what is the best thing for me to do in london if i only have a day?

Question

i'm stopping through only for 1 day and spending only 1 night.

i'm cruising from nyc to southhampton, england. then railing it to italy. i'm going to spend my first day/night in london on the way. this is my honeymoon.

Answer 1

www.bigbus.co.uk

My wife and I did this on our first day in London last September. It was great. Take the bus to the Tower of London and get off there (you'll see many sights along the way). You can then take the tour, see the crown jewels, etc. Then, you can get on a boat and go back up to Westminster Pier (this is included w/ your Big Bus ticket). Here you can see Big Ben, Parliament and take a very short walk over to Westminster Abbey.

If time allows after that, check out one of London's many parks. They are beautiful.

In the evening, try to see a show. I am not a "theater person", but we saw Mary Poppins and it was fantastic. There are tons of shows to see in London.

Have fun.

Answer 2

I've been to London - great city. Congratulations on your marriage and upcoming honeymoon.

Well, you couldn't rightly say you've been to London without walking along the Thames River. A short walk from the river you MUST visit Westminister Abbey - plan to spend about an hour there. Then hail a cab for short ride to Piccadilly Circus, which of course is not really a circus it's like the Time's Square of London. Have lunch there and check out Traflagar Square which is right there.

After lunch take a bus or walk if you are up to it, only about a mile down the road, to Hyde Park. Walk through the park and you will find Windsor Palace and if lucky in time to see changing of guards. Say hello to the Queen for me if you by chance see her.


Now , go back to hotel and take a two hour nap.

For the evening walk or take a taxi to MayFair - a small, beautiful district in London, to Shepherd's Market and have dinner at the Turkish restaurant Sofra at 18 Shepherd Street.

Of course (while at Piccadilly Circus) you will have already bought tickets for a London show such as Wicked, or Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera.

You will have seen everything that most matters in London, and arrive back at the hotel around 10:45. If there are not chocolates on the pillows, immediately call the concierge and you will be comped a night's stay to use on your return from Italy.

Have fun!

Answer 3

London Dungeon
Madame Tussard's
Piccadilly Circus
Oxford Street

Answer 4

I went to London a few years ago for five days, and it was such a hurried, packed trip that I regretfully do not remember much of it. The parts I do remember are the ones that interested me the most. Unless it's been a longtime dream of yours, don't spend alot of time in the museums- it's full of stuff you can see pictures of and it's rarely, if ever, a point of coversation (one of the reasons I went was because I thought I should go). I can tell you my favorite parts were:
1. Visiting Windsor Castle
2. Browsing Blackwell's Bookshop, which is the largest bookstore in the Oxford (their top floor is used books, and their basement has over 160,000 books on more than three miles of shelves; it's in the Guinness Book of Records for having the largest display of books for sale in one room anywhere in the world)
3. Going to Shakespeare's Globe Theater (there is a wonderful gift shop with incredible Shakespeare-themed things)
4. Strolling through Regent's Park (the most beautiful garden/park I have, without a doubt, ever seen; this was my absolute favorite part about London)
And of course, it's wonderful to sightsee Tower Bridge, Westminister Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, etc. If there is any advice I can give, it's that no matter where you go and what you do, write about it. Even if it's just a few sentences about a place or feeling, this journaling will be priceless for later memories. I carried around a tiny memo notebook and jotted down the pictures I took (which helped me identify the photos later) and my favorite parts of the day. Have a wonderful time!

Answer 5

Don't plan anything. London is unpredicatable. Get there and meander - avoid lines because they eat up too much time. If you really do want to see the things that the lines lead to, plan a trip for a later date when you can stay longer. Just spend the day walking - only take a map for when you get lost - to discover what you may like. But make sure you at least take a bus tour - I know they are cliched, even if you're an out-of-towner, but they are very informal and fun! Make sure you wear layers and wear RUNNING shoes, even if you aren't running anywhere. Trust me. Track shoes that having nice supports, like Nike or New Balance. But it isn't a trip to London if you don't get a picture outside Buckingham Palace or one with a beefeater - so make sure you get those! :D Good luck and have fun!

Answer 6

Well, I would take the Eurostar train to Paris!

Seriously, if you know anyone in London, do not commit to meeting them - they will show you their London, and it might not be yours. You could shop on Oxford Street, and there are great pubs on the sidestreets with wonderful food. They sell great clothes, and you can buy the quality shoes & purses in Italy!

The tube is a great way to explore; it is so easy to find your way around, and so many people are really pleasant and helpful if they see you unfolding a map.

