I know a few people who don’t like visiting London for a number of reasons, mainly because of how over-crowded it can be and how fast-paced life is. However, I believe that they just haven’t found the right side of the city yet; it has so much to offer, and I can guarantee it has something for everyone.
Public Transport
I’ve read A LOT of travel blogs in my time but I feel like not many people put emphasis on how important public transport is. It’s literally one of the first things I research when I know I’m visiting a new place because staying close to or knowing where the main transport hub allows you to get around easy – especially if you are spending your days walking around a busy city, the last thing you want to do is get off the subway and walk even further to your attraction of back to your hotel. And London has one of the most intricate, but easy to read subway networks in the work!
Pop-Up Events
I strongly stand by the idea that no two visits to London are ever the same, and one of the reasons for this is pop-up events, including fashion, markets, restaurants and bars. Last time visiting London we were walking around Southwark taking photos of London Bridge before coming across a pop-up bars and music event. It seemed to be celebrating African culture through live music and a number of stalls offering up local drinks and cuisine.
Football
If anyone knows me they will know that I am a massive football fan. For some reason when I was younger I took a liking to Tottenham Hotspur so thought it would be a great excuse to book tickets to a game while visiting the capital last year. On the other hand J is an Arsenal fan so we have a bit of a North London rivalry going on! Other than these two clubs, London also offers up a number of other great clubs, including Chelsea FC, Fulham FC and West Ham FC. All clubs offer tours of stadiums for a small price, but tickets to live games can cost over £50 each.
Free Tourist Attractions
It’s not very hard to walk away from a weekend in London with a very very light wallet. However, there are a number of amazing free tourist attractions, sights, events etc. We were on a very tight budget last time we visited so instead of paying into the sights/tours, we spend the day ticking off each one with a photo right in front of it (this is how we came across the pop-up event in Southwark – we were photographing London Bridge!)
Parks
If you’ve read my The Best Way to See Hyde Park post, then you know I am an absolute lover of public parks. You just can’t beat laying on the grass, in the sun and taking in all your surroundings. Plus London is full of little hidden gems other than Hyde Park. One of my favourites is St James’. You can’t argue with a good park, it’s free after all and gives you a bit of nature in an otherwise industrial city.
Thanks for reading, hopefully this post will get you in the mood for a little trip to London one day, it really does have something to offer everyone.
What do you love or hate about London?
