London Travel Tips You Need to Know: Do’s and Dont’s
As an American living in London for the past 7 years, I’ve picked up countless insider tips to navigate this city as a local. So in this post, I’m sharing the London travel tips you need to know whether you’re a first-time visitor or not.
I’ve also got the Do’s and Dont’s for visiting so you don’t make certain mistakes when you visit. Like buying an unecessary and expensive Heathrow Express ticket if you don’t actually need to!
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My favorite book that helped me when I first came to London was Pretty City London. I highly recommend buying it as it’s also a pretty book to have at home. It tells you all the beautiful cafes and neighborhoods to visit and was founded by the Instagram page @prettycitylondon.
When is the best time to visit London?
London has so many beautiful seasons so it really depends on what you’re looking for. My favorite times to visit is wisteria season in April or autumn when all the leaves turn orangey-red. However, the ultimate best time in my opinion is Christmas. Christmas in London is just magical as it’s one of the most stunningly decorated cities in the world!
London Travel Tips
1. Don’t take the Heathrow Express
If you’re wondering how to get to central London from Heathrow Airport on a budget, then don’t take the Heathrow Express. Firstly, when you arrive, it can be really confusing how to get into London especially since there’s people everywhere trying to sell you Heathrow Express tickets. These promise you a 20 minute arrival to central London, which is true but only if you’re final destination is Paddington.
Heathrow Express tickets are expensive at £25 a ticket and you will end up traveling on the tube anyway depending on where you’re going.
So, my advice is to use the Google Maps app or City Mapper (but Google Maps is what I use – I don’t want another app on my phone!)
Plug in your destination as normal and click the public transport option. You’ll find you can get to wherever you want for a fraction of the cost by taking the London Underground. Either the Picadilly or Elizabeth line will work. The Picadilly line is cheaper than the Elizabeth Line FYI!
The price to and from Central London to Heathrow Airport is as follows per travel method:
| Travel Method | Cost | Journey Time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Express | £25 | 20 minutes (but to Paddington only) | every 15 min |
| Elizabeth Line | £12.80 | 35–45 minutes | 5–10 minutes |
| Picadilly Line | £5.60 | 45–60 minutes | every few minutes |
| Coach (bus via National Express) | £6 to £10 | 45–90 minutes, depending on traffic | every hour |
Also, you don’t even have to buy tickets ahead or use an Oyster Card as you can use Apple Pay, Google Pay, or any contactless card to tap in and out of the barriers.
2. Use Contactless Payments for Public Transport
As mentioned in point 1, you can pay for public transport in London by a contactless credit card or Apple Pay/Google Pay.
There’s no need to waste time getting an Oyster Card. Just tap your card or phone at the barriers and that’s it! Your fare will automatically calculate after 24 hours. You won’t be charged more than the daily cap of £8.50 for travel which will save you money in the end. So, be sure to use the same card for your travel.
This daily cap applies to bus rides too. Just note, you can’t pay cash on the bus, only card and you don’t need to tap out on the bus like you do on the tube.
3. Save money by staying outside of Zone 1
You actually don’t have to stay in Zone 1 (Central London) to be in a good location. That’s because you can stay anywhere really near the London Underground (Tube) and get places within minutes.
Here are some of the hotels I recommend per budget:
Luxury: The Savoy | Claridge’s | Hotel Cafe Royal
Mid-range: Marriott County Hall | The Tower Hotel | The Hoxton | Treehouse | Mamma Shelter
Budget: Hostel One Notting Hill | Wombat’s City Hostel
Read my full blog post on where to stay in London as a first-time visitor.
4. Get Travel Insurance
Trust me, I used to never get travel insurance and then I found out it really is necessary. If you are in a foreign country, you’ll likely have no idea how to go to the doctor if you have an emergency and it could be costly.
Plus, you can also get covered if your flight is delayed or you lose your luggage.
The insurance I recommend is SafetyWing as it’s super reliable and there’s no restrictions like some insurances on how long you can be out of your home country.
5. Do go to the Free Activities & Museums in London
Everyone says London is so expensive but there’s plenty of free activities you can participate in.
For one, most of the museums are FREE! How amazing is that!? You can visit the National History Museum, the Tate Modern, The British Museum, or one of my favorite hidden gems the Wallace Collection. These are only a few of the many free museums in London.
In addition, there’s so many stunning landmarks to see for free. Including the iconic London Eye, Big Ben, Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, among many others.
6. Skip the Hop on Hop off Bus and get on a local bus!
Instead of paying £39+ for a hop on hop off bus, you can just take a local bus and sightsee!
A single bus journey in London costs £1.75, and with the daily fare cap, you’ll never pay more than £5.25 per day using contactless or an Oyster card.
Best London Local Bus Routes for Sightseeing
For the best DIY sightseeing experience in London, always grab a seat on the top deck of the bus and head straight to the front for great views of the city.
