Tag: London Tips

This is what we recommend as a London Winter Packing List and we  also advise on where to shop for the things you forgot. Do you spend your journey to the airport remembering all the things that you forgot to pack? Well you aren’t alone…

What Goes into the Perfect London Winter Packing List?

London can be wet and dreary when you are trudging about on foot and then you find yourself thrust into overheated steamy shops, sipping cocktails in chic hotel bars or spending the night at the theatre. So there is a lot that needs to be crammed into a small suitcase. Here we explain the 15 must haves for a London trip – the perfect London Winter Packing List.

How Not To Look Like A Tourist

Wear dark colours like navy, black and dark grey and only wear one or two colours. Don’t carry a selfie stick or camera. The London look is understated and ‘put together’.

Hannah at Cocobeautea has nailed London style and you may want to check out her blog and Instagram for ideas.

London Winter Packing List Essentials

Outer Wear

It rains a lot in London. You won’t get very far with just a blazer, hoodie or a fake fur coat. So unless you’ve arrived on the one week of the year where no rain is forecast your coat will need to be waterproof.

In the midst of Winter, this may be a full length down filled coat, and in Spring or Summer you may get away with a lightweight Mac or thin padded jacket.

Go to M&S if you haven’t brought this item with you. It’s a mid range shop selling quality clothing and you’ll be able to pick something up in the £40-£100 category. Make sure your coat is labelled as Stormwear…unless of course you are here to buy an iconic Burberry.

There are large M&S stores in Victoria, High Street Kensington, Marble Arch and Oxford Street.

It can get chilly here in Winter so you’ll need a scarf, fingerless gloves (so you can text) and a warm hat.

The leader in high street scarfs, wool hats and gloves is Accessorize. There are branches throughout the West End. You’ll be able to pick up something on trend…be that clashing or co-ordinating. Fortnum & Mason do a nice range of hats. Or you could try the Royal Hatters Lock & Co.

High Street clothes Shops for the Young or Super Stylish:

• Zara
• H&M
• Mango
• All Saints
• Hobbs

Walking Shoes

Leave your high heels at home, as you’ll need comfortable, easy-to-put-on flats for getting about and travelling on public transport in London in Winter.

For daytime walking, Clarks has a superb quality flat shoes with a grip. Look for Goretex lined leather that makes the shoes waterproof. You may also find what you are looking for at Uggs, just off Piccadilly Circus. Carvela and Kurt Geiger do some ultra chic trainers.

Bear in mind that you are looking for urban walking shoes or chic trainers not hiking boots or scruffy, utilitarian trainers.

Jumpers and T Shirts

The London climate tends to be mild and damp, even in the middle of Winter. Added to that, you will be going in and out of department stores, museums and hopping on and off the tube, so you don’t want to get too hot. It’s best to dress in layers. I would recommend a dark merino wool or cashmere jumper over a cotton long sleeved T shirt. Or you may consider a loose fit jumper half tucked into jeans or trousers. Cardigans are a difficult look to pull off when wearing a coat.

M&S does a good range of wool mix and cashmere jumpers in plain colours and layering pieces like t shirts and vests. River Island and H&M sell nice winter knits.

Evening Wear

If you are going out, you’ll need to be able to switch up your outfit for the evening. For most of the year, I wear black trousers which I have in a variety of fabrics e.g. faux leather, velvet, jeans and suiting. I wear these with an evening top and jewellery for the London theatre and restaurants. I can then add a coat, scarf, gloves and Uggs to stay warm for the tube journey home.

Monsoon does a good range of tops and evening dresses which can work as tunics over black trousers. Also check out evening knits.

Nightwear

I buy all my nightwear in the ultra low cost store Primark. They sell 100% cotton night dresses and pyjamas in the £5 price range which wash well and last forever. Check out their slipper socks for using in your hotel. There is a large Primark on London’s Oxford Street.

Tiger is also good for slipper socks.

Underwear

M&S has made a name for itself as the leading brand for quality high street underwear, bras and socks. Why would you go anywhere else?

Bags

Bags are an emotive subject as many feel that this is where their social status is judged. If you are after a designer bag head to Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty’s or Harvey Nichols.

Kurt Geiger is a UK company focussed on the London Look . Bags are mostly priced bag in the £100-200 category. Their flag ship store is in Covent Garden. For everyday use, I wear one of their leather crossbody bags.

Umbrella

Bring a telescopic, ultra light weight umbrella. London rain can be gusty and travel horizontally!

As there’s a high risk of losing umbrellas in cafes, buses and tubes I’d recommend a cheap, sturdy umbrella from Tiger for approximately £5.

Toiletries and Beauty Essentials

There’s always a huge number of items required to maintain a beauty routine and some you are not able to carry in hand baggage. Tiger will be able to fulfil most of these needs from small magnifying mirrors with suction pads, foot files, emery boards, scissors, tweezers and travel hair brushes – all at very low prices in stylish colourful, Scandi designs.

For really high quality hand creams, in lovely retro metal effect tubes, go to The Body Shop. I always carry a travel size of their Hemp Hard Working Hand Protector which has a nice slightly earthy smell – perfect for chapped Winter hands.

Alternatively, try Superdrug for essentials, it is slightly cheaper than Boots with an excellent range of vitamins and drug store brand makeup.

The best drug store make up brands are:

• Bourjois
• L’Oreal
• Max Factor
• No 7 (Boots)

Medicines and Vitamins

When travelling, I bring a small toiletry bag containing all my meds for any past, current or (likely) future illness. I also use 7 day tablet organisers containing my prescription meds and daily vitamins which I carry in both my hand luggage and my carry on.

