London: what to do on your first trip to the capital of England:
London is one of the most global cities in the world. Four out of ten people who now live in the English capital were born in other countries and went to London in search of opportunities. With a total of 12 million inhabitants, 13% of the population is immigrant. In addition, the city receives more than 20 million foreigners a year.
Information and trivia about London:
When founded by the Romans, in AD 43,
London is the capital of England, and the country is located on the island of Great Britain, which is also made up of Wales and Scotland. London is also the capital of the United Kingdom, made up of the three previous countries + Northern Ireland.
After three and a half years and many comings and goings, Brexit – leaving the United Kingdom from the European Union – was made official on January 31, 2020. For the time being, nothing has changed for tourists visiting London on vacation, with a passport and mandatory travel insurance being required , but no visa required.
Confirming that it is a global city, central London is home to more than half of the UK’s top 100 companies and over 100 of Europe’s top 500 companies. Tips to deal with travel anxiety
London is divided into City Of London, which refers to its central region, being understood as one of the largest financial centers in the world; and “Greater London”, which is the space around the City Of London.
London Heathrow Airport is the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passengers, and the city’s airspace is the busiest of any other urban center.
Is London an expensive destination?
For real winners, London does become an expensive destination. Keeping this in mind is important so that you can dictate the rules of your trip and organize it according to your budget.
Note that my question was whether “London is an expensive destination” and not “it is possible to travel to London on a budget”. These are completely different questions, which lead to different answers.
When I say that a destination is expensive or cheap, I am considering the same pattern of travel in different places.
Imagine the same travel pattern (comfort or luxury) in Lisbon and London. Surely in Lisbon you will spend less.
So, if you want to keep the same travel pattern as you usually do, you have to keep in mind that London will demand a bigger budget.
I visited the city when the pound was quoted at more than $ 6.00 (6.11 on average), so everything became expensive. A lunch at a good restaurant, like The Ivy, doesn’t cost less than $ 350.00 a couple, considering only the main dish and a non-alcoholic drink.
Another very different situation is the second question: “is it possible to visit London for little?”
Perfectly! If you don’t mind reducing the standard of travel, you can be sure that you will get to know the city and spend little money. It all depends on your choices and your budget, of course!
My purpose in making this alert is not to discourage anyone from traveling to London, but rather to alert them to the need for financial planning. My idea here is to prepare you so that, regardless of the pattern of your trip, you can enjoy it in the best way possible. For any Visa Issue you can consult here
When to go to London:
Despite its unstable climate, London can be visited at any time of the year, depending on your interests.
As in other European countries, in London the weather seasons are well defined. Therefore, one of the factors to be taken into consideration when choosing when to visit the city is the season you prefer.
In addition to the season, it is important to analyze the rainfall calendar in London, as rain almost always exists, being more or less frequent in certain months of the year.
During autumn and winter the city will be empty (fewer tourists) and prices more attractive, since it is low season.
For those looking for this combination, the months of October to mid-December are ideal (Christmas and New Year is the high season period) and January to March.
From April to early June it is still possible to get attractive prices (tickets and accommodation). The flow of tourists will be bigger, but still much smaller than in summer. Another advantage is to enjoy the beauty of spring, with flowers blooming throughout the city and green parks.
Summer officially starts in mid-June and runs through September. From then on, the temperature rises, the days get longer (it gets dark around 9 pm) and the city becomes busier. Summer coincides with high season, so be prepared for higher prices.
Regarding rain, the driest months are March, April and June. However, rain is always present, and it is not appropriate to plan your trip considering only the probability of rain, as there will probably be frustration.
I was in London in March, considered a dry month, however, I also “had my moments of rain”. Don’t think of the London rain as the storms we have in India, but rather as our passing rains or drizzles.
If you have a malleable script, it’s easy to adapt. All you have to do is escape to a museum or go for coffee when the rain falls and, when it does, go back to the originally planned schedule.
London and Snow:
Unstable climate, frequent rains and the famous fog (“fog”) are hallmarks in London. However, the same cannot be said about snow.
The lowest temperatures are found in the months of December to March, when they can get close to zero. Despite this, snow is not right in London, as in other European countries.
I was in London in March/2020 and it snowed a week before my arrival. However, this snow was not enough to “paint the whole scene white”.