Destination
London England
London
Introduction
I absolutely love this city. It’s huge, but it’s totally manageable to me for some reason. There are a ton of things to do, and like other destinations, this can be really overwhelming, so I’ll just share some of the things that we’ve done that should be on anyone’s to-do list when they visit.
Places To Stay
This is a VERY short list, so if you want more of a variety of choices, head to TripAdvisor.
Hotel Montana
When we go to London we always stay here. It’s sort of a family tradition. David’s parents decided to stay at this hotel years ago and proceeded to always stay there whenever they went to London.
This is a modest, 3-star hotel on Gloucester Road in South Kensington. In fact they have turned down the offer to be promoted to a 4-star more than once as they would prefer to be the best 3-star in London. Most rooms have private bathrooms, and the rooms are various sizes and prices. The staff is as accommodating as they can be.
Perks
- Breakfast is included, and it’s a decent breakfast (cereals, toast, fruit, yogurt, cheese, and a few more things that make it more than a simple continental breakfast) and since going out to eat is not cheap in London, the included breakfast frees up our money to spend on other things. The breakfast area converts to an Indian restaurant in the evenings, which has amazing Indian food. The restaurant and the hotel are owned by the same family.
- The location is hard to beat. Gloucester Road is in South Kensington, which is a district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. I’ll get to that in a bit.
- The security. You have to get past the front desk to enter the stairs that lead to the rooms, and your room key is always with the front desk when you leave the building. The neighborhood is quiet and safe. You can also leave your luggage in the lobby if your cab drops you off and the room isn’t ready. The lobby is cozy and your luggage will be safe.
About Gloucester Road/South Kensington
There’s more than one decent hotel in this area, of course. This is why I love staying in this district, particularly on Gloucester Road:
- It’s in the smallest borough in London, which makes it manageable for us because it’s not insanely huge and intimidating.
- It’s a nice area. The whole borough is lovely and includes affluent (and, thanks to movies, kind of familiar) areas such as Notting Hill, Chelsea, and Knightsbridge.
- It’s convenient. The Gloucester Road Tube Station is less than a block from our hotel,, which connects to 2 lines: the District Line and the Circle Line (both of these lines go to many of the places I’ll mention in the Things to Do section; it’s a very good station). The station itself is next to a Boots pharmacy (one of my favorite drugstores ever), a nice grocery store, an outdoor florist, and a restaurant called Garfunkel’s that we like. You can also stop by a grab-and-go place to get a sandwich or a drink as you walk in the station..The area is pedestrian-friendly (just be sure to LOOK RIGHT before you cross a typical street or a car that’s turning left at a red light could smack you)
Shops and stops along Gloucester Road
Here are a few places we love that are literally steps away from our hotel:
- Tesco mini grocery (there are several self-serve checkouts but the staff is helpful if you have trouble). They have fresh bread, bottled water, to-go food items, and other things that make this a step up from the average American convenience store.
- Pret A Manger – a great little ready-made fresh sandwich shop that also has breakfast items, salads, coffee, and bottled drinks. Grab what you want and pay at the counter. Everything is freshly made and they have vegetarian options. There are Prets throughout the city.
- Starbucks – this is right across the street from the Tube station. They have a slightly different menu (you won’t likely find the sugar-free options that you see at American Starbucks, and the food options are a little more British) but we like Starbucks in the UK just fine. Plus you can get a Starbucks card with Union Jack flags and stuff and have it activated there so you can have a fun souvenir that you can use when you get home.
- Da Mario Italian restaurant – This is a top-rated Italian restaurant a couple of blocks from the Gloucester Road Tube station. They can accommodate large parties. The food is very, very good. Online reviewers love the place too.
- Bliss Pharmacy – This is a little pharmacy that not only has a pharmacy and the obligatory medicines and the like, it has a very good assortment of hair and skin care products that are hard to find in the States. You can find brands like Caudalie and Givenchy makeup and Bliss is honestly a little paradise for people like me who love French and UK brands. One thing though: it’s a bit pricey.
- PAUL Bakery – This is a great bakery franchise that you can find here and there in London
- Hereford Arms – Great little comfy pub and restaurant on Gloucester. Everything I’ve had here is awesome. Don’t let what you’ve heard about British food scare you off. The Hereford Arms is a great neighborhood place, and you’ll often see people gathered here after work, enjoying a beer and each others’ company. Reservations are allowed and encouraged.
