murmur & shout

Cara and I are going to London in October! I’m telling you this now, even though we don’t have plane tickets or hotel reservations or anything, because WOW WHAT A NIGHTMARE PLANNING THIS TRIP IS. Neither of us have been there before (Cara has been to the continent a couple of times, I’ve never been overseas at all), so logistics and details have become a tad overwhelming. 

This is where you come in! Are you from London (or the surrounding area)? Do you live there now? Do you live somewhere else but have spent some time in London recently (I’m looking at you, Fran)? Would you like to help us?

OK! I am desperate for your suggestions for the following:

• Neighborhoods to look at for hotels. Specific hotel suggestions are also welcome: looking for reasonably priced but not awful and near a tube station. (We won’t be getting a car because I’m fairly certain if either of us tried to drive in England, we’d die.)
• Gatwick or Heathrow? Flights into Gatwick tend to be cheaper but it’s further away from the city center; Heathrow is closer but apparently an epic nightmare.
• Things we should definitely see? This is a HUGE category, not at all limited to tourist attractions. Even if it’s some little, weird thing you thought was incredible or beautiful, I want to hear about it.
• Things we should definitely NOT see? Like, I’m not going to line up to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, you dumb travel websites. I have film productions to stalk! This category includes anything that people are always saying is a MUST-SEE but really is dumb and boring and a waste of time.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY: If you’re from somewhere else but have visited/moved to London, what are the things that made you think, “I wish someone had told me that!”?

I cannot impress upon you strongly enough how much you would be helping me by answering these questions, or otherwise suggesting things you think would make the trip better. You can answer below or leave me a message here. If you have a LOT to say, I don’t think there’s a character limit on Fan Mail.

Just think: you might be the reason I don’t throw my laptop across the room in frustration / we don’t die!