tds0212

I have taken the advice of some and made a "new" post, so to speak. The other post has been commented on, advice has been taken, changes have been made, and sweat has been wiped from my brow This is hard work. haha! If you need to refer back...the old post was Overwhelmed!

Just wanted to get any thoughts, suggestions, "absolutley nots", or advice from the Pros. There are several things that are considered "must sees" I had to leave out, just thinking there may not be enough time to see them. Also, as of now we are walking A LOT...if some of this seems silly or unnecessary let me know. This draft does not include place to stay, places to eat, etc. Just what we will be seeing that day.

I have been looking at areas to stay and have even emailed w someone about a B&B located near High Street Kensington and have also considered the Morgan...which lots of ppl seem to recommend due to location. That part is still up in the air. If I have not decided on a place to stay when the time for leaving is near I will look on Priceline as many of you have also suggested. I believe this has to be done closer to time.

Day 1 Friday (arriving in London at 7:00 am)

>airport,hotel check-in, gathering ourselves
>British Museum (open til 8:30 pm) walk around Bedford/Russell Square
>West end walk (pass Covent gardens, Leicester quare, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace-take picture from bridge in St James Park, pass St James Park/Palace, Trafalgar Squ., Admiralty Arch
LOTS of WALKING...as suggested by experts

Day 2 Saturday

>Westminister Abbey (90 min tour)
>Cabinet War Rooms (approx 2 hrs)
>Walk around passing Big Ben and Parliament
>Cross Westminister Bridge to London Eye...take a ride, see Jubilee gardens

Day 3 Sunday

>Tower of London at opening 10:00 (jewels 1st then Yeoman tour)
>Cross Tower Bridge
>Continue to walk from Tower Bridge to Globe Theatre passing HMS Belfast, Tate Modern, London Bridge, Millenium Bridge-take picture of St Pauls from here.
>Globe Theatre (open til 5pm Sundays ...late April-mid Oct)
>Continue to walk along Thames

Day 4 Monday

>St Pauls Cathedral
>Continue walking past St Pauls to Monument--walk around City
>Take tube to Oxford Circus or Bond St--Walk around shops/afternoon tea at Claridges
>See a show

Day 5 Tuesday
>Wake up and Eurostar to Paris!!

I hope I have not packed my days too full. I think this is do-able. If we see that we have more time we may stop in a few more places, or you never know...we may find something special along the way. I am keeping an open mind and know that things may or may not change, but this is a starting point. I have PLENTY of time to revise and redo this! Just wanted to get an idea if i was doing ok or if i was still CLUELESS! Advice is WELCOME!

If we stay near Kensington Palace at the B&B we will surely find some time to pass and take a picture.

As of right now, breakfast/lunch/dinner will probably be found while walking so much or maybe running into ppl and asking where they like to eat. Ive got to find some sort of bribing method to get ppl to engage in conversation...maybe I can find what ppl like from the states and bring it along.

Also thought that if we got LUCKY and things went SMOOTHLY (which i dont expect) we could catch up w the London Walk that bypasses the changing of the Guards at 1045 on Friday. Wouldnt continue on the whole walk, but maybe just see that part. Not holding my breath bc we aren't getting into London until 7:00am...but one can only HOPE!

I do plan on getting an Oyster Card and we are flying into LGW....just a few things some ppl have asked. Just in case ppl dont know or remember the trip is for May 5-17, 2011

Iowa_Redhead

I'm by no means an expert, but that looks pretty decent to me. I definitely like that you're doing the "big" locations first thing in the morning. That will really help with crowds and energy levels. May is a FANTASTIC time to be in London. When I was there in May '08 there were blue skies, the weather was great (not hot but not cold either) and it hardly rained.

It looks like you have a plan but not a tight schedule. You'll get the maximum use out of your time and but not be stuck to X minutes here and Y minutes there. That's the best of both worlds to me... it's relaxed and changeable, but you don't miss out on things by backtracking constantly and maybe missing the late open evenings.

