We are a family of 5 (3 adults, 2 teenagers) who will be visiting London December 27-January 2). We are thinking of purchasing The London Pass rather than paying for attractions separately. It seems to be a logical choice, but we were wondering if there was a chance of not getting into some attractions due to crowds. Are visitors who pre-purchased tickets for specific attractions given preference for admission? Also, we definitely want to see the Churchill War Rooms and I can’t seem to find them on the list. Any advice is definitely appreciated.
Posted by
Preston UK
1686 posts
The London Pass is generally regarded as bad value for money for most visitors. It offers a lot of attractions but many are not the obvious sights that you would want to see. It also ignores any of the outstanding museums and galleries that are free to enter for their standard exhibitions. Assuming you will want to see at least one or two of these that greatly reduces what you can see that the Pass covers. Finally the Pass usually includes a HOHO ticket, which again is usually thought of as poor value as the buses get stuck in traffic, cannot use bus lanes and can be difficult to re-board if you get off.
Some people can make the Pass work but they are in a minority.
Posted by
OP
Upstate NY
41 posts
Thank you, Johnew52. I appreciate your insight.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35929 posts
a little web time gets you advance timed tickets to many attractions. These get you past the ticket office, same as with the pass. So far, these free or box office tickets make you even with the pass, probably for less money.
How many of the many places you've never heard of with the pass would you go to if you had time? How many of those would you have gone to if you had to pay?
Make sure the places you want to visit are open that week. London shuts down a lot of places between Christmas and New Year.
Don't spend that money unless you are certain you will be able to use it and save money on the things you want to see.
Don't let the minor attractions or tourist traps distract you from the rally good stuff.
Posted by
OP
Upstate NY
41 posts
Nigel, again, good advice. You’re right. We shouldn’t be tempted by some of the lesser attractions on the London Pass.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
9738 posts
This is a subject where many people, often those who have never used the London Pass, come in with strong opinions. There are pros and cons.
I've used the London Pass on three different trips and saved quite a bit of money. That isn't the case for everyone, however, so you really need to price it out for your particular itinerary. Generally, the more days on the pass, the greater value it is. A 2 or 3 day pass is unlikely to provide the same savings that a 5 day pass would bring.
Pick out your list of "definitely going to" locations. Check the price for admission. Then compare with the price of the London Pass. That is the only way to truly know if it is going to be a value proposition for you.
Here is one of my favorite daily itineraries when bringing people new to London sightseeing.
Tower of London 35.80 GBP
Uber Boat to Greenwich (day pass) 33.98 GBP
Royal Observatory 24 GBP
Painted Hall 17.50 GBP
Cutty Sark 22.00 GBP
Total 133.28 GBP or approx $175
Although London does have many free sights, those that charge can add up quickly. I think the value proposition for really getting your money's work out of the London Pass starts at the 4 day pass ( 204 GBP)and just increases as the number of days increase without any significant rise in price.