London - managing limited time for first-timers

two quick questions: do you have experience with jetlag? Are you accounting for time waiting in line to get in to the places you want to see (including security) as well as the time for getting between locations? It does take 1+ hours just to get into London from the airport as well. I guess I'm suggesting you have even less time than you think.

Does your train leave at 4? I’m assuming it’s the Eurostar in which instance you’ll need to be there about an hour ahead of departure. You’ll go through airport like security, have departure formalities from UK and Entrance immigration for the Schengen zone.

You’ll need time to return to your hotel to pick up luggage and get transport to St Pancras.

To me it’s not realistic to do all 3. I’d go with the War Rooms which will take less time than the Tower of London. I don’t think you’ll have time to fit in the bus/tea thing and still have time to collect your luggage and get across town.

Others may have a better suggestion on lodging. In you case I might stay near Kings Cross/St Pancras so you’ll have and easier time picking up bags at the last minute.

Thanks for the response, Stan. My wife and I have experience with jetlag, but the teenagers have not really experienced it. Our expectation that we will be tired on arrival and that it will take some time to get into the city. It will be a low-key evening. The next day we are accounting for travel time to and from locations, which is why we're not expecting to do much, especially if we're tired.

Being at St Pancras means you'll be right next door to King's Cross, where the Platform 9 3/4 is set up for photo ops, and there's a new Harry Potter gift shop there too.

Then the St Pancras Hotel on just the other side of the train station is STUNNINGLY gorgeous and would serve a fabulous tea.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/lonpr-st-pancras-renaissance-hotel-london/
(and where I would want to be staying if I were getting a train out of St Pancras anyway)

And then right next to that is the British Library, and their treasure room has incredible original manuscripts from everyone from Beethoven to Leonardo DaVinci and the Beatles, a Magna Carta, a load of things. So you might not want to miss out on the things that are right there where you are going anyway :)

If you were able to stay at a hotel in the area of St Pancras/King's Cross, there's a pub right across the street from the British Library which was excellent when I was there a few years back. Really excellent.

I can't tell you to make the Tower of London more important to you than the War Rooms, that's a personal preference, I think with such a short time, that the bus idea is a good one, maybe a hop on hop off tour that they run at night would be nice. Seeing all the city lights is good too.

We went on the London Eye at night, because I have a fear of heights and figured it wouldn't be as drastic to look down, it was OK, but I felt like it was taking me farther away from the sights I wanted to see, and there was no map in the pod to tell us what we were seeing. Some people found where Buckingham Palace was, but it's not something I would do again (unless it were free).

I would advise you to keep your ground transportation very simple and very fast to get to your hotel, it's a much longer trip from the airport to the city than I thought it would be, and taking several trains and such was too much for us.

Is there a reason that you're staying near the London Eye? Could you change that? It's not near any of the things you're saying you want to see. You might be better off finding something near the Tower or near the War Rooms, wherever it is that you really want to be. If you stayed near St Pancras (chains like travelodge and Premier Inn have locations near there) they'd probably hold your luggage for you while you went sightseeing, and then it would be a short luggage trip to get to the station. I'm a big advocat of keeping life very low stress while traveling, staying on the South Bank when that's not near the places you want to see might add a lot of unnecessary stress.
How old are the kids? Experienced travelers?
Hope you have fun!
-Alison

Hi, Pam and Alison. Thank you for the response. Our train leaves at 5:00, thus the 4:00 arrival to St. Pancras. I didn't think about staying near St. Pancras and doing tea there; that's a good suggestion. We booked at Premier near the Eye so we could walk and look at the Westminister area (my son loves architecture) and to have close proximity to the War Rooms.

If we stayed at St. Pancras that first night, would it be easy to get to the War Rooms/Wesminister area? My sons will be 18 and 16 when we travel.

First off it’s not Customs it’s immigration and I’d be surprised if it took 3 hours.

Suspect you have booked at the County Hall Premiere Inn. As far as near by pub grub a nice stroll would be across Westminster Bridge to turn right up Whitehall and a block up is the Red Lion. Climb the stairs to the dining room. Afterwards either wander around Parliament Square or head up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square then over to Covent Garden. To get back to your hotel walk back over Jubilee Bridge.