- Waitrose – This is actually called Little Waitrose because it’s not a huge grocery. It’s in the Gloucester Tube Station area (the “Arcade”) and is about the size of the average Fresh Market. It’s got the usual stuff you’d find at most supermarkets, as well as fresh bread and lots of to-go items. This is where we pick up scones, British candy and chips (“crisps”, actually – Walker’s is my favorite brand) and
perishables that we can keep in our hotel room’s fridge. One thing: bags are 15 pence each, so you might want to bring reusable bags with you to shop. Also, you bag your own groceries. No baggers. - Boots Pharmacy – I’m actually obsessed with Boots. They’re all over the place, actually, so you’ll see the throughout London. This one is in the Gloucester Arcade near the Waitrose. They have lots of great skin care and makeup items that aren’t easy to get in the US. Also, and I know this from experience, they have really good cold meds like cough syrup (kinds for “tickly coughs” and kinds for “chesty coughs”, which I find delightful), and some of their meds, like Mucinex and acetaminophen, are called guaifenesin and paracetamol. And bring your own Sudafed because it’s probably more strict in the UK than it is in the US.
- Garfunkel’s – Also in the Gloucester Arcade, Garfunkel’s is a great franchise, in my opinion. It’s got British classics, like shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, but it also has burgers and other familiar-to-Americans stuff. You can make reservations here as well.
- Pizza Express – This is located on Cromwell, literally just around the corner from the Montana Hotel. We went here when it was newly opened and it was great. Pizza Express is part of a chain. We really liked it. The prices weren’t crazy expensive either.
Things To Do
Like all big cities, there are so many things to do that it can be frustrating, because you can’t do everything. I’ll list some of the highlights from our London travels that we feel need to be added to most everyone’s to-do lists. My advice is this: if you plan on going to several museums or other attractions that usually take up a good bit of time, don’t do more than two a day. You’ll end up frustrated and will barely remember your visit.
Featured Activity - British Museum
If you can go to only one museum in London, go to the British Museum. As with the V&A, you need to plan on spending AT LEAST half a day here. This is where the Rosetta Stone is (there are always crowds of people around it but it’s not as bad as the Mona Lisa at The Louvre), and there are so many artifacts from Rome, ancient Egypt, Greece, Macedonia, and other places around the world, that it is astounding. There are several floors, and it’s very well-organized. If you are a museum lover, this is your place. Make this a priority during one of the days you are in London. It has a lovely, large food court with very good food, including pastries, salads, and tea/coffee. You can totally have a lovely lunch or tea here.
Featured Activity - London Eye
I’ve been on The London Eye at least four times. It’s worth the ticket price in our opinion. Book online in advance and save up to 15%. We always go around sunset so we can see the city as the sun is going down. Be sure to ask about their guaranteed entry with a time slot near sunset so you can enjoy the sunset during your experience. It’s a wonderful view. Next door is Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and if you’d like to do both, package rates are available. We haven’t been to the wax museum so you may want to read reviews if you’re not sure about going.
Buckingham Palace
Obviously. It’s not far away at all if you’re coming from the Gloucester Road tube station. Go online if you want to see if there are any events being held there or if you want to know when the changing of the guards is.
Green Park
Green Park is very close to Buckingham Palace and is one of the Royal Parks of London. In warmer weather there will be plenty of runners, people walking their dogs, people laying out in the sun or picnicking or reading. It’s a lovely place to relax and people watch. Note: there are a LOT of parks in London, so if you love parks, or being outdoors, hit up Google for some great ideas.
Virginia & Albert Museum (V&A)
The V&A, as it’s called, is HUGE. If you plan to go, plan on spending at least half a day here. I’ve been here several times when my group was in a hurry and I may as well not have gone because I was so frustrated at not being able to actually enjoy this museum. Admission is free, by the way.
Tate Modern
If you like art, particularly modern art, head over to the Tate Modern. It’s a nice walk across the Millennium Bridge to get there (unless it’s raining, and then you just have to suck it up). Admission is free. I like it but I’m artsy. If modern art is too much for your brain, head elsewhere.
Imperial War Museum
If you are a history buff, especially military history buff, or if you have kids who love looking at old tanks and bombers, this is your place to go. The Imperial War Museum website actually has several locations; we went to the one in London. Admission is free.
Before I overwhelm myself by trying to reinvent the wheel by making this giant list, I thought I’d provide a link from visitlondon.com to the top free museums in London. The city is flooded with free things to see, so take advantage.
West End shows
There is some AMAZING theatre in London’s West End (go here for a brief explanation of London’s West End as compared to NYC’s Broadway). Shows change regularly, so do your research ahead of time and order tickets in advance.
