Long Layover in London?

If you find yourself with a long layover in London then it makes sense to travel into the city and take in some of the sights rather than hanging around at the airport.  Of course the difficulty comes in deciding how to make the most of your time in London when time is short. 

If it’s possible to delay your flight until the following day then this would obviously not only give you more time to enjoy the attractions London has to offer but would also enable you to get some much needed rest ahead of the next leg in your journey.  There are many hotels around the airport as well as in Central London, such as the Royale Grand London which is one of many 4 star hotels near Queensway. 

Of course delaying the next part of your journey isn’t always possible but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy all that London has to offer.  Catching the Heathrow Express will have you in Central London in around 20 minutes giving you plenty of time to see the major sights such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge.  You could purchase tickets to one of the red bus tours which would enable you to easily see some of the most iconic landmarks in London, spending as much or as little time as you wanted to at each before hopping onto the next bus to come back.

Alternatively, you could spend your layover time leisurely, enjoying a meal at one of London’s best restaurants or taking a cruise up the River Thames and viewing the landmarks from a distance.  Many of the cruises also offer dinner and live music which would be ideal if you wanted to relax after a long flight. 

If you do find yourself with a long layover then we would suggest having a short list of the sights you definitely want to see.  London has plenty to offer and visitors can often get lost wandering aimlessly from one attraction to the next.  If you have a concise list then you stand more chance of seeing everything you want to before you have to return to the airport to catch the next leg of your flight.