This past week I left both internet and pharmacy aside and got to know and revisit the fantastic city of London! I say revisiting since I had previously been there when I was younger but it was different to bring the boyfriend along and being responsible for planning our entire itinerary (I believe I did not do bad). So I took the camera and the boy there and went to discover this wonderful capital!
Here are some tips I have been putting together from my days there that may be useful for a future trip (either for myself or anyone else reading):
1 - Book your hotel near/in the center of London with breakfast included
They are slightly more expensive, that is true, but in my opinion it is totally worth it. This is because we ended up saving money on transport and it took us a lot less time to get to London's main attractions. If we choose a hotel near the center we can easily get there on foot. There are a lot of things you can do and visit in London and the last thing you want to do is having to waste your time on transportation to get there.
Regarding breakfast, I think it is an essential requirement to a proper start of the day. Having to leave the hotel and then still being overcharged for breakfast just makes your day slightly more complicated.
Here are some tips I have been putting together from my days there that may be useful for a future trip (either for myself or anyone else reading):
1 - Book your hotel near/in the center of London with breakfast included
They are slightly more expensive, that is true, but in my opinion it is totally worth it. This is because we ended up saving money on transport and it took us a lot less time to get to London's main attractions. If we choose a hotel near the center we can easily get there on foot. There are a lot of things you can do and visit in London and the last thing you want to do is having to waste your time on transportation to get there.
Regarding breakfast, I think it is an essential requirement to a proper start of the day. Having to leave the hotel and then still being overcharged for breakfast just makes your day slightly more complicated.
2 - Walk, walk, walk!
London has the advantage of being extremely flat, unlike Lisbon, which is great for walking. It ends up saving money on transportation and you end up doing more sightseeing. Also, the underground is absolutely CHAOTIC during rush hour and the ticket fare is more expensive!
3 - Buy all yout tickets online
All the attractions I went to had the option of buying tickets online. It is not only cheaper but also saves time in queues, you just get in and out! For Madame Tussauds and London Eye you can also get the combined pass where you save 20£.
4 - Enjoy the free stuff
Honestly, I found that most of London's attractions are quite expensive. You can not get into the most commonly known attractions without dropping at least 20£. So please enjoy every free stuff you can get! There are many great museums in which admission is free, although they recommend a small donation. We visited The National Gallery, The National History Museum, The British Museum and The Science Museum.
If you are visiting the Tower of London, I recommend that you take the free guided tour that takes place every 30 minutes. The guide is fantastic and you end up learning a lot!
5 - Sky Garden
This falls into the category above but I think it deserves its own spotlight. It is a 360º view of the entire city of London from a 35th floor, terrace and an interior garden included! Access to the Sky Garden is free but you must book your visit through their website.
6 - Meals
A great way to save some money on meals we discovered is through Sainsburry's meal deals. For 3£ you can eat a sandwich, a packet of crips, a chocolate or fruit, and a drink. You can also buy a small pizza already heated for 3.6£ there (4,6£ for a big one, if I'm not mistaken)! By the way, you can also get a 2l water bottle there for only 50p.
7 - Pack accordingly and always carry a raincoat
Everyone knows the typical grey and cloudy London weather so a raincoat in your backpack is a must. I consider myself lucky since it only rained on the last day I was there but it's always better to play it safe.
8 - Outlet adaptor
EU outlets are different from UK ones (apparently it was not enough for them to just drive on a different side!). So either bring an adaptor from home or ask for one at the hotel. Most of the time they have adapters for tourists. But please, never buy at the airport. That's 10£ you will never see again!
9 - Oyster card refund
Do not forget to get your Oyster card refund at the airport machines when you leave. That's 5£ and if you haven't used all the credit you had in it you will also get that money back!
10 - Take someone special
As cliché as it might sound, taking someone special with you and visiting this wonderful city with them definitely makes the trip much better!
Aaaand that's a wrap, I hope they have been somewhat useful! I am open to questions, suggestions and comments! (:
Over the next few days my instagram will be full of photos of this trip, take a peek!
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Não conhecia desse Sky garden!!! Parece ser bem fixe, ainda por cima é grátis.. :)
ReplyDeleteDos restantes pontos, só posso concordar contigo.
beijinhos
http://alebanac.blogspot.pt
Que saudades de Londres!
ReplyDeleteE quem me dera ter lido este post antes de lá ter ido :p
beijinho
www.keke.pt