Being a tourist and local in London gives me a very good perspective of the city. I remember the things I found puzzling as a tourist and now have the information that you would expect a local to have which is really useful. This post is not really about what to see (or avoid) in London. You have a million other resources for that. This post is more about London’s culture, how to behave in the city, what to expect and basically how to make the most of your visit – a first timers guide to London is what it is. This post is especially aimed at non-Europeans because London was the first city in Europe that I visited (yes, I am counting the UK as a part of Europe) and there were some surprises.
1. Public transport costs need to be accounted for
I mention this because in India, if you are middle class, public transport costs are negligible and something you would not even consider when budgeting for your trip. Public transport in London is excellent but because it is excellent it is also very expensive. You need to budget for this. And unless your budget is massive, I would recommend staying away from cabs. Also, honestly, I am one of those people who believe public transport is where you see actually city life and nowhere is this more true than in London. If you haven’t travelled in public transport in London, you have missed out a lot of it so make sure you do. Its random, its fun and gives you a feel of the city in a way nothing else would.
2. Take a reusable water bottle – please don’t waste money buying water
This is a very little known fact but unlike the rest of Europe, all restaurants, coffee shops and eating places are legally required to serve you water free of charge. So for the sake of our environment and your pocket, don’t waste your money buying plastic bottles of water but take along a reusable bottle when you are head out for the day. London is very accepting of this and any Pret, Starbucks, Costa or other restaurant or cafe you want into and ask will gladly fill up your empty bottle for you. And of course, you know you can drink tap water in London right?
3. Three things do avoid in London
It quite odd but the three things that seem to annoy Londoners more than anything else is standing on the left side on the escalator, getting into the lift before people can get out and getting into the tube before passengers can get off. Don’t do this. I really don’t know why we are so weird about these!
4. I am sorry I have to say this but monitor your volume.
This is probably especially relevant for Americans, Canadians, Indians and anyone else from really large countries but Europe is tiny compared to your countries and people talk softly, especially in London. It is to provide as much privacy as you can while living in a tiny crowded space. Be mindful of the volume in which you speak.
5. Free stuff
I don’t know if this is something that puzzles any of you but when I first came to London the amount of stuff being given away for free was quite shocking and slightly confusing. What added to my confusion was the fact that I could never really be certain of what is for free and what is not. As a general rule anything being handed over by people on the streets is free. For instance magazines like Timeout, Stylist and the ES Magazine are given out for free weekly. Newspapers like the Evening Standard, Mirror and so on are also given away for free daily. You will also see people handing out coke or energy drinks. Feel free to take any of it if you are going to use it, if not, why waste it? If you are a tourist, Timeout is quite a handy magazine to get hold off. I personally find it exhausting to read since it only seems to remind me of all the cool things I am not doing and all the cool cafes I am not eating at.
Outfit details: black cotton shorts (similar), HM x Kenzo top and dress, vintage top handle bag (similar), blue Raybans and black sneakers
6. Get a UK phone number
I mention this especially for tourists from India, getting a new SIM is really easy in London and something that takes less than 15 minutes or so. I know getting a new mobile number in India is quite a lot of work but this isn’t the case here so go for it.
7. Don’t hesitate to ask for help
Contrary to what you may have heard Londoners are very happy to help tourists – except in the peak morning hours! Please ask people around you for tips or for directions or anything else you need. Also unlike in many other countries, the police in the UK is extremely friendly and would be very happy to direct you (unless they are dealing with an emergency of course). Londoners are also quite welcoming and in most cases are also quite proud about showing off their city. But don’t ask where London Bridge is while standing on London Bridge! Let me explain this – London Bridge is quite a underwhelming bridge to be honest. The best part of London Bridge is view you get of Tower Bridge while standing on London Bridge. Most tourists get confused between the two and end up London Bridge quite disappointed. To summarise: the bridge you want to see is Tower Bridge. London Bridge is only crawling with city people getting to and from the city to London Bridge so best to avoid!
8. Don’t get fined
London is not actually a fine city like Singapore for instance but there are some things that will get your fined. If you are driving be very mindful of speed and where you are parking and so on because that is a sure shot way to getting fined. Littering and throwing cigarette butts can also get your fined. Another thing you can get fined for is cycling on the pavement for which the fine is £500. (A tip: the police is usually lenient with tourists as compared to locals so do mention you are a tourist in case you are caught although I am not giving a guarantee!)
I know its an odd time to write travel related posts but I think by now, I am way too starved of travel content. I also a lot of people talking about coming to London so I thought it would be a good time to write up a first timers guide to London post. You should also check out my post about what I hate about London and what I love. Also make sure you are following us on Instagram!
– Anisha
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