Wander around colleges, listen, soak in the atmosphere, meet your husband for lunch & compare notes, and agree not to mention anything that made you feel alien. If you ever feel out of place, go into an Australian bar and you will find many who were daunted and yet are still cheerful and optimistic about what the city has to offer.

And do remember that it's a busy, hectic capital city. People are rushing to work, to meetings, and using public transport to do so. Don't imagine that you can take a city bus and have a leisurely conversation with the driver, at 7 am, while others are in a panic to arrive on time at their workplace. They are not on holiday, and you guys are, so please do not allow yourselves to feel bruised by sharp comments if you are laid-back and others around you are not. They have to live there, and you do not! I wouldn't live there! I hope you have a great visit, though, and enjoy the experience. By the way, have you thought of reading Helene Hanff's visit there? She was there for much longer, and was put off, then suddenly found the England she hoped to find. It's there, and I hope you find your idea of the place. It is a deeply layered city. You can only hope to catch a sense of a few aspects of London in a day.

Congratulations on your marriage, may you both be very happy together in your future life!

Answer 7

Wow, it's been 14 years since I did a one day/night stay in London. We bought a pass for the Tube only up to the third tier. My friend was Scottish so she knew the sights. We took the doubledeckers around the city, saw Big Ben, Westminster, Tate Gallery, Hyde Park, the Hard Rock, fed pigeons in Trafalgar Square, saw Piccadilly Square, Buckingham Palace, the place where the Prime Minister lives, went shopping at Harrod's and on Baker Street, and drinking at a small pub near King's Cross?

Wow you brought back memories. We were only 19 years old and were on a tight budget. It was a lot of sight-seeing and a lot of walking. But incredibly fun. I can't wait to take my husband there and spend some more time!

Answer 8

I did this 2 years ago on my way home from the canary islands to atlanta. I had a 36 hour layover in london. The best way to see as much as possible in a short period that I found was to purchase a ticket for The Original tour or BIg Bus tour. These are what you call hop on hop off tours. You can get off at any location along the tour walk around and then hop back on the next bus passing by. The tickets are good for 24 hours. A lot of things have long lines but this is a good way to get a taste. It helped me decide on a list of places I want to see next time I have more time in London.

Hope this helps

Answer 9

And do remember that it's a busy, hectic capital city. People are rushing to work, to meetings, and using public transport to do so. Don't imagine that you can take a city bus and have a leisurely conversation with the driver, at 7 am, while others are in a panic to arrive on time at their workplace. They are not on holiday, and you guys are, so please do not allow yourselves to feel bruised by sharp comments if you are laid-back and others around you are not. They have to live there, and you do not! I wouldn't live there! I hope you have a great visit, though, and enjoy the experience. By the way, have you thought of reading Helene Hanff's visit there? She was there for much longer, and was put off, then suddenly found the England she hoped to find. It's there, and I hope you find your idea of the place. It is a deeply layered city. You can only hope to catch a sense of a few aspects of London in a day.

Answer 10

I can only guess that you're a young and energetic couple. My suggestions really depends whether you've visited London before.

If no, I'd suggest taking the Big Bus tour of London to give you the range of London highlights:
http://www.rockgarden.co.uk/bigbus.asp

If yes, I'd suggest
1. Get a printout of a copy of the London Tube to mark the tube stations to the places of interests and print out of the area.

http://cache.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/pdfdocs/colourmap.pdf

2. For some quaint, unusual, and unforgettable experiences:

a; A half day walking around the Canden Town region where London's Punk World exists - it's filled with shops selling leather goods and just about anyjing out of this world
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/camden/index.htm
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-89784.html

b. A half day walking around the Notting Hill Gate region where Hugh Grant's Notting Hill was filmed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notting_Hill

c. Spend the evening walking the streets of Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. You might not want to miss visiting London's most famous "Fortnum's" (Hours of Operation: Monday - Saturday 10:00AM - 7:30PM. Sunday 12:00PM - 6:30PM)!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccadilly_Circus
http://www.coventgarden.uk.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafalgar_Square
http://www.ukstuff.com/fortnum.html

If you plan to be in London during a weekend, try dropping in at one of the weekend markets - I've always regard these to be a fun way to meet the London locals!
http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/home_feat_where_markets_weekend.asp
Good luck and Bon Voyage...

Answer 11

The London eye is always a great day out, although it doesnt really fill up much time. You could go to an art gallery maybe somewhre like the Tate Modern and the Tate Boat goes directly from the tate modern to the london eye. You could learn about british history and go to The Imperial War Museam, or The Natural History although if you were to go sightseeing you'll get more of 'London'. Or you could go shopping! The Pancake House in Holburn is my best place where they have big panackes.