Following my post about all the things I wish I knew before going to London…
Here’s a complete guide to my best London travel tips, things do do, the best places to eat…
Everything you’ll need to know when traveling to London for the first time, the second, or the twentieth!
The London Travel Tips To Make Your First-Time Visit a Blast
In this free London travel guide, I’ll share with you all my best tips to have the greatest trip to London ever imagined.
Later on, I’ll also tell you about some of the best things to buy in London (proper and British and exciting!) – I’ve started in this guide if you’re interested in shopping in London!
London Travel Tips: Food & Restaurants
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Service Charge
One of the first London travel tips I can share with you is to plan your eating out budget considering there is a service charge.
We tend to forget about it as locals (and even then), but if you’re traveling to London for the first time, it’s good to account for the service charge.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Cheap Eats
There are lots of amazing cheap eats in London, whether you’re in East London or Central London.
If you’re looking for amazing food at a fraction of the price of a restaurant, check out street food spots – they’re decadent in London!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Meal Deals
There are a few supermarkets perfect to save money on groceries in London, and when I’m walking around, I feel like meal deals always save my life.
You can find these in just about any high end and cheap supermarket in London, from Tesco to M&S and Sainsbury’s.
For about £3, you get a salad, wrap or sandwich with a side/dessert and a drink – and they’re usually pretty tasty.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Budget Shops for Food
There are some cool budget shops in London, and some of them have an extensive range of food and snacks.
From B&M to Poundland and TK Maxx, you can find plenty of cheap food shops in London.
Of course, you’re never sure what you’ll find when it comes to TK Maxx.
Still, if you’re traveling to London for the first time, know you do have options for more affordable food.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Don’t Eat on the Tube
One of the best London travel tips I can give you is not to eat on the Tube.
It’s not a rule per se – no one really talks about it – but Londoners do not tend to eat on the Tube at all.
It can happen from time to time, but everyone would rather avoid their neighbors’ glances.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: You Don’t Have to Tip
Remember, service charge is already included in the bill when you’re eating out in London.
It helps if you’re trying to eat on a budget, as there are not really any surprises.
Mostly, service charge will be 10% of the bill, with high end restaurants charging up to 15%.
You do not have to tip, as the service charge is already meant to go to the waiting staff.
You can, of course, if you want to. In that case, about 10 to 15% of the bill is a good tip.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Alternate Between Restaurants and Supermarkets
Eating out in London is always a great feeling, especially when you visit rooftop restaurants.
But when you’re traveling to London for the first time, you’ll soon realize just how expensive eating out is here.
That’s where I’d recommend alternating between the famous meal deals from London’s supermarkets and eating out.
You don’t always have to go to fancy, instagrammable restaurants.
Sometimes, cooking in and trying new recipes is just as enjoyable, unless of course you live in a hostel!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Get an English Breakfast During the Week
Getting a halal breakfast in London is one of my favorite things to do, like, ever.
It’s really an institution, and I have a couple of favorite places for brunch and halal brunch in London perfect for a Full English Breakfast.
If you can reach East London while on a stay in London, pay a visit to Dulce Coffee and Grounded on Whitechapel Road.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Discover New Cuisines
One of the London travel tips I’d recommend the most is to discover new cuisines when coming here for the first time.
London has an incredible offer of cuisines, from Japanese food to Mexican food and Ethiopian, and they’re all flavorful in their own specific way.
If you want to discover different places, there are also lots of instagrammable cafes in London to really feel the edgy London vibe.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Try Street Markets
Often, eating at the street food markets in London can prove cheaper than restaurants.
Unless you order five different items, of course.
From Portobello Market to Borough Market, there are plenty of options to try.
Different cuisines from Malaysian to Turkish and Indian, healthy, vegan pastries exhibiting their products…
It’s just a vibe to find new food markets in London and try them out.
London Travel Tips: Transportation
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Wear Two Layers
One of the best London travel tips ever right here – wear your coat/jacket, a sweatshirt, and a T-shirt.