Fruit stays good in your room and is excellent to pack in your bag for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. I can't tell you how many times I had an apple, orange or pear as I was walking from one place to the next. Also, little individual tubs of peanut butter are great. Take an apple and a little tub of PB and you have a nice snack for mid-morning or so that you can put lunch off a bit.

The main thing I can think to suggest is adding the Ceremony of the Keys. You have more than plenty of time and should get your first request for your dates, though they ask for two or three possible dates. It's late enough at night that it really doesn't interfere with anything other that seeing a show. I would suggest adding that to Day 3 (Sunday) so that you've already been inside the Tower and won't spend the whole time during the Ceremony looking around into the dark. It's free and I think it's great fun simply due to the history.

The only other thing would be to consider taking the Supertour at St Pauls. It gets you in to see the geometric staircase and into a few areas that you're not allowed into otherwise. I loved hearing the history and stories, and I think it was only 3GBP or so.

tds0212

Thanks Iowa_Redhead! I will look into the St Pauls Tour and if time allows, I would love to see the Ceremony of the Keys! I was afraid to "schedule" it, thinking we may not have time...but if we do it will def be on the list! I've heard/seen many ppl say it's awesome!

justshootme

Overall, this is a good itinerary for London, that allows you to make the most of your four days there. I do have a few comments.

First, the London Eye is subject to weather, if the weather on Day 2 is unfavourable you don't have a back up plan for when to visit the Eye. If this is a must for you, leave room in the schedule later on the trip for the Eye.

Comment #2, I'm not certain if you are travelling solo, if there are two people travelling consider purchasing a rail card (not to be confused with the Oyster card), solely for getting 2 for 1 discounts on admission to some of the sights you're planning. A regular train ticket from LGW to ? (depends on where you're staying) will do the trick.

You write that you'd like to see a show on the last day, you can purchase discounted tickets from the TKTS booth at Leicester Sq but only for same day performances. If you are interested in an extremely popular sold out show, you'll need to book your tickets in advance. Leicester Sq is not near St Pauls and the other sights you list for the last days sightseeing, and I doubt you'll have between sightseeing in the City and when you'll need to be at Claridges for tea.

I agree with Iowa_Redhead to try to get tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys as you'll have plenty of time to request these.

Finally, depending on how early your train departs from St Pancras for Paris I would not stay in Kensington. Yes, the area is good locationwise for sightseeing, but I would not recommend travelling from Kensington to St Pancras for an early Eurostar departure. Bloomsbury/Rusell Sq maybe a better choice. Choose your train time carefully as you do not want to be caught in London traffic when going to St Pancras. I really can't comment further without knowing what time you intend to depart, but you do need to give some thoughts to the logistics of how to get to St Pancras on the day of departure.

janisj

This is sooooo much better than when you started out w/a 29 week laundry list

Don't worry about staying in Kensington - you can take a cab or jump on the circle line at High St Kens station and ride around to St Pancras. Easy peasy. And it will be easy from the Morgan too. Don't worry either way.

I do notice you are spending a lot time in/around/near Westminster. The Eye, Abbey, B'ham Palace, St James's Park, Trafalgar Sq, War Rooms, etc and along the Southbank. Nothing at all wrong w/ that.

But you might want to wander around Covent Garden (that can be done before the theatre if you go), or neighborhoods -- like Kensington, or Bloomsbury near the Br Museum.

Also - walking around the City <i>might</i> be a tad underwhelming. There is a lot to see - but really it is mainly the business centre and on such a short visit might be farther down the list IMHO. After St Pauls you might walk around a bit - but that might be a time to squeeze in a London Walk.

"<i><blue> . . if time allows, I would love to see the Ceremony of the Keys! I was afraid to "schedule" it, thinking we may not have time..</blue></i>"

The Ceremony of the Keys does not conflict w/ anything else on your list (except theatre) because it is at 10PM and you assemble at 9:30. So - definitely apply for tickets. Be sure to follow the instructions to the letter. You may have to hunt around different local post offices to locate International Reply Coupons.

tds0212

Thanks everyone! I love all the tidbits of info/advice!

justshootme...i was thinking that if we couldnt ride the eye on day two that on day 3 when we continue walking along the Thames, after the Globe, we could just walk on over to the eye then. ?? I will also look into the Rail Card for the 2 for 1 deals.

