Please help with this messed up London itinerary

[pinotnow]

We are going to London tomorrow and I think I have messed up by booking too many things that are spread apart and it will be a nightmare!

We are parking on someone's drive and can arrive from 9am, so will aim to get there at that time, though we have a 2 hour journey so delays may occur. Then it's about an hour to central London on the tube. We have the London Eye booked for 12.45 - time to join the queue, and plan a quick lunch either just before joining the queue or while in it. Then we are seeing Cabaret and need to arrive at 6.30. I know the Eye and Cabaret are close to each other, but I have fucked up by booking a Premier Inn in Islington.

So we have to get there to check-in and have something to eat (dinner) all by 6.30. Obviously it depends how long it takes us to get on the Eye - website says 20 minutes queue but I've heard tales of 2 hours. What happens if we can't check-in until after the show - will they re-sell the room? That's my main worry, but also annoyed that we may end up going back and fore on the tube when we could have just stayed down by the river if I'd booked a different hotel or booked the eye for Wednesday! Also, due to be cloudy on the Eye so that's annoying too...

Any advice would be brill!

Are you literally going into town to go on the Eye and see the show? If it were me, I'd try and cancel the Eye and do something else instead, but in the event you wanted to do it/can't, the queue probably won't be too bad, go a bit early rather than on time. Go straight to Islington and check in so at least that's done, then head for food near Cabaret.

Phone the premier inn?

You can check in any time after 3pm to the premier inn. They just ask you to let them know if it will be after 11pm.

Where’s the drive you’re parking on? Could you go to Islington before the eye, just to drop off bags?

It don't take you 6 hours to do the eye and to get and from Islington.
Lots of lovely places to eat near Angel.
If you arrive in London early (where is the space) try and dump your bags at the PI first and say you'll check in after the show.

Won't. Not don't!

Speak to premier inn - some now allow you to check in from 11 for an extra £10

I found the Eye dull as dishwater so I'd scrap it - not because of time restraints, there's just better ways to get the view.

You're overthinking OP.

Park car. Travel to hotel and drop your bags.
Travel to south bank and have a relaxing brunch. Do London eye. Last time I went queue was about 20 mins if you've booked.

You'll then have the entire afternoon before cabaret and can have either a pre or post theatre meal.

The queue won’t be two hours if you have booked, surely?

And then it doesn’t take long and up to Islington and back on the tube won’t take long

Not sure if you can drop your bags at PI before check in time?

Just dump bags at Premier Inn first, avoid carrying them around. Don't take anything like expensive jewellery or electronics as the bag room might not be secure but that's no big deal. People unlikely to touch your stuff. Then you will have lots of time to get to the eye. Islington is fairly central. What do you want to do in between eye and show?

Where are you parking? If you drop car at 9 and it’s an hour into London (maybe less to Islington?) i would go straight there to check in and leave bags (premier inn are fine for this - you just can’t get access to the room or keys until you return). You’ll easily get to the London eye in time. Even if you don’t get off the London eye until 3 (unlikely!) you would still have time to check in and get to the theatre.

as for food - there are plenty of grab and go places and you could eat after the show (how long is it?)

The Eye and Islington are close. Suggest you download the CityMapper app to work out how to travel between. The Eye is worth doing and there is so much around there too to enjoy. You can enjoy the southbank, then if you’re mobile walk over the bridge, see Westminster, perhaps Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, catch a bus to islington and still have time to come back and eat.

I wouldn’t arrive at the theatre at 6.30 (an hour before). 20 mins would be fine. Book yourself somewhere to eat by the theatre .

Cabaret starts at 7.30? Why do you need to be there at 6.30? 10-15 mins before is fine. You have loads of time to go the hotel, check in, then go and eat somewhere near the theatre.

You'll be fine.
Park car, go to hotel and drop off bags
Go to Southbank, have something to eat (loads of places) and do London Eye.
The LE ride is only about 30 minutes right? So even if you queue for an hour, you'll be done by 2.30 and then can go and check in to your hotel.
If your show doesn't start til 7.30 you'll have plenty of time to get something to eat beforehand.

I think arriving early at cabaret is part of the fun - the whole vibe of the queue and the theatre is part of the experience. So do that, but there are plenty of places nearby to grab a pre theatre supper.

Too much contingency baked in here. I used to live near the PI in Angel and would be back and forth all day without a second thought

Go straight to hotel to drop off bags and say you will check in later. They don't resell rooms if it's paid for. It's 30 or so mins to London eye from the PI Islington so you need to be leaving there about 12. If you arrive at 11 as your Op states that's loads of time.

If you have London eye booked I doubt you will need to queue. I never have with booked tickets.

You'll be off and looking for lunch at 1.30 to 2pm. Have a leisurely lunch nearby. Done at 3.30. Sightsee or have a Southbank walk etc and go back to hotel to check in and freshen up around 5pm. Leave Angel around 6, Back to river area for a drink. If you are in Embankment then there's a million places available for a drink very close by.

Also doesn't the show start at 7.30 not 6.30? You don't need to arrive a full hour beforehand.

Alternatively sack off the freshen up and just get on with your day in central London. If you've dropped off bags and told them you'll be back later you'll be fine

The Cabaret "immersive experience" starts before the show proper, so in this case arriving at 6:30 would be preferable - but it won't be the end of the world if they're later.

Absolutely do not do this, Cabaret has a very special newly composed opening section which is amazing. Please get there for the time on your ticket.

But yeah, take the bags in first then just enjoy your day. Personally I wouldn't go back to the hotel until after the theatre but you could totally manage that between lunch and eating before the show.

Personally - I wouldn't bother with the Eye.

If it's just for a night can't you just carry your things with you then check in after the show. If I've I night in London I just pack a pair of knickers, a pair of socks, a clean tee shirt, my toothbrush and toothpaste, a small tub of face cream and a cable and spare battery for my phone. (And most importantly my hrt 😅)
I can get it all in my handbag.

Have you already paid for the Eye, if not and it's going to be cloudy I wouldn't go on it. If you don't have people in your party with mobility issues then going up the Monument is cheap and rarely any queue and has a good view.

Also you don't all need to check-in, just send one person ahead to do that whilst the rest of the party make the most of the city instead of trekking back and forth