London: What must we book in advance? And some other stray questions....

The major museums (British Museim, V&A etc) are all free, and you have the option of booking a free timeslot online or just turning up. Normally I would book a slot either the day of or perhaps the day before, but it's perfectly viable just to show up. Most smaller museums you don't need to prebook.

Churchill War Rooms tends to book up and I would buy a ticket well in advance. Westminster Abbey I would generally book a ticket the day before. I haven't been to the Houses of Parliament for many years, but I gather the new tours book out weeks in advance. And if you're doing daytrips outside London, for Windsor Castle I would normally try to book the day before, but I notice they often have afternoon entry tickets still available on the day.

When exactly are you going? I tried to skim your prior posts but I don't see a date. Depending on when you may want to book things that are must see for you ahead of time. The things that have specific timed entries could also be sold out (again, depending on when you're going and day of week) - I'm thinking of things like Harry Potter experience, Tower of London, Sky Garden, Westminster Abbey, any museum with a separate special exhibit. Even if you have pre-booked tickets, some places British Museum still have security/bag check lines. Theater tickets ahead if there is a show you definitely want to see, otherwise check TKTS for same day tickets.

You have to do the math on packaged bookings to see if they have value for your situation, no one can answer that definitively without knowing how many, who, when, where, etc.

I'm not a fan of the hop on hop off bus in London because you're at the whim of traffic and it can be super slow going. For tired feet pop into a pub and have a snack/beverage and rest. Or take a half day coach trip somewhere (I went to Stonehenge my last visit) or even a tube or bus ride to a different neighborhood.

We are going in July. I'm looking into the membership option for Hampton Court and the Tower of London. It looks like it would save money and I wouldn't need to book in advance? Sounds like a win-win.

I’m looking into the membership option for Hampton Court and the Tower of London. It looks like it would save money and I wouldn't need to book in advance? Sounds like a win-win.

Yes, Historic Royal Palaces membership is a good option. I used it way back when (maybe 2017???) - I actually bought it on site at Tower of London at the ticket office, and when I went to Hampton Court a few days later I was just able to bypass the smallish queue for tickets and walk straight in.

Obviously I would have bought it in advance if I’d heard of it earlier!

I assume you can still bypass ticket queues (although not security queues).

I would definitely pre-book the Churchill War Rooms. If you want to do the tour of the Houses of Parliament, that needs a pre-booking. Tours are mostly on Saturdays - I just did one back in early January. Most of the museums and other places don't need bookings, but I find if there is something I really want to do and know when, I will book it just to skip queues and make it easier.

Afternoon tea is a great leisurely afternoon activity. I have been to ones at Fortnum and Mason, The Orangery at Kensington Palace, Claridge's, and the InterContinental Park Lane. My favorite has been Claridge's.

I also enjoy just popping into a pub. Plenty of NA drinks if you don't want an alcoholic drink. Or if you want a beer, wine, or cocktail, it is nice to sip on while relaxing.

a really critical buy in advance is the Harry Potter studios. If you snooze ... well actually you could pay for Golden Tours to take you for an exorbitant upcharge and slow bus ride.

I just got back from London and here is what I booked ahead and didn't book:

Hampton Court Palace: I used the HRP membership to get in and did not need to pre-book
Tower of London: Ditto as above
Warner Bros. Studio Harry Potter tour: Book this as soon as possible, in order to get a prime spot. I booked it as soon as tickets for my dates opened up and got a 10 am slot. Several weeks later, there were only late afternoon slots available.
British Museum: I booked this while I was standing in line with the ticket holders. Even though the first slot available wasn't for another hour, we just stayed in line and the guard waved us through when he saw we had a ticket (he did not look at the time).
Afternoon Tea: If you are planning to go to an afternoon tea, I would suggest booking that at least 1-2 days ahead of time.
Westminster Abbey: depending on the time of year, you could probably get away with booking it the day or evening before. That's what I did last year (this year I just went to Evensong) and I was able to get in quicker than those who did not have tickets.