Originally posted by dg1:
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?
The Marriott isn't "near" any underground station. Nearest one would be Marble Arch with Bond Street, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner further away in order. About a 10-20 minute walk from those four.
Buy the tickets when you get there. It was always cheaper too even when the GBP was much stronger against the USD. No combo ticket fo rail from LGW and Londn transportation as far as I know.
It might be worth just getting to your hotel on the Friday AM and walk around instead of taking any public transport (expensive and no transfers). There's lots to see around your hotel especially if you like shopping (well within walking distance of Oxford, Bond and Regents Street and Picadilly). If you want to get around on the weekend, you can get a two day travel card which covers bus and underground (zone 1-2 should be enough). If you decide to buy a week travel pass, you need 2 passport photos.
No, you can buy the "tour" bus tickets at the stops. They're hawking the services as there are at least 2 companies competing for the same business.
Check out
www.thisislondon.co.uk It's the site for the evening paper and has various info for tourists as well as locals.