I have a question about timing on a Sunday. I am planning on going to the Tower of London in the morning (I have been before) and I want to watch the Anne Boleyn Last Days show, and do the White Tower tour. The show is at 1100 and 35 minutes and then the White Tower tour would be at 12:45, is it about an hour? I need to be at Hampton Court Palace at 1530 at the latest in order to be there for a Roof-top tour.
My question is do I have time to do all of these?
The tfl journey planner indicates it’ll take about an hour to get from Tower Hill tube station to Hampton Court https://tfl.gov.uk/
Miss some of the connections and you’ll struggle to get to HC by 3.30pm
Can you be on a tube train at Tower Hill Underground Station no later than 14:02? That is your last possible opportunity using tube and train. Use the TfL Journey Planner if you want to change input. Taxi may be faster on a Sunday, but it all depends.
On Sundays there are usually planned engineering closures of either the top of the Circle Line, the bottom of the Circle Line or the entire Circle Line. You have only said a Sunday. If we assume that the lower half is at least partly open you need the 14:02 District line to Westminster, change to a Jubilee Line Tube train to Waterloo, and go upstairs and catch the 14:27 South West Trains train to Hampton Court, arriving 15:03 after 9 intermediate stations. Take 15 minutes to get over the river and to the ticket office.
Whew! You have a couple of minutes to chill before your tour.
Hope you have lots of energy.
As ramblin' on says, miss any of this - or if the bottom half of the Circle Line is closed (taking with it of course, the District Line) - you are unlikely to make it to the roof....
Let's work this backwards. And there is a huge "however" at the end.
To actually get into Hampton Court Palace is around a 20 minute walk from Hampton Court train station, so you need to arrive at the train station before 1510. 1505 hours if you're not shaving it tight.
https://goo.gl/maps/hxCfL183SgM2
To get there by 1505 on a Sunday, you'd be on the 1427 train out of Waterloo, calling at Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, and so on.
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/London/HMC/220418/1500/arr
To get to Waterloo for that train, you need a tube from Tower Hill on the Circle or District Westbound to Embankment and then the Bakerloo Southbound the one station to Waterloo. It's a 10 minute walk from the Tower itself to Tower Hill tube and a 15 minute tube ride including the change, walk to platform, and the walk out of Waterloo tube to get your train. I'd leave half an hour so that's leaving the Tower Of London itself at 1357 at the latest. Twelve minutes to spare.
It's a veritable squeaker, but it's possible...
...here it comes...
HOWEVER
...you're going on a Sunday. Sundays mean engineering works on the Tube are possible, and lower frequency of tube trains, and engineering works are possible on the train line out of Waterloo. You're depending on the White Tower tour ending pretty much at 1345 and then hoping all the dominoes fall as they should.
This is totally your call.
The Sunday I am doing this is May 6th. I looked at the TFL and national rail sites and they aren't saying anything about not running the full District or Circle lines those days between Tower Hill and Westminster.
I have to be in the member room by 1550 so I was considering the walking time in there already.
So revised itinerary:
At the Tower at opening, try to do the Crown jewels again for fun, if busy skip it, watch Anne Boleyn Last Days. That ends at 1135ish, maybe do a quick looksy at the White tower, (I feel like when I was there before I missed stuff, but I may not have.) Leave the Tower by 1230, make it to Waterloo, grab a bite of food and take it on the train with me. Get to Hampton Court and wonder until tour time.
One other question, can I just use my Oyster Card for the Journey to Hampton? I am a little confused by the National Rail website because I think it says I can but I could be misunderstanding.
Thank you for confirming it was too much. I was thinking it would be but needed someone to not convince me but confirm my suspicions.
Don't ask for Hampton, it is a completely different place than Hampton Court. Ask for Hampton Court.
Hampton Court is in Zone 6, so yes you can - if you have enough Pay As You Go credit on it.
Good point. Thank you Nigel! Do I need to ask for a ticket or can I tap in and out?
I used the old name for the trains. It is South Western Railway, now.
Yes, tap in and tap out, just like the tube. Cheaper than a single ticket.
Actual ticket £7.20 Waterloo to Hampton Court. £12.70 day return.
Oyster £5.10 each way 1-6, so £10.10 both ways (Oyster doesn't do returns).
...and because you did the Tube earlier (I’m assuming) to get to Tower Hill and to get from Tower Hill to Waterloo, you’ll only be charged the capped rate for Zones 1-6 travel (£12.50 off the card for the entire day)! All travel back in London that evening is effectively free and gratis.
Doing London like a pro.
There is a Pret A Manger in Waterloo near platform 12, it’s basically the European version of Panera Bread (sandwiches and soups). They’re open from 7am to 11.30pm on Sundays and their BBQ pulled pork wrap (with imported Wisconsin cheddar) goes down a treat.
I am actually staying at a hotel right by the Tower Hill so won't have to take the tune to the Tower.
And Pret A Manger was my plan. The last time I was in London it was my usual breakfast stop.
Report back and let us know how it went? I know it is a few weeks off...
Not a few weeks..7 days until I leave the USA!!! So excited!
Well then, we expect live updates!
