RVBOOS

Hello everyone.

My wife and I are planning a dream vacation to London in October of this year. It might not be the perfect time to go with the weather turning colder, but it was the only time I could get away for a week.

That said, I was able to use my global upgrades on Delta and turned a $688 round trip ticket into first class both ways in and out of LHR. When you are flying from Tucson, Arizona to London, England...that's so worth it.

I also used advice from the Delta forums on FlyerTalk and the Marriott forums and decided on the St Pancras Renaissance (Marriott) hotel in London for six nights.

In looking at some of the tours, we are interested in a full day tour of London and also a Eurostar train ride down to Paris for a day long trip on one of the tour companies. The St Pancras hotel is right next to the train station in London.

We arrive on a Sunday morning and are leaving the next Saturday afternoon. I was thinking of the London day long tour on Monday and the Paris trip on Wednesday - with potentially numerous free days to explore.

I was thinking about quite a bit of wandering London in the evenings - finding good restaurants and also potentially theater.

Could I ask you good people for thoughts/recommendations or tips for us?

Thanks in advance!

Non-NonRev

Congrats on securing the upgrade to D1.

Renaissance is a beautifully restored classic hotel. Next to Kings Cross tube station with access to six lines. Easy access to plenty of attractions.

Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord takes 2.5 hours with one time zone change.

Swanhunter

Excellent hotel choice. It's a very striking and atmospheric place to stay and houses a genuinely good bar (Booking Office) and restaurant (Gilbert Scott). Ordinarily I would recoil at the idea of a day trip to Paris but the location makes that more feasible.

To help us out, what do you like to do? Eat? Indication of budget for food and drink? Any big dislikes?

LindaTerrill

I'd save Paris for a future trip and make this all about England.

A few of my favorites....
Windsor Castle
Blenheim Palace
Day trip to the Cotswolds
Churchill War Rooms
Tower of London
British Museum
Thames River boat to Greenwich

The list goes on and on... fabulous city. Those are just a few places that quickly come to mind other than the tried and true (Buckingham Palace changing of the guard, etc).

October can be lovely! Have a great trip.

bibbju

Given that the OP only has 6 days (actually, only 5 full days) and is going to Paris for one of those days, I wouldn't waste time on a day trip to the Cotswolds, especially not in October! In fact, with the exception of the Paris day, I would concentrate on staying in London and not spend time travelling to places outside the city. There is so much to see it and do in London alone, trying to then start seeing other places in the UK is just going to turn it into an experience to be endured rather than enjoyed.

OP, my number one piece of advice to you is that on the Sun you arrive, go and have lunch and walk around in Spitalfields/Brick Lane. Sun is the busiest day (half of London seems to go) and there are tons of market stalls (with some amazing food) plus lots of interesting shops and restaurants to see. There's some impressive street art and architecture and the experience is "very London". Spitalfields market is under cover so this also works if the weather is bad! And it's only a couple of tube stops (or a quick Uber) from your hotel. I live nearby and am happy to give you recommendations for specific places if you want them. In fact, if I'm around that weekend, I'm happy to meet you and show you around a little so you can get your bearings.

I think the day trip to Paris is a lovely idea. I used to live in Paris, and I've also had a period of commuting weekly to Paris from London for work. It's such a great city. Book your Eurostar tickets well in advance to get better prices. Sign up for their email newsletter as then you will be notified when they do sales. If you can afford it, book Standard Premier as it is much nicer than Standard Class and you'll get an airline-style light meal and drinks included. American friends I've taken to Paris on Eurostar have loved being able to have a champagne toast as they've gone underneath the Channel. One friend still talks about it now and it was over a decade ago!!

JBord

I agree with this, stay in London. Even spending one in Paris might be a little disappointing when you look back on it later, but if it's a must-do, then fine.

OP - October can be nice in London. Walk through Hyde Park, see a play, eat in a pub while enjoying a pint or two. Do a little shopping, even if shopping isn't your thing. Eat Indian food, especially a late night curry. And I think the Tower of London is impressive, even though it's touristy.

Non-NonRev

I vote for the Paris day trip - it is a perfect contrast to the otherwise total immersion into London they will have on their other days and nights. And the plan to go on Wednesday is timed just right in my opinion.

Badenoch

It depends what you like. Art, history, fine dining, music, shopping, performing arts?

London is an addiction for me that must be served at least once a year.

On your first day take one of the open top bus tours around London like Big Bus. They are hop-on/hop-off, visit all the major sites and will give you somewhat of an idea of the lay-out of a very confusing city.

The top two sites IMO are the Tower of London and the British Museum. October shouldn't be too bad for the Tower and you can do it in a half a day. To see all of the British Museum would take a very busy day. The Victoria and Albert is another excellent museum.

The Thames boat cruise to Greenwich is great if the weather is decent. Start from Westminster. There is a naval museum, the Cutty Sark and an observatory in Greenwich. Plan an entire day if you want to see everything.

There is potentially so much more. St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Parliament and Big Ben, Changing of the Guard, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, Victoria and Albert, Natural History Museum, Harrods, The London Eye, The Aquarium, Churchill War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, HMS Belfast, Portobello Road, Petticoat Lane, Bow Church, Westminster Abbey, National Gallery, Tate, Piccadilly and so much more. You won't see them all in 6 days so don't every try.

Here are tips that I consider most important.

1. Learn how the Tube works. It is the best way to get around the city. Google "Oyster Card." You can order a pre-loaded Visitor's Oyster Card and have it mailed to you or you can get one when you arrive.
   
   
2. It's a great walking city but look LEFT and then RIGHT when crossing. Cars drive on the other side of the road. Also, get a map and have a smart phone with a GPS. London is a very easy city to get lost in.
   
   
3. Pubs are everywhere but there is usually no table service. You go to the bar to order drinks and bring them back to the table yourself. Food is ordered and paid for at the bar and the food is brought to you.

Finally, skip Paris. It's the most overrated city in the world IMO.

Efrem

I love Paris - but the few hours you'll have there won't even begin to scratch the surface and will be a full day away from London. Six hours getting to and from trains, then sitting on them, are way too much. Save it for the next trip.

The good news about watching for traffic is that most street crossings have "Look left" or "Look right" painted on the roadway as you step off the sidewalk (pavement to Brits). It's not there so much for tourists as it is for locals who may not know that a given street is one way, but it helps. (I was once pulled out of the way of an oncoming car in Russell Square by a blind colleague. I forgot which way to look, but he knew which way to listen.)

Only other thing I have to say is that the Churchill War Rooms are a must-see.

TravelDream

I would say don't go to Paris. You have such a limited time in London, it would be best to experience as much as you can there.

Keep Paris for your next European holiday (even if it's a few years away). It's another city that requires a bit a time to see and experience.

As it's your first visit I'd recommend all the touristy stuff as stated above.

What things do you like to do and what would you like to see?

The_Diamond_Z

I would also add

I recently had some visitors for a week and can offer the following advice/tips.

Getting around London on the Underground/Busses is pretty easy, and you can make things even simpler by getting a Visitor Oyster Card at the Airport when you arrive. I would add about Ł10 of pay as you go credit which is refundable on your way out (as is the Ł5 deposit) but I think the card is a nice souvenir. Zone 1 & 2 will cover most things.

The River Boat idea is a great one, but I would d go for the Thames Clipper which is a commuter service but the run from the London Eye to Tower Bridge hits most of what you will want to see and recognise from a unique perspective. It is about 15 minutes and can feel like you are bobbing around more so than moving, but it is a rather nice way to get between these two top attractions (both of which I recommend). I suggest London Eye to Tower as the departure pier is easier to spot than the one at Tower. You can use the credit on your Oyster Card to pay for it, and there is no prebooking necessary so if you enjoy it - you can also return (or go further) on it. Beyond Tower or London Eye, it is just a boat ride - a nice one - but not that exciting. Also, avoid the older boats (Storm/Sky/Star Clippers). The seats just give me a back ache.

Download an app that tells you when the next bus will arrive and the where stops are. Taxis are great, but buses are also an adventure and a sunk cost on your Oyster card.

London is a sprawling city but the centre - or at least a lot of the major tourist attractions - are in a small and very walkable area. I would have a walk around this area as the first thing just to get it out of the way. By this I mean Picadilly Cirus to Leister Square to Trafalgar Square to Whitehall/10 Downing St/Big Ben/ over the bridge to the London Eye/Waterloo. Google maps will be your friend, and there are more sites to see around the area. I would come back to anything that requires going into (stores/museums/tours). Just see London by foot.

Everyone is different, but a week in one city is too much for me. Getting outside of London as a break is a good idea. Most of the big car rental firms are at St Pancras and if you do not drive into the Center of London getting around is easy with a GPS. Stonehenge is fairly popular, and if you head all the way out there, I usually do Bath/Salisbury or Warwick Castle. It is a long day but a nice day and there is a pub with surprisingly good food just around the corner (okay in the countryside this is a few miles) from Stonehenge.

We also had a day trip to Paris in the middle of the week, and it offered a nice break. If this is a once in a lifetime sort of trip then, of course, do Paris, but I would not plan to see anything that requires standing in line (the lines are always long). It is a lovely city just to walk around and experience. If you intend to visit Europe again, then I would make Paris a separate trip and if you are museum folks dedicate a day to the Louvre. What I have learned is a day is not enough, but more than one day at a time is too much.

October can be pleasant (sometimes nicer than Summer). London always has a humidity to it that means you do not get the bitter cold you experience in the desert, Chicago or New York City. To keep warm, protection from the wind is a good idea.

London is a working City with a pace and pulse. Most tourists, and there a lot of them in London do not synch up; even though everyone is polite here are a few rules to keep in mind:

What kind of things interest you on tour? I'm sure you'll get more suggestions with more info.

Non-NonRev

I second the recommendation of the British Library - and it is essentially across the street from their hotel.

The_Diamond_Z

Great - I'm quoting me...how self centered am I?

One other thing that caught me by surprise that I didn't think I'd enjoy: a walking tour. We went on Harry Potter tour that lasted an hour but ended up being about a lot of different movies (Bridget Jones) and history that I found interesting (e.g. The Clink).

Non-NonRev

OP - can you provide your specific dates, so we can start to make some entertainment recommendation?

glg

That said, one thing I really enjoyed was going to a match. If you're an American and don't have a favorite team, you needn't pay a fortune for a Chelsea or Arsenal match, find one of the Championship teams that has a home match and just go. I went to QPR/Burnley match (Premier League) 2 years ago and it was a lot of fun, even though both teams were at the bottom of the table and would get relegated, it didn't matter. Really fun time, especially with the home team winning.