Janisj...Maybe after seeing British Museum on day 1 we can walk around bloomsbury then down to covent gardens, down piccadilly, then continue on past buckingham,st james, etc.
Then we can see the covent garden area again before theatre time. I will check to see what london walks they have on Monday...if after seeing St Pauls the City doesn't stimulate us we could do the walk instead.

Thanks again...this is awesome!

europeannovice

I am not an expert either having been to London only once (and loved every minute of it) but I can offer the following:

The itinerary looks good. While you note that the British Museum is open late on Friday, keep in mind that not all the galleries are open late. Check the website and they tell you which areas are open late on Thurs and Friday. I think more are open late on Thurs night than on Friday night if I recall. I think that is not a problem for you since if you miss the London walks and don't do the changing of the guard, I think you plan to do the British Museum earlier in the day. If you can make the London walks tour that would be great and you will still have time for the British Museum.

If you happen to be near Trafalgar square later on Friday, also keep in mind that the National Gallery is open until 9PM on Friday's. We ate at J. Sheekey that evening which is close by the National Gallery and right near the Leicester Square tube station. It is expensive but they have great fish. It is a highly recommended place. We all enjoyed our meal and for us since we were staying in Holborn near Covent Garden (not too far from that B&B you are thinking of near the British Museum) it was just a couple of tube stops on the central line from the Leicester Square station back to the hotel.

If you know of a particular show that you want to see, then just get the telephone number of the box office and call them directly to order tickets. We did that for Oliver which will no longer be showing I think after Sept./Oct. By calling the box office directly there was no mark up on ticket prices and you don't pay the service fee of the ticket agents and they mailed us the tickets to our home.

Also for Claridges afternoon tea, I called many months in advance and booked it. We took the latest seating which was 5:30PM. We also went on a Sunday by the way. They serve you as many sandwiches as you want until you tell them to stop. They catered to my DS's allergy requirements and made a special plate for him too. Everything was delicious-scones, tea etc.

You are doing good so far in your planning!

tds0212

europeannovice-I appreciate your input so much!! I have really used your trip report for ideas/help and love your advice on places to go.

I do have a question...do I need to book EVERYTHING online before we go?? British Museum, Westminister Abbey, Cabinet War Rooms, London Eye, Tower of London, Globe Theatre, St Pauls Cathedral.

I know that I need to reserve online for Claridges. How many months in advance would you recommend? We are going in May---so Jan or Feb?

Also saw where you can get two for one deals w rail ticket for Cabinet War Rooms, Globe Theatre, and Tower of London. I assume you can only request that after you purchase your rail ticket.

The Ceremony of Keys suggests to write at least 2 months ahead of time to request admission for that...do you think my chances are better if I do it earlier or just as long as it is 2 months before our date?? Tower of London website says you can only purchase tickets 1 week in advance.

I got the overwhelming feeling of what to do out of the way...now im overwhelmed with when in the heck you are supposed to purchase all these tickets for admission!!! Ahhh!! Good thing I started now, I still have Paris and Amsterdam to go!!! This takes a lot of time to plan, that's for sure!

BigRuss

The two-for-one deals are a whole separate topic and you can check these forums for information. Go to daysoutguide.co.uk and print vouchers (as many as you want) and once you get your rail tickets (keep the ones from LGW to Victoria and the ones for the Eurostar and show them to staff at the attractions) you can get the two-fers.

Don't book the Tower, Cabinet War Rooms, Brit Museum or the Abbey online -- I'm not sure who takes what bookings, but reservations are unnecessary.

