The truth about my last London visit is. It was a lot. London is the city which I visit the most frequently. London is a place that used to feel busy and full of good tourists; this time, I have to admit it felt stressful, overpopulated and chaotic for me. I still love the place but must adjust my expectations for my next visit. On my next trip, I would allow more days or reduce the number of things I wanted to do. When you cannot slow down the location, you must slow down how you experience it.
We visit London a lot, and having family in Australia and England, we use it as our stop to make the most of it. Spending my childhood in England I am primarily British, even though I was born and now live in Australia. So, returning to London for a visit is a regular thing that I always look forward to and a destination that always makes its way into my plans. I didn’t grow up in London, but the visits were often enough for me to have a true fondness.
This visit at the outset was no different; however, we quite quickly altered our itinerary; from jumping on and off the tube and visiting as many things as possible, we walked at our own pace and gently navigated from one place to another with many coffee breaks and pit stops. When you cannot see the pavement for the other people, you need to slow it down. In doing this I don’t feel like I missed out, I feel like I gained something. Instead of being on a treasure hunt for the best sites and photos, I made some memories just for me. We stumbled upon some places we wouldn’t have known existed and in doing so, got a real sense of London from a curious viewpoint.
This visit I talk of was in October, Halloween decorations were everywhere, with a background glimmer of the Christmas festivities in some shop windows, the weather was great, the autumn colours were breathtaking and our plan was simple.
We always like to try new places on each visit; this trip was no exception; we went to Borough Market and had lunch at the incredibly yummy Marrow Vegan restaurant. It was a fabulous day; I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was on a Sunday, and it seemed like the place to be; every stall was unique and served people in their own individual way. Each stall was a buzz, with people smiling everywhere, even in the longest queues. The food smells were intoxicating; if you are a foodie, this is a must-see. Be prepared to wait in line to try the latest and greatest in flavour concoctions.
Our extensive walking took us to other familiar spots, past St Paul’s Cathedral, into Shoreditch, Spitalfields markets, etc. Most of these places clean up nicely and are delightful places to be. Since my last visit, each has had its makeover in the last 5 years. The previous grime and character of old have been polished and gentrified for the better in most cases, but I did wonder if something has melted away a little of the charm for the locals.
Overall these improved parts of London, which used to be a bit rough around the edges are now bustling, vibrant and filled with people, tourists, locals and everyone in between, I amongst them. The atmosphere was eclectic.
I have to remember that London is a mega city, maybe that is the difference, for the first time it really felt like one and never had before. There are people everywhere, literally everywhere, there is a queue for everything and the signposts always point you towards what you cannot do rather than what you can do, which takes a bit of getting used to. We chose to explore park life to balance out the energy created by this commerce and activity. We started each morning by exploring the different paths through Hyde Park. The colours of the trees in autumn are unmatched anywhere else in the world (that I have been to thus far) The ducks offer a moment of comedy as they seem to pose for your photos and the way it feels to be surrounded by so much history is a feeling I cannot find the words for. We had never needed to add this component before but we were glad we did. You should include the gardens and parks in your London itinerary.
London is an incredible destination; with many things to see and having a plan is key, my must-haves to gently navigate through the hecticness are:
- Come with comfy shoes, It sounds obvious, but it's a deal breaker if you do not have the right shoes for walking
- Sometimes an Uber is the best answer, depending on the time of day, sometimes the tube is more stressful than it is worth. Choose how you want to get to your next spot.
- Google Maps - download and offline version, you‘ll never feel lost or overwhelmed
- Try to explore sites near one another and carve the city up into logical areas that you can tackle in one day; this gives you time to stop and recharge often
- Use the hop-on-hop-hop-off buses, they’re are not sexy; however, they are direct and you do not need to go in and out of tube stations
- Take breaks, and experience the different foods and beverages as you make your way around; it's a big part of travel; don’t skip it
- Book in advance, tickets for shows can sometimes be cheaper last minute but are also likely to sell out, don’t let not planning ruin the opportunity to see something in London
- Hold on to your belongings, tourists are easy targets in built-up areas, this is true of all cities, but when there are more people, there are more chances that you might be victim to a pickpocket
- If you do use the tube - buy a day pass so you can hop on and off as often as you need to, download an offline version on your phone as there is no signal in the underground
- Be patient, getting to and fro from places can be challenging to navigate when the pavements are full of people, be prepared for it so your expectations are in line with reality.
Other more generic tips for travelling around:
- Leave time for spontaneity - there will always be something you see that you want to do and if your schedule is too tight you will feel like you're missing out.
- Do something outside of your usual to-do list in a city. Maybe it's kicking the autumn leaves in Hyde Park, taking a horse-drawn carriage past the palace, but do some of the things that will create a memory that will stay with you for a lifetime.
- Be prepared for the weather to change the English weather is not kind, it will likely rain, and when it does, it will force you to change your plans.
- Sometimes queues are long; have something with you that makes the queue less dull, like a game on your phone, your next few posts for scheduling, or a game to play with your fellow traveller.
- Stop and stare, take a moment at each of the sights you have carefully added to your travel itinerary. There is a photo and the feeling you had while standing before the sight. Breathe it all in, and the image will be 10x more powerful when you revisit it. (I promise)
As I move into 2025, I will be adding more travel blogs to the Words and Contemplations stable so let me know if there are any places you think I should visit.
To summarise, go to London and get in amongst it, but go gently, be patient, and adapt to the weather and to-do list.
Travel well, my friends.
