Last minute trip to London and the West end next week, I need help planning and navigating, if any locals can offer any advice 🙏

[Monr0e]

It's DD's 16th next week. As a birthday treat my DM booked them a couple of nights in London and tickets to see Hadestown on Wednesday evening.

Unfortunately she can no longer, she's had emergency surgery and not able to make the trip. She has asked that I take her instead, which I have agreed to do, as she is so excited about going to the theatre. But I'm feeling really stressed about it. I'm not a confident traveller and my anxiety has increased (thank you menopause) I'm worried about getting around and being everywhere we need to be.

We are travelling by coach and arriving at London Victoria coach station. We need to make our way to Travelodge kings cross royal scot. Then on Wednesday, from the hotel to the Lyric theater.

Can anyone offer advice on the best way to get around, and also any ideas for Wednesday day for a bit of sightseeing before the show?

I hate feeling like this and would love to just relax and enjoy a couple of days away, but instead I'm just stressing about the logistics of it all 🙁

Agree about the stairs at CG tube station. Nobody in their right minds would use those unless they had to.😂

Apple Maps is really helpful for getting about / planning your routes! I would invest in a crossbody strap for your phone or a bag that sits close to your body under your jacket - I was pickpocketed two weeks ago (stupidly put my phone in my jacket pocket when leaving the tube) - I didn’t feel a thing but it’s been annoying trying to sort it all out! But I will say - that is the sixth time I’ve been in London since new year and the first time anything has happened, so please don’t worry, you’ll be absolutely fine if you take care!! Have a great time!! I highly recommend Witness for the Prosecution in County Halls (next to the London Eye)!

My 16 year old cousin loves Waterstones in Piccadilly. It’s enormous and has places to sit and look at books. It’s a lovely place to spend some time in.

What a great thread!

I love London, was there last May. Brilliant tips on here. MN at its best.

You tap on when catching a bus but don’t tap off. Once you’ve tapped on, all bus journeys in the next hour are free.

That's good to know - next hour free journeys.

Yes, I couldn't figure out why you don't tap out cos in my country you do.

I was nearly caught out catching a bus in Sussex recently, because there you do tap out or get charged for the whole journey.

There's an excellent indoor food hall at 7 dials

https://www.sevendialsmarket.com

I did a good portion of my Christmas shopping there this year. Brilliant store!

If your DD likes books and secondhand stuff, Cecil Court is fun for a browse (mostly v expensive so probably not for purchasing!): https://www.cecilcourt.co.uk/

It is v close to Covent Garden.

Also, if you cross the river to the South Bank near the Royal Festival Hall (about 10-15 mins walk from Leicester Square station over a bridge with a beautiful view of St Paul's Cathedral, there are always secondhand book stalls by the National Theatre: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/shopping/south-bank-book-market/

That side of the river generally is worth a browse. The Royal Festival Hall has a fun shop, and you can get good pizza there plus it's huge so you can always find somewhere to sit down. Gabriel's Wharf is a bit further on on the same side of the river heading away from the London Eye and has a few quirky shops plus some nice restaurants. And you can carry on and walk all the way to the Tate Modern (free entry, always something interesting to see) and over the river to St Paul's in an afternoon if it is nice weather.

I also love Choosing Keeping!

Hope you and DD have a wonderful time!

Also, this place is about 10 to 15 mins walk from your hotel and does amazing breakfasts and brunches if you like that sort of thing. You can't book and it gets busy so get there early if you fancy it: https://sandwichstreetkitchen.co.uk/

Different Lyric. Hadestown is on at the Lyric Shaftesbury Avenue.

It’s ok, the OP’s clear on that now.

Depending on how flush you are, the black cabbies will take you wherever you need to go and deliver you to the door

Uber is much cheaper

Ah but not the same experience x

This is the WRONG Lyric Theatre. You want the one on Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End, tube Piccadilly Circus (or Leicester Square ).
Have fun. I enjoyed the show

I’ve been to London loads, but just went here for the first time two weeks ago and LOVED IT!!! I limited myself to the number of books I could carry in my hands and it was such a struggle, there’s such a good collection, especially of the penguin clothbound classics!

if you take your DD and can give her a budget to freely spend, I bet she’d love it!

Hope you and your daughter have a wonderful trip, OP.

Me and DD do lots of short trips to London, with very similar trail of bookshops and random discoveries. After a few instances of card not working and missing connections, I have now switched to getting paper tickets from a machine at the first station. It has really proved to be so much easier. If barriers don't open, at least, you can show the physical ticket to the staff member.

Saving this thread. Thank you to everyone who has posted. MN at it's best, so many useful tips.

If you need somewhere on Tuesday when you've checked in, Pizza Union is just a short walk from your hotel - cheap and cheerful pizza in a canteen setting. Then wander through Coal Drops Yard and maybe onto the canal. The Charles Dickens museum is really close to you too. Wear comfy footwear. Walk or jump on buses since the area you want to cover is quite small. Have a great time!

Always have a bottle of water with you and some snacks.

I would just get Ubers in London, hassle free.

@Booooooooom - I see your Choosing Keeping and raise you Present and Correct in Bury Place near the British Museum:

https://www.presentandcorrect.com/

(I'm still grieving the demise of the Bead Shop from the unit in Tower Street that Choosing Keeping now inhabit. I shouldn't hold that against CK, but I do.)

I miss the bead shop too!

The Waterstones sounds really good. I would have thought it was just another chain shop but it’s clearly not and sounds wonderful

i worked in London for years. I went once on holiday and loved it, as other people have said, the red bus tour would be my recommendation

i know London but loved doing the first journey just sitting on the bus then deciding where to hop off

Hi everyone, I just wanted to update after everyone's great advice and support. My DM decided at the last minute that she didn't want to miss out and still wanted to take her, she was feeling better (but not 100%) after the surgery and felt she could manage for the couple of days.

I was able to share all your information which helped make things a lot more straightforward for them. I even wrote down the travel instructions from the coach station to the hotel and on to the theatre!

They downloaded the citymapper app.
They went to Word on the water on Tuesday afternoon after they checked in to the hotel.
On Wednesday morning they did a Thames boat tour
They spent the afternoon in Covent Garden
They went to Waterstones!
I gave my dm my cross body bag and told them not to take their phones out for any reason
They went to the correct theatre and did not go to Hammersmith 😁
They loved the show
They are absolutely shattered and on their way home

Even though I ended up not going, your advice was invaluable and made things so much easier for them (and for me who couldn't help still worrying from the comfort of home)

Mumsnet at it's finest 👏

That’s great! Glad they had fun. You can come next time.