We are arriving at 2:30 on Saturday, May 6 for an overnight - flight leaves next day at noon, so we are booking a hotel at Heathrow. My question is, who knows what will or will not be open/available to see or do on Coronation Day? Have already seen a few closures, and know there will be road closures as well. Assuming the Heathrow Express Train is best way into city and Tube is good for all else. But what about the Routemaster buses? London Eye? We only have a very short time, maybe 4 pm - midnight to see London, and with the Coronation there, we might have a lot less time - although, it is pretty incredible to be there on a day when this hasn't happened in over 70 years!!! Welcoming any suggestions as to what to do in our limited time! TIA
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8382 posts
My recommendation is to completely avoid Westminster…..
Why not take the tube to Kew Gardens and enjoy the afternoon there. It is easily done from Heathrow.
Posted by
Some fantastic place
233 posts
I would imagine there will very little open on the afternoon of the 6th for particulary for duration of the Coronation itself as staff will be allowed time off to watch events. I would expect to see things start to spring back into life from the early evening - Government and Local Authority run attractions such as musuems I would be expect to be shut for the day. Public transport will probably be fine in central London to allow people to and fro the main proceedings, elsewhere maybe different tho' and I suspect you will see companies operating Sunday/special timetables. All one can do is keep an eye on the likes of TfL website to see what the arrangements will be.
Posted by
Lake District, England
5758 posts
At the current time we don't even know the time the service will be happening or it's duration. But in 1953 the service was in the morning, with the first guests arriving at the Abbey at 6am.
If that happens again then the service will be over by the time you arrive, and people in service centred work returning to their jobs. Very likely much of the pageantry will be over.
It is simply too soon to give very many details.
The Heathrow Express is NOT the best way into the city, that ends at Paddington on the western edge, to access the heart of London you use the Elizabeth line or the tube.
What about Routemaster buses?- they have not been on ordinary services for many years now. Even the HoHo buses use modern double deckers. You would have to work hard to fin a routemaster at work now.
What you will see is what are nicknamed 'Boris Buses'- modern recreations of the routemaster style bus, named after Boris Johnson- the then mayor.
I'm assuming that near normal train and bus services, even enhanced ones, will run to move the crowds, rather than Sunday services but no-one knows.
For an event that has been planned for decades the lack of public information so far has been deafening.
Posted by
Some fantastic place
233 posts
The Queen's Coronation service began at 11.15am and lasted almost three hours, not including the pagentary either side of the service. The World was very different 70 years ago and I would expect events to be optimised for a world-wide Tv audience and adjusted accordingly for the 21st Century. Therefore, I would expect very little to be open until late afternoon/early evening.