Hello all; just got back last night and had a great time. Checked in at 530a for a Virgin Atlantic flight from Newark. Main luggage was not searched, usual hand luggage x rayed and our shoes removed, left at 830; very nice flight. Mr Ray Skinner met us at Heathrow for our transfers--he is a very pleasant and informative fellow..Hart House Hotel in Marylbone gives you your key plus a front door key, and offered excellent but unobtrusive service. Our room was decently-sized, plenty of storage room, and a large bathroom with tub/shower. (And they provided facecloths!) This hotel is spotlessly clean. Would stay at Hart House again, although the 5 or so blocks' walk to the Underground won't appeal to everyone. The rooms facing the back have very pretty leaded windows, and the front rooms have double glazing to keep out the street noise. Radiator heating that you could control, tea & coffe making in the rooms, also. Our son (14years) crashed on his bed immediatly, so while he slept, we hit the streets for a late dinner at Sofras on St Christopher Place. Excellent mideastern food! Up next am for a pretty good english breakfast; walked to Marble Arch and picked up the Big Bus Tour. The operators for both Big Bus and the Original London Tour are out in full force, soliciting tourists. We sat up top, of course. Sunny and clear for our first morning. Narraters were all funny & knowledgable. We did the Red and Blue routes, stopped to visit St Paul's and the Tower of London..it was very helpful to buy the Tower tix from the Big Bus people to avoid the long queue at the Tower. Climbing St Pauls to the top was a challenge! Fantastic views of London from the top. Unless you are in very good shape, I don't recommend this climb to be done early in your trip--we were sore for days after...For lunch, we sought the Albert Pub, but lost our way (not too difficult to do, BTW)When we finally did find it, the restaurant was closed for a private party Had some good pub grub at the Bag O Nails instead; turned in our Travel Card vouchers at Victoria Station, and received a booklet of discount coupons each for the major attractions. Back to the Big Bus--by now, it's overcast, windy & cold. Hats, gloves, scarves a must, plus my husband was the only smart one in wearing long underwear! In general, the days were comfortable enough to go without the extra lining for my coat but be prepared for warm weather gear for the nights or for damp days...Thoroughly enjoyed the Big Bus tour..the rest of our days we used the Underground with ease..Had meals at Porters, Sofra again, Pizza Paradiso in Covent Garden, the Museum Tavern.. All in all, food was decent, service friendly, and prices not too bad for what we chose. Visited the Imperial War Museum. Especially enjoyed the 1940's House and Blitz experience. Highly recommend the Cabinet War Rooms--fascinating self-guided audio tour that even a teenager found absorbing! Saw the highlights of the British Museum, walked Covent Garden, saw My Fair Lady, which was truly excellent!!! Did not get to do the Jack the Ripper Walking Tour, HMS Belfast, Harrods, The Victoria & Albert and thousands of other things; skipped Afternoon Tea at Brown's. We did return to the hotel each day in the late afternoon for a much-needed nap, something we did not at all anticipate.<BR>Did a lot of local walking in the area around our hotel, felt safe wherever we were, regardless of the hour, and almost found out the hard way that the Underground does not run 24 hrs!!! Bring comfortable shoes, a small folding umbrella & lots of dough!!! Thanks to everyone here who provided much helpful info!!!

Teddie, great report! Makes me want to get on the next plane heading across the pond! What airline did you take?

Hi,<BR>Thanks for that Teddie,<BR><BR>I would just point out that although you mention that "the main luggage was not searched" It will be xrayed before being loaded onto the aircraft and not generally before checkin (I fly Virgin frequently and get the searched sticker on my bag every time)

Hi Teddie, nice report. I am gald you loved My Fair lady. We are going to see it in March, and I am soo excited. How was Pizza Paradiso? I love good pizza.<BR>I stll have not climbed St. Paul's, but I will this time!<BR> We will be staying near the Strand, so Covent Garden will be our base.<BR>Was the London Eye closed?<BR>Judy

Thanks, all. Yes, we were aware about checked luggage being x rayed, but when we flew out of Cancun this past November, they hand-searched every single piece of everyone's luggage(maybe they don't have the x ray??)<BR>Virgin Atlantic was lovely, and my family loved the courtesy bag of goodies waiting at every seat. <BR><BR>We ate at the Pizza Paradiso in Covent Garden after the play. My husband and son had the pizza and said "it compared to the best of American brick-oven-style pizza". (We live in the NYC area). I had the pasta with seafood; it was really good. Their garlic bread was scrumptious, and lots of people were ordering the "Dough Balls" which were served with some sort of dipping sauce. For two pizzas, garlic bread, a mixed green salad, and 6 soft drinks, the total was 32 pounds without tip. Excellent service also.<BR><BR>Unfortunately, the London Eye was closed, but we knew that prior to leaving, so there was little disappointment.

Nice report, glad you and your family had a great time.

Just a P.S. to my last post--that 32 pounds at Pizza Paradiso also included my past and seafood entree...

Teddie: I also just got back from London, had a great time, here's the trip report: http://www.markandmonica.com/Travel/london.htm Not that you asked, but I thought you might like the pictures.<BR><BR>We were there on the 4th-10th, and the lines everywhere, including the ticket line for the Tower of London, were very short. Has business picked up that much in a week?

Monica, <BR>I think there was a long line at the Tower because we visited on a Saturday, and it was after 1 pm...I'll visit your website, thanks!

Monica - loved your photos. Especially the twilight ones of Butlers Wharf, Westminster, etc. What speed film were you using? If they were digital - what camera?

My husband is the camera man, he finally got a hobby I can appreciate. Those pictures are digital, taken with a Canon D30. ISO ranged from 100-1600 depending on the shot.

Teddie: Did you purchase tickets for My Fair Lady prior to departing, or did you get them at a discount house there?

Jennifer, I purchased our tickets via Ticketmaster UK prior to our departure. Next time, though, I'll be calling the box office directly for tickets, and will hopefully save a bundle. Live and learn....we enjoyed the show so much, that I really don't regret having paid more...