LOTRHP

Hi All,
Hoping to get some insight from you knowledgeable types who have been to London recently, or live there, or just keep tabs on this...

I have been planning a trip to London for a while now, and would rather not change plans to visit this August, despite the despicable terrorist actions recently.

I would really appreciate knowing what I can expect on a 'typical tourist's day out'.

Perhaps nothing has been altered but I would appreciate your feedback just to make sure....
For example, any attractions canceled, or times changed as a result? Any 'touristy famous' stores closed or changed their hours? Any big security delays for attractions, etc.? I wanted to do a Parliament tour--do you think they will still be doing tours now?

Basically I am staying near St. James Park/Victoria Station and would like to visit Covent Garden, Soho, Trafalgar Square, Grosvenor Square, and other fun and beautiful areas of London. What changes, if any, are there to travel back by tube? Also, need to go to Paddington and Marylebone station at certain points. And would like to see Hampton Court and do a Harry Potter visit to King's Cross station.

Basically would like to plan and factor in any changes or delays in advance so they will hopefully not effect a fantastic trip to an amazing city.

I really appreciate all your insight and feedback on this. Thank you for your help.

kenderina

I will post a trip report on Monday when I came back from London, I'm going on Thursday Hope it helps you.

flanneruk

As far as I can see, the only changes are:
- the bits of the Tube that aren't running. Go to www.tfl.gov.uk for an update when you're here, but most of the central London section of the Piccadilly line is unlikely to be running for some time
- many places have re-established the security checks we haven't seen since the late 90s. Sometimes a tad more heavy-handed: at a piss-up in the House of Commons last week, the police were a lot more heavily armed than they were in the 90s. But most of the time, security is really pretty relaxed, civilised and unheavy handed. Do make sure you stop if you're challengeed though. We don't want any more accidents like Friday's.
- bits of the transport system get stopped without warning. Those of us of a certain age have been putting up with this for nigh on 40 years, and most of us react with our normal grumbles and little else.
- practically everything else is pretty much as normal, except
- Tube traffic is definitely down. People are walking a lot more. Apart from anything else, there are often bits of the Tube that aren't working, so it's often easier to walk than faff about thinking through a different Tube route. At Paddington this evening, it was extraordinary watching rivers of people coming in through the walking entrance, rather than from the Tube.
- so the Tube is almost blissful. It helps that most people have started their holidays this week, and the town always gets emptier from the last week of July till the first week of September. But walking through some of the Western tourist ghettoes today, it did rather feel that tourism has dropped already. Oddly, the Arab tourist area is as crowded as ever, and the first Chinese package tours seem undeterred.
- above all, fussing isn't British. The hotel staff and everyone else had their drama on July 7. Now they want to get on with their real job of depriving you of your cash, moaning about their boss, fantasising about who they'll pull tonight and all the other things people want to do in the world's greatest city. With luck, the bombs will be last month's story by the time you get here.

beckb

I will also be there in two weeks and I'm wondering about daybags at tourist sites. Are they just searching then letting you keep them or are they banning them now? Also, my 13 year old son was going to use a dark colored backpack and he was going to be carrying snacks and small things like that. Do you think that will be an issue since the bags used in the attacks were dark colored rucksacks/backpacks? (I'm using a black messenger style bag) Thanks in advance on any insight on this.

ontheverge

We, a family of four with 12 year old twins, returned from London yesterday. We were there for three days in June well before the blast and then for two nights arriving on July 22nd. Security in and out of the airports (Gatwick and Heathrow) wasn't much different, there were a few tube stations still closed. More people were taking taxis from the airport...there was a one hour wait to get a cab on the 22nd so we took the train to Victoria Station instead.

We noticed many fewer obvious tourists walking on the streets on our second visit and not nearly as many people using the Big Bus double decker tour buses. There was much heightened security around Buckingham Palace...that being more police and MANY police vans parked just outside.

We stayed at the Hilton Mews. There was not any heightened security there. We went to a play and it was well attended...once again, nothing different in terms of security. We went shopping on Bond and Carnaby Streets. The stores were busy...big summer sales going on.

We felt quite safe and glad to support the people of London by not staying away. Go and have a wonderful time!

