Thames using the Millenium Bridge and then walk up to Big Ben on the south bank. From there go to Westminster Abbey. Walk up Whitehall from there to Trafalgar Square and then on to Piccadilly Circus. The only site on your list that I've missed is Buckingham Palace. Perhaps, if you are still able to take on more, you can walk past the Palace after dinner.

The other thing you can do after dinner is the London Eye - a little pricey in my opinion, but if it's good weather, it gives you fantastic views of London.

Thank you all for the input. We really are in the beginning stages. We would be coming over in late May early June. We will probably fly into Gatwick (sp) but will check prices to Heathrow as well. Unfortunatley England is a add on to a European trip. I really would like to see a bit of England since my MOM was born in Manchester so we wanted to just see the things that I was really interested in and then move on to France.

I thought I read that Picc Circus was kinda like Time Square in New York?? Is this not right?

We just thought we would see some sights, check out a really great English Pub and move on but maybe we will rethink a bit.

Hate to say it but didn't even hear of the Tower of London. Will have to go check that out.

Thanks for any input....all in considered and deeply appreciated.

We will be flying across from Canada so will need a bit to adjust to the time difference also.

Thanks

Are you flying to England because you have to? Or could you fly straight to France? I definitely would not stop in England for 2 days, one of which will mostly be lost to jet lag. Honestly, I think you should rethink the whole concept.

" thought I read that Picc Circus was kinda like Time Square in New York??"

Well, I've never quite seen what the appeal of Times Square is either, unless flashing lights are a novelty for you. And if they are, Piccadilly Circus has got a lot less.

It's a traffic interesection, with a virtually inaccesible statue in the middle. Appropriately enough, of Eros, since its fame was where hookers hooked till they were banned from the streets in 1957. Since then, its main role in life is somewhere our scruffier young European tourists sit on steps, getting wet, looking miserable and trying to pick each other up.

Look. This really is the greatest city the world's ever seen. There's a million trillion better things to do than find out the ugly way that Italian teenagers get pimples just like anyone else, and most Swedish adolescents aren't Nordic gods.

Piccadilly Circus yes is the closest Europe gets to having a Times Square - a hub on activity night and day.

Though it technically is only a traffic intersection - mind-bogglingly busy one like flimflanner says it nevertheless is at the heart of the theatre district (from it to Leicester Square and environs) - i find it interesting at night when yes, there are huge neon advertising lights and yes there is the human comedy on the steps of the famous Eros Statue where flimflanner seems to have spent much of his long-gone youth.

But tacky as it is it is something you have to see - even if there is really nothing special to see there.

It is perpetually thronged, esp at night and a great people-watching area. For tacky to the hilt, traipse into the Trocadero Center at Piccadilly - this is my choice for the tackiest emporium in all of Europe - a multi-level arcade of video games, billiards, foos-ball, even bowling - several stories of it - i always take the escalators up and down just to see how tacky it is (and a respite in London for the many many German and French and Italian school groups who perpetually haunt this area.) I'm sure most Britons like flanner have never set foot in the Trocadero but for something different in London take a look. You can even buy Mrs Fields Cookies there i think.

What you could do if you just want a long day in London is to fly to Paris and take a day trip from there to London via the Tunnel train. It gets you from city to city without having to go out to the airports, and, again, the tickets will be cheaper if you get them early.

read DESTINATIONS above and then decide IF you really want/need to go to London at all.

It is an amazing place and HUGE w/ some of the most famous sites/museums/theatres/whatever in the whole world. If your only reason to go to The UK is to walk by a few places, go to the Abbey and St Paul's, and see the Roman Baths, you might be better off skipping it and concentrating on the Continent.

Also - if this plan is your arrival day, you will probably be pretty jetlagged and even those few walk-bys will be tough to accomplish let alone 2 major Churches that each take a couple of hours minimum.

Why would St Paul's have to take 2 hours? It's just a big rather ordinary church IMO. Now if you want to climb to the very top then maybe but otherwise the OP it seems is satisfied with a quick look.

