Traveling to London solo, first time international traveler

[Gorechick]

I took my first trip to London in 2019 and had a blast! I HIGHLY recommend doing the Changing of the Guard Walking Tour (https://funlondontours.com/tours/changing-guard-walking-tour/). It is recommended on the Buckingham Palace website and my tour guide was amazing (Jan). He got us to exactly where we needed to be to see everything we needed to and ahead of the masses. Just be prepared to walk and walk fast when he tells you to move. Definitely one of the best things I did in London.

I will definitely look that up! Buckingham Palace is on my shortlíst to see. What other attractions did you do in the same area?

 

[RUDisney]

I will definitely look that up! Buckingham Palace is on my shortlíst to see. What other attractions did you do in the same area?

On the left side of Buckingham Palace, there is an art gallery within the palace. We saw a DaVinci exhibit when we were there in 2019. Up the block from that is the Royal Mews where you can see the carriages that have been used by the royals, along with some of their horses, throughout the years. My favorite tea store is across the street, Whittard of Chelsea is from where I order all of my tea. SO good! It's not a cafe, just a tea store.

Stroll through St. James Park. It's beautiful and across the street from the palace. At the end of that, you will come upon Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Remember, all of the museums in London are free of charge to visit, unlike in most other large cities.

With your back to the museum, you can walk down to the Banqueting Hall, through which, when Whitehall Palace was still there, King Charles I was escorted through it, had to climb out a window to his execution to the dais that was raised for the occasion. It's the only existing building from Whitehall Palace.

Across from that, you can glance down the way to see the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. I remember standing in front of the door when I was 20 and visiting, but terrorism laid an end to that.

Continuing down the main road, you will come upon Parliament and Westminster Abbey. You can also stroll along the Thames, if you wish, or cross the bridge and take a ride on the London Eye. Oops, I almost forgot... the Churchill War Rooms are also just before you reach the Abbey, on the same side as 10 Downing Street.

If you want to learn more about the Tower of London, search for Beefy 409 on Facebook. He is a Yeoman Warder at the Tower and gives tours via his web page. He also talks a lot about the ravens at the tower and the squirrels. He had one squirrel who would jump onto him for a peanut, but sadly, Cyril has passed away. It's nice history to know before you visit in person.

 

[Gorechick]

On the left side of Buckingham Palace, there is an art gallery within the palace. We saw a DaVinci exhibit when we were there in 2019. Up the block from that is the Royal Mews where you can see the carriages that have been used by the royals, along with some of their horses, throughout the years. My favorite tea store is across the street, Whittard of Chelsea is from where I order all of my tea. SO good! It's not a cafe, just a tea store.

Stroll through St. James Park. It's beautiful and across the street from the palace. At the end of that, you will come upon Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Remember, all of the museums in London are free of charge to visit, unlike in most other large cities.

With your back to the museum, you can walk down to the Banqueting Hall, through which, when Whitehall Palace was still there, King Charles I was escorted through it, had to climb out a window to his execution to the dais that was raised for the occasion. It's the only existing building from Whitehall Palace.

Across from that, you can glance down the way to see the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. I remember standing in front of the door when I was 20 and visiting, but terrorism laid an end to that.

Continuing down the main road, you will come upon Parliament and Westminster Abbey. You can also stroll along the Thames, if you wish, or cross the bridge and take a ride on the London Eye. Oops, I almost forgot... the Churchill War Rooms are also just before you reach the Abbey, on the same side as 10 Downing Street.

If you want to learn more about the Tower of London, search for Beefy 409 on Facebook. He is a Yeoman Warder at the Tower and gives tours via his web page. He also talks a lot about the ravens at the tower and the squirrels. He had one squirrel who would jump onto him for a peanut, but sadly, Cyril has passed away. It's nice history to know before you visit in person.

Excellent! I’ve been trying to group attractions by area while I plan and this is exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks!

 

[DoraBA]

Near Buckingham Palace - the amazing Churchill War Rooms, audioguide included in the ticket.

Also try reserving a tour of the House of Parliament, there are both guided ones and self guided with audio. But on select dates only and I'm not sure about covid restrictions.

 

[Gorechick]

On the left side of Buckingham Palace, there is an art gallery within the palace. We saw a DaVinci exhibit when we were there in 2019. Up the block from that is the Royal Mews where you can see the carriages that have been used by the royals, along with some of their horses, throughout the years. My favorite tea store is across the street, Whittard of Chelsea is from where I order all of my tea. SO good! It's not a cafe, just a tea store.

