My London Plan

[5onadime]

I think this works on paper. Just not sure it works in real life. What do you think?

 

Plane lands at Heathrow at 8:05. Customs, immigration, heathrow express. Arrive at Hilton Paddington Station around 9:30. Take #23 bus to St. Paul's Cathedral. Quick tour/ peek inside. Cross Millennium Bridge. Tour/ peek inside Globe Theater. Take the Queens Walk. To Westminster Bridge. Tour Westminster Abbey. Walk by Buckingham Palace. Walk to Apsley House. Quick tour. Walk across Hyde Park. Back too Hotel. If we don't spend much time at any one sight is this doable? Thanks!

 

 

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[Alaskanb]

Not sure about the itinerary but I think you will be very lucky to get through customs and immigration etc in that period of time.

[Twickenham]

I think this works on paper. Just not sure it works in real life. What do you think?

 

Plane lands at Heathrow at 8:05. Customs, immigration, heathrow express. Arrive at Hilton Paddington Station around 9:30. Take #23 bus to St. Paul's Cathedral. Quick tour/ peek inside. Cross Millennium Bridge. Tour/ peek inside Globe Theater. Take the Queens Walk. To Westminster Bridge. Tour Westminster Abbey. Walk by Buckingham Palace. Walk to Apsley House. Quick tour. Walk across Hyde Park. Back too Hotel. If we don't spend much time at any one sight is this doable? Thanks!

 

 

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Oh, I think it's doable. It just that, since after a TA flight I barely know what my name is, I'm not sure I'd A) appreciate any of the sights, or B) be able to stay upright for that long.

[Mac n cheese]

I would say no, it's a little much for being right off the plane! Get a tube map too so you can use the tube system, cause from how it sounds it sounds like way more walking then your picturing.

 

I know when I get off a red eye coming in from the states till London I'm lucky if I make it a few hours without randomly trying to fall asleep standing!

[5onadime]

I have found after TA flights we do better to just go. Otherwise we want to take a nap. Then we sleep too long and are not tired that night.....

 

How long do you think it will take to get through the airport "stuff". It will be on a Saturday in July. Probably high tourist day?

 

Thank you for your input

 

 

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[5onadime]

In my head I thought our walking would be about 3 miles (ish). I have 3 teenage boys so they have lots of energy to burn.

 

 

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[Cotswold Eagle]

In my head I thought our walking would be about 3 miles (ish). I have 3 teenage boys so they have lots of energy to burn.

 

 

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More like 5 miles, I reckon. I'd allow 90 minutes to walk (no sight-seeing) from the Globe to Paddington, so easily do-able, provided you have the energy :)

[Pet Nit Noy]

I think this works on paper. Just not sure it works in real life. What do you think?

 

Plane lands at Heathrow at 8:05. Customs, immigration, heathrow express. Arrive at Hilton Paddington Station around 9:30. Take #23 bus to St. Paul's Cathedral. Quick tour/ peek inside. Cross Millennium Bridge. Tour/ peek inside Globe Theater. Take the Queens Walk. To Westminster Bridge. Tour Westminster Abbey. Walk by Buckingham Palace. Walk to Apsley House. Quick tour. Walk across Hyde Park. Back too Hotel. If we don't spend much time at any one sight is this doable? Thanks!

 

 

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I think you'll take away a better experience of you visit fewer sites but do each on in a bit more depth. I also think your sons will have more fun if they have a goal at each of fewer sights.

 

For example...

... locate the graves of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and/or Geoffrey Chaucer at Westminster Abbey

... climb the Dome until you come to the Whispering Gallery and have your sons whisper to each 100 feet apart. Continue climbing until you reach the top of the Dome with its panoramic view over London. FYI, there are films which show the same sights as an actual climb if you and your wife don't have the same level of energy as your sons.

... as Americans you'll be fascinated to visit the Cornwallis memorial in St. Paul's Cathedral. The inscription carries on about his wonderful service to England as Governor General of India and (whoops!) fails to mention his role in losing the colonies in America. Revisionist history isn't recent.

