Trip to London - Seeking suggestions for transport and general guidance

[seelyt2]

Hello! My family is taking our first trip to Europe in late June and I'm asking for a bit of guidance, please. We're spending 10 days in London and do not plan to rent a car. We'll rely on the tube or will hire transport to get from Heathrow to an apartment in the Waterloo section of London (any transport suggestions?) Is Uber or Lyft used, and/or is it recommended? We may take a train to see certain parts of England (again, any suggestions?), and a train to spend a day or two in Paris. Are train tickets pretty easy to purchase within a day or two of departure?

We're looking forward to doing a lot of the touristy things in London: London Tower, museums, palaces, gardens, etc. I've been dreaming of this trip since I've been 16! I've been reading the boards and have found it really useful.

If it's helpful to know, it will be my husband, my daughter (17), my son (21), and myself.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Carey_B]

Most things in London are easy to get to on the tube, I don't live in London but when I visit I use tubeplanner website so I can plan things ahead of time - I think it also tells you about any station closures and you can change it around if needed.

You should be able to get a tube from Heathrow to Waterloo fairly easily and that will likely be your cheapest option as cabs etc will be pricey.

Train tickets tend to go up in price the closer you are to the date of travel so if you can plan ahead that would be a better option - depending on where you're travelling it'll be different train lines but you should be able to get all times and prices from thetrainline.com

To Paris the best option will be the Eurostar, again the prices can be cheaper if booked early - https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en

Hopefully that helps a little!

 

[Carey_B]

Also, the mayor of London recently banned Uber so that's something to be aware of

 

[seelyt2]

Thank you @Carey_B! That helps a ton!

 

[londontime]

We're spending 10 days in London

Hi a born and bred Londoner here! 10 days is a nice amount to spend in the city. The tube is really easy to navigate. Buy and Oyster top up card at any station and use this as you go. Uber isn't banned in London as in there are no cars, it had its licence revoked and is under appeal. They are running in London and work just fine for now. You will struggle to get one around 11 PM, as this the peak time as its when the pubs kick out. Heathrow Express is a better way to get into the centre, as its about £10 if you book it 90 days out and gets you there in 15 mins. the tube can be a bit of a pain with all your luggage on your first day. Black cabs although expensive are the safest way to get around. The Tower is incredible, but make sure you go round with a beefeater (Yeoman Warder). They are free and meet at the entrance. Their tour commentary is particularly aimed at the US tourists. All museums are free, but some exhibitions charge extra. London has incredible restaurants, bars and pubs. Enjoy!

 

[Woodview]

Note ...... Your Trip to Paris

The Currency is Euros €

...........................

UK is £ Sterling

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So $ for travelling to Airport ......... £ for UK........... & € for Paris & Europe

 

[finchy3]

Try and use the Thames Clipper its great way to see London from the river.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attra...iews-MBNA_Thames_Clippers-London_England.html

 

[seelyt2]

Thank you! This is very helpful, and the Clipper looks like fun! And thank you, @londontime about the reminder of traveling the tube with luggage. It could prove to be a hassle. We did that in Vancouver once and it wasn't entirely easy to navigate the train and 3 blocks of city streets. Manageable, but awkward.