London the ultimate travel guide
London is the capital of both England and the united Kingdom. It is a thriving multicultural capital city. There is so much to see here and there is something for everyone. Great historic sites, lots of cultural activities and great food scene makes it both and interesting and exciting destination. Whether you want to visit the tower of London, take a ride on the Thames, explore the many shopping streets or enjoy the night life there is something for all types of travellers. This is my London travel guide with tips for planning your trip to London. Hopefully my post will help guide you through your preparations and your visit to London
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Introduction Handy things to know Getting around London Popular Borough and Neighbourhoods Where to stay on your London Trip Food Things To Do In London |
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| HANDY THINGS TO KNOW |
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Language : English is the Language that most people will encounter on a visit to the city. Currency: Pound Sterling, British pounds or Great British Pounds is the currency that is used in London. All three are just slightly different names for the same thing London can be very expensive compared to many other European capitals so I will give you some tips later on this post for visiting on a budget. Credit/debit cards : Credit cards with the Mastercard or visa logo are widely accepted in London. ATM machines are widely accessible in malls, supermarkets and shopping streets as well as outside high street banks. You will no matter where you are in the city find that you are not to far from a ATM. Climate: the London climate is generally mild with the temperatures rarely being uncomfortably high or low (summer of 2022 was the exception) UK summer is from June to August and Winter is December to February. Temperatures usually stay around or just above 0 in winter and rarely gets above 25 degrees in summer. |
GETTING AROUND LONDON
London has many boroughs and neighbourhoods and the first time visitor may find this daunting. However dont let this put you off London has an excellent public transport system that will guide you around the city. I recommend that anyone who is planning a visit to London gets themselves and oyster card. There are two types of oyster card. There is the visitors oyster card and the normal oyster card. The main difference is a visitors oyster card can be sent to your home before your visit. Visitors oyster cards also offer additional special offers. Normal Oyster cards can be picked up in london from most tube stations and travel centres.
See my guide here for more information on using an oyster card while in London.
Mind the Gap
There are several transport options for getting around London. There are London buses, trains, Light railway, trams. However by far the most popular way to travel is by tube/underground. Its fast frequent and mostly reliable. However remember do mind the gap. This is a phrase you will here frequently if you use the tube during your Trip. The London underground is very old and was founded on 10th January 1863. For this reason its not fully wheelchair or pushchair friendly and has a lot of steep stairs and escalators although it is getting better with more stations becoming completely or partially step free. See the TFL website for disabled access routes to help you navigate more easily around the city.
POPULAR BOUROUGHS AND NEIGHBOURHOODS
On any trip to London there will be several neighbourhoods you will want to visit and despite them being close together all are very different and have their own individual flair.
Westminster – Probably one of the best-known boroughs in London as even if you have not heard of the city of Westminster you will recognise many of the must dos here. It’s where the Houses of Parliament, Churchill war rooms, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace are all located. Its the main tourist area and area of London you will not want to miss on your trip.
The city – or to give its proper title The city of London is London’s historical financial centre and where the stock exchange and bank of England are located here.
Covent Garden – Many of London’s theatres are situated. Its a shopping and entertainment hub as well as a place of culture. The 17th century St Pauls church (not be confused with St Pauls cathedral) is located here. As well as the Apple market, Transport museum and The royal opera house.
Greenwich – Located on Thames and known for its Maritime heritage. The 19th century restored ship the cutty sark is located here. its also home to the Maritime museum and the Royal observatory home to the Greenwich Meridian line.
WHERE TO STAY ON YOUR LONDON TRIP
There are many options to chose from in London from a bed in a hostel dorm to top suites at the Savoy there are way to many to include them all in this guide. There really is however options to suit all budgets and types of travellers. I have been to London a number of times over the years and stay in a great many places but since Im a budget traveller I have never stayed in a top hotel such as the Savoy in London so I will review two hotels that I have recently stayed at that I found to be ok but I will give you an honest opinion of them.
Travelodge Farringdon
I stayed here recently had a single room. First off I booked this for two Reason A its close proximity to the Eurostar terminal at Kings cross St Pancreas station and B Im familiar with Travelodge hotels and knew more or less what to expect.
I had a single room as per my booking and the room was ok it was the usual Travelodge style of hotel with the standard features you would find in a budget hotel. The bed was comfy and the sheets where clean. The hotel has a bar and restaurant and serves breakfast.
I had dinner here the first night and Ive eaten at several travelodges and there meals are never Michelin star fayre but the alway nice this time it was just ok and I’d rate it 3 out of 5 at best.
Their drinks range and prices where ok compared to other places in London and all staff where super friendly.