 

I could go on, but half the success of visiting Europe with kids/teens is to have them get invested in the visit. Let them pick a place each would like to visit and make each responsible for doing/seeing something at their chosen location.

 

I agree that the best strategy is to keep going on arrival day, but your itinerary will produce a blur rather than making memories to savor.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Pet Nit Noy

[John Bull]

More like 5 miles, I reckon. I'd allow 90 minutes to walk (no sight-seeing) from the Globe to Paddington, so easily do-able, provided you have the energy :)

 

9.30 is the earliest you're likely to be at the hotel, more like 10am, later if you travel by anything other than Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect.

 

In fact it's EXACTLY 5 miles walking, according to Google.:)

An hour & forty minutes, but you'll not be walking purposefully. so that'll be two hours - probably more cos your camera will be working overtime & you'll want to stop somewhere for a beer or whatever. Plus the bus ride & time inside St Paul's, the Globe, Wessie abbey, mebbe Apsley House.

 

I'm kinda like Sonadime - I'm buzzing when I arrive after a trans-Atlantic, fine as long as I keep going. My body-clock fouls up later in the day.

 

JB :)

[5onadime]

Thank you for all the help! Involving my kids is how The list got out of control;). One MUST go to poets corner. One MUST see St. Pauls. One MUST see the Globe. Don't even get me started on day 2 The British Museum and Tower of London. I think we may have to eliminate Aspley House. and the walk through Hyde Park and just take a taxi or tube back. We will just see how we are feeling.

 

This is the paired down list of what they wanted to see in London. They knew much more about it then I did. Unfortunately, 2 weeks is the max we can be gone or I would add more days at the end of the cruise.

[Girr]

I see you're planning on using the Heathrow Express - as a heads up by the time you pay for 4 it would probably be less expensive to arrange for a private driver. (Now, if you're using the tube it may not.) I find having a driver really makes it easier getting into town, plus you're delivered right to your hotel.

 

It's different for everyone, but I've always found it very helpful to check in and then take a long walk for a couple of hours so a lot of what you've projected is very doable. Also, keep in mind your hotel room may not be available until late afternoon (your hotel should have luggage storage) thus you may not have a choice but to go tour for a bit.

[Post Captain]

5onadime ~

 

First of all... I'm delighted to encounter someone on these boards who is so keen to walk so much in London. You're a person after my own heart. London is a city made for walking; the best way to "learn" and absorb the place is on foot, not from the top of a HoHo bus or from the London Eye!

 

And I like the itinerary you've mapped out.:)

 

Having said that... I think you'll find this a wee bit ambitious for your first day there, having just landed a transatlantic flight.

 

A few points to add to what's already been said by other posters, or to reinforce some of the points they've made:

 

-- I doubt you'll get to Paddington by 9:30. Depending on which terminal you arrive at, you may have to do a considerable amount of walking inside the terminal just to get from the plane to Immigration. (Sometimes it feels like miles and miles, at least in terminal 3.:() By the time you've passed through Immigration, collected your luggage, "freshened up," and gotten onto the Heathrow Express train, it may already be 9:30 or later.

 

-- It's almost impossible to do a "quick peek" inside St. Paul's. The cathedral really requires at least a good hour or more. The same goes for the Globe (perhaps to a lesser extent) and Westminster Abbey. All of these places offer a lot to absorb--particularly St. Paul's and the abbey.

 

-- With all due respect to the Duke of Wellington, I'd probably skip Apsley House, given the ambitiousness of your itinerary. (Personally, I'd be sleepwalking by the time I got there. But I'm not a teenager any more.:D)

 

But yes--go for as much as you can. Just remember to look Right before you cross the street.:eek:

 

[katiebanks7]

I have flown into Heathrow multiple times, and you should prepare yourself for any length of line. I have waited 15 minutes and I have waited 3 hours. Just be prepared to go with the flow in case you are not at your hotel when you hope.

