London Itinerary 12/14/06

Dec 20 Wednesday – Flight: American Airlines flight 98 leaving

Chicago 10:30 PM arrives London 12:15 AM Dec 21 Thursday. Seats 25 A, B and 26 A, B

Changes in red are new changes, blue is “food” and green indicates alternates that are NOT planned to do.

Thurs Dec 21 – Westminster, Jewel Tower, Groceries and “rest”

Airport to apartment (219 Earls Court) by 2:00 (use individual tube tickets today – two each or taxis)

Tube leaving at 2:30, arrive at Banqueting house by 3:00, there until 4:00

Rick Steves’ Westminster walk to Churchill Museum/War rooms, there 4:30-5:45 (60-90 minutes is the norm there)

Tube to Earl’s court groceries (by 6:15) then back to apartment

Choose restaurant walking distance to apartment – Strada or Zizzi Italian or Star of India Brompton Court, etc.

Friday Dec 22 – Windsor, British Museum (not the library)

Breakfast every morning from here on – at the apartment until the day we leave!

Taxis (2) to Waterloo by 9:00, buy advanced timed Wax Museum tickets at Britain Visitor TI center for 12/26 4PM

Train to Windsor palace, there 9:30-1:00 (trains normally every ½ hr)

Train back to Waterloo

Taxi from Waterloo to Forbidden Planet store, there 2:30-3:30, walk to British Museum by 4:00

Main halls of the museum are open until 5:30 (1 ½ hours) – be sure to focus on whats not open after 5:30

Some areas open until 8:30, focus on them after 5:30, leave when ready probably near 8:00 and taxi (2) to restaurant

Choose restaurant walking distance to apartment

Sat. Dec 23 – Big Bus tour/cruise, Jewel Tower, Tower ceremony

Leave 7:45 via taxis (2) to Marble Arch by 8:20

Big Bus Blue line stop 31 to Baker Street, get off stop 37 Trafalgar at 9:00

Walk around Trafalgar – check out St Martins, join Royal London Walk starting at 10:00 back at stop 37

This walk goes to Buckingham changing of the guards, entire walk is about 10:00-12:00

Big Bus BLUE line from Victoria stop 57 to Marble arch 12:30-1:15 (get off and wait for RED line bus)

Big Bus RED line from Marble arch stop 4 to Westminster Abbey stop 26 1:40-3:15

Walk past Parliament to Jewel tower (if we have time, there 3:15-4:00, closing)

Rick Steves’ Westminster walk - to pier (2 blocks)

River Cruise Westminster pier 5:15 to Tower Bridge pier arrives 5:45 – walk or taxi to restaurant

Indian restaurant Café Spice Namaste 16 Prescot St. – 15 minute walk from Tower (6:00-8:45+)

Walk or taxi short way back to Tower by 9:15 for Ceremony of keys at 9:30 to 10:10. Taxis (2) home

Sunday Dec 24 – Shopping, Beatles&Dickens, Imperial Museum

First day using the tube (possibly) since the first three days were set above with taxis working out better.

Group 1) Tube to Picadilly shopping (walk to Fortnum & Masons open 10:00 – 5 blocks), stopping at

Waterstone’s Bookstore (the largest in Europe).

This helps to make up for not going to Charing Cross bookstores – which is still an alternate – possibly today too

Group 2) Tube to Beatles coffee shop by 9:00 and then to Beatles tour by 10:45-1:00

Both groups taxi (2) to Dicken’s house and Museum, there 1:30-2:30, then taxi or tube

Group 1) Tube to Oxford Circus Station – Regent Street Liberty’s Dept store 3-4 (closing),

other stores to 5 nearby then meet at restaurant by 5:30 - good day for Wagamama perhaps

Group 2) Tube to Lambeth North station for - Imperial War Museum 3:00-5:00, tube to restaurant at 5:30

After dinner is over by 6:30 Group 1 takes tube or taxi back to apartment by 7PM (time for more groceries?)

Group 2) Arrives by Monument tube to Fish Steet hill exit for Haunted London Walk 7:30-9:30,

back to apartment by 10 via tube. Midnight service at Westminster Abbey for those interested, tube by 11, minicab home

Monday Dec 25 – Church, Dickens Walk, rest at apartment

Those who wish, taxi to Church of choice with service 10:30-12:00 (assumed)

Alternate: 11AM-1:00 Trafalgar by the tree – Samual Pepys London walk (but the 2:00 walk is more important!)

Taxi to Trafalgar and possibly St Martins for lunch? But at least be there by 2:00

Charles Dickens walk 2:00-4:00. Then taxi to apartment by 5:00 for dinner at apartment.

Tuesday Dec 26 – Westminster Abbey, Wax M, Sherlock Holmes

Westminster Abbey 10-12:45 (closing time this day), walk past Jewel tower and Parliament/Big Ben to tube

Westminster tube to Sherlock H Museum, there 1:30-2:30; Beatles shop 231 Baker 2:30-3:00 (its open).