In the Tube, the temperature is crazy hot for some reason, and you might want to take off a layer for long trips on the Tube.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Bus is Cheaper
The bus is much cheaper than using the Tube in London, and it allows for scenic views.
Some bus routes go through the beautiful Liverpool Street and its building, Bank and its exquisite architecture…
And Waterloo Bridge, with some of the best free views in London.
Plus, there’s a daily cap when you’re traveling in London, so taking the bus really is overall cheaper.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Don’t Stay in the Middle
Whatever you do; whether you’re walking and need to check Citymapper, waiting for the Tube or anything that involves moving from point A to point B…
Don’t stay in the middle of the road.
Get to the side, or you risk getting pushed by passerbys.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Stand Right on the Escalator
On the escalator, the correct way to wait to get up or down is by standing on the right of the escalator.
People do walk on the left, so avoid getting glares and stiff ‘Sorrys’ when standing on the left.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Mind Your Personal Belongings
Be very careful with your phone and your bag when traveling in the Tube, and any type of transportation in London.
A lot of people get their phones stolen in London every single day (including me only last year around Euston Station).
Make sure you protect your phone and your bag when walking around, especially in Central London.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Take Off Your Backpack
When you get on the Tube, make sure you take off your backpack to give some space for people getting on the train next.
Usually, people are very quiet on the Tube and just instinctively know to protect their personal space anyway.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Mind the Traffic
In London, cars drive on the left – adapting to this, especially when you’re visiting London for the first time, can be quite tricky.
Make sure you pay attention to the red lights, the pedestrian crossings and road signs to make sure you remain as safe as possible while traveling there.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Get a Boris Bike
You don’t need to take the bus, the Tube or an Uber to get everywhere in London.
Actually, some of the most scenic places in London can only be reached while walking or cycling.
For instance, Regent’s Canal is one of the best places to cycle in London – and a Boris bike only costs a couple of pounds per hour.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Bring Comfortable Shoes & Walk Instead of Tube
Sometimes, Tube stations are really close to each other and it doesn’t make sense to take the Tube unless you really can’t keep going anymore.
For instance, London Bridge and Borough are very close to each other – it’s not necessary to spend over £2 for one or two stations.
To help you save money in London on travel, bringing a good pair of comfortable shoes is a must-do.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Carry an Umbrella
You never know when it’s going to rain in London – I’ve lived there for almost five years and it’s clearly a mystery.
Sometimes, you can have the sun, clouds, rain and snow in the same day – right in the middle of March, April (and, let’s say it, any time of the year).
There are plenty of things to do in London when it rains, but carry an umbrella so the rain doesn’t mess up your plans.
London Travel Tips: Things to Do in London
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Avoid Touristy Areas
If I may, avoid touristy areas in London as much as possible and try focusing on lesser-known neighborhoods.
Like the colorful streets in Kentish Town.
Or Chalcot Square in Primrose Hill.
I’ll write a guide about the prettiest neighborhoods in London soon, and if you want to discover the real London charm, that’s where you should go.
Obviously, a visit to Leicester Square, Covent Garden and the Chinatown Bakery has to be done – just try to visit more scenic places.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Bring an Adaptor
You’ll need a British adaptor when visiting London for the first time.
They’re really cheap on Amazon and eBay – although for Apple products, I would recommend getting the official adaptor.
That’s the one I’ve gotten as it comes in a kit with all the possible adaptors in the world, and is great value since you basically have it for years.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Get Acquainted with Locals
If you can, make friends with locals – I have made a good couple of friends while traveling to London the first times I went there.
When I’m traveling abroad, I usually download Bumble BFF to make new acquaintances.
I also use Reddit a lot, which is pretty active in London, as well as Facebook groups.
That’s one of the best ways to discover the city and the best hidden gems in London!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Book Tickets in Advance
If you can, book your tickets as far in advance as possible.
There are some really famous attractions in London, some of which are worth visiting, others which are not.