Kim - yes janis is right though about if it's your landing day and could be wiped out - spend two nights there if you want to see the things on your list - which IMO can easily be seen in a day - even if you do have to suffer thru two hours in each church!

st paul's at it's best is a bore. well worth skipping. flanner's 4.5 hours of st paul's, the abbey and travel between each might be heaven for some alcoholic 67 year old men but for the rest of us, we would be bored to tears with such an itinerary. best ignored.

St Paul's is most definitely not a bore and is not a place one can see in a few minutes. If that is your plan - then, <u>of course</u>, skip it. Christopher Wren's amazing building, the dome, the American Memorial Chapel w/ the roll of honour, the Crypt, just soooooo much to see.

Now, Westmister Abbey does have even more to see -- but both are worth a LOT of time.

I would suggest you try the Hop on Hop off bus tour of London, you'll get to see all the sights you mention and you decide which ones to spend more time at.

Kim - Definitely take a Hop-on Hop-off bus tour and sit on the top deck right in front if at all possible. There are different routes so study the map they give you ( maybe one in the hotel foyer) and pick what you like best.

As for Picadilly Circus: In my opinion should be viewed at night with the neon blinking down from the buildings. We usually pass right under the statue of Eros where hordes of young people sit on the steps and then continue on to a Chinese restaurant in either Gerrard street, Wardour or Lisle street. I think basically all are pretty good but prices differ slightly. Don't forget - you get what you pay for!

I love London but to do the city justice you have to do it in stages which means returning year after year!

PS. We have friends from the Manchester area staying with us right now! Why don't you do a day return train trip? Go and look up you mums old adress??

Leaving aside the sights Kim , London has the most fabulous museums and galleries and entrance to them is free! If you have any interest in things historic then squeeze an extra day and go to the British Museum if nothing else .It is breathtaking .

And I heartily endorse the use of the Eurostar train from Paris to London .Fast , efficient , cheap especially as you get into the middle of the cities with minimum customs / immigration fuss .

Kim

You generated quite a fascinating bunch of responses - some more helpful than others! IMHO I think that what you are trying to do is fine and I'm not sure that you should listen too much to those that are trying to put you off, even if their points are very good. Everyone travels differently and there is just an edge of snobbery creeping in to some of the posts - if you want to just see things and tick them off then that is fine - sure you will miss out on a lot but also you will get to see more than those that like to linger and savour. That said, there are some very helpful suggestions made and I'm sure you'd benefit from checking them out yourself and seeing what fits.

Bath is lovely and very walkable and it is very easy, either before or after the Baths to walk up the main street and walk through the Circus and the Royal Crescent. I'd recommend fitting in the London Eye too as it is a great way to get an overview of London.

You must make sure you do a trip report and let everyone know how this part of your trip went and what advice you wish you had listened to and what you wish you hadn't!

Thank you all very much for the responses. All info is taken into consideration.

The main focus of our trip is not England but I do very much want to just see as much of it as I can in a short time.

The Tower of London....how long would you think you would need to spend there? Checked the website it looks huge.

I never considered the idea of flying into Paris and doing London as a day trip. Didn't realize Paris and London where that close. Will consider it.

tjhome: Basically cause of time that is what we are going to be doing, just kinda seeing it take some photos and move on. Not what I would like to do ideally but no one is saying I can't come back right ;)

Thank you all you are being most helpful

Kim

If you're short on time just seeing the Tower of London is fine. Work was started on it in 1087 and it is packed with history. For me one of the best quick easy and cheap things to see are the water gate on the river that leads on to Traitor's gate that you see from the public walkway, through which so many famous people, including Queen Elizabeth the first, were brought to the tower. Its also where two of Henry the eigth's wives were beheaded.

Agreed- the Tower of London is very cool, but also very big, and charged with history, meaning you need some time there. And the lines can be quite long, which I'm guessing might be true at that time of year when the weather isn't so dreary.

