London, England (4 days getting around)

[IMATERP]

Wifey and I are traveling to London for Four days at the end of June. We fly into Heathrow (on a Thursday around 11:00a.m.) and are staying Downtown near the Touristy sites. On Monday afternoon (around 4:00p.m.) we fly to Amsterdam from Heathrow.

My specific question is what type of transportation pass should we purchase that will allow for R/T to Heathrow AND a few trips on the subway (Piccadilly, etc?)

Also, if folks could list their 5 must see’s in London, I’d appreciate it.

I

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Being a Brit and a Londoner, my favs are Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, the Natural History, Science & V&A Museums. Also Parliament and Westminster Cathedral. Walking along the South Bank is also nice on a good day. Depending on your stamina London is very walkable. I have walked from the Imperial War via the London Eye to Parliament and ended up at Harrods. There are many underground (subway) stations along the way so if you get tired you can just hop on the train. A London Transport Pass would be good (Bus & Train).

 

[ivinsfan]

Being a Brit and a Londoner, my favs are Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, the Natural History, Science & V&A Museums. also Parliament and Westminster Cathedral. Depending on your stamina London is very walkable. I have walked from the Imperial War via the London Eye to Parliament and ended up at Harrods. There are many underground (subway) stations along the way so if you get tired you can just hop on the train. A London Transport Pass would be good (Bus & Train).

That's a long list and in fact the OP really only has 3 full days. NH, science and the V and A are all very close to each other which cuts down on the traveling. The Eye and Parliament are a good duo ..pretty close together.

As far as transport 4 days isn't a good window for saving money..maybe just an oyster card. since your visit is short if you travel in non-peak times you might consider using Uber...downtown London is a big area...you might be more specific on the area of your hotel and how close it is to the tube.

 

[IMATERP]

That's a long list and in fact the OP really only has 3 full days. NH, science and the V and A are all very close to each other which cuts down on the traveling. The Eye and Parliament are a good duo ..pretty close together.

As far as transport 4 days isn't a good window for saving money..maybe just an oyster card. since your visit is short if you travel in non-peak times you might consider using Uber...downtown London is a big area...you might be more specific on the area of your hotel and how close it is to the tube.

We’re staying near Aldengate East.

 

[Aerides]

From LHR into one of the main train stations in London (paddington), you'll want the express pass, which you can buy in advance for much less than when you get there (via Heathrow Express).

I don't know if there are other bundles including general use as well as the LHR and Return express, probably not.

 

[omni550]

I was staying with friends near London for 2 weeks a few years ago. I spoke to the cashier at the train/underground station at Heathrow as to what pass I should l buy. They suggested I buy an Oyster Pass to get around London inexpensively.

A friend from the US joined me during that time. I think the cashier suggested a similar (but different) pass for her, as her needs were for only a few days.

omni

 

[walkinwood]

On our last trip to London, we purchased an Oyster card when we got there & loaded it with credit as needed. The fares are capped daily to the equivalent of a day pass for the zones you've visited. Bus fares are cheaper than underground & we found bus travel to be quick and scenic. Buses benefit from the lower traffic in central london due o congestion pricing.


When leaving london (from Paddington), I got a refund of the credit from a machine at the station - lots of coins! This works for up to GBP 10. More than that and I think you've got to mail it in.



Be aware that in Amsterdam, the OV-ChipKaart does not have a fee cap, so it is better to buy the day pass there.

 

[ivinsfan]

On our last trip to London, we purchased an Oyster card when we got there & loaded it with credit as needed. The fares are capped daily to the equivalent of a day pass for the zones you've visited. Bus fares are cheaper than underground & we found bus travel to be quick and scenic. Buses benefit from the lower traffic in central london due o congestion pricing.


When leaving london (from Paddington), I got a refund of the credit from a machine at the station - lots of coins! This works for up to GBP 10. More than that and I think you've got to mail it in.



Be aware that in Amsterdam, the OV-ChipKaart does not have a fee cap, so it is better to buy the day pass there.

the refund idea works until it doesn't my last trip I intended to use the auto refund machine at LHR only to find they had a sign hanging on them saying out of use ..sorry. It's was only around 10 quid but still...I still have the card and the money on it, but I'd cautious about overloading it.

 

[walkinwood]

One suggestion for sightseeing. See if you can get a ticket for a guided (not audio) tour of parliament. It is a fascinating place.
https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/tours-of-parliament/

 

[Rex]

DW & I spent 5 days in London last January and had a blast.....Here's a brain dump of what I recall and my 2 cents (or rather, 2 pence):

1) Get the Oyster card before you leave
2) Buy your Heathrow Express train tickets before you leave (dirt cheap)
3) Book your Parliament tour ahead....And we combined a guided tour with tea at Parliament. Awesome.
4) Went to the Globe Theatre for Shakespeare and a London Theatre play...Book those now.
5) Take the train to Windsor to tour Windsor Castle & have a fun lunch at a pub.
6) Check out the WW2 Churchill bunkers. Fascinating.
7) If on a Sunday, check out the organ concert at Westminster Abbey....and tour the Abbey at a different time...And St Pauls. If you are Methodist, go to John Wesley's Chapel.
8) Go to one of the markets....Good food and all things British
9) Harry Potter fan? Go find platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station
10) Tower of London is a must. Look for the ravens.
11). Find an old pub (not hard)....order a pint and fish n chips
12) see the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum (and other cool things)
13) Download the app for the Tube

For us, it was all about walking and taking the tube.....Prepare to be tired but keep moving...So much to see and so much history and experiences in London. Plan. Plan. Plan.

