Portdane

great suggestions - thank you - I will do some more research -

Portdane

just wanted to see it - I'll research tours but heard it's not open to the pubic on those dates z/

janisj

Wanted to see what? What isn't open on your date??

Nothing wrong with the Marlin Waterloo -- but it isn't within the budget you stated in your OP. Sept 21 and 22 they are asking £229 per night for a hotel room and £234 per night for a studio.

(Hint -- when responding it would help if you tell us which posts you are responding to - and no need for multiple short answers one right after the other -- you can combine - sort of like I did in this post)

Jean

A few possibilities in this article, but you'd have to either up the budget a bit or be flexible on location.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/de...tels-in-london

Portdane

Well I did a lengthy reply yesterday but when I sent it this morning it would not post until I refreshed - I did - it's gone
anyway - thx everybody for recommendations and London info - we did reserve a hotel close to the attractions we want to visit - the Marlin Waterloo - price was about $700 including all fees/taxes for a superior room - we booked tickets to Tower of London for Friday - thinking about the on/off bus but haven't booked yet - got tickets to the Moulin rouge show at the Piccadilly for Thursday night - the theater was really informative on seat info with recommendations and photos from guests so you could see from exactly what the location shows - I wanted Friday because of jet lag but my husband said we would be sleeping on plane ? so - I may get tickets to Churchills War Room ? - I think our quick London trip will be a good visit - I'll post after we return from Ireland cruise = thx again for your posts - Karen

starrs

"I may get tickets to Churchills War Room ? "
Tickets would be a good idea. I planned my last two days around the times listed online and when I arrived they were closing "early". Completely missed my opportunity to go. I wish that I had purchased tickets.

Have a great trip!

janisj

Glad you got the hotel sorted out - but how on earth does your husband know you will sleep on the plane?? I suppose it is water under the bridge now -- but even a big musical like Moulin Rouge may not be enough to keep you awake. Even if one or both of you do get some sleep on the flight -- it is seldom a restful night and arrival day is often a lost cause. If you are flying from the east coast or even midwest, after meal service and 'lights out' til breakfast service, the flight is too short to get more than about 3 or 4 hours sleep max (if one sleeps at all). What with possible immigration and baggage issues, schlepping into Lambeth North (the actual location of the hotel), waiting for the room to be ready, etc.

The H-o-H-o bus is really a waste of time and money IMO

KTtravel

We loved the Churchill War Rooms and I hope you get to see them. Have a great trip!

macdogmom

Spent so much money on that hoho bus our first day in London long ago and everyone but me promptly fell asleep. Coming from Calif I usually get at the most 2 or 3 hours of sleep. First day is a wash. My favorite flights to London, was when we flew to NYC, hung out with our son for a few days and then took a day flight to London from JFK. Had a late dinner when we arrived and got a pretty good night of sleep. Our last trip in May from LaX-LHR was hard. So much jet lag…

janisj

macdofmom: So true -- folks on the east coast don't know how easy they have it with daytime TATL flights. If I lived in NY/DC/Bos I'd try for a daytime flight every time. But there are relatively so few and, they mostly sell at a premium - plus get booked up pretty far in advance.

Hopefully the OP is flying in the pointy end of the plane -- in coach or even economy+, sleeping is a lot harder. My last three flights to London (one each out of SEA, DFW and LAX) all in Business Class, I averaged a bit over 4 hours sleep on 10+ hour flights. And I'll pay extra to get a LHR arrival after noon -- I'm done with the 0630 arrivals.

janisj

oops --sorry for the typo in your screen name -- fat fingers

annhig

<<Spent so much money on that hoho bus our first day in London long ago and everyone but me promptly fell asleep. Coming from Calif I usually get at the most 2 or 3 hours of sleep. First day is a wash>>

Macdogmom - it's not just falling asleep at the beginning of holidays that I have to worry about. When I was in the US in 2019, my third stop was Chicago where we were scheduled to spend the first morning on the Architecture boat tour which everyone raves about. Embarrassingly i slept through about 75% of it. I'd been in the US for nearly 2 weeks by that time.

thursdaysd

I need to be horizontal in a quiet, dark room to sleep. Unless I'm in biz I don't expect to sleep on flights although I sometimes get an hour or two. Flying US east coast to the UK I plan to sleep for three hours or so the first afternoon, then eat dinner and go to bed at my normal times. I'm synced by the morning. However, even with an afternoon nap I would be dubious about the theater the first evening.

macdogmom

That’s all right, it’s too long!. I’ve tried to ask moderators about changing my name from my very old Macdogmom (RIP our wheaten terrier Mac) to a shortened version of my name something like AnneC but never got a response.

We’ve been taking business class for the last decade since we do go over partially for a business conference and I still can’t sleep worth a damn. But grateful for at least having more room. We have to drive to LA from SB and then get on flight and the whole ordeal was not pleasant this time. Old age! At least coming back is daytime flight although once we drive back to SB it’s a loooong day (and the middle of the night bodytime), At least your own bed awaits on the return flight.

macdogmom

Oh no, I probably would have gotten seasick so maybe sleep wasn’t so bad!

uktravelover

The sleep discussion made me smile. I agree it is serendipity even in business class! Having said that I can have the same problem in a normal bed!
Back to the topic of HOHO, I took my niece and family on one when they visited London and they thought it was great. A useful orientation. The following day they went back to see one or two things and the Tower.

janisj

Even if the H-o-H-o bus was a good idea (opinions vary) the OP doesn't have a next day to go back and see anything -- they are only staying in London 2 nights and have to be in Southampton Saturday Morning. They actually only have one full day in London (Friday) and IMO/IME there would be much better uses of their limited time.

bilboburgler

A darkened room, warm, space and pleasant chair, they will be asleep within minutes

Sitting down is the first danger, the second is darkness. The hoho with jet lag is a bad choice.

Parks, sunlight and movement is the solution

annhig

<<Oh no, I probably would have gotten seasick so maybe sleep wasn’t so bad! >>

It follows the river around the centre of Chicago macdogmom- not even I could get seasick on that. In fact it lulled me to sleep. And I could't even blame having had a "liquid lunch" as it was after breakfast! If sleep is going to catch up with you there is little you can do to avoid it.

Even if the OP were not pressed for time, I wouldn't recommend the HOHO bus, for that very reason.

Portdane

thx - I wil check out before we leave