In May, we visited London for the very first time! I’m not sure why it has taken us so long to go there. Perhaps the famously grey English weather made it less appealing?
Luckily, it rained only the morning we were leaving.
If you haven’t visited this fantastic city, I highly recommend that you add it to your Must-See-List!
Once we arrived by train from Canterbury, we met up with my sister and brother-in-law from Germany to explore the city together. They were kind enough to purchase (we reimbursed them of course) London Passes and Oyster Cards for us all ahead of time.
Buying those passes will save you not only a ton of money, but will also help avoid having to stand in long ticket lines. Our Oyster Cards each had a pre-paid amount of money on them, which enabled us to get off and on any public transportation ( buses and the Tube ) within certain city zones. You simply scan the oyster card when you enter the tube, then you scan the card again when leaving the station at your destination, and the cost of your ride is automatically subtracted from your card. Super easy! They can also be recharged, or saved for another visit to London!
The London Passes are available for 1, 2, 3 and 6 days and enable one to get into as many as 60 of London’s famous museums, tours and attractions without further payment. A river cruise and the hop-on hop-off bus tour are also included. Many attractions which aren’t a part of this offer will discount the entry price if you show them your London pass.
During our 6 day stay, our passes turned out to be a super bargain! So if you are headed to London, be sure to get them ahead of time! They can be mailed to you, or be picked up in person once you arrive in London.
Getting around on the tube and city busses couldn’t have been easier. I’ve used public transportation in many places, and have to say that London has one of the very best and well-run systems: fast, efficient, clean, on time and safe. Even getting to the various airports is a cinch!
Our feet were happy that we took advantage of the tube and buses, because we walked approximately 90 miles during this 2 week vacation, taking in the sights of London, Canterbury and Haarlem.
However, the Tube does get very crowded during rush hour, which is why the ticket prices go up during that time.
And if you were to get lost, fear not! The English people are exceptionally friendly and helpful!
in cahoots with muddy boots 
I love London!
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Same here! It’s an amazing city! Thanks for stopping by! 😊
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my pleasure
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I always thought I would pass it by as it’s so crowded but you make it sound so fun that given the opportunity, I would love to visit. Now where is that lottery ticket. 🙂
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I will get one tomorrow! 👍
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🙂 I’ll sleep better knowing that.
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I’ll send you a picture! 😉
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Wonderful post! I’m smitten by the city and you described it really well. I also blogged about it, check it out if you like ☺️
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Thank you! I did not expect to like London as much as I now do! Hopefully we can go back again soon! I will definitely check out your post! 😊
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London really is a must-visit! Just because of its fame, if nothing else (says the girl who’s never been to New York…)… London isn’t my favorite place but I do like it. Sometimes I think I’d enjoy living in a huge city like that, where you can get anything 24/7. Helsinki is such a small town with a limited selection of things to do, foods to eat, clothes to buy…
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I haven’t been to New York either! And Helsinki! Sometimes I think it would be fun to put all our possessions into storage and just take off to see the world!
London was amazing. If it weren’t so expensive I would go back more often! 😉
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I’d love to do that, too!
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😀
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London’s my favourite city out of all the ones I’ve visited! It just has it all, doesn’t it 🙂
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It really does seem to have it all! I know that we’ll go back again because we’ve only scratched the surface of all there is to see!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! 😀
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Yes! I even lived there for over 3 months and still didn’t get to experience everything 😉
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That must have been amazing! I could easily live there for a while.
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Of the places we’ve been, London is not one of them. I totally agree, that passes and local transit are the way to go when travelling. Not only convenient, but you get a taste of local life as well. How uber fun for you guys!
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Exactly! If you have a chance to visit London, you should! 😊
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Wunderbar!
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