Mom and I are already planning for our (hopeful) trip to London and Southeast England in spring '26. She'll be early 70s, I'll be late 30s. We've both been to London a few times, seen many of the major sites (though there are always more), and I'd like the pace to be a bit more relaxed. The last time we were in England a few years ago, our London portion was jam-packed, and I don't want to repeat that experience. We're both in good shape, Mom is still active without any mobility issues, walks regularly, bikes, swims, etc. We'll probably be in London for about three days, potentially staying in the area around St. Paul's (that's the one thing Mom said she wants to see so far, since we didn't get to that part of the city on our last trip). I'm interested in your tips for a slower-paced itinerary where we can soak up the ambience, maybe hit a museum or enjoy afternoon tea, or other thoughts. We'll be starting in London before probably heading down to Canterbury/Dover and surrounding for a week or so. Thanks!
Posted by
United States
574 posts
Hi Linnea, this sounds like such a fun trip! My daughter and I tried to do the same slower paced trip to London in October. It was lovely. We spent some time in Camden, which has a completely different vibe from anything we had seen before. Went to Camden Market, went to the big Sainsburys there. Walked back and went to Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill. That was a really great day. In summer 2022, my two kids and I took a day trip from London down to the Seven Sisters area of SE England. Hiked the Seven Sisters from the Seven Sisters Country Park back to Birling Gap. It was phenomenal. I would gladly spend (and hope to one day) a week in that area to see more. Just a couple of suggestions! I'm sure the good folks on here will share many more!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17575 posts
The area around St. Paul’s is our favorite place to stay. We like Locke at Broken Wharf (studio apartments) but I don’t think they have any have any with 2 beds.
Other hotels in the area include Leonardo Royal St. Paul’s, Lost Property St. Paul’s London (yes, that is a boutique hotel, a Hilton Curio Collection I believe), Vintry and Mercer (another boutique hotel), a Westin, and the serviced apartments at Marlin Queen Street. The latter is on a quiet street very near St. Paul’s, and well worth a look—-they have studio and one-bedroom apartments in a hotel-like building with a reception desk, etc.
https://www.marlin.com/london-serviced-apartments/london-city-queen-street/
https://www.marlin.com/london-serviced-apartments/london-city-queen-street/rooms/studio-apartment/
You can easily this area from Heathrow by taking the Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Streete Station and taking a taxi from the taxi rank—-walk out the front of the station (south side, on Liverpool Street) and look to the left for the taxi queue.
Posted by
London
18 posts
Around St Paul's/the City you can experience all the oldest and most historic parts of London- there's lots you can see for free just walking, including parts of the old Roman city walls and many historic churches (like St Brides, All Hallows by the Tower, St Bartholomew the Great, and many half-standing post-WW2 damage like St Dunstan in the East...). The new London Museum is due to open in 2026 so could be open by the time you arrive, and it will be in the historic Smithfield Market which is also nearby. You'll also be just across the river from the south bank, which is great for walking, and near Borough Market which is great for walking and eating. There's also Spitalfields Market if you want to shop (and eat). I personally love walking around the City as it's got quite a different feel to the rest of London where you can really sense the history and get lost down little alleyways. One thing to note is much of it can get very quiet/shut at the weekend so you may want to plan around that. Good luck with the planning!