Hi My daughter and I are staying in East Finchly four four night five days We will be landing in the morning and plan to get a travelcard from the train station at Kings cross which gives us 2 for 1 admissions to sights then meet our hosts and then head into London for a bit of exploring if we feel up to it. If not then maybe a rest and go into London in the early evening and hook up with a London walks group and see London at night. I am having a bit of confusion as far as the logistics and where to Start We want to do a city cruise Westminster, Saint Pauls and of course the tower and dungens We also want to see trafalga Square and piccadilly. Tate Modern and Big Ben and what ever we see in our time. I guess my main question is how to separate the city in order to see as much as we can without dashing all over London trying to see it all and wasting time on tubes
any suggestion would really help PS we are hoping to do at least three london walks Besides tower of
Lohdon is there anything else we have to book ahead as far as tours Thank you all Caroline
Posted by
OP
dundas, ontario, canada
103 posts
Hi Sorry I was trying to give alot of info and the question got lost in there. I was wondering if there is a good way to map out London to see the sites. For instance should I try to see the Tower and Saint Pauls in one day?
Carol
Posted by
Truro, NS, Canada
3941 posts
I always pull out a map of the city I have and use little sticky note pointers and put them on the places I want to see and figure it from there. I can now go hi-tech and use City Maps 2 go pro on my ipad and pin all the places I want to see and spend each day in that area - it was very helpful when visiting San Fran as I could concentrate on each area, making sure not to miss anything. It can help you visualize where everything is, and can usually help map out the public transport as well...
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3895 posts
"For instance should I see the Tower and St. Paul's in one day?" Yes. These two sights are both located in the neighborhood known as The City. As others have said, you need a good map in order to find your way around and group the sights. Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey are in the section known as Westminster. It will help to know your sections of London.
Take a trip on one of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tours that run around London. You buy a ticket, get on the bus, it goes by all the major sights in London that you mentioned you'd like to see. Some sights in London, such as Picadilly Circus, are not worth more than a good look from the bus. This will let you see all the sights, from the bus, and decide which ones you want more of. The bus ticket is good for 24 hours. You can hop off anytime you want, go into one of the sights, come back out, get back on the bus and continue on the circle around the city. It's a good way to get oriented around London. It also has a narrated version (live guide or a recording) of what you're seeing. Your ticket includes a boat ride on the Thames River.
I recommend the guidebook "Rick Steves London". You can buy the full size version; full of great information (and good city map), or the "Pocket London" guide, with all the essential info and a good city map.
Posted by
OP
dundas, ontario, canada
103 posts
Thanks to all for the advice. I had initally thought to do the hop on hop off buses as when I was in New York it really helped us orientate us to the city . I have been advised by many that due to the congestion in London it is not a good option.
Carol
Posted by
11 posts
I too will be in London with my family this summer and find the travelcard and oyster card costs ridiculous. Would the hop on hop off work as a travel option--we're staying near Westminster and our sightseeing will focus on that area, The City, British Museum, and Globe Theater. How much is truly walkable?
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3895 posts
"I have been advised by many that due to the congestion in London it is not a good option." Carol, I did not mean that the HOHO bus should be your only form of transportation while you are there. For everyday transportation, use the tube. Also, I stand by my original suggestion that the HOHO trip is good for orienting yourself. The traffic is not so bad as to halt the buses or slow them down. I don't know who told you that, but it's ridiculous. Go to YouTube and watch some videos of London HOHO buses to get an idea of what the experience is, and how fast they go. You can, of course, go to all the places you named by using the tube and walking.
Posted by
11 posts
Thank you Emma. I'm thinking of per trip cost of transport. As I've read more about the oyster card on another post I now see the cost benefit. I have found the official website confusing.