Next morning Churchill War Rooms then either walk up to Buckingham Palace, or tour Westminster Abbey You could also tour Parliament and have tea. https://www.parliament.uk/afternoon-tea

From your hotel use the tube from Westminster Station. Take a Jubilee line train to Green Park
switch trains and take a Victoria line train to Kings Cross/St Pancras station. Whole trip is about 30-45 minutes.

So if you are done by 1:30pm go back get your luggage and walk back to Westminster and tube to St Pancras you should be there by 3pm.

If that’s cutting it too close then adjust accordingly.

It is bit more than ambitious. Even Claudia's plan would require a perfect connection on everything. Transit time always takes more than you anticipate. I think you only have time for one thing -- the War Rooms -- that is half a day assuming no waiting in line. It a lot more than a couple of rooms. I think we spent four hours the last time and that was a bit rushed. While I understand you are eager to see a lot, you really don't have the time. Two years ago on a bank holiday it was close to two hours getting checked in for the Eurostar. So at 4pm, weekend, I would plan for an hour and half since there is no back up if you miss the train. .

If you stay near St Pancras you can easily get to the Westminster area on the Tube (Victoria and Jubilee lines). Rather than doing the Tower of London, why not do Westminster Abbey and then take a short walk to the Churchill War Rooms?

On the day you arrive, you could go to Westminster Pier and take a boat ride down to the Tower to at least see it and walk around the area and along the river.

Enjoy your short time in London. Any time in London is better than no time in London.

Immigration, customs, and the trip to your hotel will take most of the three hours as you planned. The tube travel alone will take close to an hour. And you are hitting it at peak travel time. There will be lots of pubs around but the more popular ones will be very crowded at that time to day. This is a case where a hop on/off bus might be beneficial. It would provide a quick drive by and overview of London but little time for an extended visit. Sort of scout it out for your next visit. Over the past 20+ years or so we have spent a month, off and on, in London and barely scratch the surface.

This is incredibly helpful, everyone - thank you!

Yes, Claudia, you guessed correctly where we are currently booked.

Here is a thought. What if we stayed at a Premier near St. Pancras that first night and had tea the day we arrived? The next day do the War Rooms, see the Westminister area, and the head back to St. Pancras (do tea if we couldn't do it the first day) to catch our train.

Lots of scenarios, but you guys are great - thank you.

That's more reasonable. On the first day you will be too late for afternoon tea. And why the great interest in the afternoon tea??? When traveling with our teenage sons, having afternoon tea and the ritual would not have been high on their list. We didn't hit an afternoon tea until a couple of years ago when we were traveling by ourselves.

Haha, Frank. Well, my son insists that when we are in England, we have to experience the culture and have tea. :-)

Well, it’s understandable then if it’s important to your son. I was going to say you can have tea lots of places but how often can you see Churchill’s War Rooms or the Tower of London? I would try to do both of those, as those are the most impactful of what you and others have listed in my humble opinion.

The Hop On Hop Off bus after you arrive is a good suggestion, imo. Some will say you’ll fall asleep, we didn’t. We were so excited to be there we were wide awake and loved it. We sat up top, in the fresh air, and enjoyed getting a tour of all the famous sites, which you won’t be able to otherwise get to with such limited time.

We spent some time as a family prioritizing. Mom and one of our sons wanted tea, the other son and I wanted to experience the War Rooms, and we all wanted to see the Westminister area. I guess we'll just have to return another day to do the Tower of London...and more.

Part of the reason for the afternoon tea is the relaxation and a bit of ritual with the tea. Not like hitting McDonald's for an ice cream cone. It is a couple hours experience and the potential for a little wait for seating. I know we keep hammering on this but you just don't have the time. Now March can be a little iffy on weather so throw in a little bad weather and your are dead. We have been going to London for over 46 years and can use the tube almost without consulting a map. With our experience I still would not attempt to do what you are suggesting. Coming from Montana you may not be use to the ordinary, daily crowds flow in the tube and on the sidewalks (kept left). You just cannot move as fast you think you should. And jet lag will have some impact -- especially the first two or three days. Cannot be avoided. Save it for the next trip when you can enjoy it at a relaxed pace.

