A Quick Travel Guide to London

The day after we landed in Paris, we were up at 5:30am to catch the Eurostar train for an overnight stay in London. The train trip took a little over 2 hours, which is absolutely incredible when you think about it as it takes some Sydney-siders that amount of time to commute to and from work!

We planned our trip to London on a weekend, arriving on a Saturday morning and leaving on a Sunday evening. This was planned so that we could visit Portobello Road Market’s antique stores.

DAY ONE

As soon as we landed in St. Pancras Station (the station where all international trains arrive to/depart from), we jumped on the Tube at Kings Cross station and headed for Notting Hill Gate which was one of the stations that Portobello Road Market was closest to.

We were glad we had gotten there early when we did, as it was already starting to fill up with people. As we were leaving the market (around lunchtime), it was incredibly hard to move along as it was so crowded! The highlights for me at the market was seeing old antiques (in particular old maps that were a few hundred years old); the fresh produce; and of course, ready to eat food (mostly baked goods and pastries). Once we got towards the end of the market (towards Ladbroke Grove station), it really didn’t appeal to us as it seemed kind of like a Paddy’s Market.

The area of Notting Hill was beautiful and worth seeing in itself – imagine, pastel coloured, art-deco style houses lined up street after street.

Once we finished up at Portobello Road, we decided to make the most of the beautiful weather (you know what they say about London weather!) and take the Tube to Hyde Park and soak up some sunshine. We walked through Hyde Park from Lancaster Gate to Oxford Circus. The park was absolutely beautiful – the grass was so lush and green and at the risk of sounding a bit lame, it kind’ve reminded me of a fairytale.

Once we had reached Oxford Circus, it was time to do some shopping. My favourite stores included Nike (they call it Nike Town because it was 3 and a half stories of pure Nike goodness); Selfridges and Supreme. I also really enjoyed walking through Carnaby Street in Soho – it had a very nice vibe to it.

By the time we had finished shopping, we were exhausted so decided that it was time to finally check-in to our hotel and have some dinner at a good ol’ English pub.

The most picturesque houses you will ever see: Notting Hill, London

What you hear is true: there are red double-decker buses everywhere!

Tip: Be an early bird to Portobello Road Market; the crowds get insane from mid-morning onwards

Everywhere you turn in Notting Hill, you’ll see beautiful terraces, apartments and houses

Baked goods galore at Portobello Road Market

There were so many different delicacies and just not enough stomach (or time!)

A water fountain in Hyde Park

If you’re blessed with time and sunshine, make the most of it by soaking it up in Hyde Park

Seeing the beauty in nature and the simple things

The gates of Buckingham Palace

‘Duck face!’ – A leisurely stroll through Birdcage Walk

Westminster Abbey

Regent Street in Piccadilly Circus

DAY TWO

Our second day started off by catching the Tube to Victoria which is where the Buckingham Palace is located near. The size of the palace and the gardens was out of this world, and we even got to see a couple of the guards too (I swear I couldn’t deal with having their job!).

We weren’t as lucky on our second day when it came to the weather – we got heavily rained on and our feet ended up soaking wet (note to self: next time, bring rain boots to London) so we were glad we got to enjoy Hyde Park the previous day.

After seeing Buckingham Palace and its gardens, we took a stroll down Birdcage Walk (which I would probably rate higher than the palace itself). Seeing all sorts of wildlife (ducks, swans and squirrels) while you’re going for a walk was just really enjoyable (even if it was raining!). Once we were out of Birdcage Walk, we ended up near the Parliament (and Big Ben) and Westminster Abbey. This is when it really started to pour so we made a run for the nearest Tube station.

As it was Easter Sunday, a lot of stores were closed, so we indulged in some hot coffee (you can imagine how satisfying it would have been when you were wet and cold) and walked through the other end of Oxford Circus, towards Piccadilly Circus. Our final destination was a pub in the Soho district for lunch before we needed to be back on our way to Paris that afternoon.

Where we stayed: Holiday Inn Kings Cross – I would recommend staying a bit closer to St. Pancras/Kings Cross station next time as it was about a 15 minute walk (not bad) but seemed to be so far after a long day of walking and being jet lagged.

Must-Eats: Have dinner or lunch at a traditional English pub. As I’m a vegetarian, I had a delicious wild mushroom risotto one time and an amazing vegetable pasty another.

Must-Sees: Carnaby Street, Birdcage Walk, Hyde Park, Portobello Road Market.

Where to shop: Carnaby Street, Oxford Street Circus.

As I spent just a little over 36 hours in London, I can imagine that there is a lot that I missed. If you have any other suggestions/recommendations, please leave them in the comments below (and I’ll be sure to make a note for my next visit!).

Next up in this European travel series: Lisbon

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