We have a very short time in London and think doing a hop on/off may be the best way to get in the most sights quickly. Is there a particular company people recommend? Also, 3/4 of us are allergic to wheat/gluten and would love suggestions for places to eat in London. Thank you!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32813 posts
Anywhere in London will be gluten sensitive and give disclosure and offer alternatives. Well almost anywhere.
Traffic in London is very slow and you may take a long time getting your money's worth on HoHo buses.
Posted by
Michigan
739 posts
Be aware that in London the HO/HO bus is perhaps the slowest method of transit.
They stop a LOT. And they deal with tremendous amounts of traffic.
The Subway (underground) is much faster in general for transit.
I in general like HO/HO busses and use them everywhere I go but the last two years in London. They were not good (imho) as the traffic is just to bad.
I did enjoy a night bus tour that A) didn’t stop and B) was after the crazy traffic had dropped down to only insane traffic levels.
So you may be very disappointed in the busses.
Just as an aside we actually walked past a bus and made it to the next stop faster then the bus last year and that was with my 87 year old father with two replacement knees one only 6 months old.
Posted by
Land of La
8683 posts
Short time is not defined. Hours? A day?
The Hop On Off busses are a time waster as London traffic rivals LA’s gridlock.
If all want to see is the iconic Elizabeth’s Tower ( the Bell is Big Ben ) please understand it is in scaffolding till 2020 so is part of Parliament which it is attached to. However Parliament Square is also home to Westminster Abbey.
Buckingham Palace is a leisurely stroll from here thru lovely St james Park along Birdcage Walk or from Parliament Square you can walk up Whitehall pass the Horse Guards to Trafalgar Square.
Use Google Maps Satellite View option. Type in Big Ben London and when the Birdseye View appears zoom out to see how close many of “ the “ sites are. Many within walking distance.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Nigel is quite right about the ease of eating gluten-free in London (and other places I've been in the UK). Just about every menu will list gluten-free options, and there's a very high awareness of other allergies as well.
Claudia is also quite right - tell us exactly when you arrive and exactly when you depart, so we can give the best advice for your "very short time in London." And the more details, the more helpful we can be. Who is "we?" Any special interests? Are you planning to return to London soon, or is this the only trip for the foreseeable future? Etc., etc.
Posted by
OP
17 posts
Thank you all for your feedback. It is me and my husband and our 14 and 17 year olds. We take a train in and arrive at 10 am. We are staying with friends out in Maidenhead and will head there sometime that evening. So a VERY small amount of time to see the sights. Basically, one half day to at least hit the very few highlights we can.
I like the idea of walking instead of a bus. I’m hoping there will be a place we can pay to store our bags while we do this. It’s sad that we have such a small window of time, but it is what it is. And no plans to return anytime soon.
Posted by
Chicago
1326 posts
I follow a London YouTuber who is gluten free and he never has problems finding a place to eat. I also don’t suggest a Hop on Hop Off bus. London traffic is horrible and you’ll spend more time stuck in traffic looking at bank buildings than actually seeing interesting sights.
London Walks might be your best bet for the very limited time you have there. Their guides are excellent and it’s only £10 per person, far cheaper than a HOHO.