Landmarks, Attractions & Events
State Opening of Parliament 5comments HK Brian Thanks Craig. I will be tourist just arrive London in the morning of 2024/7/17. By chance knowing the day is State Opening of Parliament (11 am) + Gun salutes for Queen’s Birthday at Tower of London (1pm). That’s why I’d learn from your experience if I can leave early around 11:30 from the fenced area and then take the tube from Westminster to London Bridge area to witness the Gun salutes around Tower Bridge. Thanks again for your valuable sharing.
Changing the Guard at Horse Guards 6comments Staff Hi Julia. You can see the two horses in the sentry boxes enter the stables in Horse Guards courtyard during the Dismounting Ceremony at 4 PM – londondrum.com/events/?p=18009
Horse Guards 9comments Janet macdonald-jarrett Is the pavement outside Horseguards (where the mounted guards stand) still M.O.D. property?
West End Walk 4comments Staff Hi Roger. The book has photographs and reviews of the all the landmarks and attractions. It doesn’t have any maps
Chinatown 9comments Staff Hi. Just walk down Charing Cross Road, turn right into Shaftesbury Avenue, and then left when you get to Gerrard Place. It’s not very far
The Colonel’s Review 4comments Lisa What are the blue ’circles’ on the browband of Prince William’s horse?
St. Martin-in-the-Fields 8comments Nadia Cowen On my trips in the 70s, 80s, and possibly later than that, I remember the bells of St. Martin’s, which certain times of day, rang for maybe 5-10 minutes and it was so beautiful, I would stop everything to stand and listen. But I haven’t heard them in at least 15 years. Are they still ringing but only once a day? Or not at all? The bells were quite loud and I’ve been thinking maybe they’re now considered too intrusive or annoying. I truly hope not!
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2comments Staff Hi Rob. Entries are closed at the moment, but the details can be found here – nhm.ac.uk/wpy/competition
St. Paul’s Cathedral 12comments TimJolly When I go to a service at St. Paul’s, I always think of John Donne (’No man is an island…’ AND ’Ask not for whom the bell tolls…’ BOTH in the same poem) preaching here – though admittedly in the previous building!
Buses, Taxis & Tube Trains
Vauxhall station 14comments Staff Hi Jane. You can definitely get out of the station onto Wandsworth Road without any stairs. Looking at google street view there doesn’t appear to be any stairs down to the river jetty
Trains 76comments Staff Hi Maria. None of them go direct. But you can catch a train from Gatwick to London Bridge, which is very close
Child train fares 53comments Staff Hi Maja. We recommend getting them an Oyster card and having the ‘Young Visitor Discount’ applied to it. We’ve explained it all on this page. You can buy them from a manned ticket window in the ticket hall (not a self-service machine). If you’re coming in on the Eurostar then they used to sell them on the train
Tower Gateway station 8comments Staff Hi Rachel. You can get the DLR to lewisham but then you’d have to change on to a national rail train for blackheath
Embankment station 25comments MIKE So do the escalators from the bakerloo line platform also have stairs next to them?
Liverpool Street station 41comments Staff Hi Ron. You could go to the entrance on Broad Street, but you’ll still have to get a lift down to the Elizabeth line platforms. You access the Elizabeth line through the Underground ticket hall
Moorgate station 6comments Lisa Is there a certain time on weekdays that the down escalator opens at Moorgate?
Travelcards 149comments Staff Hi Margaret. Your senior railcard entitles you to money off oyster fares, so you could buy an Oyster card and have the railcard discount loaded on to it at the station. Unfortunately the discount only applies to off-peak fares (outside the hours of 6:30-9:30 AM and 4-7 PM Monday to Friday), so maybe it’s no use for you. Otherwise we’d say you’re better off just using your contactless bank card – senior-railcard.co.uk/about-the-railcard/using-your-railcard/
South Kensington station 9comments Elena What Time dose the South Kensington Station open on a week day?
Train fares 46comments Staff Hi Ann. If you both want a senior rail card then you’ll have to buy one each, and they’re tied with your name, so you wouldn’t be able to share one senior rail card between two
Highbury & Islington station 6comments Staff Hi Nonie. There’s nothing mentioned under TFL’s planned works, so the stairs should be fine – tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/stations-lifts-and-escalators-works-and-closures#h
North Greenwich station 21comments Staff Hi Trudie. The last train from North Greenwich towards Canning Town on Thursday night/Friday morning is not until 1AM
Farringdon station 4comments Cam Do I need to use stairs/escalators or lift to exit Farringdon station from an over ground train from Cambridge
Hammersmith station 22comments Staff Hi Elizabeth. You don’t say what line you’re changing from (there’s a few of them), but if you look at the ’Changing train platforms’ section then it describes it all. The Circle and Hammersmith/City lines at Hammersmith are completely separate from the District and Piccadilly lines at Hammersmith – they are two different stations – so if you’re changing between them then you’ll have to come out and cross over the road.
Hotels, Hostels & B&Bs
Strand Palace Hotel 6comments Staff Hi Pam. i would definitely get the piccadilly line and walk from Covent Garden. Its only a five minute walk, and you can walk through the centre of the piazza which will be nice. embankment is just as close, but changing trains would be a hassle. Although you would get a quick look at trafalgar square and nelsons column as you walk past charing cross
Hotels near Aldwych 2comments Staff Hi Sherrie. It’s close to some of the attractions. You can have a nice walk to Bank and the Royal Exchange, and across the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern and Shakespeares Globe, but the areas around the West End, Trafalgar Square and Tower Bridge are about 1 and a half miles away. Big Ben and Buckingham Palace about 2 miles. All easy enough to walk, but you’ll probably end up getting buses to most places. there are loads of buses going down Fleet Street and up towards the City. I would happily stay there if it was me
The Ritz 6comments Staff Hi Maggie. Don’t worry, you’ll enjoy it. I stayed there for a couple of nights on my own and I tried the Rivoli Bar, breakfast in the morning, meal in the evening… all by myself. All the staff are super polite and treat everyone like they’re the most important person there. You will be spoiled… and everyone dresses up for breakfast
Premier Inn Leicester Square 3comments Staff Thanks Vicky. I definitely recommend the hotel for the price so you should like it. It’s in the perfect spot
Thistle Holborn 1comments S Mulholland We certainly recommend this hotel based on our experience. The inside is lovely and the staff were wonderful and couldn’t have been more friendly to us. Thank you