Just back yesterday from a 9 day trip to London. Exhausted, but the overall feeling is that of having seen only the tip of a fantastic city and country. I will be posting my trip report here in the course of the next two days; but would like to place on record the invaluable suggestions and tips by Fodorites, especially the regulars like Janisj; Robespierre etc who really made a difference to my trip. Once again thanks a million for your magnanimity in taking out your time to help others. May your tribe increase!

Well; here goes!!!

Day 1 : Thursday June 29th
Arrived at 1 PM at Heathrow. Brushed through immigaration and customs in about 1/2 an hour - a tip here - travel as light as possible ; it can help breeze you through without waiting for the luggage carousel.
Took the Heathrow Express to Paddington; just a 15 minute; albeit, very expensive ride- 26 Pounds return for an adult !!!!!! total of 67 pounds for wife + son!!!
Checked in at the hotel near Hyde park and immediately headed to the park. Walked round Kensinton Gardens, Round Pond, Kensington palace, Albert Memorial and to Diana Fountain. My son was absolutely thrilled with this fountain; though I was slightly confused as to how this stream could be called a fountain. Anyway, it was a very pleasant scene with scores of kids and adults enjoying themselves dangling their feet in the fountain. By the Way, it was BLISTERING HOT there and this was one aspect we had not bargained for when we planned our trip. We had expected temperatures of around 22 but apparently London was in the grip of a Heat Wave, the highest in the recent recorded history with temperatures touching 33!!!with high humidity. This made walking quite uncomfortable and our energy levels quickly sapped. By this time, my son had spotted the Pedal Boats in the Serpentine and taken a fancy to them and in the interest of maintaining domestic peace, I volunteered to hire one of them, a big mistake in hindsight !! The heat and humidity were taking their toll and the half hour never seemed to end. This would have been a very pleasent activity in fairer weather and I would recommend this to anyone visiting Hyde Park. The cost is 10 GP for a half hour period for 2 adults + 1 child.
Had Dinner in a Indian Restaurant and fell into an exhausted sleep - a long day ahead tomorrow !!!
DAY 2 - JUNE 3O - KENSINGTON PALACE, ROYAL ALBERT HALL, ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL, STRAND - Coming Soon

ttt

Keep going please!

It has been very hot in the UK the past few weeks, so I hope it didn't spoil your time here too much.

Looking forward to the rest of your report.

My total sympathies about the weather you endured. I was in England in July of 2001, and it was quite hot, with lots of wind, and I found myself seeking out any air-conditioned spots I could find. Not what you expect when you visit England!

DAY 2 : KENSINGTON PALACE, ROYAL ALBERT HALL, ST. PAULS + WALKABOUT
Before I go into the days activities, let me say something about the London Pass. Contrary to the opinions of many posters here, I personally found it excellent value for money. I must have saved at least GBP 35 through the Pass than if I had opted to pay individually at each of the sites. Also, it forces you to structure your sightseeing, which for a first timer is better. Anyways, here goes:
Walked over to Kensington Palace through the Gardens - the heat was already building up!! Kensington Palace as such was not very impressive, with a frumpy Victoria statue in front; and in my opinion, not much to see in terms of decor or objects; unless you are a fan of Victorian age clothing.
Finished touring it in under an hour. Walked over to take the Royal Albert hall Tour (included in the London Pass). To our great disappointment, the tour for that day had been cancelled due to some function. Resolved to try again later in the week. Walked over to the bus stop and took the N0. 9 bus to Aldwych en route to St. Pauls. Changed over to NO. 15 from Aldwych and reached St. Pauls. Enjoyed the bus ride since this was our first glimpse of London Streets - My first impression was - the streets are so narrow !!! most allowed only 1 lane traffic. That showed that the city had evolved unplanned over the ages and added to the charm.
Boughtsome sandwiches at the M&S Simply food outlet next to St. Pauls at the Paternoister Square and had it on the steps of St. Pauls. Headed in refreshed and took in the service that was just concluding as we walked in. Started the climb to the whispering gallery, stone gallery and then to the golden gallery. To my amazement, the person who seemed to enjoy it the most was my 7 year old son. The views from the golden gallery were simply breathtaking. My wife and me were fully winded after this climb and hardly had energy left to go the crypt to see the tombs of wellington, nelson etc,which were quite impressive. To my disappointment, I could't locate Wren's tomb and at that point was too tired to search any further!!
Headed out to the churchyard; took some more snaps of the sorrounding areas - London Stock Exchange etc.
The next item on our agenda was a Walk from Millenium Bridge to Waterloo Bridge and then to Somerset House, Temple, Lincolns Fields etc. This was the most tiring part of our entire 9 day trip, with the heat and humidity. (Learnt later that the temperature had touched 33degrees that day). Made our way slowly through South Bank and to Walterloo Bridge; the Temple was an interesting place; unfortunately the Temple Church had closed by the time we reached there; crossed over the strand to the LSE area and then walked through strand to Trafalgar Square !!!
Thoroughly cheesed out by now after the hectic day.