An opportunity to purchase inexpensive non-stop flights sealed the deal for our trip to London. Since this trip wasn’t planned that far in advance we didn’t plan on any particular activities until we arrived. We planned on taking public transportation for this trip and possibly renting a car for day trips.
First things first how do we get from the airport to our hotel.
Getting from the Airport to the City
The Heathrow airport is about 16 miles outside of London city center, which means we had to decide the best way to get from the airport to our hotel. Your options include hiring a driver, taking a taxi, taking the Heathrow Express or taking the Tube.
There is an visitor’s information center at the airport where you can purchase an Oyster travel card. If you’re utilizing the Tube the Oyster card is the best option. We decided to save the money and take the Tube since we had an hour to spare before we could check in to the hotel.
Staying in London
Finding a place to stay for four people was more difficult in London than it is in the USA. Most of the rooms are designed for one or two people and they are small by U.S. standards.
We ended up staying in South Kensington and our room had two single beds and one double. It was a tiny room, but a great location for us. We were less than a block from the Gloucester Road Tube station also known as Underground.
Using the Underground Metro
Before leaving the airport we purchased
The Underground has 11 lines: Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Waterloo & City. Some of the stations can be accessed by more than one line. Also note that many of the sights are an easy walk from more than one station.
Fun Things to do in London
With the exception of buying tickets to see a show in the theatre district we pretty much winged it when we arrived in London. Definitely don’t do this if there are sights you absolutely must see because you might not be able to. With that said we had an amazing time exploring London.
Grab a Drink in a Pub
There are so many pubs to choose from in London. When we arrived I did a search for some of the oldest pubs to visit and we had fun trying out some ales.
Have a Spot of Tea
My idea of tea is iced on a porch, but in London hot tea is an important part of the culture, so of course we had a spot of tea while we were here.
Underground Piccadilly Line: Hyde Park Corner
It is an easy stroll to Buckingham Palace from the Hyde Park Corner station. When we visited in October tours of Buckinham Palace were not offered.
Underground Piccadilly Line: Covent Garden
Order Fish and Chips
We have friends from England and they all said we must order fish and chips and so we did. It was pretty good, but I don’t care for peas, so I just skipped those. This traditional fare is served at many pubs. We tried it out at Nags Head in Covent Gardens.
Try some Pastries
If you order take away the prices are cheaper. Le Restaurant de Paul in Covent Garden had some lovely pastries.
Royal Opera House
Wouldn’t it be lovely. The Royal Opera House in Covent Gardens
Underground: Charing Cross Station
Trafalgar Square
Visit London’s popular Trafalgar Square. It is a nice place to hang out and people watch. At night the fountain is blue and green.
Underground Circle Line: Westminster
Many of London’s famous sights can be seen within a short walking distance of the Westminster line.
- Big Ben
- Houses of Parliament
- Westminster Abbey
- The Supreme Court
- Westminster Pier
- Westminster Bridge
If you walk across the bridge you can also visit the London Eye. You can also easily walk the .5 miles to Trafalgar square.
Underground Piccadilly Line: Piccadilly Circle & Leicester Square
These two Underground stops are so close together that you could take either to see the many sights around this popular area. This area in London reminds me of Times Square in New York.
Chinatown Gate
Underground Circle Line: Tower Hill
Tower of London
A trip to the Tower of London is a fascinating trip through London’s history. We took a Yeoman Warder tour that is included in your admission price and they do a fantastic job of taking you back in time. One of the most popular spots here is the opportunity to see the Crown Jewels.
Underground Circle Line: Monument Station
Monument of the Great Fire of London
Saint Dunstan in the East Church Garden
Underground Jubilee Line: London Bridge Station
From here you have easy walking distance to the London Bridge, Borough Market. Walk along the Thames to see Shakespeare’s Globe, the Clink Prison Museum, and the Tate Modern Museum.
Theatre District
Underground Circle Line: Temple Station
If you love the history about Templars take the Circle Line to Temple Station and walk to Fleet Street. From here you can visit the Templar Church
London Terms
Whenever I go somewhere new I find the differences interesting. It is also helpful to understand what the terms mean. For example in London they say “Give way”, which in the U.S. would mean “yield.” Some other things we learned:
- Take away food in London is equivalent to take out food in the U.S. Take away food is cheaper than eating at a table in London, this is not necessarily true in the U.S.
- We were told by some Londoners that they are taught to que from a young age. This in the U.S. simply means you stand in line.
- In London you walk on the footpath and in the U.S. we would say sidewalk
- On the Tube watch your footing when entering and exiting sometimes there is a gap between the train and the platform and they will remind you to “Mind the Gap.”
- We also found the signs on the road interesting. Since they drive on the opposite side of the road than we do in the U.S. they were helpful.
During our visit we noticed many of the older buildings were under constructed. We thought it was interesting that the facade of the buildings are kept in tact, but the rest of the building is new. Scaffolding holds up the front of facade while the rest of the building is rebuilt.