 

Your itinerary sounds good though and it is easy enough to adjust and take the tube if you get too tired to walk or are running short of time. I would invest in Rick Steve's London as he can save you time and has DIY tours of the main sights.

 

We go to London again in August and I cannot wait!

[Cotswold Eagle]

I see you're planning on using the Heathrow Express - as a heads up by the time you pay for 4 it would probably be less expensive to arrange for a private driver. (Now, if you're using the tube it may not.) I find having a driver really makes it easier getting into town, plus you're delivered right to your hotel.

 

The OP said they were using the Hilton Paddington Station, so the HEX delivers them right to their hotel and will be significantly quicker than a car :) You are right about the cost, of course - OP, look for deals on the HEX website.

 

No need to leave the station to get in to the Hilton - walk straight ahead off the platform in to the glassed-in area of bars and shops at the back of the station (known as the Lawn). Head over to the right, up the stairs towards Starbucks - the hotel entrance is right next to it.

[Twickenham]

The OP said they were using the Hilton Paddington Station, so the HEX delivers them right to their hotel and will be significantly quicker than a car :) You are right about the cost, of course - OP, look for deals on the HEX website.

 

Plus, the HEX is just cool! AND, looking at their website, if one or more of your teens is 15 or under, they get to go free.

No need to leave the station to get in to the Hilton - walk straight ahead off the platform in to the glassed-in area of bars and shops at the back of the station (known as the Lawn). Head over to the right, up the stairs towards Starbucks - the hotel entrance is right next to it.

 

Or they could take the lift - look at Google Street View for a look inside Paddington Station - you can literally walk from the HEX to the Hilton.

[nybumpkin]

We introduced our sons to London this past summer, arriving in London on a Saturday and sailing out of Dover on a Wednesday. We also gave each son a choice of what he wanted to see; older one picked the Tower of London, younger one picked the British Museum. We had no problem getting through LHR (in part because our luggage was still in Toronto:rolleyes:). Saturday we took it easy, let the boys take a nap, and did a walking tour that night. We stayed in Lambeth, walked across Lambeth Bridge, past Parliament, across the Millennium Bridge, and back along the south bank, past the London Eye, to our hotel. Sunday - British Museum and Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is closed on Sundays except for services and we opted for Evensong (sons were horrified:p). Monday - Tower of London, London Bridge, and HMS Belfast. Tuesday - Off to Dover. (Nice time in Dover as well.)

 

DH and I have been in London a number of times - in fact, DH lived in London for a year during college. We realized that all we could give our sons was a basic introduction to London; we could never hope to show them very much in the limited time we had. However, my hope is that we've whetted their appetite for more visits.:cool:

[spirit rev]

When we were in London this past summer there was a considerable line at Westminster Abbey for admission. We could walk right into St. Paul's.

The biggest piece of advice I could offer to this discussion is to be aware of the service times at both St. Paul's and the Abbey (easily found on their websites) as well as other special services that would impact your visit. Last summer there was a major vetern's service at the Abbey one of the times we might have visited. These venues are always closed to non-worshipping visitors during worship services.

[Scriv]

I would advise to be as flexible as you can with your first day plans in case you do have delays getting through immigration and out of Heathrow.

 

Also, depending on what day of the week it is, the journey and checking into your hotel might be more busy/stressful/lengthy than you would hope for, so you might want to take some time out and have a coffee/lunch leisurely somewhere on your itinerary to soak up the atmosphere.

 

How about two plans - the ambitious one and a more relaxed one if you lose time or need a more restful day than you plan?

Edited February 5, 2014 by Scriv

[Pet Nit Noy]

When we were in London this past summer there was a considerable line at Westminster Abbey for admission. We could walk right into St. Paul's.

 

Definitely a case of your mileage may vary. When we were in London, also last summer, we started our day visiting St. Paul's and there was no line. By the time we left, admittedly after a reasonably thorough visit and lunch, the line to buy tickets was huge.

