The first time I attempted to visit London, the airline with which I had booked my ticket went bankrupt. The second time, an international shutdown had different plans for all of us. At last, on my third try, I made my way across the pond, and it was more than worth the wait. Everyone I came across was incredibly kind and welcoming, even when they were a bit sarcastic with a dry sense of humor. The experiences I had both in the city and in the English countryside make me glad I overcame my concerns of traveling in a time when you need multiple COVID tests alongside your passport.
COVID Considerations
Requirements will be different based on your vaccination status and the countries visited in advance of flying to the UK, but as a fully vaccinated traveler from the United States, this is what I needed:
To enter the UK:
Physical vaccination card
I was informed by the Virgin Atlantic employee who checked me in that the physical card is required for flying abroad.
Passenger locator form, to be filled out 48 hours before time of arrival in the UK
In the passenger locator form, you will need to include the booking reference for your Day 2 COVID test.
A confirmation code for a Day 2 COVID test
I used this site to have an at-home Day 2 COVID test sent to my hotel. The Day 2 test is to be completed within 2 days of arriving in the UK. I alerted the hotel of the incoming package and completed the test upon arrival. All necessary postage was included, and all I had to do was pop the parcel in one of the many red Priority Postboxes found around the city.
To return to the US:
A Fit to Fly test
I booked my Fit to Fly test with ExpressTest, which has walkthrough testing locations in London. Be sure to bring your passport to your test and expect results by 10 p.m. of the following day. This test needs to be completed within 72 hours of your flight back to the US. When I had my test done, mid-afternoon on a Sunday, there was no wait, and the test took only a couple minutes.
A passenger attestation form for your airline
I was unaware of this requirement until I got to Heathrow airport on my way back home. A Virgin Atlantic employee was able to complete the form for me, but it might be worth Googling "<Airline> passenger attestation form UK" in advance of heading to the airport to save some time and hassle.
Where to Stay
The Resident Kensington is one of my favorite places I've stayed. The staff was personable, greeted me with a welcome card, and always said hello when I passed by the lobby. Additionally, this spot is near the Earl's Court underground station, which is a stop on the Piccadilly line that runs all the way from Heathrow Airport to some of the must-see spots in London. It made getting around, and getting in from the airport quite late on night one, very easy.
How to Get Around
Walking
Aside from the plans I made in advance, I left two mornings free to wander the city. On the first morning, I started the day, coffee in hand, in Kensington Gardens, making my way to Buckingham Palace via Hyde Park. Afterwards, I crossed the Thames by Big Ben, which was ensconced in scaffolding, before heading back to the hotel to recuperate from what could inaccurately be called a morning "stroll".
On my last full day in the city, I wandered around Notting Hill, starting the day with breakfast at the Australian Cafe Farm Girl. There are some hidden side streets with multicolored buildings that provide a nice contrast to the oft-gray skies in this district. For lunch, I went to Borough Market, on the southern side of the Thames, which is reminiscent of Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA, or Ponce City Market it Atlanta, GA, with cider and wine vendors nestled alongside trucks and booths with almost every type of cuisine. The key spots I'd recommend visiting around the city can all be found in this list.
The Underground
The London Underground was, dare I say it, easier to use than New York City metro. I used Google Maps to look up routes, often in advance, as I didn't have service during my trip, and then I followed signs for the relevant lines within the stations. Contactless payment is accepted to use the Underground, so chip credit cards or devices with Google or Apple pay can be tapped on the points of entry. Otherwise, I found this YouTube video to be helpful when learning about traveling around the city with an Oyster card.
What to Do
Afternoon Tea at Sketch
There are many different styles of afternoon tea in London, but I view this as one of those essential activities, doing the thing you're supposed to do in the place you're supposed to do it. Sketch presents quite the production of a whimsical afternoon tea, with a designated waiter in a pink suit who brings the caviar to your table and another individual in a tuxedo who introduces himself before pouring champagne from high above into your coupe glass.
Sky Garden
Worth booking in advance, Sky Garden is London's highest public garden. Admission is free, although there are also cocktails and food available at the bars and restaurant in the garden. The noteworthy landmarks are all labeled on the glass panels surrounding the viewing deck, which makes this stop a great way to get a bird's-eye overview of the iconic places on either side of the Thames.
A Tour of the Cotswolds
From the Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz film The Holiday, I had thought for the longest time that the Cotswolds was one village. It is actually an area covering close to 800 square miles, brimming with quaint little villages. The name "Cotswolds" means enclosures for sheep nestled in rolling hills, with "cot" referring to an enclosure and "wolds" signifying "rolling hills," according to my tour guide Glen of Go-Tours. This phenomenal tour company does a complete Cotswolds Tour that takes less than a day, visiting Burford, Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Stow-on-the-Wold. Of the four villages we visited, my favorite was Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the Venice of the Cotswolds for its bridges spanning a central waterway. This village is also home to a shop and tasting room for the Cotswolds Distillery, which was founded in 2014 and specializes in gin, and now that it has had ample time to age, whisky.
Where to Grab a Drink
Connaught Bar
It is more than justified that this bar is ranked as the number one bar in the world.When I asked one of my bartender friends for advice on what to order, the response I received was, "Everything is great, you can't go wrong." That being said, the martini is a signature of this location. If you order this, you are in for a treat: One of the bartenders wheels over a trolley with five different bitters for you to smell before making a selection to customize your drink. What's truly spellbinding, though, is the way the drink is poured from the mixing glass: the bartender holds it far above the martini glass, somehow not spilling a drop. When I asked how long it had taken the bartender to learn that skill, he said it's still a work in progress after seven years. Connaught Bar is a no-reservations bar, so either arrive early or be prepared to wait for a table.
Hacha Bar
Hacha is the creator of one of the world's best cocktails, the Mirror Margarita, and it was worth taking three trains to get there. What sets this cocktail apart from other margaritas is the fact that it's clear and also delicious. Far from being a one-hit wonder, the bar has 25 numbered agave spirits on the wall, available for sampling alongside flavor pairings, and, if you're looking for another fantastic cocktail, the Paloma Old Fashioned was a revelation.
Additional Planning Resources
Lonely Planet Pocket London Travel Guide - Amazon
Flying the Nest London - 24 Hours in London and London Street Food
Best Bars in London - Conde Nast Traveller
Prettiest Cotswolds Villages - Conde Nast Traveller