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London and SW England, 14 Days

Posted by (SLC, UT) on

Intrepid Travelers,

I have spent months reading these boards and have gained so much information. Thank you for all that you do.

I would appreciate some feedback on my itinerary. We are two youngish 40-somethings in good health and with a lot of energy. We love getting the most out of our vacations. I studied abroad in England and have been back since, husband has never been. We obviously share an interest in history. Trip is in early May ($ is pounds, I just don't have that key on the keyboard!).

Proposed itinerary:

Day 1: Sunday
- Arrive UK after overnight flight

- Private airport pickup to flat in Covent Garden
- Flat orientation, grocery supplies (Tesco open until 6PM)
- Orienting walk/run
- Buy tube passes at Charing Cross Station (Travelcard weekly for Zones1-2, check to see if 2-4-1 still in effect)
- Pick up cheap phone
- Early dinner & bed
Day 2: Monday
- Breakfast in flat, pack lunch
- Westminster Abbey tour 9:30 AM ($20), 9:30 – 11:30
- Picnic in St James Park
- Churchill War Rooms ($19), 1-3PM
- Mousetrap? London Walks Tour?
- London walks Monday 7PM ($10): Old Westminster by Gaslight, West End Ghost Tour, Jack the Ripper
Day 3: Tuesday
- Breakfast in flat, pack lunch
- Tower of London ($25), 9AM – 12PM
- Picnic at the tower
- Walk over Tower Bridge
- HMS Belfast ($16), open 10-5
- Cross Millennium foot bridge and up to St. Paul’s
- Tour St. Paul’s or just walk around
Day 4: Wednesday
- Breakfast in flat
- National Gallery, (free), 10AM-12PM
- National Portrait Gallery, (free), 12-1PM
- Lunch St. Martin’s or afternoon tea (Delauney?)
- Imperial War Museum, (free), open 10-6
- Buy train tickets to Hampton Court Palace ($7-12)
- Mousetrap? London Walks Tour?
- London Walks Tour: Ghosts, Gaslights, and Guinness, Holburn Tube 7:30PM
Day 5: Thursday
- Breakfast in flat
- Tube to Waterloo, trains depart Waterloo Station
- Hampton Court Palace, ($23, discount for buying online), 10AM-4:30
- Lunch HCP café
- Possible Thames boat ride
Day 6: Friday
- Breakfast in flat
- National Army Museum, (free), 10-5, visit 10-12
- Lunch V&A Café
- V&A, (free), 10-4:45, visit 1-4
- Harrods, open until 9PM
Day 7: Saturday
- Breakfast in flat
- British Museum, (Free), 10-4:30, visit 10-1
- Visit anything again, anything we missed or see show
Day 8: Sunday
- Check out of flat early
- Train to Portsmouth
- See Portsmouth historic docks ($28 online), 10-5
o Mary Rose
o Warrior
- Sleep Portsmouth
Day 9: Monday
- Portsmouth historic docks
o Victory
o Jutland exhibition
- Pick up rental car
- Sleep Portsmouth or New Forest
Day 10: Tuesday
- Drive through New Forest, stop to take short hike
- Bovington Tank Museum ($13 online), 10-5
- Drive to Salisbury
- Sleep Salisbury
Day 11: Wednesday
- Morning Stonehenge ($16), 9:30-7 and Salisbury Cathedral ($7), 9:30-5:30
- Avebury stones (free), daylight
- Afternoon drive to Wales
- Sleep Cardiff
Day 12: Thursday
- Cardiff Castle ($12), 9-5
- Explore Cardiff, Wales
- Sleep Cardiff
Day 14: Friday
- Chepstow Castle, wales ($6.50), 9:30-5
- Drive to Cotswolds, walk or hike
- Sleep Cirencister
Day 15: Saturday,
- Spartan Race
- Drive to Heathrow, return car
- Sleep Heathrow
Day 16: Sunday,
- Return to America

Posted by
2810 posts

This is a very detailed itinerary, but seems well thought out. Just be prepared to have to skip something if things don't go smoothly or if you find you find you didn't allow enough time for something. For example I would want more time in the British Museum.

My main comment is that you left out the Cabinet War Rooms. If you are history buffs, I don't see how you could skip this. It's probably my favorite thing in London. I also love the British Library, but it may not appeal to you as much. I would also say that you are leaving very little time for the Cotswolds, but if you just want a taste, that's fine.

Posted by
449 posts

Hi mdtraveler:

You might want to check the web page for the National Army Museum before heading in that direction. It closed in 2014 for a major remodel, and it's my understanding that it will reopen sometime in June or July of this year. [Note: I visited London in 2014 and wanted to see this museum. I took the tube to the Sloane Street station. When I ran up the stairs to the street level and asked a newspaper man the quickest way to the museum he informed me that it was closed for the next several years. I didn't even bother looking at its hours of business when I visited the city in 2016: it was still closed.]

In Portsmouth you can also visit: the Royal Marines Museum (having a car helps but is not required), the submarine museum, the "Explosion" museum of naval firepower, and the D-Day museum.

If you have a few minutes you might want to check out one of my blog entries for my 2014 trip. It covers the Imperial War Museum, the Portsmouth shipyard, the RAF museum in London, Bletchley Park, the Gurkha regimental museum in Winchester, and tank driving school.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/georgelondon/2/1409931996/tpod.html

Have a good trip.

Geor(ge)

Posted by
100 posts

Thank you so much, Carroll and George. We do indeed have the Churchill/Cabinet war rooms on the schedule as I know husband will definitely want to visit. Alas, some wonderful sites like the Library had to go in favor of others. I find having a detailed itinerary helps for precisely what you mentioned, Carroll. I do better when something unexpected comes up, as it does during travel, if I know what my options are and what the days ahead hold and where I can flip a day's itinerary or substitute something. George, off to check out your reports!

Posted by
100 posts

Oh, to be clear we aren't taking all those London Walks! I was just listing those available on the nights when we might be able to take them.

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