The Premier Inn opposite St. Pancras is perfectly fine, I've stayed before and I'd have no problem reccomending it.

The Renaissance Hotel within St. Pancras is very nice but pricey hower the restaurant which has been referred to previously, www.thegilbertscott.com, is excellent and the building is stunning. I believe afternoon tea is served in the bar, I've not had it (I've never had afternoon tea ever unless a mug of tea and a biscuit at my desk counts!). The bar isn't very big but it is fantastic so get there early is my advice, they also make amazing cocktails. The benefit is that you're right next to the Eurostar terminal so no need to worry about transportation

Haha, Frank. Well, my son insists that when we are in England, we have
to experience the culture and have tea. :-)

Well, I’m English and I’ve had a fancy afternoon tea precisely once in my life, so you could try telling your son that it really isn’t an intrinsic part of the culture... I think going out for a curry or a Nando’s is a far more traditional British thing these days! And incidentally - far more British than eating dinner in a pub (for me, pubs are for drinking or maybe lunch. Only dinner if it’s a gastro pub).

If you are set on the Churchill War Rooms, make sure you pre-book: it has become incredibly popular recently with reports of long queues. You don’t have time for long queues. You don’t have time for much of anything, so PRE-BOOK this. I believe you can also pre-book Westminster Abbey but I’m struggling to see how you can do justice to both.

That's great that you're considering staying near St Pancras, David, glad I could help. Lower stress definitely helps my fun-levels. I've also found challenges getting from the South Bank to the Westminster area at some times, like nights or Sundays, so staying at the London Eye could actually be a challenge to your Westminster plans, depending on the timing.

Almost all the buses I've seen in London all seem to stop at King's Cross, so there might be a very good chance that there's a Hop On Hop Off bus that can get you to the major sites, including the Westminster area with the War Rooms, really easily, and without having to deal with your luggage.

If your teenage sons want to explore the local culture (which can also be modern and fun, culture isn't always stuffy and traditional), when I was working/living at the Girl Scouts' hostel Pax Lodge in Hampstead, the young women volunteers loved to go both to Camden Market (you'll be nearby/short bus trip on #268 the last I knew, from the St Pancras area), big teen/20s attraction. King's Cross is also a stone's throw from University College of London (UCL)
They might be interested in an event there, while you're in the neighborhood
http://events.ucl.ac.uk/highlights/

But seeing St Pancras Hotel is a must, it's a stunningly beautiful building, right next door. There are music videos (recent one was the reunion of the Spice Girls) that are shot in their lobby on the giant gorgeous staircase, lots of reasons to go drink some tea there. :)

If you ever return with the boys during the summertime, there's ways to rent rooms right there in the dorm rooms. :)
https://www.universityrooms.com/en-GB/city/london/showuniversity/ucl

And eating at a pub during a sports match will get them some local culture while having fun too. Becoming familiar with the local teams like Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League might be good for the boys too. I think the playoffs start around March, so the pubs may have some conversations about such things.

Going straight from Heathrow to King's Cross will be a pretty easy train hop, and it will lower stress levels to know you and your stuff are right near St Pancras when it's time for you to go. You'll have no worries with your next part of your journey if you're already right there. Is your next stop Paris? Hope you all have a great time!

-Alison

I’m so glad you’re considering staying at St Pancras area. This will be much easier with your luggage.

There are a bunch of food outlets at St Pancras so get there a little early, pop in to M&S Simply Food and get items for your own “tea” on the Eurostar!! Altho it’s airline style security you can take liquids through. The prepared sandwich variety is very different from what you (and I) would see in the West and will give you a taste of British culture.

I second pre booking the War Rooms. We did that this past June and the line was much shorter than the line to still buy tickets. You could easily spend several hours there if you are interested in that part of history and the man himself. We had audio guides and I really enjoyed it, however my 7 year old got a little bored after a while. They do have a small canteen room in there where you can grab a snack, tea or something else to drink. I remember people having the pre booked tickets for Westminster Abbey as well, we didn't but didn't stand in line more than 20-25 minutes. My daughter loved that one, especially since they had an audio guide specifically for kids. She had fun trying to find some of the stones/markers and even told me what a few were. I would love to do that one again. Try not to push too much as the kids adjust to the time change. We did afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason to celebrate birthday's but you could have it just about anywhere if it's something that means a lot to a few of you. You could even consider splitting up if two of you are not interested in doing that and they aren't interested in doing what the other two want to do.
We did one of the hop on/hop off tours and were not impressed. My god daughter came down from Manchester for the day and thought it would be a great way to spend a little time together and seeing the city, she hadn't seen anything but a theatre and the train station with her school group. We should have gotten off a lot earlier than we did because we got stuck in serious traffic due to Trooping the Colour parade but felt we couldn't see a lot because we could never get up top through most of the city. I think we were on the red buses but I'd have to look at my stuff to be sure.

