For our first full day in London (having arrived mid-day the day before) I thought we'd head by tube to the Tower of London to be there when it opens, and then catch the HOHO tour from there....finishing the HOHO the following morning. OR would it make more sense to start our HOHO near our Victoria Station hotel and ride to the tower? I assume the tube will be crowded and not much fun early on a weekday morning...but, on the other hand, if we get to the tower an hour or two later, will it be a lot crazier there? What has your experience been? Thanks!
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
189 posts
Ruth, my advice is to go to the Tower first before the massive amounts of tourists get there. It gets VERY crowded. I'm worried myself about my trip this year as we won't get there until 1 p.m. (due to a booked meeting). The HOHO will pick you up right outside the Tower. You will have to disembark and pick up another bus, but it will be worth it.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
London Tube toward the City are very busy until about 9 am with commuters. But you can get on and usually a "gentleman" will give up his seat for a lady. But the ride is not too far and its not worth delaying just to avoid the crowds, Where is your hotel. Circle Line doesnt seem as busy as Piccadilly and Central for commuters
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
<i>usually a "gentleman" will give up his seat for a lady</i> Oh yeah? Only if she's obviously pregnant or over eighty, and often not even then.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
We took the tube to arrive before it opened. We were second in line behind another couple of Americans. When it opened we were in the first group and were able to see the jewels without waiting in line (and even stop and ask question of the guards). When we were done, we asked a Bobby for a pub recommendation, got lunch, then headed to British Museum for the afternoon. I'd go with the tube and arriving early.
Posted by
OP
Ithaca, NY, USA
674 posts
Thanks, everyone! Sounds like the tube is the way to go. Brad, how early did you get to the tower to be at the front of the line? Had you pre-purchased tickets? (I was thinking of doing the 2 for 1 for the adults...)?
Posted by
Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
124 posts
I'm not sure when you are going but we got there mid-afternoon (mid-week) and had no lines. It seems to vary greatly depending on when buses show up. At times there were lines for the jewels, an hour later no line at all. I think Saturday would be the worst time to visit. Westminster Abbey is definitely a place to avoid on Saturday. The tube does get crowded but it really isn't that big of a deal unless you are going to be riding it a long distance or have luggage to haul. Most of the time if you are in London you will be on the tube for only 5-15 minutes. In most cases I think the tube is faster than the HOHO buses since the buses have to deal with traffic. Going from Victoria to Tower Hill on the Green/District line is about 8 stops. I think it is about 15 minutes. Unless you have some issues with standing, it isn't much of a problem (and I'm not a fan of crowds). Personally I found walking about Bond/Oxford streets to be more of a hassle than the tube during rush hour. YMMV.