| parking is free, as is full english breakfast served in an airy dining room. there's a walled garden with seating. the casual rooms with period-style decor have free wifi, flat-screen tvs, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. set in an edwardian townhouse in a leafy residential area, this straightforward b&b adjacent to tooting bec common is a 13-minute walk from balham tube station and 6 miles from buckingham palace. check-in time: 1:00 pmcheck-out time: 12:00 pm
Heathrow Airport 49 min
Victoria and Albert Museum (25 min)
Blockbuster exhibitions and permanent decorative arts collection, with design shop and ornate cafe. The National Gallery (29 min)
Trafalgar Square art museum whose masterworks trace the development of Western European painting. Westminster Abbey (25 min)
Protestant abbey hosting daily services and every English and British coronation since 1066. St. Paul's Cathedral (33 min)
Churchyard and gardens outside Saint Paul's cathedral, with a floor-plan of the original building. The British Museum (32 min)
Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures. The Shard (33 min)
87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform. Tower of London (34 min)
Centuries of bloody history around a medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels and iconic Beefeaters. Natural History Museum (26 min)
Landmark museum of animals and natural phenomena, with hands-on exhibits and animatronic dinosaurs. Trafalgar Square (28 min)
Nelson's Column rises above this iconic square's LED-lit fountains, artworks and lion statues. Hyde Park (30 min)
Huge green space, home to Diana Memorial Fountain, with boating and swimming in the Serpentine lake. lastminute.com London Eye (26 min)
Huge observation wheel giving passengers a privileged bird's-eye view of the city's landmarks. Palace of Westminster (24 min)
Neo-Gothic masterpiece and seat of the UK government. Guided tours on Saturdays and in summer. Big Ben (26 min)
16-storey Gothic clocktower and national symbol at the Eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. Buckingham Palace (27 min)
Visitors can tour the palace's opulent private and state rooms or watch the changing of the guard. Tower Bridge (33 min)
Panoramic views from high level walkways and behind-the-scenes access to original lifting machinery. | 
