Being a college student there aren’t many vacation days you can take due to having classes, but those few holiday breaks we get offer ample time to go on one. After ending summer break with a week-long trip to London, here are a few things that made this the perfect getaway before school.
Stay?
Finding the perfect place to stay may seem complicated, but all you need is a starting point. Picking a hotel near an Underground station is your best bet. Doing so will help you get to all the places you want to go in the cheapest and quickest way possible. I recommend the Grand Royale in Hyde Park. It is an affordable four-star hotel and just a five-minute walk to the Queensway Underground station. At the Grand Royale you can enjoy a personal concierge, an indoor bar, breakfast (with a small up-charge), and air conditioning.
Shopping?
The perfect one-stop shop for a shopping spree is Harrods. At Harrods, you will walk through eight floors and thousands of brands. With restaurants and food halls dedicated to chocolates, cheeses, pastas, coffees and more, you can spend hours perusing this store. You will surely leave there with something.
Tours?
Just outside of London, there are long-standing historic monuments and structures to see. A tour by the Evan Evans company will take you to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths. Evan Evans will take you there on a charter bus, where you will be accompanied by a tour guide who will teach you all about the history of these places. You will leave this tour with great appreciation and knowledge of these locations.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, the Warner Bros. studio tour is a must. Experience and see the magic that went into making the spellbinding wizarding world. Inside the studio you will get to see props, animatronics and costumes that were used in the films, such as the Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest and more. You will learn inside facts about the movies and how the props were used and made. While you’re there, don’t forget to grab a cup of butterbeer.
Plays?
Choose from hundreds of plays that are performed in theaters all over London. Popular ones that I would recommend are “The Cursed Child” and “We Will Rock You” by Queen. “The Cursed Child” is a continuation of the Harry Potter books that takes place nineteen years after the last book. “We Will Rock You” by Queen is a fun musical that incorporates many of their hit songs into a dystopian story.
Must see?
A staple of London is their red double-decker buses. These buses offer a hop-on-hop-off tour around the city, allowing you to see all the main attractions. The Tootbus is an excellent company that includes different routes around the city and runs until 7 p.m. every day. The must-see places in London include Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Kensington Park and the British Museum.
Besides sightseeing monuments in London, other areas in the city that should be checked out are Leicester Square and Chinatown. In Leicester Square, they have a two-story Lego store and a four-story M&M store, along with performers in the square every night. In the M&M store there are walls of flavors and colors of M&M’s that you can fill different-sized containers with. You can also create custom ones. Chinatown is adorned with lanterns and colorful lights. There you can choose from many restaurants and unique snacks.
Spending a week in London gives you a chance to see a lot, but not enough time to see it all. These are just a few of the top things to do that make for an unforgettable time.
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