OK -- That makes a big difference -- Argyll <u>Road</u> is not near Argyll <u>Street</u>.

Your Argyll Rd is actually in a nice location - just around the corner from the High Street Kensington tube station. It isn't on the direct line in from Heathrow - but it is a very nice area.

One more thing about the Morgan. It is right beside the British Museum; our window overlooked it.

The b&b is appealing...keeping it in mind. We will be flying into LGW instead of LHR. I know this isnt the "main" airport but tix are cheaper and the times arriving are better. Also keeping the Morgan in mind. Lots of ppl suggest it. Will fig it out one way or another. haha!

OH - Gatwick is just as 'main' an airport as LHR.

To get to the B&B from LGW is very easy. You'd take the train from LGW to Victoria station and then board the westbound Circle tube line and get off at High Street Kensington.

For the Morgan - you'd take a different train from LGW to Kings Cross/St Pancras and then the Piccadilly line to the Russell Sq or Holborn station.

I think I prefer Gatwick to Heathrow having arrived in and departed from each exactly one time. Of course, it's now been ten years since I flew via Heathrow, but from what I hear it's still not people's favorite airport.

My advice is to get a place near the Picadilly line, as close to center of town as possible. When we go, we can walk most of the places; Covent Garden, British Museum, St. Pauls, etc. Of course, we walk alot. There is no way at all to see all you have listed. Pick a few, and come back next time.

i've spent months at a time in London and not seen all the items you listed. you omitted my very favorite museum, the Victoria and Albert (known as the V&A) in South Kensington, which i highly recommend.

i must agree with many here: get yourself a guidebook and a map, first of all. London is a very large city with an excellent public transport system. since you are on a limited time schedule, you will have to be selective with your planning. what you choose will depend upon your interests, and i guarantee London has something for everyone. most of all, give yourself time to just wander...London is a fantastic city for walking.

clarasong and susansothermail....You may have missed my itinerary several posts above. I did get a guidebook and a map, as you suggested. I spent a week or so reading, highlighting, deciding, and mapping out walks, sites, ect. I just continued to write on my first post since most everyone had read it. I knew in the beginning i would never see all those things but I was just listing from what websites and other posters on fodors had suggested/said were good. I hope you arent referring to my itinerary above :( I was really hoping that what I had cut back was "do-able" We are doing LOTS of walking and hoping to see a lot that way!

Janisj: thanks for the info on the train. I guess I was just under the impression that LHR was the main airport. Either way, glad that LGW will be just as easy to get place to place. thanks!

tds0212 on Aug 3, 10 at 4:29pm
I have a rough draft of what our itinerary may look like...when I say rough draft I mean this is the first thing I have put tg EVER!

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.

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

>airport,hotel check-in, gathering ourselves
>We will need to make it to Westminister Station
>1:00 Westminister Abbey Tour (90 min)
>Cabinet War Rooms by 4:00 for tour
>Walk around passing by "Big Ben" as we call it, Parliament House, walk to Lambeth Bridge for picture (suggested in book)
>Back to hotel--free

Day 2 Saturday

>Will need to get to Russell Sq station
>British Museum at opening 10:30 (90 min highlight)
>Walk passing Russell Sq and Bedford Sq (maybe find lunch?)
>Get to Covent Garden Station
>approx 3:00 or so?? Take walk of West End area passing by/through Covent Gardens, Leicester Sq, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace,St James Palace/Park,(stop at bridge in St James park for pic of Buckingham palace-book suggest)Trafalgar Sq, and Admiralty arch (approx 2.5 miles)
>End at Charring Cross -hotel for freshen up
>Dinner,Free time, Gordon Wine Bar?? open til 11:00

Day 3 Sunday

>Need to get to Tower Hill Station
>Tower of London at opening 10:00 (jewels 1st then Yeoman tour)
>Walk across Tower Bridge find lunch in area
>Back to Tower Hill Station need to get to Blackfriar Statn.
>Hopefully by 4:00-- walk from Blackfriar to Millenium Bridge, cross over to Shakespears Globe for tour (runs every 15-20 min and open until 5)
>After tour continue walking along Thames passing oxo tower, see jubilee gardens end a Waterloo Station go back to hotel
>Dinner/free time

Day 4 Monday

>Need to get to Chancery La station--thinking around 11:00(part of a suggested walk in book)
>Walk down to St Pauls Cathedral (Take tour 2hrs)
>Cont to walk past St Pauls passing Museum of London, Bank of England, Monument, London Bridge
>Take Monument Station need to get to Waterloo
>Ride London Eye
>Theatre/Dinner

I got a little lost on how to do this last day. I hope I have not packed my days too full. I think this is do-able. If you think there is smthing I should see or should see "this instead of that" let me know. 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!

I would love to find time to go have afternoon tea. europeannovice mentioned Claridges which is actually close to some of the stores I had on my list...Top shop, French connection, liberty, selfridges. Ironic??

I have left out Harrods, V&A, Kensington Gardens and Palace, Museum of London (although i am passing on a walk ),and probably tons of other things!! ahhhh!!! I was just trying to be reasonable and there are just not enough hours in the day!!

I figure we might find places for lunch/restaurants/shops ect while walking so much! I am still going to research to see if there are HIGHLY recommended places we should go to eat.

I wanted to take a cruise down the Thames and wanted to do the London walk where you see the changing of the guards
(from europeannovice) but it starts at 1045 on Friday and I thought that might be cutting it close since we are arriving at 7 am Friday. I also wanted to see the Ceremony of Keys at the Tower but didnt know if we would have the time. Alas...we must come back one day! haha

I attempted to post approx times that we needed to watch for so we wouldnt be late and miss smthing. If we get there earlier that makes us have more free time! :keeping fingers crossed:


This is for clarasong and susansothermail....this is the itineray i am down to now. There has been some "tweaking" from others suggestions. More than likely switching day one and two...and not taking the train from Tower of London, just cont to walk down Thames to the Globe. I will make a new post when i get my itinerary down a little better. I have mixed up some stuff on day 4 too.

tds0212: Don't worry at all - folks sometimes read the first few posts and then answer the original post w/o seeing all the back and forth/changes throughout the thread or realizing where you are now.

tds0212 -- Am jumping in after being away, and am looking at my old posts. Janisj offered you a good explanation.

If you have not already done so, I suggest opening a new post with an explanation that you have, upon receiving much advice, created a new itinerary and have new questions. That way, this post will start falling to the bottom as long as you no longer feed it.

Good for you for doing such careful ahead of time planning.