Hows this plan looking for London 4 nights?

topcat007

Hello everyone,

A few of you very nice people gave me advice around 4-5 months ago on some ideas for my girlfriends 21st in London.

Finally have got around to putting a plan together , have spent hours doing this as keep getting overwhelmed :eek: but would love to hear any thoughts if anything looks to tight or wrongly organized or any ideas etc.



Sat 22nd November

10:30 - get to King Cross Station


12:00 - Travelodge Marylebone for check in


(13:00 Tube – Hammersmith & City terminate at Aldgate East)

14:30 – 16:30 - Alternative walking tour

17:15 – Covent gardens for Christmas lights and to see if there are any street performers about + dinner


20:00 – start heading to Tower Of London transport takes around 30 minutes

9:30 - Ceremony of the Keys Tower Of London





Sun 23rd November

--Gfs 21st birthday

10:00-12:30 London Dungeon (2 for 1 voucher) (are the Q's bad if you dont book a time slot online??)


13:30 - 3:30 London Bridge Experience (2 for 1 voucher) (are the Q's bad if you dont book a time slot online??)


16:00 - Head over to The monument (too dark to see anything?)


Dinner - Looking for something a bit different which is memorable but budget £70 absolute max


Hyde Park for Winter Wonderland Ice Kingdom



Monday:

9:00 - Camden


London Eye 13:00 - Maybe as i am scared of heights


14:00 - 17:00 Sight seeing: Big Ben > Houses Of Parliament> Buckingham Palace > Trafalgar Square (Christmas Tree!!) > M + M World


18:00 onwards Oxford Street - Christmas lights mainly but maybe a bit of shopping to


Tuesday:

8:00AM - Wicked box office to try and get front row tickets at £35

11:00 -15:00 - Tower Of London





7:30 - Wicked



Wednesday:




**could do with something filling this slot which is relaxing and can take bags



14:30 from Kings Cross departure


Thanks guys

good_advice

river cruise?

tower

Regarding the London Dungeons, you do know that it's relocated to county hall (next to the London eye) and the London aquarium is there too. We went in the school holidays and queued for over two hours to get in, even people with per booked slots still queued. The queue may look short but once inside you join another one:mad:.

Regarding a meal maybe tower42 if it's open at the weekend or cocktails and snacks at centrepoint.
Failing that try the Dickens inn at St Katherine's docks (Tower bridge).

Armorica

lol you’re allowing tons of contingency time

check tube disruptions that weekend https://www.tfl.gov.uk/forms/12392.aspx

no 15 bus is nice from fleet street to the tower.

On the sunday, you might want to consider whether it’s worth getting a boat along the Thames for a treat. Perhaps from the Tower/London Bridge to Westminster. Could investigate eating dinner on a boat?

Good luck with getting tickets to Wicked I was in NY and it was sold out, but got one of the one the day ballot tickets for $10

(tower - I wondered where the dungeons had got with the LB rebuild!)

beccals

Regarding a meal, it may be worth keeping an eye out on Groupon etc as you can get some really great deals but obviously check the t's and c's for days and times etc. We got a great deal on afternoon tea by the Thames which was half the normal price!

susancs

It will only take about 10 minutes from Kings Cross to Marylebone choice of Metropolitan, circle or Hammersmith and City to Baker street and bakerloo to Marylebone. So even if you have paid extra to do early check in at noon instead of 3pm you will still have time to kill. If you like Harry Potter you could get a photo taken at platform9 3/4 at Kings Cross. They also have a nice champagne bar there that is often on Groupon with offers.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d3971166-Reviews-Harry_Potter_Shop_at_Platform_9_3_4-London_England.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d3410237-Reviews-St_Pancras_Grand_Champagne_Bar-London_England.html
You might be best to combine the London Dungeons with the Eye (I Don't like heights but found the Eye ok), Big Ben etc as all beside each other. For The Dungeons on a weekend I would get there well before opening time as otherwise the queues will be huge just to get into the place and it takes just under an hour to do the attraction once in. I have never been to the London bridge Experience but understand from friends and family who have gone it is a poorer version of the Dungeons. If you like that sort of thing you might want to consider getting Woman in Black theatre tickets. (if you are students then you can book tickets online for £19.50). If you don't like heights I wouldn't consider the Monument. I went up it and found it an ordeal with the steep spiral 311 steps and people pushing past on the way down fueling my fears. Vertigo kicked in badly at the top and I couldn't move from the wall to near the safety barrier to take in the view.

