Many of us love to travel but some have never been further than Tallinn. Our pick for a first destination is London and here’s why.
London is close
If you have never been on an airplane you probably don’t want to start with a ten hour flight to Thailand. The flight from Helsinki to London takes less than three hours. And there’s either a train or metro from the airport to central London, depending which airport you fly to. Also the flights are not very expensive and airlines often have offers for flights which makes London the perfect destination for a weekend getaway.
London is a great city for walking
Using public transportation in a new city is nerve wracking. When do I get off? Am I going to the right direction? In London many of the tourist attractions are located in the same area so you can easily walk between them. And there are sidewalks for pedestrians as well. Pay attention when you’re crossing the street though. Remember in England they drive on the left side of the road. And when you’ve gotten comfortable with the city, the London Underground is super easy to navigate. You can take the tube, as the locals call it, to nearly everywhere in the city.
They speak English
A culture that is completely new and having a language barrier adds a bit of excitement to your trip. But when traveling for the first time that’s probably just extra stress that you don’t really want. In London the main spoken language is English and most of us can get by with that. Even if you’re used to hearing American English spoken on television and movies, you’ll get used to the charming British accent as well.
London offers something for everyone
London has lovely parks to wonder in when the sun is out and many museums to get lost in on a rainy day. We recommend the Victoria and Albert museum and the National Portrait Gallery, among many more. Of course there are pubs at every street corner for when you get thirsty and the selection of restaurants is wide and international. We do however recommend having a traditional Sunday roast. Hit the Oxford Street for shopping and take a walk in Southbank to visit a book market and see street culture. And for all the musical lovers, don’t miss out because of high prices. Head to the TKTS ticekt booth on Leicester Square to get discount tickets.
All pictures taken by the writer.