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Marble Arch, London - What to do for four days?

Staying near the Marble Arch in London in October for four days. Has anyone stayed at Cumberland Hotel? How should I fill my four days??? Any advice would be great! Thanks.

We didn't stay at the Cumberland but we had a very good meal there at the Carvery Restaurant. It was recommended in Cheap Eats by Gustafson ( I highly recommend the book. We used it for almost all of our London meals and were never disappointed).The Carvery was pricey (19 pounds per person) but the numerous selections on the buffet were tastey and included a dessert buffet as well. Right across the street from the Cumberland are the bus stops for several of the double decker bus tours. We took one on our first day in London when we were low on energy from the trip. It was a nice way to get an overview of the city.The tours are hop on hop off if you wish and the ticket is good for 24 hours. Someone on this site suggested that if you take a tour later in the afternoon, you can use the tour bus all morning of the next day as you start to tour. Also right down the street from the Cumberland is lots of shopping with Selfriges and Marks and Spencer a block or two away. If you are there over a Sunday, one tube stop away at Lancaster Gate is Kensington Gardens. On Sunday artists hang there works on the park fence. Its a fun stroll. Have a great time!

On the Internet access citycity.net/countries/united_kingdom. From there you can research London and any of the other cities or regions you plan to visit. On the London website, click on "calendar" and you'll find a listing by month of events. Click on "London West End Theatre Guide" and you'll find a listing of plays, casts, theatres, opening and closing dates, costs and reviews for a ton of theatrical productions. Now for some generalities: pick up a copy of A-Z Visitors' London Atlas and Guide when in London. It's about the size of a postal card but has excellent detailed maps of London with major buildings, embassies, churchs, theatres, etc. all identified. Print is large and easily readible. Underground (subway) stations are all identified and bus routes are indicated. Opening and closing times of museums and major sites are listed as well as closest subway stops. The guide also includes a map of the underground system. Pick up a copy of London Planner at the tourist information center in Victoria Station to find out what's doing in the city. It lists special events, theatre offerings, gallery and museum exhibits for the month. While the subway system is excellent, (you are never more than three blocks away from any conceivable place you might want to visit) I'd recommend you use the big red double-decker bus system. Passes for the underground are usable on the buses as well. The numbers 11, 15 or 38 buses are good routes for taking an orientation "tour" of London. The number 15 bus stops at Marble Arch. Take it and save the cost of a tour bus. Sit in the front of the bus on top. London, by the way, is contemplating doing away with the double-deckers. Ride them before they become obsolete. You can pick up a "Central London Bus Guide" at any underground station or tourist information office (There's one in Victoria Station.) Do you have information on the Visitor Travelcard which offers unlimited travel on buses and the underground? If not I can give you some guidelines. There's a vast selection to choose from, some a bargain, some not. Must sees: Harrod's and its food court. Westminster Abbey. Take the tour, it's money well spent. The Tate Gallery: see the permanent exhibit of J. W. Turner's paintings that anticipate the Impressionist movement. Speakers' corner, Hyde Park only on Sunday. Soap box orators, some on the lunatic fringe, exercise free speech to the delight of onlookers. The British Museum. Like Harrod's you could spend your entire stay in the Museum and still not see all there is to see. Do see the Rosetta Stone, the Portland Vase and definitely, the Elgin Marbles. Fortunately, all are in close proximity to one another within the museum. Pick up a floor plan at the information desk. Stop at the same day box office in Leicester Square in the heart of the theatre district to see what bargains may be available. Visit St. Martin's in the Fields at Trafalgar Square. A church not built by Christopher Wren, it houses an inexpensive, good restaurant, a brass rubbing center and stages periodic concerts. Make a brass rubbing and treat yourself to an unusual souvenir of your trip. Tower Bridge: the bridge celebrated it's 100th birthday in 1995 and has an excellent exhibit and tour with holographs and animatronic historic personages. It ends with your walk across the Thames from the enclosed catwalk between the bridge's two towers. You get a sweeping panoramic view of London from the Tower of London past St. Paul's cathedral up to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Most impressive! St. James Park offers an opportunity for a lovely stroll lakeside. Don't sees: don't waste time going to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guards. You'll see more of the backsides of tourists than any guards. Instead watch the changing of the Horse Guards at 11 AM daily, 10 AM Sunday. You can get really close to the horse mounted guards and experience the remnants of Britain's penchant for pomp and circumstance. Horse Guards barracks is on Whitehall between Trafalgar Square and Parliament. Where to eat? London's museums have some reasonably priced attractive restaurants. By all means, eat in a pub. You can usually get a roast beef dinner on Sunday afternoons in one of the neighborhood, rather than tourist oriented pubs. Seems to be a tradition. Some pub food defies description: " bangers and mash": sausage embedded in mashed potatoes; "chips butty": french fries between two slices of buttered bread; "bubble and squeak": sauted mashed potatoes and cabbage. (Don't ask about "toad in the hole"). The "Plowman's Lunch" consists of generous slabs of one or two British cheeses, crisp French-style bread and usually a small salad. Beef and kidney pie is just that. Not all British beers are served warm. Lagers and pilsners are cooled as in America. (I was surprised to find America's Rolling Rock beer headlined as the "Premium Lager of the Week" in a pub in London's Little Venice! Feel free to Email me directly if you'd like more info. Wes Fowler

