London for a few days - West of London for a few.

Heading out to England for a week in a couple months. Would love to hear some Must Sees & Must Eats. We have a BNB close to Hyde Park so we don't need accommodations.

I see some decent feedback here: https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/5-5-days-in-london-wwyd

There's always these:

The Tower of London.
Westminister Abbey
Houses of Parliament
Buckingham Palace
Hyde Park and Speakers Corner

Another thread: https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/first-time-london

Then I'll be driving west the next three days - a few things to see would be Downton Abbey - Stonehenge and a few castles. Not sure if we'll get there but Doc Martin's town is at the end.

We'll be visiting some relative in Tiverton. Thanks in advance!

I've heard the Churchill's War Rooms are fascinating, but sadly I have not had a chance to do that yet.

I also recommend the National Gallery next to Trafalgar Square.

Churchill's War Rooms are most definitely fascinating. They should be on your list.

there are things that seem touristy and cheesy but are kind of cool. The London Eye was a great view of the entire city. And the The Globe was also a fun experience to see. The Tate Modern is also a fun visit, located in an old power station.

Cornwall--King Arthur's father's castle at Tintagel.

the War Rooms are interesting and on the Churchill theme, there is Blenheim Palace, his ancestral home, west of London. National Gallery great and free! The Tube is expensive when you buy a la carte--check out the website--there is an advance purchase tourist card that I believe you can buy on line. Easy to take Tube into central London (not sure how close it would stop to Hyde Park--def goes to Piccadilly)--not part of the central city ticket though...

Dang, looks like Downton starts opening it's door in July (in case anyone else is interested) I'll be there a bit earlier then this:

https://highclerecastleshop.co.uk/categories/admission-tickets-summer

Heading there next week with the family so I'll let you know how it goes. We have bought advance tickets to:

- Westminster Abbey

- Parliament (guided tour on Saturdays only)

- Churchill War Rooms

- London Eye

- Tower of London.

- Harry Potter Studio Tour

The info we got recommended buying these in advance to avoid some of the queues. We also advanced purchased pre-filled Oyster Cards -- that's the general transit card for the Underground, Thames ferries, etc. -- and they arrived in the mail last week. We also have the Tate Modern and a few other things in London on our list.

We're only in London for 2.5 days, then we head north, winding up in Glasgow to visit relatives.

Did you visit each place online to purchase tickets - or were you able to use one service to pick what you wanted?

Churchill War Rooms were fascinating. The War Museum was excellent. I love the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum. I like the Victoria and Albert Museum as well. I like the Tower of London ( take a boat) as well as Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's. The British Library is worth a quick look as well.

Many of the national museums are free. we stood in line for the rest.

If you're heading west then Bath may be worth a stop. Nice Abbey, interesting Roman Baths. Town in general is well preserved. Makes a good American tourist stop. Not a world away from Stonehenge.

Go for tea in Devon including clotted cream on scones in a thached roof cottage.

Don't forget a trip to the Cotswolds (where Londoners have their vacation homes) - Bourton on the Water is especially pretty there.

Skip the London Eye (though you can walk along the Embankment)

Go to the theatre.

https://www.timeout.com/london

Went to each place online. I can send links at some point later if you're curious.

jamie said:

Did you visit each place online to purchase tickets - or were you able to use one service to pick what you wanted?

Not sure how close it is to your route, but I always wanted to see Lyme Regis and do some fossiling, too.

Many of my work trips took me to the eastern part of London and Canary Wharf. There is a walking tunnel under the Thames from the Canary Wharf area across to Greenwich with The Cutty Sark, restored and wonderful parks and for those who believe in things like SCIENCE: http://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/things-to-do/stand-home-time/

Back in the general Canary Wharf area is a Dickens era restaurant that is fun for the history and the foods, not too bad either: http://www.thegrapes.co.uk/ There is so much and so little time. My favorite street market is: Spitalfields. ENJOY!

Abbey Road Studios if you're a Beatles fan. Mandatory photo at the zebra crossing.

If you're not traveling with young children, consider a Jack The Ripper Walking Tour. Its really fascinating and gripping but graphic and you need to have the stomach for it. We went with my 18 year old daughter and we all loved it. Book in advance.

Loved the British museum, but massive, when there last fall with young adult son. Highlight of our trip was a symphony concert (Berlioz Requiem) at Royal Albert Hall for Remembrance Day weekend, but that might not be everyone's cup of tea.

