One Night London Post Cruise

[Pampered1971]

We are a family of 4 (2 older teens) and are arriving in Southampton on a Sunday from a cruise.  We have one additional night before we have to fly home and want to see as much as possible in this short time.  I am looking for London hotel recommendations for a family of 4 as well as any transfers from the port to London that may include a tour where we can see as much as possible. Any other sightseeing tips while we are in London would be greatly appreciated.  This will be most of our first time in London but not the last, so we know we won't be able to see everything.  Thanks for your help 

[Globaliser]

57 minutes ago, Pampered1971 said:

We are a family of 4 (2 older teens) and are arriving in Southampton on a Sunday from a cruise.  We have one additional night before we have to fly home and want to see as much as possible in this short time.  ...  This will be most of our first time in London but not the last ...

 

Number one piece of advice, seeing as you are intending to return: don't try to "see as much as possible in this short time". All that is likely to happen is that you will do some drive-by (photo)shooting and actually see, learn and experience nothing.

 

Given your ages, you're probably best off getting the train from Southampton to Waterloo, dropping your stuff at a nearby hotel, and going off to do two or three things properly during the remainder of the day.

 

That plan would be subject to the trains running that day, but (presuming that you mean Sunday 4 June 2023), it's going to be a while before we know whether engineering works might disrupt that bit of the plan.

[John Bull]

For door-to-door tour-transfers from your ship in Southampton to your hotel consider the International Friends' cruise tour-transfer via Salisbury, Stonehenge & Windsor.

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/southampton-cruise-tour-transfer-to-london.html

The £99 per adult fare doesn't include admissions.

Do buy your Stonehenge admission tickets with your coach tickets (there's only a distant view from the coach and buying at the gate is subject to numbers & could leave you sat on the coach for 90 minutes while others go visit)

You might want to decide on the day whether to pay for admission inside Salisbury cathedral (not available sundays) and Windsor castle, depending on time available, weather etc. - you can see both of them up-close from outside and - unlike Stonehenge, which is in the back end of nowhere - they're both in historic & interesting surroundings.

 

But that tour-transfer will take up the whole of your arrival day, leaving only a trunkated evening in central London - if your flight is next-day before late afternoon / evening you'll not have any time for sight-seeing in central London next morning. 

In that case I suggest you get to London by quickest means, which is by train from Southampton Central (the furthest cruise terminal is no more than a £10 / 6 to 8 minute taxi ride) to London Waterloo station. Train journey about 90 minutes, so you could be in central London by about 11 am   https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

After dropping your bags at the hotel, consider a round-trip on a ho-ho (about 2hrs 15 mins) or a walk from Parliament Square (Big Ben, Westminster Abbey ) up Whitehall past Churchill's War Rooms (only worthwhile if you go inside), Banqueting House, Downing Street (Prime Minister's residence), Horse Guards Parade and other iconic sights) to Trafalgar Square. If you can't decide which or want to do both, mebbe take the ho-ho from Waterloo (stop 4 on the linked map) & hop off near Trafalgar Square (stop 2) to walk down Whitehall to Big Ben & back to your hotel. https://www.tootbus.com/en/london/map

 

In the evening - if you're still awake 😛 - mebbe the nightlife of Leicester Square or Covent Garden.

 

If you choose the cruise tour-transfer mebbe a hotel near Paddington station for a fast direct train to Heathrow next day

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/

 

If you choose by train, a hotel near Waterloo station and a pre-booked private transfer to Heathrow. Post back if your flight is from Gatwick.

------------------------------------------------------

 

I'm assuming you're from North America.

The vast majority of hotel rooms in the UK and in Europe generally are twin or double, few have family rooms. Apartments might be difficult to book for just one night.

I'm a country boy, not a Londoner, but if you don't get any suggestions here,  you might want to try TripAdvisor.

 

JB 🙂

 

[nadeki]

We have been to London a few times and my husband grew up there. We have not come close to seeing everything. We can't wait to go back.

 

This June we had my favorite experience so far and it will help maximize your day and wallet.

 

The Ceremony of the Keys at Tower of London. It happens at 9:30 at night and has a reasonable cost of 5 pounds per person.

 

I encourage you to look at the website. Only 50 tickets are issued and are hard to get.

 

We loved it and that includes our teens ages 16 and 18.

 

 

[nadeki]

One more option but not specific to seeing London. The theater shows are much cheaper than in the US. We have really enjoyed this benefit.

