hlphillips2

There's so much great info on this forum, and so much helpful info. Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions and provided help!
Some thoughts on / tips from our trip:

- A friend suggested that we should do the London Eye day 1 to get our bearings. While we loved the Eye, I wish we'd done it at the end of the trip so we could identify places we'd seen from above. Day 1 we had no idea where we were or what we were looking at.
- The Hop On Hop Off bus was great. Wish we'd done that within the first few days. That was the plan, but several extra miles of walking the first day forced a change.
- Totally recommend TKTS. We snagged great same day tickets after midnight at officialLondonTheater.com
- Anyone traveling with a CPAP machine, you definitely cannot find distilled water anywhere. However, some bottled water is marked as filtered and distilled. That seemed to work fine with the machine. We didn't check suitcases, so we couldn't pack our own.
- If you miss tickets on the official site for the Harry Potter Studio Tour, try any number of bus tour groups. We went with Evan Evans and it worked out well, as we didn't have to worry about catching a shuttle or train delays (which plagued us the next day heading to Salisbury). Only downside is the four hour limit left us feeling a bit rushed.
- On the HP tour, don’t miscalculate time. During the tour introduction, they make it very clear that the cafeteria is the halfway point. That’s not quite correct, as the best parts are all front loaded. If under a time crunch, I recommend spending 2.5 or 3 hours before reaching the cafeteria (seeing every single demonstration possible) then leaving 1.5 hours or less at the back half.
- Oyster card was wonderful. I realize we spent £7 pounds per person extra, but just having the card and not stressing about an app or giving kids a separate credit card (with fees) was just lovely. We did the 7 day visitor option, then just added £10 to each card for the final day and easily hit the daily cap. With both options it was so nice to know that we could keep traveling all day, and wouldn’t be penalized by getting on the wrong bus or needing to reenter a station.
- Suggest using the TFL Go app. We were able to see in real time which Tube lines were closed. Lifesaver.
- We missed the changing of the guard because they only did it two of the possible five days we were there. Check changing-guard.com to verify. Thank goodness for this page, because otherwise we would rushed to wait more than an hour for nothing.
- Hamleys toy store is a blast, even with much older kids.
- While some say most pubs allow 16 year olds with parents, in Notting Hill we couldn’t find one that allowed anyone under 18. It was a painful experience. Just skip pubs altogether unless everyone is old enough to drink.
- No need to change cash at all. I’d read this the day before we left, and it’s so true. Even a bottle of water is just a quick tap with the card. If possible, use a card with no international fees.

P_M

I'm glad you had a good trip. I'm one of maybe 3 people in the world who would say you didn't miss much by not seeing the changing of the guards. I've seen it twice and it was so crowded I couldn't see much. I recently had an overnight layover in London, but I hope to go again soon and spend more time there.

bvlenci

I've been to the changing of the guard twice, and I wouldn't have gone the second time if someone in my family hadn't insisted. I saw only the top of a guard's hat. If you go early you'll be pushed and shoved towards the back unless you climb up that monument in the square, and then you run the risk that someone will throw you off to get your spot.

geetika

Yes, a highly overrated event. I remember seeing the changing of the guards as a young girl in the sixties, then in 1981 with my husband. Very few people around that dreary cold January morning, I wished we’d slept in a little longer and done something else!

P_M

I also went the second time because I was out voted by my husband and my mother. After it was over, they agreed it wasn't worth it.

I'm glad to know there are more than 3 people in the world who were underwhelmed by the changing of the guard.

janisj

Actually -- in the 'olden days' the C-o-t-G was often quite fun and was mostly worthwhile. But the crowds gave grown enormously and now it a slog . . . a huge time suck.

hlphillips2: Thanks for reporting back. You are right that f'lying' the Eye probably would have been better later in the stay. They do have info boards showing sites in the distance, but having toured around a bit first you would have had a better grasp of things.

Isn't Hamley's great