A complete guide to visiting London – all the essential tips and things to know before traveling to London for the first time… or moving there!
I moved to London in 2019, but my first trip to the UK dates back to December 2014.
And there are plenty things I wish I knew before visiting London.
Things like power outlets, etiquette in the Tube, places to visit in London on a budget, free things to do, prices of the food…
Which is why I thought a complete guide with tips and things to know before you actually travel to London would come in handy.
I have written countless other guides to the city, with neighborhood guides from places like Smithfield to Spitalfields, and others in which I’ve told you about the best ways to get cheap groceries in London.
However, before you can use them all, knowing about the London culture will indeed be useful – let’s get to it!
Visiting London – 25 Tips & Things to Know Before Your Trip
I have been living both full-time and part time in London since 2019, and it’s clearly a city I have a love-hate relationship with.
There are amazing things to do in London, from charity shops to coffee shops and lots of immersive experiences.
But whatever my feeling towards London might be, this is my home.
And whether you’re moving to London or traveling there for the first time, this guide will come very much in handy!
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Everything is Fast-Paced But Slow
One of the things I wish I knew before visiting London is that life moves fast.
At the same time, even if the Tube is super fast and there are buses every five minutes (roughly), everything is so slow.
Wherever you live in London, you can basically count 45 minutes to 1h15 to get anywhere.
Read: Where to Have Lunch for £5 in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: London is REALLY Expensive
I was told that London is expensive, but I didn’t understand to what extent exactly.
Well, from the Tube to the food and obviously, the rent, you’ll find that London can be tricky to navigate in terms of prices.
There are plenty of budget shops in London to help you get by, but make sure to always budget whether you’re visiting London for the first time or moving there.
Read: The Best Shopping Streets in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Saving Money Is Almost Impossible
Between the rent, the transportation and the food, you’ll feel like pounds are basically leaking from your bank account.
You might be able to save £10 here and there, but saving money in London can be tricky unless you’re an introvert and walk/cycle to work.
Eating out in London on a budget is possible, but generally, expect to pay more than what you would in other cities in the UK.
Read: The Prettiest Villages in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: It’s Not All About Portobello Market
Portobello Market is indeed one of the best markets in London, but it’s not the only one.
Yes, it’s located near the most colorful streets in Notting Hill.
Yes, it offers some excellent street food.
But there are other amazing street food markets in London and places to get vintage clothes and whatnot.
That include some of the markets in Shoreditch, but also Maltby Street Market, Brixton Market and Borough Market.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to Bethnal Green, East London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Stand on the Right
Wherever you are, you’ll see a common phenomenon: Brits tend to walk on the right.
And stand on the right on the escalator – please.
No one stops on the left, as that’s the lane people use to go up and down the escalator.
Also, don’t stop in the middle of the road. You do risk being frantically pushed to the side by people walking past you.
And yes, Londoners will look at you weird for that.
Read: Living in London: Things I Have Learned Over the Years
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Find Free Things To Do in London
There are plenty of free things to do in London, from secret gardens to free rooftops and hidden gems.
If you stay around North London, check out the complete guide to things to do in Camden Town.
There are cool options if you’re looking for romantic date ideas in London, too.
The Isabella Plantation in Richmond, all the free museums in London, all the church ruins...
You don’t always have to splurge on instagrammable cafes to really enjoy London’s essence.
Read: How to Make Friends in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Rush Hour in the Tube is a Nightmare
The Central Line is one of the best, as it covers London from East London to West.
It’s also the worst, and I would recommend checking out the guide to the must have apps for London to make sure what lines are working at any given time.
Avoid rush hour as much as possible; you might have to let three full tubes go before you can get on one.
And the bus will obviously take as much as double the time to leave Central London to the suburbs like North Finchley or Tottenham.
If you can cycle or walk, do cycle or walk.
Read: How to Spend 24 Hours in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: The Power Outlets Work Differently
The power outlets in London have three holes (two in Europe), and you will need an adaptor to plug in European/American devices.
Also, power outlets in the UK often have a built-in switch to cut the electricity for more safety.
Read: The Best Tips for Student Budget in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Cheap Day Trips are Possible
You can leave London and go on nearby cities for pretty cheap; there are actually really great day trips from London.
My favorite city near London is Brighton, and when I don’t feel like finding secret beaches in London, that’s my go-to.
Oxford and Cambridge, as well as Canterbury are other cheap day trips from London whether by train or bus.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to London’s Best Restaurants
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Don’t Change Between Bank and Monument
One of the things I wish I knew before visiting London and later working in London Bridge is…
Whatever you do, avoid changing between the Bank and Monument Tube stations.
It takes over 10 minutes to make the change, the Tube is crowded, and it’s just not enjoyable at all.
Especially during peak time.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to Multicolor Places in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Stay Away from Central London
There are lots of amazing things to do in Central London, but stray away from the center once in a while.
Otherwise, you won’t discover the most colorful streets in Camden.
You won’t know there are amazing secret beaches in London.
You won’t know there are cool shopping outlets in London.
You’ll miss out on a lot.
From free views in London in parks like Greenwich Park and Alexandra Palace Park to hidden gem restaurants, you’ll find your trip will be that much more enjoyable.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to Fleet Street, City of London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: It’s Not as Rainy as You Think
Nope, it doesn’t rain as much as we think in London.
It rains much more in Paris, where I lived for four years before moving to London.
However, most of the time, London is grey.
Or rather, the sky takes on this strange white-ish color that kind of makes you depressed.
Which is why you need to know about cool things to do in London to really fight the gloom feeling of the sky being (almost) always grey.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to London’s Street Art Neighborhoods
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Supermarket Meal Deals Are Lifesavers
Meal deals from Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Co-op are lifesavers.