[Pampered1971]

55 minutes ago, John Bull said:

For door-to-door tour-transfers from your ship in Southampton to your hotel consider the International Friends' cruise tour-transfer via Salisbury, Stonehenge & Windsor.

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/southampton-cruise-tour-transfer-to-london.html

The £99 per adult fare doesn't include admissions.

Do buy your Stonehenge admission tickets with your coach tickets (there's only a distant view from the coach and buying at the gate is subject to numbers & could leave you sat on the coach for 90 minutes while others go visit)

You might want to decide on the day whether to pay for admission inside Salisbury cathedral (not available sundays) and Windsor castle, depending on time available, weather etc. - you can see both of them up-close from outside and - unlike Stonehenge, which is in the back end of nowhere - they're both in historic & interesting surroundings.

 

But that tour-transfer will take up the whole of your arrival day, leaving only a trunkated evening in central London - if your flight is next-day before late afternoon / evening you'll not have any time for sight-seeing in central London next morning. 

In that case I suggest you get to London by quickest means, which is by train from Southampton Central (the furthest cruise terminal is no more than a £10 / 6 to 8 minute taxi ride) to London Waterloo station. Train journey about 90 minutes, so you could be in central London by about 11 am   https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

After dropping your bags at the hotel, consider a round-trip on a ho-ho (about 2hrs 15 mins) or a walk from Parliament Square (Big Ben, Westminster Abbey ) up Whitehall past Churchill's War Rooms (only worthwhile if you go inside), Banqueting House, Downing Street (Prime Minister's residence), Horse Guards Parade and other iconic sights) to Trafalgar Square. If you can't decide which or want to do both, mebbe take the ho-ho from Waterloo (stop 4 on the linked map) & hop off near Trafalgar Square (stop 2) to walk down Whitehall to Big Ben & back to your hotel. https://www.tootbus.com/en/london/map

 

In the evening - if you're still awake 😛 - mebbe the nightlife of Leicester Square or Covent Garden.

 

If you choose the cruise tour-transfer mebbe a hotel near Paddington station for a fast direct train to Heathrow next day

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/

 

If you choose by train, a hotel near Waterloo station and a pre-booked private transfer to Heathrow. Post back if your flight is from Gatwick.

------------------------------------------------------

 

I'm assuming you're from North America.

The vast majority of hotel rooms in the UK and in Europe generally are twin or double, few have family rooms. Apartments might be difficult to book for just one night.

I'm a country boy, not a Londoner, but if you don't get any suggestions here,  you might want to try TripAdvisor.

 

JB 🙂

 

Thank you so much, this was very helpful.  

[Pampered1971]

3 hours ago, Pampered1971 said:

We are a family of 4 (2 older teens) and are arriving in Southampton on a Sunday from a cruise.  We have one additional night before we have to fly home and want to see as much as possible in this short time.  I am looking for London hotel recommendations for a family of 4 as well as any transfers from the port to London that may include a tour where we can see as much as possible. Any other sightseeing tips while we are in London would be greatly appreciated.  This will be most of our first time in London but not the last, so we know we won't be able to see everything.  Thanks for your help 

Based on a Tripadvisor search I'm considering London County Hall.  Got good reviews, has a family room and is close to London Eys.

[John Bull]

18 minutes ago, Pampered1971 said:

Based on a Tripadvisor search I'm considering London County Hall.  Got good reviews, has a family room and is close to London Eys.

 

 

County Hall is an excellent location - London Eye,  river cruises, & the riverside walks of the South Bank are close by, 5 minute walk from Waterloo station, and at the other end of the adjacent Westminster Bridge are Big Ben, Whitehall etc.

Historic in its own right too - it was the headquarters of the (former) London County Council.

 

Family rooms at the Premier Inn County Hall are for two adults and two under-16s, but family rooms at the Marriott County Hall don't appear to have that restriction.

 

JB 🙂

[Turtles06]

On 7/29/2022 at 11:22 AM, nadeki said:

This June we had my favorite experience so far and it will help maximize your day and wallet.

 

The Ceremony of the Keys at Tower of London. It happens at 9:30 at night and has a reasonable cost of 5 pounds per person.

 

Thanks for mentioning this!  We have a return visit to London in September, and so I checked the web site for these tickets when I read your post the other day.  As it happens, they went on sale today (Aug. 1) for all of September, and I was fortunate to be able to get a couple.  Really looking forward to it!

[nadeki]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Thanks for mentioning this!  We have a return visit to London in September, and so I checked the web site for these tickets when I read your post the other day.  As it happens, they went on sale today (Aug. 1) for all of September, and I was fortunate to be able to get a couple.  Really looking forward to it!

