Girls Guide to London
Big cities always overwhelm me and I feel like I need many more trips to London to write this post. London to me is NYC’s European twin sister. I like it a lot in London but if I am being honest I would say I rather spend a week in NYC than fly all the way to London. I definitely am choosing Paris, Rome or Barcelona before London. If you’re a European princess like me, I feel like you get it. To note, London, England left the European union in 2020. Since Brexit, Britain has had high inflation that hit the value of the pound, which has made London an extremely expensive city. I do think London is a city you should visit at least once so here’s my short and sweet Girls Guide to London.
Tourist things TO Note:
As I started to write this blog I decided to google what to know before coming to London. (I probably should have done this before going, woops) One of my favorite things I read is Walking Can Be Faster than the Tube. I am notorious for checking the maps to see how far the distance is walking somewhere vs. how long the tube is. If from point A to point B is a 30 minute walk but 20 minute tube ride, we are 1000% walking. Typically big cities like New York, London & Paris have so much traffic so it really isn’t even worth it to hop in a taxi. With that said, bring your walking shoes because you will be walking A TON in London.
Don’t forget a Universal Adaptor! Not only is the currency of Europe destinations and London different. The adapters to use all your electronics are also different in the UK than they are in all of Europe. I have been to London and didn’t even remember this but luckily the hotel gave us adapters. Shop here for a universal charger good for over 150 countries.
Sight seeing
There is SO much to do and see in London! The girls and I got Go City 3 day explorer passes to explore during our trip to London. Go City is an all-inclusive sightseeing pass that allows you to visit various landmarks, experience tours and attractions. You pay one set price for a Go City pass to see all the sights which saves you up to 50% off on London attractions! You just scan the QR code on your phone that you’re given to by Go City and enjoy each excursion. They have different credits packages and we chose the 3 day explorer pass which was perfect for our 5 day trip. With Go City, we did some of my favorite things to do in London like the City Cruise on Thames River and visiting royal stomping grounds like Kensington Palace.
City Cruise on Thames River- London has over twenty-five historical landmarks and one of my favorite ways to see the city sights is by boat! We booked the tour though Go City and would highly recommend.
Hop on, Hop off Bus- I always see these buses in NYC and think I should be a tourist for the day and do this! With a day pass you’re able to hop on and off as many times as you’d like. We hit all the sights— London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Soho Shopping & The Tower Bridge.
Kensington Palace + Gardens- My personal favorite castle in London! See the Swans, admire the palace that Princess Diana once called home and enjoy the Couture to Crown exhibition featuring costumes from celebrities and royalty.
More iconic sights to see:
🎡 London Eye - I did this the last time I was in London. It’s $45 and you can see a 360 view of London. Since you’re standing for the duration of the 30-minute ride I think it’s more for the views than the actual ride. I chose not to do it this trip because the weather was so bad. Highly suggest to go for sunset or on a nice weather night when the city is lit for Christmas!
🌉 Tower Bridge
🏰Buckingham Palace
⛪️ St. Paul’s cathedral
🇬🇧Big Ben
Favorite Neighborhoods:
🏘️ Chelsea- Colorful pastel houses line this cute neighborhood with nearby boutiques on Kings road, and art galleries + museums. Afternoon tea is a widely popular activity to do in London, England so we had to make it happen while we were here! We went to Peggy Porschen in Chelsea which was an adorable, all pink and floral spot. It’s We got their seasonal afternoon tea spread which featured tiny finger sandwiches, and fall festive pastries.
🧥🎬Soho- Shopping street where Burberrys flagship store and other high end shopping lives. This area is known as the entertainment district, the spot to go to the theatre!
🥂🪴Covent Garden- lively area with the best bar scene! The center holds an elegant, car-free square filled fashion stores, restaurants and the Royal Opera House. I would highly recommend Spey Covent Garden for a cocktail and place to spend your night out.
🛶 Little Venice-This gorgeous residential neighborhood located right on a canal is home to waterside restaurants like The Summerhouse. You can walk around the canal, take a canal tour and see unique houseboats.
What to wear:
RAIN BOOTS- My biggest regret was not bringing my Chelsea Boots aka my type of rain boots. Chelsea boots are so perfect for London and would have been my go to if I packed properly. Shop here
Prada Loafers- I wore these the entire trip. They were my life savers from Italy to London and I highly recommend investing in these shoes. They are great for walking a ton and also amazing for rainy days because of the rubber! Unfortunately the white Prada’s are no longer being made this season but shop here for the Black and for a white dupe from ASOS.
UMBRELLA- I ended up buying one for $10 that made me look like the chicest tacky tourist around so you could always do that too!
LAYERS: Think about what you would wear in NYC during the Fall/ Winter. It’s just about the same here so pack layers as the weather can be finicky and inside is kept much warmer than necessary.
Thank you so much for being here and reading my blog! I truly hope with my whole heart that I am inspiring you to get out and see the world. No matter who you are, where you are in life, whether you’re single or in a relationship, 20 or 60, GO! You wont regret it.
xx,
Jules