U.K. and Ireland - Need Help With Tube On Where To Go First

Hello I am going to be in London next week on a day long stopover and was wondering in what order I should get to the following destinations and what it makes the most sense using the tube. Obviously will pick up a 1 day tube pass upon arrival.

I am starting at Paddington after taking Heathrow Express. Here are the places I am going.

Harrods
Imperial War Musuem
Borough Market
Tower Bridge


Then I will be going back to Heathrow via the Tube not the Heathrow Express. Thank you for your help!

What time are you arriving and leaving? Do you have to take the HEx in the morning?

You'll need a Zone 1-6 off-peak day travelcard for £8.50, which is valid from 9.30am onwards (not Zone 1-2 which costs £7. You might get sold this, but it is not valid to Heathrow).

If you don't mind walking, then you may not even need the travelcard. This depends on your timings.

IWM opens at 10am, I would do that first, then you can walk to Borough Market and Tower Bridge. Then I would take the tube to Harrods and off to Heathrow.

I arrive LHR at 10 AM and leaving London probably around 5 or 530 PM to get back to Heathrow. I think I still need an off peak travelcard since if according to your itinerary if I did just 2 one way tickets to Harrods and then Heathrow on the tube it would cost more than the off peak travel card, right?

You cannot use a travelcard on the Heathrow express, it is priced separately. You could use it on the Picadilly line and go straight to/from Harrods (Knightsbridge stop) as your first or last destination.

For the places you want to visit, even though the Picadilly line is slower, it might well be the best choice in both directions, skipping the Heathrow express.

For the places you want to visit, even though the Picadilly line is slower, it might well be the best choice in both directions, skipping the Heathrow express.

+1

OP: I'd give the HEX a miss as Paddington is nowhere near any of the places you want to visit. If you do take the HEX I'd probably jump on the Bakerloo line at Paddington and head to the Imperial War Museum first (Lambeth North station). I'd finish with Harrods and then take the Piccadilly line back to LHR when you've finished shopping.

You cannot use a travelcard on the Heathrow express, it is priced separately. You could use it on the Picadilly line and go straight to/from Harrods (Knightsbridge stop) as your first or last destination.

For the places you want to visit, even though the Picadilly line is slower, it might well be the best choice in both directions, skipping the Heathrow express.

+1.

I'd visit Harrods and only if you feel comfortable time wise continue on to Borough Market if it's open (http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/page/olympic-opening-times)

The tube from Harrods to Green Park to London Bridge is fairly reliable.
I wouldn't say the same of the other sites.

I arrive LHR at 10 AM and leaving London probably around 5 or 530 PM to get back to Heathrow.

You will be tight for time - the IWM can easily eat up two or three hours if you want to visit it properly! I'd maybe consider dropping one of your destinations otherwise you'll be rushing and won't be able to enjoy your brief trip to the city properly.

If your flight lands at 1000, it might well be 1100 before you're out of the airport and on public transport.
I'd start furthest away and work back. Take the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Hammersmith, then cross the platform to the District Line and take a train to Tower Hill. From here, take a stroll across Tower Bridge and enjoy the view. It's then a nice walk (maybe 15-20 minutes) back up the Thames Path to London Bridge, where you'll find Borough Market. You could alternatively take the RV1 bus a couple of stops along Tooley Street if it's raining.

As above, check that Borough Market is open on the day you're visiting - if it is, then you'll most likely be able to pick up some lunch there.

You can then take the tube down to Elephant & Castle, and walk up to the IWM from there. I find Elephant & Castle to be one of the most confusing places in London, so if it's not obvious which exit you need to take to go to the IWM, ask a member of staff before you leave the station.

Once you've been on your whistlestop tour there, take the Bakerloo Line to Piccadilly Circus, and change there for the Piccadilly Line. If you've still got time, stop off at Knightsbridge for and visit Harrods; if not, just stay on the train and get yourself straight to Heathrow. (There are small branches of Harrods inside most of the terminals at LHR.)

Bear in mind when getting the tube back that not all Piccadilly Line trains go to Heathrow; and not all Heathrow trains serve all terminals. Check with a member of staff if you're unsure.

You can check how long it'll take to make all these journeys using http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/ - which will also take into account any planned engineering work for that day. (Google Maps also has fairly good public transport planning built in these days, but I'm not sure if it knows about engineering work, so treat it with caution.)

+1

OP: I'd give the HEX a miss as Paddington is nowhere near any of the places you want to visit. If you do take the HEX I'd probably jump on the Bakerloo line at Paddington and head to the Imperial War Museum first (Lambeth North station). I'd finish with Harrods and then take the Piccadilly line back to LHR when you've finished shopping.

^

Ditch Harrods, it is just a very mediocre department store in a nice building. Not one of London's highlights at all.

Ditch Harrods, it is just a very mediocre department store in a nice building. Not one of London's highlights at all.

Also, if you're just looking for souvenirs, or something with Harrods on, there are little Harrods in all terminals at Heathrow.

Helpful tube apps -tube buddy for blackberry and London tube for iPhone
I'd skip Harrod's too and buy in the airport

I'd skip Harrod's too and buy in the airport
Buying in the airport would also allow the OP to avoid paying VAT on any Harrod's purchase. @:-)

The advice given in this thread is spot on. Harrod's is just a big department store. And the amount of time you will need at the Imperial War Museum varies with your level of interest. I could personally spend two days there, while others can breeze through in a couple of hours. Since the OP's time is limited, find out what the current exhibits are (http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london) and plan accordingly.