Every meal had a reservation. Even the taxis seemed scheduled. Small fortune spent. Some people choose to do London that way. Which is fine, really.
Then someone else comes along, stays somewhere fairly ordinary, wanders around Mayfair for half a day, finds a nice place for lunch, disappears into a bookshop for forty minutes, and somehow has the better trip.
Style isn’t always about what you spend.
A lot of it comes down to pace.
Pick One Area and Get to Know It
I used to think the goal was seeing as much of London as possible.
After one weekend of rushing around I realised I’d mostly seen Tube stations.
You think you’ve saved time because you’ve visited six different areas. Really you’ve just spent half the day on the Tube wondering whether you should’ve got off one stop earlier.
These days I’d rather stay around one part of Central London for a while.
Mayfair.
Soho.
Covent Garden.
Marylebone.
Sounds pointless until you notice the café or little gallery you somehow missed the first time through. Happens more than you’d think.
Funny how often that happens.
Stay Somewhere You’ll Actually Enjoy Coming Back To
Some people only use the hotel to sleep.
Nothing wrong with that, but it does make every hotel feel pretty much the same.
Sleep there.
Leave early.
Come back late.
Repeat.
There’s no insane life-saving tip here. Just spend on what you value the most. A good return on investment is what you want.
Stop Chasing Every Recommendation
This took me longer than it probably should have.
Every city has that restaurant everyone insists you have to visit.
Sometimes you’ll walk past somewhere that simply looks good.
Go there instead.
I’ve done that more than once.
No reviews.
No saved videos.
Just liked the look of it.
Sometimes it works brilliantly.
Sometimes it’s average.
That’s the fun of it. On the contrary, where’s the fun in, “I saw it on Instagram.”
Dress Like You’re Going Somewhere Nice
Putting a bit of effort in changes how the day feels. Doesn’t have to be expensive. Just something you actually feel good wearing.
A jacket that fits properly.
Shoes that still look decent after walking for miles.
A shirt you don’t mind wearing from lunch straight through to the evening.
That’s usually enough.
And please, if you’re bringing new shoes, wear them before the trip.
Future you will appreciate it.
Walk More Than Feels Sensible
Walking is where the day seems to come together.
You leave one place, spot a bookshop, end up inside because it starts raining, grab a coffee afterwards and realise you’ve accidentally wandered into another part of Central London.
Nobody planned it.
It just happened.
I’ve had afternoons where the original destination almost became irrelevant because everything in between ended up being more interesting.
There’s a street in Marylebone I always end up drifting back to. Couldn’t even tell you exactly why. Nothing particularly famous there. Couldn’t even tell you exactly why I like that street.
I just do.
Sometimes that’s reason enough.
Don’t Rush Lunch
Never quite understood why people rush through lunch on holiday.
Maybe sitting still makes them feel like they’re wasting time.
Personally I think the opposite.
I’ve always thought the opposite.
Some of my favourite afternoons in London started because lunch lasted longer than expected.
Someone ordered another bottle.
Coffee turned into dessert.
Dessert turned into sitting there talking because nobody wanted to move yet.
You look outside and realise two hours disappeared.
Good.
That’s what holidays are for.
Leave Room for the Evening
A lot of people seem determined to fit everything in before dinner.
By early evening they’re completely finished and back at the hotel watching television.
Bit of a shame, really.
Fair enough if you’ve been up since dawn.
Still, London changes once the evening rolls in.
Restaurants start filling up. The streets feel different. People slow down a bit instead of marching from one attraction to the next.
Even if your plan is nothing more ambitious than dinner and a walk afterwards, don’t write the evening off too early.
Some of the nicest moments happen after the day’s official sightseeing has finished.
Tape London
If the evening’s taking shape around Mayfair, Tape London is pretty much the most logical go-to.
Parties, great crowd, and exclusive celebrity performances.
Easily one of the most memorable parts of a London trip if you play it right.
The vibe changes from one evening to the next, but elegance and extravagance are staples.
Buy Less Than You Planned
This probably sounds strange in London.
The shopping is good.
Very good.
But then you realise, most of what you buy loses significance.
What if you limited yourself to one special object, though? Won’t you discover something pretty cool about how you relate to the city?
Sometimes that’s just a book.
Sometimes it’s a print from a gallery.
Sometimes it’s nothing at all.
Not every trip needs a souvenir.
Accept That You’ll Miss Things
This bothered me on my first few visits.
I’d get home and immediately realise there were another twenty places I wanted to see.
Now I think that’s part of London’s appeal.
Leave something for another visit.
Cities aren’t exams.
Nobody’s marking you afterwards.
A Small Habit I Somehow Picked Up
Not sure when this started.
Couldn’t tell you.
It just became something I do whenever I’m in London. I’ll usually leave half an hour at the end of one afternoon with nowhere to be.
No restaurant booked.
No museum ticket.
Nothing.
I just walk.
The objective isn’t to find something cool. It’s usually just to walk for the sake of exploring.
Oddly enough, those are the bits I remember.
Don’t Treat London Like a Checklist
There’s a strange pressure now to come home with proof that you’ve “done” London.
Photos in front of every landmark.
Every famous restaurant ticked off.
Every recommendation crossed off a list.
It sounds satisfying, but is it really?
Eating well without trying to chase every viral recommendation.
Walking instead of rushing.
Leaving a little space for the day to surprise you.
London has been rewarding that sort of travel for a long time.
You don’t need to see everything.
You don’t need to spend the most.
You just need enough time to notice what’s around you.
The rest usually sorts itself out.