 

The first destination of the morning is the easiest to get into. If you'll be visiting popular places that do not sell advance tickets, considering making those your first stop to minimize waiting on line.

 

Try to buy advance tickets to minimize time spent on line at the box office. (The helpful folks on this board can offer estimates about a reasonable amount of time to spend in a place and the time between destinations.)

 

Finally, accept the fact that you won't be able to see everything so you'll have to make a choice between seeing lots of destinations superficially or visiting fewer destinations in greater depth. I wouldn't bother walking past Buckingham Palace but I sure would purchase tickets for a tour inside.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Definitely a case of your mileage may vary.

 

I wouldn't bother walking past Buckingham Palace but I sure would purchase tickets for a tour inside.

 

Can I ask why you would not walk by the palace. [too far out of the way?] I can not tell from you screen if you are from London. I tried to look up the ticket info for ?Buckingham palace since I read they are available in August. However, it still has 2013 posted. Do you know when they release this information? I read the tickets sell out quickly.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Can I ask why you would not walk by the palace. [too far out of the way?] I can not tell from you screen if you are from London. I tried to look up the ticket info for ?Buckingham palace since I read they are available in August. However, it still has 2013 posted. Do you know when they release this information? I read the tickets sell out quickly.

 

I'm from the US, East Coast specifically, and I've been visiting London for 30+ years. When I first visited London, the Palace wasn't open for tours. The best I could do was to watch the changing of the guard. Even that involved a considerable amount of time: arriving early enough to be reasonably close to the front and, then, the time for the ceremony itself. (I think I arrived an hour early and I still ended up in the fourth row.)

 

I don't remember when interior tours began, but I remember taking a tour during the height of Mad Cow disease in the UK when we all had to walk through disinfecting foot baths -- shoes still on -- before entering the palace.

 

Here's the link to the official site for the Palace and tours:

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/the-state-rooms-buckingham-palace/plan-your-visit

 

I suspect you were looking at the commercial sites that are basically ticket resellers like London Pass. The official site has all the information posted for summer 2014.

 

Kensington Palace opened for tours less than a year ago and that's on our list for an upcoming trip. It is a good fall back option if you can't get a ticket for Buckingham Palace.

[5onadime]

Thank you for all the tips and advice. I like the idea of two itineraries. I am thinking we will do the London Pass without the travel option. I am not sure it saves us money Just easier to use. I read you can purchase it at paddington station. Do you know if it is automated or a real person. Credit cards or cash only. Sooooo many questions.

 

Being tourists, we will need to eat "fish and chips". Any recommendations close to above mentioned attractions. Any other reasonably priced places we should try? (We live in a pretty small Midwest town so everything will be an adventure)

 

One more question--for now. When we leave our hotel, we need to get a taxi to Liverpool Street Station. Do we just step out and find one or try to prearrange one?

 

 

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[Cotswold Eagle]

I wouldn't bother walking past Buckingham Palace but I sure would purchase tickets for a tour inside.

 

The OP was planning on walking from Westminster Abbey to Apsley House - it would be a pretty odd route that didn't go past the Palace :)

[Eboracum_d]

For your taxi I would ask the Concierge at the hotel to call one for you -- you will have a fair amount luggage which you do not want to cart out onto the street . Generally, though , you can hail a taxi on the streets of London with no problems.

[jsmeeker]

It's a lot to do in one day. Is this the only day in London? Are you heading to a cruise port the next day?

 

I'm not exactly sure what interests you, but I would suggest that St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey deserve more than a "quick peek" inside give the charge to get in. Even if it were free, it still warrants more than a "quick peek". But maybe you could do one and not the other.

 

An alternative would be to spend most time in and around Westminster area and forgetting The City of London. You could see more with less walking around. Lots of good stuff. In addition to Westminster Abbey you have houses of parliament and big ben. You can see 10 Downing St., Horse Guards Parade and Trafalgar Square before heading down the Mall to see Buckingham Palace.