12,000 a person for a 3 week trip!! That's incredibly expensive! Wow. If you take the time to plan this yourself you could save an absolute fortune...

What do you think about this new itinerary? Deciding to use backroads....since it's a smaller group size....or would a larger coach likes Globus be better?

Flight Saturday
Arrive Sunday (relax/jet lag)
Monday: Total London full day tour (premium tours)
http://www.premiumtours.co.uk/psite/...tour.id40.html
Tuesday: Stonehenge and bath day trip (premium tours)
http://www.premiumtours.co.uk/psite/...rip.id229.html
Wednesday: Relax in London......maybe a musical?
Thursday: Backroads 9 day tour starts
http://www.globaljourneys.com.au/coa...ads/brsled.php
Friday next week tour ends......
...
Arrive back home Sunday night?

I've already stated my views on Globus.

Stonehenge/Bath - you'll be on your own in Bath - will that be OK for you w/o a guide.

You mentioned Backroads (a very reputable and good tour group) - is Global Journeys part of Backroads? I don't see any mention of a Backroads trip.

Have you thoroughly read Global Journeys itinerary?

- Only a few hours in Oxford
- York - you pass by sights in the morning w/o visiting any of them. The afternoon you're on your own. Again - are you OK with this.
- What will you do when the tour ends in Edinburgh?

It looks like these tours cover 11 days of your 3 weeks. Are you still going to Ireland?

maybe....depends if the tour can fit in into the timetable.

You are right about Edinburgh.......was going to catch a taxi to the airport the next day

I think I've finally created "the" tour....doing a shorter tour of England.

Flight 26th December
Arrive 27th (Pre accommodation 4 days)
28th December: One day Leeds/Canterbury/Dover tour
http://www.viator.com/tours/London/L...d737-3858EE022
29th December: Harry Potter walking tour (10:30am-1pm)
http://www.viator.com/tours/London/H...737-5227POTTER
London Afternoon Tea: Grosvener (2pm-6pm....maybe 4pm would be best? (since we would have eaten lunch at 1pm)
http://www.viator.com/tours/London/L...37-3517LONGROS
Spend remainder of time at hotel (relax)
30th December: One day Tour of London (upgrade to include London Eye)
http://www.viator.com/tours/London/L...d737-3858EE004
31st December: Tour Commences (Heart of England/Winter) --> Backroads
http://www.backroadstouring.co.uk/to...our-itinerary#
4th Janurary: Tour Ends (Post accommodation)
5th Janurary: Flight
6th Janurary: Flight continues
7th Janurary: Arrive home

Of course...the dates/days may change depending on the itinerary next year, but this is a small guide.

There is absolutely NO reason to book a tour to go to Afternoon Tea!! That tour charges you £50+ each when you can just book this yourself for £35!!!!! http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/uk/lon...osvenor-house/

Afternoon tea is the equivalent to a huge meal...you get unltd sandwiches and plates and plates of cakes...go on an empty stomach!

We don't seem to be able to convince you that London is seen much better without an overpriced and too busily scheduled tour.

Keep in kind daylight hours at that time of year are short - sunrise around 8am and sunset around 3:50pm...

oh really? I didn't know about the 3:50....

I thinking of adding 2 days london (not with tour, but via transport)....as the tour finishes quite early.

Sophie - I have a question and this is not meant to be mean or sarcastic but I'm perplexed. All the Australians I've met while traveling have been adventurous. I realize everyone is not the same but I don't understand booking a tour to go to a restaurant.

I'm not sure what type of tour this is but you have to get to the restaurant on your own and no mention is made of any tour guide. It looks like you pay and then print a voucher. I don't think Viator is adding anything to this experience but selling a seat at a restaurant for an extra charge.

Sorry for the confusion, I was just getting the name of the food restaurant.....my family and I will probably be browsing shops around London, etc.....doing the harry potter trail by ourselves.....not via a tour, then we'll make our way to that high-tea-place.

Do you think I should do some activities by myself or with a private guide? I understand they're more expensive, but my parents don't want to catch a taxi by themselves, as I've read on a site there are some not so genuine taxis at popular destinations, and don't want to find our way back to our hotel after a long day out.

I'm now also looking into more private tours that allows private access into a few locations. However, I'm not sure if the private company I'm using is genuine.....but it did say the guides have blue badges, so I think they should be safe?

