I'm travelling to London in November. Has anyone picked up a Londonpass or is it a tacky touristy thing? By the research I have done so far, not a whole lot is open and/or going on in late November there. Can anyone comment on being in London in late November?

Everything on the London Pass is open in November, except Buckingham Palace. The London Pass does indeed include several "tacky, touristy" things like the London Dungeon. Since so many of the wonderful museums in London are free, most tourists don't find the London Pass to be a good value, but you should price out your own itinerary and interests just to be sure.

The only drawback we found (other than the cooler/cold weather) is that it gets dark around 4:00 to 4:30 in the afternoon. Other than having much shorter daylight hours, however, we enjoyed that time of year because it was not as crowded.

I didn't get a Londonpass, but I did get a weekly pass for the tube. Financially it may have just paid off, but it saved me from worrying over fares and self-serve ticket kiosks.<BR><BR>I was in London in November 2000 and plan to return this November. For me, early sunset isn't as much a concern as cloudy, dark days. Fortunately, there's plenty to do indoors in London. <BR><BR>Rather than scheduling your itinerary in advance, stay flexible: take advantage of clear days for sightseeing and visits to Hampton Court, Windsor, Greenwich, etc. When it rains, visit the museums and churches. <BR><BR>I usually visit the British Museum and National Gallery more than once, since they are free, rather than trying to see everything in one go. There are so many worthwhile museums in London - the Imperial War Museum, Science Museum, V&A, ...<BR><BR>I also really enjoy attending evensong or matins in Westminster Abbey and St Paul's. You get a more personal experience this way than by just trudging through as a tourist. If the services aren't too crowded, you may be invited to sit in the Quire stalls, which is a truly unique experience. There are also sometimes concerts in these and other churches, such as St Martin's.<BR><BR>After dark, stroll around the theatre district, Covent Garden, etc. In summer, I don't get to see these areas lit up, since I'm usually exhausted before sunset. Take advantage of those early evenings to see London in another light. In November 2000, the Christmas decorations were already up, which gave Oxford Street, Harrod's, etc an even more festive nighttime look.<BR><BR>Have fun, and be sure to say "hi" if you see me.<BR><BR>Dave

Forgot to mention one other essential "indoor" activity in London - the theatre. There are plenty of big-name productions, but don't overlook the smaller venues. I saw "The Complete Works of Shakespeare" last time - it was hilarious. Most people stand in line at the official half-price kiosk, but I got my tickets by just asking at the theatre box office.<BR><BR>A friend also took me to the English National Opera. I'd never been to the opera before, but one great thing about the ENO is apparently everything is translated into English. We just walked up to the ticket counter in the afternoon and got cheap (5GPB?) tickets for the same evening.<BR>

Dave made a good point about being flexible regarding the weather. When I planned our trip, I put together daily itineraries, based on things that were close together, consideratoins like not too much museum-going in one day, etc. Then I put together a Day Itinerary that included destinations, tube stops and other directions, and at the top a note about whether this was a "good day" itinerary or an "indoor itinerary". Also, I noted whether there were any days of the week that the specific list wouldn't work, because of different museum hours, etc. Then each morning we just pickeout which list to follow, depending on the weather and our moods!

Thanks for the info. I am staying very flexible, deciding what I want to see but not making any concrete plans as to when I will go. We're also planning to travel to Stonehenge and Bath and eventually Manchester where my Mom is from. She moved to the US in 1953 so she is eager to go "home".<BR><BR>Thanks again!

Just a few websites from my own research.<BR><BR>St. Paul’s Cathedral: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/rindex.htm<BR>Westminster Abbey: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/<BR>Houses of Parliament: http://www.parliament.uk/ <BR><BR>London Eye: http://www.londoneye.com/content/frameset.asp<BR>Tower of London: http://www.armouries.org.uk/tower/index.html<BR> http://www.londontower.org/<BR><BR>British Museum: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/<BR>National Gallery: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/<BR>Museum of London: http://www.museum-london.org.uk/<BR>Science Museum: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/index.asp<BR><BR>Theatre: http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/ <BR>English National Opera: http://www.englishopera.org/<BR>

I'm beginning to think the London Pass may be a better deal than I thought. I just returned from London two weeks ago, and while the museums are free we spent a ton of money on admission fees to other things. Of course it was our first trip to London so we did everything - we went to Buckingham Palace, Westminster abbey, Parliament, Kensington Palace, Tower of London, etc. and as you can see, it really begins to add up! At least with a London Pass you know in advance what you're paying, and you can buy it now and so spread out your spending in advance. I've got a huge credit card bill to pay now but it was definitely worth every pence!!

Michelle, everyone has their own strategy and decisions to make, when deciding whether to buy a pass. <BR><BR>The five properties you named cost a total of &pound;45 for adult tickets, and a LondonPass (without transport option) costs &pound;39 for a 2-day pass and &pound;49 for a 3-day pass. So unless you wanted to visit all those places in 2 days, the LondonPass is not your cheapest option. If you are visiting more of the placces that are on the Pass, and taking longer, then it might indeed be a good buy.<BR><BR>As we have said before, each person has to figure out their own itinerary and cost out the pass to determine whether it's a good buy in their case. The passes themselves also cost "a ton of money."

jen, do you have your itinerary online or able to share it via email? I'm going to London Oct 6-12 and we just decided today! So I have a lot to decide where to go, where to stay, where to eat.....any info from anyone is appreciated! [email protected]