OK. Visiting London is nothing new, you say. Everybody knows what to see, everyone remembers possibly with some bad spelling the names of the most important places, and probably you would just need to follow the snake of people to get to your destinations and leave. But we all know what happens when we get on a trip like this one where the possibilities are so many: we don't really know where to start from. Is it more important that tower or that church? This square or the one on the other side of the city?
My intention is to set some priorities in order to get the most out of London depending on the amount of time you have to be in the city. And the best way to do so, is not following my ideas, but following the statistics that tourism itself makes. Probably, the most reviews one place has, the most interest it awakes.
To touch base, let's get started: if you are going to London for a typical European route trip, you will spend in the city 2 or 3 days. Visiting the Tower of London will be always the first and most important thing to do. It is a building that has lasted for more than 900 years and it used to be the place where prisoners were sent if they committed any crime directly to the monarchy. The Buckingham Palace will be the second building to visit, either if you only want to take pictures from the outside, look at the change or guard or take a look at the state rooms. The Palace of Westminster, or Houses of Parliament will be another destination, together with the Tower Bridge.
The British Museum will offer another point of view to the culture and history of the country, and it is also famous the South Bank and London Eye as places to visit within this 2 days period. Walking across Trafalgar square and St Pauls Cathedral will be also a must.
If you are going to stay between 2 and 4 days in the city, I highly recommend you to take a cruise on the Thames River. If you want to see ancient and modern architecture together, the best you can do also is to visit Piccadilly Circus with the famous Eros statue. Hyde Park will be another place to relax after a stressing day in the city.
If you like the museums and also have plenty of time, the National Maritime Museum and the Clink Prison Museum offer varied points of view from the story of the city. Also this could be accompanied by a visit to the Old Operating Theater. For the modern art lovers it is also recommended a visit to the TATE Modern Art Gallery.
Finally, for the ones with even more time availability, on a visit that can last from 4 days to a week, visits to Covent Garden, Kensington Palace, the Planetarium, Shakespeare Globe Theater and Victoria Embankment Park can be nice places where to gain even more insight in the city life and history. Also a visit to the Natural History Museum can be recommended, as well as walking the streets of Soho and the West End.
In the end, this is simply and idea on where to begin with and what to do if you have extra time, but the choice is yours and I can promise that whatever you do you will enjoy your stay in London. My only recommendation after all is to do not stress. Trying to see too many things in a short time can make your relaxing holidays accumulate to the stress you already suffer in your daily life. I will be always a day when you can come back and say hello to the old London.
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