LONDON Economic Travel Guide
2 day UK trip..
This unique, cosmopolitan, very crowded, ethnic-modern-authentic blend of beautiful city, which is the capital of England, is among the must-see places in Paris, Berlin, Istanbul, It ranks first like Rome. To go to England, you also need to get a UK visa, so your Schengen Visa, which you have at hand, will not be removed in this country, you need to make an additional effort for England.. Therefore, once you have obtained a UK visa, we strongly recommend that you evaluate it until the end, because it can be quite expensive to go to England just to see London.
Especially at the beginning of the spring months. A visit you will make in summer will allow you to walk around without an umbrella, your suitcase will be light since there are no heavy items such as coats, coats, boots, and boots, and you can have a comfortable, carefree walk without getting cold or wet.
The information we will provide below is completely unbiased and 100% reliable, but it may be a bit ambitious. As a person who has lived in the UK for a year and has been to London 3 times, we hope that our local and up-to-date advice will be useful for your trip.
TRANSPORTATION TO LONDON : HOW TO GET TO LONDON?
First of all, you need a UK (United Kingdom) visa to go to London. Scotland, Wales and England are connected to the United Kingdom and this island on which it is located is called Great Britain.
The most suitable visa for you before you get a UK visa Find out what type of visa you need here to see your application. After you create an account on the UK official website and answer the questions asked, you approve your application.. At the appointment stage, you can choose the visa center and date that suits you best.. Make sure you choose a date when you can collect all the documents after paying the application fee online. Do not forget to carefully read the incoming e-mails.. Since the online registration and questions are in English, it would be useful to have an English person with you.. Finally, you can go to your appointment by taking the confirmation page that you have paid the visa fee and the printout of your application form, along with the relevant documents.
In London, Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, There are five separate airports in Southend.. Of these, airports such as Gatwick (in the south) and Stansted (in the north) where cheap airline companies like Sabiha Gökcan carry passengers more frequently; On the other hand, Heathrow (west of London) is a very busy and rather large airport with the highest number of flights, like Atatürk Airport; Luton (in the north-west) and Southend (in the east) are airports with not many flights, only from certain countries and cities.
A total of 4 terminals at Heathrow airport are far from each other. We recommend you to be careful, especially on connecting flights and on the way back from your trip, because reaching from one terminal to another by mistake may result in missing your flight (unfortunately, experience is proven). Although it is very easy and comfortable to reach the city center from all airports by train and bus, we recommend that you consider the transfer fee to the city while buying your flight ticket.. Because in some cases, for example, although the Stansted flight may seem cheap, you should definitely choose to fly to Heathrow since the transfer fee from this airport to London city center will be higher than the fee paid from Heathrow to the city center.
LONDON CITY TRANSPORTATION
There is an excellent metro network for urban transportation. Before going to London, we recommend that you examine the metro map, determine the metro stops on your route and your hotel on this map.. This will help you pre-research, save time, and feel secure for your London trip.. You can also download the metro map as pdf from the official website.
We recommend you to buy an Oyster Card, which is more convenient and economically convenient for you to use the metro and bus in the city.. When choosing an Oyster Card, you should also pay attention to the zone in which you will stay.. For example your hotel 3. in zone and you 1. If you do not want to walk until the 5th zone and prefer to take the metro, instead of paying 5 pounds in cash, you will pay 3 pounds with your Oyster Card.. You can choose Pay-As-You-Go (pay as you go) your Oyster Card, which you can buy online before you start your trip, or you can get a 7-day travel card or the group day travelcard alternative for groups over 10 people. You can also evaluate. Click here for Oyster Card fare and zone comparisons.
LOOKING IN LONDON: WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON?
London hotels are generally more expensive than other major cities. However, you can choose hostels or 2-3 star hotels located in ghettos that are outside the circle surrounding the city center and have easy access by metro or train.. When comparing accommodation alternatives on booking.com or airbnb, we recommend that you read the comments written about the preferred region.. Since there is a lively nightlife in London, it is useful to keep in mind that you will return to the hotel late and some areas may be dangerous in this sense. 2nd. and 3. You won’t have much trouble in this sense in zones, but you still need to be careful.
THINGS TO DO IN LONDON?
Walking: Explore London’s city center must-sees best on foot. The city is very flat and convenient for walking, and the most important buildings are not far from each other.. We recommend you to enjoy the city by walking with comfortable sneakers and a light bag.
London Eye: If you buy tickets in advance without waiting in the long queue, take the London Eye. you should enjoy the 360 degree view of the city.
River Cruise: You should take a boat tour on the Thames, especially at night. The buildings and important structures on the banks surrounding the river will give you a visual feast with night lighting.
Black Mini London Taxis: (Hackney carriage/ Black Cap) Although a bit expensive, we recommend you to take these iconic taxis. In fact, this recommendation, which is purely for touristic purposes, is for your video or photo shoots rather than transportation.. Click here for taxi schedules.
