Itinerary Tips for October London Trip

If I understand your timetable, you have at most four days in London with your friends, then three more days on your own before your Friday evening departure. I'd spend the three days in London or maybe take one or two day trips to Windsor or Hampton Court or Greenwich, or (farther afield) Canterbury or Oxford or Cambridge. Edinburgh and Cornwall and Brussels are too far for your timetable -- you'll spend most of one day getting there, then overnight, then back. Don't try to get back from one of those places on the day you fly out of Gatwick -- too risky. If you haven't been to London before you'll find plenty to keep you busy for the whole week. I'll bet you can find a London pub with a good selection of Belgian brews if you research ahead.

I would suggest going to the Cotswolds, you can take a train from London, you would leave from Paddington Station to Moreton-in-Marsh. It's so beautiful that time of the year. There are many lovely villages to visit, Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Stow-onThe-Wold' Painswick. The villages are close together, having a car would make it easier, but there is bus service (to the villages I've mentioned) but not to the very small villages. There is taxi services, could walk or even rent bikes. Cornwall is beautiful but it does take several hours to get there, so considering travel time from London then back you would only have about a day and half to spend there. So going to some place closer would give you more time to enjoy the area.

Even with great tour guides 4 days doesn't scratch the surface of what there is to explore in London. The free museums alone could keep you there for a week. I'd remain in London and as has been suggested train out to Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle on separate days. Will your friends arrange for you to see any plays? Theatre in London is wonderful. By visiting the Leicester Square half price ticket booth for same day tickets you'll save a few pounds. There are great street markets which are in different London neighborhoods. Portobello, Bourough's, Spittafields, Camden Lock, Brick Lane, Northcote Road to name a few. Areas not often on the tourist route, Alexandra Palace, Mudchute Farm, Guildhall Art Gallery and Roman Amphitheatre, Little Venice, Hampstead Heath, Primrose Hill, St Bride's Church evensong, the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, and if the Tuesday you are there is the first Tuesday of the Month you might see if the candle light tour of the Sir John Sloane museum is occurring. Also check to see whats on at The Wilton Music Hall. Talk a London walk, or maybe 2. www.walks.com. So much to see and do London. Enjoy!

I agree with Claudia. Stay in London with day trips or if you do want to go somewhere else, I would suggest either York c 2 hours by train or for somewhere nearer, Lewes, the former home of Anne of Cleaves (one of Henry VIII's wives) or Rye. Both have old fortifications and are surrounded by gorgeous countryside.

October maybe ok weatherwise, but it may have turned cooler and wetter, so I would discount the Cotswolds and Cornwall is too far.

Brussels is IMO very boring and it's the least interesting city in Europe that I have visited. Ghent and Bruges make much more interesting visits. Nevertheless m I would spend your time in the UK. Plenty bars in London that sell Belgian beer including Belgo, which has several outlets.

I vote with Claudia...there is so much to do in the Greater London area and! Check the National Trust UK site for a list of historic properties that offer a fascinating look at the past; they have had an Overseas Visitor Pass in the past, but I didn't see it on their site...but you can join a sister US group. The membership passes are good for a year and prices are based on individual, dual, senior, etc. Of course there is tons of sights to see that are Free!

Thank you all. The consensus seems to be stay in London the entire trip with scheduling some days trips. One note, our friends our "expert" travelers and will basically be our private tour guides for the days we are with them. We will certainly hit all of big spots and most likely the theater. As this is a wonderful benefit of having friends like this, we might want to go at a more relaxing pace once they leave so I do like the suggestion of one destination a day sounds appealing. Maybe the last day staying in London and doing a walking tour possibly before we head home. As far as Edinborough, Cornwall being too far, I do agree but isn't Brussels a relatively short train ride, 2 or 2.5 hours?

I also would stick to England. Brussels is so-so. The time change is working against you. I think it would be a hassle as a day trip for a less interesting destination.

You can easily reach so many interesting cities in England as a day trip from London -- Winchester, Salisbury, Canterbury, Bath, Oxford, Ely, etc. If the weather isn't so great, you could spend your full week in museums. You have marvelous theater, world class music. A week in London is not enough!

And I agree that there are many close-in destinations as well. We loved Greenwich. Windsor is nice. I enjoyed a day in Richmond.

Read through the RS guidebook. You have so many good choices!