London had always been a top destination on my bucket list. I crossed it off on my first trip to Europe which also included Paris. I went in September 2013 and spent 3 days 2 nights in London.
For a list of best attractions in London see my other post. Below is an overview of my own personal experience in London.
Journey
Train: Paris → London
Total Ride Time: 2hrs 20 mins
Culture
London was pretty much exactly how I pictured it to be. British accents, streets lined with red telephone boxes, double-decker buses loaded with tourists, and old historic landmarks scattered throughout the city.
I found the “look left” and “look right” pedestrian signs on the roads quite handy because a lot of times the direction of traffic wasn’t so clear. I constantly had to remind myself to call bathrooms the “loo”. I just couldn’t (still can’t) wrap my head around sinks with two taps.
For a big city I was surprised at how narrow the passenger cars on the Tube were. There wasn’t much legroom and it was quite difficult to maneuver around especially when it was crowded.
Memories
- Feeling fancy like Blair from Gossip Girl having afternoon tea at The Orangery
- Awkwardly posing next to the royal guards
- Touring inside Buckingham Palace
- Prancing around incorrectly pronouncing River “Thames”
- Getting lost searching for the Peter Pan statue at Kensington Gardens
- Learning that “WC” stood for water closet which meant toilet
Last Impression
London is actually one of my favorite destinations. I liked the diversity and the overall liveliness of the city.
This was a short trip so I only got a taste of all that London has to offer. When I visit again I definitely would like to take advantage of the many free museums scattered throughout the city.
Have you been to London? What was your favorite memory? Let me know in the comments!
