London In A Day- Itinerary Review Please!

[retired travelers]

We have gotten some very good advice from someone from England that will be on our early September cruise, however I will take all the advice I can get concerning the train. We plan to take the "cruise train" from London to Harwich and I know there will be porters to help with luggage. My concern is that my husband and I will both have 2 large pieces and one carry-on suitcase, how do we store them on the train. And another question, are there beverages on the train and a toilet? If anyone has used the train or knows the answer to these questions I would be grateful. Thank you

[smol]

Big Ben is more BEAUTIFUL at Night along with the Parliment Buildings and no admission. Make sure you capture this moment at night. Take a look at the London Pass and determine if it is cheaper than the costs of the sites you want to see. We have used this along with the tube pass and have been glad to have them.

[orchid72]

I would like to preface this by saying I am not trying to sound like a London expert, but I do visit London often and my suggestions/opinions are coming from the perspective of a tourist who has learned from her mistakes.

 

HI - Kensington Forum: I have stayed here, and often stay in the South Kensington/Earls Court area. One of the reasons I usually choose to stay in this area is because of its proximity to the 3 lines on the tube (Circle, District, Piccadilly), which makes it sooooo convenient to get around. This particular hotel is easy to get to from Heathrow. Just take the Piccadilly line and get off at Gloucester road station and you are about a block and a half away. You need to be able to carry your suitcases up a few steps though because, if I recall correctly, there are no lifts in this station. By the way, no matter what people say, Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, by any means, be tempted to go to Garfunkels or any restaurants similar to it. It may be close to your hotel, but it you will regret it. The food's not great, and it is expensive.

 

Eating in Pubs: I second what the locals have said. Just have a pint somewhere and get food somewhere else. If you are in the area around lunch time, maybe you can check out Borough Market. Some may argue it is a little touristy, some may argue it could be expensive, some may argue it is over-rated but I kinda like it (we do not have anything that would rival it here in Vancouver). I would honestly rather go there than Harrods for lunch. I just find the Borough Market experience waaaaay better than the Harrods experience, and well, also because Harrod's IS out of the way from where you plan on being during lunch. Get food from the market and a pint of beer from the pub a few feet away and you're set.

 

Fish 'N' Chips: There is no nice way of saying this, and please, Londoners, do not take this the wrong way because I do LOVE your fair city, but I have yet to find good fish 'n' chips in London. If you only have a day to spend in London, I would forego trying to look for a decent chippy/fish bar because it is hard to find, especially in touristy areas.

 

The tube: I second the suggestions about using the tube to get around. Get a zone 1/2 one-day travelcard - it is very easy to use, and it will take you to practically all the sites you want to see.

[dog]

http://www.viator.com/tours/London/The-Original-London-Sightseeing-Tour-Hop-on-Hop-off/d737-3302OT?pref=02&aid=g3053

 

Here's a link to one of the HOHO bus companies in London.

It operates 8:30am-5:00pm.

 

We used this for our 1st day in London to get an overview and then used the tube (much faster) and walking for the next 2 days.

During the week days, the HOHO bus was a very slow way of getting around, but sitting on the top gave us a great view of the sites.

 

I think you are trying to see too much in your one day if you are going in to places.

 

Pre book the tour of Buckingham Palace now, if you really want to go there.

 

Harrods is an experience and I say go, maybe eat lunch elsewhere though.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[wcudmore]

My wife and I did pretty much your itinerary in a day...

Hotel near Waterloo station (Park Plaza County Hall)

 

5 minute walk to London Eye.

20 minute walk across Westminster bridge to - Parliament, Westminster Abbey etc.

 

TIP: Bring a 10 mm or smaller lens. It's the only way you'll get parliament in frame.

 

You could of course spend all day in this area, or you could just look around a bit from afar (as that's how the architecture looks best).

 

20 minute walk through Saint James park to Buckingham.

 

20 minute walk down the mall to Trafalgar square.

 

45 minutes wandering the streets and bridges back to the hotel for a nap.

 

 

After the nap, we walked through the streets of Southwark towards London Bridge. Cross London Bridge, as this is where you'll get some great shots of the Tower Bridge.

 

Follow the boardwalk to the Tower of London, Cross at the Tower Bridge and head back to Waterloo.

 

The second part of the journey took about 3 hours total, with a stop for a pint. You could of course take the tube which would speed things up a bit.

[Cruisin_Cheesehead]

Thanks to everyone for the great info. It's fun to see this thread resurrected every once in awhile! I appreciate everyone's insight as I continue to plot my day in London. In approx 2 months I'll be able to report back and tell anyone else who is curious how it worked out! Thanks again!