Summer in London: A Girls Trip

I had high hopes for London, and it delivered, and then some. It had the energy of New York, but with more history, better architecture and less garbage. While this isn’t the most exotic city I’ve ever been to, it instead felt like a place I could fit in and see myself living in if I was ever lucky enough. I can only hope it won’t take me too long to return!

Here’s a little about our five-day stay in London…

The Hotel:

The Claremont London Caring Cross met our needs and earned points for its fantastic location, literally on top of a tube station and right next to the Thames. We were also walkable to Covent Garden and major sites like St. James Park, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

Our flight arrived before 6 am, so we were very early for check-in. They could hold our bags and get us into a room by around 1 pm.

My biggest complaint for the Claremont Charing Cross was that our first room was in an attached building that was much less charming and updated than the rest of the hotel. We were rather disappointed with our first room. They could accommodate us and move us into a new room on our second day that was newer, cleaner and in the main building.

I would recommend anyone who wishes to book at this hotel request their room to be in the main building, which is what is advertised online.

Once we moved, we did enjoy our stay and felt central to everything. They offer a casual breakfast cafe and a sit-down option as well. We weren’t able to fit either into our schedule, but the sit-down option looked nice.

The Claremont London Charing Cross is best suited for the price-conscious traveler who wants to be in the middle of it all. They also offer pull-out couches for anyone traveling with children or a third person.

Things to do:

*Make reservations ahead of time, especially in the peak season.

• The Churchill War Rooms: This was hands down our favorite tour of the week. The audio guide was thorough and had more than enough information for someone to spend hours in the exhibit. The rooms were well preserved and had you feeling like you were visiting during wartime. The old bedrooms and meeting rooms were left nearly untouched since they were last used during the war. There was also an impressive exhibit on Churchill himself, which was filled with additional artifacts.

• Westminster Abbey: The Abbey was visually stunning. I will say I was not my best self in the Abbey as we took this tour straight off our Red Eye while we were waiting to check in to our hotel. But even tired, we were treated to amazing architecture, character and English history. For anyone unfamiliar, this is the famous venue featured in many Royal weddings.

• Buckingham Palace (Stateroom tour): The palace opens for tours for a few months every summer. We were lucky that our August trip overlapped and we were able to schedule a tour of the staterooms. The standard tour was guided via audioguide, which was easier to follow than some others we used during our trip and very informative. I loved being able to walk the halls that so many royals and world leaders have shared. We even got to visit the ballroom and see the new portrait of King Charles. He happened to be home the day of our visit, as indicated by the flag flying above the palace.

Honorable mention:

• Changing of the guards: This was packed and we didn’t get a good spot to see everything. I would recommend getting there early if this is something that’s important to you on your trip.

• Notting Hill and Portobello Road Market: This neighborhood was charming, but we preferred the unique boutiques and walking the colorful streets to the market itself. The market felt crowded and repetitive after a while, but we still came away with a few cute souvenirs.

Concert venues:

*Both accessible by the tube.

• Wembley: I feel lucky to have even visited what is such a classic and famous venue. Even with 95,000 strong at Wembley to see Taylor, security kept lines moving in and out of the stadium. The environment was electric and this is sure to remain one of my top concert experiences of all time.

• The O2: This venue was modern and clean and located smack in the middle of what appeared to be a modern neighborhood in South Greenwich. It was easily accessible by tube. We took an Uber Boat there for the “experience” and I would not recommend this. It took a very long time and dropped us farther from the venue than the tube would have.

• Eat before going to either venue. They both left a little to be desired in the food department, both quality and quantity of choices.

Places to eat:

• Dishoom (We ate at the Kensington location — there are a few. Reservations are a must)

• Borough Market

• Camden Market

• Barnaby’s Chocolate

• CA Japanese Pancakes

• Egg Break

• Chiltern Firehouse

• Tea at St. Ermin’s Hotel

• The markets were my favorites because we got to try a little of everything. We had some truly phenomenal bites and I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to go again.

Getting around:

The tube is as efficient and easy to use as people say. Charge your phone, bring a portable charger and use the Maps app to help you navigate. You can tap a card or Apple Pay in and out of all stations. It was quicker and cheaper than using Uber or taxis. It felt so good to be back in a city with a functioning transit system (catch up, Denver!).

Outside the city:

We spent one day of our trip on a self-guided excursion to Bath. We booked roundtrip train tickets and took the <1.5 hour ride to the countryside to explore the city, which is the only city in the UK to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were all pleasantly surprised by the charm and character of the town. I was left with an itch to explore the rest of the Cotswolds!

We took a guided (audio tour) of the Roman Baths, which I highly recommend for any history buff. The site offers nearly 2,000 years of history and many well-preserved artifacts.

We also explored the cathedral, saw The Circus and The Royal Crescent and enjoyed popping into shops. We enjoyed a nice lunch at The Bath Bun before heading back to London.

Other sites:

• Kensington Palace

• Harrod’s

• South End

• London Eye

• Hyde Park

• St. James Park

• Westminster Cathedral

• Picadilly Circus

• Neal’s Yard

The British Museum

• Victoria and Albert Museum (we caught the Taylor Swift exhibit)

• The Tower of London — We ran out of time, but heard great things about this tour

• St. Paul’s Cathedral — We ran out of time, but heard this is one of the most beautiful buildings (in the world?) and are sorry we missed it

London is a destination that has something for everyone and will leave you itching to return (or move there if you're like me). It requires some planning on the front end to ensure you have reservations for popular attractions and meals to reduce wait times. But this will prove to be well worth it to ensure you can make the most of your trip. Reach out and let me help you fall in love with London.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our London page.