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How to Plan a Route in London

How to Plan a Route in London
With its centuries of history, abundance of museums and wide array of restaurants, shops and theaters, exploring all London has to offer requires a plan of action. One way to fully experience the city is to map out routes before leaving your home base. With a little careful planning, you can choose specific neighborhoods, attractions and routes to hit each day of your trip.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:
  • A current map of the London Tube (subway system) A street map of London with attractions listed
  • A current map of the London Tube (subway system)
  • A street map of London with attractions listed
Step 1
Decide what sort of sites you're most interested in exploring in London. For history buffs, there's Trafalgar Square, the Churchill Museum or the exhibits at Tower Bridge. Book lovers should check out the bookstores on Charing Cross Road, the Charles Dickens Museum or the famous literati elite buried at Westminster Abbey. Theatergoers can head to the West End, and shoppers should try Covent Gardens, Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill or Oxford Street.
Step 2
Once you have chosen the main sites you want to visit, write them down and find them on a map. Look to see what other attractions are within close proximity. For example, if you know you want to see Westminster Abbey, locate it on your map, and you will see that nearby you'll also find Big Ben, the River Thames and Buckingham Palace. Note these alongside the destination in your list.
Step 3
Find the nearest Tube stop to your destination. In the case of Westminster, the St. James Park station is close, as is the Westminster Tube stop.
Step 4
Consult your Tube map to determine which lines will take you there from your home base. If you want to further plot your route, make notes of which direction from the station you should take, then map out a logical walking route from there. For example, you could exit on the east side of St. James Walk and travel up Victoria Street to reach Westminster Abbey. After exploring that destination, you could continue in the same direction to reach Big Ben and the river. Going north to Bridge Street, then continuing west on Birdcage Walk will bring you to Buckingham Palace.
Step 5
Some maps also include restaurants, pubs, shops and public areas, so you can also plan out meals, shopping excursions and places to relax, such as nearby Green Park, in the Westminster example.

Tips & Warnings

 
If you are visiting London for a set amount of days, plan one route for each day, and you will easily be able to explore every part of the city that fits your interests. Don't be afraid to deviate from your plan either. London is a walkable city, and the next Tube stop is never far if you venture away from your planned route.
 
If you are visiting London for a set amount of days, plan one route for each day, and you will easily be able to explore every part of the city that fits your interests. Don't be afraid to deviate from your plan either. London is a walkable city, and the next Tube stop is never far if you venture away from your planned route.
 
You should check London's municipal website before trusting such routes, as construction, road closures or special events can change your day's plan.
 
You should check London's municipal website before trusting such routes, as construction, road closures or special events can change your day's plan.

Article Written By Ashley Talley

Ashley Talley has been a professional writer for more than 10 years, specializing in travel and health. Her work has been published in "Coastal Living" magazine, "Wrightsville Beach Magazine" and "Choice," an anthology praised by "Vanity Fair" and the "LA Times." She graduated from Brown University with honors and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of North Carolina.

Write for Trails.com

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