Visiting London for the First Time:
London will always hold a special place in my heart as it was my first-ever solo international trip. Sadly, I had just gone through a devastating breakup and was feeling really lost. Out of nowhere, I had the crazy idea that I should take myself on a little vacay. After doing some research I decided a London travel itinerary seemed totally doable and I just started booking stuff.
It honestly felt great to have something to focus on and look forward to. It turned out to be such an incredible moment for me as a person and obviously as a traveler. I realized how much I could do on my own…I’m a lot stronger than I give myself credit for.
I would highly recommend London as a first international trip for a solo traveler, making a London travel itinerary is very straightforward, and its easy to navigate. If you need more info on traveling in general, check my “Free Traveler’s Toolkit Ebook”.
So let’s jump in…I’m giving you ALL the details!
My London Travel Itinerary:
I flew overnight into Heathrow on American Airlines and it was a lovely flight. Unfortunately, I arrived EARLY which seemed great at the moment but it apparently put my entire plane pouring into immigration at the same time as several other flights resulting in a two-hour wait to clear passport control.
So pro tip…no matter when your flight is supposed to arrive…give yourself a LOT of time before you expect to actually do anything or check into your hotel or whatever.
Heathrow Express vs Tube
Ok so here’s the thing with my next recommendation…on my first trip I was nervous about using the Tube so I decided to take it from the airport to the city so I could watch how it worked before I got into the craziness of the city center. SUPER glad I did because I did have it all figured out by the time I got into town but it took FOREVER. The Heathrow Express (while a little pricey) takes about 15 min and is completely worth it in my opinion.
Mind The Gap: How to Use the Tube
Hands down my favorite public transportation system…probably seems random that I have a favorite but I do. It absolutely BLEW MY MIND that the seats on the train were upholstered. Do you have any idea what would happen to UPHOLSTERED seats in NYC’s subway system??? The mind reels at the horrific possibilities.
I love the TubeMap App. It has The Transport for London Journey Planner in it which will tell you which station is closest to you, which train to take when you get there, and what stop to get off at or if you need to change trains to get where you’re going.
Some tips for the Tube:
- Go to The Transport for London site and get an Oyster Card set up and mailed to you before your trip so you don’t have to worry about finding a kiosk to buy a card/tickets when you arrive while you’re standing there with all your luggage exhausted.
- They also accept contactless payment cards now as well at the turnstiles.
- ALWAYS tap your card at the turnstile when you enter a station and when you exit a station.
- When actively riding, I usually keep my card easily accessible so I don’t hold up the line leaving the station. After I leave, it then goes back in my wallet.
- When using the escalators with luggage or when you’re not in a hurry, stand on the right or walk on the left. If you stand on the left you’re going to end up blocking up the way for the local commuters which will just make everyone grumpy.
- When getting on the train, wait for anyone coming off to get out before you enter.
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Best Neighborhoods to Stay In London:
As per usual, I do love a Premier Inn opportunity however, it doesn’t always work for what you’re looking for or where you want to go. That’s where Booking.com comes in. You can narrow your search by looking at the map and deciding where you want to be for the price you’ve budgeted. Some of my favorite neighborhoods to stay in are:
- Paddington: If you’re short on time, the area around Paddington Station is ideal. Heathrow Express drops you off here anyway, it’s a major train station with access to the Tube so regardless if you’re heading out into the countryside, further into the city, or back on The Heathrow Express to get to the airport…you’re transportation is covered. There are a ton of townhouse hotels in the blocks around the station so you won’t have a hard time finding a place to meet whatever your budget is.
- Bloomsbury: A little outside the city so it’s quieter and the hotels aren’t as pricey. Walking distance to the British Museum and quite a few Tube stations, you’ll be wherever you want to go quite quickly. It’s a lovely area with lots of trees and Georgian-style townhomes.
- London Bridge/Southwark: My personal favorite, located obviously near London Bridge, there is a wonderful Premier Inn here right on the Thames and also a great Ibis.
- Borough Market, established in 1756 (you heard me!), is a ginormous market underneath London Bridge. Skip the hotel breakfast and head over to get WHATEVER your belly is craving. No lunch/dinner/snack plans? GO BACK TO BOROUGH MARKET! You can thank me later. In addition to my Borough Market obsession, there is a lot of other site seeing type attractions close by like Shakespeare’s Globe, The Shard, and the Tower of London.
Speaking of site seeing…
- Borough Market, established in 1756 (you heard me!), is a ginormous market underneath London Bridge. Skip the hotel breakfast and head over to get WHATEVER your belly is craving. No lunch/dinner/snack plans? GO BACK TO BOROUGH MARKET! You can thank me later. In addition to my Borough Market obsession, there is a lot of other site seeing type attractions close by like Shakespeare’s Globe, The Shard, and the Tower of London.
The Best Places to Visit in London:
I have been fortunate enough to have been to London three times at this point and I still haven’t come close to seeing everything. Just decide now that you’ll be back and let yourself off the hook to try and pack everything in. My suggestion would be to pull up Google Maps and see if you can’t group things together instead of running all over the city like a crazy person.