Stroll through St. James Park. It's beautiful and across the street from the palace. At the end of that, you will come upon Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Remember, all of the museums in London are free of charge to visit, unlike in most other large cities.

With your back to the museum, you can walk down to the Banqueting Hall, through which, when Whitehall Palace was still there, King Charles I was escorted through it, had to climb out a window to his execution to the dais that was raised for the occasion. It's the only existing building from Whitehall Palace.

Across from that, you can glance down the way to see the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. I remember standing in front of the door when I was 20 and visiting, but terrorism laid an end to that.

Continuing down the main road, you will come upon Parliament and Westminster Abbey. You can also stroll along the Thames, if you wish, or cross the bridge and take a ride on the London Eye. Oops, I almost forgot... the Churchill War Rooms are also just before you reach the Abbey, on the same side as 10 Downing Street.

If you want to learn more about the Tower of London, search for Beefy 409 on Facebook. He is a Yeoman Warder at the Tower and gives tours via his web page. He also talks a lot about the ravens at the tower and the squirrels. He had one squirrel who would jump onto him for a peanut, but sadly, Cyril has passed away. It's nice history to know before you visit in person.

Excellent! I’ve been trying to group attractions by area while I plan and this is exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks!

 

[RamblingMad]

I would fly into Edinburgh Scotland, spend a couple of days there, and then take the train to London. This will save you money as Scotland is much cheaper. Then I’d fly out of London.

Also, the trains are really good in London.

I found this really easy to manage by setting up my trip with Costco.

But I have no idea what this looks like in a post COVID world

 

[Gorechick]

I would fly into Edinburgh Scotland, spend a couple of days there, and then take the train to London. This will save you money as Scotland is much cheaper. Then I’d fly out of London.

Also, the trains are really good in London.

I found this really easy to manage by setting up my trip with Costco.

But I have no idea what this looks like in a post COVID world

I’m limiting my trip to London and Manchester as I’m meeting friends but thanks for the tip about Edinburgh. Perhaps I can get there on another trip.

 

[NotUrsula]

I would fly into Edinburgh Scotland, spend a couple of days there, and then take the train to London. This will save you money as Scotland is much cheaper. Then I’d fly out of London.
[snip]

This part is true, but I wonder if the OP already has tickets purchased and cannot change them?

The tax situation is best managed by a route that is actually the reverse of what is stated here; the largest tax is the Air Passenger Duty APD out of the UK, which is $110 on coach fares. You can avoid it by heading home via Ireland. To get really compulsive you can travel across to Ireland via the ferry, but the much faster option of flying to Dublin or Shannon on a budget airline and then taking the transatlantic flight from there is much less hassle and saves nearly as much. Avoiding LGW and LHR saves you the local passenger tax of about $60 each way; the tax in Scotland is about $20, and it's about the same in Manchester.

Here's an illustration of the Irish dodge:
R/T ticket out of Newark for 10 days in October, departing on a Wednesday and returning on Saturday.
The total into Gatwick is $780, of which $650 is taxes and fees.
The total into Dublin is $738, of which $289 is taxes and fees.
Right now it's not worth so much, because flights to/from smaller destinations are overpriced right now because of the lack of traffic, so you come out close to even. Under normal circumstances, however, the savings can be massive, especially with multiple passengers in the party. When visiting family we routinely fly out of Irish airports for the transatlantic leg to avoid that monster passenger duty.

 

[Gorechick]

This part is true, but I wonder if the OP already has tickets purchased and cannot change them?

The tax situation is best managed by a route that is actually the reverse of what is stated here; the largest tax is the Air Passenger Duty APD out of the UK, which is $110 on coach fares. You can avoid it by heading home via Ireland. To get really compulsive you can travel across to Ireland via the ferry, but the much faster option of flying to Dublin or Shannon on a budget airline and then taking the transatlantic flight from there is much less hassle and saves nearly as much. Avoiding LGW and LHR saves you the local passenger tax of about $60 each way; the tax in Scotland is about $20, and it's about the same in Manchester.

Here's an illustration of the Irish dodge:
R/T ticket out of Newark for 10 days in October, departing on a Wednesday and returning on Saturday.
The total into Gatwick is $780, of which $650 is taxes and fees.
The total into Dublin is $738, of which $289 is taxes and fees.
Right now it's not worth so much, because flights to/from smaller destinations are overpriced right now because of the lack of traffic, so you come out close to even. Under normal circumstances, however, the savings can be massive, especially with multiple passengers in the party. When visiting family we routinely fly out of Irish airports for the transatlantic leg to avoid that monster passenger duty.

