On Wednesday, October 1st, my mom and I arrived in London right around 8AM UK time (which was 3AM to us!), and we hit the ground running!
One thing that will become quite apparent from these trip recaps is that my mom and I are bougie travelers, especially when it comes to transportation. We were a little apprehensive about navigating the tube with all our luggage, so we opted to hire a private driver, which our travel agent arranged. The hotel was quite the drive—around 90 minutes—so it was nice to do it from the comfort of a private car.
It was a beautiful drive through London, as all of the trees were exploding with fall colors, and I was just in awe! I spent most of the ride looking out the window. (Also, every time I tried to look down at my phone and play a game, I got super sleepy!)
We arrived at the hotel right around 10am, and thankfully, our travel agent had blessed us with an early check-in, so after a short wait, we were able to go directly to our hotel room! Yay!
Our view – the tall building in the back is the beautiful Shard!
Even though I desperately wanted to lie down on the bed and nap for at least a few hours, we knew it was more important to keep going. So we unpacked our luggage, freshened up, and then left the hotel to find the hop-on/hop-off bus we had booked for today.
It was much harder to find the bus stop than I had anticipated. I thought I found the right one, but when the hop-on/hop-off bus pulled up, I realized multiple different companies were running these tours! So we had to find the correct bus stop that corresponded with our tour company, which was harder than I thought! (If my mom and I were ever on The Amazing Race together, we’d fail miserably at navigation.) Eventually, we found the right bus stop and within a few minutes, a bus was pulling up and we “hopped” on.
Our goal was to ride the bus to Picadilly Circus, where we would eat lunch and then visit a few bookstores before hopping back on to take the river cruise (which was included in our package). Unfortunately, the ride to Picadilly took forever. We were starving, especially because we hadn’t eaten much on the plane and didn’t have breakfast. After two hours of riding on the bus, we were finally getting closer to the Picadilly stop when the driver stopped the bus at a location and left the bus. The comedy of errors continued because, yep, it was time for a shift change.
Not to be dramatic, but I really wanted to die at this point because I was so hungry and annoyed, and it took a good 20 minutes for the new driver to get on and continue our journey. We always have the worst luck when it comes to public transportation, and this was no different. Sigh.
Eventually, we made it to Picadilly and decided to stop at the first restaurant we found, which ended up being a Hard Rock cafe, ha. Nothing says, “Welcome to the U.K.!” like visiting a restaurant I can go to in the U.S.
Our meal there hit the spot, though! This is also when I realized that restaurant culture in the U.K. is vastly different from the U.S.—for example, in the U.S., once it looks like you’re finished with your meal, the server will take your plates and then ask if you want the check. In the U.K., you have to ask for the check and let them know you’re finished with your meal. It can seem like inattentive service to Americans, but it’s just the way restaurant culture works in another country (imagine that!).
Afterwards, we headed over to a bookstore! Our first stop was Waterstones, which had multiple levels and a gorgeous Agatha Christie section that I wanted to pocket away for myself. It had her books along with Christie-themed puzzles and notebooks and knick-knacks. As an Agatha Christie fan, it was a friggin delight!
I left with an armful of books, even though I told myself I was only allowed to buy two per bookstore. But there were too many books that I wanted! Plus, U.K. covers of books are vastly superior to U.S. covers, so I wanted to get as many cute books as possible.
Once we had checked out at Waterstones, it was time for the next bookstore of the afternoon: Hatchards. This bookstore was a lot smaller but so beautifully curated with gorgeous bookshelves, fun gifts, and multiple levels of bookish goodness. I only bought one book at Hatchards, which I considered a win.
By this point, we were a bit tired. Our feet were sore, and the jet lag was getting to us. Plus, my phone had died a few hours prior, and I really wanted to charge it. The thought of finding the bus stop for the hop-on/hop-off bus and dealing with a long drive back to our hotel was too much for us to bear. So instead, we grabbed a black cab for a quiet, smooth drive back to our hotel. I mean, when in London, you have to take a black cab at least once, right?!
We got back to our hotel around 5pm, promptly fell into bed, and woke up a few hours later. Oops! The nap felt so good, though, so I’m not even going to be mad about it. I wish we were the type of travelers who can be go-go-go all day and rally on the first day in a new country, but that’s just not who we are. Instead, when we got up, we meandered down to the hotel bar where we got drinks and I had a small pizza for dinner. Easy, peasy.
Oh! And while we were sitting at the bar, I realized that we had completely forgotten about the river cruise. We had even paid extra for this excursion in our hop-on/hop-off bus ticket. Sigh! I blame jet lag. We never ended up taking the river cruise during our trip, womp womp.
And that was our first day in London: Some bus shenanigans, two bookstores, five books, one delightful nap, and a missed excursion.
What kind of traveler are you: go-go-go on that first day or take it easy to combat jet lag?
Hey Stephany, I am a frequent reader but infrequent commenter of your blog. I enjoy reading your travel recaps because travel is a huge part of my life (as in, I’ve spent multiple years of my twenties traveling/being a digital nomad and I’m about to move abroad at 30.)