At only £3 to £3.50 a pop, they allow you to eat a quite balanced meal for lunch – but you can literally get a meal deal every time of the day.
When you don’t have time to meal prep and need food, or if you live in a hostel and can’t cook, you’ll find meal deals are crucial to life in London.
Read: Bookish London Itinerary: 13 Cute Places to Visit
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Tax is Included
For USA peeps, know that tax is included in restaurants you visit, and products and services you purchase.
It’s the same thing in France and Italy, and something I really love as you can budget for food and activities more easily.
Read: The Prettiest East London Neighborhoods
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: There are Better Places Than The London Eye for the View
If you’re looking for the best views in London, avoid the London Eye.
The price is unbelievable and you will not believe the length of the queue either.
Other options are to visit rooftop restaurants so you can enjoy a free view with your food, or find secret rooftops in London.
Read:
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Use Your Credit Card For Transportation
One of the things I wish I knew before visiting London is that you can pay for the bus and the tube with your credit card.
The Travelcard and Oyster Card are really useful, but that’s one more card and in the end, the price is the same.
Try to travel off-peak as the cost of transportation really adds up when you’re visiting London for the first time.
And if you can, try to take the bus.
You can also pay with your phone directly, if you don’t tend to carry your credit card with you.
Read: The Most Secret Gardens in Central London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: London is Open Minded
One of the things I wish I knew before visiting London for the first time is how open-minded the city is.
People don’t care where you’re from, what languages you speak – they simply don’t have the time or mental space to care.
And that’s also how and why you will be accepted more easily for who you are.
And if you are planning to move to London…
You will make friends (it’s hard but doable), and you will feel a freedom you can rarely feel in other countries.
Just know that when a British people says that you’re keeping in touch and going to meet again soon, that will not happen.
I’ve mostly made and kept friendly relationships with people in London who were not actually Londoners or British as a whole.
Read: 7 Things To Do in London Bridge in One Hour
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Tipping in Restaurants
In France, tipping culture is not quite there yet – paychecks are proper and waiters/hospitality people aren’t used to being tipped.
In London, however, it is common to tip – about 10% of the bill and upwards is a good amount.
Also, there is a service charge included of around 10% wherever you go to eat (in a restaurant, not kebab shop).
For some higher end restaurants like the Whitcomb’s at The Londoner, you can have a 15% service charge.
If you are displeased with the service, you can ask to not pay for the service – but this has only happened to me once in all my time living in London.
Read: The Best Things to Do on London’s Piccadilly Line
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: You Can Eat on a Budget in London
Yep – London is an incredible expensive city.
Yet, whether you want to find out how to save money on groceries in London or dine out, you’ll see, you can find lots of deals.
This can come from using some London travel apps like OpenTable or The Fork.
That can also come for being smart about your budget and visiting cheap supermarkets in London.
There are plenty of cheap eats in London to discover, from Asian food to bakeries, so you won’t miss out on anything, really.
Read: The Best Free Things to Do on London’s Central Line
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: There are Lots of Secret Places in London
There are lots of colorful places in London, hidden gems and secret rooftops.
So many that it’s hard to keep track of them all.
However, if you’re ever bored and looking for free things to do in London for the first time, I’d recommend finding secret places.
That includes some secret London gardens, church ruins, colorful streets, and Roman ruins.
Read: The Best Things to Do During Summer in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: You Alright?
You alright? doesn’t mean someone is asking you if you are doing okay.
It rather means hello and does not expect an answer.
But if you choose to answer, then ‘You alright?’ is the perfect greeting to ‘You alright?’.
Read: The Most Instagrammable Secret Cafes in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: There Are Lots of Free Museums
There are some really amazing free art galleries and free museums in London, so you really always have something to do.
My favorite is the British Museum with its Egyptian sculptures, but the Saatchi Gallery and its contemporary art is another great place to visit.
One of the things I wish I knew before visiting London is how many secret art galleries there are, with, for instance, the Orlinski Gallery.
A lot of the most beautiful art galleries in London are located on New Bond Street in Mayfair, close to some amazing halal restaurants.
Read: The Best Cafes for Chai Latte in London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Pastries are Generally Upwards of £4 pounds
Bakeries in London are usually really cute, as are all the pink cafes, but pastries and coffee usually cost a good deal of money.
Get a latte and a pastry, and you have almost £10 gone.
However, for a treat, places like Bread Ahead bakery and Elan Cafe are really cute places for a break.
Read: The Best Cafes in London With a View
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: Setting Up a Bank Account Can Be Tricky
When I first moved to London, I already had a job lined up and a contract for my room, but setting up a bank account was difficult.
I went to two different banks, but they did not have enough background on me as a French immigrant and I was denied a bank account.
That’s when I set up my online bank accounts; Revolut and Monzo.
Monzo is British, but Revolut can be used without fees with several bank accounts with different currencies easily around the world.
Read: Deliciously Secret Places to Eat in Central London
Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting London: There are Lots of Shopping Areas
You don’t always have to go to shops on Oxford Street and Regent Street to go shopping.
You’ll find lots of makeup shops in London, candle shops and shopping centers all around London.
Some favorites are Kings Road in Chelsea, the Westfield White City shopping center, and all the biggest TK Maxx in London.
The latter are usually located on the outskirts of London and carry anything from cheap Yankee Candles to makeup, branded bags and clothes.
Read: The Best Cheap Eats in Central London
Visiting London – 25 Tips & Things to Know Before Your Trip
There you have them, all the things I wish I knew before visiting London for the first time – and then moving to London!
Hopefully, this complete guide will help you plan your trip to London – or live on a budget more comfortably!