Mini Review of London Pre-Cruise

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Someone asked me earlier in this thread if I would share the table I used while I was in London.

 

This attachment is the table with the information on the attractions in London. We did not see everything I had on the list--but, I never thought we would.

 

We found that all of the advanced research really did make it easier to see as much as we did.

 

edit: I removed the amount of the voluntary donations on this table at the sites that had an entrance fee. Also, I found out St Margaret's Church is open later in the afternoon.

London Attractions.docx

Edited September 28, 2014 by DragonOfTheSeas

[HRPro]

Someone asked me earlier in this thread if I would share the table I used while I was in London.

 

This attachment is the table with the information on the attractions in London. We did not see everything I had on the list--but, I never thought we would.

 

We found that all of the advanced research really did make it easier to see as much as we did.

 

edit: I removed the amount of the voluntary donations on this table at the sites that had an entrance fee. Also, I found out St Margaret's Church is open later in the afternoon.

 

Being a planner myself, I can recognize the time and effort you put into planning your trip and maintaining your budget. Thanks for sharing this invaluable information with those of us who will be taking this cruise next year. You have saved me countless hours checking and double-checking my guidebooks since I will be able to use your information as a starting point.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Now for the Attractions/transportation costs :

 

Of course the 101 GBP I quoted was for one person. You need to double this figure. The meals figure was for 2.

[P&O SUE]

I live just an hour South of London and really enjoyed your review. I,and many of my friends have been for day trips to see the Poppies at the Tower - they really are amazing! I've never stayed over in London and often think I must - that Doubletree hotel sounds good....

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I live just an hour South of London and really enjoyed your review. I,and many of my friends have been for day trips to see the Poppies at the Tower - they really are amazing! I've never stayed over in London and often think I must - that Doubletree hotel sounds good....

 

Thank you--I highly recommend the location. It is a short tube ride to the attractions around Westminster and within 1-2 blocks or so for many others.

 

We would stay there again.

 

London is a beautiful and we enjoyed our stay. :)

[ecslady]

Thank you for taking the time to post a great review filled with lots of practical info!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Thank you for taking the time to post a great review filled with lots of practical info!

 

Thanks--

 

I learned so much from CC for our trip I wanted to "pay it forward." :)

[nicecruiser]

Thank you for review. Very interesting and thorough. You mentioned that you were buying senior rate tickets. Did you need any I'd for that? Thanks a lot.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Thank you for review. Very interesting and thorough. You mentioned that you were buying senior rate tickets. Did you need any I'd for that? Thanks a lot.

 

Thank you. :)

 

We had our driver's licenses with us--but, we never had to show them.

 

Have a good trip. :D

[phabric]

Enjoyed re reading your review. We will be staying 4 days post cruise and seeing many places mentioned.

[georgiacat]

Thank you so much for your review and the table. I find them very helpful as we are going to spend a couple of days in London prior to our Baltic cruise in 3 weeks. I think we may be staying at the same hotel, Doubletree by Hilton. Any advice or suggestions about the hotel? How do I get the free breakfast? Reservation was made by our travel agent.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Thank you so much for your review and the table. I find them very helpful as we are going to spend a couple of days in London prior to our Baltic cruise in 3 weeks. I think we may be staying at the same hotel, Doubletree by Hilton. Any advice or suggestions about the hotel? How do I get the free breakfast? Reservation was made by our travel agent.

 

I think you will like the hotel. It is very convenient.

 

When we made our reservation we were given an option to upgrade for 5 GBP per night on a space available basis. We asked when we arrived if they had this notation on our reservation [i brought the email] and we got the free breakfast and evening happy hour. [very nice] We are Hilton Honors members--but, do not have any status but the lowest level.

 

My favorite thing to do in the evening from this hotel was walk around the marina and Tower of London grounds. All of the tourists have gone to other sections of the city. since this is a business/banking area of town the commuters leave, too. [but happy hour at the pubs is packed!!]

Edited May 18, 2015 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Enjoyed re reading your review. We will be staying 4 days post cruise and seeing many places mentioned.

 

4 days would have been perfect for us. Have a great cruise!! :)

 

We wanted to take a guided tour of the Parliament building and visit the Greenwich Observatory. We just could not work it in. . . . that is for next time. :D

Edited May 18, 2015 by DragonOfTheSeas

[itsanita]

Thanks so much for your review. We will be doing the same thing in less than a month and your info is great. I do have a question about the area that you stayed in. We will be doing the Ceremony of the Keys at around 9 pm one night at the Tower of London. We would like to have dinner in that area before we go in. Is Liberty Bounds in that area? And did you like it? Was it a pub?

 

Thanks again for your review.

 

Anita

[Cotswold Eagle]

You can see the Tower from the Liberty Bounds, and yes it is a pub.

[Globaliser]

We will be doing the Ceremony of the Keys at around 9 pm one night at the Tower of London. We would like to have dinner in that area before we go in. Is Liberty Bounds in that area? And did you like it? Was it a pub?

You can see the Tower from the Liberty Bounds, and yes it is a pub.

Given the amount of good choice that there now is in the area, I think that the Liberty Bounds is one of the last places that I'd choose to eat in. Admittedly, though, it's ahead of KFC.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Thanks so much for your review. We will be doing the same thing in less than a month and your info is great. I do have a question about the area that you stayed in. We will be doing the Ceremony of the Keys at around 9 pm one night at the Tower of London. We would like to have dinner in that area before we go in. Is Liberty Bounds in that area? And did you like it? Was it a pub?

 

Thanks again for your review.

