How To Make The Most Of A Few Days In London

What can I start by telling you about London… I don’t want to state the obvious, but it’s the Capital City of the United Kingdom, as most people know, and it is home to over 8.7 million people right now. But if you haven’t had the pleasure of going here, then this travel post is for you.

I have visited London many times, sometimes only for the day, other occasions for days at a time. But the one thing that I never tire of, is admiring its wonderful history and architecture. Sure, like most modern cities of the world it has incredible new buildings, such as The Shard, but the historic parts are what I adore most.

In this blog post I’m going to be documenting my most recent visit, and explaining all about places that I always like to go to when I come to the capital. There will also be many photographs for you to see that I have taken over the past couple of years that I have visited London.

Travel Guide

There are various ways to travel around London. I can highly recommend the London Underground, it is so efficient even at rush hour times. They have so many stations right near to prime locations as well, which means more sight seeing and less time walking in between them. Buses are always a good idea, however my husband and I prefer to catch a train or to walk.

If you are a keen walker, like myself, you can use a map of London to work out easy routes to walk from one place to another, if you are able. It’s a great way to experience the real London but also you never know what you might see.

Once at Buckingham Palace we saw the guards on formation, it was a wonderful and historic thing to witness. And there are usually things going on through the Spring and Summer months, in the various parks and gardens. Of course we cannot forget the London Marathon, it all depends on what month of the year you wish to visit.

Sight Seeing Must Sees!

My list of must sees are somewhat long, but if you’re going for only a couple of days I suggest you choose up to six places or things that you want to see or achieve, and leave back ups in case you manage to get around them all.

I will put my favourites in order, but you may have buildings you want to see that aren’t on my to do list, this is only a guide. There are also a ton more museums and wartime buildings that those of you with history passions might want to visit.

The London Eye
The Shard
Westminster Abbey
Big Ben
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
London Bridge
Buckingham Palace
Natural History Museum
Trafalgar Square
Piccadilly Circus
Oxford Street
Covent Garden
King’s Cross Station – Platform 9 and 3/4s

Here are some of my photographs from recent visits to London, I will admit I have done a huge amount of the city in my many years of going, but I still haven’t seen or experiences everything myself yet.

Staying Over Guide

When staying in a large city you must consider your travel time between your hotel and the sight seeing you will be undertaking. Picking a hotel can be tricky, the best thing to do is research the area of the city you’ll be doing the most sight seeing, and then work around and out on a map.

My husband and I have stayed in the Docklands and Canary Wharf side of London for the past five years. We have tried six different hotels in that time, all of which were great for different reasons. But we chose this area because of the bars and restaurants for the evenings escapades. It’s also easily accessible with the London Underground stations.

If you have a family, you probably don’t want to stay in such an adult area, and perhaps want to stay closer to some sights so it’s not so far to walk. All of this is simple to work out with a map and a location guide.

As for hotels themselves, I have stayed in Ibis, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Premier Inn, Novotel and Holiday Inn Express. All of which have been excellent. You can browse online for ones with your specific needs such as a Gym or Family Facilities.

I usually book on last minute websites such as Hotwire with only weeks to go before I want to stay. It’s a good way to save money, however once you’ve booked there are no refunds, so you need to be sure that you’ll be going.

Other Things To Consider

If you’re into History or like to attend the Theatre maybe you can consider one of these things to do. London has a variety of awesome Museums and also the London Zoo. There are so many theatres in London to choose a whole library of shows and musicals from. They are a once in a lifetime experience if you can afford to go.

The Tea Terrace on the top floor of House of Fraser on Oxford Street, is a lovely experience to have if you love your tea and cake and don’t mind sitting in a Princess style tea room.

Don’t forget there are bus tours you can take if you can’t walk very far, and a huge array of restaurants and bars you can make your way around if you’re that way inclined.

Finally, and probably one of the most important points for most people. The Shopping!
London has a vast array of shops. Oxford Street is the most famous of course but you also have Covent Garden for more unique and often handmade items.

I always buy a little something while in London, and try to experience the hustle and bustle for myself. Department stores that look as though they can touch the clouds, and quaint little shops that offer homemade goods.

London is honestly unique for this, and even on a budget there is something for everyone.

Sabrina’s Key Holiday Points

So if you’re considering a break away remember my three key things about booking a holiday.

1. Research the Area
2. Know Your Limits – Money and Health Wise
3. Live Within Your Means & Save with Vouchers

1. It’s always a good idea to look up the local area, make sure you book a hotel in an area that is both accessible by the transport you need, and is in a tourist area for health and safety reasons.

2. Know the limits of your health, because even I have to remind myself that I cannot do everything that I used to, but that doesn’t stop me having a great time. And know your bank balance too – don’t get yourself in debt just because you wanted a ride on the London Eye!

3. Finally, always live within your means. You might not be able to do it all and see everything, so pick your top 3 and work out the pricing. Always look for vouchers online too and on various food items such as Cadbury Chocolate Packets and Cereals! You can always find a bargain if you search for it, and I am definitely one for making the most of a two for the price of one deal!

Thank you for joining me for my travel blog post today, I really hoped you liked my photographs of London (I could have shared a hundred more with you but just chose the best of recent).

Have a wonderful day, and thanks for reading!

✩ Sabrina ✩