London 5 Day Travel Itinerary
good travel tips, getting around London, hotel review, & Savile Row
Traveling to London for the first time? I’ve got a few tips to share!
TIP 1 - check if you need a visa: HERE
TIP 2 - booking flights: If you're traveling to London from anywhere in North America, I’d recommend booking an overnight flight/red eye flight to arrive in London later in the morning and booking a flight home leaving London at the end of the day. That way, you’d have full days to explore.
TIP 3 - to fight jet lag: Chances are you’d be pretty tired (with the time difference), so I’d suggest to not pack too many activities in your first day. Take a nap for an hour or so (set an alarm!), change out to a new outfit and and a new fresh pair of socks, touch-up your makeup, wash your face (if you need to!), shower, find something to eat or get a good cup of coffee to help wake you up! Avoid napping for too long the day you arrive because you’ll end up staying awake at night.
TIP 4 - searching for a place to eat: Eater London has some great lists, so I’d suggest to start there! Yelp London is not helpful, so for food, I have to cross check reviews on Google and everywhere else. It’s London (the same goes for NYC), be picky and don’t settle because there are so many good options to choose from. If there’s a line and you’ve got to walk-in, just pack along a snack, stay hydrated, and you’ll be fine waiting in line for a little bit!
TIP 5 - try getting to know the vibe of the place or area that you’re in: I picked this tip up after living in NYC for awhile after doing a lot of city exploring. I compare a lot of the things in London to nYC — the train system and experience, different neighborhoods, US vs British people’s manners and vocabulary/common expressions, food taste, and ways of living. Know that you can always leave if the vibe doesn’t feel right to you.
TIP 6 - cash & internet: Although it’s nice to support small businesses by paying cash, you really don’t have to bother cashing our local currency because everyone takes cards these days. For internet, my 5G/LTE situation is kinda slow and annoying when I need to look up something at the spot, but most of the time, I’m able to log in using wifi inside the cafes and restaurants.
Transportation from Heathrow Airport
Taxi from the airport is EXPENSIVE, so I’d recommend taking the Tube or an express train using Apple Pay/Google Pay (aka Contactless or pay-as-you-go, and must tap in and tap out) from Heathrow airport into Central London (if you’re here less than a week like me.)
Most of the places you’d want to visit in your first London trip is in Central London, zone 1 and 2.
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