Trying to plan a trip to London on my own - opinions on itinerary?

[TravelCapers]

Hello. I've never been on a train before and I've never been to London either. I am trying to put together a travel plan for what sights I want to see while I'm there. My current plan is getting there on an early train and then getting a late train back. I'll be travelling from North West England and the train arrives at Euston Station. It also departs from Euston. The train takes around 2 hours 30 minutes to arrive. I am expecting to have around 8 hours to spend in London before having to get back to Euston for the return train. Here is what I would like to see if possible.

British Museum
Science Museum
Natural History Museum
Tower Of London
London Eye
St Paul's Cathedral

When considering the time travelling between each place and then time spent queueing etc, I am not sure how much time I would need exactly. There isn't really enough time to see everything unless I was planning to stay overnight. It would cost me more to stay in a hotel overnight than what it would cost for the train there and back and the entrance fees for the attractions. What are your thoughts? Do you think 8 hours is enough to see most or all of what I'd like to see?

I’d skip the London Eye - it gets a bit boring after a few minutes.

You could do the British Museum, St Paul’s and the Tower in one day quite nicely, and have a bit of time to walk around.

I’d leave the South Kensington museums to a separate trip.

And Euston isn’t daunting in my view - it can just get busy in rush hour like any station. So please don’t worry about that.

Hope you have fun!

I would just do one of those on your list, personally for me the “Tower of London” or maybe the British museum. Then in the remaining time you have a wander around like Solasum has mentioned above.

Yes but you would also then have time to do everything on your list (just about) without adding in at least 6 hours of travel each day! That’s a really good look round the tower ( and well worth it too)

if your not actually bothered about seeing inside these places just buy a ticket for the hop on/off open top buses and just trundle round London all day on a bus

@TravelCapers have a look on Wowcher. I've just booked an overnight stay with dinner for two of us and it was only £130 in a 4* central hotel.

Sorry

you’ve never been on a train?

I don't know where in the NW you are coming from but you could get a £50 return on a Flix Bus from Liverpool starting 19th May and three nights at the Battersea Travel Lodge for £260. That would make your visit more worthwhile.

Once we hit June, London becomes very expensive (Wimbledon, Chelsea Flower Show and other stuff and then launches into school hols/peak tourist time). You might find it worthwhile to wait until mid/late September when prices fall again. If you really wanted to come in July/Aug check out the accommodation for uni's like: LSE/KCL/UCL who let their student accommodation commercially.

As others have said, you need 2 or 3 days to do the things you want and get a flavour of London.

(The London eye is pretty dull )

I love the London Eye but have only done it onto a reserved pod.

If you skip the London Eye you'd save the best part of £50, and if you go to a service at St Paul's it's free so you'd save spending £25 to visit it. So that gives you £75 to put towards a hotel room.

I'd do the Natural History Museum and the V&A one day (maybe the science museum as well if I had the time and inclination). On the other day I'd go to the Tate Modern including going up on the viewing platform, so you get a big expansive view of London without the time and expense of the Eye. I'd move things around to work in whichever St Paul's service fitted best (aiming for either sung Eucharist or choral evensong). And then some wandering around time.

Are there particular items you wish to view in each museum?

I preferred the sky garden to the London eye, the other advantage with sky garden is it’s free and you book time slot

It depends which premier inn and days of the week etc to how much they cost - also how far ahead you book

to search premier inn use google

then don’t click on the PI website, scroll down and find the google result for PI and click - then double click on date / this will bring you up the calendar showing all dates and prices. Greenwich PI is often much cheaper than others in London. But now you can choose the cheapest option - prices will increase so book quick to get a good price

ive seen green which PI rooms on a Sunday night for £50

Here is what I mean for searching, and you can see the prices for PI for the next two months in this screen shot - but you can click through other months

You’d just double click where it says Tuesday 14th May

Horizon 22 (and the Sky Garden) can be booked up months in advance, especially now we’re going in to peak tourist season. The garden at 120 is a free non bookable alternative and is lovely.

London is huge. You need to make sure you know which underground trains to get and exactly where you are on the map. When we go, we tend to go just to one area and always plan.

