This is a blog post about how we ended up in London for only two days but had an absolute blast. I was in a dilemma when I canceled my study abroad trip and was left with a one way ticket to Gothenburg, Sweden. Of course, I had bought the cheapest ticket being a student and all so there was no refunds but I didn’t want that ticket to go to waste. I somehow convince Rese to go on a trip with me…. the plan was simple. Go to Sweden a few days and have fun, but wow money was an issue. Sweden’s hotels and airbnbs are EXPENSIVE and while searching for flights for Rese, we saw how affordable flights to London were. Thus, our trip to London was born after I spent hours making an organized spreadsheet for Sweden with flights, sights, and kites (jk but it rhymed).
I still had my GOT ticket so I booked a one way ticket from Sweden to LGW, London, UK with Norwegian Air for only $30 that departed two hours after I landed. I had qualms that I would miss this flight, but I actually had a lot of time to spare. The only odd bit was that the border office pointed out my arrival and departure date were the same, but it was fine. Rese and I strategized for me to make my flight since I only had a backpack on me and no luggage. Rese would check her luggage and we would share. This way I could avoid baggage claim and ensure I find myself on the departing flight. Before we traveled, I was pretty anxious I would be stuck in Sweden with no hotels nor plans and Rese would end up in London alone. However, it all went well so it’s possible to buy separate tickets to get you to your final destination. It is worth noting that GOT is a very gorgeous airport with modern and clean designs that pays homage to IKEA.
Ok, now that’s explanation is done with- here is what we did in London. Rese and I met up in LGW at around 8AM and we took the train to Central London and then took the underground to our hotel. We stayed at QBIC Hotel (after searching on Google for “clean, affordable, nice hotel London” and it worked!). It was a very hip and cool hotel in Shoreditch, which is quintessentially the hipster, alternative part of London. We left our bags, changed (I had traveled for over 24 hours!) and made our way to Oxford Street.
THE ITINERARY
Day 1
- Oxford Street
- Primark
- Liberty
- Lunch at Wagamams
- Blacklock for Sunday Roast
Day 2
- Platform 9 3/4
- St. James Park
- Buckingham Palace
- Big Ben
- Millenium Bridge
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Shakepeare’s Globe
- Fish and Chips Detour
- Oxford Street
- Afternoon Tea at Harrods
- Primark
Day 3
- Greenwich
- English Breakfast
- Prime Meridian
- National Gallery
- Oxford Street
Rese & Ry 