Lovin' London!

London is a fabulous city to visit! This journal will not do justice to the experience that I had while visiting. I traveled with a group of people from my high school, so the trip was pre-arranged, and we did most of the standard touristy things that one does while in London. Some of the places we visited were St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abby, Windsor Palace, the Tower of London, and the Globe Theater. While all of these things could be considered to be tourist traps, I still loved visiting each place, and I think that everyone who goes to London should visit each of these places at least once.

Quick Tips:

Probably the most practical advice that I can give someone is to wear comfortable shoes that you don't mind walking in for hours at a time. There were several culture shocks for me when I visited (most of them being good culture shocks), but one thing that I did not realize before traveling to Europe for the first time is that people actually walk to get from place to place (unlike Texas, where I just get in the car and go).

While I personally felt like security was never a huge problem (I never felt threatened or uneasy in London), I do know that pick-pocketing can be a problem in crowded areas, such as the tube (subway). For foreign travelers, it is wise to invest in one of those neck or waist pouches designed for holding passports and traveler's checks. I had one around my neck, and while it was occasionally a pain to deal with, it generally was not a huge annoyance to me.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transportation is the way to go in London! There are so many choices to meet your needs. Since I had never ridden a subway in my life before visiting London, I loved riding the tube! It was fast, quick, cheap, and easy. Double-decker buses are great for sightseeing within the city. Plus, they are just all-around fun! If you are wanting to travel to other cities within the UK, take the train. Taxis are also littered all throughout the city. These are the best for if you need to get somewhere in the city that is off the beaten path. Taxis are a little bit more expensive than other forms of transportation.

Supposedly the Forum Hotel London is the tallest hotel in the United Kingdom. The hotel is a skyscraper that is 27 stories high, and some of its views around town are fantastic. The Gloucester Road tube station is just down the street from the hotel, so the location is fabulous for getting around the entire city.

The service was very friendly and the rooms were nice; they seemed to be very clean, and the housekeeping was good about changing the linens. All rooms came with basic amenities. The room I stayed in was just a standard room. I do not know how nice the suites are, but I enjoyed the room that I stayed in.

One perk about the hotel that I really liked was the English breakfast each morning that was continental and included with the paid room rate. I have never seen so much breakfast food in my life! For Japanese tourists, a seperate Japanese breakfast was offered too.

I could not find an exact rate on the internet, but I would imagine this hotel to be moderately priced. I'm sure that there are much better bargains out there than the Forum Hotel, but if you are looking for a four-star hotel in a great location with a great view of the city that serves a great breakfast, this is definitely a place worth trying.

Yes, there may be tons of tourists milling around speaking hundreds of different languages. Yes, you may have to wait in line for about an hour to get in. Yes, the Tower of London is a common tourist trap in London that many people choose to avoid for that very reason.

However, the compelling history behind the Tower of London is worth putting all of those things aside to go see it. For those who would not be caught dead being seen in a tourist trap, it's okay! This one is worth it. The museum located inside of the tower itself is fabulous, and you can walk all thoughout the fortress. Walking about, it's easy to lose yourself and feel like you have taken a trip back in time, especially when walking into some of the darker rooms that contain artifacts.

We took a guided tour. To have a guided tour, you have to wait a little bit longer, but it's nice having one because you get to hear all sorts of interesting stories that you otherwise wouldn't hear going into the fortress alone. If you're willing to spend a tiny bit extra, I think that the guided tour is worth it.

St. Paul's Cathedral has something for everyone! For those who are of faith and would like a taste of worship in an Anglican church, the cathedral holds various worship services daily (usually holy communion, along with other services, depending on the day). I never personally got to go to a worship service, but I have heard from others that the services are really beautiful.

For those who are not interested in the religious aspects of St Paul's Cathedral or don't have time to go to a service, the architecture and historical value are both definitely worth stopping by for. The cathedral has a history dating back to 640 AD, and the current building of the cathedral has been there since the late 17th to early 18th century. Each day, the cathedral is open from 8:30am to 4pm, and for a small fee (£2-3), one can elect to take either a guided tour or an audio tour of the cathedral. I took the guided tour, and it was very informative.

One exciting thing about St. Paul's that I must mention is that you can take stairs and walk around the base of the dome in the interior of the cathedral. If you really feel like climbing a lot of stairs, you can also go to the top of the steeple, to a little walkway outside, and get an awesome view of the city. Getting to see the city from the top of the church is probably one of my fondest memories from St. Paul's.

While St. Paul’s can be called a "tourist trap" if you go during the times that tours are offered, it really was not that crowded when I went. It was a beautiful sight and a great historical lesson of London.