The British Museum is free and walking distance from Euston. We've only ever done one section per visit because you could be in there all day.

The Tower of London and St Paul's are a long way from the British Museum.

For your first visit, I'd advise the big bus tour linked to by a pp. You can get on and off wherever you like and will be able to see lots. Sometimes the ticket includes a boat trip on the Thames too. Save actually going into places for another visit once you've more idea where to go.

All of that list isn’t going to happen

But you could go to the Tower and then walk back along the River, see St Paul’s, Tate Modern, Somerset House, Westminster and the Eye etc.

I’d skip the museums as you won’t have time for them. Staying over you might.

Euston’s fine btw, soulless and ugly but fine.

Sounds like an exciting adventure but far too much for one day. Are you planning your trip on a week day or weekend? If weekend, and so you don’t have to worry about the off peak thing, you could give yourself a lot more time if you get a train that arrives about 8.30 and then don’t leave until after 6, or even later.

Then, if you do it twice, you can do everything on your list and more, without the hassle of an overnight bag.

Tubes are a quick way of getting round, but an open top bus would let you see more, and I quite like doing a bit of walking, especially across the parks and along the river.

Depending on which day you go, you can get a reasonable hotel room for under £100. A Sunday night often works well - next Bank holiday there are still Hub by Premier Inn rooms for under £100.

Id choose a max of two from your list. Or preferably one plus exploring (I agree a hop on hop off bus is a good way for a first timer to get a broad look around). And not the Eye - I don’t get the attraction if you haven’t experienced enough of London to know what you’re looking at!

The museums - if you don’t have all day, the trick is to have something specific to see. Choose a single gallery - the dinosaurs at the NHM, the Egyptian at the BM. Or whatever is your interest.

When are you intending to go?
London is incredibly busy in the summer but if you go down mid-week it is much quieter, queues much shorter and hotels much cheaper. You could use Tesco vouchers or similar to cover a hotel stay.

London itself has it's own microclimate and is generally very hot, was there yesterday andit was already 24 C opposed to 14 C a home a couple of hours away, this can be a issue in the summer and the tube can get very, very hot.

Premier Inn Richmond is nice and slightly cheaper as on the outskirts, has Kew gardens and Hampton Court nearby and Richmond feels very safe to walk around.

Travelodge Vauxhall has fantastic travel connections with an underground, overground and bus station.

Why the museums is there something particular you want to see? I'd focus on Tower of London, replace the London eye with climbing up the Monument - much cheaper and rarely has queues but lots of steps.

If. I was doing London for the first time I'd want to see a West End show but perhaps that's not your thing

In terms of train tickets, cheaper tickets are released 12 weeks before the travel date

Just a thought OP sometimes a theatre trip with a hotel stay can be cheaper than just the hotel, and you get to see a show. They sometimes bundle in the train as well.

the museums all have guided tours, we did a V&a one and it was brilliant. It was great if you haven’t a particular thing you want to see.

anyway, that’s quite a packed itinerary. And you’ll also lose a bit of time queuing and travelling.

but it’s well worth it!

Consider staying at a youth hostel’s. I’ve stayed in a few and they’re cheap and actually quite nice. They do gave orivate rooms now. He us right by St Paul’s

Also. London is smaller than the tube nap suggests and slot if places are walkable.

I love a museum but even I wouldn't do all three of the ones on your list in one day. For example I was in the V&A last week from 10.30 to 3.30 (including coffee and lunch stops). Personally I'd not bother with the science museum (find it disappointing). British museum is fine but again is busy and takes time.

I would agree the St Paul's, maybe Tate Modern if you fancy or a walk along the bouncy bridge and south bank a bit. Drop the London Eye. Waste of time and as pp said, quite boring. Book in of the free viewing gardens (skygarden for example).

Tower of London takes a long time to see.

In all you will have to reduce your itinerary.

Oh god please don't waste 8 hours in London (when you've never been before) in museums.
Go see the sights. Walk. Have a nice lunch on the south bank. Have a cocktail at the American bar or the Dorchester.
The British Museum is dull AF and filled to the brim with dead eyed tourists.