West End can be reached via Tube off Gloucester Road, if you’re staying in that area. Many shows are held in very old theatres, so the interiors themselves, with their grand auditoriums and velvet seats, are delightful.
They usually have 15-minute intermissions with ice cream available for purchase (at a premium, so bring cash). Bars and snacks are available in the theatres.
Restrooms are usually small and not abundant, so my advice is to not drink a lot of anything a couple of hours before a show, particularly alcohol. The last thing you want to do is to have to get up and try to squeeze in front of 12 people as you move from the middle row to the aisle to find a bathroom. One show to consider is the classic play Mousetrap. Boasted as the world’s longest-running show, it’s in a very small theatre, so book your spots early.
Harrods
Plan on spending some serious money if you want to shop at Harrods. It’s absolutely huge and has the top designer brands. If nothing else, go to the famous food hall and buy something there, at least a scone or other bakery item. There are plenty of souvenirs you can get at Harrods that won’t break the bank, like an umbrella or mug, so not everything costs hundreds of pounds. I bought some luxury socks there once and was happy just carrying around my Harrods bag for all to see.
Big Ben & Parliament
This is not far from the London Eye and is always a great photo op. We got tickets to tour the Houses of Parliament and it was interesting but not an absolute must-see for me.
Tower of London & Tower Bridge
This is definitely a must-see on my list. There are several ways to visit Tower of London and different price points depending on your budget and what you want to see. If you want to see the Crown Jewel collection, that’s a separate price than the general admission ticket. While you’re in the Tower of London area, Tower Bridge is right there so you may as well go. All we did was go on the bridge and take pictures, so I don’t have any info on booking tickets.
Camden Town
Camden Town, also called Camden, is a district of northwest London that is famous for its shopping market area. It’s super fun to visit and go shopping; there are vintage shops, cheap souvenir stands, food market areas, street food vendors, shops and restaurants in buildings, and an area called The Stables that has hundreds of shops and vendors (the link in my first sentence has more details). If you love clubs and festivals and neon everything, don’t miss Cyberdog. No pics allowed once you’re inside that shop. If you plan on going to Camden, plan on spending several hours here. By the way, keep an open mind if you’re on the conservative side. You’ll see lots of piercings and tattoos and other things that you might not be used to seeing.
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is an awesome area in London. Some of the major shopping districts are around the area, and events are often there. It’s basically the junction of 5 major London streets and is very popular with locals and tourists alike.
M&Ms World London
DO NOT MISS THIS IF YOU HAVE KIDS. They will hate you forever if you take your kids and then they find out years later that you didn’t take them to M&M’s World. It’s basically a big store in Leicester Square, not far from Piccadilly Circus. Keep in mind that you’ll have to leave with something you bought there or you may as well have not taken the kids there and their childhood might just be ruined. If nothing else, just buy some M&Ms from the rainbow-colored bulk bins lining the walls and take some selfies with the giant M&M figures.
The Lego Store
Again. DO NOT MISS THIS IF YOU HAVE KIDS. When it opened in 2016 it was the world’s biggest Lego store. There are buildings and people and a life size Tube train car made of Legos. When we went there was a classic red phone booth made of Legos. Just the photo ops are a reason to go. Unlike M&Ms World, we didn’t risk damaging our relationship with our kids when we walked out of there without having bought Legos. There are too many awesome distractions – including kid-sized stations where you can build things from Legos – to worry with purchasing Lego products if it’s not really in your budget. Even if you don’t have kids with you, it’s a fun place to stop by and look around.
Tours Near London
Every time we’ve toured in London we’ve used Evan Evans Tour Company. They have consistently been amazing. By the way, we’re getting nothing by way of compensation from any tour company. We just liked them and recommend them.
Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, and Dover Tour
Alphabetically first is this tour. I can’t describe how amazing it all was. It’s also an all-day tour, so make this the main thing you do and plan nothing else that day because you’ll be exhausted. Leeds Castle itself is huge and super awesome, and David and I had plenty of time to visit the castle and then have a proper tea afterwards, which was just lovely. Canterbury itself is straight out of a storybook, and the cathedral is too much for words. There are little shops in the area to pick up souvenirs, and if you want to try a British pasty (pronounced “past-ie”), which is basically a mini beef pot pie in a flaky pastry – you can head over to West Cornwall Pasty Company and have yourself a pasty and some other fun snacky stuff. Everything I had was great. It’s basically the epitome of comfort food. The last stop, Dover, gives you a lovely sight – the beautiful white cliffs of Dover. Epic tour, in my opinion.
