LONDON Guide & Packing for a European winter
LONDON
Travel Guide &
Packing for a European Winter.
Part 1
London is like no place on planet earth, with its
cobblestone streets, historic architecture, hidden cafes and history richer
than your morning coffee. The first time I ever went to London I traveled there
alone; stepping off the plane I felt immediately calm like I was on home
soil – of course I was not because I’m Australian born and bred, but England
just has that reassuring and nurturing feel. I wrenched my luggage down to the
tube and observed the map which directed travelers on where to go. With billions
of different colours indicating different lines, you would think it would be
confusing wouldn’t you? It was actually very simple!
I caught the blue line from the airport all the way into Oxford
Circus which takes a good 50-60 minutes depending on the time of day. I then
switched lines and headed north to Maiden Vale station where I met my friend
who lived there – Que the screaming, jumping girls who hadn’t seen each other
for far too long!
Exploring London is such an easy and inexpensive venture.
London is far too big to do this on foot, so the double decker buses,
underground tube and black taxis are the greatest way to get around (I found
the tube so simple to use, so don’t be scared!). For me, London is this fairy-tale
like city which has something incredible hidden around each corner. One of my
favourite places in London is just sitting on the River Thames and reading a
book or following a jogging route that embraces all of the must see sites that trail along the
river itself – my advice would be to do this right on dusk when an enchanted
glow is looming behind the city triggered by the setting sun; this look is even more
enhanced with the luminosity from the building lights just being activated in
the twilight period. Oxford street shopping & Soho are your main pit stops
for lust-worthy fashion with an array of designer stores at your fingertips!
Every corner has a fast fashion outlet like H&M , Zara, Topshop or
Forever21! These are all interwoven with classic English brands like Burberry,
Ted Baker and Stella McCartney. When it comes to traveling around London
though, there are some endearing locations which really stood out to me.
These include the classic tourist pits as well:
Hyde Park
Tower of
London & Tower Bridge
Harrods
Oxford
Street shopping strip (Of Course!)
Big Ben
Soho
Piccadilly
Circus
Buckingham
Palace
Notting
Hill
Of course these are standard for anyone visiting London for the first
time but you’d be surprised at the things you miss in new places. I have now
been to London a few more times and have been exposed to a few other activities which make for a fun day out!
Apple Markets Covent Garden & Borough
Markets
The numerous
markets located around London are all fairly similar – some focus heavily on fashion,
antiques and collectibles and others purely on scrumptious food stalls. The
Borough markets were my favourite, they are located just near the London Bridge. If you’re
a self-confessed foodie then this is your idea of paradise country. I ate my
way through the custard filled donuts, Asian stir fry’s and heavenly fudge. The
Apple Market place is located in Covent Garden and is a very central spot. It’s
a cute little market place which I felt focused more so on clothes and vintage
wear.
Portobello Road Markets
Portobello
Road Markets are easily accessible by the underground tube and are located in
Notting Hill.
They are the
world’s biggest antiques and collectibles market place. Every day at Portobello road
offers something different but their main operating days are Saturday’s and
Sunday’s where they come to life with a full street market including fashion pieces,
collectibles and food stalls of course. They provide a great day out, however if I had
to choose one or two markets to see, it would be the Apple and Borough markets.
Camden Lock Markets in Chalk Farm
These markets
are full of vintage clothing, yummy treats and rows of food stalls. The markets
are known as London’s most trendy Sunday hangout spot as they are the cities
first crafts and antiques; they showcase one of a kind pieces of
fashion as well as exclusive souvenirs and gifts for family and friends! They
were founded in 1972 & are built within cave like tunnels which make you feel
like you’re stepping back into the 1800’s!
London Dungeon
This is the
most incredible interactive play with costumed actors and thrilling settings
displaying ghoulish tales of London’s chilling history – it’s a must see!!!
______________________________________________________________
Part 2
⇢Packing for
a
European Winter⇠
Winter in Europe is packed
full of magnificently festive Christmas markets, snowy streets and triple layers
of thermals – but the best thing about a European winter is the fashion!
Due to negative temperatures
and the chilly arctic breeze, you need hats, beanies, scarves, trench coats,
boots and pretty much anything else you can get your hands on. If you’re
traveling over to Europe in winter it’s wise to pack as lightly as you can due to
the fact that all of these clothes will naturally be thicker and
heavier. This takes up a lot of room in your suitcase and when you want to
purchase as many things as possible whilst you’re traveling, it’s a smarter
idea to take only the essentials! …. But how do you do this whilst still
looking somewhat fashionable and trend conscious?
I recommend packing the following fundamentals to assist you
in building upon that perfect outfit every day. Packing a certain amount of
each item takes up a lot of pointless space in your luggage – so while you’re wandering
new and exciting locations, try to pack only the following clothes so that you
can abundantly profit from the specific clothes that you have organized⧪
Obviously you need the basics such as thermals & a comfortable pair
of jeans (or two!). Thick black stockings are also essential and I usually
bring two long sleeve dresses to wear over these tights; it’s so simple to then
add your trench coat, warm accessories and boots to go with the outfit.
➽ 1 black, cream or white trench coat: Something that is basic
in colour and matches a range of different coloured beanies, scarves, hats and gloves
is vital. This way you can wear the same coat almost every day whilst only
changing the accessories that you wear it with – doing this will ensure the
look appears diverse in nature (even though it’s the same coat every time😉).
➽ 2 beanies – Wide brimmed hats are very hard to travel with, so my advice would be
to pack some beanies instead! They take up hardly any room in your suitcase
and they really do make a difference when you are outdoors - it's astonishing
how much warmer you feel when your ears are toasty and rugged up. I always take
a plain black beanie and then pick another colourful one like a burgundy or
teal to match the winter vibes!
➽ 2 scarves and 1 pair of gloves - Same goes for scarves
and gloves, I generally pack 2 scarves – one's plain black and one is colourful, this way you can literally mix and match colour with jet black items whilst
avoiding the unfortunate clash of colours that don’t work together. As for
gloves, I always pack 1 pair of black leather gloves with a thermal coating of
faux fur inside (always faux fur, never real!!!!!!!).
➽ 1 Black - ankle or knee high boot (preferably ones which are water proof) – Okay okay, I must seem like I’m obsessed
with black but trust me, when you’re traveling from place to place and are feeling
extremely stressed, you need to spend less time deciding on your outfit
for the day, and this honestly helps me so much. I would also take some heels
if you’re planning on going out or some ballerina flats for comfort on days
when it isn’t too cold.
➽ 1 puffer or leather jacket -
Xxxxxx
lmg
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