 

Anita

 

Congrats on getting tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys. :) Yes, Liberty Bounds is diagonally across the street from the Tower of London with great views. We ate there and enjoyed it.

 

We ate at a Pizza place one night [ 1 block farther away from the tower on the same street--forgot name] and it was nothing special. We ate at the Cheshire Cheese pub and did not like it at all. [1 block away and next to train station]

 

There were several restaurants in/near the Catherine's Dock area, but we did not try them. One of the local guys will need to give you a suggestion there.

 

However, as a tourist visiting the UK and wanting to try a pub while we were there we found Liberty Bounds a good choice for us. YMMV

 

PS--visit the Trinity Park next to the pub while you are there. It is a beautiful garden and has a memorial to UK war dead.

[nidnoi]

Thanks for all your research and the pictures. I just want to know should we purchase London Card along with the oyster card? Can we purchased London Card when we get there?

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Thanks for all your research and the pictures. I just want to know should we purchase London Card along with the oyster card? Can we purchased London Card when we get there?

 

We did not purchase a London Pass and would not have gotten enough value from the card to make it worthwhile. [it will depend on what attractions you want to visit and how many you plan to visit in a given day.] The one-day pass is 52 £ or 3 day pass is 85 £. Also, the tour of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace is not included in the London Pass.

 

See below for what we spent:

 

Day 1—Westminster Abbey: 15 £, senior rate

Free: St Margaret’s Church, Parliament Square and walking around Big Ben and Westminster Bridge [15 £ total for the day]

 

Day 2—

Buckingham Palace State Room Tour: 18£ senior rate

Churchill War Rooms: 14£ senior rate

River cruise from Westminster pier to St Katharine’s Pier: 7£

Free: Changing of the Guard, Horse Guards, St Martin in the Fields Church, and Trafalgar Square. Also, we walked around St James Park, the St Katharine’s dock area and the Tower Bridge [39 £ total for the day]

 

Day 3—

Tower of London: 17£ senior rate

Free: Remains of Roman Wall, Trinity Square Park [visited everyday], All Hallows Church [beside the Tower], and the British Museum [17 £ total for the day]

Edited May 20, 2015 by DragonOfTheSeas

[itsanita]

Given the amount of good choice that there now is in the area, I think that the Liberty Bounds is one of the last places that I'd choose to eat in. Admittedly, though, it's ahead of KFC.

 

Any suggestions? There will be 8 of us, would like to make reservations so we don't have to wait.

 

Thanks

[Globaliser]

Any suggestions? There will be 8 of us, would like to make reservations so we don't have to wait.

Much depends on what you feel like! Have a think about these, in no particular order (I think you can get menus from all of their websites):-Wagamama in Tower Place (the website's map is not quite right, but Google Maps has the restaurant in the correct place) for very informal Japanese-inspired noodles and rice dishesBodean's, if you fancy a taste of home (which is, of course a stereotyping comment!)Natural Kitchen, on the ground floor of the Doubletree in Pepys StreetCote at St Katharine Docks for French brasserie foodTom's Kitchen in St Katharine Docks for modern British

In some other threads, you may see recommendations for Rosemary Lane, which is not far away. Unfortunately, that restaurant has closed.

[itsanita]

Much depends on what you feel like! Have a think about these, in no particular order (I think you can get menus from all of their websites):-Wagamama in Tower Place (the website's map is not quite right, but Google Maps has the restaurant in the correct place) for very informal Japanese-inspired noodles and rice dishesBodean's, if you fancy a taste of home (which is, of course a stereotyping comment!)Natural Kitchen, on the ground floor of the Doubletree in Pepys StreetCote at St Katharine Docks for French brasserie foodTom's Kitchen in St Katharine Docks for modern British

In some other threads, you may see recommendations for Rosemary Lane, which is not far away. Unfortunately, that restaurant has closed.

 

Thanks so much, it will save us some time to get reservations ahead of time.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I am not sure what type of restaurant you are looking for--however, I can comment on the Natural Kitchen. We ate lunch there one day. It has excellent food. [i called it a deli in my review] The food was very good and there was a good variety.

 

It is a cafeteria style restaurant. You walk through a line and tell them what you want and then you carry it to a table. [inside or to an outside wooden picnic table]. So, it would be a fast, casual meal.

 

If you are thinking of an upscale place that would require reservation--you will need to pick one of the other restaurants.

Edited June 4, 2015 by DragonOfTheSeas

[itsanita]

I am not sure what type of restaurant you are looking for--however, I can comment on the Natural Kitchen. We ate lunch there one day. It has excellent food. [i called it a deli in my review] The food was very good and there was a good variety.

 

It is a cafeteria style restaurant. You walk through a line and tell them what you want and then you carry it to a table. [inside or to an outside wooden picnic table]. So, it would be a fast, casual meal.

 

If you are thinking of an upscale place that would require reservation--you will need to pick one of the other restaurants.

 

Thanks, this does sound quick and easy for the eight of us. We would not need to make reservations, just show up. That might be easier since we will all be meeting there from other places.

[itsanita]

I am not sure what type of restaurant you are looking for--however, I can comment on the Natural Kitchen. We ate lunch there one day. It has excellent food. [i called it a deli in my review] The food was very good and there was a good variety.

 

It is a cafeteria style restaurant. You walk through a line and tell them what you want and then you carry it to a table. [inside or to an outside wooden picnic table]. So, it would be a fast, casual meal.

 

If you are thinking of an upscale place that would require reservation--you will need to pick one of the other restaurants.

 

i just looked at their web site. Is there both a sit down restaurant AND a deli..or is it one in the same?