If you cross the North Sea you are almost in London, which is not that far away. London is a nice city with a lot to see and do. There are many sights and shopping is also very good there. London is also definitely worth a visit during the Christmas period, when London is in full Christmas spirit. London is the capital of England and also the largest city. About 7.5 million people live in London. London is therefore the city with the most inhabitants in the European Union. The River Thames runs straight through the city. In terms of weather you can compare London with the Netherlands. London has a temperate maritime climate. In England they do not have the Euro as their currency, but the English Pound. So you need to exchange your money before your trip. You can do this at an exchange office in the Netherlands, but in London itself you will also find exchange offices in the center, these are often located in banks, post offices and travel agencies. You can also exchange your money at the airport or at the larger train stations.
The journey
London can be reached from the Netherlands by ferry (Stenaline), train (Eurostar) or plane. If you search carefully on the internet you will often come across great offers that include travel and accommodation.
Stay overnight
There are many hotels in London. It is best to choose a hotel in the busier parts of the city. It is better to avoid the suburbs, because it is very unsafe there, especially during the dark hours. This is especially true if you are a tourist, as there is a chance that you will be robbed on the street. London has many hotels in all price ranges. On the internet you will find many providers who offer nice and often cheap hotels. It is wise to always check the reviews of the hotel that appeals to you.
Food and drink
When it comes to food and drink, you won’t be short of anything in London. You can find eateries on every street corner. You can eat well and reasonably cheaply in the Soho and Chinatown districts. Of course there are also many expensive restaurants in London. You will also find a number of restaurants from famous chefs Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver. And of course there are the famous pubs, where you can not only drink, you can often also eat delicious food for little money.
Shop
London is a great place to shop. Well-known and large shopping streets include Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street. You will find large indoor shopping centers throughout London. During holidays and weekends it can be very busy with shoppers. Below you will find an overview of what is worth visiting.
Primark
Primark is highly recommended when it comes to shopping. There are a few branches in the Netherlands, but they are nothing compared to what you can shop in London. The Primark stores in London are many times larger than the stores in the Netherlands, which means that there are many more items in the stores. You can easily spend a whole day shopping in a Primark store.
Forever 21
You can shop the latest fashion trends affordably at Forever21, a very nice store. Recommended.
Top Shop
You can also shop very cheaply at Top Shop. The flagship store can be found at Oxford Circus. Top Shop has the latest fashion trends. Kate Moss is also really on Top Shop and even has her own collection in the store.
TIP: buy a delicious cupcake at Lola’s Cupcakes, in the Top Shop
Victoria’s Secret
Everyone knows Victoria’s Secret with their famous lingerie from America. Now they sell a lot more besides lingerie, so it’s definitely worth a visit. There are not many Victoria’s Secret stores in Europe, but there is one in London. It is highly recommended to visit them, they have very beautiful items and the sale at Victoria’s Secret in particular is always cheap. The big sale takes place twice a year.
Kardashian Store
Since 2012, the Kardashian sisters have also opened their own store in London. Here you can find all kinds of nice items designed by Kim, Khloe and Kourtney. This includes shoes, clothing, jewelry and make-up. The prices are not cheap, but not very expensive either. It’s just affordable.
M&M Store
In London you will find the first M&M Store in Europe, this megastore has no fewer than four floors. You can find everything from M&M’s there. Jewelry, clothing, gadgets, candies, bedding, kitchenware and much more. You can also design your own M&M’s.
Magnum Store
Yes, in addition to an M&M Store, you will also find a Magnum Store in London, a store full of the famous and delicious ice creams. You can put together your own Magnum here, highly recommended!
Westfield Stratford City
Stratford is a large shopping center that opened in 2011. There is a huge range of shops here and Stratford is one of the largest indoor shopping centers in Europe. There is something for everyone, in every price range. You can easily spend a whole lot here.
