Also, go to Hyde Park one weekend morning. In an area called Speaker s Corner you ll see people get

Written by WellHeeled on September 17, 2013 · 9577 24 Comments http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellheeledblog.com%2F2013%2F09%2F17%2F1-week-in-london%2F Hello+to+London+in+30+Days%21 2013-09-17+12%3A03%3A11 WellHeeled http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellheeledblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D9577
This, barely six weeks after I blogged that this year will be a year of no international travel . But the stars aligned for me: a college friend recently moved to London to work at her glamorous City lawyer travel airlines ticketless code car reservations gig. She generously invited me to stay with her in her modern apartment in trendy Shoreditch . I also had some credit card points that I could convert into miles, and I actually found flights I could redeem with those miles for the dates I wanted. Plus, London is one of the most expensive cities in the world to visit (right now $1 = 0.6 British pounds OUCH!) and now I have the opportunity to travel there for $250 and to stay there for free. Who am I to look at this Gift Travel Horse in the mouth?! I said no to London almost 10 years ago, when I was already in Europe and had the chance to visit a friend there . This time, I am older and wiser and WILL NOT let this opportunity pass me by!
The more I read about London the more excited I got. Tate Museum, British Academy, Hampton travel airlines ticketless code car reservations Court, afternoon tea, oh the list goes on. And because travel airlines ticketless code car reservations I ll be spending the days alone (and probably the evenings as well, judging by the stories I ve heard about Big Law hours), London seems to be the perfect place to try solo travel: people speak English, it s relatively safe for a big city, from what I understand, it s walkable and public-transportation-accessible, and there are plenty travel airlines ticketless code car reservations to do, to see, to eat.
As you can tell, I am really excited about my London trip. And I m really excited that since I am essentially traveling alone I get to decide exactly how, when, and where I spend my time and money. For my six full days,  I will budget a total of £700, or just about $1,150 . That, plus the $250 I spent on plane tickets, means that I am getting a London adventure for under $1,500. Quite reasonable. Quite .
If I have readers who are living in London or who have traveled there recently, please let me know does my budget look realistic? I don t want to pinch pennies on this trip, but I m also going to try my best to be a thoughtful consumer and spend on the things that give me biggest happiness bang for the buck. Secondly, please give me your recommendations for any attraction/activity that can t be missed!
9577 24 Responses http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellheeledblog.com%2F2013%2F09%2F17%2F1-week-in-london%2F Hello+to+London+in+30+Days%21 2013-09-17+12%3A03%3A11 WellHeeled http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellheeledblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D9577 to Hello to London in 30 Days!
The Tube is pricey, even when you get an Oyster card, but yes, it is easy to get around. Great place just to wander, and I think an easy place to be a solo female traveller. Here s hoping for good weather! Lots of free museums and the parks are stunning. travel airlines ticketless code car reservations Go early id you want a good view of the guards changing. Also, isn t there a (hefty) entry fee to Westminster?
Am trying to figure out what we spent on food everyday. I ate a lot of samosas for a pound at a place called Spar I think, deli slash supermarket type place. Also salads travel airlines ticketless code car reservations and bread from supermarkets, and they all have sandwich plus drink deals for 3 pounds. Probably at least 10 pounds each a day if not more (but I eat a lot).
I went 2 separate times for work trips a few years ago and had limited time to explore travel airlines ticketless code car reservations each time, so I took a bus tour to Windsor Castle (saw changing of the guards here), the Baths, and Stonehenge it was a full day event and included lunch for around 100 pounds I think (it was 3 years ago though). Also, you may want to check out Big Bus or something similar for a hop-on hop-off bus tour around the city, sure its touristy, but its very convenient, provides a narrative, gets you to all the major sites, and lets you get your bearings around the city. I also did a tour of Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London and enjoyed both. I didn t get a chance to do Parliament and Buckingham Palace wasn t open when I was there, but I saw them both from outside. I also took the tube to Harrods department store (one trip I was there when Christmas decor was up). The tube was very easy to use. I d also recommend Marks Spencer travel airlines ticketless code car reservations or Tesco grocery stores to grab some pre-made food for fairly reasonable prices. I think eating at a restaurant when travelling alone is the hardest part, so this was a way around that for me. There are some nice parks you can walk around St James and Hyde I think were the ones I checked out. You may want to check out Piccadily Circus and there is a giant toy store there similar to NYC.