Wow! Have fun! Definately take a small umbrella to take around with you. It rains off/on at that time of year. My hausband and I lived for 3 years and just recently returned to the states. Here's my list of things to do, and things you'll need. Need: A copy of A to Z guide. It shows all the streets and subway stops. By the way, the tube is the trains, and a subway is an underground walkway. You can also purchase Travelcards before you get there. These are for riding the trains and buses, and it's cheaper to buy them here before you go, then to buy them there. Your will need one for each day you're in London. Marble Arch is a good place to get to everywhere from! Things to do: One day needs to be devoted to The Tower of London and the The Tower Bridge( which we call the London Bridge). There you will see the Crown Jewels and the first castle, before Buckingham Palace was built. Lots of armor in the armory, and stories of what happened when. Be sure to take one of their guided tours. Another day you should see St. Paul's cathedral. Also Westminster Abbey, and The houses of Parliament. You can get guided tours through the Houses of Parliament, you can check once you get there. If you can, that might be day two. If you're interested, you can watch the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It begins a 11 am, but get there an hour early if you can to get a good spot. After that, have a walk through St. James's Park, then take a tube ride over to Kensington GArdens, and see Kensington Palace. Also, one day you need to have High Tea. It begins at 4 pm, and is wonderful! You'll need to make a reservation, though. Try the Hyde Park Hotel, they have views of Hyse Park from their dining room. If you enjoy shopping, you'll have to visit Harrods! That's very close to the Hyde Park Hotel and you could easily spend a few hours there. Definately check out their food court! If you enjoy museums, the British Museum is a must! Absolutely huge! Somewhat similar to our Smithsonians although under one roof. I hope this helps! You should also stop in a pub. They have great cheap food, and it's fun! One more piece of advice. Try to sleep on the plane on your way over, and try not to nap the 1st day you're there. It really messes up your sleep patterns! On the way back home, try to stay awake! It's hard, but it will be worth it, trust me!

If you feel like peace an quiet for a half or full day, I'd recommend a river trip (dead cheap) from Westminster pier to Greenwich which takes you past all the sights. Greenwich has some great pubs and resturants and lovely parkland overlooking the Thames. There is also the Cutty Sark, Maritime museum, obervatory & meridian line... There is also a good craft market there (Sunday's only I think).

