London, England

London Here We Come

Welcome to London! Start practicing your British accent and touch up on your British English dialect. Pro tip: Chips are French Fries and the lift is the elevator! I recommend at least 5 days in the city. London is a city that you can visit many times and always see something new.

The Underground, AKA: The Subway

No need to fear! London is connected through undergrounds and busses! No need for a taxi, ever!

Like most cities, if you want to take the train from the airport to the city, you will need a special ticket. You can buy that at the machines within the station. You may have to take a connection, but don’t worry, you can do it! Use google map: It becomes your best friend. If you mess up and go the wrong direction, just get off at the next stop and turn around and go the other direction!

TIP: London undergrounds are REALLY underground and you will most likely not get any phone service below. So, make sure you know where you are going before you go under the ground.

You can pay the underground using your credit card (but it has to be a tap card) or Apple/google pay. This is the easiest and cheapest way to travel. Each traveler needs their own credit card, you cannot share. You will have to tap your card before and after getting on and off the underground. You don’t need to buy a ticket when inside of London (only for the airport). The cost of the trip will depend on how far you go and how many zones you travel through.

TIP: Undergrounds run less frequently on the weekends, so plan ahead.

TIP: Don’t be afraid of connections! It is very common to take a connection, and you most likely won’t have to leave the underground.

London Attractions (An Outsider’s Persepctive)

Of course, you can always pay to enter every building, but you are looking at making a dent in your bank account. So, why not take pictures from the outside? It’s free and beautiful! Here are some of my recommendations of what to see from an outsider’s perspective.

Churches

• St. Paul’s Cathedral

• Westminster’s Abbey

Monuments

• Big Ben

• Parliament

• London Eye

• Buckingham Palace: You can see the changing of the guards throughout the day on the hour. The big event happens Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 11 am. I did not go to this event because I heard it was super crowded. Even watching the simple change was interesting!

• Westminster Bridge: I recommend crossing the bridge and walking along the river towards The London Eye. There are food trucks and street artists along the way. Then you can walk over the Hungerford Bridge which is only for pedestrians.

Parks

• St. James Park: Very peaceful park to walk through. There are many ducks, swans, and pigeons. Also, people often bring a bag of peanuts to feed the squirrels.
• Hyde Park: When you go to see Kensington Palace, you will be forced to walk through Hyde Park. You can spend hours in Hyde Park. Maybe even a picnic!

Streets to Stoll Down

• Piccadilly Circus: Fun fact: it’s not actually a circus! It’s the “Times Square” of London! Many restaurants, stores, and people! Fun to walk down and people watch.
• Abbey Road Crossing

⁃ This is far from of all the tourist attractions, in zone 2 of London (recommendation: If you go to Madame Tussaud’s Museum, it is not too far from there)

⁃ There is not much here! Just the famous street from the Beetles album cover. That’s it!

⁃ Be careful! This street is not blocked off from traffic. Therefore, there are many cars that pass through and many dumb tourists who try to take a picture (my dad included). Very chaotic situation!

⁃ There is a small store close to the studio. You cannot go inside the studio but you can take a picture from the outside.

⁃ There are no other stores or restaurants near by, so get back on the underground!

London Attractions (An Insider’s Persepctive)

When traveling to London, I recommend paying for at least 2-3 attractions to go inside. Here are a few that I checked out from an insider’s perspective.

• Tower of London

I recommend buying tickets in advance BUT you will most likely still have to wait in line for at least 30 minutes. So, get there early before your ticket time. They don’t put you in line with accordance to your ticket time.

Adult: 29.90 pounds Student: 24 pounds

You will most likely spend 1-2 hours inside. You can learn about the fortress and some English history. Also, there are many interactive activities for children inside.

• Tower Bridge

I recommend going up at least once in your life. You can take the stairs (caution there are a lot) or the elevator.

Tickets: Adults (16-59): 11.40 pounds Child (5-15): 5.70 pounds Student: 8.60 pounds Senior: (60+): 8.60 pounds

• Kensington Palace

I am not 100% convinced it was worth it to go inside. You can learn about the history of 3 royal kings and queens from the UK. It was a quick visit (30-40 minutes). The gardens are nice to walk around (those are free!) There is a Princess Diana memorial in the garden. And of course, take pictures of the palace from the outside.

Tickets: Adult: 16 pounds Student: 12.80 pounds Child: 8 pounds

• Madame Tussaud’s London

The wax museum! There are wax figures of many famous people, including actors, singers, political figures, Marvel characters, etc. Very fun for all ages. Unfortunately, when we went it was way overcrowded. Try to go during an off season for tourism. You can buy tickets in advance or get them at the door. I recommend the standard ticket. There is so much to see, without the extra add ons.

Tickets: Adults: 37 pounds Child: 33.50 pounds

Fueling your Body

• Harrison’s coffee (near Kensington Palace) (Chilean restaurant)

• Bar and Block Steakhouse Aldgate (near the London Tower) (steak and fish)

• The Ivy City Garden (near the London Tower) (fish and seafood and burgers)

TIP: Pubs are a great vibe for drinking, but the food quality and staff service are not great. Drink a few pints at the pub and have dinner at another restaurant