London Through the Eyes of a Local
Posted: February 2, 2023 | Rewritten: January 2025
Suddenly finding myself back in London, I backpacked the city over 5 days, visiting some of the more famous sights and plenty of off-the-wall sights that most popular bloggers and influencers simply aren't interested in.
Staying at one of the cheapest hostels in London:
I based myself at St Christopher's Hammersmith, which is part of the St Christopher's Inn Backpacking Hostel chain. Over the years I have stayed in their hostels in Paris and Barcelona.
It felt very strange to me to be using hostels in England. And even more strange that I was not going to be heading to my dad's house after arriving at London Heathrow Airport.
It felt very strange to me to be using hostels in England. And even more strange that I was not going to be heading to my dad's house after arriving at London Heathrow Airport.
The St Christopher's Hammersmith is perhaps one of the best deals to be had in London, though I stayed here a year later and the place has gone downhill. I booked directly and got a bed for 6 nights with an all-you-can-eat breakfast included, for £110.
If I had used the more popular and now much more expensive booking platform, the same bed would have cost me £110 without breakfast, which was priced at £4.
As I said, it's one of the best deals in London if booked directly.
If I had used the more popular and now much more expensive booking platform, the same bed would have cost me £110 without breakfast, which was priced at £4.
As I said, it's one of the best deals in London if booked directly.
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But don't expect too much. It's like staying in a hotel in that you don't get anything beyond the bed and a place to shower, but you are staying in shared dorm rooms.
The ever-so-tiny common area on level 1 has a microwave and kettle but no plates, cutlery or cups, which is pretty useless in my opinion and no fridge.
But the breakfast was spot on and made up for everything else that was lacking in the hostel.
Cereals, bread, jam, honey, Nutella, ham, cheese, tomato, cucumber, orange juice and of course, tea and coffee and of course it was ALL YOU CAN EAT.
The ever-so-tiny common area on level 1 has a microwave and kettle but no plates, cutlery or cups, which is pretty useless in my opinion and no fridge.
But the breakfast was spot on and made up for everything else that was lacking in the hostel.
Cereals, bread, jam, honey, Nutella, ham, cheese, tomato, cucumber, orange juice and of course, tea and coffee and of course it was ALL YOU CAN EAT.
And the convenience of location, directly across the street from the Hammersmith Underground Station so it's easy to get into Central London.
Getting around in London:
The London Underground is the world's oldest metro system, opening in 1863. I love riding "The Tube" as it is referred to and getting around is a breeze.
Top priority, get yourself an OYSTER CARD. This is the top-up travel card used in London.
They now cost £7 but you can recover that cost in just 1 day.
You can use the Oyster Card on the buses too, though I haven't used the bus in London since my dad took me and my sister to London, probably in the mid 70s.
Top priority, get yourself an OYSTER CARD. This is the top-up travel card used in London.
They now cost £7 but you can recover that cost in just 1 day.
You can use the Oyster Card on the buses too, though I haven't used the bus in London since my dad took me and my sister to London, probably in the mid 70s.
How much does it cost on the London Underground:
Sample fares (updated for January 2025)
Zone 1: Using the Oyster Card or contactless, a ride within Zone 1 costs £2.70 off peak, £2.80 peak, but £6.70 when paying for a single ticket using cash.
Zone 1-2: Using the Oyster Card or contactless, a single ride between Zone and Zone 2 costs £2.80 off-peak, £3.40 peak, but £6.70 at any time when paying for a single ticket using cash.
Zone 1 to Heathrow is now £5.60 at any time, £6.70 with cash.
Big savings to be had, but the fares in London make me shudder. In Mexico, a single ride anywhere in Mexico City costs just 5 pesos, that's 20p +/-.
You can check the fares for yourself on the Transport for London website.
Contactless is accepted everywhere, but of course, Big Brother is tracking your every move. Stay off the grid by using the Oyster Card, but remember, if you don't register it and you lose it, you cannot get your money back.
