Kings Bournemouth students and Social Media Ambassadors, Ingrid and Joshua, took a day trip to London last Sunday. Here, they tell us about what they got up to and give us their tips and tricks for a successful visit! Written by Ingrid-Anamaria Dorgan, A-level student.
London is a vibrant city and it definitely is full of places worth visiting. If you are studying in the UK, one of the first places you have to check out is London. As a student, you don’t have much time to explore the city so if you’re thinking of taking a day trip there, here are some pieces of advice to follow and some must-visit attractions.
Tips & tricks
1. Arrive in London as early as possible.
If you’re taking a train, it probably won’t be really crowded, so you can enjoy the landscapes on the way there. Also, London is really big (in fact, there are two “Londons”: Greater London and the City of London, so the city is made up of those two regions) and it might take quite a long time to get from one place to another, so it’s good to arrive early so you have enough time to visit everything you want to see.
2. Try to avoid busy days such as Bank Holidays.
On days like this, queues tend to be really big and the city is very crowded, since London is one of the most popular destinations in the UK.
3. Book everything before going to London.
Don’t rely on buying your train tickets from the train station in the morning of your trip. Apps like TrainPal might be useful to book you tickets in advance. Also, check the websites of the places you want to visit and see whether you can book your tickets before arriving. This is a great method to avoid queues.
4. Take your card with you.
Most of the places in London accept card payment. Some of them only accept card, so be prepared for that. A good way to travel through London is by using the tube and you might to use your card to pay, as it is a faster and cheaper.
London in a day — places to see
Big Ben
Probably the most famous clock in the world, Big Ben is a symbol of the UK and it is definitely worth seeing.
Unfortunately, there is a conservation project going on, so you might not be able to see Big Ben properly if you go now. Below, you can see a picture that I took from there on my recent trip to London.
London Eye
Both Big Ben and the Buckingham Palace are relatively close to the London Eye, so it’s easy to walk from one place to another. The London Eye is an observation wheel next to the River Thames. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions of London. A standard adult ticket is £31 if you buy your ticket on the day of the trip, but there’s discounts if you book your ticket online.
Buckingham Palace
The residence of The Queen, Buckingham Palace is an iconic building you should see.
The Royal Standard flag is flown when The Queen is in the palace, so next time you go there look out for that.
Piccadilly Circus
London’s most famous square, Piccadilly Circus, is well-known for its billboards. It’s close to a lot of shopping and entertainment areas.
Chinatown
Another interesting place you can go to is Chinatown. There, you can find authentic Asian restaurants where you can have lunch or just a snack.
A dessert that is really popular online which you can find here is the fluffy Japanese pancakes. I tried them, along with a Bubble Tea, and they tasted really nice.
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