London, the City of Expectations
London's calling...
In November, I surprised my father with a trip to London, and my father, who is a frequent visitor, showed me around the city. Now, I have to admit that I had some preconceived notions about London, primarily because of its size and the fact that news reports frequently cast a negative light on certain areas, but that has all changed, and I now love the city to the point where I've had a sneaky look at property for sale in London, which indicates that I would consider living there or at least vacationing there.
To Stay
I booked a two-night stay in the Acton area of London, slightly out, but the underground will take us in and out of London within a few minutes. As I said, I'm visiting with my dad, who is a seasoned pro at getting around London! I booked a Travelodge as they had a bogof on a night stay, I paid £47 for two nights!
Getting There
By far the best ways to get into and out of London are by rail and bus. If you go by car, be prepared to pay a premium for both the Low Emission Zone and parking. I'd suggest TrainLine for trains, particularly their SplitSave feature, which is accessible on their app. The best rates are released 10 to 12 weeks before departure. Megabus and National Express are the best value bus companies to use for fair fares (does that sound like a lot of F's?). If you're purchasing at short notice, bus tickets are likely to be far less expensive than last-minute train tickets.
If you’re lucky enough to visit Paddington Station be sure to take a photo with Paddington himself!
Now, if I were more organised, I would have purchased an Oyster card, which acts as a pre-loaded debit card that can be used on London buses, Docklands Light Railway, Uber riverboats, London Overground, and most National Rail services. Whilst there we used a mixture of the London Underground and the Thames clippers Uber riverboats. You can grab a copy of the London Underground here.
Sites such as Groupon and Wowcher ofter have vouchers for river cruises at discounted prices, it's worth checking if you can get hold of a 24-hour ticket.
See and do
Things that were definitely on my to-do list were mostly about finding my way around, and experiencing the different parts of London, for example, China town, Soho or Camden.
If historic attractions are your thing, swing by HMS Belfast, it’s over 80 years since her launch and she is now docked in the River Thames. She is one of the Royal Navy's most notable surviving warships, according to IMW, HMS Belfast's claims to fame include firing some of the first shots during the D-Day landings during WWII and serving in the Korean War.
Art & Stuff
From street performances, live music, architecture, and wall art, London is awash with creativity. A print of London by Justin Eagleton was displayed on the wall of our hotel room. This art piece has stayed with me since our trip across London, as the ingenious map of London genuinely shows the landmarks and attractions. Worth decorating a wall with it back home.
Not only did I enjoy a wonderful weekend with my dad, but I also got to tick a big item off my bucket list—going on holiday together!