And because you'll be in and around the theatre area at some point, you should wander to Jermyn Street west of Piccadilly and visit Fortnum & Mason for really good confections. Instead of tubing to Oxford Circus, tube to Piccadilly Circus, walk down Jermyn Street, then circle back to Regent Street. If you can't hit enough shops that way, you've completely missed something.

europeannovice

I am glad I can help. I was grateful for all the help I received here on this forum when I was doing my planning which took a long time too but for me that was part of the fun.

I would book the afternoon tea and the theater far in advance if you know which show you definitely want to see. I think I actually booked the tea and the theater as soon as I booked the air line tickets and purchased trip insurance but that was me (we were traveling with a senior and a child so I bought the insurance). I booked those ten months in advance. I got first row grand circle seats (first mezzanine here in the states) because I booked so far in advance. The tea was also available for advance booking and it was crowded when we went but we were there during peak season.

As far as the other venues I don't think you need to book that far in advance or even at all. I think you can just show up on the day. If you get to the tower before it opens the line will be very short and I think you have to stand in line anyway if you plan to use the two for one vouchers. That would apply for the London Eye, too which was on two for one when we were there but sometimes they change and are not always offered.

I agree that you do not want to book the Eye in advance as you don't know the weather.

janisj

"<i>do I need to book EVERYTHING online before we go?? British Museum, Westminister Abbey, Cabinet War Rooms, London Eye, Tower of London, Globe Theatre, St Pauls Cathedral.</i>"

You don't need to book ANY of those in advance. The only exception is if you want to take the Verger's tour of Westminster Abbey. They some times fill up soon after the Abbey opens.

You would need to pre-book a <u>performance</u> at the Globe but not just touring. You can't pre-book the British Museum --it is free and you just walk in.

As for theatre, you only need to prebook if there is a specific block buster you want to see. The VAST majority of plays don't sell out and you can book on the day of performance at TKTS. They only sell the best available seats and you usually end up in great seat locations.

Send your request for the Ceremony of the Keys as soon as your dates are firm. Attendance is very limited. Definitely do not wait - the 2 months is the <u>minimum</u> time they recommend-though it seldom takes that long to get a response.

ckiskie

As one who has stayed both at the Morgan and near High Street Kensington on another trip, I think my first choice of lodging would be the Morgan since most of the things on your itinerary are closer to the Morgan. Also, since it is right around the corner from the British Museum and a short walk from either Bloomsbury or Covent Garden, you could fill in extra time exploring those areas as time allowed.

As janisj and others have noted, there is absolutely no problem staying near High Street Kensington since the transportation options are numerous but both locations are similar in price and accomodations, I think I would go with the Morgan.

europeannovice

I just noticed that you plan on doing afternoon tea on Monday actually not Sunday like I originally thought and you plan on it the same day as the theater. When we went for afternoon tea--for us it was dinner so we spent two and half hours there and did not rush. We just enjoyed the atmosphere and kept eating. My advice is to plan the tea in the afternoon not early evening like we did which would leave you enough time to really enjoy it and not rush out to see a show. Shows in London start early at 7:30. Plus the theater district is quite spread out so you also don't want to rush from Bond Street over to a theater that might not be a five minute walk. You want to leave yourselves time to get there. For instance some theaters are near Piccadilly but ours was at Theater Royal Drury Lane which was over by Aldwych--far from Piccadilly. It was across the street from where we ate at Cote which was also excellent by the way and it was within waling distance back to our hotel. Just remember that London is not compact and you have to factor in travel time to get from point A to point B.