Camden is best on a Sunday morning as the market stalls are all open and it is a fun atmosphere. Weekdays it lacks atmosphere IMO.

You could look at ordering a free 2 month Taste card as you can get 50% off a number of London restaurants. We used our card a couple of months ago to celebrate a friends birthday at Gilgamesh in Camden. You shoudl also check out the group buying sites as they often have good deals.
http://www.tastecard.co.uk/trial


The sugguestion of the no 15 bus is a good one as the old fashioned heritage bus operates on that route and it goes past a lot of the landmarks on the way to the Tower.
http://www.insightguides.com/destinations/europe/england/london/cultural-features/old-london-bus-tour-routemaster-bus-no15

The Natural History Museum is free and worth a visit and it does have a cloakroom which charges for storing bags. Next door is the Science Mueum and opposite the V&A.

Here is the TheatreMonkey dayseat information for you. You should be ok for a Wicked seat if arriving at 8am ona Tuesday.
http://www.theatremonkey.com/dayseatfinder.htm

Covent Garden and Leicester Square are in the same area so include M&M world when you visit there. It is actually the shortest journey on London underground as it is about 300 yards between Covent Garden and Leicester Square stations.

warehouse

Allow more than 30 minutes from Covent Garden to Tower of London. At least double that.
Also beware that Winter Wonderland is SO EXPENSIVE!!!!! Eye wateringly so.

Otherwise worth considering

Wembley Stadium Tour.

gwynlas

Sunday morning Columbia Rd market for flowers, plants vintage bits etc followed by Spitalfields/Brick Lane is more trendy than Camden for adults. Camden full of teens. Marylebone High St is villagey for London you can walk down to Oxford St through Christopher Place, good Christmas lights also Bond St Regent St

paddyrg

You'll be knackered!

One of the best bits of London though is discovering it, rather than just hitting the tourist hotspots - and the buses and walking are great ways to do that. For instance you could walk along Southbank, great views to the Palace of Westminster, past the National Theatre, BFI and ilk, the Christmas Market may be up and running. I'd leave space in your schedule so you can go off-piste and explore. And a chance to recover/recharge too - it's a tiring city!

vintner55

Will the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square be up by then? The Tower of London is also on the 2 for 1 offer with train tickets. For a filling and tasty lunch try Herman ze German in Villiers St, Charing Cross or Old Compton St, Soho. There is also the last remaining Stockpot in Old Compton St which is a great cheap place to eat.
There is a left luggage at Kings Cross station, just beyond platform 9 3/4 but its quite expensive.


You can order Oyster cards online, much the cheapest and handiest way to travel especially as buses don't take cash now.


Harrods & Libertys are always good for a look round especially Harrods food hall.


Hampton Court is lovely and an easy train journey away and also 2 for 1. They may have something Christmassy on.

For a different place to eat while near Monument or Tower of London try down St Katherines Dock. Literally under the bridge from the Tower there are quite a few restaurants there of varying prices and its a nice setting with the marina and the old warehouses.

topcat007

Thanks for everyone's great effort truly grateful!

I keep hearing really bad things about the dungeon and London Bridge Experience being a waste of time + money?? Am i better of spending the time doing something else?

I did drop madam two swords after reading 12,000 people a day, not a chance i am queuing + being pushed around inside to see wax people.

@tower tower42 looks great found this view on tripadvisor , what a view!! Also did not realize the dungeon was located next to the London eye did not zoom in enough on google maps when i checked, very glad you mentioned that


View from tower42:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d731533-Reviews-Vertigo_42-London_England.html#photos

@armorica great idea with dinner on a boat, love stuff that is different like that will get googling

@susancs thanks for spending your time writing out such good knowledge!! I have been up Blackpool tower and oh boy did that one get me when i looked down . It didn't look THAT high from the ground :doh::doh:

@paddyrg I maybe do need to put time in just to wander but i do not know the best areas for wandering. We will be knackered but then after food batteries are normally recharged


If anyone knows of any magic show or illusion that would be a bonus struggling to find anything