Alternate: 130-3:30 Sherlock Holmes Walk, 3:30-4:15 Museum, 4:30-6:00 Wax Museum (not enough)

Group 1) Baker tube to Oxford circus and walk down Regent 3 blocks to Hamley’s toy store (open today until 7)

– visit any other shops along the way open for about 3 hrs then plan on tube to London eye by 6:30.

Group2) Wax Museum, there 3:15 – 6:00, tube to meet Group 1 for London Eye by 6:30.

Return to Earl’s court by 8:30 or sooner (depending on wait for the eye) and have dinner at a nearby restaurant

Wednesday Dec 27 – Tower, Southwark area, National Galleries

Tube to Tower of London, there from 9:00-1:00 – includes “Medieval Christmas” starts today

a) Group 1 (adults only) goes to Anchor pub for drinks

b) Group 2 (Rob and kids?) goes to Churchill’s Britain and skips lunch!

Bus from Tower to Southwark Bridge Rd exit.

Group 1 walks Vinopolis 1:30-3:00, then to Anchor pub 3:00-3:15

Group 2 walks to Churchill’s Britain, there 1:30-3:00, then walks to Anchor pub for a quick look

Everyone walks to Globe theater, there 3:30-4:30 (5 is closing time)

Taxi to National Galleries so at National Portrait Gallery 5:00 – 6:00 (closing at 6)

Walk next door to St Martin’s Café in the Crypt (its open until 8) for a light dinner (6:15-7:00)

Walk next door to National Gallery 7:15-9:00 (closing), tube home

Thursday Dec 28 – Oxford, Stratford and Warwick (tour)

Premium tour to Oxford, Stratford and Warwick Castle. This one is fully GUIDED.

Returns at dinner time, drop off at or go to Fleet Street Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub for dinner

Note: check out the outside of the Temple on Fleet street for those not going there tomorrow.

Alternate: 730-9:30 Embankment Street Apparitions, Alleyways and Ale Walk after dinner (no time?)

Friday Dec 29 – Harrods, St Pauls, Museum of L, Sinister London

Harrods for after Christmas sale 9-12:00 (including lunch there)

Rob only?: Tube to Temple church Fleet Street, there 12:30 – 2:15 (talk (1:00) by the Master of the Temple)

Everyone: Tube to St Paul’s, there 2:30-3:45

Walk to the nearby Museum of London, there 4:00-5:00

St Paul’s red line tube to Marble arch area – Selfridges department store (open late). Eat at the store 5:30-630

Group 1 stays at the store and shops and then returns to the apartment. Group 2 walks to the Cumberland hotel

a couple blocks away to be there for tour pickup 6:50-7. This is the Sinister London couch tour 7:00-11:00

Saturday Dec 30 – Portabello, Kensington Palace, V&A, Theater

Tube to Portabello market 9:00-1:00 (including lunch there at a Portobello pub)

Tube to Kensington Palace 1:30-3:30 (Note nearby: Reel Poster Gallery 72 Westbourne open 11-6)

Victoria&Albert (V&A) Museum 4:00-5:30

Alternate: Charing Cross bookstores 4:00–5:30 (this is now removed but still possible if anyone skips V&A)

Possible dinner choice near the V&A is the Chelsea Kitchen (5:45-6:45), or Trafalgar St Martins café?

Tube to theater district (dinner there?) to theater by start 7:30/8 depending on choice, then return home

Sunday Dec 31 – Hampton Court, Trafalgar

Train (30 minutes) Waterloo to Hampton Court Palace, there 9:00-2:00 (a 6 zone travel card needed today?)

Old Plan (now an alternate): Village of Hampton 2:00-5:00 to walk about and have dinner

Hampton Court Ghost tour 6:00-7:30 - may not happen, then train back to Waterloo by 9:00, at apartment by 9:30

New Plan: Train back to Waterloo by 3:00 for a better plan of our last night in London -

Tube to Charing Cross for Gordon’s wine bar 3:30-4:30 for drinks (it is open Sundays)

For those who must – you could go to the British library until 4:30 (skip Gordons today) then tube onward

Walk to Embankment Tube station by 5:00 for the Harry Potter Walking Tour (5:00-7:00)

Walk to Sherlock Holmes pub for dinner and New Years Eve celebration 7:30-10:00 (closing?)

Alternate after stopping in the SH if dinner is impossible – head back to Gordons or St Martins for dinner

This puts us right in the middle of Trafalgar Square for New Year’s Eve by 10:00 (for those interested)

Monday Jan 1 – Time for home

Attempt BIG English breakfast at restaurant near apartment, Pack and Checkout by 10AM, limo to airport.

Shop at airport after check-in – flight leaves at 4:30.

Flight: American Airlines flight 91 leaving London 4:30 PM arrives Chicago 7:15 PM Seats 25 A, B and 26 A, B

Note: Café Spice Namaste – we should call them on Dec 22 for a reservation on Dec 23. And the SH pub on NY eve – I emailed them for a reservation – no word yet