written by students (LK Cs, LK Ph, LK Kö + GK) & Mrs. Philipp
Our long-awaited trip to London began on Sunday, 30th August, when we met at Berlin Airport at around 4:15 a.m. Everyone was excited but also very tired, because it was sooooooo early. Everything went smoothly except for this one slightly tense moment when one of our bags was pulled aside for a closer security check. The person carrying it could not open the lock because it actually belonged to someone else in our group who was still checking in her suitcase and had the key with her. Luckily, with the help of airport security, we managed to solve the problem. So, here’s a little travel advice: never carry someone else’s bag unless you have the key to open it if necessary!
As we boarded the plane, the crew even gave us a special welcome over the PA (= public address) system as a class from “Hermann-Ehlers-Gymnasium”! We had a great and relaxing flight with beautiful views along the way and some of us also took the opportunity and visited the cockpit.
After landing at London Gatwick Airport, there was some confusion at border control because of the brand-spanking new regulations under which German school groups no longer need an ETA (= electronic travel authorization) to enter the UK: border officials themselves did not seem to be fully aware of these yet! However, everything worked out in the end and we were finally “admitted to the Kingdom.” A chartered coach picked us up and took us on a 90-minute ride to our hostel, The Generator, where we dropped off our suitcases and enjoyed our first free hours to explore the neighborhood on our own before checking in at 2 p.m.
And then it was carnival time! If you remember your 7th grade English textbook, you’ll probably remember one of its key topics: Notting Hill Carnival. What a coincidence – it was taking place that very weekend! The carnival was definitely the highlight of the day. There were huge trucks playing extremely loud and cool music, and basically everyone was dancing, vibing and having a great time. We were pretty tired by the end of the day, but it was definitely an exciting and unforgettable start to our trip.
On Monday August 31, 2026, we were met by 2 tour guides who took us through Green Park towards Buckingham Palace. We watched the Changing of the Guards, took plenty of pictures, and even got the chance to pet some police horses. All in all, we did get to see all the major sights of that area. Later, we enjoyed stunning views over London from The Lookout, a free viewing platform high above the city on the 50th floor of one of London’s skyscrapers.
What we liked most was the beautiful architecture and the unique atmosphere of the city. One thing that definitely struck us as different from Germany was the traffic. We first had to get used to cars and buses driving on the left and remember to look in the right direction before crossing the street. Sometimes we came dangerously close to being hit by a bus … Another surprising thing was that cash is hardly accepted anywhere, as card payments seem to be the absolute standard.
If we had the chance to visit London again, we would definitely also like to ride on the London Eye and see the city from that perspective.
On Tuesday, we started our day at yet another viewing platform, Horizon 22, even higher than the one we went on the previous day, enjoying an amazing view over the whole city. From there, we walked to the Tower of London and then continued along the Thames to Tower Bridge, crossing it, using our cameras a whole lot, and later made our way towards Chinatown, passing famous sights like the London Eye and Big Ben along the way.
Chinatown was definitely one of the highlights of our day. There were lots of different food places, colorful streets and a completely different atmosphere from what we are used to in Germany.
We ended the day singing our hearts out at karaoke … laughing and cheering each other on. It was great fun and the perfect way to round off such an eventful day.
On Wednesday we visited the British Library and explored its free Treasures Gallery, where we saw an impressive range of historic books, manuscripts, music, art, and other fascinating objects including the famous Magna Carta Another striking feature was the King’s Library Tower, a huge glass structure rising through the center of the building and containing thousands of books collected by King George III. What also surprised us was the atmosphere inside the library – compared with libraries in Germany, it seemed so lively: people were talking, making phone calls and taking part in meetings. It certainly challenged our idea of what a national library would be like.
After that, we walked alongside Regent’s Canal to Camden Market. The peaceful, calming walk along the water was a welcome contrast to what awaited us: Camden was buzzing with life At first, the crowds, noise, colors, smells and the sheer variety of foods and shops were overwhelming! Gradually we got used to it and rummaged through the stalls, tried food from different countries and paused to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells. Tired but happy, we left with the market’s energy still fizzing around us.
In the evening, we all gathered at the hostel bar and played Werewolf. We all enjoyed the game so much that we forgot about the time and played almost until midnight. Our heated discussions about who the actual Werewolves were will stay in our memory for a long time.
On Thursday we enjoyed our full English breakfast as usual before setting off for the National History Museum just as we all had decided the night before. The museum was enormous and impressive, reminding us of the Naturkundemuseum in Berlin, but it was even larger and offered more exhibits. We then strolled through Hyde Park, and were shocked at how dry and brown everything was! Afterwards, we had some free time until 8 p.m. Some of us went shopping, grabbed something to eat or explored the area, while others simply hung out and enjoyed London at their own pace. After playing one final round of werewolf at the hostel, it was time to pack our bags …
Friday started painfully early: at 4:30 a.m., we met in the hostel lobby, tired but full of memories from an amazing week, and checked out. Armed with breakfast bags, we boarded our private coach to Gatwick Airport. After checking in our luggage and making our way through security, we had some time for breakfast, shopping or simply a chance to rest. The flight back to Berlin was smooth and seemed to pass in no time. Once we had landed, made it through border control and collected our luggage, it was time to say goodbye. There were smiles, high-fives and a real sense that we had shared something special over the past few days. Exhausted but in high spirits, we went our separate ways – taking plenty of memories, stories, and great moments from London with us.
Special kudos to Ms. Caase for organizing this trip!
