A whirlwind tour of London can be surprisingly enjoyable, so if you find yourself with some extra time in London (perhaps an unexpected layover going to/from the Continent?) you might consider doing what I did . . .

First, wake up early, perhaps six or seven in the morning. Skip breakfast, and head directly to the local Underground stop (my stop was Paddington). The transit authority has a wide range of fare-pricing schemes available; I got a reasonable all-day unlimited travel pass, which suited my purposes well. Moreover, using the pass-card enabled me to save time at the gates -- while other tourists were fumbling for change or trying to figure out the vending machines, I was already through the gate and boarding a train.

The next thing is to give up seeing much in depth. You're only here for a day. So, hit Knightsbridge/Kensington early and scout out the high-end shops. If you see something you like, you can come back later in the day. From Knightsbridge, I moved on to hit Trafalgar and then Piccadilly/Leicester. It should be midmorning at this point, and the crowds will be starting to form. You'll have time for a few quick shopping excursions if you wish, but keep in mind that you'll have to carry anything you buy -- that's why I recommend doing you shopping late in the day.

Grab lunch somewhere in SoHo, and then hop on the Underground to St.Paul's. The cathedral is in a remarkably dreary section of London (all faceless office blocks), so just check out the cathedral, and get back on the Underground. Head for the Tower of London.

Due to limited time, you'll have to skip seeing the interior of the Tower (the lines will be huge), but you can get a quick look at the Tower and the nearby Tower Bridge. There's no particular reason to go all the way across the bridge, but it's a fair view from about the middle, and it gives you a chance to stop and catch your breath for a while.

If you've been speedy about the whole thing, it should be roughly early afternoon by now, so you've got plenty of time to circle back around and hit the shops you've scouted out earlier in Kensington/Piccadilly/Leicester -- and now that the day is nearly over, you won't have to carry your purchases very far.

Tips:
Wear good shoes.
Prepare for rain. Don't count on it, but don't count it out either.
Eat light meals. Heavy food will kill you when you're moving this fast.
Take the Undergound; don't waste time with taxis.

OK, so maybe it's not for everyone. But you can have a surprisingly fun time scurrying about London like a lunatic on fire. As an added bonus, this scheme will send you through much of the city, giving you a pretty good sense of things. Next time, when you've got more time, you'll already know what you want to pay attention to.

If you're in good health, don't have young children or elderly companions, and are short on time, consider the whirlwind approach to London. Sure, you could spend a whole day at a museum, but if you've only got ONE day -- hit everything instead.



Recommended: Yes