There are a variety of nice bus tours, which allow you to hop on or off at various places, and while not cheap, were a good way to see a lot in a little time.

I wouldn't worry about things like Oyster cards for the tubes beforehand. We were standing at the card machine in a tube station, and a very helpful attendant came over and showed me how to buy 2 oyster cards. Then, when we had $5 - 10 left on them at the end of our visit, we gave them as a tip to the Uber driver who took us to Heathrow. He was thrilled.

Enjoy!

I second the city of Bath as an interesting and comfortable place to visit; it’s about a hundred miles due west of London. Along the way you can easily see Stonehenge. The thing about Stonehenge is that it’s astounding, but you can take it in in about 15 or 20 minutes. In the same area, maybe 30 miles from Stonehenge, is the village of Avebury, which has a very different type of stone circle, and is well worth seeing.

Another possibility is the city of Salisbury, which has a very famous and impressive cathedral and a pleasant downtown shopping district. Salisbury is also about a hundred miles southeast London, maybe a bit less.

Yet another possibility, mentioned above, is Oxford and environs. Blenheim Palace, Churchill’s birthplace, is on the outskirts. Oxford is only about 60 miles from London, but is northwest, perhaps a bit out of your way when heading to Tiverton.

Britain is a fabulous place -- Have a GREAT time!

Imperial War Museum.

Key ceremony at Tower of London (you need to write for this one.)

Any London Walking Tour walks.com The guides are all certified.

Grenwich

St, Paul's Cathedral

Oxford and Cambridge

I second Salisbury as a charming town with a wonderful cathedral -- very English -- and you will already be quite close at Stonehenge. Wilton House is also nearby -- top notch stately home. Bath is wonderful too, but it isn't on your trajectory to Tiverton.

West of Stonehenge are countless adorable villages that you can just amble through. Churches, many of them shockingly ancient, are often open for you to wander into. Steeple Ashton (on the way to Bath) is a particularly delicious one, but there are many on your southerly route too (the Langfords, Teffont Evias, etc.) The town of Sherborne was also surprisingly sweet and interesting, and there's a good stately home, Sherborne Abbey, nearby. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

Imperial War Museum.

Key ceremony at Tower of London (you need to write for this one.)

Any London Walking Tour walks.com The guides are all certified.

Grenwich

St, Paul's Cathedral

Oxford and Cambridge

Key Ceremony is sold out for the next year.

jamie said:

Heading out to England for a week in a couple months. Would love to hear some Must Sees & Must Eats. We have a BNB close to Hyde Park so we don't need accommodations.

I see some decent feedback here: https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/5-5-days-in-london-wwyd

There's always these:

The Tower of London.
Westminister Abbey
Houses of Parliament
Buckingham Palace
Hyde Park and Speakers Corner

Another thread: https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/first-time-london

Then I'll be driving west the next three days - a few things to see would be Downton Abbey - Stonehenge and a few castles. Not sure if we'll get there but Doc Martin's town is at the end.

We'll be visiting some relative in Tiverton. Thanks in advance!

It's touristy, but the Jack the Ripper tour is actually pretty cool and interesting.

There are actually two or three "Ripper" tours. Each one tells you who the killer was. Each explanation makes sense but they are all different.

Steve said:

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

Imperial War Museum.

Key ceremony at Tower of London (you need to write for this one.)

Any London Walking Tour walks.com The guides are all certified.

Grenwich

St, Paul's Cathedral

Oxford and Cambridge

Key Ceremony is sold out for the next year.

That's too bad. I saw it three times. It is best in winter when the dark of the London sky adds to the experience.

There are actually two or three "Ripper" tours. Each one tells you who the killer was. Each explanation makes sense but they are all different.

The Ripper tour sounds interesting - definitely not something I would have had on my radar. Looks like this one has some great reviews:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/At...

Ripper tours run all year long. I did one in November. Sun sets around 4:30 p.m. The tour started at 7 and ended at 9:00. They end in what I guess is an industrial or business district and there is nobody around but the people who were on the tour with you. It added a bit more of scare to the evening.

Add Notting Hill or Camdem Yards -- both on Saturdays, to the itinerary. Mind the pickpockets.

You can also take a train to Dover and catch a ferry to Calais for a long day trip.