London 2022
In the summer of 2022, I went on a six week long trip to the UK. I spent most of my time in London and this post will share some of my tips, tricks and things to do that I found while living like a local for 6 weeks!
First of all, 6 weeks is a long time, and for pretty much 4 of those I was in one AirBnb that acted as my “base” and I could take different day trips out from there! A lot of places I found in London were either quite small, or more of a hotel – but I wanted an apartment so I could cook my own meals and really experience living like a local. I then found this AirBnb, which is in Croydon, just a 15 minute train journey away from central London. I have heard that Croydon is not the nicest area to live, but I never felt unsafe (and I was a young female travelling alone). The AirBnb is only a 10-15 minute walk from the station, and along a pretty populated road. If you’re looking for somewhere to have your own space and mini apartment, but with close proximity to London, I HIGHLY recommend Gary’s properties (this is not sponsored – I genuinely just loved it so much)! The whole building is rental units and there are so many styles and layouts to choose from! I have linked the one that I stayed in here. I also loved that I wasn’t directly in the city, because I think that encouraged me to explore a little more broadly than I would have if I was right in the city center. When I go back, I will absolutely stay there again – beautifully decorated, has everything you could possibly need, and a co-op grocery store right around the corner!
Things to do:
- London Eye
- Tower Bridge
- Tower of London
- Harry Potter Studio Tour
- Big Ben