I also agree that the &quot;hop-on, hop-off&quot; bus is something worth looking into. It will get you around the city more efficiently, and you'll likely stumble upon some additional things you might want to have a look at.

London is a wonderful city; one of the best IMO. Give it more time if you can! You'll be glad you did.

If that is your plan - then, of course, skip it.&gt;

jj - you gotta get away from your way or the highway mentality

the average tourist will be quite happy with a 15-min stroll around in St Pauls

Please try to learn that what you think is just your way - the average first-time tourist will not want to spend more than 30 mins at most in either place and will be quite happy they did.

the more time walking around and the less time inside individual sights is what i recommend for someone with so little time

First i'd hop on the Eye Over London Ferris Wheel on the Thames to get a bird's eye view of London, then walk over the bridge to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey

then walk to glimpse Buckingham Palace and then walk up thru Trafalgar Square to Piccadilly area - covering all sights except St Paul's, then take a bus to St Paul's/The Tower Area.

different strokes for different folks - j.j.

PQ - get off the flat emulsion will you???

&quot;<i>the average tourist will be quite happy with a 15-min stroll around in St Pauls</i>&quot; Hardly - since many will spend 15 minutes just getting inside the place what w/ queues and security. And it takes 15 mins just to walk from one end to the other. There will be other people in there ya know (!) and one can't merely sprint from one end to the other - plus then you have to get back out the front doors.

So at very least, one needs to plan on 35-45 minutes at St Paul's -- and that is at VERY least. It takes that long just to get inside and walk through it w/o stopping anywhere or looking at much at all.

The Tower is wonderful - but you simply can't see much of it from outside. You need to go in - which means queues (yes, we can all explain to Kim how to avoid the worst of the queues if she decides to go there), security, and masses of walking/climbing/exploring. So attempting it in less than 2 hours (4 is much better) is pretty much useless. Walking around it on the outside would take about 20 mins and you really not see anything but the outside walls and the empty moat w/ the resident's tennis court and children's play equipment.

As for Westminster Abbey - I defy anyone to do a 15 min dash through there. 1) you have to pretty much walk in the same direction as everyone else (or you feel like a salmon fighting against the river). 2) there are a LOT of &quot;everyone else&quot; no matter the day.

I was not being a &quot;snob&quot; at all - I was explaining the logistics. The H-o-H-o bus tour will be your best bet since it goes past everything.

But really - (and this is not snobbish - honest) you need to get yourself a guidebook and read DESTINATIONS above before you make any decisions. Since you had never heard of the Tower of London and didn't know that London and Paris are a short train ride apart -- you need to do some reading up before you can make any reasonable decisions.

janis are you the honorary fodorite or something? or THE OFFICIAL travel aficionado? sometimes you come off very opinionated and unfriendly.


Barbara or anyone, regarding the comment below:

&lt;I would start at the Tower of London, move on to St. Pauls. Cross the Thames using the Millenium Bridge and then walk up to Big Ben on the south bank. From there go to Westminster Abbey. Walk up Whitehall from there to Trafalgar Square and then on to Piccadilly Circus.&gt;

Could we do this all on foot and within one afternoon like 10 am to 4pm, with stops at pubs and lunch in between?

Lay off janis

I thought exactly the same when I discovered that the OP had never heard of the Tower of London and didn't know that France and the UK were so close.
I thought that her advice was sensible and as kind as possible.
As for the average tourist being able to &quot;do&quot; St. Pauls in fifteen minutes, the mind boggles.

I agree that the sightseeing bus is a good idea, but go to the library and get out a good book about London. It will add to your enjoyment if you know what you will be seeing on the tour,

<i>As for the average tourist being able to &quot;do&quot; St. Pauls in fifteen minutes, the mind boggles.</i>

I agree that janis generally gives very good information about London and all of the UK.

It doesn't boggle my mind at all, however, to want to see St. Pauls in fifteen minutes, and yes I would consider myself the &quot;average tourist&quot;. I'm simply not interested in every little detail of the place, I just want a nice walk-through look-see. Different strokes...

