Category Archives: London

Best view for London for free - Travel for a Living

‘When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life’ (Samuel Johnson).
Whether you are visiting London for the very first time or have been to London numerous times, London is always worth a visit.
I have called London my home for over a decade now. Let me share my experience with you and give you some insight into this greatest of all cities.
When planning a trip to London, ‘Which Airport for London‘, ‘Visiting London for the first time’ and ‘London on a Budget’ might come in handy for you.

February 4, 2020 Sightseeing, Destinations, London 14 Comments

Secret Gardens in London – Exploring London’s hidden gems

I love London. And I love exploring London. Even after years of living in London (ok, near London nowadays) it never gets old. There are still heaps of places to discover. So, going on a tour to discover some of the secret gardens in London was the perfect Saturday activity.

London has plenty of parks and I am sure you know (or have heard of) quite a few of them: Hyde Park, St. James’s Park, Green Park would probably be the ones most tourists would come past during their endeavours in London. But these are not all. There are loads of lesser knows small gardens and parks dotted all around London. In fact, almost half of London is green space (a whopping 47%).

October 20, 2019 Travel Tips & Advice, London, Paris 13 Comments

Ever wondered what’s it like inside a Eurostar Lounge?

Ever wondered what it is like inside the Eurostar Lounge at St. Pancras International? Or Gare du Nord for that matter? Well, as I mentioned recently, I have now reached Carte Blanche on Eurostar. Meaning I am finally eligible to enter the Eurostar Business Lounges at St. Pancras and Gare du Nord when travelling on the Eurostar between London and Paris. Not a stranger to airport lounges, I was quite curious to see what it was like inside a Eurostar Lounge. Are you as well? Well, let me tell you, what you can expect.

September 19, 2019 Travel Tips & Advice, London, Paris 23 Comments

What’s it like on the Eurostar from London to Paris?

Taking the Eurostar from London to Paris - Travel for a Living

Have you been on the Eurostar from London to Paris yet? Or maybe on the route from London to Brussels? No? Well you really should. It is good fun.

I do love a good train trip and over the years I have taken the Eurostar several times to Paris and Brussels, both for work and leisure.

So, if the thought of going below the Channel doesn’t freak you out completely, why not give it a try. After all, it is quick and very convenient. Intrigued? Well, let me tell you what to expect when taking the Eurostar from London to Paris. Or Brussels. Or vice versa.

June 27, 2019 Sightseeing, London 9 Comments

Best Shopping Places in London as a Plus Size Woman

plus size shopping in London - Travel for a Living

Shopping as a plus size woman isn’t always fun. Being looked down at from staff, squeezing into cute dresses a little too tight (as they just wouldn’t come in a larger size), in changing rooms barely the size of a shoebox. I am not judging, I’ve been here myself for most of my life (and although I have lost some weight, I am still far from a size 0 model). Obviously, there is always the option of online shopping, allowing you to try it all on in the privacy of your own home. But what if you actually love browsing shops and seeing what’s on offer before buying? After all, London is perfect for shopping. Well, good thing I’ve got you covered. So, if you are heading to London anytime soon and fancy shopping in London as a plus size, I have compiled for you the best shopping places in London for plus size women.

June 15, 2019 Sightseeing, London 5 Comments

Ceremony of the Keys at Tower of London

Experience the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London - all you need to know - Travel for a Living

Have you ever heard of the Ceremony of the Keys? No? But surely, you’ve heard of the Tower of London? Hard to miss that one when visiting London. For most people a visit to the Tower will be part of their itinerary when visiting London for the first time. But a visit to the Tower usually comes with a hefty price tag. So, what if I would tell you, you could get into the Tower of London for free? Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? OK, enough of the teasing. Let’s dig right into it and I’ll tell you how to experience the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London.

April 19, 2019 Sightseeing, London 12 Comments

London in Four Days – The perfect itinerary for first timers

London in four days - Travel for a Living

Last summer my goddaughter and her mum visited me here in London for the very first time. They were here for four days, so you can imagine that we had a rather full schedule to ensure they see the best of London in just four days.

Needless to say, four days is nowhere near enough to really see and experience all of London, but it is just about sufficient to give you a first overview and visit at least some of the most famous sights of London.

So, if you are planning your first trip to London, maybe this four-day itinerary for London might come useful.

Obviously, you can switch and swap as much as you like, no need to stick to a certain order or completing it all.-

March 30, 2019 Sightseeing, London 10 Comments

Looking for the best view of London for free

Best view for London for free - Travel for a Living

London might lack the impressive skyline of New York or Singapore. But even though London’s buildings aren’t as high, they certainly aren’t less impressive. In the last ten to fifteen years, there has been a huge number of new additions to the London skyline with buildings like 30 St. Mary Axe (the Gherkin), the Shard, the Walkie Talkie, to name just a few. This paired with the iconic and historic London landmarks, like Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye make it a unique scenery to explore. So, if you are wondering where you could find the best view of London for free, you’ve come to the right place.

December 5, 2018 Sightseeing, Destinations, London

Carnaby Street Christmas Lights 2018

Visit London to see the stunning Christmas Lights on Carnaby Street - Travel for a Living.

After I’ve shared with you all the beautiful Christmas lights in Vienna, I thought it was only fair to also show some of London’s Christmas lights.

If you are heading to London for your Christmas shopping, take the time to pause, look up and enjoy the lights around you (well if you do so anywhere near the shopping streets, ensure you also stay alert, otherwise you might be trampled down by the stampede of Christmas shoppers).

October 4, 2018 Sightseeing, London 2 Comments

Afternoon Tea at the German Gymnasium London

For me having Afternoon Tea is a quintessentially British thing to do. And something I do like to indulge in every now and then.

But how about fusing the traditional Afternoon Tea with the German tradition of coffee and cake at 4pm? Well why not… merging British and German has worked well for me all my life (it basically is the story of my life, being half British and half German).

I’ve been meaning to go and try out the German Gymnasium for quite some time now, but somehow never quite gotten round to it. So when a friend recently visited London, it was a good enough excuse for us to have a girly catch up over tea and cake and finally give that Afternoon Tea experience a try.

September 27, 2018 Travel Tips & Advice, London 5 Comments

London in the Rain – Things to do in London when it rains

With summer well and truly over, it is time to come to terms with the idea of autumn. But what a summer we have had, surely we can’t complain … other than that it was far too hot obviously and the grass was all brown and burnt because we didn’t have any rain – I mean we wouldn’t be Brits if we weren’t moaning about the weather. So, for the coming weeks we will have to deal with London in the rain.

Back to the topic on hand. Autumn is coming and with it comes the inevitable rain. This last weekend was a prime example of that, as we pretty much had constant rain from early Saturday until Sunday afternoon.

Yes, I hear you say, doesn’t it rain in London non stop anyway? Well, while this seems to be common knowledge to EVERYONE and no one is ever tired of pointing it out to me, let me tell you that London averages 106.5 days of rain a year. And whilst this is quite a lot, it is less than New York with 122 days and even less than Orlando Florida that comes in at a whopping 117 days. Who would have thought?

But anyway, who are we to let a little rain dampen our mood? There are lots of things you can do in London in the rain. So get your wellies on, grab your brolly and off we go.

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