Travel tips to maximize your London adventure

While there are days worth of tips someone that has been there for a total of a few weeks can offer up, the hop-on-hop-off bus is quintessential sightseeing in a city that has burnt down and been rebuilt through the rubble and ashes numerous times. Multiple routes are offered that allow visitors to listen to recordings in more than 5 languages, as well as, in-person tour guides that give commentary in real-time during your journey. 

A jolly ole Brit can be quite informative and entertaining, especially while cruising up and down the Thames. The in-person ones are my favorite. Included with your bus tour is the river cruise. Getting a view from this vantage point is quite a unique thrill that is only offered in a few major metropolitan destinations in the entire world. This includes Chicago, a must-do activity.

When I travel I enjoy walking around feeling the ambiance of a place that I’m visiting. London is a very walkable city. This is coming from someone that is disabled and has ambulatory restrictions. That’s why the bus is a great option to see the city from above incorporated with walking. Walking along the Thames near the Eye of London and seeing Big Ben, the phonebooths, the boats floating along is a magical experience. 

The transit system is superb. I haven’t traveled extensively around the country, but from my travels to and from the airport, to the seashore, and to various historical locations, think Stonehenge, Cliffs of Dover, Bath, Leeds, it’s not difficult to get around to see more than just the metropolitan area. I’ve stayed in Canary Wharf, Chiswick, Isle of Dogs. It’s all been wonderful and not very rainy.

The parks of London deserve their own post. I visited with my grandmother and we ended up covering Hyde Park to Big Ben. She was being transported in a wheelchair, a manual one that was propelled by yours truly. (This is when I could walk without much issue.) I remember sitting at Princess Diana’s Memorial Fountain taking my shoes off and cooling off in the beautifully flowing water while we took a break to take in the moment. 

If you ever get to travel with your parents or grandparents I highly recommend taking the opportunity. As we stood on the seashore looking at the White Cliffs, my grandma said “this is where your grandfather was.” He was over there during WWII. I’m not sure if he was actually where we were standing, but it was a magical moment to share with her there.

The architecture, history, and crossroads of cultures make London quite the place for all travelers to experience. It helps that we share a language. It has a richness and global feel. You can find markets with trinkets of all kinds, food from every corner of the globe, and people with stories to share. 

While I’m not a big fan of religion, you really can’t argue with the spectacular detail and size of the churches of London. Westminster Abby is a cool place both literally and figuratively. The history that (literally) lies there is profound. You’ll be amazed by the tombs and folks from the past that lie in rest under your feet.

Up for a little more adventure, go to St. Paul’s, and climb the dome. I don’t have the photos because it was that long ago that I was up there. It’s a bit of a workout, as I remember, but if you’re physically able you should head up there to take in the city view. 

The Queen’s Rose Garden is a delightful attraction that I happened upon while wandering through the city. Having no idea that so many varieties of roses exist I took many photos. Most of my favorites were orange or sunset colors. You can see me enjoying them in the collage below. 

One day I was not feeling traveling. It had been a long trip. I flew into Paris, met a friend in Brussels, and took a quick trip to Edinburgh before dog sitting back at my friend’s flat.  I was pooped. But boy am I happy I decided to check out Covent Garden. Check out the photo in the top left of the collage and comment below to get more details about that excursion.