One Day in London. Is it Worth it?

We arrived at Heathrow airport early in the morning and took the Paddington Station express train to central London. An easy 15 minute ride where our hotel was perfectly situated just outside the train station. The streets were lined with many unique shops, cafes, taverns, and mini marts.

Cute little cafe near Paddington Station.

Many Hop-on-Hop-off two deck buses everywhere!

Busy street in Piccadilly Circus/Trafalgar Square area of central London.

We spent a one day “rest stop” in London on a Hop-on-Hop-Off bus. A beautiful sunny day, 72 degrees weather. Stops included the Tower of London, Parliament House, Big Ben, London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Hyde Park, and many more. London was uber crowded for early May as we had expected to miss the summer crowds. We never got off the bus until 4 hours later when we were back at our hotel. The lines for every attraction were long and off putting. The Cotswolds countryside was much more our cup of tea. That’s where we headed to the next morning by train!

So, to answer my own question. I’d have to say no it was not worth it to spend one day in London on a bus. For others, I’d have to say pick one or two of your “always wanted to see “ places and then spend your time there. We decided in advance that we wanted to see other areas of England, get to meet some locals, eat where the locals eat and drink, and spend our days in the countryside visiting the Cotswolds, the Lake District, and Cornwall traveling by train to hike, bike, boat, and walk England.