London Independent Travel

📍 London · 👁 1793 reads · ❤️ 4 likes

Visa: UK visa requires online application, then payment, and appointment for biometric enrollment (fingerprinting and photo) at a location and time. I chose Shenyang. Just go at the appointed time; arriving early is useless. You can bring your phone inside because you need to pay for express delivery. The visa is issued in about two weeks. I applied for a two-year multiple-entry visa. Got the visa smoothly.

Hotel: Hotels in London are relatively small, old, and expensive. They don't provide toothpaste or toothbrushes, but have toiletries. Some provide slippers. There are no ice machines on the floors (they have them in the US). The two hotels I stayed at didn't have self-service laundry rooms, while almost all hotels in the US do. I had to find an outside laundromat.

Transportation: Public transport is well-developed. You can use your Visa card (some cards don't work well, not sure why), Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc., directly on the subway and buses. You can also buy and top up a transit card. However, Apple Pay and Google Pay can't be linked to Chinese domestic cards. The subway doors can be opened manually; there's a button like an elevator door open button. Don't assume you can't board just because the doors are closed—if the train hasn't left, you might still be able to press the button to open the door. When taking the subway, pay attention to the platform and the screen displays to confirm if it's the right train. Multiple directions stop at each platform. For buses, press the red button on the handrail before your stop to signal you want to get off. Wave at the bus as it approaches; otherwise, if no one gets off, the driver might not stop. Special note ⚠: There's no cell signal in the subway, so save screenshots of your planned route in advance.

SIM Card: I bought a UK phone card on a certain website; choose the duration based on your travel dates and activate it one day in advance. You'll have network as soon as you land, plus a phone number that can be linked to Uber. Very convenient.

I flew China Southern Airlines from Beijing to London Heathrow T4. Customs clearance was faster than expected. The female customs officer was friendly and polite; she asked two simple questions and I was through.

I planned to take the subway to the hotel but had trouble buying tickets. London subway tickets come in many types: single trip, day pass, even 7-day passes, and they are zoned—prices vary by zone and peak hours. I stood there for a while not knowing which to choose. Later I found out I could just tap my card directly. I confirmed with a staff member and then stopped worrying about saving money and just tapped in. You also need to tap out. After the whole trip, I felt that a 7-day pass might be more cost-effective. The London subway seems to have a daily cap; after spending about 7-8 pounds, you won't be charged more.

To adjust to the time difference, I dared not sleep early. Just wandered around casually.

I made a brief visit to King's Cross Station, Platform 9¾ (it's just a wall, but the queue for photos and the nearby store were bustling), The Shard, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and the night view nearby—a bit like Times Square.

I visited Regent's Park, said to be the royal back garden. The environment is indeed suitable for running. There are large lawns, a lake, and various small animals. Runners were everywhere. Foreigners really seem to withstand cold well; even in such low temperatures, they wear shorts and short sleeves, including older people. Admirable.

The British Museum is free to visit. There are many galleries with rich exhibits. It's hard to see everything in one visit, so I just browsed a few galleries.

Today was packed: I went to Kensington Palace, the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament and Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the National Gallery. The architecture itself is artwork, exquisite. The paintings are even more so. I didn't specifically wait for the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Westminster Abbey requires advance online booking; tickets are £27 per person. You can also buy tickets on site but you'll have to queue. After entering, you can get an audio guide with multiple language options; there are explanations at iconic spots. This abbey is where most British kings and queens are crowned, married, and buried. Some famous people are also buried here, such as Florence Nightingale and Shakespeare. It's said that every statue and tombstone has the corresponding person buried beneath it. The entire building is delicate and luxurious.

Although I don't fully understand the National Gallery, I found it more appealing than the British Museum. At least I saw "Sunflowers" and "Water Lilies," and learned about Monet and Van Gogh.

About 30-40 minutes from London is Wimbledon Village. I visited the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club and Museum, the venue for Wimbledon. It requires online booking, £27 per person. A staff member guided us to Court No. 1, Henman Hill, Court 18 (where the longest Wimbledon match was played), the Media Centre, Centre Court, etc., and explained the history of Wimbledon. The tour lasted an hour and a half. After that, you could visit the museum on your own.

About an hour by train from London, you reach Oxford. A school without walls; a town that is the school, and the school is the town—a world top university. I can't remember all the colleges, but there are libraries, a church, and the famous Bridge of Sighs. In a small alley next to the Bridge of Sighs, there's a historic little restaurant that supposedly dates back to the 13th century. Definitely worth a try. After visiting Oxford, you can take a bus about half an hour to Bicester Village, a very beautiful and quiet outlet—at least today, it wasn't as noisy as outlets in other countries.

Travel Diary Contents:

1. Pre-trip Preparation

2. Arrival at Heathrow

3. King's Cross Station, The Shard, Tower Bridge, etc.

4. Regent's Park, British Museum

5. City Walk Day

6. Wimbledon Tennis Centre

7. Oxford University, Bicester Village

8. Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park

9. Shopping in London

10. Relaxed Little Animals in the Parks

Travel Information: