Resurfacing this thread for some tips for a first time visitor to London.. my wife and I are going to London for four days.. We don't plan to venture too far from the major attractions right in London and we are staying at the Marriot Grovesnor Square in Mayfair. To be exact I arrive Friday at 6am and leave on Tuesday at noon.

Now it seems the best bet is to get the TravelCard... it seems that there are several options, what do people suggest for the lenght of my stay and where I plan to go? Should I go for the Gatwick Express separately to Victoria and then transfer to the underground? Or get some sort of combo ticket?

Any reputable places I can buy advance tickets for transportation now either online or over the phone?

One of those double decker hop on hop off sounds like a good idea -- any way I can buy the ticket in advance?

BTW I did a search for London in this forum and got too MUCH information. so I'd appreciate anyone who can distill it down for me.

THANKS