London, England is the most magical place on Earth – unless you’ve been to Disney, of course. I graduated from Georgia Gwinnett College in May 2018, and during my final semester, I got the opportunity to study abroad for Spring Break. Before this trip, I had not had much experience with travel other than road tripping to see my family in Canada over the summers as a kid. Travelling had always been something I was interested in, and this program was the perfect opportunity (and a 3 credit hour “class”), of course, I basically agreed to it right away. Our trip was from Saturday, March 3rd, 2018 through Sunday, March 11th, 2018.
One of the worst parts of the whole trip was getting there. It is a long plane ride on a super crammed plane, plus it was overnight and I got MAYBE two hours of sleep. That was not fun at all. As soon as we landed, I noticed the difference of culture. First of all, people driving on the opposite side of the road – so weird. Everything has such a historical vibe. I’m not a huge fan of history, but when we were there it really did feel like a totally different world. But who cares about all that? I will start talking about what you came here for – what the heck did you do girl?!
Day 1
Day one was mostly a travel day and all the girls were dying to get to our hotel so we could shower! We stayed literally not even a mile from Victoria Station at the Luna Simone Hotel. We all LOVED it there, and they had the best breakfast. The service was wonderful, and it was in a great location as well. It also had a rooftop that we had access to, which we spent some time on during our last night! So if you are looking for somewhere to stay around London – I highly recommend that place!
After we all had time to relax and freshen up at the hotel we ventured out for dinner. This was my first time ever using the Tube – and y’all, BEST. THING. EVER. For those of you who don’t know me, I live near Atlanta, Georgia and our similar mode of transportation is MARTA, which is terrible and sketchy. The Tube on the other hand is amazing and I was obsessed with it by the end of the trip. In fact, a bunch of us got matching “Mind The Gap” shirts before we left. If you are going to London, the only way to do it is to get 7 day Oyster Cards like we did. We could get on any tube or any bus at any time with just a tap of our cards. It made travelling around the city so easy and convenient!
For dinner we all went to Browns restaurant near the Leicester Square Station. I honestly can’t remember what I got, but I do remember it wasn’t that spectacular. The best part of our dinner was just talking to everyone and getting to know the people that I was going to be spending the rest of my week with. After we finished dinner, our professor decided that he was going to take us on a scenic walk of London. However, I was wearing new flats, and just from the walking through the Underground Stations and to the restaurant, I had already completely ruined my heels… So after the 20,000 steps we walked that night, my blisters were next level. WARNING: The next picture is kinda gross!
Random Fact:
In London, if you get on the escalator on the left side, and just stand there, you’ll get run over. Left side is for walking, right side is for standing.
On our walk around London, we saw Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and Big Ben, which was unfortunately under construction while we were there. When we got back to Victoria Station that night, we just explored the area and the station since that was basically our “home base” for the week. Marta stations in Atlanta are literally nothing… Victoria Station has a pharmacy (which I frequented as the injured one of the trip), McDonalds, Cupcake Stand, as well as other random restaurants and stores. It was one of my favorite places!
Day 2
Our first full day was so much fun! We started our day going to Buckingham Palace. To be honest though, I didn’t even know that was where we were until later, because it surprisingly wasn’t as big as I expected. Regardless of how big or small it is, it’s still ICONIC and a must see if you’re in London, especially if you are as obsessed with the Royal Family as I am. Watching the changing of the guard was also a cool experience.
After watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham, we headed to Trafalgar Square, which became one of my favorite spots over the course of the trip. It has so many cool shops and restaurants. Before heading to lunch, we looked around and took a ton of pictures by the fountain. I also saw the Canadian flags flying from the Canadian embassy, so that made me happy! We had lunch at St. Martins – Cafe in the Crypt. The floor is literally made of tombstones, which is creepy but also pretty cool. The food there was really great as well, so I recommend it for sure!
Next up was the Tower of London. This was one of my favorite tours. We started off with a tour guide but after the tour was over, we were able to walk around on our own and explore. If you didn’t know, the Tower of London is where the Crown Jewels are. It was also where a lot of previous Royal Family members were executed. There were also some great views and photo spots here. If you are wanting to do something historical on your trip this would be the spot I would recommend the most!
After the Tower tour we had free time for the rest of the night, so a couple of us decided to go to a pub for dinner. Pub culture is a huge part of London and it was one of my favorite experiences. Some of our favorite pubs to frequent were Brewmaster, in Leicester Square, and St. George’s, in Victoria (which is just down the street from Luna Simone). I was only twenty at the time, but in London the drinking age is eighteen. Drinking is just such a part of London culture, that I don’t really think they care how old you are. I’m not a huge beer drinker, and at the time I hadn’t dabbled in wine yet, and I wasn’t sure what to drink. One of our first nights, a classmate ordered Orchard Pig. After I tried it, that was all I drank for the rest of the week. It’s an apple cider that was on tap everywhere we went, and I wish we had it here in the US!
A Few Random Recommendations
There were a couple of spots we stopped for food at random times throughout the trip that deserve to be noted since they were also delicious;
Lovage Indian Restaurant – my first time trying Indian food and I LOVED it. Service here was great as well, especially since we had such a large group.
Pizza Express – We went here multiple times. A great pizza chain, with a very “allergy friendly” menu. The gluten-free (or regular) dough balls are a must.
