My husband and I have been to London before, but there are things we did not see the first time. This time on our list are: The Tower, British Museum, Churchill Museum, Evensong at Westminster, Portrait Gallery at Trafalgar Square, one of the neighborhood open markets, stroll in the parks. Hampton Court sounds like a cool place, but would we have time? All of the above are listed in order of preference. We will be staying in central London. Thanks!
Posted by
Fredericksburg, VA, USA
409 posts
We've been to nearly everything on your list and RS's advice has been invaluable: (1) Get to the Tower early and head right to the Crown Jewels, then join a Beefeater tour; (2) British Museum is open late one night (can't remember which one) and the crowds were non-existent (same with the Portrait Gallery); (3) We timed our visit to Westminster Abbey - around 3 PM - so we could go right into Evensong...loved it; (4) Churchill Museum, IMHO, is a must-see...they have a snack bar inside so you could have lunch there before beginning your tour; (5) If you can time your visit with a Saturday included, we had a great time at the Portobello Market - just get there early before the mobs arrive; (6) You will be close by St. James Park, ideal for strolling and locals-watching. I think if you plan your time well, this is doable (not sure about time you want to allocate to Hampton Palace). However, if you want to dedicate serious time to say, the Museum, then time will be tight. Enjoy!
Posted by
OP
Guthrie, OK
251 posts
Thanks, Roy! We will have a Saturday and Sunday - arriving Friday afternoon by train from Cotwolds and leaving London on Tuesday a.m. Our hotel was a great find - a block from Westminster Abbey! So most of the items on our list we can walk to. We can take the tube to London Tower and British Museum. Where is Portobello Market?
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
Portobello Road (market) is in Notting Hill- North of Holland park (and Hyde park). At the West end of Bayswater road. Best on a Saturday when it is very busy I would do Hampton Court, but expect to spend most of a day there. They have a couple of good cafes in the building. Not sure how that fits into your time budget, but there is so much to see and experience there. I even enjoy the walk from the station along the river to the entrance I have done (much more than once) everything on your list. Unless you are very into British history, to me the Portrait Gallery was a little boring. Too much of the same thing (but thats my opinion). Much prefer popping into the National Gallery for a few hours seeing some of my old favorites.