LONDON

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”
- Samuel Johnson


Trying to plan a backpacking trip definitely presents its challenges. The whole point of the trip is to pick up and go whenever and wherever we choose. However, we can’t just head over to Europe without some kind of plan. We have an idea of how long we are going to be in each place and the route we are going to take, but right now it is impossible to plan an exact itinerary and accommodations for each location. So, we decided the best way to start planning would be to divide up our destinations between the three of us (about 5 places each) that we will each tentatively plan. The first location to plan on my list is…..LONDON!

We decided that I would plan London because I am the only one between the three of us that has been there and because I just love London. At first, we actually debated if we would even visit London on this trip. I was just there a year ago and Chelsie and Chelsea didn’t seem like they were dying to go. Luckily for me, the cheapest place to fly in and out of is London, so I will get to return to London with my best friends and I am convinced they will leave London loving it as much as I do! Growing up, two of my favorite movies were Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, so for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to go to London. When I finally got to visit, it was everything I expected and more. There are so many things to see and do and I just love the feel of this beautiful city.


We will be flying into London and spending the first four days of our trip there!

Some of the things I did last time that I think we must do again are:

Cruise down the Thames – you get to see so many great sights and get an idea of where some of the most important landmarks in the city are

Westminster Abbey – this time though, I would like to go for Evensong rather than the traditional tour

Harrods – even if you don’t buy anything, you have to go look! My mom and I especially enjoyed the pet section, the Christmas section (which goes up in July!) and of course, the food hall

Buckingham Palace – you have to see it, but surprisingly I don’t think I would go again during the Changing of the Guard, it was too crowded and honestly not too exciting

Walk through Hyde Park – one of my favorite memories in London was getting lost in Hyde Park at dusk

Visit one of the many markets around the city – great food, clothes and interesting souvenirs

Things I didn’t do last time that I must this time around:

St. Paul’s Cathedral – I know, I talk about how much I love Mary Poppins and I didn’t even get to this beautiful cathedral where the “Feed the Birds” scene takes place, also where Princess Diana married Prince Charles

Take a ride on the London Eye – It costs more than $20 dollars a person to ride but I am sure you can’t beat the view

Visit a few of London’s many museums – I am ashamed to admit this but I only visited ONE of London’s many museums while I was there (the Imperial War Museum) and entrance into many of them are FREE! There are so many to choose from too, the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, even the Sherlock Holmes Museum!


We are definitely going to spend one of our days taking a day trip out of the city, but I am trying to decide where we will go. I would really like to go back to Oxford because after spending six weeks there I would love to go reminisce and show Chelsea and Chelsie around! And there are so many things to do and see in Oxford. I would love for us to tour some of the colleges, I stayed at Trinity so we would definitely go there and Christ Church is where a lot of Harry Potter filming took place. Of course we would stop at the Covered Market for its many great shops and eats (Ben’s Cookies!). Another must in Oxford is to have a drink at the famous Eagle and Child, once frequented by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.


However, some other possible day trip options are:

- Cambridge – another great University town
- Windsor Castle – the official residence of the Queen
- Canterbury – a picturesque town that includes Leeds Castle

There are so many things to see and do in London, 4 days just isn’t enough! Whatever we end up doing though, I am sure we will have a great time. Please let me know any suggestions/comments you have about our trip to London. Any other ideas or places I overlooked? I want to plan a trip that includes all the best London has to offer!