If you’ve talked to me in the past eight months, you KNOW I went abroad. I spent the semester in arguably the greatest city in the world— London, England (could I be biased? Nah.) So, because my friends won’t listen to me talk about it anymore, I’ve turned to Her Campus Pitt to share my top travel tips and recommendations for London.
1. Tube, tube, tube!
London public transportation is AMAZING. Seriously. It’s going to be a tough adjustment switching back to the Port Authority in the fall. The tube has over 250 miles of tracks, and gets you just about anywhere in the city. It’s clean, fast and actually runs on schedule (shocker…I know). The tube is more cost-effective than a taxi or ride-share, and you’ll truly feel like a Londoner when you’re “minding the gap” waiting for your train.
2. The British Museum
If you only have time for one museum while in London, make it the British Museum. Over eight MILLION items are in the London museums’ total collection, with about 80,000 pieces on display currently. Art and history buffs alike will find show stopping pieces here, and you’re able to learn about just every culture and country in the world here. Cost of admission is $0 for a museum visit that you’ll be sure to remember.
3. Afternoon tea!
I mean, you can’t go to London and not have afternoon tea. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, afternoon tea is a traditional English mid-day meal. It consists of savory and sweet treats served with tea of course! A wide variety of afternoon tea spots are in London; I recommend using yelp to find a place within your budget.
4. Marvelous markets
London. Has. So. Much. Good. Food. Seriously, I feel like I barely scratched the surface when I was there. If you only get one meal in London though, make it a market. London has a cool collection of hybrid outdoor/indoor marketplaces that serve everything from pastries to paella to pies. I recommend Greenwich market, Camden Market and Borough Market while you’re there — all of these are massive with great vendors.
5. South Bank
If you’re looking to take in as much of London as you can in one day, walk along the famous South Bank of the River Thames. Along the way, you’ll be able to see the London Bridge, Tate Modern (incredible modern art museum), Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and so much more.
6. Primrose Hill & Regent’s Park
Live like a Londoner and take a stroll through Regent’s Park. This park is massive, with a rose garden, multiple cafes, a zoo, playgrounds and so much more. My mom and I spent an entire day just wandering through the park, and it was one of the most relaxing days I had in London. Close by is Primrose Hill where you’ll get an unobstructed view of London’s Skyline.
7. Shop in Shoreditch!
Big clothing person? Take a trip to Shoreditch! Visit Brick Lane to find a collection of vintage and thrift shops that will leave any fashion fanatic feeling happy. On the weekends, the shops spill out into the street for a flea market-esque vibe with pedestrian only walkways. You’ll be sure to find something that fits your style in this hip and upcoming neighborhood. If you’re not into shopping, I still recommend Shoreditch. There’s great street art and nightlife in this part of London.
Well, those are seven of probably 700 tips and recommendations I can give about London. Of course, I didn’t even talk about some of the obvious ( Big Ben, Parliament, etc.) but that’s because London has simply so much to offer every traveler! Hope this helps anyone thinking of visiting London.
Photo Credit: All photos are author’s own.