Requesting advice for London travel in early June
Mar 5th, 2013, 08:44 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Requesting advice for London travel in early June
Hi
We are a family of 4 traveling to London from the US in early June. We need to go to Nottingham from Heathrow on day 1 and stay there for day 1 and 2. Then day 3 and 4 we want to do sightseeing in London (top ten sites of London). We want to stay in a family friendly hotel near Heathrow and travel to the tourist sites in London.
Here are my questions.
1. What is the best way to travel to London central from hotels near Heathrow? How long does this take?
2. How do we book tube tickets for all travel? Should this be done online ahead of time?
3. Is there any way to store luggage at Heathrow/ tube stations?
4. We plan to do this itinerary (http://www.londondrum.com/planner/two-days.php)
Are there any tickets for this that we should buy in advance?
5. Should we buy tickets for London Eye online?
6. Any recommendations on hotels near Heathrow (family safe)?
7. If we stay near Trafalgar Square what are some safe and clean budget hotels?
8. How much time do we need to reach Heathrow on day 5 from Trafalgar Square. We have an outbound flight to Asia.
Thanks in advance.
We are a family of 4 traveling to London from the US in early June. We need to go to Nottingham from Heathrow on day 1 and stay there for day 1 and 2. Then day 3 and 4 we want to do sightseeing in London (top ten sites of London). We want to stay in a family friendly hotel near Heathrow and travel to the tourist sites in London.
Here are my questions.
1. What is the best way to travel to London central from hotels near Heathrow? How long does this take?
2. How do we book tube tickets for all travel? Should this be done online ahead of time?
3. Is there any way to store luggage at Heathrow/ tube stations?
4. We plan to do this itinerary (http://www.londondrum.com/planner/two-days.php)
Are there any tickets for this that we should buy in advance?
5. Should we buy tickets for London Eye online?
6. Any recommendations on hotels near Heathrow (family safe)?
7. If we stay near Trafalgar Square what are some safe and clean budget hotels?
8. How much time do we need to reach Heathrow on day 5 from Trafalgar Square. We have an outbound flight to Asia.
Thanks in advance.
Mar 5th, 2013, 09:22 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,921
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1. Don't stay at Heathrow. It's a long and expensive commute into central London.
2. Mainline rail stations have left luggage stations. If you're travelling to Nottingham, you will use St Pancras station, and you can leave luggage there.
3. I would also suggest you stay somewhere near there, or a stop or two away on the Piccadilly Line (which runs direct to Heathrow), e.g., somewhere around the Bloomsbury area in general.
4. That itinerary looks almost suicidal to me, unless you're just going to take a quick photo outside all those places.
5. From central London, allow 45-50 minutes by tube to Heathrow, so to be generous allow an hour before you have to check in at Heathrow.
Could I suggest you post a link from your other thread to this to make sure you get all the replies in one place.
2. Mainline rail stations have left luggage stations. If you're travelling to Nottingham, you will use St Pancras station, and you can leave luggage there.
3. I would also suggest you stay somewhere near there, or a stop or two away on the Piccadilly Line (which runs direct to Heathrow), e.g., somewhere around the Bloomsbury area in general.
4. That itinerary looks almost suicidal to me, unless you're just going to take a quick photo outside all those places.
5. From central London, allow 45-50 minutes by tube to Heathrow, so to be generous allow an hour before you have to check in at Heathrow.
Could I suggest you post a link from your other thread to this to make sure you get all the replies in one place.
Mar 5th, 2013, 10:57 PM
#4
• Staying at Heathrow for two days to visit London is an absolutely <u>horrible</u> idea.
• In two days you will be lucky to see 4 or 5 (6 tops) of the major sites - not 10.
• If you stay at a Heathrow area hotel would mean you <i>might</i> get to 3 or 4 major sites.
• That 'itinerary' is nothing but a list of sites in London really. You could not possibly see all those sites - and would not have time to visit/go inside more than one or two.
• From LHR hotels count anywhere from 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 full hours to get to any central London sites. The tube does not go to the hotels - first you would have to take the Hotel Hoppa bus or a cab to LHR.
• If you spend 2 full days in Nottingham, you won't have 2 full days in London. You'll need to leave Nottingham the second evening if you hope to have 2 days in London
Soooooo- your plan is a total mess and entirely unworkable. (Staying at Trafalgar SQ <i>slightly</i> improves the situation- but that itinerary is more like a busy 5 days worth - not 1.5 to 2 days)
Back to the drawing board.
• In two days you will be lucky to see 4 or 5 (6 tops) of the major sites - not 10.
• If you stay at a Heathrow area hotel would mean you <i>might</i> get to 3 or 4 major sites.
• That 'itinerary' is nothing but a list of sites in London really. You could not possibly see all those sites - and would not have time to visit/go inside more than one or two.
• From LHR hotels count anywhere from 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 full hours to get to any central London sites. The tube does not go to the hotels - first you would have to take the Hotel Hoppa bus or a cab to LHR.
