gladfon

Hi Everyone, Thanks to all the good information on this board, I've been able to put together a trip to Italy and London. I've been there before, but this is my adult daughter's first trip. I think I've included everything she wants to see, and I hope we can cover most without exhausting ourselves. Would you group these sites differently? Have I left out something important? Please let me know.

Day 1-Sat. We will be arriving from Venice around 12 p.m. and are staying in South Kensington. Harrods, Covent Garden (Piazza and Market; Neal Street, Neal's Yard, Thomas Neals. Can you recommend a budget-moderate restaurant?
Day 2-Sun. Early a.m. Windsor; Victoria and Albert Mus. open until 5:45 daily.
Day 3 - Mon. Tower of London, St. Katherine's Dock for lunch; Thames River Cruise to Westminster Pier; Visit West. Abbey, Cabinet War Rooms, See Parliament bldgs., Big Ben. Evening: Mamma Mia
Day 4 - Tues. British Museum (opening); Trafalgar Squar, National Gallery, St. Martin's (light lunch in Crypt?); Chinatown, Dinner in Soho.
Day 5 - Wed. - a.m. Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Circus; Burlington Arcade; St. James Palace (pass by) and St. James Park; Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea (St. James Restaurant. Evening: Anything Goes.

Thank you in advance for your insights. Gladys

jenifer

I see from another post that you are traveling later this month.

I can't comment on the itinerary in general, but wanted to let you know that Buckingham Palace is only open to the public in August and September. So certainly you can see it from the outside, or maybe you were interested in the changing of the guard (which may not be every day at that time, not sure), but you will not be able to go in.

kygogirl

Very close to Harrod's is an excellent pub type restaurant which my college grad daughter and I learned about last summer: Swag and Tails--just off the tourist roads and a little tricky to locate but well worth the effort-more formal and pricy is Racine across the steeet from Victoria and Albert Museum. I hope your trip is as memorable as ours was!

Patrick

For budget restaurant you can stay right by Neal's Yard and eat at the fun, good, and inexpensive Belgo Centraal. Their mussels and chips are the best, but they also do great roasted chicken with mushroom sauce, and several other dishes. I believe they still do an early evening special where for the "time" you pay the "price" for a bucket of mussels with chips. In other words at 5:15PM you pay 5.15 pounds. Obviously it goes up as it gets later.

PJKeay

Windsor is a fair old treck out of London. If the weather is nice you can easily spend the best part of a day there. I think you'll struggle to do the V & A and Windsor, and do them justice, in a day.

Your scehdule for Wednesday morning, I believe, can be comfortably done in a couple of hours - as the palace won't be open for tours.

A smaller art gallery, that can be comfortably done in about 2 hours or so is "The Wallace Collection". It features Franz Hals "the Laughing Cavalier" and a magnificent selection of Canaletto's. Its just off Oxford St, yet is usually very quiet. Addmission is free and for my money its one of London's best museums. So many of the museum's I just find too big - this isn't.

For a spectacular view of London, try the London eye - by the houses of parliament - you can't miss it!

Enjoy your stay in London!

obxgirl

Hi gladfon, Your day 3 looks a little heavy. After doing the Tower, lunch and a river cruise, I can't imagine you'd hit the doorstep of Westminster Abbey before 2 or 3 in the afternoon. That's not much time to absorb it or the Cabinet War Rooms, do a walk-by of Big Ben & Parliament, and freshen up for the theater. Perhaps you could move WA or the Cab. War Rooms to Friday.

Have a great time in London and Venice!

gladfon

I want you all to know how much I appreciate your input.
Jenifer: We are leaving for Italy and London on the 15th. The changing of the guards takes place on even days every other day. We just want to see the colorful pageantry outside the palace.
Kygogirl: Thanks for the tip on Swag and Tails; I'm putting it on our list.
Patrick: Belgo Centraal sounds great. I'm also taking advantage of the 2 for 1 train deal that you reported on. In Paris I stayed at Le Regent which was just as you described it and I loved it. Thank you.
PJKeay: I think I will switch V & A to another day.If we have time the last day, we can do the London Eye. Thanks.
Obxgirl: I may move the VA to another day. This itinerary is not set in stone. We will see the things that are most important to us, and leave the rest for another visit.
Thanks again for your help. Gladys

flygirl

Day 1-Sat. We will be arriving from Venice around 12 p.m. and are staying in South Kensington. Harrods, Covent Garden (Piazza and Market; Neal Street, Neal's Yard, Thomas Neals. Can you recommend a budget-moderate restaurant?

Harrods and Covent Garden are pretty far apart, why not see Harrods then do a local London Walk afterwards, and eat in your general neighborhood? plenty to choose from...

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Day 2-Sun. Early a.m. Windsor; Victoria and Albert Mus. open until 5:45 daily.

sounds good. V&A is near you. Windsor may take up a good part of your day. lucky to be back by 3 I bet...

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Day 3 - Mon. Tower of London, St. Katherine's Dock for lunch; Thames River Cruise to Westminster Pier; Visit West. Abbey, Cabinet War Rooms, See Parliament bldgs., Big Ben. Evening: Mamma Mia

no quarrels here. plenty of places to eat in the theater district.

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Day 4 - Tues. British Museum (opening); Trafalgar Squar, National Gallery, St. Martin's (light lunch in Crypt?); Chinatown, Dinner in Soho.

definitely see St. Martin's, why bother to eat there when there are so many more options in Covent Garden right around the corner. the cafe is pretty much a cafeteria.

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Day 5 - Wed. - a.m. Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Circus; Burlington Arcade; St. James Palace (pass by) and St. James Park; Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea (St. James Restaurant. Evening: Anything Goes.

I think you can likely fill more into your day, this doesn't appear to be much. you could go shopping along Oxford Street, or walk through Soho, or do another London Walk.

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gladfon

Hi Flygirl:
Thank you for taking a close look at my itinerary. It makes sense to explore S. Kensington neighborhood on the first day as you suggest. We may even be able to fit in the Victoria & Albert. I have shifted Covent Garden to Day 4. It seems like a lot, but we'll see what we can there. Gladys

flygirl

I do think you will enjoy the London Walks.

www.walks.com

or any hotel will have several of their brochures. these are ALWAYS highlights of my trips. in fact, the areas you want to visit - you should check to see if a London Walk coincides if you could. they also have pub crawls. 5 pounds per person (well, they used to be, not sure now) and you learn a lot, it's fun, it's funny, and I have literally made friends on these walks I keep up with to this day. (and have gone back to either London or Germany to visit).

South Ken has a lot of food options. don't forget to really take a walk back through Soho - lots of restos, lots of shops. pick up Time Out as soon as you get in. I know you have picked your plays, but, a quick perusal could show some quirky play (or some major celeb) in a show just when you happen to have down time.

Don't forget to pick up a good walking map - you will need it. if you have any time, I really enjoyed Greenwich, and, if you are going to take a Thames cruise anyway, why not take it in that direction? it's an easy DLR/tube right back to the Tower of London.

chances are good you will see Big Ben/Parliament/Westminster Abbey during one of your strolls (it truly is a nice short walk from National Gallery - and DO NOT forget to stand right in the portico of National Gallery and look down Whitehall - a clear beautiful view of Big Ben/Houses of Parliament. You can see so much in maybe a 1-2 mile radius, if that. you coud spend your whole time there just epxloring that general area.

good luck and have fun, any other questions feel free to email me!

Hospitality

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