I flew into London from Rome's Ciampino Airport using RyanAir (not recommended) and touched down in Stansted Airport, which was easily navigable, and took a bus ride for just over an hour into London, with a short walk to my hostel. My hostel was located just a short walk from the Willesden Green stop on the Jubilee Line of the Tube, London's famous train system that I soon became obsessed with due to its punctuality and relative ease of use. At any convenience shop, one can purchase an "Oyster card," which saves a lot of money spent on travel. I paid thirty-five pounds for a week-long pass, and with that was able to travel on the Tube, as well as the buses--double decker!--with unlimited access. I highly recommend doing this.
The first night, a friend and I travelled just outside of London (using the Tube of course!) and went to Warner Brother Studios London, and saw the sets from Harry Potter. Everything from the Great Hall to the Gryffindor common room and Snape's potion room were still set up, as well as a wide variety of props and a well-explained engineering room showing how the magical creatures were portrayed in the movies. Particularly exciting was how intricate Buckbeak the hippogriff was built. Outside, I bought a Butterbeer and strolled past number four Privet Drive, Godric's Hollow, the Night Bus, and the life-size chess set from the first movie. I had a lot of fun at the studios, and it was completely worth the trip out there. In addition, a complimentary bus picks studio-goers up from the train station and drives them to the studio, then brings them back when they are finished.
The Great Hall
Potions Room
Number four Privet Drive
Diagon Alley
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