I don't have anything booked because of the current travel restrictions. I was hoping to pull together a trip for this August but I don't think the borders will open for US/UK holiday travel. I will most likely be going August 2022. I'm looking to get a direct flight from the East coast or Chicago.

 

[cedricandsophie]

Get a Rick Steves travel guide for London and England. If you have a chance, get out of London. There are so many day trips on
the train.

if you are a Downton Abbey fan, consider going to HighcleRe Castle for the day, assuming it is open again. It’s incredible. You do need to make online reservations ahead of time,

Use your ATM card for money rather changing dollars for Pounds at an exchange place. the rate is generally much better.

Don’t be afraid of the underground, ie subway. They are clean and well run throughout London And easy to navigate.

if you want to go to the theater, you can get cheap tickets day of a performance or wait outside about an hour before the performance.

Treat yourself to high tea at the savoy or the ritz.

Be prepared to spend several hours at Harrods, not only shopping, but make time to eat at the food court. nothing like it.

use the Hop on Hop Off bus to get around. It’s the easiest and cheapest way to move around the city and hit all the best spots.

If you can afford it, upgrade to the roomier economy seat or even business You will arrive much more rested. Most flights from America leave in the evening and arrive early morning. I’m not a good sleeper on the plane so I need as much room as possible.

when you arrive in the morning, STAY UP and try to avoid a nap. the first day is hard but go to bed early the first night and wake up rested.

English food can be great, especially at pubs. But London has some of the best Indian food in the world.

 

[Gorechick]

Get a Rick Steves travel guide for London and England. If you have a chance, get out of London. There are so many day trips on
the train.

if you are a Downton Abbey fan, consider going to HighcleRe Castle for the day, assuming it is open again. It’s incredible. You do need to make online reservations ahead of time,

Use your ATM card for money rather changing dollars for Pounds at an exchange place. the rate is generally much better.

Don’t be afraid of the underground, ie subway. They are clean and well run throughout London And easy to navigate.

if you want to go to the theater, you can get cheap tickets day of a performance or wait outside about an hour before the performance.

Treat yourself to high tea at the savoy or the ritz.

Be prepared to spend several hours at Harrods, not only shopping, but make time to eat at the food court. nothing like it.

use the Hop on Hop Off bus to get around. It’s the easiest and cheapest way to move around the city and hit all the best spots.

If you can afford it, upgrade to the roomier economy seat or even business You will arrive much more rested. Most flights from America leave in the evening and arrive early morning. I’m not a good sleeper on the plane so I need as much room as possible.

when you arrive in the morning, STAY UP and try to avoid a nap. the first day is hard but go to bed early the first night and wake up rested.

English food can be great, especially at pubs. But London has some of the best Indian food in the world.

Thank you for the great tips! I'm planning several days in London and a few in Manchester. I've considered Highclere Castle but not sure I can fit it in, there's so much I want to do already! My friend I'm visiting has done tea at the Ritz, I suggested the Savoy cos they'd not done that one. Which do you prefer?

 

[NotUrsula]

I don't have anything booked because of the current travel restrictions. I was hoping to pull together a trip for this August but I don't think the borders will open for US/UK holiday travel. I will most likely be going August 2022. I'm looking to get a direct flight from the East coast or Chicago.

Most of the airlines won't quote anything before this October right now, although some routes are running, mostly for repatriation, and thus are being sold only as one-ways.

I've done both Chicago and the East Coast; I can't get there non-stop from here anymore. My preference is actually to change on the East Coast in order to shorten the transatlantic flight legs; I'm a wee bit claustrophobic and my tolerance starts to wear very thin after about 6.5 hours in a coach seat. Most of the Chicago-London flights have a duration of over 10 hours, and since I don't sleep well on planes, that last 3 hours is sheer torture for me. Better to get out and stretch my legs before the unavoidable long part.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Thank you for the great tips! I'm planning several days in London and a few in Manchester. I've considered Highclere Castle but not sure I can fit it in, there's so much I want to do already! My friend I'm visiting has done tea at the Ritz, I suggested the Savoy cos they'd not done that one. Which do you prefer?

I like Browns and The Goring myself, but here is a good list of options.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/best-afternoon-tea-london

 

[Communicore1991]

I will definitely look that up! Buckingham Palace is on my shortlíst to see. What other attractions did you do in the same area?

