I was born and raised in London. Here are the 9 biggest mistakes I see tourists make.

Whether you're paying for admittance to an reflection platform oregon a pricey cocktail astatine a rooftop bar, going to the apical of a skyscraper successful immoderate large metropolis volition astir apt outgo you money. For the astir part, London is nary exception.

Many radical spell to The Shard, a 1,016-foot skyscraper with panoramic views of the city. Tickets commencement astatine £28, oregon astir $37.

However, visitors tin get a likewise fantastic presumption astatine the Sky Garden, which is close crossed the River Thames from The Shard. London's highest nationalist plot offers immoderate of the champion views of the city's skyline and comes implicit with an indoor garden, restaurants, and bars. The champion bit? Entry is free. 

Tickets for Sky Garden tin publication up quickly, truthful program up if you privation to spot the breathtaking views.

If you person nary volition of walking down oregon climbing an escalator, marque definite you basal connected the close side. That way, those who don't privation to basal inactive person the enactment to walk you connected the left, keeping you from moving into a scorned Londoner.

It's an unwritten regularisation successful the city, and everyone, visitors and locals alike, indispensable travel it. 

Keep this successful caput erstwhile you're getting connected the London Underground (also known arsenic the Tube), particularly if you privation to debar strangers angrily telling you to determination arsenic they unreserved to marque their train.

Going to the pub is simply a rite of transition during immoderate trip to the UK, fto unsocial a sojourn to its superior city. It is steeped successful past and location to immoderate of the country's oldest and finest watering holes.

But galore tourists don't recognize pubs service immoderate of the champion nutrient successful London, too. 

No travel to London is implicit without trying a Sunday roast, a accepted repast typically made up of roasted nutrient (or a meatless alternative), roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy, and a assortment of vegetables.

One communal misconception astir London is that it ever rains. It isn't wholly wrong, but it besides isn't precisely correct. 

The world is that you request to hole for each 4 seasons, careless of the clip of year.

You astir apt don't request to bring a wintertime overgarment if you're visiting successful July, but battalion versatile covering that volition springiness you options successful lawsuit you brushwood unexpected temperatures.

If you're readying to spell retired astatine night, enactment that the somesthesia tends to driblet a just bit, adjacent successful the summer, truthful bring a layer.

When you're successful Central London, it's casual to autumn into the trap of reasoning you request to instrumentality nationalist transit everyplace you go. However, it tin beryllium a discarded of clip and money. 

Take Leicester Square and Covent Garden, for example. They're 1 Tube halt distant from each other, resulting successful a thrust that's astir 1 infinitesimal long. 

However, that doesn't relationship for the clip it takes to get successful and retired of the stations, particularly since Covent Garden has stairs and an elevator alternatively of an escalator.

If you're consenting and capable to walk, I urge avoiding the chaos wrong 2 of London's busiest stations and enjoying a five-minute stroll down Long Acre, a thoroughfare location to galore shops and restaurants, instead.

Tourists often walk a luck connected taxi rides from the airdrome to wherever they're staying, which is simply a large no-no.

Sadly, London's iconic achromatic cabs are usually overpriced, and rideshare apps thin to beryllium nary antithetic erstwhile it comes to the trek from the airdrome to the city. 

Alternatives — specified arsenic coaches (buses) and railways, including the Heathrow Express, Gatwick Express, and Elizabeth enactment — are cheaper and volition usually get you wherever you request to spell successful little clip than a car.

Local tip: The Elizabeth enactment is an air-conditioned obstruction work that leaves from the aforesaid level arsenic the Heathrow Express and costs astir fractional the price.

Oxford Street is 1 of the best places to spell buying successful London, but it's besides 1 of the city's busiest streets. It's often a spot chaotic, but the enactment level truly ramps up connected weekends. 

For a much peaceful buying acquisition with options conscionable arsenic bully arsenic those connected Oxford Street, sojourn stores connected King's Road successful Chelsea oregon Marylebone. You tin besides research the precocious streets successful areas similar Camden Town and Hampstead. 

Branching retired beyond Central London volition summation your chances of uncovering local, independently-owned businesses selling goods you can't get extracurricular the UK.

It tin beryllium tempting to publication a luxurious edifice close successful the bosom of Central London, but successful my opinion, that's not the best mode to walk your question budget.

Thanks to London's astonishing nationalist proscription system, astir anyplace you enactment volition person fantabulous connections to astir parts of the city. 

Staying successful areas specified arsenic Camden, Islington, and Stratford volition springiness you a much authentic acquisition and get you a batch much worth for your money. 

From the Tate Modern to the British Museum, London is location to immoderate of the world's finest museums and galleries, and galore of them are escaped to visit. 

Visiting the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum is simply a large mode to walk an full day, arsenic each 3 museums are wrong walking region of each other.

They're besides located close by the Royal Albert Hall, meaning you tin extremity a time of museum-hopping by watching a fabulous amusement astatine the historical performance hall. Just marque definite you publication tickets successful advance.

It's besides worthy noting that immoderate depository exhibitions, adjacent the escaped ones, necessitate you to reserve slots up of time. So instrumentality a look astatine the places you're funny successful visiting earlier your travel to guarantee you don't miss out.

This communicative was primitively published connected May 12, 2023, and astir precocious updated connected May 13, 2025.