To begin our day in London, we first ventured downstairs to enjoy our English buffet breakfast provided by COSMOS. For the 1st day of our Best of Europe Tour, we decided to forgo any and all of the optional excursions and venture out on our own. On the flight to London a passenger, a native of England, recommended that to best see London, hop on the “red bus” and see all the city has to offer. As a group we agreed this sounded great for the day.
Down on the ground floor of the Novotel Hotel, COSMOS has uniformed representatives from 7am-7pm to help with any and all questions a traveler may have. We explained to the COSMOS representative that we wished to tour the city on our own and needed more information about the local bus system. She was extremely helpful, offering a map and marking it with all of the places we should visit.
As per her directions, we headed out of the Novotel Hotel, and walked over to the bus/train station, London Underground Limited-Hammersmith, which was only block away. We walked into the station and were very surprised…we walked into a mall! We had to stop and ask a security guard to direct us to the station, he did.
Once we found the station, we stood in the line for “Assistance and Tickets”. The woman ahead of us in line, apparently needed a lot of advice, we waited to speak to the representative for about 15 minutes. The wait was well worth it, the man behind the counter was extremely helpful, and we all purchased the Day Ticket for 5.60 pounds ($8.69), which the COSMOS representative recommended. This Day Ticket would enable us to get on and off and the “red bus” or the “tube” (London’s subway) as much as we would like, for 24 hours! This was definitely the way to go.
Ignorantly, we had no idea how to use the bus system…LOL! We didn’t know where to go to find the bus, how to show our tickets, etc. When we arrived at the ground floor of the station, I asked a man sitting behind a counter that read, “Information.” Again, I encountered a very friendly and helpful gentleman who explained exactly what we needed to do.
We caught the #9 bus directly outside of the station (#9, just as the COSMOS representative had suggested). When we stepped up into the bus, we only had to flash the driver our ticket. We found seats near the back and were off!!
Side note—every “red bus” we rode throughout London was clean and safe!
Our first stop was at the “Green Park”, where we got off in order to walk across the park to Buckingham Palace. Again, this was all from the advice of the COSMOS representative. Green Park is absolutely beautiful and lush. Pigeons and squirrels raced across the green lawns, and folding chairs were in rows in 2 small sections. We learned that these chairs are always put out for people who would like to relax.
The gates of the Buckingham Palace began to show through the trees. The gold-plated gates are spectacular, and directly behind them is the Buckingham Palace itself. Fortunately, we arrived at the palace at exactly the right time!! When we approached to Palace, we made our through the massive crowds, in order to see the changing of the guard! I must say this is a huge production, but a frenzy with the amount of people attempting to “see what’s happening.” We were able to catch glimpses of the guards, here and there, but for the most part we were watching people take pictures, trying to see the same things we were!! LOL (Apparently, the changing of the guard usually takes place every other day in August at 11:30 am)
After the Buckingham Palace, we walked down to the Wellington Arch. This area was also stunning and included many monuments erected for lost service men. We hopped on the #9 bus again, and took it to Piccadilly Circus. This is not an actual circus but rather a theater. The entire area of Piccadilly Square is encompassed with shops and restaurants. There are fountains and statues throughout the square, and it is quite an impressive sight.
It was an extremely busy day….we also visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral, The Tower of London and had lunch at a local favorite spot. All of this was done by taking the #9 bus as far as Piccadilly Circus, and then the #15 to go all the way down to The Tower of London.
Every monument we saw was extraordinary. When we walked up to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, we admired the outside before stepping through the open front doors. Immediately I could see that the architecture was gorgeous, but to go any further it would cost. I highly recommend just going to the Cathedral and stepping inside. The Tower of London is an ancient castle remain which we also admired for free.
For lunch, we knew we wanted fish and chips!! Thankfully Rachel was with us, and she has absolutely no reservation in going up to complete strangers and asking them where we could find the best fish and chips. Everyone said they had no idea where the “best fish and chips” were, except one guy who said Norway! LOL. Finally though, a young man in a business suit directed us to a small pub directly across the street from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, The Centre Page @ 29-33 Knightrider St. London.
The Centre Page has an authentic atmosphere and was full of locals. Everyone stuck to ordering fish and chips, the menu claims they are famous for it, but I ordered a Shepard’s pie with lamb, buttery mashes and mint. Mom, Grandpa, and Rachel all enjoyed English beers. The food was mediocre, but the atmosphere made up for everything that the food lacked. This is a spot I would definitely return to, to get the “old feel” of London.
We managed to make an entire sight-seeing day happen on 5 bus tickets! This was a fantastic idea and definitely something I would recommend to any of my friends! Buy a Day Ticket from the London Underground and see the city. I didn’t mention earlier that the red buses also have a second story which is even better for seeing the beautiful city!
I was exhausted when we returned to the Novotel Hotel and fell asleep at 7pm! LOL I need my rest for the continuation of COSMOS Best of Europe Tour as we continue to Amsterdam!!
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