London

Créditos do vídeo: Joana Nascimento | Instagram: @in_the_mood_to_travel

London is the largest city in Europe and one of the largest in the world, with 8.1 million inhabitants. Versatile and cosmopolitan! There, we will be able to find an endless number of activities to do as a couple or as a family! For many families, London is the well-known European Family Friend city, precisely because we find thousands of activities to do with our children!

Documentation required:

• Since October 2021 it is necessary to present a passport

Main Airports:

•  Heathrow
• Gatwick
• Stansted
• Luton
• City
• Stansted

What to visit:

• Big Ben
• Westminster
• Westminster Abbey
• Buckingham Palace
• London Eye
• Tower Bridge

• Tower London
• For Harry Potter fans, you can’t miss King’s Cross Station, where you’ve carved on the wall the designation of Platform 9 ¾ and a supermarket trolley, as it appears in the movie. And of course, take a tour of the Warner Bros Studio
• For Notting Hill movie fans, you have to visit the famous neighborhood where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant’s movie was filmed
• Trafalgar Square
• Piccaddily Circus, the big billboard with advertising of several shops at cheap prices. It is also an area with many bars and restaurants. And you will also be able to find the best musicals on display
• Hyde Park, ideal for picnics, sunbathing, or beautiful bike rides with the kids. Here you can walk to Kensington Palace, one of the houses where Princess Diana lived. Also, you can find numerous tributes to the People’s Princess.
• St. James Park, is very close to Buckingham Palace, where you can watch the Changing of the Guard
• For shopping lovers:
• Oxford Street
• Harrods, London’s largest shopping mall
• China Town

  

Main Museums to visit:

• Madame Tussauds
• British Museum
• Natural History Museum
• Science Museum
• National Gallery
• Museum of London
• Royal Observatory of Gree

Language:

The official language is English. But being such a cosmopolitan city, you will easily find someone speaking other languages.

London weather

London is known for always being cloudy, rainy and where the sun rarely appears! But it is also common to experience cold, rain, sun and heat…all this in one day!!!

Currency

The official currency is the Pound Sterling, in English Pound Sterling.

How to get around London

• Here, public transport is not cheap. We can even say that it is one of the European cities with the most expensive transport. But to save money, you can buy a card that allows you to ride in different transports. You have the “Travelcard” and the “Oyester Card”.
  
• Metro, in English is “Underground” or “Tube”. London has one of the largest metro networks in the world and is divided into 9 radial zones. So, if you’re going to spend a few days in London, it’s important to know the area you’ll be staying in, and which areas you’ll want to visit, so you can buy the metro pass! Usually, the most touristy areas are located in zones 1 and 2. The metro must be the most used mean of transport.
• Bus/Bus, the well-known red double-decker buses. London has more than 400 bus lines and more than 15,000 stops! The bus can be a good option to get around London, but it’s not very easy.
• Taxi, big, elegant, comfortable and different from what we are used to seeing in the rest of Europe. We are talking about the well-known “Black Cabs”. Here, we can say that taxis have the highest prices in all of Europe! Taxis have capacity for 5 people, and 3 different rates can be applied, which will depend on the time of day.
  Rate 1
  Applied from Monday to Friday, from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm.
  Rate 2
  It applies from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm.
  Rate 3
  It applies every day from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am and on holidays.
• Bicycles: despite the weather instability, it is common to see many Londoners on bicycles, going to their jobs. Around here, there is a bicycle rental network, which is called “Santander Cycles”. This Network has more than 400 stations and offers more than 6000 bicycles, spread throughout the city and that you can use 24 hours a day and all year around. To have access to these bikes, a fee is required!

Gastronomy

• Fish and chips: Fish – usually hake – breaded and fried accompanied by fries. It is the most typical dish in London.
• Roast beef: Grilled meat.
• Steak and kidney pie: Pie filled with meat and kidneys.
• Yorkshire pudding: Baked dough wafer in the shape of a bowl.
• Baked Beans: Toast with beans.
• Apple Pie: Hot apple pie.
• Afternoon tea

NOTES:

• Electricity sockets have 3 inputs, right from the start you will need an adapter to charge your cell phone or laptop.
• Store hours are from 10 am to 6 pm, although some shopping centers and supermarkets may be open later.
• Bring comfortable clothes and shoes, and a warmer coat so you can be prepared for possible weather changes in a single day.