I'm currently trying to plan a trip in June 2005. I would LOVE to visit London (never been), however, I only have 7 days off (Wednesday-Wednesday), and am scared that this is not enough time to make the long trip from California and back, and still have time to enjoy the city without feeling super rushed. Any thoughts?

It will give you a flavour of London, and you should be able to see the salient features. However, you'll lose two days flying, if you're only allowed a week off - I'd have recommended choosing flights such that you have virtually seven full night, but obviously this is impossible.

I think you're best to give it a miss until you have more time.

We went to London one year for only 5 days and it was a killer. Luckily, we had been there before and the only reason was to spend my birthday in London. However, we flew from Boston. I think 7 days from California really is pushing it. It's not so much feeling rushed as it is getting over jet lag which you will barely have time to do.

Well - first of all wed - wed is 8 days, but that's a quibble . .

I often fly from CA to London for just a week. Depending on how well you can sleep on an overnight flight and how bad you suffer from jet lag -- the first day in London will be a real drag - but in June the days are long and the weather can be wonderful so you can stay outside to help you get over the jet lag.

Just don't try to fill every waking moment for your 6 days -- you can't see all of London in 6 months let alone 6 days so don't even try. Just enjoy seeing as much as you can and don't worry about missing too much. You will go back again some day . . . . .

Well, London is my favorite city, I live in California and I go quite regularly (usually once a year). I have been in (and through) London about 25 times. Shortest time just for London: out on Thursday, return on Monday. Shortest time on a through journey: 24 hours.

Last year was the first time, I spent a solid week just in London (no side trips whatsoever); it was great. You can do it; you will have some jet lag issues but it didn't stop us from having a wonderful time including seeing a musical, meeting friends, etc.

Go for it! I do, however, caution you to pace yourself - even with all the times I have been to London, I have yet to see all of the major sites. Get a good guide book and make some hard decisions. In fact, each time I go, I have made it a point to go and see at least one new attraction and then I go back to some of my favorites.

Remember, this probably will not be your last trip to London so enjoy!

A little of London is better than no London. We've been there before but we actually looked at a 4-day weekend in London from Seattle a few months back when we found a bargain.

The day you get there is a good day to take the hop-on hop-off bus tour to get the lay of the land. Then you can pick and choose where to spend the limited time you have. Pick out the major attactons, see them and make a promise to come back for the others next time.

Even with limited time you will be surprised as how rich an ex[erience you can have. You can see the Tower, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the guards at Buckingham Palace, St, Pauls Cathedral and more. Then you can go to a pub for dinner, take in a show in the west end.... then you can start your second day.

We were in London for a week in March (Saturday to Saturday)...we flew overnight (important, definitely take the red eye...in your case leave Tuesday night) from SFO Friday evening and landed about 10 am on Saturday. Saturday was pretty much a blur and we slept in late on Sunday, but after that we were fine.

Our next 5 days were great. We made a list of what we wanted to see and grouped them by day depending on where they were located. We never felt rushed and managed to get a lot in.

Go for it and have a great time!

Definitely worth it. We've gone to London for long weekends from San Francisco a few times, and it's fine, especially with a direct flight. Sleep on the plane and wake up in the UK. You won't be able to do everything in London obviously, but a little is much better than nothing.

Make sure you get a direct flight to London from LA. I just booked tickets for my 15 year old daughter to go in July. Those direct flights fill up fast, especially with frequent flyer miles. If you can go Tuesday night on a direct flight you will maximize your time in London.

<b>&quot;A little of London is better than no London.&quot;</b>

Truer words were never spoken. You can still have an enjoyable trip to London. This board is full of posts asking how they can see London in anywhere between a 4-hour layover and a couple of days. So you have a definite advantage over them! With a little planning, you will be able to see a lot of things, but you won't be able to see everything. Many of us have been there many times and still haven't seen everything.

I would plan to go and enjoy London - however much time you have.

What you're all neglection to consider is what this poster's alternatives are. They might be able to go somewhere nearer for half the cost.

If it was a free holiday then of course they should take it, but it's not. Save the money for a much longer trip next year which will leave you feeling far more satisfied.

Go for it. A week is a nice amount of time to visit London. Of course, you won't see and do everything but you will have plenty of time to do the things you want to do. June is a perfect time.

..6 years is not enough..however, a week will be a wonderful time to see a few things..juist dont try to check off a million things on a must do list..it will drive you crazy and leave you with a feeling that you have missed things...look at the week as a great introduction...and the first of many trips.

Thanks to everyone for all the feedback! We're definitely leaning toward booking tickets. However, to clarify: We would take a WEDNESDAY redeye out of LA, not a TUESDAY redeye (I'm off of work from Thurs-Wed (Must be back to work Thurs morning)). Most people seem to think the alloted time is enough if we fly out Tues night. Hopefully

I live on the west coast also and won't go to Europe unless I have at least 12 days (2 travel days + 10 days to be there). Because I can't sleep on the overnight flight, and suffer greatly from jet-lag and time changes, traveling such a long distance for such a short time would not be enjoyable for me at all.

You can do it. It will be short. If you can find flight leaving Tuesday night getting in early Wed morning that will give you all day Wed (DO NOT GO TO SLEEP UNTILL 10pm or so Wed). Then you will have Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, and fly home Wed. Assuming Tuesday night flight you can have a full 7 days and if you concentrate on London only you can see a lot but by no means all of it. Research what is important to you and plan, plan, plan and have a good time. Stay in central part of city so you have short travel times. Go for it.

Muffy, we used to go on a Thursday night redeye and fly back on Monday. If you get a direct flight and can sleep on the plane, it really works fine. We'd get there Friday with a decent night sleep, play around all day, take a 2 hour power nap around six, and voila - you're on London time. Life is short, and sometimes vacations are too, but I say grab all you can of both! Cheerio!

Not to say whether or not you should go, but it's not physically possible to leave LA at night and arrive in London early the next morning, as some people suggest. It's roughly a 10-hour flight plus an 8-hour time difference. The nighttime nonstops from LAX that leave around 9pm don't land until around 3 pm. If you can leave a few hours earlier, I know there's a United nonstop that leaves around 6 pm and gets in the next day around noon. I don't know about the other airlines' earlier nonstops, but I do know they're similarly bound by the laws of physics.

OK - now I get it, you have from wed night til wed night. Here is what I'd do - take the earliest flight you can on Wed that fits into your work schedule. Hopefully that would be a late aftrenoon or early even flight -- can you cut out of work a little bit early to catch a wed afternoon flight? (I sort of think of ALL west coast flights as &quot;red eyes&quot; since no matter when you leave you are flying all night).

I recommend you cut you trip back one day and fly back on Tuesday. Believe me - and I fly west coast to the UK several times a year - the first day back is the REAL killer and if you have to go to work that day you will probably be miserable.

So Wed night/thurs morning in transit. Thurs evening til Tuesday morning in London and Tuesday afternoon/evening in transit back. Then you have Wed to recuperate at home.

This may seem too short a time in London -- but you really can see quite a bit in 4.5 days. it will give you a taste/feel and then you can plan a longer trip later on.

I guess I'd be interested in what your alternatives are. Can you wait and take a somewhat longer vacation at some other point next summer? Isn't there any way you can add two work days to your time off, which then would give you a whole week (plus two weekends)? That would almost double your time. People are always saying they HAVE to do something, or they CAN'T possibly do something, but if you think creatively sometimes you can come up with a way to do it. Obviously I don't know you or your schedule but I would suggest you look at your job/life/whatever and see if there isn't some other time in the fairly near future that you could get yourself a little more time.