Harrods
Everyone knows Harrods, a seven-storey mega department store. You can also easily shop here all day long. Everything is expensive in this store, but it is fun to take a look. You cannot enter a group and you must also look neat. The design of the store is also very special.
Notting Hill
Here you will find many shops and stalls with all kinds of things, especially many imported products, such as fake designer clothing. It is very nice to take a look here and you can often buy nice things for little money.
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a world famous shopping street. There are many department stores in this street, but also many other shops. In the side street of Oxford Street, Bond Street, you will find many exclusive boutiques.
Tip: If you want to shop in a great atmosphere, visit London in December, when everything will be in the Christmas spirit with lots of lights and of course lots of beautiful Christmas clothes!
Sights
Parks
London is a big city, but a city with lots of greenery. There are many parks in London, the best known are Hyde Park and Kew Gardens. Hyde Park is a large park owned by the British royal family, covering an area of 140 hectares. A riding path runs around the park and in the middle there is a lake where you can rent boats in the summer. Kew Gardens is a large botanical garden. The surface area is approximately 120 hectares. Here you will find the largest plant collection in the world. It is a beautiful and large garden with a Chinese Pagoda. Kew Gardens is not free to visit. The entrance fee is 12.25 per person. However, it is worth it if you like nature.
Tower Bridge and Tower of London
Tower Bridge is one of London’s biggest tourist attractions, with more than 40,000 pedestrians and vehicles crossing it every day. The River Thames runs under the bridge. The middle part of the bridge can be opened for shipping. Next to the bridge is the Tower of London, which is actually not a tower but a fortress. The Tower of London has a rich history. It has served as a fortress, royal palace, state prison and today it is a museum.
Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons (PD)
Big Ben
Big Ben is the nickname of a large clock, this clock is the largest and heaviest in the world and you will find Big Ben in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays many people call the entire tower Big Ben, because that is how the tower is known today.
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is the largest natural history museum in the United Kingdom. The museum has one of the largest natural history collections in the world. Admission is free, but some exhibitions may require a small entrance fee. You can see about 17 million insects and more than 4 million plants. The most spectacular thing to see in the museum are dinosaur skeletons. There are also skeletons of various elephants and fish. There is also a large collection of stones and minerals. In total you will find around 70 million items in the museum.
London Eye
The London Eye is a very large Ferris wheel with a height of 135 meters. The Ferris wheel has 32 closed capsules. A ride on this Ferris wheel takes about half an hour and you have a beautiful view of the city. The wheel turns very slowly, this ensures that you can look around well, but the Ferris wheel does not have to be stopped to allow passengers to get on and off. A ride on this Ferris wheel costs around €25 per person. The prices vary considerably and it is best to buy your ticket online, which is often cheaper and saves you waiting time, because there can sometimes be a very long line during holidays and weekends.
Harry Potter
Many recordings were made in London for the film Harry Potter, there are a number of nice points in London where you can still see things from the film. Very nice to see.
Public transport and safety
London is known for its metro system, also called Underground or The Tube, and its red double-decker buses. In terms of road traffic, London is largely made up of buses and taxis. If you want to explore London, it is best to choose the metro or bus, which is often the cheapest option. Public transport in London, like many large cities, works with zones. You pay a certain rate for each zone. A good card to travel with in London is the Travelcard or the Oystercard. You can also buy individual tickets, but this is very expensive. You can compare the Oystercard with the Dutch public transport card. You buy the card once and then you can top it up at many points and you have to check in and out before departure, just like in the Netherlands. Nowadays there is the Visitor Oystercard for tourists. The great thing about this system is that if you travel several times in one day, you never pay more than the price of a day ticket.
You can also opt for the Travelcard, if you buy this you can choose the number of days, from one to seven days, and you can then use all public transport in London. Both the Travelcard and the (Visitor) Oystercard are online for sale and can therefore be purchased online before your trip. If you hand in the Oystercard before you leave for the Netherlands, you will receive a refund for the purchase and the remaining credit on the card.