London, England
"Old London Town", never fails to impress me on my visits. There is so much to see, do, and explore.
I've been fortunate to have a few visits to London, including two lots of house sitting.
I've been to free and paid tourist sites, been to a number of West End Theatre shows, and spent a lot of time just walking around discovering all that this amazing city has to offer.
I believe to truly see beyond the usual tourist attractions, you need at least 2 weeks in London, to really get an experience beyond the 'normal' places to see! However, if your time is limited and you want to 'tick off' those tourist attractions, I'd suggest allowing 3 days - it'll be quick it will be busy, but you'll get the 'job' done!
To Do, See, and Explore
The Vitals
Getting About
When it comes to getting about in London, you are spoilt for choice!
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Underground (tube)
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Overground
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Buses
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Taxi's
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Uber
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Walk
Which method/s you will choose will depend on your budget, the amount of time you have in London, what you want to do while you are there, and your capabilities!
Personally, I've done a mix of the underground, overground, buses (hop on hop off), and loads of walking.
I found the Transport for London (TfL) website and app a great tool to use when navigating the underground, overground, and buses.
For the hop on hop off buses, there are a number of companies that offer this around all the 'main' tourist attractions in London. They often have special deals that can include things like the London Eye or Madam Tussauds. I find there are a few benefits of using one of the hop on hop off bus operators including;
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It helps you get your 'bearings' in London,
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You get to see the tourist sights and you decide whether to get off and take a closer look,
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They give a commentary about where you are and what you care seeing,
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If you are short of time in London, you can just stay on the bus and take in the sights from there, and
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Often they have tickets that can be used on more than one day.
You can check out some of the London hop on hop off operators HERE.
I'd also suggest if you are in London, especially at Christmas time, take one of the night bus tours that you get to see all the beautiful christmas lights. Most companies run these tours from November through to January. I did the one offered by Golden Tours, and would recommend them.