I love London and I know I will probably never be able to see it all unless I move there. Enjoy your time, make lots of memories but don't break your necks, plan on returning one day :)

Thank you for all of the helpful advice, everyone. I was able to switch hotels to St Pancras and booked the first open slot to the Churchill War Rooms. We'll just have to return again and see more when we're not connecting to other cities. :)

Good for you. Since you’ll be close try Dishoom at Grainery Square.

That whole area is newly renovated over the past few years. New shops, cafes, restaurants. Truth be known
if I had the money I’d be purchasing a condo in the Gas Towers complex. Ah to dream....
Anyway, Dishoom ( Stable Street one) is wonderful and an easy 15 minute stroll from where you’ve chosen to stay. You’ll also get to see Regents canal when you walk over to it. So many first time London visitors have no clue about London’s canals. The St Pancras lock is Right there and there’s a pleasant walk way between the Gas Towers and the Lock . You’ll also see the Eurostar rail tracks where your train will depart on.

Enjoy your all to brief visit....trust me your family will want to go back...

You are going to save a lot of time staying at St. Pancras than near the London Eye. I"ve stayed at that Premier Inn and it was very nice.

Besides, the Churchill War Rooms, I would play everything else by ear. You really don't know how tired you or your kids will be.

To get to Westminster take the Piccadilly Line to Green Park and then take the Jubilee line one stop to Westminster.

Today, High Tea is for tourists, people who believe Downton Abbey portrays typical English life, and pensioners who fondly remember the relief of Maffecking. Having a cup of tea is different than high tea. But, if that is something you need to do, there are lots of places. (If you truly want to see what the average Brit has instead of High Tea, stop in at any pub for a pint. That's actually more of a British experience.)

High Tea is for tourists

And only tourists - and certain venues targeted primarily at tourists - call it High Tea. Afternoon Tea is what you’re referring to. But you’re right; it’s not something that the average Brit does.

British culture spoiler alert!!!
I agree, Emma, that as well as afternoon tea not really being something often done, going to the pub for a drink in the true tradition is no longer as much of a thing either. Alcohol has become so much cheaper to have at home and society has changed. Hence, the large number of pubs, particularly in rural areas, that have closed or become more like restaurants than traditional drinking establishments.
It’s always interesting how countries are portrayed and perceived overseas! A family friend from New Zealand was amazed when she came to England that it wasn’t all like she had seen on coronation street! Equally we’re not all like Downton Abbey either but pretty ordinary really!

You've picked my two most favorite places to see in London--the Churchill War rooms and the Tower, which is spectacular in ways you can't even imagine. I won't even get started on how I made a second visit, jet-lagged and frazzled, just to spend 3 hours communing with the ravens...Could a pub meal the first night suffice for a uniquely British gastronomic experience? Perhaps do War rooms in the early morning and head over to the Tower and have lunch at one of the restaurants inside? As others say, any time in London is great, I hope you can make the best of yours.

Mea culpa regarding tea. Yes, I meant afternoon tea. I hear the klaxon and feel the wrath of Fry. (Not so much Toksvig.)

As for pubs, I still run into locals when visiting non-touristy ones.

Cream tea is wonderful. A pot of tea, scone, clotted cream, jam ....a perfect break during a busy afternoon. Feel ree to argue as to which is put on first--cream or jam.

And yet when I was hatched the pronunciation was just the other way around...

Oh, that’s a thought: if you don’t have time for the full afternoon tea experience, most tea shops and museum cafes will do a cream tea - pot of tea, scones, jam and clotted cream. Far more casual, quicker, no need to pre-book.