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12 Jun
10:52am, 12 Jun 2025
12,459 posts
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DoricQuine
We are flying down to London for a few days next month, mainly to see The Mousetrap but will have time to do some other other stuff as well.
I'm hoping to do a walk/run while there and want to know if it is possible to run right by the river from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge and if yes, which bank of the river would be best? We are staying in Covent Garden area so plan walking down to river to warm up and taking it from there.
Also any place round there that wouldn't mind sweaty runners coming in for brunch? And any nice, not too expensive restaurant in Covent Garden for evening meal?
We have never done the River Cruise so are thinking of that too.
Lastly any thoughts on the Visitor Oyster card? We would be travelling from LHR so wondered if this card would be our best option for that and a few days travel around the area?
Thanks in advance 
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12 Jun
11:00am, 12 Jun 2025
25,943 posts
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Ally-C
Can you not just tap your smartphone for the tube? It’s limited how much you can be charged daily anyway.
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12 Jun
11:02am, 12 Jun 2025
25,944 posts
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Ally-C
I like Bill’s in Covent Garden went in there after a hot & sweaty Battersea 10k.
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12 Jun
11:03am, 12 Jun 2025
25,945 posts
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Ally-C
In fact it wasn’t. It was post Stranger Things the show.
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12 Jun
11:04am, 12 Jun 2025
75,729 posts
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Velociraptor
When we're visiting we just tap our debit cards on the tube and the buses. (Can't advise on restaurants, our go-to is Itsu.)
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12 Jun
11:05am, 12 Jun 2025
1,484 posts
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CasB
Hello DoricQuine!
You can run along the river. South bank will be easiest, though usually very busy. (You can do north bank until about Blackfriars and then have to move to the roads, but you could cross to the south before then.)
The cruise is fun - though we did it on the Clipper boat and then got the cable car back across the river at North Greenwich.
For the tube, as Ally-C says it's simplest to use your usual payment card / phone payment rather than get an oyster these days. As long as you use the same one consistently it will cap your fare at the daily or weekly travelcard cost as appropriate.
Hopefully others will be along with more advice and restaurant recommendations!
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12 Jun
11:09am, 12 Jun 2025
10,905 posts
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GordonG
yes i think tapping your phone/debit card would be an easier option than the hassle of getting an oyster card for just a few days. This probably won't apply to you if you're only down for a few days, but the card system caps the amount you pay for travel if you reach the amount you would have paid via a weekly travel card. Actually it caps your daily amount, too. And you can use it on all transport systems.
you can deffo run from westminster bridge to tower bridge. south side is probably more interesting but note that you'll be running through a very touristy area, particularly around South Bank and Borough. North side is also doable - less busy but less interesting IMO. there may be one or two bits where you have to cut in from the Thames for a very small bit. Fetch Routes will easily show you the route for either side.
hope you enjoy your visit.
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12 Jun
12:53pm, 12 Jun 2025
92,344 posts
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Diogenes
Adding to all the above, we took a cruise from the London Eye along to Tower Bridge and back which was very good (although this was a few years ago).
The Thames Bridge challenge group tend to cross the river each time they come to a bridge. That thread has some routes attached somewhere.
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12 Jun
12:55pm, 12 Jun 2025
25,961 posts
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Ally-C
There’s a small chain of restaurants in London called Flat Iron that we thought was reasonable and very good.
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12 Jun
1:35pm, 12 Jun 2025
10,906 posts
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GordonG
+1 for flat iron (especially if you eat meat!)
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