United Kingdom

ACCOMMODATIONS

Novotel London West. Google Map.

Tube: Hammersmith Stations, has the District and Picadilly lines in one location; the Hammersmith & City line in another.

TRANSPORTATION

Transport for London Map Links
Interactive Travel Map, use the journey planner on the right of the page.
Another Journey Planning Site
Travelcard Zone Map, showing tube lines and stops and rail connections.
Bus map
River Thames Boat Services. Printed copy
London Overground Network Map
Tube and Bus Fare and Ticket Guide
Taxi rates
Panoramic Map

ITINERARY

Friday, May 16.

Breakfast on ship. Other meals on our own.

Disembark the QM2 in Southampton, private car to London. Might be settled and ready to roam about by 2pm (14:00).

Westminster Abbey.....5pm (17.oo) Evensong. District line from Hammersmith Station to St. James Station or Westminster Station, then a 9 minute walk. The plan of the Abbey. Newton's monument stands against the choir screen, to the north of the entrance to the choir.

Getting to Prince Edward Theater...Walk North to Parliament Square (5 min). At Parliament Square Stop: C, take the Route Bus 24 towards Hampstead, Royal Free Hospital / Pond St. (14 minutes). We go up Whitehall. We will pass Downing Street on the left, go through Trafalgar Square, and pass the National Gallery. Get off at Cambridge Circus / Denmark St. Walk to the theater (4 minutes).

Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theater.....Show at 7:30pm. Tickets for Dress Circle B2 and 3 are being held at the box office window. Need handicapped evidence. Seating chart. Location. (Ordered directly from theater box office--011-44-207-447-5421.)

Soho.....A night spot, in the theater district, a gay area, seedy and overpriced strip joints, and pubs. The theater is in Soho. Soho Square is 2 blocks north on Greek Street. Ask a local for a recommendation for a dinner. Elizabeth suggests a Thai vegetarian buffet called 'Veg' at 11 Greek St, saying it "is great if you are dashing between places and want a quick meal at a decent price."

Piccadilly Circus.....An 8 minute walk from the theatre. Known for its video display and neon signs, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of an archer popularly known as Eros. Surrounded by several noted buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theater. Directly above the Piccadilly Circus tube station.

Getting to hotel. Take the Picadilly line from Picadilly Circus to the Hammersmith Station. 17 minutes. Walk to hotel. Or take a taxi from Soho to hotel, asking them to drive through Picadilly.

Saturday May 17

All meals on our own.

Tate Britain.....Arrive by 10am. Meeting Diana and Ping. Open from 10.00–17.50. From our hotel, we take the District Line from Hammersmith to Victoria Station. Take the C-10 bus from Victoria Station Stop R on Buckingham Palace Road towards Canada Water to Tate Britain Stop L.

Location. Admission is free. I sent an email 5/7 to reserve a wheelchair. There are free daily guided tours except on Sunday; and there is an audiotape tour. Tate has a restaurant and a cafeteria. You can view and learn about the entire collection on the Internet, even set up a list of items you wish to see. There are 3 free special exhibits while we are there: (1) William Blake: 'I still go on / Till the Heavens and Earth are gone'; (2) Neoclassical sculpture in Britain; and (3) Rubens: The Apotheosis of James I and other studies.

We will take the Tate to Tate boat to the London Eye. £1.60 for travelcard holders, £2.50 adult. Ferry leaves Tate at 11.50 or 12.30; 7 minutes to the London Eye.

London Eye.....Open 10.00am - 8.00pm daily. The ticket office opens at 8.30. Location map. The standard flight is £15, £12 senior (on weekdays). You can book on the Internet at a discount and have to choose a time (30 minute increments). We will plan for a 13.00 Eye flight. The London Eye property has inside and outside cafes. Hoping to meet Simon and Sam here.

London Eye River Cruise.....The roundtrip river cruise to London Tower must be booked by time in hourly increments from 10:45 to 18:45. Planning to make the 13.45 boat. It looks like the cruise takes less than an hour. It can be booked on the internet at a discount from the £12 adult fair.

The day at this point becomes a choice for the locals. We could go to Covent Garden Market or to or near Hyde Park for a meal before adjourning for the day. Or somewhere else; we are open to suggestions. May meet up with Sheila around 4 or 5pm. Or she and Yvon may come on Sunday.

Covent Garden Market is a shopping/dining are in the theater district where restaurants and pubs are open even in the evening. From the London Eye we would take the RV1 line from Stop Z on Chicheley Street to the end--Covent Garden stop.

To the hotel from Covent Garden. Walk north on James Street to the Covent Garden Station and take the Piccadilly Line westbound to Hammersmith.

Hyde Park....The park is open from 5am to midnight. To Hyde Park from the London Eye, we would tube from Waterloo Station on the Bakerloo Line towards Harrow & Wealdstone Station; Queen's Park; or Willesden Junction. We would change at Picadilly to the Picadilly Line towards Rayners Lane; Heathrow Terminal 4; Heathrow Terminal 5; or Uxbridge. Get off at the Knightsbridge Station.

