I love maximizing travel opportunities, so time hacking travel is definitely my jam! I believe that any layover or stopover is an opportunity to explore a new city or country! And this is why, when I learned that the cheapest flight from Toronto to overseas had a stopover in London, I jumped at the chance to sightsee and share how to maximize 10hrs in London!
Arrival at Gatwick:
I landed at Gatwick not Heathrow (the airport my next flight departed from), but for the $300 airfare, I didn’t mind! The flight was supposed to arrive at 10:45am but due to a complicated passenger (who ended being removed by police in London) we finally disembarked around noon. I pre-booked 3 tourist spots in advance to ensure availability and a timeline. You can book my same itinerary here. I did not book a hotel and therefore had luggage in tow. I found a cool luggage storage site and made a reservation. Upon arrival I headed straight for the train that went to London. Prefer to book a hotel? Check out the London Hotel deals here:
- I took the free shuttle from the North Terminal to South Terminal
- Train signs were well marked
- Line up to buy train ticket via machines (with supervising helpers) cards preferred
- Train cost £13.20 (PRO TIP – control + command + space bar for £ on Canadian keyboard)
- Train was similar to a single level Go Train
- Train ride was approximately 45 mins
Stasher Luggage Storage:
It was unrealistic to drag my luggage around London so prior to my trip I found a website called Stasher Luggage Storage, which was my perfect solution! I had never heard of Stasher so I was leary but it worked out brilliantly. I chose a 24hrs convenience store called Krystals Express that had a total of 50 available luggage spots and a 4.8 stars rating. Stasher Luggage Storage places include a variety of businesses such as hotels and more to choose from.
- Website: https://stasher.com
- Select a location near where you’ll be (I chose 24hrs and close to London Tower Bridge)
- Select a drop off and pick-up time and how many bags
- For 2 bags & 7 hrs it cost just under £14
- On arrival they assigned me two bracelets and told me to take a pic of the number. They kept both bracelets and wheeled my luggage to the back.
- Pick up was just as easy. I showed them the pics and they brought my luggage back out.
London Tower Bridge:
My first “official tourist stop” was The Tower of London but to get there I had to cross the Thames River. I did so via the London Tower Bridge which was soooo cool, despite the fact that it started to rain! It took about 10 mins to cross which included the mandatory tourist photo opts 😆.
The Tower of London:
The Tower of London was my first pre-booked and pre-paid ticket location. Fortunately, there wasn’t a set arrival time but my The Thames River Cruise reservation was in 2hrs and 45mins so I had to be mindful of the time . I was very thankful I had my ticket in advance because as I neared the entrance I made a new friend who happened to work there. I explained my short time frame situation and because I already had my ticket he was able to escort me to the front of the queue which saved quite a bit of time! He also suggested the order I should see things once inside since I arrived at 3pm and I had to leave for my next booking by 5pm. I was able to see:
- The Jewel House (The Crown Jewels are displayed)
- The Ravens
- The Beefeaters
- The White Tower
- The Lower Wakefield Tower (The torture devices are displayed)
The Tube:
The fastest way to get from The Tower of London to the Thames River Cruise departure point – The London Eye Pier is via The Underground aka The Tube. It took about 10mins from Tower Hill Station to Westminster Station which are both on the same line. It cost around £2 – £4 and I paid by tapping my visa on entry and again upon exit.
Thames River Cruise:
After leaving The Tube, I crossed London Bridge to get to the correct pier. I passed Big Ben en route and was a little awestruck but couldn’t stop because it was almost time to sail. My cruise was at 17:45 and I arrived at 17:35…boarding began soon after. Our river cruise guide intermittently moved around the boat to make sure everyone had a chance to ask questions. His sense of humour was dry with jokes that were so bad they were good. I had many chuckles. The cruise was about 45 mins and is a unique way to see and learn about the city from a different perspective. Pre-Book tickets here!
Great British Fish and Chips:
After the cruise I had about an hour to kill before my sunset booking on The London Eye. I decided to stay close by and grab a bite to eat. Great British Fish and Chips was conveniently right there with great views of both Big Ben and The London Eye. The staff were super friendly and welcoming! They even charged my phone for me while I ate for which I was very grateful. I ordered the 1 pc Halibut and chips and a Heineken for just under £30 and hit the spot perfectly!
The London Eye:
After dinner it was time for another unique opportunity, The London Eye which reaches 135m up in the air and has 360 degree views of London. This giant ferris wheel offers guest a regular or fast track option that essentially skips the line.
Big Ben:
I was glad I had to wait to take my Big Ben pictures because the sunset glow was more magical. Yes lol, I opted to do the classic Instagram balloon shot 😎. You can find the guys running it on London Bridge and they have quite the system going. The have several devices on hand, including iPads, cameras and multiple memory cards. They take a ton of captures and will even redo your photos if you don’t like the pics. You can also opt not to purchase. I paid cash so I’m not positive but I believe it was £10 for a picture, £20 for a video and possibly £50 or £70 for everything. If you have an apple device they will airdrop your purchase to you right there! I believe they told me they stay until 9 or 10pm each evening. Here is a link to their Instagram Page:
Oblix
One of my London wish list items during my layover was to check out the Shard, but unfortunately the observation decks on floors 69-72 were closed during my visit. Instead, I made lemonade from lemons and visited Oblix on the 32nd floor. Oblix has an upscale vibe that showcases beautiful city views with a bonus of some very creative drinks. I ordered the “Born a Star” which looked like a mini red coloured Shard and cost £20. I really enjoyed my evening and wanted to stay longer but learned certain tube stations closed at 11pm so I had to leave. (short video of the drink below!)
Luggage Pick Up:
From Oblix, I rushed back to get my luggage from Krystals Express, which was an easy breezy process. I showed them the picture of the bracelets (different staff was working) and they brought out my luggage.
Sh🤦♀️tshow:
After that, things took a turn for the worst and my advice from the experience is, at night, if you can avoid it, don’t try to be frugal. London’s Underground system is extensive with different lines closing at different times as with most cities. Also, PSA, pls, unless you ride transit regularly do not give people advice lol. I made the mistake of taking too many people’s advice and switched away from my own original game plan transit route. Lugging two suitcases and a backpack I took multiple trains and stations but have limited footage to show to avoid exposing valuables at night. Sufficient to say I should have taken an Uber from Krystal Express which would have avoided all of these ensued issues.
Good Samaritan:
Eventually, I crossed paths with a wonderful 20 yr old who worked part time at the airport. He had the accurate info on transit to the airport after 1am and was able to help me navigate safely to Heathrow. When I found him I was actually unknowingly en route to a closed station so he helped me find a different game plan. This adventure included a £5 Uber ride to Heathrow’s closest train stop (also a known junkie hangout) to the airport. Thankfully, security at that station stayed with me and watched me safely get into the Uber.
Heathrow:
My next flight, to Tanzania with Doha layover, was very early that morning flying out of Terminal 4. Terminal 4 closes overnight so I stayed in Terminal 5 until it opened. While there, I did a rags to riches transformation, excited for my upcoming Qatar business class flight. Click here to learn how to Maximize a 6hrs layover in Doha! Despite an interesting end of night (which all could have been avoided had I not been trying to be frugal) it was an incredible way to explore and learn How to Maximize a 10hrs layover in London! Interested in booking my whole itinerary? Click here!
Check out my overview video of the day here:
