Advance Attraction Tickets Necessary?

[7SeasLover]

Will be in London 1 day before and 1 day after cruise. Planning on riding The Big Bus around central London getting on/off where our interest is piqued. Is there any reason to buy advance tickets for Tower of London? I want to see the Crown Jewels. I'd just as soon buy tickets there, but if it's better to buy online before we leave US I can do that too.

 

We are walking distance to Westminster Abbey Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, so that's nice.

[WatchHill]

Lines to see the Crown Jewels are generally quite long. Those tourists who are part of a tour group with advanced tickets enter early in the morning, so best bet would be to arrive very early and go directly to the exhibit, then tour the other areas of the Tower with a guide. When I was last there, we arrived about 9:30 AM and left about 1:30, not seeing everything.

We went to Buckingham in September, purchasing tickets earlier in the day for a 1:30 entry. Be sure to check the hours of each place you want to visit prior to your trip. Some may close earlier one day, others remain open later in the evening on particular nights. One day pre and post isn't much time to see the multitude of wonderful sights in London. The US $ doesn't go far in London and tours are expensive. Remember museums are free with the V & A or British Museum open some evenings.

 

Darcy

[7SeasLover]

I'm very limited with timing. I am not in London early enough for a.m. entry to anything. Flight doesn't land until 11 first day, leaving early the 2nd day. I don't return to London until 2 p.m. on the 2nd day and leave at noon the next day.

 

Somehow I screwed up and thought I was arriving in London on a particular day, but it was a day after that. So instead of having 3 days in London I have half a day on two different occasions. A real bummer.

 

London is my least favorite place to be, but my husband have never been, so I at least want him to see some of it even it is just for two half-days!