This was one of the cheaper options when i was booking my London trip. Although I think it is slightly overpriced for what you get but so are most things in London its still a good hotel and I would stay again. I’d rate overall a 4 out of five.
Portico Hotel
Portico Hotel is located in the Victoria area of London. I booked this hotel for its location. The hotel was nice and staff where friendly. It has excellent transport links with both Victoria coach station and the Victoria railway and underground station located close by. Lots of places around the area for eating out and for shopping. Its not far from Buckingham palace. Its really a good area of London to stay as its close to lots of things and easy transport links to the rest of the city.
However I had booked a single room that was the most expensive room for one night that I had booked in my whole 3 month trip around Europe. It was also the smallest room of all of them. I was backpacking and space was so small that I couldn’t get the door closed with my pack on my back the space was so tight.
However it was super clean, its a similar price to most hotels in this area. You really are paying top price for a top location and the staff where both helpful and friendly. There are far worse options than staying here trust me I’ve stayed in some.
I would stay here again if i needed to stay in this area of London. The only thing wrong really was the size of the room but its an old building so they tend to be like this. Id give it 4 out of 5. So this could be good choice for your trip to London if location is a key factor and you don’t mind a smaller room. Check it out on booking.com
These are two of the places I have stayed but there are many options out there.
Hostels
You should expect to pay £15- 25 for a dorm with beds for 4-8 people and around £12-£16 for a bed in dorm for 10-18 people. Single sex dorms are usually a few pounds more expensive. A private room with shared bathroom would set you back £50-£90. This price can increase dramatically the closer to the city centre you go and rooms with private bathroom you can expect to pay £100 or more. Expect to pay around £10-£15 more in high season.
Budget Hotels
You should expect to pay between £55-£100 and much more if closer to the centre or in high or even mid seasons for a budget hotel.
FOOD
British cuisine has changed a lot over the years with the many different cultures now living here but its still a meat and two veg country. Fish and chips is still a popular food of choice for both lunch and dinner. With the typical roast dinner still being very popular especially for Sunday lunch. Pies, sausages, stewed and roasted meats are popular choices. With Yorkshire puddings being a popular side especially with roast beef and lashing of gravy. Curry are also popular dishes (Tikka masala is thought to have originated in restaurant in Glasgow).
It is possible to eat cheaply in London if you stick to street food and venders. You may even find if you staying in a hostel that you get a free breakfast. Fish and chips or kebabs cost around £6-£8 per dish. Fast food such as McDonlds, Burger king, KfC and similar a burger on its own will set you back around £5-£6 with a meal costing around £7-£12 although McDonalds also has a saver menu which starts off at around £1.50 for a small chicken burger or hamburger. KFC also does Bargain buckets for sharing (4-6 servings depending on the meal) priced around £10-£30 depending on the options chosen. A meal in a pub or restaurant serving traditional food for a mid-range meal would cost £12-£16. A pint of beer can cost £6-£8 depending on the type and Glass of wine around £6-£10.
If you want to eat high end food in London there are plenty of choices but if this is your thing expect to pay a lot for it. In a Mid range restaurant a three course meal including a drink would cost around £30-£50. With higher-range restaurants cost £70 or more.
If you plan on cooking your own meals then a food shop for a week for 1-2 people will cost around £50-£70. This will get you staples such a bread, milk, rice, pasta and Potatoes. With veggies and some meats. Before the latest cost of living crisis it was cheaper to shop in Aldi and Lidl for your shopping. With Asda, morrison, tesco and sainsburty seen as mid-range with marks and spencer’s and Waitrose being higher-range. However I find at the moment that it actually depends what you are buying.
THINGS TO DO IN LONDON
There are so many great things to see and do in London that its hard to put them all in one place for this guide so below I have given you my personal top ten things to do in London. I will do a more in-depth guide to things to do in London and link below later.
My top 10 of things not to be missed on a visit to London –
1 Big ben and the houses of Parliament –
Big Ben and the houses of Parliament are must on any visit to London. Big Ben is actually the Bell within the clock tower which you can hear chime 4 times a hour. Although most people also refer to the clock tower as Big Ben.
The clock tower has had a few names and is currently the Queen Elizabeth tower. You cannot visit the tower unless your a UK resident over the age 11 and you have applied in advance. You must be able to walk up the 334 steps unaided. The tower is currently closed due to refurbishment work that was started in 2017. The work is now complete and its expected to open later in the year.
If you want to learn about the UK parliament during your trip take a tour of the houses of parliament or to give its proper name the palace of Westminster. The current building was built between 1840 and 1876 after fire destroyed the previous building. A multimedia tour with audio guide costs £25 and up to one child can go free with a paying adult. You can also visit the public rooms for free without a tour. If you don’t want to go inside or don’t have time its just as great to see from the outside.
