London, England (4 days getting around)

[Closet_Gamer]

1) Heathrow Express to/from the airport

2) Oyster card & the tube, all the way. Download a digital map of the tube before you go so that you can quickly figure out which line goes where.

3) Tour Parliament (so cool), Churchill's WWII bunkers, British Museum, Walk past Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Walk along the Thames, Lunch at BlackFriar's, Tour St. Paul's.

Yes, all of that is doable in a few days. Just did it a few months ago.

Don't skimp on time at Tower of London. Probably my favorite place and always a place I wish I'd seen more of. DEFINITELY ensure that you take guided warden tour.

Westminster Abbey is cool if you want to swap that in. Perhaps swap for the Bunkers if you're more into really old history.

Trafalgar Square is nice at night if you've got some energy left.

London Eye is nifty but easily skipped if you're on a tight timeframe.

Plan you days before you go and BUY TICKETS FOR EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE. My brother missed out on both the bunkers and Westminster on his one trip to London due to two hour lines to get in.

4) Download Rick Steve's audio tours of Europe app. Its an app where you can then download specific audio guides for parts of London. Really awesome. Totally free. He politely encourages you to buy his books, but its witty and does an amazing job of bringing to life big attractions in ways that make them accessible for a tourist seeing lots of sites.

I wouldn't do the British Museum or Saint Paul's without it. You could spend hours wandering aimlessly through the museum. He takes you through many big items with good and fun descriptions in about 60-90 minutes.

Tower of London, Parliament, the Bunkers and Westminster Abbey all offer their own live tours or audio guides. The Parliament audio guide is particularly well done, definitely pay for guides at these locations. Tower of London warden tour is included free with admission.

5) Enjoy the food scene. London isn't cheap, but if you hit pubs you can have fantastic local fare and wonderful beer for not a ton of $$$. If you want to spend a bit more, go to gastropubs for great hot pies and other food.

Have a great time! London is on of my favorite places.

[mageedge]

As others have noted, Oyster Card wil be your best transport option around town. Unfortunately Aldgate East is not convenient for Heathrow (if option still available you may consider changing locations) as it's on the opposite side of London.
Taxi/Uber is only option that doesn't require a change - but will cost around $100 - and will take about 40 minutes.
Tube, with one change, will take around an hour and around $10 per person. But tube is a hassle if you have significant luggage.
Heathrow Express to Paddington and then taxi to Aldgate may be best bet with luggage. Taxi will be around $25, Express advance purchase ticket should be less than $20 per person.

"Must do's" really depends on personal preference - Tower, British Museum, Westminster (Parliament and Abby) and St. Paul's are high on everyone's list. I'd echo the Greenwich via boat suggestion - return via the Victorian foot tunnel under the Thames then DLR to Tower Bridge.Aldgate. For a change check out Sir John Soanes museum and walk from there to the Temple Church and vicinity.
Also find time in the evening for theater - Shakespeare at the Globe if possible and/or West End plays (Leicester Square cheap ticket booths can offer good deals)
Your time will fill quickly - enjoy!

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Closet_Gamer 1) Heathrow Express to/from the airport 2) Oyster card & the tube, all the way. Download a digital map of the tube before you go so that you can quickly figure out which line goes where. 3) Tour Parliament (so cool), Churchill's WWII bunkers, British Museum, Walk past Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Walk along the Thames, Lunch at BlackFriar's, Tour St. Paul's. Yes, all of that is doable in a few days. Just did it a few months ago. Don't skimp on time at Tower of London. Probably my favorite place and always a place I wish I'd seen more of. DEFINITELY ensure that you take guided warden tour. Westminster Abbey is cool if you want to swap that in. Perhaps swap for the Bunkers if you're more into really old history. Trafalgar Square is nice at night if you've got some energy left. London Eye is nifty but easily skipped if you're on a tight timeframe. Plan you days before you go and BUY TICKETS FOR EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE. My brother missed out on both the bunkers and Westminster on his one trip to London due to two hour lines to get in. 4) Download Rick Steve's audio tours of Europe app. Its an app where you can then download specific audio guides for parts of London. Really awesome. Totally free. He politely encourages you to buy his books, but its witty and does an amazing job of bringing to life big attractions in ways that make them accessible for a tourist seeing lots of sites. I wouldn't do the British Museum or Saint Paul's without it. You could spend hours wandering aimlessly through the museum. He takes you through many big items with good and fun descriptions in about 60-90 minutes. Tower of London, Parliament, the Bunkers and Westminster Abbey all offer their own live tours or audio guides. The Parliament audio guide is particularly well done, definitely pay for guides at these locations. Tower of London warden tour is included free with admission. 5) Enjoy the food scene. London isn't cheap, but if you hit pubs you can have fantastic local fare and wonderful beer for not a ton of $$$. If you want to spend a bit more, go to gastropubs for great hot pies and other food. Have a great time! London is on of my favorite places.

This is a great list and I agree with everything except buying tickets for everything in advance. I might buy tickets for the one thing I know I want to do, but part of the wonder of London is being spontaneous and flexible. For a trip of your length 5 top things might be a few too many. You'd be amazed at the museums and exhibits in London that are free.

I agree with the poster that said your location is not ideal. Walking to and from tube stations and changing tube lines can take a lot of time and energy. Don't overschedule.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Badger The Oyster Card is also good for the River Roamer / Thames Clipper boats - an excellent and relaxing means of getting from one tourist attraction to the next. They run just like buses; one about every ten minutes or so, and hit all the highlights near (and not so near) the river. Enjoy!

This is a way better option then the tube or bus, so cool. Doesn't work for every location though. We had a big group of family renting condos for a milestone event, even though the condo wasn't central we were a 5 minute walk from the Clipper Dock...I do have say they don't run every 10 minutes on off peak hours...sometimes it's 20-30 minutes between pickups.

[HFWR]

No London experience yet, but Ronnie Scott’s would be on my list, as would Abbey Road Studio.

https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/

[BigNick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR No London experience yet, but Ronnie Scott’s would be on my list, as would Abbey Road Studio.

Be aware that on the DLR (part of the Tube network) there is a stop called Abbey Road, which is miles and miles from the studio. There are even signs up saying "Wrong Abbey Road"! You need the St. John's Wood Tube stop.

I also recommend the Nicholson's pub chain https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/ - there are plenty of tourist trap pubs in the centre of London, but these are reliable. (Of course, if you get a good local recommendation that's fine too, but I trust the Nicholson's brand when I'm in an area of central London that I don't know well.)

[gerntz]

Take a train out to Windsor Castle - 45 minutes or so. The museum tour is outstanding as are the grounds, chapel (Harry & Meghan), & burial crypt of past monarchs for about the last 300 years. In all in is about 6 hours.