Another key element here is The London Pass. Pretty much EVERYTHING you want to see is covered by The London Pass and you can prioritize your time that way. One thing I’ve discovered that I’d like to pass along is that it is way easier to use the London Pass if you buy it directly from them.
Going through a travel site like Expedia or Viator is fine but they typically give you a voucher that you need to then go to a London Pass location to have it activated which in my opinion is an annoying use of your limited time in the city. Just my opinion but there ya go…
My Favorite London Sites to See:
- Kensington Palace: Absolutely loved this one as I’m a bit of a Queen Victoria nut. They have an incredible exhibit featuring some of her and Albert’s clothes and other items from their lives. Very sweet. Also, depending on when you go they typically have something about Princess Diana going on. The first time I went they had a huge display of her various outfits/dresses taking you through her fashion journey and now they have her wedding dress on display.
- Buckingham Palace: The Queen’s Gallery hosts an amazing collection of art that you really need to see at least once in your life. The State Rooms are beautiful as well. Please double check on their website before you set your dates if this is a must do on your trip as the palace is only open at certain times of the year.
- Changing of the Guard: Something you can almost always catch at Buckingham Palace. Go to the Changing of the Guard website for the dates and times.
- Pro Tip: Get there a little early and score a spot on the Victoria Memorial. It’s a little higher up and you can see the band and the guards marching in.
- Changing of the Guard: Something you can almost always catch at Buckingham Palace. Go to the Changing of the Guard website for the dates and times.
- The Tower of London: This one was a huge deal for me. I have always been a little obsessed with Queen Elizabeth I and her mother, Anne Boleyn. In my opinion this is a definite stop and you could easily spend most of your day here. The Crown Jewels are displayed here as well and are obviously spectacular. Tickets can be found by clicking directly above or included with your London Pass.
- Shakespeare’s Globe: This is a reconstruction of the original Globe but completely wonderful to visit. It’s gorgeous and they have a very cool guided tour that you can get tickets directly above or its included with your London Pass.
- Thames River Cruise: I loved loved loved this. Such a cool way to see the city and I got great pics of the Tower Bridge (which a lot of people think is the London bridge but spoiler…its not. Haha…)
- Westminster Abbey: One of those crazy experiences that we Americans have when we encounter something so incredibly old that we can’t wrap our heads around it. Some of the tombs date back to 1066.
- The West End-Wicked: Ok so you all know I love NYC and love love Broadway. HOWEVER, I will say my West End experience seeing Wicked with my mom was amazing. The theatre sells VIP packages and staff are so attentive and welcoming. The whole thing was significantly less then I would have spent in NYC for way more then I typically get on Broadway. Just saying…see a show.
- British Museum: Apparently one of the largest collection of works ever. Very cool opportunity to see incredible stuff from all over the world.
Fun Restaurant Ideas in London:
- The Swan: Features a themed Afternoon Tea usually based on what they’re doing at The Globe. Very fun.
- Fish and Chips Place: So this is heavily debated but my opinion is…figure out where you are staying then google “Fish and Chips near me” and go from there. There are a TON of great options out there…the only sure thing is that you should definitely have Fish and Chips while in London.
- The Restaurant in the British Museum: Lovely restaurant in the top of the British Museum. Had a lot of options for dietary restrictions.
- Fortnum and Mason Afternoon Tea: Ok admittedly a bit of a splurge but when I say it’s worth it…I mean it’s WORTH IT. Totally a special event type deal but we had such a great time when we went and everything was delicious.
- Borough Market: I think I’ve addressed my love of Borough Market above but if not…just go. That’s all I’m saying.
- There really is something for everyone in London, Fortnum and Mason did a Gluten Free Afternoon Tea for my mom and there are plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans in London.
Day Trips out of London:
One of the nice things about being in London is that it’s pretty easy to get out of town and see some of the other things England has to offer from castles and cathedrals to world heritage sites and beautiful landscapes. I have definitely taken advantage of this and I’ve been on the following two trips and would HIGHLY recommend it if you have time!
- Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath
- Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral and the Cliffs of Dover
Additionally, if you’re looking for all the lovely green spaces London has to offer, check out an amazing guide on “London’s Most Beautiful Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces.”
London Travel Itinerary Bonus Tip:
My second trip to London was part of a larger solo trip to Scotland, that trip looked like this…Edinburgh to Inverness to London. If you’re thinking about doing something like that, take the train in the morning from Edinburgh to Inverness. You get to see so much of the country on your way up and you’ll have the afternoon/evening to check out Inverness (which is really all you need.) More on Things to do in Inverness here.
Then…splash out a little and take the Caledonia Sleeper to London. This was SUCH a fun bonus to my trip which probably seems silly but I had never been on a sleeper train before and they do it up right on the Caledonia Sleeper. All things considered, it is your overnight accommodations AND your transportation so its actually not that expensive. You can read more about my Long Weekend in Scotland here.