I am so happy for you. It was very ceremonial. Now we really want to get back and tour the tower in the daytime.

 

I am so glad you grabbed your tickets, they sell out quickly.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, nadeki said:

I am so happy for you. It was very ceremonial. Now we really want to get back and tour the tower in the daytime.

 

I am so glad you grabbed your tickets, they sell out quickly.

 

Thanks, and I hope you get back!  I've been inside the Tower (it's been quite some time) but the Ceremony of the Keys will be new!  And it will be a totally unexpected addition to our trip, so my wife and I really thank you. 

 

 

[samplecd02]

On 7/29/2022 at 11:22 AM, nadeki said:

We have been to London a few times and my husband grew up there. We have not come close to seeing everything. We can't wait to go back.

 

This June we had my favorite experience so far and it will help maximize your day and wallet.

 

The Ceremony of the Keys at Tower of London. It happens at 9:30 at night and has a reasonable cost of 5 pounds per person.

 

I encourage you to look at the website. Only 50 tickets are issued and are hard to get.

 

We loved it and that includes our teens ages 16 and 18.

 

 

LOVED the Ceremony of the Keys!

[couplelovestravel]

We have booked our transfer through EC Minibus and they take you straight from the port to London Hotel.  I wanted to go straight to London, as I have no desire to go to Stonehenge.  We want to maximize our time in London.  I do not know what day you will be there, but there are night bus tours and also Ghost Tours.  

[nmg85]

Maybe look into the Sky Garden - Its a viewing platform with amazing views that is free, you just need to book tickets in advance which are usually released 3 weeks in advance.

[nadeki]

On 8/1/2022 at 12:40 PM, Turtles06 said:

 

Thanks, and I hope you get back!  I've been inside the Tower (it's been quite some time) but the Ceremony of the Keys will be new!  And it will be a totally unexpected addition to our trip, so my wife and I really thank you. 

 

 

Please let us know if you got to the ceremony. Are you in London at this time? 

[Turtles06]

37 minutes ago, nadeki said:

Please let us know if you got to the ceremony. Are you in London at this time? 

No. Will be there in a few weeks.  (We do have tickets for the ceremony. I’ll come back and post about it, assuming it takes place.)
 

What a sad time for the U.K. and the world. 

[nadeki]

3 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

No. Will be there in a few weeks.  (We do have tickets for the ceremony. I’ll come back and post about it, assuming it takes place.)
 

What a sad time for the U.K. and the world. 

Yes, a very sad time. I am glad you should be having your ceremony. It will change to the verbiage of locking up things for the king. 

 

I was going to say come back and tell me if you liked it. But, I know you will LOVE it. I am so happy you got your tickets.

 

[southernbreezes]

On 8/7/2022 at 9:13 AM, couplelovestravel said:

We have booked our transfer through EC Minibus and they take you straight from the port to London Hotel.  I wanted to go straight to London, as I have no desire to go to Stonehenge.  We want to maximize our time in London.  I do not know what day you will be there, but there are night bus tours and also Ghost Tours.  

I would do the same by Minibus. Taking the train with anymore luggage than a carry on is not something I would ever try and do.

You may want to also look at...Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam the location for site seeing can not be beat IMO.

Edited September 14, 2022 by southernbreezes

[Turtles06]

On 9/9/2022 at 9:08 PM, nadeki said:

I was going to say come back and tell me if you liked it. But, I know you will LOVE it. I am so happy you got your tickets.

We saw the Ceremony of the Keys several nights ago. And yes, we loved it! How amazing to be inside the Tower at night, and then get to watch this ritual that has been going on for more than 730 years!  The text has not changed over the centuries, except for the name of the monarch, which only so recently changed.  In fact, during the Warder’s introductory remarks to us, he slipped for a moment and referred to the monarch as “she.”  Totally understandable after 70 years. 
 

What a great evening. Thanks again for mentioning this! 

[nadeki]

6 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

We saw the Ceremony of the Keys several nights ago. And yes, we loved it! How amazing to be inside the Tower at night, and then get to watch this ritual that has been going on for more than 730 years!  The text has not changed over the centuries, except for the name of the monarch, which only so recently changed.  In fact, during the Warder’s introductory remarks to us, he slipped for a moment and referred to the monarch as “she.”  Totally understandable after 70 years. 
 

What a great evening. Thanks again for mentioning this! 

Thanks for letting me know.I am hoping to see it again next June.

Nancy