Stonehenge and Bath Tour
The Stonehenge and Bath tour was really, really good. Bath is a really neat old city with ruins of Roman baths, and Stonehenge, of course, is on pretty much everyone’s bucket list, right? This is an all-day tour, and you have plenty of time to look around, take pictures, learn, use the toilets, eat, and enjoy the tour. It’s worth the money.
Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour
If you are a rabid Harry Potter fan – even if you’ve been to the one in Orlando – start saving now to go on this tour. It’s worth every penny. I wasn’t even a rabid Harry Potter fan and I freaking loved this tour. The tour we went on took us by tour bus to the Warner Bros. studio outside London and we spent the day gawking at the amazing sets – the actual sets used in the movies – and props and models and all kinds of other amazing things.
Windsor Castle
This is worth the admission. Windsor Castle is the biggest and oldest occupied castle in the world. The busiest times are in the mornings. They advise booking in advance. It’s a lovely castle and the artifacts that are on display are astounding.
Transportation
Aside from maybe taking a cab from the airport, I recommend using London Underground (or The Tube).
About The Tube
It’s easy to be intimidated by the idea of using this massive transit system that is underneath basically under London. But it really is the fastest way to get from one destination to another. You will need to find out ahead of time which tube line you need to choose for whatever destination. We’ve always bought, in advance, 7-day travel cards in Zones 1 and 2, and we have rarely needed to go outside those zones. Central London is Zone 1, and Zone 2 basically is a big circle around Zone 1. The main museums and attractions are in those two zones. If we leave those zones to go to a destination, we either take a bus because we’re on a tour, or we buy a 1-day pass to whatever zone the destination is in.
Tube Tips
Buy Tube travelcards ahead of time.
You can order travelcards in advance (make sure it’s several weeks in advance so you get them in plenty of time). You can get travelcards for several days in a row, or you can order a card called an Oyster Card (for tourists it’s called a Visitor Oyster Card).Grab a Metro newspaper when you can.
The Metro is a highly entertaining newspaper that has local and world news as well as celebrity gossip, games, weird news, and cute personal ads. They’re free and are handed out at Tube stations or are sitting in piles, but they go fast.Pay attention to where you’re going.
London Underground has good signage throughout, but It’s easy to accidentally head in the wrong direction if you aren’t really paying attention to those signs/maps. Staff are usually helpful, but Londoners usually keep to themselves; many are in a hurry and are also listening to music or are otherwise caught up in what they’re doing, so don’t depend on asking a local for extensive help regarding Underground navigation.Allow yourself a good bit more time than you think you need.
If you have somewhere to be by a certain time, say a particular show, plan it out. The hotel to the Tube station takes however long to walk, then you take a lift or escalator down to where the platforms are, then you have however much time to find the correct platform, then you have your time from one stop to the next (and if you need to change lines before your destination, that takes time too). Then you have to go up the escalator or lift and walk to your destination. All of this could take just half an hour, but you need to pad your time with the possibility of a late train, or getting behind because of the crowds, etc. Once you travel a few times, you’ll get the hang of it. If you’re a regular on subways in the US, you’ll be fine, but plenty of areas, like The South, don’t have underground anything except maybe basements, and London Underground can scare people from our area to death.The Tube will be seriously crowded at times.
Londoners aren’t really squeamish about being right up on each other on a crowded Tube train. If you’re weird about personal space, this will either desensitize you or ruin your life. I thought I was weird about personal space but for some reason, a bunch of people crammed up against me in a train shooting through a hole underground never bothered me from the beginning. This may be because I adapt well to circumstances, but it’s probably also because it seems as though Londoners know what they’re doing and look like they’re totally bored when crammed together on a train. They’re staring ahead or listening to music or reading something and are otherwise ignoring everything because this is just not a big deal. I just do what I see them doing. If you’re traveling with one or more others, this can help alleviate anxiety because you’re at least crammed in with someone you probably at least like. If you suck at dealing with crowds, you can find out ahead of time where and when things are most crowded (for example, right when people get out of work) and try to plan your travel around those times.
Good Eats
If you want a Best Places To Eat In London list, they’re all over the internet. There are thousands of restaurants in London and because we’re mindful of our budgets, we tend to limit our restaurant experiences because we’d rather travel more than drop hundreds of pounds at every restaurant possible. The following VERY short list came to mind and are mainly around where our hotel is on Gloucester Road in South Kensington. (Ordered Alphabetically)
Da Mario Italian restaurant
This is a top-rated Italian restaurant a couple of blocks from the Gloucester Road Tube station. They can accommodate large parties. The food is very, very good. Online reviewers love the place too.
