London is a top tourist destination, and millions of visitors come here from all across the world. If this is your first visit to London, well, you sure have some many good reasons to get excited about. However, you can do with some useful tips to make your trip great and memorable.
Why not take advantage of those London tours where you get to explore and enjoy the city with an expert local guide? After all, this is the best way to reach those top attractions and sites. There is no need to waste time to hunting and looking for London’s top attractions or where to eat and shop.
Here are some useful tips for those visiting London for the first time.
- Book in advance and keep in mind that London is always full of tourists and if you start planning in advance, you can enjoy the best deals on your flights and accommodation.
- It is a good idea to stay at a central place although that may sound a bit expensive. However, you save on your time, money and efforts ads major attractions are located in and around the central area of London.
- Plan a well-designed London tour that covers the major attractions. Don’t try to cover everything as it is simply not possible to see the whole of London even in a few weeks.
- Take advantage of the excellent public transport in London, the Tube, River Services, buses and much more. The Oyster Card is the most cost-effective way to explore London that is accepted everywhere on London public transport.
- Aim for the free attractions in London as it sure is expensive to visit its tourist sites. Some museums with free entry include the Natural History Museum, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Science Museum. There are many beautiful gardens, parks, and playgrounds in London that are free to visit.
- If you want to visit the most popular attractions in London, you can save on time and money by getting the London Pass. You enjoy a priority entrance to major attractions like the Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, London Bridge, or London Zoo and more.
- While shopping is not cheap in London, you can certainly visit those shops for free, and it is must to visit the Harrods and Oxford Street. Children love the largest and oldest toy store in the world- Hamleys.
- Take advantage of hop-on-hop-off buses and river cruises when holidaying in London for a completely unique experience. These buses and cruises are a great way to enjoy the city and its major attractions.
Some minor tips but important ones:
As a first timer in London, you need to keep in mind some useful practical tips.
- Try to pay by credit card wherever you can and always have some Pound sterling with you as you can’t use Euro or US Dollar.
- While there is no need to tip in the UK restaurants and bar, you can pay a 10% tip for exceptionally good services.
- As the UK uses Type G plugs, carry a travel adapter as the plugs here are very different from what you use.
- Wear comfortable shoes as you would be doing lots of walking and always carry an umbrella as it rains a lot here.
- Carry a London map with you, and you will see that even the locals rely on a map, whether it’s an old paper map or Google Maps.
- As most parks are locked at night, keep an eye on your watch, or you may find yourself locked inside.
- Be patient and learn to stand in an orderly queue as this is part of the culture and where ever you go, whether boarding buses or trains, visiting attractions or going for concerts.