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Where does Tauck take us in London?
Where does Tauck take us while in London? We are staying over two extra days and are trying to plan where to go. Priorities are Tower of London and British Museum for us. Does Tauck take us either place?
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When you're reading a Tauck itinerary, if it says something general like "introductory sight seeing tour" then lists a bunch of places, that will be a coach ride past those sights with possibly a photo op stop. If it says "stop for a visit" or maybe "a guided tour" of a specific sight, then you will have a tour in the sight usually by a local guide. So Day 11 will be a tour of Hampton court then a basic drive by of sights in London and Day 12 you'll actually get a guided tour inside Westminster Abbey. Anything else you'll need to plan on your own.
Thanks Claudia!! Very helpful!!
We are going in September. On our extra day I have secured tickets to Churchill War Rooms. Any other suggestions that I should look into before we leave so that we don't get turned away?
When we were on this trip a few years ago (in August) we were able to get tickets to get into Buckingham Palace. I don't know if the palace is open in September. If it is, it's worth a visit.
We enjoyed Covent Garden. We had Afternoon Tea at the Savoy but noticed several places in Covent offering the experience.
We’ve been to London many times (including our honeymoon on a shoestring 52 years ago) and will return next year prior to our Tauck France tour. We find it a great place to get over jet lag and revisit places, dine well, see a show. A good investment is to buy Rick Steves London book (it’s on Amazon). Lots of suggestions, handy maps and tips to enjoy things and avoid the mobs (see changing of the guard). We like art and enjoy the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery. Right next to The National Gallery is The National Portrait Gallery. What a great collection! Everybody from Henry VIII, to Winston Churchill to LLCoolJ in one building. Admission free and tours available. If you enjoy cathedrals, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Christopher Wrens crowning achievement is worth a visit although admission is pricey. From there you can walk across the Millenium bridge to the Borough Market is you like bustling food halls. Outside the market is our favorite pasta place Padella. It’s not a secret and there is always a line. It moves fast. If you want a day outdoors and love plants Kew Gardens is fabulous and easy to get to by tube (learn the tube-it’s easy). I’m a history buff and military history is my favorite. The Imperial War Museum is terrific but be prepared for the horrors of WW I. Adjacent to Trafalgar Square is St. Martin in the Fields famed for it’s musical presentations. We like to visit at lunchtime and dine in the crypt. Decent food cafeteria style, some money goes to support the church, and you dine with hundreds of quiet guests under your feet… Have fun on your tour!
I am on the August 8 tour and am also staying 2 extra days. I have booked Churchill War Rooms, a Thames River Tour, Buckingham Palace State Rooms and Garden Tour, and the Royal Mews (where the royal carriages are stored). FYI, Buckingham Palace is open until September 28 according to the website.
Loved the Churchill War Rooms!
I had the good fortune to be able to take a tour of Clarence House in an August while in London. A friend and I came out of the back entrance to the Churchill war rooms and realized we were on the opposite side of the street from there. We walked up and managed to get the last two tickets for a tour. I think the King still lives there when in London. Clarence House was the home of the Queen Mother who he adored.Maybe it is still open in August. Worth checking out and definitely purchasing tickets if it is.
I haven't taken this tour but lived and worked in London in 1982 and have been back many, many times. Just returned about four weeks ago. London is an incredible place and so much to do! ...and you'll be staying at the Savoy. So close to Covent Garden with cute shops, restaurants, and a small market (I often get souvenirs to bring back at that particular market).
It looks like a busy tour so be sure to add some time to just walk around and explore. I greatly enjoy walking around St. James Park if the weather is nice --- beautiful, calm place with lovely swans, flowers, etc. It's centrally located, next to the Mall (rhymes with "pal" not "all") with Buckingham Palace on one end, and Clarence House and St. James Palace nearby. Tours of Buckingham Palace are available from July 10 - Sept. 28 this year. When you book, make sure you cursor down and book through the Buckingham Palace website, not the websites that pop up on top of the page which charge a bit more for tickets.
You may also want to see if there is availability to tour the Palace of Westminister. For dates and availability go to: tickets.parliament.uk.
Whenever we're in the UK, we book Afternoon Tea and make an effort to try a new place almost every time. There are so many great places for Afternoon Tea, including the Savoy (although I preferred tea at the Savoy before it was bought by the current owners and renovated in 2010). Our fav place for Afternoon Tea is Brown's Hotel which is in Mayfair, close to Piccadilly & Piccadilly Circus. The Ritz is also in the same area and is well known for tea, but you need reservations 3 months or so in advance if visiting on the weekend. Tea at the Ritz was a good, but we still prefer Brown's. Fortnum & Mason is in the same area and next to the Ritz and is sort of the "royal grocery store" and is an amazing place to browse & buy some treats. Fortnum's also does a great afternoon tea. Book for around 4 PM and I promise you won't need dinner. Most of these venues will offer to refill your plate until you let them know you've had enough.
You'll also be staying at the Sheraton Grand in Edinburgh which is well-located with a view of the castle. It's a lovely hotel.
Looks like a great tour so you will have to report back upon your return. You can't go wrong in London or Edinburgh (or any of the other stops where you'll be going). And if you like walking and exploring, London & Edinburgh are great for both, provided the weather is willing. Enjoy!
Such valuable information. Thank you! We were at the Savoy on a different Tauck tour and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon tea experience.
BTW-Tower of London is indeed a 'must do' but be sure to be in line 1st thing in the AM. The line, or queue (British word), quickly gets ridiculously long and you don't want to spend hours needlessly waiting.
Get tickets for the Tower online and as soon as you arrive at the tower, head for the line of see the Crown Jewels first. A friend of ours was a Beefeater there.
Many years ago (first Tauck tour) we had our farewell dinner in the Tower (in a large turret, near traitors gate). We also watched the ceremony of the keys but did not get a tour of other parts of the Tower nor the White Tower.
We stayed extra days in London after our ESW tour. Our Tour Director, who lived in London, told us that she used the iPhone app "Citymapper". We found it quite useful in figuring out how to get from A to B, whether it was by walking, the Underground, by double-decker bus, or by Uber Boat. We found Citymapper app to be very useful in Paris also.