Packing…the dread of everyone around the world, but someone’s gotta do it right? Well when packing for a week in London recently, I came up with these 10 tips and tricks to how to pack for your week-long trip to London and get the best experience possible!
1. Pack for all types of weather.
Packing is such a pain right? Well in London, you packing just got 100x harder. Not really. Make sure to pack for all types of weather, especially if you’re going in the end of summer/early fall months. During my trip, I got warm/hot weather, chilly, rainy, and partly cloudy fall weather, and I was only there for a week! I didn’t have much rain gear outside of an umbrella, but I’ve learned. Oh have I learned. Packing for all types of weather saves a lot of heartache and saves you money from your daily trips to Primark and New Look trying to find the appropriate clothes.
2. Check for cheap deals on sites like Virgin Atlantic.
If you’re still waiting to book, look up Virgin Atlantic. I booked my (really amazing) flight on Virgin and boy was it a great idea! I saved over $1000 from a Delta flight that would have cost me about $2000 because a) I flew out of NYC and 2) Virgin’s flights from NYC to LHR start at about $380. Book early, but also check out their flights. The service is impeccable and as an added bonus, you’ll save a good chunk of change.
3. Mixing and matching will be your new best friend, plus it will allow you to have extra space.
You’re gonna shop. I’m beyond serious. Had I had more space and wasn’t so worried about my bag weight, I would have bought SO much more from London, but the shopping scene was too great to pass up at all. Primark is super cheap, but their clothes are amazing, so you’ve gotta make a pitstop there, and you may just come out with 2-3 bags of new clothes. Mixing and matching was something I did that helped me save loads of space, and if you’re only there for a week, chances are you using those jeans twice in one trip won’t kill you.
4. Look up the sights, but don’t make them the focal point of your stay.
Everyone goes to the London Eye and Tower Bridge. EVERYONE. It’s insane trying to get around there, so if you can, try and stay away from those areas, because you won’t be able to get around if you make those the main point of your trip. There’s nothing wrong with visiting the Tower of London and taking loads of selfies, but at the same time, know that you will have a ton of other people in the background of that picture.
5. Find a bag-sized umbrella and always have it on you.
I can’t tell you how many times (even though it barely rained on my trip) my mini-umbrella saved my life and hair on my trip. Take my personal advice and experience and go to Target, buy one for $7 and call it a day. You’ll thank me later.
6. Look into trains and day trips.
I took a day trip to Brighton that was so much fun and a nice contrast from the hustle and bustle of central London, so if you want to experience a little more of the UK, look into day trips! They can be really cheap if you buy the ticket early enough, especially tickets to Brighton which are only £9 one way if you buy it 1-2 weeks before your trip!
7. Buy an Oyster card. Hands-down. Or walk/bike.
Most sites you look up will promote the visitor Oyster card or buying a week-long travelcard. Honestly, it’s up to you which option you go with, but for me, I bought a normal Oyster card and was perfectly fine for a week. I put around £35 on it over the course of my stay and I was fine, especially since I switched hotels and moved from 1 zone to another and had to use both the Tube and the DLR. Also, find a nice tube map app for your phone, it will be your new best friend! It will keep you from sticking out like a tourist, but it’ll also help you get around quickly and easily! I used the app, Navitime Travel UK, and I was easily in and out of the tube, PLUS it told me when the next train came!
8. If you have any makeup that you want to take on the plane with you, take a plastic bag with you.
Personal experience: going through London Heathrow airport security and having to stop and put all of my makeup in a plastic bag. It sucked. There’s no arguing that. It was an awful thing and if you have a plastic bag, take it with you and put all your stuff in it. In the States, you can just leave it in your bag, BUT when you travel out of the UK, you have to take it out and screen it separately. Keep the bag in your easy to reach carry on, not your mini luggage. It will save you time and a lot of heartache.
9. Buy a SIM card.
International packages are expensive when it comes to data. I didn’t buy one, but the next time I travel abroad, that will be the first thing I do. Whether I buy it in London or while I’m still stateside. The charges racked up too fast whenever I even opened my phone to send a simple text. So buying a SIM card will definitely help that.
10. Even though you expect everyone to dress smart 24/7, the average person just wears jeans.
Fashion capital of the world and most people wear jeans? YES. It’s awesome because for the mix and match, if you bring 3-4 pairs of jeans, you’re set for the week. Jeans are a staple in the UK. I’m pretty sure that about 75% of people I saw were wearing jeans, no matter the wash.
Well, this was quite a list! I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any sort of London tips, let us know in the comments!!
