As a Londoner and working in central London everyday, I will tell you what I would like to know if I was visiting for the first time.
At least 6 airports serve London. Heathrow and Gatwick are the main long haul airports, Stansted and Luton are both for short haul flights mainly to Europe and then there is London City and Southend both of which are condsiderably smaller. Make sure you know which one you are flying to and from to avoid any costly mistakes. A colleague of mine once flew in to Heathrow from a small town in the USA. He was overwhelmed by the number of people and just sat in arrivals for the first half an hour taking it all in before plucking up the courage to get in on a train to the city center.
Pick up a map and a tube map. Try to avoid the tube during rush hour if you can. It’s not the most pleasant of experiences between 5pm & 6:30pm as city works are jam packed into carriages to get home.
London is a large city and you will not be able to cover it all by walking alone. You’ll need to utilise black taxis or the tube. If you are taking a train or tube it’s likely you will need to get on an escalator. Stand in single file on the right hand side. The left side is left clear for those running up and down in a hurry to catch their regular trains.
Grab afternoon tea while your here. If you want to go to one of the more famous traditional ones such as the Ritz, the Dorchester or Fortnum and Mason then you will need to book a few weeks or even months in advance but there are plenty of other choices that you could book just the day before. A quick search on google will bring up hundreds of deals including themed ones. If you don’t want to spend time sitting down for a formal afternoon tea, you could always pop into the beautiful Peggy Porschen cup cake shop near Victoria trains and bus station for an informal tea break whilst on your travels.
Free Attractions! There are so many museums and art galleries and many of these are free to visit. Failing that, you could visit the parks for example Hyde Park or Regents Park, check out the markets like Portabello Road or Pettycoat Lane or wander around the big department stores such as Harrods or Selfridges. All of these can make for a great day out. However, if your after something a little more unusual find the foot tunnel under the Thames at Greenwich or spend a morning exploring Little Venice.
Jump on a river boat and ride up the river Thames, if your staying in the West End I would say this may be the best way to see the O2 arena, the Thames barrier, the Shard and Canary Wharf. Especially on a nice day.
What are your favourite things to do or see in London or what tips would you give a new visitor to the city?
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