London - what should we see on our own?

MMarkham

My husband & I will be on the September 27, 2015 Cruising the Seine, Plus Versailles, Paris & London. We will arrive one day early to London & will do our own sightseeing. We have our final documents & for our 1st tour day it says; "guided sightseeing of the city's iconic landmarks". Can Tauck be more specific so we don't repeat something in the short time we have there? Is the Tauck guided tour mostly a drive by? If so....what would you recommend we explore further? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

British

I've stayed at the Savoy, but independently. Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are within easy walking distance of the hotel. These may be perfect sites to see on your arrival day as you will be so dog tired from arriving after missing so much sleep on your partial over night across the Atlantic. The walking and daylight will help you adjust to the time difference. The hotel concierge are particularly helpful with suggestions,but there is so much to see and do in London that you really need to do some research and give some kind of idea of what your interests are so they can suggest appropriate things to you. If you love museums there are many many to see. Parks, palaces, I could go on and on. The only thing I think is worth not bothering with is shopping because prices are high and most anything you can buy you will see in the U.S. For much less money. Buy or read a London guide on the Internet and get that research started by figuring out where tour hotel is so you can plan a realistic itinerary on the day the tour begins, giving yourself a cushion of time to get back for the Welcome dinner that you do not want to miss because of the information you will get from the tour director.
If no one else replies on the forum, then I suggest you call Tauck directly and they can give you more specific details.

Sandman1

Not sure what the tour will cover, but we just returned from London on independent travel and would recommend the Churchill War Rooms. It is a visit to the actual bunker used by Churchill and his advisors during the war. We were with our two grandchildren that just studied WWII and they were as fascinated by this venue as we were. It is an incredible site not to be missed and will take a couple of hours at most. Enjoy your trip.

ndvb

I just posted a lengthy reply to another post on the England, Scotland and Wales tour. Take a look at that one.

I agree with the Churchill War Museums. They have just redone it and added a HUGE interactive room.

AlanS

I also posted to the thread Nial mentioned.

I won't repeat, except for this caution- careful planning is the key to getting the most from your extra day. You can waste a lot of precious time deciding what to see and how to get there, only to find out tickets are sold out or the line is really long. You can get tickets to many attractions ahead of time online. Also, don't be afraid to take advantage of the hotel concierge and even contact him via email before you leave.

When Tauck says, "guided sightseeing of the city's iconic landmarks" as opposed to a "guided tour of XXX with a local guide," they typically mean a bus drive-by with local guide narrating. You can always call Tauck to verify that.