One Day in London
 

Hello...My DH is travelling to Ireland for business via Heathrow. He has 24 hours in Heathrow (his doing) and arrives early AM on Sunday April 6, departing for Ireland early Monday April 7.

Can anyone give any recommendatins for a day in London? He travels alot and jet lag isn't going to be a problem. He is staying close to the Heathrow airport and figures he will take the tube to the city and then.....??? Any suggestions?

Thank you!

What sorts of things interest him? Has he been to London before?

There are hundreds of things he could do, so help us narrow things down a bit . . . . .

Anita63,
One day in London? Oh, boy... does he have hotel accommodations already lined up? Or is he planning a marathon siteseeing day?

I feel like my trips to London have always been so packed full, that I short-changed myself on museum time.

I think I would start with a river taxi ride on the Thames, then pick a museum (the British Museum is open 10-5:30 daily) and take a guided tour, break for a meal, return and look further into those things I was left curious about, then dinner, next, a London Walks tour (perhaps a pub tour), then tuck in for the evening at hotel.

But, some people would skip the museum!

slainte'

Hi Janis...yes, it is his first time in London (but wont be his last). He is interested in seeing the "MUST SEE" sights like the bridge, Windsor Castle, Big Ben, Tower of London, Eye, Harrod's (is it open on Sunday's?) and a quick break at London's best pub (where is that?) that he can sit and have a pint and absorb the local feel. No time for museums this time.

I thought that there was a sight seeing bus (red line, blue line...ringing a faint bell in my head for a day trip I had planned for me and my sister for Sept.11/01...you know how that panned out.). Wouldn't it be a good idea for him to just jump on one of those busses and get on and off where he wants? Anyone done this before?

Oh, and he is looking for a beer recommendation that would "sum up the taste of England"...how's that for vague? LOL

Ty, Scene...never thought of a water taxi option. That sounds neat. Yes, he already has his hotel (Marriott at Heathrow). He knows one day is going to be marathon sight seeing, and he is actually very good at it.(he's not a very laid back person and is always going a million miles an hour, so "power sighting" is ideal for him).

Museums would be next time when he has more time. Thanks for the suggestions!

Anita,

Yes, if it were my first time I wouldn't spend the whole day in one place either!

I just remembered that April 6 is the day the Olympic Torch makes its way through London. It would be wise to avoid the torch route, unless he wants to see it!

The tour buses will probably be running late, but the Original Tour hop-on hop-off, and the Big Bus Co. are both great options!

I must admit I have no idea what the best pub is - and I'm not sure what sort of hours pubs are open on a Sunday...

Wow...I knew I loved this sight for a reason. Thanks for the tip on the Olympic Torch, that could have really put a glitch on his plans, with road closures. THANKS!!!

OK - first a map is needed :) Windsor Castle is not in London. It is in Windsor which is about 7 miles west of Heathrow. London is 20 miles east of Heathrow. So cross Windsor off his list (but he will likely fly right over it coming and going)

There is no "best" pub - there are hundreds and on shuch a short visit he probably should not search out a specific one - just pop into one somewhere while he is sightseeing.

There are terrific Hop-on-hop-off, open-air, double decker bus tours that hit all the main sites for about £20. They include a ticket for a short river boat trip like from the Tower of London to Big Ben or vice versa.

The advantages of these bus tours are there is live (or sometimes taped) commentary, they will pass every single famous site in central London, and he can get off wherever he wants to explore and then jump on another bus to continue his tour.

The main disadvantage is the cost - but £20 would be well spent for someone like your DH who hasn't been there before and has such a limited time.

He could also take in a concert - most theatres are dark on Sunday so a play is harder but there are lots of concerts just about every night of the week. The tube to LHR runs late enough that he could hit a concert, have a drink and still get to his LHR area hotel.

OK - just to confuse things more :)

The torch relay may really screw things up, not only because of the relay itself but also because of potential protests/demonstrations.

It starts mid-morning in west London and passes through all the major tourist areas before ending (i think) in Greenwich.

It may tie up traffic horribly - and also might affect tube stations/bus routes. But will all be cleared out long before he needs to get back to LHR that night.

So he can either head into London and "go w/ the flow" -- or he CAN see Windsor afterall. He can take a cab or bus to Windsor, tour the castle, see Eton, the river, have a nice meal and then head back to the hotel that evening w/o setting foot in London.

Thanks janisj...a map is probably a great idea or a geography lesson at the least!

Yah, I'm thinking that Olympic Torch thing might end up being a pain, but he'll have to figure it out when he's there. I agree...that hop on hop off bus will probably be the best idea for his Reader's Digest Version of touring. His cost isn't a problem, since it's only him and not multiplying by four, for once (the whole family).

Thanks a MILLION!