A map of the park, showing tube stops. The speaker's corner is active on Sunday. The lake looks like a place to go, maybe rent a boat. It appears food is served at the boat house. The new Princess Diana Memorial is near the lake. Someone might know a nice place to eat nearby. The Cafe Consort in the Royal Albert Hall is open until 4pm. (We probably couldn't make that.) It is at Door 12, the opposite side of the building from Hyde Park. Menu.

To return to hotel from Hyde Park. Piccadilly Line at the Knightbridge Station towards Rayners Lane; Heathrow Terminal 4; Heathrow Terminal 5; or Uxbridge. Get off at Hammersmith.

Elizabeth also suggests a spot in Trafalgar Square. The Crypt Cafe in St. Martins in the Field Church. In Trafalgar Square. "You can get just about anything there from a quick cup of coffee to a full meal, and the apple crumble' is legendary. " On Friday and Saturday the cafe is open until 10:30pm, and Sunday 12 to 6:30pm. They serve tea from 2-6pm. Recipes.

The church has a concert every Saturday at 7:30pm. On this particular Saturday, the church is having St. Martin's Discovery Day. Highlights include: a “Come and Sing Hallelujah Chorus” in church in the morning; Church Tours; a public reading of scripture with members of other faith communities, some celebrity readers and members of St Martin’s in the Hall in the afternoon. Tickets for the “Come and Sing Hallelujah Chorus” are available from the Box Office – free but donation invited. There is a gala concert that evening at 7:30pm with a chamber ensemble and choir (classical). Tickets are very limited, but could call box office at 020 7839 8362.

Sunday May 18

We get breakfast at the hotel. Other meals on our own.

We start with the Globus tour group around 8:30. We don't plan to stay with them for the 11:30 Changing of the Guard. This is only an overview tour; we won't be going into any of the building. The sights we may stay with them for might include The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, 10 Downing Street (there is a virtual tour on the Internet), and Buckingham Palace.

Trafalgar Square.....A square in Central London. It's a 20 minute walk down The Mall from the circle between the Palace and St. James Park to the Square. Or, we could walk (11 minutes) to New Scotland Yard and at Stop SC take the Route Bus 24 towards Royal Free Hospital / Pond St. Get off at the Trafalgar Square stop. We will be meeting up with Mary and Derek Cole and perhaps Sheila and Yvon.

To get to the Tower of London. Walk to Embankment Pier (9 minues), and take Boat Thames Clipper towards Woolwich Arsenal Pier. Ferries leave every 20 minutes. We might get there as early as the 12.52 ferry. Get off at Tower Millenium Pier. About 20 minutes.

Tower of London...Last admission any day is 5pm. Map to the Tower. Map of the Tower property. You can buy tickets online to avoid lines. £16.50 each. There are suggestions for 1, 2, and 3 hour visits (printed). There are cafes and restaurants in and near the Tower property. There are wheelchairs available. We have to be out by about 5:15pm to make the cathedral service.

To go to St. Paul's, a short walk from the Tower to Tower Hill / Tower Of London Stop: TA. Take the Route Bus 15 towards Paddington Basin / The Point. Get off at St. Paul's Stop. Takes about 30 minutes total.

St. Paul's Cathedral....Services--Sunday is Evensong--15:15, and Evening Service 18:00. We likely will make the 18.00 Evening Service. Map to St. Pauls. There is a virtual tour of the building.

To return to hotel, from St. Paul's. Walk north from the cathedral to the St. Paul's station. Take the Central line westbound to Holbom. Switch to the Picadilly line back to the Hammersmith Station. Chances along this route to get out at Picadilly, Hyde Park Corner, and Knightsbridge (Park and Royal Albert Hall).

Saturday May 31

Return from Paris late on Saturday, May 31 and see the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London with Steve and Sabina at 22:05. Hopefully, we will have dinner beforehand. If we have time before dinner, we might like to see Southwark (SUTH-uck) Cathedral.. It is a 9 minute walk from the London Bridge tube station. (The Cathedral site says 3 minutes.) They have food there until 6pm. Rick Steves says "The enthusiastic docents give impromptu tours if you ask."

Sunday June 1.

We are taking a day trip to Bath, Lacock, and Stonehenge with Premium tours (0207 404 5100) on Sunday June 1. £79. We will meet the tour at Millennium Gloucester at 11: 10. Our confirmation # is 2BII002184. 100% refund if cancel before 24 hours. 50% if cancel within 24 hours, including on the day of the tour. Lose everything if complete no-show. Tour will return to London around 9pm. We will spend 2hours in Bath, 1 hour in Stonehenge and 90 minutes in Lacock. The District and Picadilly lines will get us between the Hammersmith and Gloucester stations.

Monday, June 2.

A private car from London to Southampton for the return ship to the US. We need to be to the pier by 2pm.