26th December: Flight
27th December: Arrive (four nights pre-accommodation) --> Pre-book taxi to get to hotel
28th: December: Classic Tour of London (Guided Westminster & St Pauls inside visit)-- Saturday only for Westminster (blue badge guide)
http://www.yourlondontours.com/priva...ndon-tour.html
29th December: Tower of London and Hampton Court
http://www.yourlondontours.com/private-tudors-tour.html
30th December: Winchester tour (Your London tours: blue badge)
http://www.yourlondontours.com/priva...ster-tour.html
31 December: Tour commences
http://www.backroadstouring.co.uk/to...our-itinerary#
4th Janurary: Tour ends (three nights post accommodation)
5th: Cambridge tour (Your London tours: blue guide)
http://www.yourlondontours.com/priva...idge-tour.html
6th: Greenwich (Your London tours: blue guide)
http://www.yourlondontours.com/priva...wich-tour.html
7: Canturbury tales tour + Dover
http://www.yourlondontours.com/priva...ales-tour.html
8th: Flight (pre-book taxi to get to airport)
9th: in flight
10th: arrive home

I will preface these comments by saying that I haven't visited London in a while but here is my experience with London taxis:

You will be missing out on great taxi rides. London cabbies all speak English, have to take a knowledge test, and are friendly and courteous, and point out sights along the route. The best taxi experiences I've had have been in London.

You can have your hotel book a driver to get you to whatever places you're going. The driver can be at your disposal all day.

1.I have read what you say about not wanting to "do" anything independently and wanting guides/tours/etc. However, I think that you will be exhausted by this. What happened to a couple days unscheduled in London? But maybe there's enough sitting on a bus to prevent being exhausted by the daily tours, esp. those back to back day trips from London. You are seeing (I hope more than just seeing, though) some very terrific places. But for your first trip, I'd seriously consider using one of your back in London days, maybe the Greenwich one, to explore a little on your own, since you'd have had some experience there already. And Greenwich is easy to get to on your own, too, via public transport if you really wanted to see it. But so many free museums (ESPECIALLY the British Museum) that are easily accessible that you don't seem to be visiting. Or maybe you are thinking that there's no way you would use any public transport but must have a taxi if it's too far to walk?

2. For transport from and to the airport, I'd suggest you pre-book a CAR SERVICE which will be MUCH MUCH cheaper, just as reliable, and just as timely as a taxi. We've used JustAirports quite satisfactorily. It's not a shuttle that picks up and stops at several places; it's a car/van/whatever you need for number/luggage that meets you at airport inside, drops you at door of hotel, and picks you back up at door of hotel. You seem to not be TOO worried about spending what is needed to make your parents comfortable, but a car service like JustAirports will do exactly what a taxi would do but be cheaper for airport pickup and delivery.

I do love museums....yeah, I wasn't too sure about Greenwich either, but that's a good idea. I could use that day, and maybe add another 2 days to explore museums and other free attractions, maybe attempt a few free walking tours like those harry potter ones, and doctor who stuff.

Does this tour include a visit to Westminster abbey?

http://www.londonmagicaltours.com/lo...ondaytour.html

That tour doesn't include going inside <i>anything</i> except an optional visit to the Tower (but it only mentions the crown jewels so you probably only get a short time inside the walls).

It looks like he drives you around -- parks, lets you out of the car to tell you what's what and then back in the car.

The only "tour" is of the Changing of the Guard.

It actually is a pretty pitiful excuse for a 'London tour'.

You keep digging up these expensive/semi-usueless tours. You really REALLY should save the $$/££.

You could take a guided tour through London Walks. They have tours of some of the things that you’d like to see such as Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. They also have day trips out of London, but you would have to check the schedule as the day trips change depending upon the season.

They only cost £9 and last about two hours. The guides are very knowledgeable and I really enjoyed the walks that I have taken with them.

The tours are not pre-booked so you are not locked into anything in case you have a change of plans. All you need to do is choose the walk then go to the identified Tube station.

www.walks.com

Thanks guys!! I got into touch with a company, and he gave me a few ideas I could do in my itinery, including a few day trips combined to the tour I was going to book.

Sophie, did you get this trip organized? I am putting together a private trip through CIE for September 2016. That may be too late for you but if it isn't let me know and I can provide details. This is not a sales pitch. I just happened upon your posting while doing my research.

<B>skurvish: </B> Welcome to Fodors. >>Sophie, did you get this trip organized? I am putting together a private trip through CIE for September 2016. That may be too late for you but if it isn't let me know and I can provide details. <<

When posting to threads it is good to check the dates first. Sophie has not been on Fodors since 2013 so likely will not see your post. But in any case her trip is loooooong over.