London Musicals: You should definitely reserve a night in London to go to a musical. The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Mamma Mia, Aladdin, American You can watch great musicals such as Idiot, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Thriller, Wicked at a much cheaper price than Istanbul, but we still recommend you to buy your ticket in advance.. For this, you can start by examining the site we recommend.. However, you can come across very reasonable prices on websites such as lastminute.com.. Don’t miss it!
Changing the guards: The changing of the guard ceremony of soldiers in typical red uniforms and fur hats called black bearskin at Buckingham Palace is a must-see ceremony. If your London trip coincides with this 45-minute ceremony, which starts at 11:30 every morning from April to July, we strongly recommend that you do not miss this free activity.
Shakespeare’s Globe: You should definitely enter this building where Shakespeare plays are exhibited faithfully to their original and period.. If you are into theater, it will be an event you will regret missing.
WHAT TO EAT IN LONDON? WHAT TO DRINK?
English Breakfast: We recommend you to have an “English Breakfast” at least one morning, even if breakfast is included in the hotel or hostel you are staying at.. You should experience this breakfast culture by drinking English tea or coffee with ham, bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms, onions, toast and sweet beans.
Milk Tea: British They usually drink black tea with milk.. In addition to being quite soft and light, it does not resemble tea or coffee, but still tastes quite good.. There is a 5 o’clock tea culture in the British, just like we do, but especially the house sitting is colored with tea and dessert, so they do not carry the event to the size of barren, pies, donuts, cakes like us.
Fish& Chips: You should definitely taste it with a beer. It can be quite fatty and caloric, but it still tastes delicious and you can’t leave England without eating fish& chips.
World Cuisine: In addition to other world cuisines, there are many Chinese, Indian and Turkish restaurants in London.. Of course, what we call a Turkish restaurant is kebab shops, but there are other dishes such as appetizers and salads in addition to more stylish, high quality doner kebabs in the European kebab culture.
Abur Food: Brits are junk food freaks. While walking on the streets of London, you immediately realize that they consume chips, cookies, sodas.. Of course, these eating habits are also reflected in their body structures.. Although they are generally overweight, even if they are thin, the part called “love handle” around the waist will attract your attention.. After all, you are free to taste some snacks since you are a guest in this city for a few days.. Vinegar Chips (Vinegar Chips) and chocolate chip cookies (Chocolate chip cookies) are harmful but delicious snacks that we recommend.
Marks & Spencer Cafe: Definitely take a tour in the cafe section of Marks & Spencer and get one of the delicious packaged sandwiches. On the rare days when the weather is dry, warm and beautiful, the British love to picnic.. Go to the nearest park (eg Hyde Park), sit on the grass and taste our recommendation, the M&S Cranberry sandwich.
Cider/Cider : An alcohol originally made from fermented apple juice. According to UK law, it must contain a minimum of 35% concentrated or fresh apple juice and an alcohol content between 1.2% ABV and 8.5%. Since England is the country with the highest production and consumption of cider in the world, this drink, which you can easily find in the beverage menu of every restaurant or in all markets, tastes a little different like apple cider.. We suggest you take a sip and decide if you like it.
(Ginger Ale) Ginger Ale: The British use ginger ale quite a lot, both plain and in cocktails.. This drink, which has just been noticed in Turkey and started to be used in cocktail bars in Istanbul, is a little sharp, but still, you should take a sip, maybe it will suit your taste.
PIMM’s : Usually in spring and summer, if you see a chalkboard like “PIMM’s has arrived” on chalk boards outside restaurants, we suggest you take a break for 1-2 hours and taste this light alcohol, iced fruit punch.. A perfect taste mixed with lemonade, soda, ginger ale and flavored with cucumbers and fruits.. We guarantee you’ll definitely want to take a bottle with you on your return from vacation.
SHOPPING IN LONDON
London is one of the world’s leading cities, especially in fashion.. Paris, Milan and London are the cities that come to mind when it comes to Fashion Week.. Therefore, we think that even if you can’t shop in design and boutique stores in this city, you should at least visit.
To be honest, the locals of this city, which has become a fashion icon, in fact, it is true that most Brits are lame. however, they still have their own unique style and style, and in this way, they are more attractive than the factory look that we are used to seeing especially in Istanbul.. They can wear flip-flops on a rainy day, and take a walk in a miniskirt and flats on a cold rainy day.. They don’t really have habits like brand obsessions or fashion week sprees.. We think that even if their clothes are outdated, old and ugly in our opinion, dressing comfortably or casual adds a different atmosphere to the British.