We used the bus system extensively again because it was easier for senior. It was very easy to obtain the correct bus through the London transport website journey planner. I just specified within the browser that I wanted to travel by bus rather than tube and it would tell you how to navigate around. If you don't care either way then let it decide which is the fastest route and it will tell how to get there by either bus or tube if the theater you choose is far from Claridges. Just something else to keep in mind when planning

tds0212

Thanks janisj...you are very helpful!! Thanks for following my posts and advising me along the way. You get a lot from reading, but IMO nothing beats experience.

justshootme

Sorry, if I have caused some confusion about staying in Kensington. It is a good base to stay for sightseeing in London. In your case everything you want to see and do is not close to Kensington but an easy tube/bus ride away.
There are several buses that run along Kensignton High St. The disadvantage of the bus is that it does take longer than the tube to get from a to b, the advantage, it's more interesting than the tube as you'll see parts of the city from the bus. I would not use the bus in lieu of the underground, I would use both transport options especially since you only have 4 days in London. Three bus routes come to mind that you can use if you choose to stay at the b and b near Kensington High St, #9, #10 and #52. The 9 will go to Aldwych via Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Sq and Covent Garden. Definitely see if you can get a ride on a Routemaster as these still operate on two routes, the 9 is one of them. (See below for info on the Routemaster's other route). The Rroutemasters only operate on this route from the Royal Albert Hall to Trafalgar Sq/Charing Cross. NB:- the shortened 9 Routemaster does not serve Kensington High St, but you can easily change to the Routemaster bus at a bus stop preferably the stop where it starts from at Royal Albert Hall, try to snag the front seats upstairs. The 10 will get you from Kensington High St to Marble Arch, Oxford St, Bond St, etc and terminates at Kings Cross Stn. The 52, does not go along Kensington High St, but you can easily take a 9 or 10 and then change to a 52 at Kennsington Palace or Hyde Park Corner, this bus goes to Victoria Stn. If you find a hotel/b and b that works for you in Kensington, definitely consider it.

Also want to draw bus 15 to your attention, routemasters also operate on this route between Trafalgar Sq/Charing Cross to the Tower Of London, via Aldwych, Fleet St, St Pauls, etc.

A comment re: J Sheekey, I also recommend this restaurant for a good seafood dinner.

Hope this helps.

PS, janisj's 29 week laundry list comment made me curious about your other posts, WOW, you've certainly been busy planning! What a list you had, I know it would have been difficult to narrow it down and come up with a practical itinerary for four days in London.

justshootme

One more thing, you can get discount Eurostar tickets if you purchase these in advance. You won't be able to book this far in advance, but I'd book discount tickets once they go on sale as these can sell out quickly. I'm not sure if this was mentioned on your other post; I didn't read the entire post as I was overwhelmed just reading the op. lol.

dorfan2

Husb. and I arrived at our hotel from the airport very early (like you will) and rooms weren't ready so we immediately went to the British Museum (like you are planning) for the 90 min. highlight tour. Having been to the Museum on an earlier trip (without my husband) and LOVED it, I was surprised at our unenthusiastic frame of mind (we were like zombies) until I realized we had a bad case of jet lag (didn't experience this on earlier trip). Am looking for another activity for that time frame for our next trip this spring. I thought maybe just riding through London on a Big Bus Tour? Than I saw you mentioning that walking was recommended. Any suggestions from you more well-travelled visitors? Oh, and I wanted to mention our experience to caution you about scheduling this activity 1st thing upon arriving.

europeannovice

Dorfan2,

Not to highjack the thread, but when did you take the British Museum highlights tour? When I spoke to someone at the museum on our recent trip they said they discontinued the highlights tour and had a more focused one hour tour of a specific area although the website still had it listed.

When we landed in Paris, we also walked around the area for a bit before embarking on the museum but we did manage to tour the Louvre that afternoon. We didn't feel jetlag then because I guess we were too excited. It was upon coming home that the jetlag hit for everyone in our group especially MIL.

2g

London has so much to see, you could probably add some sights, there's alot more to see than what you have listed. You can't see everything in 4 days, London does deserve at least a week for a first time visitor.

tds0212

dofran2....Lots and Lots of ppl suggest walking around and taking it easy. They say being in the fresh air helps w the jet lag. Everyone is different, so you never know...but i'm going to give it a try. I planned on going to the museum later in the day maybe around 1 or 2. That gives us several hours to see how we are going to feel...and maybe find some COFFEE! If we have to, we can go that night...we aren't HUGE museum ppl but definitley wanted to give it a looksie.