Welcome to Explore Europe! Travel Tips & Local Secrets for U.S. Military Stationed In and Around Germany.
If you are stationed in Germany, or perhaps even Italy or the UK, then this podcast is for you. Get the best out of your tour whilst you are based here. Explore a new location each week of the series and discover our highlights to help you plan your trip - including some key shortcuts, insider knowledge and suggested itineraries.
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Welcome to Explore Europe! Travel Tips & Local Secrets for U.S. Military Stationed In and Around Germany.
If you are stationed in Germany, or perhaps even Italy or the UK, then this podcast is for you. Get the best out of your tour whilst you are based here. Explore a new location each week of the series and discover our highlights to help you plan your trip - including some key shortcuts, insider knowledge and suggested itineraries.
Explore Europe London in England Podcast Episode Show Notes
Here are our show notes for this episode of Explore Europe brought to you by Used Car Guys.
You have to experience London two or three times whilst you are on tour in Germany, because it’s such an amazing city and you need to go several times to truly appreciate it. I hope this episode gives you some great ideas to get the best from the first visit as a reccie. I hope we have shown you that you don’t need to spend a fortune paying to get into famous landmarks or exhibits. There is a huge amount of London that you can see, do and experience for little or no money.
Our main advice is to slow down, walk whenever you can or take the boat. Choose one area to explore in a day and then experience it like a local. Look up at all times - you will find the most amazing sights, sounds and smells of London all around you. Just absorb the atmosphere and the experience. Then drop us a line at hello@exploreeurope.net or tweet us at @explore_europe and tell us all about it!
Here are the links from our Explore Europe London episode:
Accommodation
Hotel - Michelle’s recommend is the Premier Inn chain.
Our tip is to stay around the Southbank, Borough, Bankside area so put zip code SE1 into the search field.
Travel
Pre-register your contactless card: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless/what-are-contactless-payment-cards?intcmp=8610
The train from Stansted airport to London Liverpool Street: https://www.stanstedexpress.com
The bus from Stansted airport to London - if you stay at any of the hotels that Michelle recommends along the Southbank/Borough/Bankside area of London then take the A7 to either Southbank or Waterloo (depending on your hotel location): https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/airports/stansted
Thames Clippers is ‘the boat’ that Michelle refers to throughout the podcast (don’t bother with the tourist version, its a waste of money!): https://www.thamesclippers.com
The infamous hop-on hop-off bus: https://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/london-bus-tours
The London Underground (the tube to Londoners): https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube
The Explore Europe - Guide to London - this is the itinerary that Michelle refers to throughout the podcast:
Restaurants
All you can eat Portuguese tapas and drinking cava on Sundays: http://pix-bar.com
Good value chain: https://www.zizzi.co.uk
European/healthy: https://wildwoodrestaurants.co.uk
The Ivy: https://ivycollection.com
Duck & Waffle: https://duckandwaffle.com
Food Markets
South Bank Real Food Market: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visit/shopping/markets/scfood-market
Borough Market: http://boroughmarket.org.uk
Other Markets
Spitalfields Market: https://oldspitalfieldsmarket.com
Columbia Road Flower Market: http://www.columbiaroad.info
Brick Lane: http://www.visitbricklane.org
Other Stuff To Do
Check out Time Out magazine, here’s their website: https://www.timeout.com/london
Museums in London (they’re free!): https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/sightseeing/london-attraction/museum/free-museums-in-london
Kensington Palace Garden: https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/explore/the-palace-gardens/
The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/things-to-see-and-do/sports-and-leisure/the-diana-princess-of-wales-memorial-walk
Covent Garden: https://www.coventgarden.london
Sky Garden - visit this instead of paying for the Shard: https://skygarden.london/sky-garden
Discounted theatre booth in Leicester Square: https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/
Full price theatre tickets: https://officiallondontheatre.com/theatre-tickets/
Michelle's Sustainable Travel Tip
Download this app to access over 2000 places to refill your reusable water bottles all over London: https://www.refill.org.uk/refill-scheme/london/
Podcast Conversation Timeline
00:01 - Introduction to the London podcast
3:51 - How can you get to London from Germany? From flights to coaches and trai
Explore Europe
Welcome to Explore Europe! Travel Tips & Local Secrets for U.S. Military Stationed In and Around Germany.
If you are stationed in Germany, or perhaps even Italy or the UK, then this podcast is for you. Get the best out of your tour whilst you are based here. Explore a new location each week of the series and discover our highlights to help you plan your trip - including some key shortcuts, insider knowledge and suggested itineraries.