If you haven’t read my post on Part 1 of my trip, be sure to check that out first.
Day 3: Tuesday, September 25
My family and I woke up early Tuesday morning and boarded our flight to London, England. We flew on Easy Jet. Again, the seats were a little uncomfortable, but we didn’t lose any of our luggage and our flight was on time, so no complaints.
We arrived at London Luton Airport. After grabbing lunch, we boarded a bus to the train station and took the train to the Underground (this is what London calls its subway). Apparently that pass that we bought for the bus and train also let us board the Underground without an extra fare. Pretty good! I wish the TTC had fare integration like this!
We checked in to our Airbnb, which was conveniently located near the West Kensington Underground station. Although not as spacious as our Reykjavik Aribnb, our flat (or as Canadians like to refer to it as an apartment) was nicely furnished. There was even a box of English scones waiting for us. (Thanks Hostmaker!)
The United Kingdom has always been pretty high on my bucket list of places I’d like to visit. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve wanted to go. I’m of British heritage, plus my cousin lives there, so I’d be foolish not to visit the motherland.
You probably already know that the Brits drive on “wrong side of the road,” but did you know that they use different electrical outlets than Canada and the U.S.? You’ll need an adaptor like this one to be able to charge your cellphone , laptop and other devices. It also helps to have an adaptor that works in several countries. (And to complicate matters, the U.K. uses different power outlets than Iceland.)
We were all pretty tired from a long day of commuting, so I didn’t spend too much time exploring. I did take a stroll through the neighbourhood and a nice walk along the River Thames.
When you’re in London you’ll want to buy an Oyster card. The Underground is the easiest way to get around. You can load as much money on the card as you like. The annoying part is London has fare zones. Depending on where you’re travelling to, you might blow through the funds on your Oyster card quicker than you anticipate. (It’s easily reloadable though at Underground stations.) You don’t have to worry about loading too much money on your card, as you can get a refund of any unused funds before heading to the airport.
Again, to help save money on food my family picked up groceries. We ended up calling it an early night, so we could be well rested to get in a full day of sightseeing the next day.
Day 4: Wednesday, September 26
After a good night’s sleep, we headed to the bus stop for the Hop on Hop Off bus tour. This is the best way to see London. The tour bus conveniently takes you to all the best tourist destinations. We stopped at Big Ben, Buckingham Palace (the changing of the guards is well worth the wait), Tower of London (you can see the Crown Jewels there), Trafalgar Square, Palace of Westminster and more.
London can be rainy at times, but we were fortunate. The weather was gorgeous during our stay. It was sunny and near 20°C every single day. If the weather is nice, be sure to check out Hyde Park. It’s a good place for a picnic or to rent a paddleboat.
Our last stop on the bus tour was the Thames. Included in was a free boat tour of the Thames. The boat tour was well worth it! I learned so much about the history of London’s most famous bridges.
After the boat tour, my sister and me rode the London Eye. You have the choice of paying for a regular or express ticket. If you’re going during the weekday, I’d recommend against the express ticket. We almost bought the express ticket, but I’m so glad we didn’t since it only took us 5 minutes to get to the front of the line with a regular ticket. Although it’s a little on the pricey side, the London Eye was well worth it. The huge observation wheel gave us a bird’s-eye view of the city.
We finished off our first full day in London in fashion with British style fish and chips. I’m a vegetarian, so I could only eat the chips. Nevertheless, it tasted a lot better than what I was used to back home.
Day 5: Thursday, September 27
London is a place known for its free museums. Unlike most major cities that charge admission, most museums in London are free. Most museums do ask for is a small donation. You can give as much or as little as you like.
We started the day by visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum. Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the museum is home to the world’s largest collection of decorative arts and design. Be sure to have your camera handy, as there are a lot of beautiful pictures to take.
After lunch we headed to the British Museum, a museum dedicated to human history, art and culture. My favourite exhibits were the Rosetta Stone and beginnings of money. The Rosetta Stone was particularly fascinating. It’s one of the most important objects in the museum since it holds the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Day 6: Friday, September 28
We started the day off by visiting the Monument to the Great Fire of London. “The Monument,” as it’s known by locals, commemorates the Great Fire of London, a fire that gutted inside the old Roman city wall in 1666. It was built on the site of St. Margaret’s, the first church to be destroyed by the fire. The Monument costs £10 to go up to the top.
Next we walked across Tower Bridge and London Bridge. Although I had seen them from below on the boat tour, there’s no feeling quite like walking on top of two of the most famous bridges in the world.
For lunch we stopped by the Borough Market, an outdoor market similar to St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, but on a larger scale. It’s a great place to try different types of food. There are plenty of options for vegetarians, too.
I finished the day by going up the tallest building in western Europe, the Shard. For those not afraid of heights, it costs £60 to go up to the observation deck, a little on the pricey side. (If you do not want to pay to go all the way up, you can just ask to go to the bar. It’s prettiest at sunrise or sunset.) At the top of the Shard enjoy drinks and ice cream while you take in a breathtaking 360° view of London. While I was up there, I was lucky to see Tower Bridge lift for a big ship. (Tower Bridge only lifts about three times a day.)
Day 7: Saturday, September 29
Saturday was my last full day in London, so I wanted to make the most of it. I enjoyed Hyde Park, so I decided to explore Regent’s Park. Regent’s Park is massive. You can have a picnic, admire the sculptures and visit the London Zoo, among other things.
In the afternoon we met up with my cousin Sarah who’s living and working in London. My dad’s a big Beatles fan, so we all crossed the famous Abbey Road crosswalk from the Beatles album cover. (Unlike Iceland where the motorists are super polite, the drivers in London are quite impatient. Despite following the rules of the road, I got honked at countless times and almost got ran over on a couple times.) After visiting the Abbey Road Studios, we went for tea and walked along the Jubilee Greenway.
Final Thoughts
I’m happy to say that I pretty much saw everything that I wanted to in London. It would have been nice to see a European soccer game (or football as the Brits call it) and take the train to France for a day, but there was so much to see and do in London that I didn’t get a chance. (Besides, spending a day in Paris wouldn’t do it justice. I’d rather spend a few days there.)
London was a lot of fun. If you’ve never been, I’d highly recommend that you visit. There’s so much to see and do there. Whether you’re into the outdoors or museums, there’s something for everyone.
Sean Cooper is the bestselling author of the book, Burn Your Mortgage: The Simple, Powerful Path to Financial Freedom for Canadians, available now on Amazon and at Chapters, Indigo and major bookstores, and as an Audiobook on Amazon, Audible and iTunes.