London - Bath - Advice Needed - Thanks

If flyin in to Heathrow, why not go to Bath first (RS recommends this). Help get over jet lag & easily see Bath in 1 - 2 days, THEN go to London and spend more time there.

Hmmmm, while I think Bath makes a great day trip, and highly recommend it, personally I'd extend my stay in London and shorten my stay in Bath. There are tons of things to do and see in London and you'd probably want more than 2 days. Unless you were planning side trips in the Bath area, I would think one night in Bath is plenty...

I agree with Glen and extend comment to Bruges. 1 day is ample in both Bath and Bruges. Spend the extra time in London and Paris UNLESS you have spent lots of time on prior cruises. One day in Normandy is ample for battlefields.

I have to agree... No need to leave your base in London. Do Bath as a day trip. It is easy by train. You could also go out to Windsor and maybe choose one other day trip (Winchester, Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, York, Cardiff, Canterbury, Dover, Brighton...).

I sincerely thank each of you for your quick advice - It's clear that collectively you folks believe 3 days in Bath or Brugges are not necessary ....thanks for that ....We have been to London and did the immediately necessary and great sights - Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, London Bridge, took the open top red doubledecker all around London - the Royal jewels, Big Ben, London Eye - so my question to you is what important secondary sights and sites might you suggest to someone who wants to do London again and take in more than the typical must-sees??

Again, thank you for your advice - Keep it coming as it is appreciated John Daniels, Canada

As other people here have recommended, I'd stay 5 days in London and do Bath as a day trip. I'll be in London for the 5th time later this year, and I still haven't exhausted the things I want to do! Try these, if you haven't already:

Museum of London; the Photographers' Gallery; the "Treasures" room at the British Library; the Cabinet War Rooms; the Saturday morning flea market at Portobello Road; Highgate Cemetery; the newly refurbished London Transport Museum; live choral music at St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Samuel Johnson's house, followed (or preceded, or what the heck, both) by a pint at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.

As for the battlefields of Normandy, my memories are dim because I visited Omaha Beach as a teenager, 25 years ago, but I remember that abandoned concrete bunkers notwithstanding, it looked pretty much like...a beach. The military cemetery made much more of an impression. One beach and one museum probably covers it unless you're a WWII history buff.

I love Bath and have spent several days there. I do think you should go there first (2-3 nights) and then back to London. You can take some day trips (Mad Maxx) from Bath to nearby sites. What to see in London you haven't seen? Imperial War Museum, art galleries, Kew Gardens, shopping, Churchill Rooms are highly rated, cruise on the Thames, plays.

I am planning the Bruges trip and thinking about staying only one night.
Good luck. Have fun! I'm doing this next May --- London, Bruges, and then a RS France tour. I have been to London for approximately 9 days and still haven't seen everything and someplaces need more than one visit.

Kew Gardens are wonderful!!! They can take a full day or just part of one. Greenwich is also very nice. They have a very good market on Sundays. We like to check out the market then wander over to the park. Of course the maritime "things" are good, too, if you haven't seen them. You can take the tube all the way there, or take it part way, then walk through the tunnnel under the Thames, or take a Thames cruise from near Parliment. I also love Windsor (it seems more a part of London than seperate). Again- it can be a full or 1/2 day. The castle is excellent and there is some good shopping. You can wander over to Eaton, too. There are short Thames crusies here, too- and you get a different view of the castle from the river. The British Museum has so much "stuff" that you can always re-visit it. St. Paul's and Westminster are also good if you haven't done the tours. I love to just wander around the markets- Covent Garden and Camden Locks are my favs- but others have recommended Spitalfields, Borough and other markets too.

Hi John - Brugges is lovely but I agree with the others
that you don't need 3 nights. In London we like to go to St Martin in the Fields for a concert & dinner at the cafe in the Crypt. We like the British Library too.

Check the National Trust UK web site for interesting places to visit around London and Bath. Buy a six day British Heritage pass and you're good to go. An English friend of mine always flies to Bristol instead of London. The train from there gets you into Bath or London pretty quick, and the airport is much more user friendly than Heathrow or Gatwick. Check the French Tourist Office site: There is a Paris pass. France has some high speed trains that originate in Paris. I think you might have to book ahead. Good Luck, if we can travel independently, so can you.

Congratulations John on doing it on your own. To me that is always part of the fun. I'm late to this thread and you have already been given some good advice. I would echo Bath is great, but can be very well done in two days max, and the best of Bath can be done in a day trip from London. I agree with the advice to stay longer in London. There is SO much more in London. I also agree with the recommendation of St. Martins in the Fields. Concerts there are high quality and inexpensive. Three nights in Bruges is too much - spend more in Paris. Day trips out of both London and Paris are very easy and make a trip less complicated. My wife and I spent 2 weeks in London in May, and we did 6 day trips - Kew Gardens, Salisbury and Stonehenge, Canterbury, Brighton, Hampton Court, Bath. Instead of picking up and moving a lot you might want to build a trip around a few bases. All the places on your list are worthwhile. My main advice would be to spend more time in the main cities and branch out from there. A side benefit of this approach is you can adjust your schedule based on weather. Rainy day? Do the British Museum and National Gallery. Bright day? Go to Bath on off peak tickets. Have fun!