A quick trip across the Atlantic Ocean brings you straight to United States’ former sister, England. As anticipated, one’s journey to England would include all of the tourist destinations as it is practically required to complete a ride on a double-decker bus and visit Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, or even the London Eye. Each of these is a very popular tourist destination but due to one’s tourist nature, it is a must. One’s trip to London would be recommended during April and June when tourist numbers are low and the temperature is at its best. To truly take in a destination, you should not have to fight to see a clear shot of these landmarks. However, one should prioritize some of the many destinations that are slightly less well-known touristy destinations as they are highly entertaining nonetheless.
For all of the shopaholics out there, pack an extra suitcase in anticipation because Harrods is an absolute dream. This is a seven-floor luxury department store, located in Knightsbridge which is the richest neighborhood in all of London, home to 330 different stores and over 5,000 brands. This building floorplan is very intricate and features multiple restaurants throughout.
Due to my “outside of Philly” nature, I made sure to include a Philadelphia-themed aspect of the trip, with a meal at Passyunk Avenue, a Philly-themed bar in London. This mimicked Philly dive bar can provide a “home away from home” when one is 3,539 miles away. As Passyunk Ave describes on their site, this provides the opportunity to “guzzle down American beer, eat authentic American food, watch the Superbowl and other sports like college football, basketball, and baseball” (Passyunk Avenue London). For those Philly sports fans who need to catch the latest Eagles or Flyers game, this is the perfect spot as it’s “obsessively curated to mimic life in a Philly dive bar” (Passyunk Avenue London). According to many reviews posted online, the food and drinks here are amazing and allow Americans and Europeans to experience a European take on traditional U.S. bar foods.
On a sustainability spectrum, London should be ranked fairly high due to the extreme use of public transportation: commercial flights overseas, trains, and even electric scooters (e-scooters). These scooters will be the newest fab throughout the United State due to the overall success and popularity of these services in England and many other destinations. London has miraculously had a societal shift since the start of the pandemic with the new norm of riding these rental e-scooters. These rental scooters are an efficient, environmentally friendly alternative to typical travel via rental cars, taxis, or even trains. The popularity of these e-scooters has spread like wildfire since these can only way to legally ride a scooter in London- killing a bird with two stones of easy transportation and environmental friendliness. European nations have capitalized on the e-scooter and e-bike market with brands like Bird or Lime, easily controlled with an app on your smartphone. Products like these help keep these popular cities greener with all of the tourists visiting. 