London Hotels

[markeb]

6 hours ago, Firstin87 said:

Just happened upon this thread.  thank you markeb for the advice.  We'll be in London for four days post-cruise this May for the first time and I'm planning what to do on our 3 full days there.  Definitely going to Westminster Abbey and seeing the Notre Dame exhibition.  Have been told to plan for 2 hrs. there.  Am working on how to do that on our own (so am not rushed), then seeing the Parliament Building (hopefully doing a tour inside).

 

Also want to see the Tower, of course.  Also, on our own so not rushed.  Heard that could take 3 hrs., but I plan on skipping the Crown Jewels, which I know is crowded and time-consuming.

 

I assume my best bet is to do ticketed sites in the morning, followed by non-tick2eted sites in the area.  Best not do to the Abbey and Tower the same day, correct?  We're staying at the Clermont Hotel at Victoria Station.  Does my planning approach sound correct to those who have been to London?

 

This thread was aimed at hotel questions, but briefly...

 

Most of what I've posted recently has been easily found on Google Maps or City Mapper, just informed a bit by personal experience. Before you go to London please download one or both. TFL has some amazing, practical, and easy to use information on traveling in London. Look at it as well. There's a YouTube channel that I have no affiliation with at all called "Love and London" that has a lot of short, excellent videos on visiting London for first timers. We're not first timers, but I still find her style and information very useful. And she has practical things like video showing her using her iPhone on the Tube...

 

I would generally support going to major timed and ticketed sites earlier. It's been a looong time since we went to the Tower. I mean we're talking using actual printed travel guides. At that time, the best piece of advise we got was go to the Tower early. As in get there when it opens. At that time, the buses tended to arrive a little later, maybe 10:00? and if you were there at 9:00, as we were, you had the run of the place. We literally entered the Tower grounds and went straight to the Crown Jewels and were able to walk back and forth a couple of times! I doubt that's as true today, but look on TripAdvisor and other sites for current recommendations. And today you can buy your tickets ahead of time and have them on your phone. But I believe they're now timed tickets, so early arrival may not be as important as a good timed ticket. Use your native roaming on your phone or get an eSIM. In 2024, do not navigate London without a smart phone with an international data package. You're spending THOUSANDS on this trip. Suck it up and spend a hundred bucks on data! I am deadly serious on that. There are too many people on Cruise Critic who just won't do that!

 

If you're going to Royal sites or the Imperial War Museum sites (Churchill War Rooms is an example), look at the price and rules for an annual pass. You may get front of line privileges (worth it's weight in gold on a short visit) and if you go to two sites you may well break even or come out ahead. Passes are a hidden secret in London! The same may apply to other museums; those are two I've looked at and the IWM pass paid for itself when we had it, in both money and time.

 

And above all else, enjoy yourself. There is so much to do in London that is not an A-list tourist attraction. Check out the Campaign for Real Ale for actual pubs that serve casked ale. Check out Michelin for 1-star restaurants if you love food. We've had incredible Indian at Michelin starred restaurants (lunch is affordable and casual). Go to China town. Walk down the South Bank. I can go on and I'm not a Londoner! And I'm now well away from hotel discussions...

 

Tower and Abbey in same day will be a stretch. The opening times are not really conducive, and they're not near each other. I'm sure it can be done, but if you're wanting to see the chambers where Anne Boleyn was imprisoned, for instance, at the Tower, and Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey, you need to allow time. The Abbey services give some grace on time. I've not done them and I'm unsure whether you enter the Abbey and can wander a half hour before sitting down for the service or not. The Tower is a lot bigger than you think. Even just the White Tower can take time if you're interested. And you kind of have to see the ravens...

[Firstin87]

Thank you, thank you!  Really appreciate the advice!  Will look into the phone plan, which I hadn’t thought about.  The YouTube videos sound very worthwhile, too.  Thanks so much!!

[shay1]

We are 3 Adults coming to London for 3 nights after our Transatlantic cruise from Florida. We have a deposit at the Mitre House Hotel, at Sussex Gardens, London. From the pictures and reviews it looks nice it can accommodate all 3 of us in the same room, with each having our own beds and not sleeper sofa, futons etc. Question we are considering taking the National Express Bus from Southampton to London. It goes to Victoria Station which is a long way from the hotel. We do not want to have to take our luggage down stairs to the tube what would be our best way to get to the hotel from Victoria Station? We will be arriving on a Wednesday in May. Would we be better taking the Train from Southampton? Thank you for your help.

[Island2Dweller]

The 36 bus runs between Victoria railway station (500yards from the coach station) to Paddington (which is just round the corner from your hotel).  Buses are "low floor" with only a single step required to get on / get off.  Providing there is not a wheelchair user onboard, you can put your bags in the wheelchair area.  And if a wheelchair user does need the space, just get the next bus, they are very frequent.  Cost under £2 but you do need a contactless bank card (or smartphone/smartwatch), you cannot pay cash.

Alternatively, there will be zillions of taxis available and you could just jump in a cab.

Train instead of coach?  Generally, I find train more comfortable.  But I am not going to suggest it here.  (1) It goes to Waterloo station, even further from your hotel, and no direct tube connection to Paddington (2) You need to carry your luggage onto the train, whereas with the coach it goes in the baggage area beneath the coach (3) coach is cheaper - book well ahead for the cheaper fare

[SkippersCruisersMN]

Has anyone stayed at the Hampton by Hilton London Waterloo? We are thinking being close to Waterloo station would be good for taking the train to Southampton. Any thoughts on staying here or suggestions of other area hotels are welcome. 🙂

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, SkippersCruisersMN said:

Has anyone stayed at the Hampton by Hilton London Waterloo?

