Day trip to London

Our day trip to London began at about 10.30 in the morning with a train journey from St.Albans which is a roman city situated about 20 miles north of London.  As we were taking our trip on a Sunday and we were planning on using the London Tube we bought a one day Travel Card which cost £11.40. When travelling over a weekend; be sure to check whether any rail works are happening as these occur most frequently over weekends and can disrupt your plans. Our train was bound for St.Pancras which is the beautiful International Rail Station where you can also catch the Eurostar to Paris and other Eurostar destinations. Our fast train to St.Pancras only takes 18 minutes and on arrival we take the 5 minute covered walkway through to the Tube. We are heading towards Green Park tube station so we catch the Victoria Line which gets us to Green Park in about 7 minutes.

As you come out of the tube at Green Park you will find yourself just opposite the park itself. There is a very handy Marks and Spencers here where you can do as we did and purchase some snacks and refreshments for a picnic. Having bought our food we crossed over into the park and into the lovely green open spaces with trees providing welcome shade. After a short walk you can start to see Buckingham Palace to your left with the magnificent fountains in front. 

We cross over the mall into St.James Park and find a lovely spot overlooking the water to enjoy our picnic. The park is very popular with families and it is worth seeking out the famous pelicans that live here too. After our picnic we head just a short walk up to Parliament Square where you have a choice of sites - Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament and the statues in the square itself. We decide to head across Westminster Bridge passing by Big Ben. Immediately you have a excellent view of the London Eye just on your left. Standing on Westminster Bridge you have views all the way up the Thames and this is a great chance to see all the various different boats. There are lots of tourist boats available if you would like a trip along the Thames. There are even a number of faster rubber duck type boats available for a faster touring experience.

We head across Westminster Bridge and at the end take the steps down to the left so we are now on the south side of the Thames. There is a wide long walkway which is a very popular tourist walk following the Thames. The walk takes you right past the Aquarium and then the London Eye. There are quite a number of street entertainers and musicians along the way. Next we head up the steps and take the Charing Cross Bridge heading back over to the north side of the Thames. You then take the passageway through to a set of steps which leads down to a small street where we turn left and head towards the Strand. Cross over The Strand and head up Duncannon Street and immediately you can see Trafalgar Square ahead of you. The square has now been pedestrianised and is very tourist friendly. There are even FREE toilets here which you won’t tend to find elsewhere in London. Here we find a seat and watch the world go by. There are a number of statues and of course the famous lions as well as Nelsons Column.

After a suitable rest we head towards Admiralty Arch just the other side of Trafalgar Square and take a leisurely stroll down The Mall. This lovely long straight street with Buckingham Palace at one end is a real treat. If you are lucky you may catch a marching band going down the Mall. As we are heading down the Mall we can hear music from the Band Stand in St.James Park. We find a patch of grass and sit and enjoy the orchestra playing classic tunes. There is even a small cafe close by to quench your thirst.

Well our day is nearly over so we head back over the Mall into Green Park and back to the Tube station where we started our tour. The whole trip took us about 5 hours and was extremely leisurely and relaxing.  This is a great trip and takes in the following tourist sites

• Green Park
• Buckingham Palace
• St.James Park
• Parliament Square
• Big Ben
• Westminster Bridge
• London Eye
• The Thames
• Trafalgar Square
• Admiralty Arch
• The Mall

For more information on London, tours and day trips; go to myukbreak