Heathrow Airport interrupts flights in London 0:42
(CNN) --
The death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, has caused shocking scenes in the United Kingdom.
In recent days, the accession of King Charles III has taken place and the queen's coffin has traveled through the Scottish Highlands to Edinburgh, before being flown to London and taken to Buckingham Palace for a private ceremony.
This Wednesday, the coffin will be transported to Westminster Hall, where it will remain until the state funeral, the first to be held in the United Kingdom since the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, on Monday.
Latest news on the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
The UK is currently in a period of national mourning, which will last until the end of the day of the funeral, and supporters from around the world have flocked to the capital to witness these historic events up close.
In fact, on the day of the queen's death, travel app Hopper saw a 49% increase in searches for flights from the US to London compared to the day before.
increase in visitors
Hundreds of people pay tribute to the queen outside Buckingham Palace in London on Saturday, September 10.
Credit: Nathan Denette/AP
"We expect an increasing number of international visitors to travel to the UK, particularly London, in the coming days, not only to mourn the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, but also to celebrate her life," says Joss Croft, CEO of the tourism trade association UKinbound, to CNN Travel.
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Shortly after the news broke, Rachel Shoemaker of Louisa White Travel, a boutique tour operator specializing in tailor-made trips to Britain, received several requests from people who wanted to travel to London, while some travelers already in the UK at that time they wanted to prolong their trip.
Watch how Scotland says goodbye to Elizabeth II 11:48
"The queen had an extraordinary ability to inspire people around the world and there are many Americans, myself included, who feel a special connection with her and want to pay their condolences," explains Shoemaker.
But while some tourists have made, or are making, last-minute travel arrangements, there are many others who simply arrive for their pre-planned trips at a totally unheard-of time.
Latecomers will likely have a hard time finding a hotel room, especially if they plan to stay in London.
Many hotels in the capital are already fully booked, while room prices have tripled in some cases, as visitors flock to the city hoping to see the queen's coffin at the Palace of Westminster between Wednesday and Monday and/or be among the many mourners who line the streets on Monday, which has been declared a public holiday.
Mourners have already started lining up to see the casket on Tuesday.
"London will be full for the next few days, and many hotels have closed online bookings so they can manually manage availability and prices for foreign delegations," tweeted earlier this week Paul Charles, founder of London's public relations agency. travel The PC Agency and commentator on the travel and tourism industry.
Budget hotel chain Travelodge, which runs some 80 hotels in the British capital, has reported an increase in bookings, with a spokesman saying staff are "preparing for a busy period in the run up to the funeral of Queen's Estate", before noting that its hotels in central London and Windsor "are literally sold out".
Witnesses of history
Mourners stand outside the gates of Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images
Justin Allen, from Illinois, who has visited London several times in the past, is delighted that his previously planned trip to the British capital with his partner Matthew Anastasia has coincided with these historic events.
"It has made the trip even more historic for my partner, who had never left the United States," Allen tells CNN Travel via email.
"For her [Anastasia's] first trip to Europe, she gets to experience much more than just a London getaway."
The couple were among those lining the streets to see King Charles III's motorcade leave after he was formally proclaimed the UK's new monarch on Saturday morning, and Allen says being in the city during this particular moment has been incredibly special.
"The city is even more alive with the arrival of so many people," he adds.
"I have never seen this many people on the streets in all the times I have come to London in the last 18 years."
Naturally, one of the busiest sections at the moment is the area around Buckingham Palace, which has become one of the main focuses of attention for people to pay their respects to the queen, while in the nearby Green Park a memorial flower garden has been installed.
Several roads surrounding the area are currently closed to traffic, with even more closures set to take place on Monday.
Sharron Stone, from Toronto, was enjoying a Baltic cruise with her husband that docked in London on Friday, the day after the queen's death.
"After checking into the hotel, we headed to Buckingham Palace," he says.
"We didn't need directions, we just followed the crowd."
"Many of the hundreds of people walking with us were carrying bouquets. Everyone around us was polite and friendly, as were the police who lined the road as we approached the palace."
"It was clear that people were going to the palace because they wanted to be part of this historic event."
a historical event
American tourists Matthew Anastasia (left) and Justin Allen are happy that their pre-planned trip to London coincided with these historic events.