Last time I checked it cost about $16.00 for an adult admission to St. Paul's Cathedral. That seems a bit expensive for just a fifteen minute look.

What did I miss - we didn't pay to enter St. Paul's (?)

no opinions from now on - since people seem to be so, sooooo sensitive around here ;)

Just facts - St Paul's does charge admission, and has for years. If you want free - you must go to a service, but then you can't walk through the Cathedral.

SUMMAGOLD: Since you don't like my advice - I suggest you try that walk and let us know how it worked out . . . . .

Like many others here, they reply with such an air of snobbery that it turns people off. i know it turns me off. not everyone studied european history or geography. like you mention i too did not know england and france were close and is separated by the english channel. i only learned that fact when i actually crossed it on a ferry when i first visited england in college. i also have been guilty of spending 15 minutes in cathedrals. aside from the scavi tour, i dont think we spent more than 20 mintues in St. Peter's basilica (main level that is, not couting the tombs for the popes.) i felt like that was all we needed. that goes for all the other basilicas like Notre Dame. but the basilicas in spain offered headset guides, so that took about 20 mins as well.

ive noticed select people here tend to speak as if they are more worthy to travel, superior if you will, because they think they are more knowledgable and can take 3 weeks to visit abroad. let me tell you something, youre not any better than the rest of us.

having said all that, i wish people here were more open and less personally opinionated about other people's comments or questions. they ask questions, because they are just that, questions.

i personally have gotten alot from this website. and from time to time i come across pseudo intellectuals, but i just move on. sorry janis, that i looped you in with this group, because you have helped me tons on this site, and im sure lots others, but i just got fed up with people knocking others down in this site.

Is this a private fight or can anyone join in?
Doing one's homework before visiting a foreign country does not make one a better person and it also doesn't make one a snob.
However, it makes for a more rewarding experience. For example, visiting Rome without any knowledge of the Roman Empire or the early Christian Church will make the visit far less interesting.
Knowing how close Britain is to France might make one better able to appreciate how Britons behaved in WWII. Visiting Florence with no interest in Renaissance art would make for a duller visit.

thanks for the post of the admission fee for St. Paul's. i mentioned the fee to the hubby and your post made up our minds. No way are we spending $16 a person for 15 mins. Ive been there before, years ago in my college days, and thankfully the hubby has no interest.

janis thank you, i will try the walk, and will post here how we do. though the walk would be brisk since we will be there christmas weekend. we are new yorkers and in our thirties. and should be ok with plans to get sloshed at one of the pubs along the way. thanks!

SUMMAGOLD: &quot;<i>i wish people here were more open and less personally opinionated about other people's comments</i>&quot;

Sorry, but you aren't demonstrating exactly what you object to. You made your opinions <u>very</u> clear. You imply anyone who tries to give thorough/helpful/practical advice w/ detailed reasons is being a snob.

You apparently would only be happy w/ &quot;Oh, sure - that is a great plan!&quot; even when it is not a great plan. Any other ideas/opinions/advice are unwelcome.

I stick by my advice that the OP does need to read up a bit. And you explained exactly where you are coming from. 'nuff said . . . . .

janis, you are indeed THE HONORARY FODORITE. nice to meet you! :)

Wow, I didn't realize my question would cause such friction.

I can look at a map and see how close England and France are...I guess I didn't explain properly. I just didn't realize you could travel from one country to another so quickly. It takes more then a day just to get out of my province so to be able to be in France in about 2.5 hours is great.

No I didn't know about the Tower of London, as I explained I am just starting my research and although want to see some of London, I do not have enough time to dedicate to the entire country. I am not looking to go anywhere that takes hours to explore, maybe on my next visit but not this one.

Anyways, please do not use my post to argue, I came here looking for some input and I got lots of it, some I will use some I will ignore.

Again, thank you all for your advise, I appreciate that you all took the time to offer your opinion.

Kim