2 Visit London’s Buckingham Palace and changing of the guard –
The Kings (still feels so odd to say that) official UK and English residence (he has different official residences in the other countries of UK) only opened for a few weeks in the Summer. However Its still worth a visit to see the outside of the building. Make sure to have your visit to this iconic London Palace coincide with the changing for the guard. This takes place daily in June and July and on Monday, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays August to May. It takes place at 11am but get there early to get a good spot. Please check the official changing of the guard website for the exact schedule as it is subject to change and late cancelation. It will not take place in inclement weather. No trip to London is complete without a visit to Buckingham palace or watching the changing of the guard.
What is the changing of the guard? Its the ceremony where one kings guards hands over responsibility for the Protection of Buckingham Palace and St James Palace to the new guard. Just a tip although they have become a tourist attaction the Kings Guard are highly trained Elite soldiers do not get in their way, do not touch them or interfere with them in anyway they are there to protect the King.
3 St Pauls cathedral –
St Pauls cathedral is another great place in London to visit. Its been a number of years since I have visited here. It costs £20.50 to visit if booked on line or £23 on the day. You can visit the crypt to see the last resting places of Sir Christopher Wren, Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. Or why not climb the steps to the whispering gallery (currently closed). Then carry on up to the Dome if your physically able to climb the 528 steps. There is a stunning view of the city. Check the cathedral website for current opening timings and closures for special events.
4 Visit Tower bridge and Tower of London –
The tower bridge is just the most stunning bridge on the Thames. It is rivalled by none and should not be mistaken for London bridge which to be Frank looks quite unremarkable in comparison. The bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that opens in the middle and was built to ease congestion on both sides of the river without affecting the river traffic to the docklands. You can go inside the bridge. If you do you will learn all about the history of the bridge and the people who built it. You will also see some stunning views. The cost is £12.30.
Just a short walk away from Tower Bridge is one of my favourite places to visit In London. The tower of London was built in 1070 and this place has quite a few stories to tell. Visit the crown jewels, hear the stories of the towers past residents, walk the battlements, see the Yeoman known as Beefeaters a nickname they earned as they where allowed to eat as much beef as they wanted from the table of King Henry VII and look out for the legendry black Ravens.
A visit to the tower of London costs £29.90 for an adult ticket. Tip the Yeoman have become almost as big a tourist attraction as the tower itself. However like the guards at Buckingham palace they are highly trained Elite soldiers who will happily pose for a picture with you. They do guided tours at specific times but remember they are actually there not just to entertain but to protect the crown Jewels and the tower from attack. This should be on the list of top things to do for everyone planning a trip to London.
5 A free walking tour –
A free walking tour i hear you say something thats actually free in London well yes and no. The tours is free in the sense that its not got a set price. However this is a tip based tour where you pay the guide what you feel is the right price based on your enjoyment of the tour and how much you can afford to give. Any amount is appreciated by the guides. In London there are so many choices of walks and guides doing walks that you will be truly spoiled for choice. I usually book my tours through walking guru or their partner companies. I’ve done a number of tours through them in various location across Europe and every one has been great. I’ve yet to do one that I cannot recommend
6 The London Eye –
Formally known as the Millennium Wheel as it was first unveiled to celebrate the Millenium way back in the year 2000. It’s essentially a giant Ferris wheel on the Thames. If you go for a ride you will be blessed with stunning views down the river Thames. Prices vary depending on the tickets booked. A standard ticket booked online start from £30.50 and fast track start from £53 if booked online. If you buy tickets in person at the London eye during your visit prices start at £40.50 for a standard ticket and £55 for a fast track ticket. Combination tickets are available for other sights.
7 a cruise on the Thames –
Another great thing to do on a visit to London. One company that I have used a lot is Thames clipper cruises. They offer full day unlimited hopper tickets with options to go all the way to Greenwich and prices start from £21.20 for a river rover or £11.30 for East river rover.
8 Greenwich –
Visit here for Royal observatory and Royal maritime museum and the cutty Sark. I just love this little village right next to the big city its easy to forget your so close to central London when here
9 Churchill war rooms –
The cabinet rooms are under Westminster and its here that Churchill and his cabinet met during world war 2. They met here during air raids to discuss the war efforts. This is a great museum to visit to find out about what the British Prime minister and his Cabinet where doing during the war. See my post on my visit here .
10 a show –
No visit to London is complete without catching a show in one of the many West End theatres. Personal favourites The lion king, Mary Poppins and Wicked.
coming soon my things to do in London post
If you have found my London travel guide helpful please check out my three days in London posts for what I got up to on my most recent visit to London and more ideas on what to see and do here.
Coming soon free Things to do in London and my guide to London on a tight budget. London food guide for those on a tight budget.
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