I only was able to tour around on Saturday and Sunday while I was there so I played tourist and paid for the Original Tour Bus Tour (https://www.theoriginaltour.com/en/map-times). This is a map of the locations the bus takes you past and where it stops. It's a Hop On, Hop Off tour. It looks like they only have one route running now because of the pandemic, but there's up to 4 or 5 different routes (hopefully they will be restored by the time you take your trip!). You have the advantage of being able to quickly get to all different tourist sites as well as get off wherever you want to explore more. There are headphone jacks at every seat so you can get audio commentary as you go and find out more about what you're driving past.

My ticket also came with a one way trip on the Thames River sightseeing cruise https://www.theoriginaltour.com/en/tours/thames-river-cruise The boat is VERY nice and the staff are friendly as well as give running commentary as you go. Our captain was absolutely incredible with tons of facts, details, and history of what we were seeing and going past. I was really lucky that I went on the 125th anniversary of Tower Bridge's opening so admission to the bridge was only 1.25. I don't know what current costs are but if you don't have a fear of heights, going to the top of the bridge and looking down through the glass floors was a really cool part as well!

 

[AussieFan8]

I am so appreciative of this thread and the helpful tips! We had a graduation trip planned for my daughter last year to Edinburgh and London which of course got canceled. Hoping to reschedule it soon. One question if I may ask - we are planning to do the Churchill war rooms. I get claustrophobic in tiny spaces with tons of people where I feel like I can't move. Should I avoid the Churchill war rooms?

 

[RUDisney]

Thank you for the great tips! I'm planning several days in London and a few in Manchester. I've considered Highclere Castle but not sure I can fit it in, there's so much I want to do already! My friend I'm visiting has done tea at the Ritz, I suggested the Savoy cos they'd not done that one. Which do you prefer?

We did tea at the Royal Horseguards in Westminster, where we stayed. It's a 5-star hotel and tea was lovely there. I got a great rate on it using GroupOn. I suggest that you check there for fabulous deals. Why pay full price for something that you can get for less?

I am so appreciative of this thread and the helpful tips! We had a graduation trip planned for my daughter last year to Edinburgh and London which of course got canceled. Hoping to reschedule it soon. One question if I may ask - we are planning to do the Churchill war rooms. I get claustrophobic in tiny spaces with tons of people where I feel like I can't move. Should I avoid the Churchill war rooms?

My DD wanted very much to go to the war rooms. It has low ceilings and is crowded. I think I would have found it far more interesting if I had a greater knowledge of Churchill during WWII. It was interesting, but if you are very claustrophobic, you may want to select something else.

 

[RUDisney]

OP, things that are also nearby to one another are St. Paul's Church, and just across the river are the Tate Modern Gallery and Globe Theatre.

 

[AlohaNow]

Your trip sounds great! Super jealous, as we had kicked around going to London this summer, but it's not happening. Just a quick note on Global Entry, in case you do apply. Once you set your appointment, keep checking back on the site regularly, as earlier dates sometimes open up and you can switch. We have a single location in our state and the wait is currently six months!

Try not to cause international incidents and have fun.

Sometimes random stuff on the boards make me LOL, and this sentence definitely did!

 

[rottiemom]

Oh definitely take a boat ride on the Thames, even a regular water taxi.
Regarding Harrods, if you go try to go early in the day when they first open as it gets very crowded. My favorite big stores, however, are Liberty and Selfridges.
Liberty also does a really nice tea. Not on the level of some of the other places mentioned but such a nice break. As does Harrods.
Remember there are two Tates, the Modern and the Britain. If you're looking for a particular exhibit confirm which Tate it's at. I found that out by accident when I went to the "wrong" Tate but that led me to experiencing both Tates in the same day and discovering that there was a water taxi on the Thames. So wins all around.

 

[DoraBA]

I am so appreciative of this thread and the helpful tips! We had a graduation trip planned for my daughter last year to Edinburgh and London which of course got canceled. Hoping to reschedule it soon. One question if I may ask - we are planning to do the Churchill war rooms. I get claustrophobic in tiny spaces with tons of people where I feel like I can't move. Should I avoid the Churchill war rooms?

Its not claustrophobic at all. Some specific rooms are small, and you ARE in an underground area - but it's an extremely large area. IIRC they also let a limited number of people at any given moment, I would recommend arriving early or using Google to determine less crowded times.

ETA I just read another poster's reply that felt it was claustrophobic, so YMMV. I hate crowds and did fine but...