A Singaporean guide to England in September (London, Cambridge, Brighton)

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I am back to share another trip! We were in Europe mid-September (early autumn) and it was pretty chilly then. About 20 degrees in the afternoon and 14 degrees at night. We were really lucky to have a lot of sunshine during the first half of our trip, apparently sunshine doesn't come so often in London?

People in general dress well and look good. That was pretty much the first few things I noticed. If you are familiar with Singapore transport, you will find it easy to navigate around London.

1. Take buses instead of the tube (trains) in London.

This was an important recommendation by our Airbnb host. Buses has a daily maximum ride cap (example: 5 pounds), upon hitting the cap, all your subsequent bus rides on that day will be free! Feel at ease as every stop is read out loud and shown in the LED board inside the bus (just like how you take an MRT in Singapore).

Trains on the other hand were rather different from what I have expected. Take for example the Bakerloo line (brown), which I believe is one of the oldest line because of its holding capacity. It was about half the width of our MRT lines and if you are planning to go on board with a large luggage, you would be seen as a road blockage. The newer trains in circle line (yellow) would be similar to the MRTs we have here. If you're travelling around with a big luggage, you may want to consider taking the bus or know which trains are the newer ones.

2. Be well dressed for cold days

A good windbreak helps to block out the wind and hoody comes in handy when it rains. Even better if it comes with 2 front pockets for your hands. Uniqlo carry some really good and ultra light down in various colours.



3. In London, catch at least one play

There are many many theatres in London and you can buy tickets with good seating at a cheaper price when you are there. We caught Wicked and loved it.


4. Visit parks because it's beautiful and free

We visited some parks and understood why our late prime minister, LKY, wanted Singapore to be a garden city. The parks are beautiful and you can spend a good time there. Read a book or have a picnic on the ground.


5. Grocery shop at their local supermarkets

This is one thing I love to do in every country. Grocery shop! They have so many wonderful items and can make great souvenirs as well. We, Singaporeans, are foodies after all.



6. Eat at markets

If you are a foodie like me, you will enjoy markets like borough market. You will go crazy with the variety of fruits, bread, cheese, vegetables, meats & seafood that they have. I didn't want to leave that place. It was my earthly kind of heaven.


7. Use London as a base to visit other other cities

We made day trips out of London to the nearby areas such as Cambridge and Brighton. We obviously visited Brighton at the wrong season. It was too cold and windy but we caught a beautiful rainbow there, so it was worth it. Cambridge is a university city, absolutely beautiful and peaceful. We did punting there as well with a guide. I won't recommend to punt yourself unless you've done it before.


8. Join free walking tours to learn more about the cities

There's no starting price and it's based on tipping. Tip your guides at the end of the tour based how much you think should get (we gave 7-10 pounds per person). Any amount that you can afford. We learn a lot about the cities by joining their walking tours. Knowing the history of the place allowed us to better appreciate the culture and locals living there. Look around trip advisor website or google, you'll find a lot of free walking tours within England. Pick one that suits your interest and timing.

The local tours that we've signed up with are:

9. Chill out at cafes to people watch

Take out sometime to chill along one of the cafes to people watch. It's my pastime and allows me to soak up atmosphere with teas and cakes.

10. Live like a local with AirBnB

If couch surfing or hostel isn't your thing but you want to live like a local, AirBnB will be your best bet. It was my first time using AirBnB and the experience was great. I chose to stay in homes of families, couples and singles. Of course, do your research and look at reviews before booking.

We stayed at the southern part of London (near Oval and Kennington underground) with a British family. Though I was told that the southern part of London was a dodgy area, personally I think it's pretty safe. From what I observed, there are definitely more foreigners (Blacks, Indians, Asians etc) living within this area and less Brits. In every country, it's common sense to always be aware about your surroundings.

11. Public toilets are not that common and you will need to pay

Good news, the toilets in England are clean compared to Singapore's toilets. Bad news, they're not found everywhere and if you need to use one urgently, be prepared to pay from 50 pence (cents) to 1 pound (dollar) for it. Fast food places would be your best bet for free toilets usage, though we've encountered a Burger King in Brighton that has their toilets are password locked. We've made it a point to use the toilet before leaving any cafe or restaurants. As long as you dine in, you can usually use the toilets for free.

Hope these tips are useful for your upcoming trip!

Writes occasionally, enjoys quirky moments and loves to a cuppa coffee.

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