• If you spend 2 full days in Nottingham, you won't have 2 full days in London. You'll need to leave Nottingham the second evening if you hope to have 2 days in London
Soooooo- your plan is a total mess and entirely unworkable. (Staying at Trafalgar SQ <i>slightly</i> improves the situation- but that itinerary is more like a busy 5 days worth - not 1.5 to 2 days)
Back to the drawing board.
Mar 6th, 2013, 12:59 AM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,921
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This might be a case, though expensive for 4, for using the hop-on hop-off bus tour for one day to get an overview (with commentary) of the main sights, and then using any spare time to go back to those that you really, really want to see inside (but that will be a much more limited number than you've got on that itinerary).
Mar 6th, 2013, 04:03 AM
#7
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,418
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you worked out how to travel from Heathrow to Nottingham?
A nationalexpress.com coach will take you directly from the airport to Nottingham avoiding the trauma of travelling into central London and catching a train.
A nationalexpress.com coach will take you directly from the airport to Nottingham avoiding the trauma of travelling into central London and catching a train.
Mar 6th, 2013, 05:57 AM
#8
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
4. Good grief PLEASE don't do that itinerary. Have a little organization and you can see a good bit. Familiarize yourself with a tourist map of London and choose a few things that are fairly close to each other. You can see quite a few things that are relatively close. Here's an example:
After breakfast start the morning at Trafalgar Square. (1 hour) Visit the nearby National Gallery which is free. (1-2 hours) Walk south on Whitehall towards Big Ben as the top of the hour draws near. You can all hear the bell sound off. Here you can visit Westminster Abbey (1-2 hours)and see the Houses of Parliament from the outside (1/2- hour). These two are close together. Grab fish and chips for a late lunch. From here you can cut through the stunningly bautiful St James Park to reach Buckingham Palace. Take a black cab or walk back to a metro stop to reach your hotel before dinner. (Recharge your batteries and get a hot shower if needed) Take the tube and get off at Piccadilly Circus to enjoy the neon, famous statue, and signage at night. (1/2 hour) Walk east along Shaftesbury Ave where you'll come to the West End. Grab supper here and either. Catch a show that you've purchased discount tickets for ahead of time, explore chinatown, or whatever you like.
5. The London Eye is an attraction you can use the 2for1 discount for. Read up on this.. there are many threads on this forum and on the web that go through this in detail. It can save your family a bunch of cash.
8. Give yourself between 45 minutes to an hour. Be conservative so you won't have to rush. It's better to be a little early than stressing over a time crunch.
After breakfast start the morning at Trafalgar Square. (1 hour) Visit the nearby National Gallery which is free. (1-2 hours) Walk south on Whitehall towards Big Ben as the top of the hour draws near. You can all hear the bell sound off. Here you can visit Westminster Abbey (1-2 hours)and see the Houses of Parliament from the outside (1/2- hour). These two are close together. Grab fish and chips for a late lunch. From here you can cut through the stunningly bautiful St James Park to reach Buckingham Palace. Take a black cab or walk back to a metro stop to reach your hotel before dinner. (Recharge your batteries and get a hot shower if needed) Take the tube and get off at Piccadilly Circus to enjoy the neon, famous statue, and signage at night. (1/2 hour) Walk east along Shaftesbury Ave where you'll come to the West End. Grab supper here and either. Catch a show that you've purchased discount tickets for ahead of time, explore chinatown, or whatever you like.
5. The London Eye is an attraction you can use the 2for1 discount for. Read up on this.. there are many threads on this forum and on the web that go through this in detail. It can save your family a bunch of cash.
8. Give yourself between 45 minutes to an hour. Be conservative so you won't have to rush. It's better to be a little early than stressing over a time crunch.
Mar 6th, 2013, 06:11 AM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I cannot believe how much they are asking these days for a full adult on the London Eye! £19.20 !! Gosh! I have done it a few times over the years but taking a family on it without the 2for1 discount is way OTT. Don't get me wrong, it is a fun half hour or so (unless its been speeded up) but definitely try and meet the criteria for a discount.
Mar 6th, 2013, 06:17 AM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Regarding checked luggage at Heathrow, go to the Heathrow website. It has good information on just about anything you want to know and, yes, you can check luggage there. Don't know about tube stations. Be aware that checking luggage for a family of four can get expensive.
Mar 6th, 2013, 07:55 PM
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Historytraveler: Thanks for the tip for luggage.
Seat_62: Thanks for the tip on London Eye tickets.
Tailsock: Thanks for a more sensible itinerary
Sofarsogood: I looked at the National Express coach trip from the airport to Nottingham. But how do I estimate the time to get out of baggage and immigration from Heathrow to book a trip?
Hooameye: Thanks. We won't buy London Eye ticks in advance.
Janisj: Thanks for the feedback
PatrickLondon: I like the idea of the hop on hop off and returning later to specific sites.
Seat_62: Thanks for the tip on London Eye tickets.
Tailsock: Thanks for a more sensible itinerary
Sofarsogood: I looked at the National Express coach trip from the airport to Nottingham. But how do I estimate the time to get out of baggage and immigration from Heathrow to book a trip?
Hooameye: Thanks. We won't buy London Eye ticks in advance.
Janisj: Thanks for the feedback
PatrickLondon: I like the idea of the hop on hop off and returning later to specific sites.