Anita, did you see the posting that reported a 72-hour strike of the Underground (Tube) starting April 6th? This could mess up your husband's one-day visit to London big time. Talk about Murphy's Law!

Trevelingtish...YIKES! Who woulda thought that 24 hours could get so complicated, lol??? The olympic torch and a tube strike...ah huh.

I will have to google for that report to find out if it's a 'for sure' or if they're in 'talks'. Murphy's Law for sure. Thanks for the heads up!

If the trains are out of action then perhaps a boat trip down the Thames to Hampton Court Palace.

He doesn't have to take the tube to get into London. He could take the Heathrow Express or cheaper Heathrow Connect trains to Paddington - though if the tube is down the trains could be packed.

Or he can book a car service like justairports.com that would take him from LHR to just about anywhere in central London for less than £30.

There are also buses into London, and Hotelink - he doesn't need to tell them he isn't staying at that hotel ;)

here is some basic info http://www.london-lhr.com/transportation.html

Great information, Janisj, thank you so much! Um...do you live there? If so, are ya willing to do private tours? LOL

I do appreciate all your input, thank you very, very much.

anita63: Nope :( - I'm a Californian (But I did live there for 5 years and get back as often as I can)

There are several Londoners who regularly post here and maybe one of them will have a better handle on what sort of demonstrations are expected during the torch relay. They will be around after the sun is up in London . . . . .

Hi.

We did the hop on hop off thing when we visited last year and found it to be interesting. However, if time is limited, I would stick with the tube...no traffic. We actually got impatient (traffic was bad) with the hop on hop off bus at some point that we jumped off and took the tube from one of the stops...fyi.

on the tube you are <u>underground</u> - so you can't see anything. From point A to point B the tube is great. But to get a feel for and look-see of London it really isn't best.

Also, if there ARE demonstrations that get out of hand - tube stations in the affected areas could be closed off.

Then again - there may be nothing in the way of demonstrations at all . . . . . .

I would sugest a walk. Take a tube to Tower Hill.Here he can see The Tower of London. Walk round to St Pauls, then cross the Millenium pedestrian bridge to Tate Gallery and Globe Theatre. Wander along the South Bank passing loads of interesting stuff until he reaches London Eye. Back a little and cross Westminster bridge for Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. From here he can walk past Downing Street towards Trafalgar Square. Options from here include Buckingham Palace and loads of historical stuff or he could head for the west end Leicester Square and Picadily Circus.

Yes, if he is lucky with weather, walking will reap most rewards.

There are likely to be demonstrations by Tibetans and pro-China students, traffic disruption from road closures and a possible tube strike. The Olympic Torch goes right across London (even past the end of my street in the East End) so there could be problems anywhere at different times during the day.

If he wants to risk it, the TFL website will give up-to-date information on the tube strike:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/.

Whatever happens, he will be able to get a train to Paddington. If there is a tube strike, try to get a number 15 bus from stand E outside the station. The number 15 route usually takes in Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London Hill, but there could be minor diversions to avoid road closures.
A good option could be to get off at Trafalgar Square and then walk down Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, taking in Downing Street and the Cabinet War Rooms en route. It might be possible to then walk over Westminster Bridge to have a go on the London Eye, though it can be difficult to get a ticket on the day. Alternatively, go into St James's Park and walk through to Buckingham Palace

To get back to Heathrow, he could get a number 11 bus from Parliament Square(by the entrance to Westminster Abbey) to Victoria Coach Station (past Victoria Station, off Buckingham Palace Road) and take an express coach to the airport. They run very frequently and are much cheaper than the Heathrow Express trains.

Harrods is open on Sundays, from 12 noon to 6pm. It's just a department store, but the food halls are interesting. He could get a number 11 to Vicoria Station, and then catch a C1 bus from stand R.

There are so many pubs, but here are a few from around the Whitehall/Westminster that are open at weekends:

The Clarence, 53 Whitehall - an 18th century pub at the Trafalgar Square end of Whitehall.

The Red Lion - almost opposite Downing Street, where Whitehall suddenly becomes Parliament Street. Full of politicians during the week and tourists at any time.

Westminster Arms - busy pub/wine bar on Storey's Gate, opposite Westminster Abbey, in a street down the side of the QEII Conference Centre.

The Albert, 52 Victoria St - a typical victorian pub that's popular with tourists. Walk past Westminster Abbey and along Victoria Street (still on the number 11 bus route).

For just two bus journeys during the day, a 1 day bus pass might not be worthwhile. But it would pay for itself after two journeys. Buy it at Paddington before getting on a bus; you can't buy it at the rail ticket booths, but ask where at one of the information points. It costs &pound;3.50 for unlimted travel. Your can't buy travelcards on either rail service from Heathrow to Paddington (travelcards would cover the rail fare and travel in central London).