On my latest venture to Europe, I was lucky enough to spend a week in London with my bestfriend! It was a last minute decision in choosing the final destination for our European trip; however, London became a clear winner after hearing some amazing stories from other travellers we had met along the way. As mentioned before, this was the last leg of the 7-week trip, and it’s safe to say we spent a little too much money in Paris the week before. Basically, we arrived in London with the final scrapings of money left in our savings. So, if you plan on travelling to England on a lousy student budget, here are my dos and don’ts that may just come in handy!
DO: Start your trip off by jumping on board one of the many city sightseeing buses! It would just be wrong to go to London and not travel on a double-decker bus. These tour buses are definitely worth the money and are great for the first 2 days of your stay, as you can get your bearing of the city and learn a bit of history along the way. It’s so easy to hop on and off at the attractions of your choice, with pickups available every 10-15 minutes. Also, make sure you get one of the tours that include a free river cruise!
DON’T: Expect to go down Oxford Street with any money left at the end of the road. Seriously, it is the best street for shopping! I would suggest leaving a day of shopping towards the end of your stay, so you don’t blow all of your pounds in the period of 20 minutes.
DO: Make a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath! After taking in the ultra modern and chic city of London, it’s a refreshing change to head out to the countryside and see the beautiful rolling green hills and picturesque landscapes. Crossing another item off the bucket list, Stonehenge is definitely an interesting site to come across! Plenty of day tours include the ancient city of Bath as well, which is absolutely beautiful.
DON’T: Go in Winter. Unless you are a passionate lover of freezing cold winds, torrential down pours of rain and frostbite on your fingers, I would highly recommend going in Spring or Summer! It rained every single day I was in London, and no that is not an exaggeration. I guess it’s all a part of the experience and lifestyle, but it would be great to have some dry clothes at the end of the day.
DO: Take a moment to stroll through the renowned parks throughout the city. I was so grateful to be staying right opposite Hyde park, being able to see and experience new things every morning in the royal park. Also, if you’re like me and from a country that has no squirrels, make sure you play with them! It may sound ridiculous, but I had never seen a squirrel before, so it was great fun being able to sit down and have them crawl over you … A bit of a Mother Theresa moment.
DON’T: Go on the London Eye if you are on a serious student budget. Although it is one of London’s most famous icons, it is ridiculously expensive and not so entertaining. The exchange rate was pretty bad at the time of my visit, so it ended up costing me approximately $40 AUD, and overall the view was just not worth it. You can easily spend a few hours strolling around the area and getting up close and personal with Big Ben himself and the London Tower for a better view!
DO: Go to the London Dungeon! At first I had no idea what this meant, and thought it may have been a grunge underground club. It is actually an interactive amusement kind of tour full of medieval settings and actors that take you through a (REALLY) scary journey of London’s history. Although I was closing my eyes and fearing for my life the majority of the time, it was definitely a highlight of the trip!
DON’T: Always trust the ticket sellers in the entertainment district of Piccadilly Circus. Although I do highly recommend going to see at least one live theatre show while you are in London, I would suggest that you buy your tickets from the actual theatre itself. Unfortunately, the seller we had bought our tickets off for Phantom of the Opera, had booked us in for the wrong date and we lost our seats. The theatre is such a huge part of British entertainment though, so definitely buy some tickets if you can! (From a legit seller, please).
DO: Visit Hogwarts! Okay, not really, but the next best thing is the Warner Brothers Harry Potter studio tour. I myself am not the biggest ever Harry Potter fan, but I thought it was such an amazing tour, and found it so fascinating seeing how the movies were made and viewing all of the real props and settings. Of course, you have to try the every flavour jelly beans (and yes, the ‘dirt’ flavour really does taste like dirt), and the famous butter beer!
Overall, London was an amazing experience and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to go. Let me know your Do’s and Don’ts of London in the comments below!
Bonjour!
jemmrose travels 