Thanks to all of you for the great information. Wes and Connie, I would like to learn more about those bus and underground passes you talked about. I have never heard of them before. Some of you mentioned having tea, or "high tea." Since I will be traveling very light, I was wondering if you need to be "dressed up" to go into these places for tea, or if casual but neat is okay. I'm sorry now that I won't be there on a Sunday and will miss the artists and craft market...maybe next time! Thanks again for the great info, it will come in handy. Keep the good advice coming!

My husband and I spent 4 days in London in February and had a wonderful time. Start off the trip with a full tour on one of the hop on/hop off double decker buses. This will help you get the lay of the land, and the tour guide is very informative. You can catch the buses at the Marble Arch -- it can be confusing to figure out how to get over there -- you have to go underground. Here's what we did: Tower of London Take time for this one and do the Beefeater tour. My favorite! St. Paul's Cathedral Climb up to the top for a great view of the city. Westminster Abbey Need I say more? Buckingham Palace Changing of the guard. Check out St. James' park. Go stand in the middle of the Mall for a neat view. Kensington Palace We enjoyed tea at the Orangery -- a tip we had gotten from fellow Americans abroad. GO! It is beautiful in there, where queens once took tea. You don't have to be all dressed up either. A wonderful memory... Covent Garden Fun, funky. Sit with a glass of wine and watch the street performers. TIPS We wished we had investigated good restaurants before going over. We thought it would be like NYC, where you can find restaurants without trouble. It is not like that in London. Plan ahead! Definitely get a metro card. The Underground is so convenient and easy to use.

Re Visitor Travelcards: Some authorized travel agents can secure them or you can contact BritRail Travel International, 1500 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, tel: (212) 575-2667. I'm not certain they're a bargain unless you plan on an early start in your daily travels. In '96, the 3 day pass cost $25.00; a one day pass (good after 9:30 AM and available at tube stations) cost $4.50. In three days savings were over $10.00 using the daily passes rather than the three day pass. Hang on to them by the way; you need them to exit the tube stations. Saw a recommendation to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. I'd recommend watching the changing of the Horse Guard instead at Horse Guards Barracks on Whitehall. Unless you arrive at Buckingham at least an hour prior to the guard change, you'll see little but the backsides of other tourists. At Horse Guards, you're practically in the middle of the action, no more than three or four feet from the mounted Guardsmen.

Just returned from London. While we did not stay at the Cumberland, we had two of our best meals there. Very convenient location - and you can walk Oxford St. and hope on the busses. They did charge us twice for one meal, so examine your credit card statement when you get back. Take an umbrella and have fun! The British were delightful!

Since Wes gave you the info on the tickets for the tube and bus system, I'll tell you about High Tea. High Tea is served in most hotels. Time is usually 4pm through 6pm. How you dress depends upon where you take your tea. For the Hyde Park Hotel, which is an upscale hoted, I saw people in dresses as well as denim. JUst make sure that you are neat and that you talk quietly. Americans have a reputation over there for being loud! Can't imagine why.... Usually, each person gets their own individual mini teapots with your desired flavor of tea. Then they usually bring out a 3 tiered tray full of scones, cakes, and finger sandwiches! That's one thing I really miss! Since dinner isn't usually eaten there until 8 pm, it's nice to nibble on something at 4! What else to say but Bon Appetit!

Connie - great info! I have not experienced tea in England yet and after reading your description, I can hardly wait for "tea time!" I think I might start a new topic on this, it would be interesting to hear people's favorite place(s) for tea. Cheers!

I can't advise you on the Cumberland, but... you will have no problem filling up 4 days! In fact, you'll probably wish you had 4 more. The Underground (tube) system is very easy to use, safe, & fast. This may sound trite, but make sure you see Big Ben at night, when it's all lit up - really a wonderful sight! The tube stop (Westminster) is literally right across the street from Big Ben.

Just skimmed thru the above and don't see that anyone answered your question about the Cumberland. Don't like to comment on an out of date experience but did stay there nine years ago. The rooms were very small and poorly maintained, but the price was right and it's a great location.