Rules for London

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to London and Paris. It was my first trip to Europe. Having never been to Europe, or on a real vacation for the last couple years, I was really looking to maximize my time there. So I had a couple rules while for I was there;

1. Have a long list of things to do, but no plan.
2. Walk or take public transportation everywhere.
3. Get to know the neighborhoods I’m staying in.
4. If something looks interesting, do it.
5. Don’t be an #uglyamerican.

As it turns out, those were some really great rules. The last thing I wanted in a vacation was a schedule. Plus, if we got involved in something, and took more time than we thought, it wouldn’t matter. And following rule #2 the entire and rule #4 the entire trip, there were plenty of things that we found along the way that took up more time than we thought. The Camden Stalls, for example, were full of treasures and side alleys to explore.

Rule #2 turned out to be pretty great for a bunch of reasons. The London tube is super efficient, clean, and has wifi. The only drawback of the Underground is that it closes early, as does most of London. Walking a city is really the only way to really get to know a city. Also, getting lost is the best way to find the really cool stuff.