Garfunkel's
Also in the Gloucester Arcade, Garfunkel’s is a great franchise, in my opinion. It’s got British classics, like shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, but it also has burgers and other familiar-to-Americans stuff. You can make reservations here as well.
Hereford Arms
Great little comfy pub and restaurant on Gloucester. Everything I’ve had here is awesome. Don’t let what you’ve heard about British food scare you off. The Hereford Arms is a great neighborhood place, and you’ll often see people gathered here after work, enjoying a beer and each others’ company. Reservations are allowed and encouraged.
Light of India
This is a very good Mexican restaurant in a contemporary atmosphere. I love getting a bunch of small plates/appetizers to share. Their drinks are great. They have house made guacamole, which is fabulous. Lupita has very good ratings from others as well.
Lupita Central Mexican Restaurant
Also in the Gloucester Arcade, Garfunkel’s is a great franchise, in my opinion. It’s got British classics, like shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, but it also has burgers and other familiar-to-Americans stuff. You can make reservations here as well.
PAUL Bakery
These are scattered throughout London and get rave reviews. Check them out here. There’s one about a block and a half from our hotel on Gloucester.
Pizza Express
This is located on Cromwell, literally just around the corner from the Montana Hotel. We went here when it was newly opened and it was great. Pizza Express is part of a chain. We really liked it. The prices weren’t crazy expensive either.
Pret A Manger
A great little ready-made fresh sandwich shop that also has breakfast items, salads, coffee, and bottled drinks. Grab what you want and pay at the counter. Everything is freshly made and they have vegetarian options. There are Prets throughout the city.
West Cornwall Pasty Company
If you’re looking for the best pasty in London, you can at least start here. I doubt you can find a general consensus on the best, most authentic pasty in London, because I’ve heard that you’d have to go to Cornwall to get the best pasty. There are plenty of lists, arguments, and forums online about where to go for pasties. I’ll update this when I get an answer that my British friends agree with.
London On A Budget
It’s not easy to do, really, since the plane tickets alone eat into a lot of people’s budgets, but it’s possible to save a few pounds here and there.
Find a hotel that has a fridge in the room
This way you can run down the street to the local Tesco or Waitrose and get snacks, sandwiches, bottled water, yogurt, and other groceries that you can stash and eat in your room here and there instead of going out to eat every meal.
Find a hotel that includes breakfast
Obviously this is not impossible, since there’s at least one hotel that we know does this: The Montana Hotel.
Go to AirBnB
We did this in Amsterdam, so we know it can be done. AirBnB has some excellent deals that prove to be much cheaper than hotel options. Some even have breakfast or a stocked fridge as part of the deal.
Choose museums and attractions that are free
Duh, you say. Well, I’m still putting this on the list because a lot of people don’t know that there are LOADS of free museums and attractions in London. You can literally put together a whole trip that consists mostly of free museums, for example, and still run out of time because a lot of these places are so huge. Check out visitlondon.com to see all the free stuff.
Shop at places like Topshop and H&M
You don’t have to cry because you can’t afford to shop the latest fashions at places like Harrods. Head to London’s flagship H&M store and you can grab stuff that you can’t find in the US. H&M has amazing sales too and the London stores are way more fun than any of the ones I’ve seen in the States. Topshop is a bit more than H&M pricewise, but it’s still more affordable shopping.
Consider shoping at thrift, vintage, and charity shops
Seriously. Go to Oxfam or go to a vintage shop in Camden and find unique vintage items that you know you’ll never find back home. Note: don’t think that you’ll find everything super cheap. You might get lucky here and there, but don’t expect to find a pair of vintage Docs for £5 or anything like that. It’s still super fun to look around and see what you can find. Plus, the activity itself is fun (unless you’re with people who hate shopping and that’s never any fun).
When you use a card at checkout, always pay in Pounds.
Your credit card company or bank will automatically do the conversion. Otherwise, if you say you’re going to pay in dollars (if asked), the amount may likely be higher than whatever the present conversion rate is. If you go to an H&M store, for example, and look at the price tag, you’ll see a price in Pounds and a price in American dollars. The dollar price is more or less a guess on the store’s part, because conversion rates change all the time and who knows what it was at the time of printing the price tag, but it’s likely not going to be in your favor. So just say you’d like to pay in Pounds.
London Photo Gallery