Credit: Justin Allen
Though Stone has since returned home, Allen and Anastasia are still in the capital, hoping to see the queen's coffin at Westminster Hall on Sunday, provided they "can wait out the crowds."
And there will certainly be crowds.
Network Rail, Transport for London and the industry body Rail Delivery Group published a joint statement advising those planning to use public transport during these dates to plan their trip in advance due to "unprecedented travel demand in the capital".
"We recognize that many people will travel to Buckingham Palace and other royal residences as a sign of respect," says the statement issued by the British government earlier this week.
"We expect large crowds, which may pose risks to public safety. Travelers are asked to follow any instructions given to them by sheriffs and police."
Some level of flight disruption, especially at Heathrow Airport, is also expected over the next few days.
A Heathrow airport spokesman confirmed that some flights on Wednesday will be cut short to ensure silence in central London during the ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
Heathrow Airport interrupts flights in London 0:42
"Passengers will be notified by their airlines directly of any flight changes," says a statement provided to CNN.
"We anticipate that there will be further changes to the Heathrow operation on Monday 19 September, when Her Majesty's funeral will be held, and we will communicate these in more detail in the coming days."
"We apologize for the disruption these changes cause, as we work to limit the impact on future events."
travel interruption
People view flowers and tributes outside Windsor Castle on September 12, 2022. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images
While tourists like Stone and Allen are relatively happy to be in the UK during this time, others will have a slightly different opinion, especially if their plans are greatly affected.
"After postponing my trip to England several times, I finally got here," says a traveler named Rebecca, from Florida, who is currently visiting the UK.
"The next day the queen dies."
"All the roads around Buckingham Palace were closed. I couldn't visit any of the planned places."
As most events are held in the capital, tourists staying outside of London are unlikely to be affected by the crowds.
However, business closures are quite unavoidable, especially on the day of the funeral, regardless of where they are located.
Several major supermarkets and stores will close on Monday, some for the entire day, others for part of it.
Travelers who have booked restaurant and theater tickets for Monday are advised to double check their reservations in advance, as many venues will be temporarily closed.
London's National Theater will close its doors on Monday, and late-night showings of popular productions such as "Hamilton" at the Victoria Palace Theater and "Mamma Mia!"
at the Novello Theatre.
Most of the UK's major cinema chains will also not open their doors on the day of the funeral, although some, such as Vue and Curzon, will open for one screening - a free broadcast of the funeral.
Meanwhile, royal buildings and popular attractions, such as the State Rooms, Royal Halls and the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, have been closed since last Friday and will not reopen. during the mourning period.
The state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey, which means the famous church, which is also a popular attraction, will be closed to tourists until September 21.
Cancellation of events
Tourists have flocked to London in recent days, with many more expected to arrive in time for the state funeral on September 19.
Credit: Claire Doherty/In Pictures/Getty Images
Madeleine Fournier, from Puerto Rico, is scheduled to arrive in London on September 15 to travel with a group of friends to attend ABBA Voyage, a series of virtual concerts by iconic Swedish group ABBA at London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
"We are a group of 32 people, so we have hotels, excursions, restaurants, a bus to and from the concert, etc," he explains about the visit, which he had been planning for almost a year.
So far, aside from a restaurant reservation made ahead of time for Monday, none of his plans have been greatly affected.
But like many other travelers due to arrive in the UK, Fournier fears things will change, and has contacted his hotel, as well as some of the companies the group has booked with, to make sure everything is still standing.
Meanwhile, Cindy Martin, from Texas, is scheduled to fly from Budapest to London on Sunday, after finishing a Danube River cruise, and is looking forward to "experience some of the events surrounding the queen's passing that we couldn't planned when we booked this trip months ago.
Martin, who has a room booked at the Doubletree By Hilton London, Hyde Park, says the rate had tripled when he checked the hotel's website on Saturday.
Like many central London hotels, it is now fully booked for Sunday afternoon, the night before the funeral.
"Hopefully our British Airways flight from Budapest can land at Heathrow on time on Sunday (and not be held up by landing dignitaries) and we can make it to the hotel," says Martin.
"Since Monday is a national holiday, we won't be able to visit any museums or do much sightseeing, as planned, but [we hope] to witness a bit of history in return."
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