Visiting London?

I get a lot of questions about where is best to go in London. I’m going to try to add to this list as I find more great places to go and things to do but here’s what I can think of right now.

Firstly it’s important to know where you’ll be staying – I don’t have recommendations for hotels as I live here, though I do have areas I can say are best for safety and getting to the usual tourist spots.

• Mayfair – This is close to Hyde Park and Oxford Street – easy to get to most anywhere in Central London
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• Marylebone – Just north and east of Mayfair this is a lovely neighbourhood I wander to during my lunch break. It’s on the edge of Regent’s Park which is my favourite park!
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• King’s Cross – I live here so I’m biased but obviously it’s very easy to get to anwhere from King’s Cross station. It can get a bit seedy by train stations but its usually quite safe! Plus you can visit Platform 9 3/4 if you fancy Harry Potter and check out next door’s St. Pancras station for a victorian brick station that’s really lovely.
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• Angel – I find myself in Angel often. It’s one stop from King’s cross and loads of busses get you pretty much anywhere from Angel Station. Loads of shopping and cafes and you can walk along the canal.
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• Greenwich – This is out of central London, maybe 7 miles? It used to be the center of London back in Tudor times and prior. It’s full of history. Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Where time starts and ends as we know it today. You can visit the prime meridian and see a tree that Queen Elizabeth I used to play on as a child. Even if you don’t stay here it’s worth a visit! Take a river ferry from Westminster to London Bridge and then onward to Greenwich. Stop at the Gypsy Moth for a drink and see the Cutty Sark.
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• The Strand – I know the least about this area but it’s where a lot of fancy hotels are and a lot of people stay here. It’s near The Thames and St. Pauls and Blackfriars and a load of easy walking sight seeing.
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As far as places to see, you will never see them all! I’ve made a list of my favourites which you can check out here: Google Maps List of Visitor Ideas

Check Out my food list, and my Markets List

My top 10 picks (as of this exact moment) are:

• Borough Market (food!) – EAST LONDON – Tube: (Northern / Jubilee) London Bridge
• Tower of London (crown jewels!) – EAST LONDON – Tube: (Circle / District) Tower Bridge
• Hampton Court Palace (worth the trek) – OUT OF TOWN  – Train: South Western Rail
• Kew Gardens (worth the trek) – OUT OF TOWN – Train: Overground
• Victoria and Albert Museum (Free!) – WEST LONDON – Tube: Circle / District / Piccadilly) South Kensington
• Regent’s Park (see the Rose Garden) CENTRAL – Tube: (Bakerloo, / Metropolitan, Hammersmith, Circle) Regent’s Park and Great Portland Street
• Highgate Cemetery (Book the Tour – Victorian Cemetery) NORTH LONDON – Tube: (Northern) Archway
• Fortnum & Mason (go for High Tea! also a great place for gifts; go next door to Cath Kidston for more gifts!) CENTRAL – Tube: (Piccadilly / Bakerloo) Piccadilly Circus
• Southbank (walk along the Thames to Borough Market towards Tower Bridge)
• Hampsted Heath (go for the view of the city and nature) NORTH WEST LONDON – Tube: (Northern) Hampsted; or Overground Hampstead Heath.

London is full of fun things. You can do loads of stuff for free from museums, to parks to walks. For a bit of money you can grab a lovely bite to eat at a swanky ramen place in SoHo or a Sunday Roast at any pub. Go see a play, a concert or a musical. Most are affordable and are a great way to fill an evening.

One of the most important things I can say is utilise public transport – it’s really not that scary!

Bus – it costs 1.50 per bus ride, but you can take as many busses as you want within an hour for one fare. Just press the stop button before your stop so the bus driver knows you want to get off. (use your oyster card!) *only tap to get on the bus.

Train – the tube and overground are great- get an oyster card from one of the big stations (Euston, Victoria, King’s Cross) and fill ‘er up! You’ll probably only need Zones 1-2. Just tap in and tap out and off you go!

Get the City Mapper App to calculate the easiest and / or cheapest way to get around town. It shows you what bus or train to take and when they will arrive next.

Have a question? Drop me a line!