We spent 5 days in London, independently, between two RS tours.
Where we Stayed Pride of Paddington pub, right next to Paddington Station. Our double room had a refrigerator, couch, nice bed and recently updated bathroom. Yes, we heard noise from below til closing, but earplugs helped. There was no lift, but we'd packed light. Location and price were excellent - and we could just go downstairs to eat. There was a laundromat within a few blocks, grocery stores in Paddington station, and all manner of dining options nearby. We'd definitely stay there again.
Where we went We wanted a slower pace than RS touring, with time for lollygagging, so we just bought advance tickets for the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and St Paul's, for the first possible time slot of the day. The Abbey and St Pauls weren't very crowded that early, and entry was smooth. The Tower had us all line up in the rain, whether or not we had a ticket already (boo) but we moved quickly once it opened. We enjoyed each of these places.
* Tower: went to the Jewels first, excellent plan to avoid lines later. Our pre-read of the RS guide was very helpful. Had lunch in the really good onsite cafe - so many food options, lots of room.
* Abbey: Excellent audio guide (the UK does these so well). We paid L5 more for the Queen's Jubilee Galleries - well worth it for Abbey historical items, royal treasures, and the view from above.
* St Paul's: another excellent audio guide, appreciated the encouragement to stop and meditate as I toured. Climbed the Dome to Whispering level - that is a LOT of steps, shallow though they may be! Very cool inner view of Dome closer up. Then to the Stone level (loved going outside to cool down), steps tighter and more claustrophobic. My knees voted against going up to the final Gold level.
* Boat ride on the Thames - after joining the throngs around the Eye. Great value, very fun. I walked up the hill in the sunshine to the Greenwich Observatory, through the lovely park. Didn't plan enough time for the interesting observatory before needing to return to catch the boat back to Westminster dock.
* Changing of the Guard: Got a front row spot by arriving at 9:35. Congenial crowd, timely start, lots of marching around (who were all those random people entering and leaving by the side doors? inquiring minds...) Indeed, every tourist in London was there.
* Churchill War Rooms: We found the museum layout confusing and it was crowded but overall it was excellent and informative.
Where we ate Mostly pub food, which was easy and good. One really nice dinner at The Shed (in the RS book) - excellent farm to table food, pretty setting, near a Tube stop. We also ate Sunday Roast at the Pride of Paddington pub and it was great.
**BEST THINGS EVER*
* I used the Packtor app - Lisa at RS was right, this helped me remember everything
* Sainsbury's in Paddington Station: excellent source of room picnic food including chewy granola slices, fruit, yogurt, beverages
* tapping our card everywhere. No need to buy Tube tickets or passes - system automatically calculates it all
* Verizon 1 month phone plan - we used Apple Maps constantly (where is the closest Tube, how do I get there, which entrance? closest food? Also used the Flush app to find bathrooms, and National Rail app to buy tickets)
* Senior Rail Card - L30 to get 33% off on all our train rides. Splurged on first class from Scotland to London, worth it.
* Travelon cross body bag - perfect size for essentials. I'm normally a money belt person but never felt the need with this bag.
So many things to see next time we are in London - this was just the start.