 

[euro]

One suggestion for sightseeing. See if you can get a ticket for a guided (not audio) tour of parliament. It is a fascinating place.
https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/tours-of-parliament/

I second this (including the point to take the guided tour rather than audio). That said, I also loved the guided walking tours of the City that I have done - invariably, they were very entertaining.

 

[Katsmeow]

When we were there a few years ago we also got an Oyster card which was very useful. One day we did a Black Taxi tour which was a guided tour of London in general. You could customize it to some extent which was great. We also did a Harry Potter Black Taxi tour (kids were with us) which was a lot of fun...took us to various places from the movies.

Our son one evening did a Jack the Ripper guided walking tour which he found very interesting.

 

[ivinsfan]

+1 on the WWII bunkers they are fascinating.

 

[Ronstar]

Lots of good advice here. And if you want to do something different, take the tube to Greenwich to the Royal Observatory and sit on the patio with one cheek in each hemisphere.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

We've been to London about 4 times and are planning a short visit during a layover this summer.

In terms of getting into London, we recently came across this video by comedian Jay Foreman did for London Planner. It was posted in 2017 but some of the info is already out of date. He's done a few videos for London Planner they are amusing enough to check out.
Taxi's are obviously most expensive. The Heathrow Express is quick with no stops but also pretty pricey at 22GBP. In the video, he talks about the Heathrow Connect which has a few stops but is half the price of the Heathrow Express. However, it appears to have been bought and replaced by TfL Rail and renamed the Elizabeth Line, which actually might be a positive because it looks like you can use the Oyster card for it. Lastly, he talks about taking the Underground/metro which is even cheaper but takes an hour to get into town.

A few of our faves are:
Southbank walk from Westminster Abbey to Tower Bridge. You past by so many big sites: Big Ben, London Eye, The Globe Theatre, Borough Market, City Hall, etc.
Harrods Food Hall. The breadth of items here is amazing.
The area around Piccadily Circus, Chinatown, Leicester Square, and Covent Garden at night. It's just such a lively area.
National Portrait Gallery. We love the history around the British Monarchy. The National Portrait Gallery kind of gives a timeline of not only the monarch but influential people during the time like scientists, explorers, etc.
Tower of London and Ceremony of the Keys. The Tower of London is cool with the Crown Jewels. But you can also get tix to the Ceremony of the Keys which gets you in at night with a limited group.
We also really enjoyed trips out to Windsor Castle and the Royal Observatory.
During our last trip, we also visited the Brick Lane area which is kind of a hip revitalized area which has a Sunday market that may be fairly close to where the OP is staying.

If you have access to data on your phone, try using google maps to identify journeys by bus instead of taking the Underground. On our last trip, we rode double decker buses as much as possible and we obviously saw so much more by travelling street level.

We bought a London Pass during a previous trip but won't do it again. We kind of felt forced to see too many "B" attractions that we only found meh.

 

[Octogirl]

+1 planning a trip to London in 2020

 

[brett]

Last time we were there we bought an Oyster card each, loaded them up, at the Heathrow tube station. Then took the tube to our hotel in Kensington (we only take carry on). Spent time in London, the got a refund on our remaining Oyster card from the last tube station where we caught the easyjet van to Gatwick.

The Oyster card is so easy to use. Tube is excellent.

 

[Red Badger]

Last time we were there we bought an Oyster card each, loaded them up, at the Heathrow tube station. Then took the tube to our hotel in Kensington (we only take carry on). Spent time in London, the got a refund on our remaining Oyster card from the last tube station where we caught the easyjet van to Gatwick.

The Oyster card is so easy to use. Tube is excellent.

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!

 

[6miths]

From LHR into one of the main train stations in London (paddington), you'll want the express pass, which you can buy in advance for much less than when you get there (via Heathrow Express).

I don't know if there are other bundles including general use as well as the LHR and Return express, probably not.

+1

The Heathrow Express pass can be bought online in advance at significant savings (I think 70% last time we went). You can take transit from LHR to the city centre but it will take quite along time.

With the timeline you have you can buy an Visitor's Oyster Card online as well. Preloaded and easily recharged while you are there. The Underground is excellent.

Five things?! You have to state your preferences as there are so many things to do. Possibly more than any other city in the world. Try TripAdvisor top attractions. DW was born there and we go almost every year.

 

[euro]

Lots of good advice here. And if you want to do something different, take the tube to Greenwich to the Royal Observatory and sit on the patio with one cheek in each hemisphere.

+1 on that! There are a couple of nice museums in Greenwich too. I'd suggest take the riverboat instead of the tube because otherwise you have to change to a bus for the final stretch to Greenwich from the O2 (or be prepared for a pretty substantial hike).

Also second the Oyster Card, which as pointed out above also works for the river boat (to Greenwich, for example...)

 

[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]

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]

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/