About My Background
I used to run a travel agency where I customised trips to London. I’ve now shut down the agency to focus on this very Blogger website, so here are some travel tips you need to know before coming to London.
1. Tipping Isn’t a Thing
Tipping isn’t a thing in London. If you’re pleased with the service at a restaurant, you could tip your waiter, but know that almost all restaurants have started adding a 12.5% service charge to your bill. This is, in my opinion, such an annoying move. Still, you can ask the staff to remove the service charge from the bill because, as far as I understand, the service charge goes straight to the business. In contrast, if you tip your waiter, that person will get the money, or the staff will share it.
2. Cars Don’t Stop for Tourists
Cars don’t stop for silly tourists. London has some beautiful parts, and you may be on your holiday, but this is a functioning city and not at Disney World. The drivers in London don’t stop if you try to rush over the street, so please be careful, especially because, as you know, they drive on the left-hand side, which tends to confuse tourists so much.
3. Tube Etiquette
Be aware of your surroundings on the tube. Again, people use the tube to get to work, and the trains are actually tiny, so don’t stand right in front of the doors with your big backpack. Take it off and let people get on and off the tube.
4. Cheap Hotels Have a Catch
The cheap hotels are cheap for a reason. Hotels in London are expensive – there’s just no way around it. So if you see a Hilton or another nice four-star hotel at a very cheap rate, there’s something fishy going on here, and usually it’s because they are located in Croydon or Tottenham. No disrespect to Croydon or Tottenham, but trust me, you’ll hate spending a lot of your time in London commuting into town. Don’t stay in Croydon – check out my other video on where to stay in London.
5. Escalator Rules
Stand on the left, walk on the right. People in London are busy, so whenever you get on an escalator, especially in train stations, stand on the right and walk on the left. And just a heads up – sometimes the escalators from the underground and up to the ground level are long, so maybe start by standing on the right and then have a look up and see if you want to commit to walking up.
6. Cash Is Obsolete
Just take your card – there’s no point in taking out cash. I haven’t used cash in London since 2019 or something like that. I use my phone to pay for everything, even the tube and the bus.
7. Pub Etiquette
First, the Brits are prominent in standing in line, and skipping the line is insulting. But you don’t queue in the pub – you stand along the bar and have a sense of the room. So if the barman turns to you, but there are already people waiting to be served around you, you’ll politely tell the barman that it was their turn first. Also, in most pubs, you need to walk up to the bar and order your food, and then you’ll pay, and they’ll take your table number or see where you’re seated in the pub, and then they’ll bring your food.
8. Weather Misconceptions
Please don’t assume it’s always raining. I’ve had some incredible summer holidays in London with over 25° and sunny days. I also just looked it up, and apparently, Paris gets more rain than London, so you can’t just assume that the weather will be grey and miserable.
9. Oyster Cards vs. Contactless
At one time, you’d get an Oyster card and load credit onto it, but nowadays you can tap in using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or your contactless credit card. Just make sure you use the same phone or card, though, as there’s a daily cap, so after spending £8.50 in central London, you ride for free for the rest of the day.
10. The British Museum Is Massive
Don’t underestimate the British Museum. It’s free, massive, and honestly, it’s just as good as all the London guidebooks say. Don’t underestimate the time you can spend in the British Museum if you’re interested in history.
11. Explore Beyond Tourist Zones
London is quite interesting outside of Oxford Street and Covent Garden. Don’t spend all your time in Soho and Covent Garden – get out of Zone one and explore some areas where locals hang out.
12. Uber Boat to Greenwich
Get the Uber boat to Greenwich, for example. Get the Thames Clipper boat, which is also called the Uber boat at the moment. It’s part of the public transport network so you can tap in and, for example, get the boat out to the stunning Greenwich area.
13. Harry Potter Studios Aren’t in London
The Harry Potter Studios in London are not in London – they’re actually about an hour’s drive north of London. But it’s still worth going to the studios if you’re a Harry Potter fan. Ensure you pre-book your ticket well, as they always sell out.
14. Paddington Is Underrated
Paddington is an underrated area. In my opinion, Paddington is that sweet spot where the hotels are a bit cheaper than in the absolute beating heart of central London, but you can still walk to many interesting things. And in this area, many superb restaurants and pubs aren’t overrun with other tourists, so that you can get the best of both worlds here.
15. Borough Market Tips
Borough Market is fabulous. Look, there’s been a market in this spot for around a thousand years, so of course, the TikTokers have now found the spot, and it’s very popular on Saturday afternoons. So, try to get there as early as possible in the day or come during the week, but note that the market is closed on Mondays.
16. London’s Vast Size
London is massive, so plan accordingly. Please don’t underestimate how long it can take to get from one end of London to the other. So when you’re sitting at home and planning what to do in London, load up Google Maps on your phone so that you don’t end up trying to squeeze in a quick visit to Greenwich Observatory between checking out Portobello Road market and a stroll around Hampstead Heath.
17. Pre-Book Free Viewing Platforms
The free viewing platforms need to be pre-booked well in advance. Gone are the days when you could get a ticket for the Sky Garden a few days before you wanted to go. Nowadays, you need to pre-book viewing platforms like Sky Garden, Horizon 22, and The Lookout well in advance.
18. Save Money Like Locals
Yes, London is expensive, but do as the locals do. If you want to save some cash in London, you could get lunch as the local office workers do. So head to the nearest Sainsbury’s or Tesco and get a meal deal – usually you get a drink, a sandwich, and a little bag of crisps for around £5, less than you’ll be paying for a pint in a pub.
19. Don’t Day-Trip to Edinburgh
Don’t take a day trip to Edinburgh – it’s a bit mad that I have to say this, but I’ve had quite a few people ask me about day trips from London to Edinburgh. And yes, it is possible, but note that the train ride up to Bonnie Scotland takes over 4 hours, so don’t try to squeeze in a quick visit to Edinburgh. But if you’re in London for a week or so and want to experience more of England, I’d highly recommend visiting places like Brighton, Oxford, Cambridge, or Bath.
Bonus: Phone Safety
Mind your phone. Sadly, there’s been a massive phone-snatching problem in London. Little thieves on e-bikes will snatch your phone and be gone in a second. It happens to locals and tourists. Be careful when driving on the road.