Luv2Travel

Ok, fellow Fodorites- shoot holes through my upcoming trip to London!

Saturday (arrive at 6:20am):
stroll Portobello Rd.
Tate Britain
London Aquarium
War Cabinet

Sunday:
British Museum
Natural History Museum

Monday & Tuesday:
Edinburgh

Weds:
Tower of London
Imperial War Museum
St. Paul's

Thurs:
Bath/Stonehedge tour

Friday:
Westminister Abbey
Buckingham Palace
Royal Mews

Saturday:
Back to USA

So what do you think? And of course we will stop to eat and the evenings are in the works!!!

sb1020

Start with the hop on -off bus. Two or three companies offer this and it is a good way to get a sense of the scope of London They also include a
Thames river cruise and the pass is good for 24 hours Then you can decide what to see. It doesnt't really matter as there is so much to see for your first visit you can decide over breakfast .Just get a early start. Check the radeisson edwardian web site well located hotels and huge Engllish break fasts that will keep you all day Has excellany summer deals that include breafast and very comfortable and spacious rooms. Also make sure to see a play, Last minute tickets at many locations...
do lots of walking. London is great for this. Have fun

policywonk

Hi Luv2 Travel,

Just a quick thought about your plans, people have been advising eachother to get to Portobello Road early as it does get crowded, and since you're coming off a transatlantic flight, I was wondering if you may be a little tired to do a hike around Portobello Road- if you're up for it, then I would say go for it, but do not keep it set in stone, cus you may run yourself ragged at the beginning of your trip- which would offset all of your other plans.

Play it by ear on the first day since you are getting in so early.

Just a thought.

You will love the British Museum!!

I second the bus tour- I did the tour on my first full day in London last week and had a blast. It is a great way of seeing whether or not you want to do some of the things you have in your plans.

Enjoy and have a wonderful time!!!!

avalon

You are really going from 1 side of the city to the other and back tracking a lot!

violet2

I echo Avalon, you're all over the place.

This is what I have done with my London itinerary for July.


1. I listed all the places I want to go

2.The hours they are open

3. General Location

4.Cost

5.I bought one of those laminated fold out maps and marked each attraction with a permanent marker. Now I can visualize where I am going.

I then based my sightseeing on where things were located.

For example, on one of our days, we will start at St. Pauls and walk to the Globe Theater, stop at the Operating Theater/Herb Garrett.

Then we'll take lunch and head over to the British Library and Museum area for the afternoon.

The other itinerary I planned was, the first half of the day out by Parliament, Cabinet War Rooms, Changing of the Guards etc...

Lunch

Head over to Westminster Abbey, tour the Abbey and take a boat on the Thames down to the Tower of London. (Boats leave from the Westminster Abbey area.) Tour the Tower, see if we can find the roman wall remnant, eat dinner, and do the Jack the Ripper Walk through that area in the evening.

I spent about 3 hours doing this last night and I have a horrific headache (still). But I know exactly where everything is, when it is open, and how much it costs. Since my group comprises seven people, I think the headache now is worth it.

I strongly reccommend you do something similar, otherwise you lose time travelling back and forth.

Hope you have a great time!

Michelle

cbo86

"Strolling" Portobello Rd on a Saturday is not possible after 10am(IMHO). All you'll be saying is "excuse me,...pardon me" due to the crush of people and shoppers (which IMHO is not what you want to do after a 10 hr flight in cramped quarters). I would try another market on another day. Your 1st dsy is too ambitious especially after a long flight. The Hop on/off bus is a great idea for your 1st day and use it to go one or two of your suggested sites. Also plan your itinerary as violet2 suggested as it does seem you'll be running across the city quite a bit.

ira

I agree with cbo

isabel

It seems with this itinerary that you are spending all your time inside museums or other "sites". You don't have any time to just wander. London is wonderful for just walking around - soaking up the history and culture. Don't you have any interest in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens or St James Park? What about a stroll along one, or more, of the embankments and crossing the bridges back and forth across the Thames - great views. Just spending time gazing at the Houses of Parliment and Big Ben - in the daytime, at sunset, and at night. How about shopping or wandering around Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, etc. The museums are great but the rest of the city is even greater. And the museum I though the most interesting, the V&A, isn't even on your list.

Everyone's interests are different but so many people post itineraries listing all the museuems and sites - and cram their days so full of those that there can't be much time left to just experience the cities. If you are planning on walking between your destinations you'll never get to them all. If you plan to take the tube you might get to all of them but I don't think you'll experience London.

Luv2Travel

Let me clarify a few things:
Breakfast is included with our hotel. So this is not a problem. And there are 4 of us, so we are trying to include what everyone wants to see. So, they are planning on going to V&A and we are planning to walk through the Kensington gardens. I do realize these are "tenative" plans. So, we'll see what we can get to. Tell me, is Hyde park big? Or is it an easy walk from Lancaster Gate to the museums (v&A and Natural History)? I would choose to do more walking, more exercise and scenery, than tube riding.

isabel

Hyde Park is rectangular and from Lancaster Gate to the VA Museum area is the short distance - that is easily walkable. Be sure to see the Italian Fountains area at the head of the Serpantine Lake - it's very near Lancaster Gate. Then walk along the lake. It was nice in March so must be beautiful in summer. And as I said above, the very best (for me) part of London was walking around the embankments (especially near Westminster Bridge) and the squares like Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden area. Have a great time.