London is one of the most visited cities in the world, with around 30 million tourists every single year. It’s a destination on many bucket lists; it definitely was on mine. Now, as someone who has been to London multiple times and has spent a semester studying abroad there, there are many things I wish I had known beforehand that would’ve helped me. Therefore, I want to share to help others not make the same mistakes.
Tip #1
My biggest piece of advice for anyone visiting London is to get familiar with the public transportation system, especially the underground (more commonly known as the tube). Unless you want to spend tons of money on taxis, the public transportation system is 100% the way to go. The tube especially is the fastest and cheapest way to move throughout the city.
As a tourist, you are likely going to use the Piccadilly Line, the Northern Line, and the new Elizabeth Line because these lines reach most tourist destinations. These are the lines I have used the most during my time in London, so I think it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with them. The cheapest way to get from Heathrow airport to central London is via the Piccadilly Line (which starts at £5.50). You can also take the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow to central London, which is faster, but this has a starting price of £12.80, so I personally recommend the Piccadilly Line.
Another important thing to know about London’s public transportation is how to board and buy tickets. When planning your trip, you will most likely hear about Oyster cards; while there is a visitor Oyster card, which is marketed as the best way to pay for public transportation, I personally wouldn’t recommend it for short-term stays. This is because while the Oyster can be useful, it can be a hassle to buy and is just something else you need to carry around, especially since your bank cards will also work just fine: with any accepted bank card with contactless pay, you can pay for public transit in London. This also works with mobile payment methods, such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
Right before you get on, you may tap your card or mobile device on the card readers (pictured below). On the tube, you will need to tap in and out to ensure you only pay for the amount you traveled, but on buses, you only need to tap once when you get on. It is very important to remember to tap out with the same card that you tapped in with because if you don’t, you will be charged the maximum fee since the TFL (Transport For London) will not be able to know how far you traveled. This fee can be anywhere from £6 to £25.
Finally, each member of your party needs to have their own method of paying for transport. Two people cannot use the same card at the same time. If this means it would be better for everyone in your party to get their own visitor Oyster card, I strongly encourage you to do more research to determine what the best option is for you.
The tube and all of London’s public transport can be very daunting and intimidating, but trust me, you will be just fine. If you ever feel lost or like you don’t know what you’re doing, the map app can give very great, detailed information on how to get from point A to point B. Don’t wait until you’re in the underground to search because you will not get service down there.
Tip #2
My second tip is not as important, but I think it is important to know that London is mostly cashless, and it is almost completely unnecessary to have cash on you while visiting. London has made an effort to shift towards being cashless. This includes restaurants, museums, public transport, and most businesses.
While most cards that work in the United States work in England, unfortunately, not all of them do. I recommend calling your provider and asking them if their cards are accepted abroad. This is also a good time to let your bank know where you are traveling to and which dates you are going to be abroad so they do not lock your card after you make purchases in another country. If your card is acceptable abroad, the conversion rate and conversion fees that your bank uses are usually much better than what you will find at ATMs or other places, such as airport money conversion centers.
If you want to get your hands on some GBP, the British Pound Sterling, for whatever reason (even if it’s just for a souvenir), you can definitely find plenty of ATMs throughout the city that have decent fee prices and conversion rates. I actually would recommend getting enough pounds to be able to have at least one meal in London’s famous Chinatown because the restaurants there only accept cash. However, I would not recommend getting a large amount of pounds because London, like many other European cities, has an infamous pickpocket culture, and if you are carrying around £100 and you lose that, your day is going to go downhill very quickly.
Tip #3
My third tip is something I would recommend anytime someone is traveling to a new place but is especially important in a large city like London: an itinerary. You should at least set a loose structure for each of the days that you are visiting. London has so many attractions that it can be hard to decide what to do, but creating an itinerary can help you prioritize and organize your sightseeing.
I would start by writing down a list of the things that you would like to see, do, and experience while on your trip. Take into account the weather during your trip, prices, and the amount of time you’d like to spend at each place. After you’ve written down everything you want to see, try to group things together by distance or subject. Let’s say you want to go to the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. These would seem like the perfect activities to group together into one day, but they’re a 30-minute tube ride from each other, so maybe you’d prefer to stay closer to the British Museum and check out attractions like Soho, Somerset House, and Leicester Square which are all within walking distance.
After you group the activities together, decide which group gets what day during your trip. You can even schedule a set amount of time to just walk around and explore without a set destination. If you find yourself trying to fit too many things into one day, you might have to make some cuts. This is the time for you to sit and really think about what is a must-see and what can be passed on. While this can be really sad, I still recommend trying to do as much as you can. Also, remember to think about yourself and consider whether you can handle a day filled with action from sunrise to sunset. If anything, you could always use what you missed out on as an excuse to visit again one day. I know I certainly do.
London is my absolute favorite city in the world, and I get so excited when others tell me that they’re planning a trip to visit this beautiful city. I highly, highly recommend visiting London and the rest of the UK at least once in your life. Even if your trip doesn’t go 100% perfectly according to plan, I can almost guarantee that you will still have a wonderful time.