One Summer in Europe – the backpacking Europe podcast

episode #1 – London

Posted on 22. Feb, 2009 by Ryan in Introduction, Previous Episodes

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Our first stop on our simulated backpacking Europe trip is London, a truly exciting and cosmopolitan metropolis.

London is world-class in many ways, and an essential destination for any European traveler. While expensive, it is very backpacker-friendly in its diverse offering of accommodations and in the countless free or low-cost activities to fill up your time.

Our recommendation for this type of trip is to spend 5 days and 4 nights in London. One needs months or years for London, but we have limited time on the trip and must always be on the move.

In this first episode, Melissa and I talk about:

• arriving to London and some basic ways to get acclimated
• each of our top 5 things to see and do in London
• other interesting sights beyond the top 5 list
• general backpacking Europe advice on packing light and smart
• after departing London, where to go next

Here are some relevent websites for London based on our discussion (in rough order as we talked):

TRANSPORT IN
Heathrow Airport (probable arrival airport)
Transport for London (Tube maps, fares, tickets/travelcards, Oyster card)
Heathrow Express (fast train from airport to city center)

INFO
TimeOut London (weekly “what’s-on” magazine)
TNT (another listings magazine)

ACCOMODATION
One Summer in Europe (London hostel and budget hotel page)

SIGHTSEEING
Leicester Square (live webcam)
London Theatre Guide (official half-price tickets)
Tate Modern
British Museum
Covent Garden (area guide)
Tower of London
English Breakfast (description)
Jack the Ripper walk (and other walks of London)
London Eye
Tower Bridge
One Summer in Europe (London page for other sightseeing activities, including hop-on/hop-off double-decker bus tour)

TRANSPORT OUT
Ryanair (cheap flights to Dublin from Stansted or Gatwick, but watch for add-on costs)
Stansted Airport (with to/from London info)
Gatwick Airport (with to/from London info)
Sail & Rail (cheap £27 train/ferry combo ticket London-Holyhead-Dublin)

Join us for our next episode as we spend some time on the Emerald Isle!

Tags: Backpacking Europe, Backpacking Europe Itinerary, Backpacking Podcast, British Museum, Covent Garden, England, Europe Podcast, Heathrow Airport, Hostels, Jack the Ripper, Leicester Square, London, London Tube, Ryanair, Sail & Rail, Summer in Europe, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, United Kingdom