We'll be visiting London for three days next spring. As best I can tell, most of the major museums and tourist sites have no admission charge and do not require advance tickets. The two exceptions that DO require advance ticket are the Churchill War Room, and St. Pauls Cathedral...true?
Are there any other places requiring advance ticket purchase anyone can think of? If so, where is the best place to buy advance tickets for these venues? Also, any places requiring advance RESERVATiONS not to be confused with advance tickets? Thanks.
Posted by
Land of La
9261 posts
Clarity.
Next Spring as in 2024?
Frequent London visitor so…..
Yes, buy advance tickets to the Churchill War Rooms.
Personally I’d suggest the same for the Tower of London.
As far as St Paul’s I’d simply attend a service.
Regarding what to see the RS Guidebook is full of great intel to help first time visitors. Buy it. Read it and then research each website of places you’d like to visit.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8913 posts
Not required, but often a good idea. Westminster Abbey.
Posted by
Lake District, England
8136 posts
Churchill War Rooms definetly, or you'll be in a long line, buy direct.
There was another question earlier about St Paul's advance tickets which really surprised me, so I looked it up (but didn't answer the question but as it's cropped up again a few hours later). And I'm sure that the answer is no, it certainly never was.
What makes me so certain is that you can buy on line an annual ticket for the same price as a one entry ticket, valid for a year. Both are purchased from the St Paul's website. On the annual ticket conditions it clearly says you have to specify a date and time for your first visit, but then continues to say that you don't NEED to visit either at that time or even that day. Any day or time after 3 months of that day will do. Just turn up and walk in.
I would never expect to buy in advance to go into any Church or Cathedral in this country. Now all Covid restrictions are lifted It wouldn't even cross my mind to do so.
If only from a moral and theological perspective- that they are working Churches, houses of prayer, not museums as their primary purpose. Yes maybe check if they are closed that day for a major Christian festival or state service.
So it's more for convenience sake and to skip the line that you buy ahead for St Paul's up to 3 months before your visit.
Westminster Abbey seems to be 6 week advance purchase, again apparently purely for convenience sake.
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
The free/donation-requested museums often have a special exhibition running, and those are likely to have an entry fee. Timed tickets may be involved, and some of those exhibitions are so popular the tickets sell out in advance. You can wait till you get to London and keep an eye peeled for exhibition posters (trusting your luck), or you can visit the websites of the key museums to see what exhibitions they have running so you can plan in advance. If you aren't traveling until spring 2024, it's too early for that research right now.
I'd check the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum for sure.
If you're interested in art, you should check the National Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern plus any other art museums you think you might visit.
The excellent Courtauld Gallery is not free and requests advance reservations. It might be possible to walk right in if all the entries haven't been sold for the current time period, but the museum is cashless and doesn't take Amex cards.
Posted by
San Francisco area
1891 posts
If there are any must see shows on your mind then they should be booked early.