I’m eager to read about the rest of your London trip, but I know you’ve alluded to some mishaps, and it seems like you had some similar ones on your trip to Ireland.
Have you ever considered doing a river cruise in Europe? I feel like this would be PERFECT for your next trip with your mom. I know you enjoy doing big ship Caribbean cruises, so I feel like river cruises would suit your travel style too.
They’re on much smaller ships, and you get to visit multiple destinations across multiple countries without having to deal with any of the logistics. You also typically get a mix of big cities AND smaller towns which would be harder to get to on your own, but super beautiful.
Just a thought for you!
We have considered a European cruise – I think we would enjoy that style of travel a whole lot more, especially because we are terrible navigators! I think our next international trip will probably be a cruise. You’re totally right – it would definitely suit our travel style!
Okay- two bookstores, five books- I’m calling this a win!!! I love your description of both stores, but I especially want to see that Agatha Christie section at Waterstones.
Now I’m wondering if you managed to sleep well that night- did the nap mess you up? Eagerly awaiting the next installment…
My phone was dead when I was at Waterstones so I kept grabbing my mom’s phone to take pictures, lol. I meant to take a picture of the Agatha Christie section and send it to you, but I couldn’t find my mom at that moment. HA. Damn phones.
The nap didn’t mess me up! My sleep is 100% broken in that I can take a 2-3 hour afternoon nap and fall asleep with no problem at night.
Look, Stephany, I am never go go go in any way at any time. If I am tired and or hungry, these things will be dealt with before an excursion can be had.
Not to be dramatic, but I really wanted to die at this point because I was so hungry and annoyed. This made me laugh because that is how I am ALL THE TIME. It’s also why I always have snacks with me. Currently in my work bag, I have Twizzlers, peanuts, and some trail mix. In my purse, I have Starburst and a tiny thing of almonds. SNACKS 4 LYFE.
I was so good about bringing snacks throughout this trip, but it didn’t occur to me to bring them on the bus because I thought we would find food easily. JOKE’S ON ME! Next time: Always bring snacks. No matter what!!
We love London & enjoy reading your recap, also love the bookstores – I try to find books we can’t get here. We just spent some time in Canada, Montreal & Ottawa, and had to make a real adjustment to the restaraunts – there was no rush! We could actually sit & relax & enjoy our meal! We even discussed this with the waiters, because we thought we were taking to long and being a nuisance; they just laughed and said “take as pong as you want!” What a difference!
Looking forward to more recaps and hope you are settling in to your new apt!
Restaurant culture was such an adjustment for us! We were both like, “Wow, not very attentive, are they?!” When in reality, they were trying to give us space and let us enjoy our meal without being all in our face. It’s so different from eating in the US – I never realized how rushed the process is!
LOL about the river cruise… I was reading along and then you mentioned the black cab and I was like, wait, what happened to the river cruise?! 😅 Too funny that neither of you remembered!!! Oh well, I’d also blame jet lag! Jet lag really is not fun. I’m glad you made it and had a pleasant first day- looking forward to the rest! (P.S. are the black cabs as pricey as they say? We had a group of 6 so we never did this but I’ve heard they’re a fun and fancy experience!)
The black cab was probably the same price, maybe 10% more, than an Uber. We did feel like this cab driver took a very meandering pace to our hotel, some of his turns didn’t make much sense! But then again, what do we know?! It was a unique experience!
LOL hardrock cafe! Love that your next stop was for books– very on-brand.
The bookstore visits sounded wonderful! I wish our book covers were as great here in the states. Why are their soooo much better?
I haven’t been overseas in such a long time but when I did, I would usually try to be out and about in sunlight until around 5pm. But I would never book anything for that first day after I arrived as I didn’t want to risk missing something due to a flight delay and I also like to set my agenda on the first day and eat when I want to eat! Jet lag is so rough so I can see why the river boat excursion slipped your mind!
I do like the idea of doing the hop-on/hop-off tour the first day in a new city because you can get a nice tour of everything in a comfortable setting, but we should have gotten lunch FIRST and then done the tour! Woof.
I’m a bougie traveller too! We always get at least premium seats on the plane, and our next few flights are BUSINESS CLASS OMG. I am ruined forever for economy flights.
The first day in a new country, we stay up as long as possible to adjust to the actual time, rather than the time our bodies think it is. From where I live to Europe, there is approximately an eight-hour time difference, so it can be tough to push through but we always do it. It feels like it’s way easier for me to adjust on the way home. When we last travelled, we got to Paris around 11 am which felt like 3 am, and that was a bit rough, but we persevered! I think when we finally got to bed around 9 pm we just both completely collapsed. I usually sleep on the flight over, at least a few hours. I’m pretty good at sleeping on planes (AND OMG LIE-FLAT BUSINESS CLASS HERE I COME).
London looks great! We are going to be there in June!
