Layover in London
 

I will be traveling from NY to Athens in early April with my wife and 2 sons (ages 9 and 5). We will have a layover at Heathrow for approximately 10 hours. I was hoping to use those hours to get the family into London and show them a few of the top sites. Any suggestions on how best to accomplish this and what to see? Thanks

We did this when I was a kid, with my parents -- my dad took us by tube to see the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum (the statues swiped by the British from the Parthenon). Pretty cool to have just been at the Parthenon and then get to see what was missing!!! <BR> <BR>I'd also recommend Tower of London, then scooting over to Paddington for the 15 minute Heathrow Express ride back to the airport. You'll have just enough time to be there 2 hours before your next flight leaves.

Hi David, <BR> <BR>Chop a couple of hours off your layover on either end to allow for disembarking, travel into and back from town, and reboarding (with enough padding built in so any glitches don't make you miss your connection), and I'd say a 10-hour layover gives you a good 6 hours in London. <BR> <BR>I agree with Jim on the Tower of London, but I'd recommend that you *start* your day with it. If your kids haven't yet seen the Tower, my bet is that it'd be one of their favorite things...and lines get longer at the Tower as the day goes on. The sooner you can get there, the better. Be sure to take a Yeoman Warder ("beefeater") tour--they're both extraordinarily funny and fonts of information, and the kids should love them. <BR> <BR>Allow at least 3 hours for the Tower (especially if lines look crazed), maybe more if your kids are real castle buffs. <BR>Now, about getting there from Heathrow...with four of you, it'd probably be worthwhile to hire a car service to pick you up at Heathrow and drive you straight to the Tower. My roommate used a service that's been frequently recommended on Fodor's, and *loved* it. I can't remember the guy's contact info, but she's going to look it up. <BR> <BR>After the Tower...hm. All kinds of options. You might take the Tube directly from the Tower Hill stop to Westminster, and come up to take a quick stroll across Westminster Bridge, where you can see the Houses of Parliament (and Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, and the Thames. Then take a walk up Parliament Street, which turns into Whitehall. You'll pass the Horse Guards on Whitehall, and your sons will no doubt want a picture. Just past the Horse Guards, you can check out Trafalgar Square. <BR> <BR>There's a terrific place to grab lunch right off the Square, called The Place Below. It's under the church of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, on your right if you're coming onto Trafalgar Square from Whitehall. Very atmospheric, cafeteria-style and quick, and the food is quite good. If your kids get hungry before that, another good, fast food option would be the Pret a Manger chain of cafes. They're everywhere, and they have excellent to-go or eat-in sandwiches, and not just the kind you'll find in a US deli! (You can also grab on-the-run sandwiches in most Boots pharmacies, or pop into a pub for a "pub lunch.") <BR> <BR>That should pretty much do it for your layover; you may not even be able to fit this much in if any traffic or other delays foil you. But with good connections, it should work, and it's what I'd do if I had a short time to take two boys of that age around London. <BR> <BR>Getting back: either arrange for the car to meet you if you like the service, or just stroll behind Trafalgar Square up to Leicester Square Tube, where the Piccadilly Line stops and goes straight out to Heathrow. Remember that it takes 50 minutes-1 hour on the Tube to Heathrow. By car, could be more, could be less, depending on traffic. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps--have a great time in London (and in Athens)!

David <BR>Maybe you've already taken this into consideration, but I wouldn't be <BR>overly optimistic about how you all are going to feel when first arriving from your overnight flight, especially the kids <BR>Will greatly depend on how much sleep they got and everyone's stamina. <BR>You could also spend half a day at <BR>Windsor Castle which isn't far from Heathrow and it's only one destination. <BR>It's not London, but it is a castle, even has a changing of the guard, and everyone might enjoy it. YOu could also have a good meal in Windsor before returning to Heathrow.

Elaine makes a good point. I'm always eager to see what I can and so push myself after overnight flights, but then again, I'm not traveling with small children. If you haven't gotten a lot of sleep on the flight (and more to the point, if they haven't), Windsor Castle would be a good alternative.

David, <BR> <BR>Windsor is a good suggestion, considering your arrival at nearby Heathrow and your limited time between planes. I would take a taxi from the airport to simplify the trip to Windsor. <BR> <BR>At Windsor, your kids will probably enjoy the castle. The town of Windsor is compact, and walkable. A short stroll down to the River Thames, and you can walk across the pedestrian bridge to the village of Eton, stopping along the way to count all the Queen's swans who inhabit the river here. Eton is a quiet village, home to the famous boys school where Royal princes attend. Not that much to see here, but this walk will give you the flavor of a small English town (and a chance to stretch your legs). <BR> <BR>I almost hesitate to mention the fact that there is a Legoland amusement park just outside of Windsor. Shuttle buses depart from both Windsor rail stations. You are too pressed for time to see Legoland, unless your sons are extreme "Legomanics". <BR> <BR>If you are set on seeing downtown London, you can get from the airport in 15 minutes on the Heathrow Express train, then transfer to the tube or taxi to reach other sights. If I had to pick one such sight for my 5 and 9 year old sons, it would be the Tower of London. Follow Gina's advice on arrival time, Yeoman Warder tour, and time at the site. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your too brief stopover in London...and plan a "real" visit here in the future--your kids will love it. <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR> <BR>David White <BR>[email protected] <BR>http://www.KidsToLondon.com