Many article out there talk about what to bring to London. They talk about all sorts of very practical and useful items, but there are many that they don’t mention that are seriously important. Unfortunately, I had to find out for myself what those items were. Luckily for you, you don’t have to, because I’m sharing what I have discovered.
An Umbrella
It rains in London. Frequently. That part isn’t a secret. I brought a rain jacket thinking that would work just fine for me. The problem is that the rain stops just as frequently as it starts. Then you are left standing there with a wet jacket and nothing to do with it. You could wear it, but you will probably get hot. You could stuff it in a backpack, but then anything else in there would get wet. Not to mention the hood in a jacket can make it hard to see. An umbrella is just very nice to have here.
Nice Over Shirts and Jackets
Ok, see there is this problem that many of us coming from the states have. It is very hot in our summer, particularly in the south where I am from. In London it is typically in the 60s and 70s over the summer. It feels great, but if you are like me and many others I brought one jacket, a hoodie. That is an issue one, because you don’t want to wear the same thing over and over, and two, people here are often dressed very nicely, you will likely want to as well.
A Converter Plug
I was told by multiple people to wait to buy a plug adapter until I was here because they would be cheaper and plentiful. Wrong. I had to go to several places to find a plug adapter and I bought something labeled as an adapter but it was actually a tritap for a regular british plug. And, on top of all that, it was just as expensive, if not more so, than back home. Plus I had the added stress of knowing I needed a converter right away.
A Very Good Map
I like London A to Z, but the tourist maps are typically poor, especially if you get a free one. You are seriously going to want one because sometimes it is hard simply to find the tube station that is right around the corner.
Pounds
Not in weight, but you are going to want to convert some money. The rate is going to stink, but the fact is there are many awesome street vendors who will not accept cards. Furthermore, even if you are using cards that are great and you have set up for being overseas the atms here have been giving multiple people, myself included, issues.
Bonus: Don’t Bring:
Flip flops. I love mine, I do, but they are not good in London. The issue is that many of the sidewalks become as good as ice when wet, and as I said prior, it rains alot. I nearly fell a dozen times when I went out and was wearing them recently. I looked like a fool and it wasn’t fun.
