I'm meeting my parents in London next weekend for Saturday and Sunday. Mom is making the plans, and I wanted to get some feedback on our thoughts. She is keen to book as many things in advance as possible in order to save time, but I'm a bit concerned that this might lock us down to me into specific times. Thoughts?

SATURDAY
Arrive at Picadilly Hotel around 10:30 - 11
Royal Mews
Queen's Gallery
Monet exhibition at Royal Academy
London eye later that night?

SUNDAY
Kensington Palace
Spencer House
London eye later that night?

The concern with Spencer house is getting tickets. This is one of two Sundays where the gardens are open, and Monday is a bank holiday, so I think it will be crowded. However, the gardens are only open from 2-5, but the house opens at 10:30. I thought I might go down around 10:30 to get house tickets for later in the day (say 3 or 3:30) and then meet my parents at Kensington Palace so we can see it, then do Spencer House and gardens.

Is it necessary to buy tickets in advance for Kensington, Royal Mews, Queen's Gallery or Monet? I believe that all can be done the day before.

Thanks.

&quot;<i>Is it necessary to buy tickets in advance for Kensington, Royal Mews, Queen's Gallery or Monet?</i>&quot;

Not for Kensington Palace, the Royal Mews or the Queen's Gallery.

Don't know about the Monet at the RA - though I do suspect you would need advance tix for that.

Thanks, janisj. Those were my thoughts. I always book in advance for big art exhibitions but not for just normal sights. I think Mom may want to try to book as much in advance as possible anyway.

Went to the Monet at the RA at the beginning of April and we did not have advanced tickets. No problem at all just bought the tickets when we were there. Used the same approach in February for the Roden exhibition at the RA as well – with the same results. So there is not need to book in advance.

The exhibition is quite small. To get the most out of it I would strongly recommend renting the audio tour.

Thanks, Wombat. I figured it would be a small collection. Any idea how long it took you to get through? Dad is crazy about Monet, as am I, so we could spend ages there, but Mom is not an art person.

I spent an hour there and enjoyed it very much. I think the friends I went with were less impressed. They were sitting down in the last room deciding where to go next when I came into that room.

The majority of the pictures are drawings – hence the title of the exhibition. I am not a huge Monet fan (a little modern for me) but I found the exhibition very interesting because it gave you an insight into Monet’s early and lesser know work. (look at some of the nude sketches and you will understand what I mean). As stated in my first post do get the audio tour – without that I would have been a bit under whelmed I think.

The last few paintings are of Westminster Bridge and amazing – they get more and more abstract. I would not have known the last one was of Westminster Bridge had I not seen the previous ones.

Pity the Renior exhibition at the National Gallery ends today. I went back to that for a second time last week. It was wonderful. Perhaps I am finally getting this “modern” art!

Thanks for the advice. I loved the Renoir exhibition. Saw it last weekend. Maybe the best art exhibition I've seen. I bought so many postcards!

I agree Joe - it was wonderful (did not want to gush too much in case you had not seen it). One of the best exhibitions I have seen at the National Gallery - but I missed the Velasquez

I thought Velasquez was just okay. The best painting was the one the National Gallery already had, about Venus. I love his paintings of Infanta and the royal family, but there were not many of those at all.

That is nice to hear