💡 Pro-tip: Try to avoid rush hour (7:30-9:30 AM and 4:30-6:30 PM) when buses can get crowded. And use a travel app or find a YouTube audio guide to turn your journey into an informative tour.
Heritage Route T15 – This is a Vintage Bus you can ride for only £1.75!
- Landmarks: Covent Garden, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Monument to the Great Fire of London, Tower of London, Tower Bridge
- Start: Trafalgar Square
- End: Tower Hill
Route 11
- Landmarks: St Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament.
- Start: Liverpool Street Station
- End: Fulham Broadway Station
Route 15
- Landmarks: The Tower of London, Monument, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Trafalgar Square.
- Start: Tower Hill
- End: Trafalgar Square
Route 9
- Landmarks: Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park, Green Park, and Trafalgar Square.
- Start: Hammersmith
- End: Aldwych
Route 24
- Landmarks: Camden Town, Regent’s Park, Westminster Abbey, and Parliament Square.
- Start: Hampstead Heath
- End: Pimlico
Route 390
- Landmarks: Notting Hill, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, and King’s Cross.
- Start: Notting Hill Gate
- End: Archway
7. Don’t Underestimate London’s Size
Yes, you can see so many of the main sites in London (Westminster, London Eye, Big Ben, Tower of Bridge, and so on) really quickly. They are all clustered together indeed. But, if you really want to experience the non-touristy side of London, then don’t underestimate the size!
London spans approximately 607 square miles (1,572 km²), making it one of the largest cities in Europe by area.
To properly explore it, you need around 5 days. Unless, you are just looking to breeze through the main tourist sites, then you can spend 3-4 days in London.
8. Don’t just visit Central London
As I alluded to in the previous point, London is more than just the city center. Some of the best hidden gems lie in the various different neighborhoods of London.
That could be edgy Shoreditch or Camden or it could be the more affluent neighborhoods of Kensington, Primrose Hill, Notting Hill, and Hampstead. Even neighborhoods further out like Chiswick, Richmond, and Greenwich are all amazing to see!
These all would take 30 minutes to even an hour to get to from central London. But, the journeys are so easy. The London Tube is so frequent (every 2-3 minutes) making it easy to get around.
So explore further and if you only have an extra day to venture further into London, then I’d say head to my favorite neighborhood of Hampstead!
9. Prepare for unpredictable weather
The weather in London is the true meaning of unpredictable. One moment it will be sunny, the next moment it can be windy, and another moment rainy! Yes, you can have all of this in one day.
Plus, in the summer, it can be chilly. So my advice is always to carry an umbrella and a light jacket. While it doesn’t rain as much as everyone says, it can happen unexpetedly. And it is pretty grey a lot in London so that does seem to be true to the stereotype. But, we can also have amazingly sunny and beautiful days too! It’s all in your luck!
10. Be mindful of pickpocketers
This is true in any large city. However, lately, London has become a huge target for phone snatchers. These guys are relentless and will ride by on an electric bike and snatch a phone straight from your hands. So, be extra careful walking around London with your phone out looking confused.
I would say London is pretty safe and I never feel uncomfortable but crime can happen everywhere and it’s important as always to travel alert and cautiously.
11. Understand the British Culture and Sayings
As an American living in London, it took me some time to learn the British culture. People are more to themselves here. For example, don’t expect people to make eye contact with you on the Tube or walking on the street!
Plus, there’s a few differing sayings to be aware of so you don’t accidently say something silly! If you’re American, you will probably say something like, “oh no, I split something on my pants.” While to us, that means jeans, it actually means underwear to Brits! Haha! Trousers is how the Brits refer to pants.
Also, you’ll often be asked by a Brit, “are you alright?” It doesn’t mean something is wrong or you look sad, it is just there way of saying “how are you?”
When ordering fries be sure to refer to them as chips! And chips to Brits are actually crisps.
Confused yet!?
The pub culture is huge in London so be sure to grab a beer in a local neighborhood like Hampstead. And don’t miss the chance to try an afternoon tea in London!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post withmy top London travel tips. If it helped you better prepare for your trip, please leave a comment. If you have a tip yourself, I’d love to also hear it in the comments below.
For further reading, you might like these other London posts!
📅 4 Day London Itinerary
🇬🇧 Non-touristy things to do in London – from a local!
🍺 The best Pubs in Hampstead
🏙️ Best Viewpoints of London
🛍️ Things to do in Belgravia, London
✈️ A Solo Travelers Guide to London
🌳 How to Spend the Perfect Day in Belsize Park
🍁 Autumn in London Photo Spots
💟 Where to find Wisteria in London
☕10 Best Coffee & Brunch spots in London
🛒 London’s Best Markets for Shopping and Food
📸 The 5 Most Instagrammable Cafes in London
🛣️ Most Beautiful and Famous Streets in London