I loved it, and thought it was easy/safe travelling alone as a female. travel airlines ticketless code car reservations I didn t get to the West End or British Museum, but if I ever went back, I d be sure to hit those too. I m sure you will have a great time!
Yay for spontaneous trips! And for heaven s sake, I sent you some other mail yesterday and was in such a hurry to get it down to the mail box that I forgot to pop the Oyster travel airlines ticketless code car reservations Card in. Guess you ll get two things in the mail!
You seem very excited about visiting London, I hope you will not be disappointed. I don t live too far from Shoreditch so you will be just round the corner from me It seems that you ve done your homework, look at that list of things to do and places to see! Is there a particular reason you want to take a cab from LHR to Shoreditch? Heathrow travel airlines ticketless code car reservations is on Piccadilly line which takes you straight into Central London or if you don t feel like taking the Tube, you can jump on a Heathrow Express train which only takes about 25 mins to Paddington. Cabs are very expensive, you are looking at around 60 each way between the airport and Shoreditch (if you re lucky). I think 100 per day in London is more than enough so you ll be fine How exciting!
As for airport transfers, I would take the Heathrow travel airlines ticketless code car reservations Express to Paddington station. For £34 print trip plus the cost of a tube ride from there, you can easily get to your friend s flat and back and save £100 for a nice meal. Considering the traffic into central London in the AM when the US flights arrive, the train (30 minutes max) is likely travel airlines ticketless code car reservations faster as well.
As to other attractions, I think the Cabinet War Rooms near the House of Parliment and Westminster Abbey was great, worth a tour, as it the Tower of London travel airlines ticketless code car reservations and the Crown Jewels. Getting Chinese food in Chinatown, try to eat at a curry shop, have a pint at a pub, or a pub lunch, buy some tea at a Tesco. For a first trip, I might skip a trip to Bath, plenty of things in London. travel airlines ticketless code car reservations Good and cheap lunches can be found in train station markets, or at Pret a Manger s (equivalent to Au Bon Pains in the states)
A few things to add to your itinerary: Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, Harrod s (after all, it s free to look), and the Victoria Albert Museum. You ll love the British Museum, Portrait Gallery, and the Tate.
Hey, enjoy London! Don t come out to Bath. Don t get me wrong, it s glorious and a wonderful place to see, but it s a good 90 mins on the train at best and there is so much in London to see. Save Bath for when you come to the UK again and fit in the West Country, Stonehenge etc all with more time. Stick to places you can get on the tube, and don t forget the buses lovely travel airlines ticketless code car reservations views and so many sights can be seen from them. London is huge and getting around is a fun adventure itself. Walks along bits of the river are lovely, (window) shopping in Harrods and Selfridges is fun, the museums are often free and splendid travel airlines ticketless code car reservations (the Science travel airlines ticketless code car reservations museum is great) and so on! The markets are great for experience and food I don t know details but someone who lives in London can advise. I think Brixton is up and coming.
Have fun in London! I ve only been to London once (2 days only for work) and I did a night tour with my cousin as a guide. It was wonderful. If I ever go back, I would love to stay for a week and really see all that London has to offer. I can t wait to hear all about it.
I loved London! Yes, it s pricey but accomodations is what gets you the most. Food you can find cheap at pubs and whatnot. And tube is affordable. Gets you everywhere. Plus the museums and art galleries are almost always free.
Also, go to Hyde Park one weekend morning. In an area called Speaker s Corner you ll see people get up on boxes and rant about stuff from politics to religion to ethics and morality. It s kind of fun actually.
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I am a 20-something college graduate with a nerdy interest in personal finance. In this blog, I write about topics at the intersection of life & money, travel airlines ticketless code car reservations with frequent detours into food, shoes, and Argentine tango. Read more