 

I think I know someone who has: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2948868-london-hotels/?do=findComment&comment=65810337

 

[shofer]

On 3/3/2024 at 8:59 PM, markeb said:

 

This thread was aimed at hotel questions, but briefly...

 

Most of what I've posted recently has been easily found on Google Maps or City Mapper, just informed a bit by personal experience. Before you go to London please download one or both. TFL has some amazing, practical, and easy to use information on traveling in London. Look at it as well. There's a YouTube channel that I have no affiliation with at all called "Love and London" that has a lot of short, excellent videos on visiting London for first timers. We're not first timers, but I still find her style and information very useful. And she has practical things like video showing her using her iPhone on the Tube...

 

I would generally support going to major timed and ticketed sites earlier. It's been a looong time since we went to the Tower. I mean we're talking using actual printed travel guides. At that time, the best piece of advise we got was go to the Tower early. As in get there when it opens. At that time, the buses tended to arrive a little later, maybe 10:00? and if you were there at 9:00, as we were, you had the run of the place. We literally entered the Tower grounds and went straight to the Crown Jewels and were able to walk back and forth a couple of times! I doubt that's as true today, but look on TripAdvisor and other sites for current recommendations. And today you can buy your tickets ahead of time and have them on your phone. But I believe they're now timed tickets, so early arrival may not be as important as a good timed ticket. Use your native roaming on your phone or get an eSIM. In 2024, do not navigate London without a smart phone with an international data package. You're spending THOUSANDS on this trip. Suck it up and spend a hundred bucks on data! I am deadly serious on that. There are too many people on Cruise Critic who just won't do that!

 

If you're going to Royal sites or the Imperial War Museum sites (Churchill War Rooms is an example), look at the price and rules for an annual pass. You may get front of line privileges (worth it's weight in gold on a short visit) and if you go to two sites you may well break even or come out ahead. Passes are a hidden secret in London! The same may apply to other museums; those are two I've looked at and the IWM pass paid for itself when we had it, in both money and time.

 

And above all else, enjoy yourself. There is so much to do in London that is not an A-list tourist attraction. Check out the Campaign for Real Ale for actual pubs that serve casked ale. Check out Michelin for 1-star restaurants if you love food. We've had incredible Indian at Michelin starred restaurants (lunch is affordable and casual). Go to China town. Walk down the South Bank. I can go on and I'm not a Londoner! And I'm now well away from hotel discussions...

 

Tower and Abbey in same day will be a stretch. The opening times are not really conducive, and they're not near each other. I'm sure it can be done, but if you're wanting to see the chambers where Anne Boleyn was imprisoned, for instance, at the Tower, and Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey, you need to allow time. The Abbey services give some grace on time. I've not done them and I'm unsure whether you enter the Abbey and can wander a half hour before sitting down for the service or not. The Tower is a lot bigger than you think. Even just the White Tower can take time if you're interested. And you kind of have to see the ravens...

When Hubby & I were @ the Tower in 2018, I asked about Anne Boleyn's quarters and they told me that building had burned down.  Maybe because we were close to closing time?  But I will make that one of my major stops.

 

[Globaliser]

4 hours ago, shofer said:

When Hubby & I were @ the Tower in 2018, I asked about Anne Boleyn's quarters and they told me that building had burned down.  Maybe because we were close to closing time?  But I will make that one of my major stops.

 

I have no personal expertise in this subject, but I was intrigued by the idea that the staff at the Tower might tell you an untruth just to get rid of you near closing time, particularly as quite a few visitors to the site will have extensive knowledge.

 

So a quick Google found this page:

 

"In Victorian times, it was claimed that Anne was lodged in the current day ‘Queen’s apartments’ but we now know that this is incorrect as the present day buildings were built a number of years after Anne’s execution. This information was circulated to meet a strong public demand to see and know the physical space where Anne Boleyn spent her last hours."

 

It's corroborated by things said on a number of other web pages on the topic of Anne Boleyn and the Tower, although I can't vouch for any of it.

 

On 3/4/2024 at 2:59 AM, markeb said:

Tower and Abbey in same day will be a stretch. The opening times are not really conducive, and they're not near each other.

 

I always suggest not packing too much in to a day, and I agree that anyone who wants to see both places properly will probably struggle because of a lack of time - they each need at least half a day.

 

But this isn't because the two are too far apart from each other. To get from the Tower to the Abbey, it's six stops on the District (or Circle) Line from Tower Hill Tube to Westminster Tube, which is about a 10-minute journey on a line with frequent trains, and the respective stations are close to the sites.

[markeb]

On 4/25/2024 at 4:03 AM, Globaliser said:

But this isn't because the two are too far apart from each other. To get from the Tower to the Abbey, it's six stops on the District (or Circle) Line from Tower Hill Tube to Westminster Tube, which is about a 10-minute journey on a line with frequent trains, and the respective stations are close to the sites.

 

Thanks! I was looking at a trip planner, either TFL or Google Maps, and it was giving a much longer travel estimate than that. Maybe time of day, or it was planning a long slow walk to and from the Tube. Don't recall exactly, but I'm thinking it was over a half hour total travel time, and the Abbey's posted hours are an early closing time.