London post visit

We did this tour two years ago and it has changed some, but like ours, your afternoon is free after visiting Westminster Abbey on day 13. This is the best time to see the Churchill War Rooms which are only about 3 blocks from Westminster. After we finished touring the Abbey our TD arranged for the local guide to lead those of us who were interested right to the entrance of the War Rooms which are well worth visiting. We also had a free afternoon the first day in London. Our tour stayed at the Royal Horseguards, just up river from the Savoy, so we walked over the Golden Jubilee Bridge and rode the London Eye (Now officially the Coca Cola London Eye- OMG!!!!) that afternoon. During our extra day after the tour we took the tube to the British Museum for a few hours. You can easily spend and entire day or two there! Then we took the tube to the Notting Hill area to see the huge street market on Portobello Road made famous in movies. It is open on weekends.

Like British said, there is too much to see. I would research each place you would like to visit, figure out how much time you think you might spend there, plot the locations on a map of London, use Google maps to see how long it will take to get between them (walking, car/cab, tube) then work out a plan of attack. Keep in mind, that by the end of the tour (remember it is a tour, not a vacation ) you will be a bit tired. A number of companies offer multi-day/multi-venue discount admission pass books for selected sites. Check them out online.

I think you will find the price for a car and guide quoted by the concierge is probably competitive. You usually get what you pay for. Take advantage of the best currency exchange rates we've seen in years. The price quoted is typically for a car that will hold 4 - 6 people, not per person, so see if any others are staying later in London who might be interested in sharing the cost. Remember, buses and the tube run just about everywhere you might want to go and you can buy multi-day passes that will save money. Depending on the itinerary, group tours with Viator might be less expensive than a car and driver, or for even less, you can ride the 'Hop-on/Hop-off bus.'

August is prime tourist season in London. Time is running out and tickets for some attractions may already be sold out for your dates, so get busy researching online! : ) You will have a great tour and this planning can be a fun exercise.