London Bridge
London is a marvelous city, cosmopolitan and modern, but also with the tradition well kept. Its entrepreneurial side is so strong and the city lives so fast that many times we can’t even realize how much touristic the city also is.
The time of the year chosen to visit London is one of the most important aspects, during spring and summer it’s the high season, traditionally with better weather it is a nicer time to enjoy the beautiful parks the city has to offer. During the winter, the highest season happens before Christmas, with the city full of decorations and lights that give it a special charm. The beginning of October is usually one of the best times to know the city, less visitors, pleasant temperatures and with less rain. If you travel in the winter don’t forget that the night falls around 5 pm and the main attractions close earlier, so you must plan the visits with more time.
Trafalgar Square
To those who visit London for the first time and don’t want to give away the usual tourist circuit of the city, one of the best options is the London Pass, which allows avoiding the lines at the places to visit, while saving money. The London Pass is a tourist card for the city that assures the entrance in more than 60 attractions.
The prices vary in accordance with the amount of days, 1 day £49, 2 days £68, 3 days £81 (our option for our three day visit) and 6 days £108. The prices are lower for children.
In case you are a tourist seeking to know the history, the museums and the most important spots in town, this card compensates, taking in account that if you plan your trip well, you’ll visit several places in the same day and in total you would pay more individually than the total price of the London Pass, furthermore, it allows skipping the lines (oh, and the money that is worth…), and it avoids to always be thinking about the money, you buy one card, spend that exact amount and that’s it! However, attention, two of the most wanted attractions in town are not included in it, the London Eye and Madame Tussaud’s.
To move around town, the best is to choose the public transportation network. You can opt for the Oyster card, which is used in the public transportation system, including the subway, Overground, DLR, part of the railway and buses. This card costs £5, and can be charged with the amount of money you desire, to which will be discounted the value of the trips you make, in the end of your trip you can go to a station and return the card, and be repaid of the money it costs. I intend to return to London many times, so I decided to keep mine, for my next visits.
Hyde Park
The Taxi (black, and classic) are also a viable and efficient option but it also turns out to be a very expensive one. As everything else in town, by the way!
One of the things you couldn’t miss is watching one of the famous musicals of London’s West End; the tickets can be bought online in advance, in the numerous sites specific for that. For the most undecided, or to those who wish to buy the ticket in the day, the best is to go to the TKTS cabin, next to the Leicester Square subway station, where you can buy the tickets for the daily shows for half the price. Beware that sometimes there are not tickets available for every play.
And because you can’t leave London without speaking of gastronomy (it is one of the biggest gastronomical capitals in the world), enjoy the amazing offer of street food that is available everywhere in town. Since Borough Market to Nothing Hill or Convent Garden, the offer is plenty and varied, you can find amazing artisan breads, or more elaborate sandwiches, paellas, amazing homemade cheeses or the modern and healthy food of the Street Kitchen group.
If you have any doubts or questions in which I can help prepare your trip, don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments!
Text: Cíntia Oliveira | Photos: Flavors & Senses