You must swipe in and out when using the Underground in London.
So here we go, this is my 4-day London itinerary based on my travels to the nation's capital in 2023:
Zone 1: Using the Oyster Card or contactless, a ride within Zone 1 costs £2.70 off peak, £2.80 peak, but £6.70 when paying for a single ticket using cash.
Zone 1-2: Using the Oyster Card or contactless, a single ride between Zone and Zone 2 costs £2.80 off-peak, £3.40 peak, but £6.70 at any time when paying for a single ticket using cash.
Zone 1 to Heathrow is now £5.60 at any time, £6.70 with cash.
Big savings to be had, but the fares in London make me shudder. In Mexico, a single ride anywhere in Mexico City costs just 5 pesos, that's 20p +/-.
You can check the fares for yourself on the Transport for London website.
Contactless is accepted everywhere, but of course, Big Brother is tracking your every move. Stay off the grid by using the Oyster Card, but remember, if you don't register it and you lose it, you cannot get your money back.
You must swipe in and out when using the Underground in London.
So here we go, this is my 4-day London itinerary based on my travels to the nation's capital in 2023:
Topping up my Oyster card:
London is one of the greatest cities in the world. And until now, I only ever went to London to catch a flight out of Heathrow or Gatwick or to take the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels.
So naturally, there were a lot of sights on my London Bucket List. And I wanted to see some of the lesser-known sights as well as the more famous ones.
On my first day, after the 'All You Can Eat Breakfast', I rode the Tube to Vauxhall.
First up was SIS HEADQUARTERS, better known as MI6. Home of the British Secret Intelligence.
Of course, you can't just rock up and wander around.
This place is locked down tighter than Fort Knox.
But you can see the well-known landmark from Vauxhall Bridge and from across the River:
So naturally, there were a lot of sights on my London Bucket List. And I wanted to see some of the lesser-known sights as well as the more famous ones.
On my first day, after the 'All You Can Eat Breakfast', I rode the Tube to Vauxhall.
First up was SIS HEADQUARTERS, better known as MI6. Home of the British Secret Intelligence.
Of course, you can't just rock up and wander around.
This place is locked down tighter than Fort Knox.
But you can see the well-known landmark from Vauxhall Bridge and from across the River:
Next up was Tate Britain.
Tate Britain, formerly known as the National Gallery of British Art and the Tate Gallery. Tate Britain holds the largest collection of British art in the world.
Not overly impressed, but at least the entrance was free.
Tate Britain, formerly known as the National Gallery of British Art and the Tate Gallery. Tate Britain holds the largest collection of British art in the world.
Not overly impressed, but at least the entrance was free.
Cool to see L.S. Lowry's Industrial Landscape 1955:
I rather liked this one, Death and the Conquistador 1959 by Aubrey Williams
You see, it is not always raining in England:
Continuing past Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament:
Heading along Victoria Embankment to see the iconic New Scotland Yard sign, Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police:
Back on The Underground, to visit Mail Rail.
I had wanted to visit here since I saw the explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes visiting the Royal Mail Underground Railway and being a former postie myself, this place was on my London Bucket List. Here are a couple of photos but you see many more on my Mail Rail Postal Museum blog post, where I detailed my visit in full:
I had wanted to visit here since I saw the explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes visiting the Royal Mail Underground Railway and being a former postie myself, this place was on my London Bucket List. Here are a couple of photos but you see many more on my Mail Rail Postal Museum blog post, where I detailed my visit in full:
On the move again to the British Museum, one of the many Free Museums in London. An impressive building, but I wasn't really impressed with the collections.
Back on the Tube, I rode to Bond Street, then St John's Wood, and a short walk to Abbey Road and the famous Abbey Road Cross Walk, the one on the cover of The Beatles' Abbey Road album.
Enough for my 1st day, I headed back to Hammersmith to plan Day 2.
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