I can’t believe my trip to London is now a thing of the past. May I go again?? Please. It was a dream come true. If you’re planning to go to London anytime in the future, be sure to do your homework and map out what you want to see and how you plan to spend your time. It’s also advisable that you take bus charter and subway rides when you get to London, as they have the best public transit system. One of the best investments you can make is The London Pass. They are the premiere sightseeing host to help you get the Biggest Bang for your Buck. I was offered a 2 Day London Pass, which was perfect, since my four days in London were broken up with a trip to Scotland and Paris in between. Having the London Pass for our first 2 Days allowed us to see most of the attractions we’d hoped to see, then spend the last two days picking up the ones we missed on the first round, and fit in lots of shopping and time spent walking Notting Hill, and watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. We even squeezed in a London Musical (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) in the Theater district on our last night. A great finish to a fabulous trip.
The London Pass is everything you need for the perfect sightseeing experience. Once you’ve bought your pass, you don’t need to fuss about paying to get into any of the attractions. You simply show your pass, and you’re in! Many of the attractions also allow you to get in without waiting in long queues (that’s ‘lines’ in British lingo). Along with the London Pass you’re able, in a few of the attractions, to skip the queue altogether and use the Fast Track Entry. Most of the Fast Track Entries are for attractions without security measures. Being able to skip long lines is invaluable when your time is limited and who wants to waste time in a queue ( I just like saying that now – pronounced “Q”).
The list of attractions is quite lengthy, so you must visit The London Pass website for a full listing of what they offer. Some of the sights we enjoyed were Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge Experience (kind of like a haunted house experience), A River Boat Cruise on the Thames which took us to the Tower of London, The Tower Bridge Exhibition and past Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. We planned to tour the Globe, but we ran out of time before closing. Be sure to check your guidebook in advance for dates and times of closure. We also toured Kensington Palace, and a few of the Museums in London. Some you may want to put on your itinerary are: The Churchhill War Rooms, Museum of London, Guards Museum (this is where the Horse Guards leave from as they parade to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard). You might want to consider The Florence Nightingale Museum, as well as many of the wonderful Galleries in London. For the Sci Fi buffs, there’s always Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who!! Whatever your tastes, there’s plenty to see in London.
The London Pass also offers discounts at many popular attractions and shops. Do your homework and check your London Pass to make sure a discount isn’t offered before you make your purchase (Candy Cakes, M & M store, Liberty Store, and Beatles Store to name just a few).
London has an amazing public transportation system. You can get anywhere in town by using the Underground and of course, Double Decker Buses. You may want to buy an Oyster Card, which loads money on a card you scan at Underground Entrances and Bus Entry, rather than digging for correct change each time. You actually can’t use coins on the buses, you have to pre-purchase your bus ticket. We walked a short block from our hotel to the Underground, and got everywhere we needed to go. The Underground even took us to and from the airport, a bit longer, but much cheaper than a cab ride. Be sure to take advantage of the buses too, or you’ll miss seeing a lot of the beautiful city if you’re only using the Underground.
Just a reminder to “Mind the Gap” when entering and exiting the Underground trains (you’ll hear that a lot) and don’t look for an “Exit” sign when leaving the train to get to street level – look for the sign that says “Way Out.”
The London Pass will save you time and lots of money. The 2 Day Pass Adult Pass costs 68 pounds and you could easily spend that much in just a few single entrance fees. Look on their website for additional discounts when purchasing online.
Now you’re ready to go – May I come along?? Let’s see if you can spot what each of the photos are of. Feel free to comment below if you are wondering what a particular photo is.
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