4 Days in London
What you have to know about London is, of course it is an expensive city but if you plan your trip during a less touristic period and book your flight and lodging in advance, you can manage very well without bankrupting yourself.
Travel
Sunday evening: on the way to Geneva airport to arrive at Gatwick airport in England. In order to reach the city centre, we took the Gatwick Express train for 45 minutes to London Victoria station. Of course it’s fast, yet it’s much more expensive; be aware that there are regional trains that are much less costly (around £10-14) but the trip is slightly longer. Whether you’re in a hurry or not, it’s up to you!
During your stay, be prepared to travel underground or on foot. Concerning the underground, I advise you to buy the Travelcard Daily (costs £9) if you know you’ll take the underground several times during the day.
Accommodation
You have several options before you: hotel, youth hostel, Airbnb. Knowing that the first solution is the costliest one; the second one is more affordable but youth hostels offer you very few individual bedrooms.
As for Airbnb, it allows you to rent a private or shared room, even a flat at different costs. You can easily find one that is low-priced: this is the one we chose for this trip and it was a wonderful experience for us.
DAY 1
In the morning, we crossed the streets of Oxford Street and went shopping. Then we crossed the Soho, Coven Garden, Picadilly Circus and Oxford Street districts.
In the afternoon, we took the underground to reach Camden Town: this lively and lovely district offers you another perception of London.
DAY 2
If you’re like us and you like open spaces and breathing the fresh air of nature, we advise you to go for a walk in the parks near Buckingham Palace: for example, Saint James Park is very romantic, we can see London Eye from there. Near this one is Green Park. During fall, the colours of the park and the light are breathtaking.
There is also Hyde Park, a wide park where the Lady Diana Memorial is located. It’s a nice place to get lost in, for you can admire what this park has to offer: it’s a nice spot for pictures!
DAY 3 :
When you go to London, you must act like tourists by going on the London Eye. You can buy a fast (track) so you won’t have to wait too long in the line. This tourist attraction gives you a nice view on the city: it is a must-see, but try to go on it when the sky is clear !
It is situated near the London Eye is Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.
You must absolutely see London Bridge, and I strongly recommend you to see it at sunset, it’s outstanding! You can also climb on top of it, but you have to pay for it.
DAY 4
We went to Saint Paul and walked on Millennium Bridge. Then we went in the upper middle-class neighbourhood of Notting Hill to admire the market of Porthello Street and its coloured houses. It was as if we were in a movie! As we are true country dwellers, we halted at Regent’s Park to recharge our batteries. Finally, we had to do shopping in an English shopping centre. We went into Stratford shopping centre: gigantic and very crowded are the words that describe this place the best. I had never seen such an enormous shopping centre before. Of course I have never had the opportunity to visit one in the French capital city!
Conclusion
The atmosphere and the atypical streets have made us travel and fall for this city. There are a lot of monuments to see, it’s a very cultural city. If you’re a big drinker of Starbucks, you should know that there is one at every street corner, just as handsome British redheads.
It’s a capital city with a lot of tourists, you will never go anywhere alone, and the Tube will be your best friend and your worst enemy. You will spend a lot of time there and it’s easier to breathe on some lines than some others. But the London underground is very different from the one in Paris.
For your own safety I advise you to be patient, the traffic signs can last for quite a long while!