We did premium seats on our flight TO London, and we could not believe how nice it was! We got champagne TWICE and the seats were soooo much better than economy. On our way back, we tried getting premium again but it was going to take a long time, so we opted to do the exit row instead, which gave us better leg room at least. And it wasn’t a full flight so we had the row to ourselves!
I LOVE seeing how book covers are different in different countries. Bummed you missed the river cruise, but wandering through bookstores sounds idyllic.
We are definitely go, go, go travellers (mostly because I want to get full bang for buck) but we never schedule any excursions or events on the first day. I figure between flight delays and jet lag I want maximum flexibility.
Usually we go explore and I find we see a lot that first day, but since nothing is paid for or scheduled I don’t feel “guilty” about going back to the hotel for a quick rest at some point.
It would never cross my mind to buy books on vacation…but we only travel with carryons! So every bit of space matters.
I do like doing a hop-on/hop-off tour the first day, as it allows me to get a feel of the city in a comfortable setting. But now I know: eat first, then do the bus tour!
My first trip to Europe was in 1993, on our honeymoon. I tried to power through on our arrival in London, but I found myself feeling like I was going to throw up, so we went to the hotel and crashed at 4 or 5. SO I GET YOU SISTER. The two times I have been more recently, 2018 and 2022, I was able to power through, though we did arrive later in the day, which helped a lot.
I laughed out loud that you ended up at Hard Rock. I would have done the exact same thing with zero regrets. And YAY for bookstore shopping! Sorry you missed your river cruise, but I doubt you would have enjoyed it.
Oh, I definitely think I would have enjoyed the river cruise! It’s the same one Kae did earlier this year, and I think she enjoyed it a lot. I *love* a river cruise so I was really bummed we forgot about it.
Hi Stephany, Jet lag is the worst. I would’ve 100% curled up in that hotel bed and snoozed. the bus driver just getting up and leaving the bus – what even? Missing the river cruise is a bummer, but the bookstore photos look so lovely. I’m laughing that you like the covers of books better in the UK.
Jet lag suuuuucks. We really struggle, and try to be better about not taking a nap immediately upon arrival but it’s so hard when we’re so sleepy!
Again, we are just so similar – I too am way apprehensive about navigating public transit I am unfamiliar with, so it is always worth it to me to get the Uber or driver 🙂 I am also bougie traveler, in the very irresponsible and unpractical sense that I can way too easily talk myself into upgrading on flights so I am one of first to board plane and don’t have to worry about scouting out spot for my bag in overhead!!
I love London and also did a hop on/hop off (my mom and I, too, could not find our pick up locations) – that first day is always so tough with the adjustment!
We are living the SAME LIFE, lol. I’m glad it’s not just me who struggles so much with public transportation!
I love that you are bougie travelers! Treat yo self!
It’s interesting how different restaurant culture is in Europe! When we were in Italy in 2006 the folks working at the Ferrari restaurant were super offended we asked for the check when they dropped the food cause we had another place to be. OOPS!
It’s interesting you say UK covers are better! They were saying that on that book podcast from the Popcast that I unsubscribed to lol. I need to look some comparisons up.
I used to be a go go go travel because that is what I grew up with. However the husband is a little more chill (read a lot more chill) so it’s a lot of long mornings before we get going which is sometimes annoying. I always feel like I am missing stuff. But we also do lots of stuff and I would ride the hop on/ff bus until I’ve seen it all. And I wouldn’t miss the river cruise. Boat trips on rivers is always a must do for us.
As for the restaurant situation. Well we Europeans think we are being rushed in American restaurants. Ive hardly but down the fork and they rip plates from me, bring the check and I can’t even digest and enjoy my food. So yeah… it’s different than the US in most countries I would say.
Yes, I imagine U.S. restaurant culture to a European is insane, lol. Like, hello, let me enjoy my meal, please???
Woah, that was a full first day upon arrival! I don’t blame you for being tired by 5 pm. I try to arrive in Europe in the afternoon, so it’s easier to “stay up” until it’s normal bedtime.
I had to chuckle about your restaurant experience (esp. since you went to an American chain), but yeah, in Europe they don’t rush you at dinner… they won’t clear your table before everyone is done and they won’t bring the check before you tell them that you’re ready.
It’s the same way in Germany, and in the beginning, I often felt very rushed here in the US… now I know it’s just “different” from what I was used to.
I would imagine that U.S. restaurant culture to a European is hard to get used to! It must feel so rushed and frantic, whereas European culture is more about enjoying the experience and taking your time!
You had a great first day in London! I’m a bougie traveler too. I used to be a go-go-go traveler, but not anymore. Now I’m all about the slow pace, getting a hotel room with a view, and spending time looking out the window. I like to see fewer things and spend more time with them. I can’t wait to read more about your trip!
So glad I am finally getting to read these! I was with Kae – what happened to the river cruise? That said, bookstores and a meal that gives you what you need when you need it (who CARES if it’s the HRC?) are big wins on a first day with jet lag. <3