Let’s look at the shopping places you must see in London ; Local vintage and punk style shops in Camden Town; Located at Oxford Street, Selfridge; Located on Regent Street, Hamleys; Luxury stores such as Louis Vuitton, Burbery, Tiffany & Co in Bond Street, jewelery shops in Covent Garden, Sloane Street‘ De Harrods and Harvey Nichols and Portobello Road Market in Nothing Hill are the ones we definitely recommend you stop by.
LONDON CITY TOUR
Actually, a one-day tour of downtown London You can complete it with a walking tour.. However, we have prepared a 2-day walking route for you, taking into account the time you will spend to enjoy the city, observe the local life, visit museums and ruins, take photos, eat or relax.
DAY 1 TOUR LONDON
On this 3-hour walking route, which we will recommend starting from Trafalgar Square on the first day, (photo shoot) and places you will see (excluding breaks for meals); Trafalgar Square, Admiralty Arch, The Mall, Victoria Memorial, Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch, Hyde Park, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Victoria Palace Theatre, Apollo Victoria Theatre, Westmister Cathedral, St.. James Park, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The London Dungeon, London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Tate Modern, Borough Market, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St.. Katharine Docks.
CLICK here to access a walking map of this route..
Trafalgar Square: This square takes its name from the Battle of Trafalgar, in which the British navy defeated the French and Spanish navies. Nelson’s Column, stretching towards the sky in the middle of the square, was erected in the name of Horatio Lord Nelson, who was admiral during this war.. In addition to this column in the square, King 5. George, James Napier, King 1. Charles statues and the Trafalgar Fountain. Around this square, which is quite a large area, there is also the National Gallery and the St.. There is the Martin-in-the-Fields church.
Continuing from Trafalgar Square under the Admiralty Arch, follow The Mall, which is closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays and during official crossings. Following this, you will reach the Victoria Memorial (Queen Victoria Statue) and then Buckingham Palace.. Admiralty Arch, King 7. It was built by Edward in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria, and when you continue on the mall road, you will come across the statue of Queen Victoria.
The majestic and eeriely unusual Admiralty arch, written in Latin the text and its meaning are:
: ANNO : DECIMO : EDWARDI : SEPTIMI : REGIS :
: VICTORIÆ : REGINÆ : CIVES : GRATISSIMI : MDCCCCX :
(In the tenth year of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria, from most grateful citizens, 1910)
Buckingham Palace: residence of the British royal family. If you want to see Queen Elizabeth or Prince Harry and Prince William and his beautiful wife Kate Middleton, you can wander around the palace, other than that, you should continue your route by taking a tour around this magnificent palace.. Marble Arch: The Marble Arch, which you will come across on your way, is the gate where you will enter Hyde Park from the north east. Marble Arch was built by John Nash in 1827 as a grand gateway to Buckingham Palace but was later moved to its current location.. Hyde Park: It is a magnificent park that is open daily from 5:00 am to midnight and is free to enter.. If you prefer the subway instead of walking, you can get off at the Hyde Park Corner stop.. This is a quiet and very large park where you can meet riders and have a picnic by the lake at noon, as well as wide walking and cycling areas, which has also been the scene of many movies.. If you have had enough rest in Hyde Park, you can also visit the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Victoria Palace Theatre, Apollo Victoria Theatre, Westmister Cathedral on your route.. You can proceed to James’s Park. Westminster Abbey: This gigantic gothic building is actually an abbey church. It contains the tombs of many important scientists (such as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin) and members of the British dynasty..
Big Ben: The second largest 4-sided clock in the world, this structure is located right next to the Palace of Westminster. In fact, Big Ben is actually the name of the bell of the clock tower, but the tower is known by this name among the people.
The London Dungeon: If you want to add some adrenaline to your tour, it was designed inspired by murders and scary stories in London history and it is quite You can visit the horror tunnel, which is a touristic activity..
London Eye: The tallest Ferris wheel known in Europe, this structure is one of the most favorite London activities, attracting 3 million tourists annually.. There are usually very long queues for this Ferris wheel, which is known as the Coca Cola London Eye after Coca Cola became its official sponsor, so we recommend that you buy tickets online before you go.. You should enjoy a 360-degree view of the city with the London Eye.
Globe Theatre: Before your London trip, visit the official website for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, located by the river Thames, near the Tate Modern museum. We recommend that you review it and buy tickets online for any game if you can find it.
Tate Modern: You can browse this modern art gallery (except for special exhibitions) without paying an entrance fee.. You can buy at least a ballpoint pen from the store located at the Tate Modern outlet, where fascinating works are available, or you can keep it as a gift to your loved ones or keep it as a memory.
Borough Market: On your way, London You must visit this market place near the Bridge. Various festivals are also held in Borough Market, which is often called a food market.
Tower Bridge: Tower Bridge is perhaps the most iconic structure in London.. Everyone who goes to London must have a photo with Tower Bridge in the background.. You can walk comfortably on Tower Bridge and take as many photos as you want.. We recommend that you continue to the right after passing the Tower Bridge, have a cup of coffee at the cafe of The Tower Hotel and enjoy the view from here.
