Fall in Love with London

London has always been a huge tourist destination in Western Europe. It is a city that has been featured hundreds of times in both film and TV. London is a place that anybody can visualize and tell you at least one monument that resides there. However, you can't truly understand the city until you have touched it, felt it, and of course seen it for yourself.

London is one of those cities that I hold dear in my heart. It is a super unique place that I believe anyone can fall madly in love with. So take a ride with me on the London Underground or on a Double Decker bus and see why you should make a trip to London.

1. Come One, Come All

London is a crazy diverse city that has something to offer for anyone and everyone. Whether you are the serious business type or eccentric and wanting to party the night away, London has something to offer you. No one is turned away which I think is awesome.

Not only is London extremely diverse when it comes to its people, but the varied sections of the city also offer opportunities for everyone. There is a business section of the city with tall skyscrapers and tons of seriousness, so to speak. The city also has enough shopping to stop your heart from shoe overdose, (which is a godsend if you love shoe shopping as much as I do). Whether you want to visit a department store or stop by a small family run market this city has it. Another aspect of London is the nightlife including, concert venues, bars, and nightclubs.

All races, sexes, ages, etc. are welcome and greeted with open arms in London. Which is really rare to find and should be celebrated.

2. The Ease of Transportation

I have used public transit in Paris, Amsterdam, Budapest, New York City and Chicago. But none of them compare to the train and bus systems in London. I actually didn't realize until I went to London that the famous red double decker buses are used for public transit. I guess I watched too many movies and thought that they were just tour buses. Well they are actually really nice and aren't too difficult to understand after you study the maps a little.

My favorite form of transportation in London is however, the underground metro system. The "tube" as it is nicknamed, is awesome and I highly recommend using it while you are in the city. A one-way ticket can take you across town if that is the only place you need to go. But oyster cards are the most popular ticketing option. You can add as much money on it as you want at any train station. When you enter any tube station you simply swipe your oyster card and money is automatically taken off it. When you exit the tube you have to again swipe it so they can make sure you stayed in the zones you paid for. The tube is extremely clean for a metro system. The maps are also super easy to understand because all the lines are color coded and have cute British sounding names. The tube not only goes underground throughout the city but it also goes overground in the outskirts. Smaller trains can also take you to various places such as the London City Airport which is one of the smallest airports in the city.

And there is always the option of the adorable black cabs. These are like any standard cab except they are much nicer to look at. So overall, transportation in London gets 5 stars from me.

3. Never a Dull Moment

In the month that I spent in London I was never bored. And when I left the city there were still things I hadn't had time to do. There is always something going on. For example, there is a market every Sunday that has food, and awesome shopping. My favorite place to go is along the Thames River near the London Eye. There are a ton of restaurants and booths open with interesting buys. This is also where people go to play on drums or the guitar for the people passing by.

Another obvious activity that you can do any day in London is sight seeing. There is no shame in doing the whole, "touristy thing." Walking across the Tower Bridge and seeing Westminster Abbey are just a couple of the popular things you can do in London. The awesome thing about London's sightseeing is that there is so much of it. This city has tons of famous landmarks and historical places to discover.

4. Postcard Like Views

I'm sure that everyone has seen pictures of London and knows what some of the sights look like. Seeing them for yourself however, is a completely different experience. The cathedrals are large and breathtaking. The streets are filled with the famous red photo booths and street signs. Everywhere you turn in London is something new and looks like it came straight out of a postcard.

5. Broke College Student (or anyone) Friendly

First of all, almost all of the museums in London have FREE ADMISSION. Yeah you read that right. Here is a list of the museums that you can straight up just walk into without having to pay a thing...

• British Museum
• V&A Museum
• Museum of London
• Science Museum
• Natural History Museum
• National Gallery
• National Maritime Museum
• Tate Modern Museum

While this big city can get pricey when it comes to shopping everything else is relatively inexpensive. Even some of the sightseeing is priced relatively low. For example, with my student ID I was able to tour the Tower Bridge for only 7 Pounds, ($8.82).

Postcards are something else that I remember being cheaply priced. There are some places that try to charge you 1 pound, ($1.26) per postcard. Don't fall for it though, all of the ones that I got were only 10 pence, ($.13) each, (pence are their name for change or coins).

Well there you have it, now you know how I was able to fall in love with London so quickly and easily. It is seriously an awesome city and exceeded my expectations. I hope to return in the near future and continue to fall in love.

Bon Voyage!

Queen Wanderlust