We arrived in London, after a smooth and enjoyable flight, at 6:30am (10:30pm Seattle time) and passed through the arrival process quickly. There were machines to scan our passports and then we picked up our bags. We headed for the exit and passed by the customs counter which was basically abandoned and were not asked for any extra documents upon entering the country.
Since we arrived so early in the morning I paid for an early check-in at the Sofitel Hotel that is located at the south end of Terminal 5. This is a great location for us because we can put all our luggage on carts and walk to the hotel without hassling a shuttle. This hotel is not cheap but is very convenient if you need to stay at the airport. It is quiet, has great bedding and air-conditioning. Because we had little to no sleep on the flight we took a 3 hour nap before catching the train into the city.
There are 3 ways to get into London. The fastest and most expensive is the Heathrow express that cost 25£ each one-way. The cheapest and slowest is the Tube (underground metro) with multiple stops and crowded with people. We chose the Elizabeth line that took about 40 min and cost 14£ each round-trip. It’s a very nice, clean and fairly uncrowded train that takes you into Paddington Station. We had a quick snack and coffee before leaving Heathrow and were ready to hit the ground running.
We decided a walking excursion would be a good idea to combat our jet lag so off we went toward Buckingham Palace via Hyde Park. (Little did we know that Queen Elizabeth would pass away in just a little over a month). Next we strolled through St James Park just in time to see a couple of Mute Swans fighting over their territory. It was such a beautiful day in London we continued on a loop that included Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben, Parliament Buildings and the London Eye. Passing along the Thames we reached Trafalgar Square where a big celebration was taking place for Euro Women’s Soccer. Finally, in need of an adult beverage we found a corner pub in the Covent Garden neighborhood. After walking 5 miles we badly needed to sit and just people watch. On our return path to Paddington we found a little Italian restaurant and had an authentic meal of pasta, bruschetta and wine. A perfect ending to a fun day in London Town!!! Next stop...Paris!