If you are after medical advice, head to Boots or anywhere that you see the green cross pharmacy sign as they will have a resident pharmacist who will be qualified to advise.

While you are in a pharmacy consider the purchase of these Winter essentials

• blister gel plasters
• lip salve
• anti bacterial hand gel
• multi packs of travel tissues

Splitting headache with no pharmacy in sight? Try a newsagent as they have a small range of over-the-counter meds.

Phone Chargers

A couple of small lipstick style phone chargers will get you through the day. You can buy these plus the phone leads in Tiger or most drug stores. While you are there check out their travel plugs.

Electrical Equipment

Most hotels have an iron, hair dryer and phone chargers if you ask at reception.

Looking for specialised camera or phone equipment? Try the vast number of shops on the Tottenham Court Road.

Writing and Drawing Equipment

You may have the urge to document your thoughts and travels the old fashioned way, using a pen and paper, or get crafty, or creative. Tiger does a range of notepads, pens, drawing or craft supplies…you could also try Paperchase and John Lewis.

Things to Buy When You Arrive

Cooking Utensils

If you are here for longer and self catering, you may require utensils or equipment. Most Londoners will buy these from large out-of-town supermarkets like Tesco, Waitrose or Sainsbury’s. If this isn’t an option for you try John Lewis in Oxford Street, Peter Jones in Chelsea and there is a limited range of very basic equipment in Tiger.

Hotel Room Dining and Snacks

On some cold, rainy days in Winter, you may not feel like going out for a meal, or you are preparing for when the urge for a midnight snack strikes. M&S Food Hall in Marble Arch is a paradise of pre prepared food which will cater for every need, from a substantial dinner, to snacks on-the-go, park picnics or midnight morsels. Alternatives are Pret and the Selfridges or Harrods food halls.

A Londoner’s London Winter Packing List

As a Londoner, these are the things that I advise my visiting friends to put on their London Winter Packing List…and I never leave home without my tissues, phone battery charger, paracetamol umbrella and a comfortable pair of shoes.

If you are looking for places to go to that will fully utilise all your wet weather and outdoor clothing look no further than our posts on Richmond Park and Kew Gardens.

So exactly how do you plan a day out in London? Here’s how to go from a hum drum day in which you have little to show for it but throbbing blisters to one where you are energised by London in its glory. As they say, “fail to plan and plan to fail”.

Plan a Day Out in London by Finding Your Starting Point

Well in advance of your day out, decide where are you going. The sooner you start to plan the more options you will have. You will be able to book tickets that will be sold out nearer the day and you will have more time for research.

Your start point is going to be the theme for your entire day.

For example, if you are going to see Buckingham Palace you may decide to have a Royal day. Or maybe a Thames Clipper boat trip to Greenwich could become a maritime adventure taking in the naval museum and the the Cutty Sark. Or the Churchill War Rooms could be the spark for a military history day.

Good places to research your starting points are:

• Time Out
• Londonist
• LOTI
• Ian Visits
• Cultural Wednesdays

Think of what could spoil your enjoyment like long queues and crowds, rain and bad weather and make contingency plans.

If a heatwave is expected, you may want to postpone a walking tour of Kensington for a trip to the Regents Park Open Air Theatre where you can rent a deckchair and have a picnic and a leisurely stroll of the famous rose garden before a performance. If rain is forecast you won’t want to be on a Thames river boat so consider indoor or covered venues like The Tate Modern and Borough Market.

If you are planning many weeks in advance you can check the average weather and precipitation levels for the month online.

Is there a Google chart which shows when the venue is less busy? Avoiding busy periods means that you are more likely to get tickets and you’ll spend less time waiting in queues.

Amp Up Your Main Experience

Check the Events page of the venue’s website. By arriving earlier or later you may be able to take advantage of a free guided tour or performance.

Or maybe you could plan your day out in London to coincide with with a Happy Hour at a nearby bar or the pre-theatre menu.

Museums and major attractions often have delightful museum shops and cafes.

Read about the main exhibits, paintings or features of the place that you are visiting in advance as this definitely enhances the experience.

Add Additional Activities

Now we are going to look at how to take the day from special to amazing by researching nearby activities which are a different type of experience to your central event. If you have been on your feet sightseeing or at an art gallery, look for concerts, restaurants, cafes and theatres.

TripAdvisor is a useful reference as it has a map function which shows nearby attractions, restaurants and bars.

Put your Day Out in London Plan Together Like a Movie

Once you have your plan, sequence it together in your mind like a movie. What’s is the day going to look like? Imagine the photos that will make up your day.

If you live in London mix things up, don’t just tread a well worn path to your favourite cafe or restaurant.

Be Realistic About Your Time and Energy

When you plan a day out in London, allow for both travel time and downtime. Also allow for things going wrong. Check, and double check, opening, closing and last entry times. Does anything need to be eliminated or saved for another day?

Refine the Plan to Meet Your Budget

Are you getting the most for your expenditure?

It’s about getting the best value for money not about overall cheapness.

Maybe you could switch in some more budget friendly options, or spend more on some aspects of the day for a memorable, luxurious experience.

Save Vouchers and Make a Rough Schedule

Finally, print out anything that you will need like vouchers, tickets etc or photograph them to save to your phone. You will need a record of your London day plan and easy access to it.

Its amazing how your internet signal mysteriously disappears as soon as you arrive at a box office.

I sometimes use Tripit for planning day trips especially if my day includes a lot of time critical events.

With a bit of forethought and research, you can plan a day out in London that is truly amazing.

Additional Information on how to Plan a Day Out in London

If you have enjoyed this guide on how to plan a day out in London why not check out our other blog posts on cheap and free days out in London and planning a day out at Buckingham Palace?