Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - London itinerary

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London itinerary

This is my husband's first time so we are doing the tourist things.... Thurs: arrive at Gatwicj 9:15 G. Express into Victoria Station, taxi to County Hall, drop off bags (assuming they will stow them for us) bus tour of city (we have travel cards assuming we can hop on and go!)the Westminister Abby, St. James Park and walk to Buckingham if it is a decent day, then British Museum until it closes at 8:30 Friday: Tower of London, tube to Trafalgar Square, enjoy square, see National Portrait Gallery for just a bit, St. Martin in the Fields (may eat in the basement) See The Mousetrap at 8:00 p.m. Saturday: Portobello road just for a few hours, quick cruise through Harrod's food halls just to look, Victoria and ALbert, walk through Gardens around Kensington Palace, maybe find the flagship COlefax and Fowler store (I am a decorator!) maybe reduced Shakespeare that night Sunday: Relaxing brunch, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court and then Evensong somewhere that evening hopefully. Monday: Shopping Shopping Shopping with my girlfriend (she is coming in from Oxford...her dh is teaching there this semester) I am studying Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop London book to decide what neighborhood's to hit..I am a decorator so I am looking for ideas as well as a few fabric and china etc.....Mama Mia at 7:30! Tuesday: Tate Britian and anything else we did not get to do because of time or being rushed or perhaps something we discover we want to do and did not know about.... Any suggestions....feasible or crazy?

Crazy, especially Sunday.

Help me then....my husband thinks we can do this all...help me talk him down.....

I agree that Sunday is way too much. You can spend the better part of a day at Hampton Court by itself. Plus the time it would take to get from one place to the other. I would choose one or the other and explore it in depth. My choice would be Hampton Court. You will find that everything takes longer than you anticipate! Just relax and have fun.

I would rather do Hampton Court too but I think dh really want to go to Windsor so we will probably just do that on Sunday...how do our other days look....yes I want to relax and enjoy the trip..that is why we have nothing but the Tate Britian on Tuesday...that way if we do not get to do everything on our itinerary we can try to do it on Tuesday! THanks for advice...

Are you traveling from across the Atlantic? If so, you will arrive having had little or no sleep. If you're still interested in the Br. Museum in the evening and can stay awake, then more power to you, but I wouldn't plan that for me. Friday seems easier. Following St Martin in the Fields and/or lunch, if you are up to it, add in the Br Museum. Yes, save your last day for general browsing or one planned activity that you didn't get to (like the Tate) that you absolutely want to do. I think your flexible plan for the last tday is great. If you're going to Portobello Road, go very early. Conventional wisdom is that the best stuff is sold by 9am. If you're sure about going to Windsor, then do it, but on such a short visit I'd stay in London. There is so much that you won't see: the churches and St Paul's Cathedral in the City; the Br. Library; National Gallery; Churchill's Cabinet War Rooms, etc etc

Wow. Sounds like a very ambitious itinerary. Your arrival day sounds very overloaded, imo. I don't know where you are flying in from, so this may not apply, but you might be VERY tired if you have a long flight. Also, you have to factor in the time it takes to get your bags, get through customs, get your bearings at the airport, travel time to County Hall, waiting for your bus. You also might want to eat and freshen up abit. I didn't notice that listed. I would ditch the bus tour entirely. If your husband is determined to do the big bus tour, send him off on his own while you go shopping with your friend. London is very easy to get around, so if you arm him with a tube and bus map, he should be ok by himself. Not sure when you are going, but Trafalgar square is under some major renovation work right now, in front of the National Gallery. I personally did not care to see the Portrait Gallery, but the National Gallery was very nice. If your husband enjoys art, you should stop in there. Buy your tickets to the Tower and the other touristy things in advance, so you won't have to queue on the day you want to see them. It will save lots of time. I think you can buy some tickets over the web; if not, I know that some of the little souvenir-type shops around the Tower sell tickets. It's pound or two more, but if you are on a strict time line, it would probably be worth it. Really, London has so much to see that there is no way you'll fit it all in a few days. Make a list of the "Must See" places and go to them first. Anything you can't fit in, make a mental note to see the next time you go to London, (since it sounds like you've been before. :) )

Hi! I'm not one of those people who think all itineraries are too ambitious - I did a LOT on my first day and was fine, so I think your first day is OK. I wasn't too jet-lagged and didn't go to bed that first night until 11pm. Go for it. Sunday is impossible, as others have said. They are in different directions and each a 1/2 hour train ride out of the city, not including tube time to get to the stations (one from Paddinton and one from Waterloo). We spent 5 hours in Hampton Court Palace not including travel time. I would say you have time for breakfast and HCP, not leisurely lunch and not Windsor. You don't say when you are going, but if you are going soon, in off season, things close earlier, like 4 or 5pm - keep this in mind. You could go to Windsor Tuesday morning, and then come back in the afternoon and go to Tate Britain - that should work. Oh, BTW, we thought Reduced Shakespeare was hilarious - so I'd say - GO! Have fun!

Great ideas...I have been before and my adrenaline was pumping on the first day! and I loved reduced Shakespeare (dh is an English minor so he will love it too!) Thanks for the hint about Tower of London tickets..I dread going again but he wants me to go with him so I will:) GREAT IDEA about doing Hampton Court on Tuesday morning or after we do the Tate Britain (I work in an art gallery here so we can't miss the Tate!) Also thanks for the heads up about Trafalgar Square....Where do we go to get cheap tickets for Reduced Shakespeare? We have already purchased our other theatre tickets online! I wish "Breathe of Life" was still running...oh well....I loved "Blood Brothers" when I was there before! Thanks again.