PatrickLondon

I don't think a backpack per se is likely to be a problem, especially (fingers crossed) for a 13-year old. The kind of rucksacks that were used were large (big enough to hold a six and a half litre plastic container), even on a grown-up. Be prepared to open it on request, of course, and never ever leave it unattended. If he's got snacks in it, and people are looking oddly at him, tell him that for once it might be OK to eat on public transport!

caroline_edinburgh

beckb: I concur with Patrick's comments plus, sadly, I have to say that I don't think a rucksack is likely to be a problem unless your son is of Asian appearance - or what could be construed as Asian (i.e. slightly 'foreign') by stupid people.

An Asian friend of ours has amended his travel plans for this weekend so he doesn't have to travel on the tube with a rucksack

david_west

As others have said, there really is nothing closed other than the bombsite on the underground.

There are a LOT more police visible - which as a tourist is good news as it will deter petty crime.

Security is a bit higher at the sights and expect to undergo bag searches at various places eg the London Eye.

As for the rucksack issue - people are still carrying them. Just don't leave it lying around!

The only thing that may cause inconvenience is that there are people dumb enough to leave their bags lying around which causes delays while they are investigated (A big "thank you" to the mommet that did this at Clapham Junction this morning).

beckb

Thank you Patrick and Caroline! His backpack is very small as far as backpacks go and we'll just see how things go.

m_kingdom2

If you're out visiting museums/galleries then try to leave your bags at the hotel to save yourself time being searched.

Police are (understandably) much more wary of ANY possible security scare and investigate it fully which can lead to large areas being cordoned off, and traffic coming to a standstill.

PatrickLondon

Yes, there's always a temptation to put things in a pack 'just in case', and it can be a b. nuisance lugging it around all day. The discipline of trying to manage just with what you can fit in your pockets might be beneficial to all of us. Well, me, anyway.

flanneruk

Rucksacks aren't at all a big deal. On hot days, I walk round with one of those hiking backpacks that carries water through a tube to a nipple. Security checks have been mildly bemused, but never remotely frightened, panicky or excessively inquisitive.

One good thing about the current high tension is that most people have stopped leaving half-drunk cups of coffee on the Tube. So it's less squalid.

But please, please, don't leave litter anywhere. Even the tiniest thing left behind can create havoc. Unfounded security scares divert the police from the serious business of catching the criminals and tracking down their support base. And screw up our travelling, royally.

David West is at the tolerant end of the spectrum on this. Most of us aren't.

PatrickLondon

As it happens, there's been some slightly facetious correspondence in my paper about whether there are transparent backpacks (this morning's suggestion - which I wouldn't dare recommend to a 13-year old boy - is something called 'Maisie's Fun in the Sun Beach Bag'). But it set me thinking - I've seen posh shoe shops packing their goods in fairly sturdy plastic draw-string bags about day-pack size. Why not clear plastic ones? I've suggested it to London Transport, but I doubt if I'm the only one to have the idea - I wouldn't mind betting something similar will be appearing on the market stalls around Oxford St and other parts of London any day now.

Kate

Patrick - there have been odd crazes for transparent bags in the past (admittedly more of the hand bag variety) - in fact I'll wager that you can wander down Neal Street and find one now. However, they have the major drawback of requiring you to make sure you are (a) unembarrassed about the content (the inside of my hand bag ain't pretty) and (b) not carrying anything that anyone else might take a fancy to nicking, which rules out most things save a half empty bottle of water.

david_west

David West is at the tolerant end of the spectrum on this. Most of us aren't.>>>>>>

No I'm not - I'm at the Spanish Inquisition end of the spectrum about this.

LOTRHP

Thanks everyone for replying. Appreciate all your input.

polly229

Some years ago while in Hawaii, my husband bought a mesh backpack - which was easy to shake the sand out of. We also discovered another benefit - it's a lot cooler. My daughter found some in her grocery store in Raleigh a year or so later, so I asked her to get me one. We use one, sometimes both, for little odds and ends that won't fit in a pocket like a guide book we're taking, a sweater, a water bottle, etc. (and including a small folding umbrella or a plastic poncho in the UK).

Little did we know how useful they would prove a few years later as regards security. In fact, at the Acropolis entrance in May, my husband was stopped and told he'd have to check his pack. We sighed and turned to walk back down the hill to the check window, but when the attendant saw that the bag was mesh and everything was visible, he said go ahead. So most of the advantages of a clear pack but no sweaty back. And they scrunch up in your luggage pretty small. (Of course, if it rains, all that visible stuff gets wet fairly fast.) I don't see them often but they're around - I have seen a few since our daughter bought mine.