Recently moved to London, wondering experiences and advice ect

[Ghosts2020]

Hello 😊,
So in the past week I moved to London for higher studies and work, so far I'm loving it and oddly feel alit more chilled out than my home city, I just wanted to see if there was any advice about travel life hacks ect, what your experiences were and a general chat for those moving who have made the leap. Especially for those who have made the jump during a global pandemic 😳

To get around town, use the journey planner on the TFL website, or use Citymapper.

Don't be afraid of buses. I find a lot of people who are new to London seem to get on with the tube map quite quickly because it's visually appealing, but they tend to avoid buses because they're not really on the map. That's why you should use the journey planners as they'll give you routes that won't always be obvious from the tube map.

Agree that buses are ace - it took me a long time to realise that. Also - walking is great (especially during covid!) and many tube stations are closer together than you'd think.

Buses - and walking - are much better for learning how areas link up.
All the museums are open and are a delight to visit at the moment; the initial excitement of reopening has died down and you shouldn't have any problems booking now. And, apart from big exhibitions, they're mostly free.
What kind of things are you interested in? Because this is one of the best cities in the world!
If you're new to London, you might enjoy picking an area that's unfamiliar - Hampstead, Spitalfields, Wapping would all be good - and just walking and looking. Look out for blue plaques; even after decades living here, I'm always discovering new ones and I love that feeling of 'walking in their footsteps.'

As you're a student, the best book shop possibly in the world is Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street, worth a special trip. Lots of nice shops around here for browsing, but probably out of your student budget! (Although a sausage roll from the Ginger Pig is always a treat.) And while you're in the area, you could also visit Regent's Park (if it's a nice day) or the Wallace Collection (if it isn't).

@tectonicplates yes I have heard great things about the buses and plan and travelling to and from my uni on days when I'm in. Just to clarify I'm a transfer to third year and just classed as a mature student. But yes agree that buses seem the cheaper option and would help me get my bearings,
@katy1213 I'm interested in a variety of things, theme parks, travel, historical tours, love anything to do with boats, oceans, cruises, boat tours ect. But yes I've been told about some of the museums so dying to get going! Also thanks for the book shop recommendation I wouldnt have known that, I'm living on the border of zone 2/3 North of the river so hopefully access is fairly easy

And plan on travelling *

I'm not sure about boat trips at the moment, whether they're running -possibly not, the river seems very quiet when I've been walking along. But in normal times you can get a boat between Tate Modern and Tate Britain; and the trip from Kew or Richmond to Hampton Palace is nice on a sunny day but takes ages. Some good canal walks too; you could explore the area around Granary Square (behind Kings X station) and the Everyman cinema there is probably the swankiest in London.
We're a bit short of oceans - unless you fancy a day trip to Brighton.

@katy1213 ironically I am actually planning to go to Brighton within a few months possibly after Christmas, I'm aware boat trips are restricted by I was amazed to discover Thames clippers are now uber boats and went from battersea to docklands recently which was enjoyable

Brighton is always fun for a day out.

I found buses a nightmare when I first moved as most stops aren’t on timetables so you need at least a vague idea of different areas to use them. I did eventually learn that in central London it’s usually faster to just walk than do three stops on the tube with a change.

A travel/life hack is definitely a comfy pair or shoes and an umbrella :)

My favourite boat trip was from Camden and up to Little Venice and back. It’s also nice to take a boat up to Greenwich for sightseeing.

found buses a nightmare when I first moved as most stops aren’t on timetables so you need at least a vague idea of different areas to use them.

Yes best not to rely on TFL timetables/ maps. Citymapper is definitely the best way to navigate the buses at it will tell you exactly how many stops and the name of the stop you want to be off at (and of course the names of the stops are announced on the bus) - foolproof!

The number 24 is a famously fun bus route if you want to hit all the tourist areas including Big Ben etc.

Also if you're planning to check out some of the big attractions, Tower of London for example, look out for the 2 for 1 leaflets in overground train stations.

Personally though I enjoy just pottering around markets and pubs, strolling along canals etc. This is the best way to get a feel for the city in my experience.

Venture out of zone 1 and explore zones 2-4. Areas like The Olympic Park and Greenwich. Can be equally as exciting as Central London, but cheaper.