After a 21 hour flight from the southern hemisphere to the north, we landed in Heathrow Airport. Upon exiting the airport, the cold weather hit us and the days greeted us with weather no warmer than 14’c. The rumours are true about London – majority of the time it’s cold & drizzling rain but when the sun does make an appearance the city is beautiful and everything around you makes you warm.
We were newbies to the travelling world and it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with London. The main details I look for when planning a holiday include where I want to visit, the sights I have to see and the ones that I could possibly miss… and with 5 full days in the city, it gave us enough time for the perfect insight.
We stayed right near Russell Square Station. We were able to walk to most places (one way at least) but it is easy enough to jump on the London underground or ‘the tube’ as it is more knowingly called. There are parks all throughout London and we have never been so excited as we saw our first squirrel! We don’t have squirrels in Australia and I’m sure people could point out the tourists.
A 10 minute walk north of Russell Square got us to Kings Cross station. It wouldn’t be a trip to London without checking out Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter.
It may be a novelty but you shouldn’t skip the famous London Eye – if you’re not afraid of heights you’ll get great views of the city below.
Big Ben is a beauty and one of the most iconic buildings in London with free entry to the Houses of Parliament. Not far a stroll is Westminster Abbey.
We crossed the London Bridge which most people get confused with the Tower Bridge. We toured the Tower of London; a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames which I recommend. It’s always fun playing with the serious London guards, trying to make them crack a smile. A lot is on display including the Crown Jewels.
Afterwards, we jumped on a cruise down the River Thames. We bought a 48-hour hop-on hop-off Big Bus pass which was a great way to get around the city with the perks of commentary. It’s also a good way to keep out of the rainy weather & still enjoy the sights. Another added bonus, the river cruise on the Thames is included! Booking in advance on the website might score you a cheaper price.
On the border of St James & Green Park you’ll find Buckingham Palace. Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace takes place daily at 11:30 am and is worth the watch, although be aware that it does get busy.
We crossed into Hyde Park before heading to Harrods – if only I had travel funds for shopping as I was in heaven; clothes, shoes, cosmetics and even Harrods own pet department.
There are plenty of shopping and great districts in London. Crossing from Hyde Park through Marble Arch led us into Oxford street and Oxford Circus; known as the busiest shopping street in Europe. Regent Street is also one of the major shopping streets in the West End of London and always good for a walk around. The illuminating signs are most famous in Piccadilly Circus and a good hangout spot at night. Don’t miss the touristy M&M store in Leicester Square. With a full wall dedicated to endless colours of M&M, this 3 level shop will keep you busy (and hungry).
Take a stroll past Number 10 Downing Street and it’s nice shiny black door – It’s the headquarters of the British Government & the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom residence. Trafalgar Square, often considered the heart of London, is a beautiful touristy square. This attraction is free and a great place to sit and watch the world around you. At the centre is Nelsons Column and a number of Lion Monuments which people excitedly climbed all over. You’ll also find Trafalgar Square fountain which is beautiful but unfortunately the iconic fountains water supply was switched off due to water restrictions.
You may not be a fan of visiting all the churches in every city but this one I do recommend – St. Paul’s Cathedral. We paid entry to marvel at the beautiful church before climbing the many stairs for a beautiful view over London. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch at a small cafe in St Paul’s Churchyard serving soup & bread to warm us up on such a cold day.
From here you can walk across millennium bridge towards Shakespeare’s globe theatre. The Natural Museum of History was fun to explore for a few hours but of course there are endless options of things to see and do it would be impossible to see it all in 5 days.
I’m not sure what it is about London but I love everything about this city. The beautiful streets, architecture, endless sites and things to see and explore but unfortunately our bags were packed as we flagged down a black cab to head to the airport for our flight to our next destination – Amsterdam.
Tower Bridge
Keep in mind that you may experience jet lag at the beginning & the end of your travels whilst your body tries to adjust to the clock. It doesn’t help that the sun doesn’t set until after 9:30 pm in the spring & summer time but there are a few ways to get over jet lag:
• Plan your flights arrival time: if you are lucky enough to have flight time options, choose a flight that arrives mid to late afternoon. That will give you enough time to travel from the airport to your hotel, wind down then try to adjust your sleeping patterns to local time.
• If your flight gets in at weird hours or early morning I suggest having a couple hours nap to regain energy but try not to sleep for long periods in the day and wait until night time.
• Leave yourself with 1-2 days from when your flight lands if you need more recovery time. There would be nothing worse if you only allocated 3 days and one of them you felt under the weather!
ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL 