London Travel Tips

Since I have been to London twice and I love anything do to with the U.K. I put together a small list of tips for those who want to visit London. For any Londoners reading this I apologize for some of my opinions. 

1. Many hotels (including four or five star hotels) do not provide wash clothes. Towel are provided. Either pack your own wash cloth or buy one when you arrive. It was not a big deal for me but a relative of mine was a little shocked.

2. Pack as light as possible. I did not check my bag both trips. Airports are hectic and frustrating already and its not worth the hassle to have extras of everything. Just about anything can be bought abroad if you forget something. Remember you have to carry your luggage with airport terminals, train stations, populated streets, hotels etc.

3. Buying an Oyster Card or a TravelCard is a must if you are going to spend more than one day in the area. I will explain in another post about them.

4. Be extremely careful when crossing streets. Besides driving on the opposite side of the road, drivers are not so friendly to pedestrians.

5. Londoners are generally friendly people compared to New Yorkers or Parisians, especially at the tourist sights (They have to be if they want visitors to come back). They are a little more reserved and talk quieter than most Americans. As long as you are friendly to them then they will help you in return. The only time that you may encounter a rude person is on public transportation (bus and London Underground) at rush hour. Around 5PM they quickly head to the train stations (London has at least 12 rail stations) and want to get home. Its best to avoid train stations, Underground Stations around this time. Walk quickly if you do happen to be in a station and don't stop real suddenly. If you aren't sure where to go step into an area where you can figure out your plans without being trampled on.

6. Pub etiquette - go up to the counter, order, pay the bill, then sit down with your beverage. Bartenders do not need to be tipped. And by the way the beer is not chilled or super cold as they are in the USA.

7. Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral both are well worth the visit and you do have to pay admission to visit. However they are closed for tourists on Sunday. You can attend a service or an evening concert on Sundays but are not able to walk around. Photography is not permitted in the churches, but you can buy postcards in gift shops.

8.  London has many parks. A good way to enjoy them is taking a picnic there. Stores such as Sainsburys, Waitrose, Tesco, or Marks and Spencer’s have prepared foods or picnic foods. The sandwiches plus a drink are very cheap and filling. Saves money on meals. My favorite parks are St. James Park, Hampstead Heath/Parliament Hill, and Kensington Gardens.

9. Europeans do not give you many ice cubes in restaurants. Some hotels also don't have ice machines.

10.Keep passport with you at all times. Keep Embassy number separate from your passport and write down information with a trusted family or friend to have them keep if something happens to your passport.

11. Both times we booked through Trafalgar Tours. If you have not been to Europe or going to a country where English is not the first language then taking a tour is strongly suggested. I was VERY GLAD to have gone a tour when in Paris in 2010. With Trafalgar we took the Independent tours meaning you were not with a tour the whole time. On guided tours you are pretty much on the tour's schedule and with a large group. You had a tour in the morning then you are on your own the rest of the time.  You do have the option of booking tours if you want. In London, since this was my second trip I did not take as many tours because I had my own sights to see, was already familiar with the city, and you have to go on their schedule. My mom and aunt did take many optional tours. But I avoid tours in London as much as possible. I prefer to view the city on my own.

12. Travel insurance is strongly suggested for flights and your whole trip.

13. Unless you plan to east at five star restaurants then there is no need to bring nice clothes. A brought one pair of black pants just in case but unless you get invited to Buckingham Palace leave your nice clothes at home. Don't bring anything really expensive jewelery or anything really valuable in case it gets stolen or misplaced.

14. Safety. Both times in London I have felt safe. Given its size crime is present but for tourists pick- pocketing is something to keep in mind. Pick-pocketing does happen although its not as bad as Barcelona, Rome, or Paris.  At night stay where there is a lot of people such as Oxford Street, Covent Garden, West End, etc.

London did have rioters a year ago but that was in the not so nice suburbs away from the central areas. The areas of London to avoid are the East suburbs and suburbs south of the Thames although Greenwich and the South Bank along the Thames are fine. Its unlikely that tourists should end up in those locations. Train Stations and Underground Stations have police present due to the threat of bombings like those in 2005. But just generally be aware of what is going on and if you see trouble brewing get out of the area quickly.

15. Bring a travel adapter. Electric outlets are different than they are in the USA.

16. Iconic black cabs are useful at night or just plain tired. They are usually chatty and have to take a two year course in order to become a London cabbie. They know where they are going and can offer suggestions.

17. Order currency before you leave home. You can use ATMS and credit card over there but some places may not accept credit cards or take American credit cards. Alert credit cards before leaving as well.

18. Shops will close between 6 and 8 PM. Restaurants remain open late though.

19. Take advantage of many free sights. The National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum are among many of the world class museums where can you spend days there and are FREE.


20. This is a big one for me. Given that London is not in the United States THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT. And that's perfectly alright. You are not at home so don't expect things to be a certain way or COMPLAIN about how things are there. Be open minded and enjoy yourself.