Amorino – Really yummy gelato, and I got mine with a macaron on top. SO good and another chain that you can find all over London.
Not a food reccomendation, but you HAVE to ride on the top of a double decker bus. Did you even go to London if you didn’t do this???
Day 3
Monday morning after breakfast we went to Westminster Abbey; one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. There is so much detail put into the architecture and even though it was very historic, and not really my style or how I would decorate my own house, it was breathtaking. Over the course of the trip, it was very cool to visit places, knowing that members of the royal family have been there. All the royal weddings that I have been alive for I have watched on TV, and it was so interesting to be in the place where they actually happened. I definitely recommend checking out Westminster Abbey while you’re in London!
Afterwards, we went to the Churchill War museum, which was probably my least favorite part of the trip. Some tours we were given headsets for an audio tour without a guide, and I was not a huge fan of those. And again… history… not my favorite. The rest of this day was pretty uneventful. A couple of us just hung out in our rooms, but we did try UK McDonald’s! They have a Chicken Legend sandwich and Mozzarella sticks. They were delicious and if anyone wants to sign a petition to have those items brought to the US menu, I’d be in.
Day 4
This was my favorite day because we spent most of our time in Windsor. I really loved the environment of Windsor. It was less busy than London and seemed more laid back. We just walked around the city and explored near the River Thames and all of the shops, and we actually got to see the changing of the guard again at Windsor Castle which was so awesome! We ate lunch at Sebastian’s, and if you go there you HAVE to try the Fettuccini al Pesto. After lunch, we toured Windsor Castle; it was beautiful. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are my FAVORITES, and knowing I was walking in the very place that they would have their wedding a couple of months later was honestly the best moment of my life, lol!!
When we got back to London, a few of us went on the Jack the Ripper tour. I have always had an unhealthy obsession with serial killers, and Jack the Ripper is basically an icon. I’m sure there are multiple tours like this that you could do in London, but it was cool to see different places that he had killed and to hear the different theories. I do remember it was freezing cold that night, so I wish I would have been more prepared for that!
Day 5
Our day on Wednesday started at the Imperial War Museum. We started in the Holocaust section of the museum and it was SO SAD. No matter how many times I hear about the holocaust, I always learn something new and it makes me sadder. Honestly, we spent so much time in this section, that we didn’t have much time to explore the rest of the museum, so if you are planning to visit, I would recommend setting aside a couple of hours, or even a whole day, so you have time to see everything that you want to see!
Later that day we had dinner at Lime Orange and all I remember is that I could not find anything on the menu that looked appealing – I don’t even remember what I ended up getting. Would not recommend. BUT, after dinner… we saw WICKED at the Apollo Victoria Theatre!!! It was my first time seeing it and I think I could see it a million times and I would never get tired of it. Wherever you are, London or not, go see Wicked. You won’t regret it.
Day 6
Thursday was our Paris day – I think I am going to save this for its’ own post… because it was a VERY eventful day, to say the least. Here’s a sneak peak!
Day 7
Friday morning we learned about the court systems, both historically and currently from a barrister who practiced in London for many years. Then we went to the British Museum, and it was HUGE and very overwhelming. There is no way you could see everything in the museum in one day, if you are a huge history buff then this would be a great place to go – but if you are anything like me, you can definitely skip it.
After all that, we got to celebrate a friends birthday with her in London! We had some delicious food at Grumble’s near Victoria Station, with an amazing server in a cool room at the bottom of the restaurant. Then we went and got dessert and drinks at Trafalgar square and almost everyone in the group ended up coming together to celebrate Danny’s birthday. It was one of the most fun nights that we had on the trip!
Day 8
Saturday, a group of us went to Borough Market for allllllll the food. If we had one of those here, I would get very fat, very fast. There were so many carbs everywhere. Any direction you looked, there was a stand that sold cheese lol. There was a specific shop/booth there that is known for its’ grilled cheese sandwich, and it was DELICIOUS, they also had cheesy potatoes that I want to try whenever I get to go back! There was also some gelato and coffee places that had amazing food. My mouth is literally watering right now thinking about it.
We wanted to try the London Eye or the River Cruise, but they were both sold out that night. They are both pretty touristy, but I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff so I’m sad I didn’t get to go! Since we couldn’t do that, we all just decided to grab some food and drinks and enjoy our last night in the city up on the roof of our hotel. It was really nice to just chill with my people and reflect on our week. None of us wanted to leave!
Day 9
Sunday was just a LONG travel day. That 8 hour flight (from ATL, no layover) really is not the move… so none of us wanted to come back home. We were all excited to see our families again, though. My friend Danny and I finished our trip with Waffle House after we landed. Of course!
Have you ever been to London? Send me your favorite places so I can mark them down for my next trip!!!
That looked like so much fun (minus the injury)!
I loved seeing the pictures from beginning to end! I told my hubby that he made it on your blog lol 🙂
One day, we will go together!
Of course he made it! So glad for this trip because otherwise I would’ve never met you!!! <3
Looking forward to seeing more of your travels!
Thank you! I’m excited to share them 🙂
Your trip sounded like so much fun! This makes me even more impatient for the pandemic to end so that we can all start traveling again! London is definitely in my top 5 of places I want to hit up.
Yes I’m so ready to travel again!!! For now I’ll just live vicariously through my old trips when I post them 😂