a day in London

Which airport are you flying into? That will determine the tube route into town. I'd recommend the hop on/off bus. You will hit the major sites and can get off at any that interest you then get back on for the next site. With only 14 hours, I would not "do" the Changing of the the Guard. In reality, you will really only have about 8 to 9 hours (1 hour to go through customs/immigration and get into town, then head back at least 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours before departure).

Hi, Constance. The changing of the guards is certainly neat, and unique. In order to actually be able to see it though, you really have to get there early and find a good spot, or you'll be blocked by the crowd. Just something to weight against potentially seeing more sites.

As far as connections, we'd need to know which airport you're coming into. The "Express" trains are the fastest option, but also the most expensive.

You might want to consider one of the big bus hop on hop off tours. They go all over the city (including a Thames river cruise), loads of stops, and go by all the most important/popular sites. The guided tour is cheeky and fun as well. They run around 30-35.

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/ <- I prefer this one
http://www.bigbustours.com/

They also offer Fast-Track tickets for popular place like the Tower of London, and Madame Tussaud's at a reasonable price - really helps with a short time frame.

You don't need a tour though. London is compact. In one 6 hr stopover there, I was able to see: Big Ben / Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Admiralty Arch, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace and the Rose Gardens. Just by walking.

I didn't go inside, but it is still one of the best days I've ever had.

The previous responses are good. However, please tell us which airport you will be arriving at and whether you are departing from the same airport.

Will you have come from a long distance flight or a short distance flight (makes a difference as to how much energy you might have). And what times you arrive and depart.

With that, we can probably give you more accurate suggestions.

Although, I'm with the hop-on/hop-off bus crowd as to a way of getting a general overview of London. You'll see all the big sites and be able to get off when you want and get back on.

The hop on/hop off bus idea is great. I would not waste any time on the changing of the guard.

I hope Constance doesn't mind me asking a question about a similar issue that I have that falls directly in line with what she is asking...
We are doing a day trip of London and flying in and out. We are arriving at 8:15am into London Luton and departing out of London Stansted at 8:50pm. This post has helped me tremendously in deciding how we should go about seeing the highlights of the city. But as far as transportation... We have Rick Steve's London book, but his information on the transportation to/from downtown London was a bit daunting. Maybe because it was a half page of options that kind of jumbled together. Any suggestions on here of the best way to get into/out of the city (that is also reasonably priced) would be greatly appreciated! We will not have to check any luggage as it is only a daytrip, so I thought getting to the airport one hour before would be sufficient...

I'm sorry, should have told you where we were flying from.... We're flying in from Edinburgh (and back to Edinburgh). So it is not an international flight. (Or is that considered international? I figured it was all UK.) When I get home, I will check out the website that you have provided. I think 90 minutes ahead of time is a better number. Thanks for the advice!

Amy- Where are you flying to/from? If it is an iternational flight, you will need to be there a bit ealier. I've never flown through Louton so I can't make recommendations about tranport. I am sure others will.

Amy,

Go to the London Toolkit site and click on the "Airports & Transfers" link at the top of the home page. You'll then see links for Luton and Stansted. All your transportation choices are spelled out very clearly for each airport.

Even though you won't have any luggage, I'd recommend getting to Stansted 90 minutes before departure. Thare is no point in risking missing the check-in deadline and then having your ticket be worthless because of an unexpected delay in getting there.