Tower of London: This building, on which Tower Bridge takes an isthmian, was built as a royal palace at the time, but later served for purposes such as an execution center, zoo, state treasury and observatory.
St. Katherine’s Dock: This area, which is located on the opposite parallel of the Tower of London when you go to the right side of Tower Bridge, is a place where you can take beautiful photos of the Tower bridge.
DAY 2 TOUR TO LONDON
During your approximately 4-hour walk, you will follow the rest of the city on this route. important places; St.. Paul’s Cathedral, Covent Garden, The British Museum, Camden Town, The London Zoo, Madame Tussauds, Nothing Hill, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Soho.
CLICK here for a walking map of this route.. You can spend a lot of time during the day, especially in Covent Garden, Camden Town and Nothing Hill, and relax and have fun at the bars and restaurants in Leicester and Soho in the evening..
Covent Garden: It is a place where different restaurants and cafes with indoor and outdoor areas serve, as well as jewelry, accessory stores and quite different design shops.. Even if there is nothing on the agenda of this market area, which hosts various festivals, there is at least one street artist playing an instrument.. In rainy weather, you can sit at one of the tables in the central area of Covent Garden and enjoy a plate of food and this lively ambiance.
Camden Town: Our favorite place! A perfect harmony where gothic, punk and extraordinary styles come together.. The most original and unique place in London. We recommend you to slowly digest Camden Town, go in and out of the shops, visit the second-hand and vintage shops, wander around the market by the river and have something to eat here.. Madame Tussauds: If you haven’t visited the one in Amsterdam, we recommend you to visit this museum with wax statues of famous people.. Nothing Hill: You can still visit that famous bookstore in this region, which became especially famous after the movie Nothing Hill.. You can visit the ancient Portobello Road Market, located in this quiet and peaceful area with its colorful houses.. Leicester Square: This square, which has many cinemas, theatres, restaurants and performance centers, is also home to major movie premieres. It is also one of the interesting places to see in China Town, which is very close to this area.. Piccadilly Circus: It is both a meeting place and a very busy intersection with neon lights, video shows in the corner building and the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and Eros statue in the square..
Soho: It is an interesting and must-see area with interesting restaurants, gay & lesbian bars and nightclubs.
FUN AND NIGHTLIFE IN LONDON
You should definitely reserve a night to go to musicals in London. There are many pubs, bars, inns in the city, usually beer places.. Apart from this, the most popular of the lively and entertaining nightclubs are Ministry of Sound, Fabric and Heaven.. You can click here for venue information and other suggestions.
LONDON OTHER PLACES TO VISIT NEARBY: ALTERNATIVE TOURS
- Greenwich and Canary Wharf are two important places to go in London. After a 10-minute tour on the Thames with a hydrofoil from Canary Wharf, you can arrive in Greenwich and walk to the Royal Observatory here.. Canary Wharf, the financial center of London, is where the headquarters of the major banks are located.. The low-rise, cute buildings you see in the city center are replaced by magnificent plazas here.. Therefore, in this region where you will feel yourself in a different city, cafes and restaurants built on the River Thames are more calm, stylish and modern.. You will remember the word Greenwich from your geography lessons.. This is considered to be the place where the prime meridian passes, in other words, it is assumed to be located at 0º 0′ 0″ east/west longitudes.. The UK’s largest maritime museum is also located here.
- After spending a maximum of 3 days in London, we recommend that you go to Scotland while you have a UK visa ready.. You can go to Edinburgh by train, bus or plane from London and stay here for 1 night.. Edinburgh, its elusive scottish accent and stunning nature are definitely worth a visit. We preferred a 9-hour bus journey with National Express, which is the most convenient alternative, but you can find a cheap flight with Ryanair, Easy Jet or you can use Virgin Trains for a 6-hour train journey.
- You should travel by train to other must-see cities of England. Among them, we will suggest; Cambridge to the north of London, Oxford to the northwest, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight to the south-west, and Brighton to the south.. But at this point, it is useful to make a small warning.. Especially on the train, both your eyes and ears should be open, because the train wagons leave at some stations and this is announced with a voice announcement.. However, if you are listening to music at that time and do not pay attention to the announcement, you may find yourself in a very different spot in the departing car.. it happened to us. We shot it, you don’t shshs.
LONDON TRAVEL NOTES
- London is one of the cities that everyone should definitely visit. However, instead of going to this expensive city after getting a UK visa, if you don’t have budget and time constraints, you should visit the surrounding provinces, even Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
- You should definitely spare a night for musicals, theaters and cabarets
- You should not miss popular activities such as shopping and eating fish&chips.
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SOURCES:
- LondonTown
- Gov.uk