Places like TodayTix and Tkts are amazing to find tickets, and there are also a few must have apps you should have saved to book cheaper theatre tickets in London.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Take Advantage of Free Museums
There are lots of free museums in London, most of which are completely free to enter.
If you’re trying to learn about history and arts in London, check out the following free museums:
- British Museum
- London Museum
- Geffrye House
- Horniman Museum
- Tate Modern
I will write about all the best free art galleries in London and free museums for all; in the meantime, these are some of the best.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Pay a Visit to Hidden Gems
If you follow The Working Line, you might have seen here a few guides about hidden gems.
I’ve written about all the most secret gardens in London some time ago, with some places no one ever talks about.
I’ve also told you about some of the best free rooftops in London; perfect if you’re traveling to London for the first time with your partner!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Use Central Tickets & Similar Websites
There are a couple of websites I use to book cheaper theatre tickets in London, and one of them is Central Tickets.
I came to know about Central Tickets via other London bloggers, and it’s one of the easiest-to-navigate websites for seat filling in London.
Central Tickets is perfect for anyone looking for cheap tickets for events like theatre, movies, performances, music and more.
You will need to ask to join well before you arrive in London, though, but once you’re in, you can book your tickets instantly.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Download Must Have London Apps
There are dozens of must have London apps, which include anything from transportation to food, shopping apps and stays.
Citymapper and Google Maps are perfect to go from Point A to Point B easily, and they’re both very reliable in London.
Central Tickets is another one for events, as are Fever and Eventbrite.
There are more to discover, so make sure to check out the guide to the best apps to use in London I’ve written for you!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: See What Events Are Happening
Depending on the time of the year, there are plenty of different events going on in London.
There’s the Chinese New Year in Chinatown, there’s the Notting Hill Carnival, there’s the Chelsea Flower Show…
There’s always plenty of free things to do in London whatever the month you’re visiting.
Just try to avoid colder months, as it does tend to rain all the time.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Have a Day Trip from London
If you have a lot of time in town, try to have a cool day trip from London!
My favorites are Cambridge, Oxford and Brighton – the latter especially when it’s summer, as it’s one of the best beaches near London!
Going to any of these three cities can be as cheap as £10/12 round trip.
Plus, it makes for one of the coolest things to do when the weather is nice!
London Travel Tips: Pretty Neighborhoods + Where to Stay in London
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Book in Zone 3, Avoid Central London
I am rather mixed about recommending first time visitors in London to stay in Central London.
It’s really expensive, and for a couple hundred less pounds, you can probably have a hotel, hostel or Airbnb that is just as cool.
You’ll spend a bit more on transportation daily, but you’ll still spare a few pounds that you can spend on other things, like candles or makeup in London.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Look for Hidden Villages in London
There are quite a few hidden villages in London that I would recommend you visit.
These include Hampstead, West Hampstead, Richmond, or even Stoke Newington.
I consider all these some of the most beautiful places in London, and hey, sightseeing and walking around is completely free!
These places usually also offer utterly beautiful nature in London – and when you’ve been here a while, you’ll understand that need to see greenery!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: East London is Cheaper
When staying in London, you’ll quickly come to understand that everything is at least a bit cheaper in East London.
That goes from finding halal cafes to shopping – and the rent.
I used to stay in Bethnal Green and Mile End (zone 2) and they were clearly much more affordable than the rent I would have paid in West Hampstead or Chelsea.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Posh Neighborhoods are in West London
Posh neighborhoods in London are historically located in West London.
You can include Paddington, Chelsea, Kensington, Bayswater, West Hampstead, and many more in that list.
If you’re looking for places to stay in London on a budget, these typically won’t be suited to a low budget.
However, if you’re trying to look for beautiful mews in London, these are also posh areas built around old mews and stables.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Don’t Be Afraid to Travel to Beautiful Places
There are lots of beautiful places to visit outside London, at the end of the Tube lines.
Beautiful villages that also include the Cotswolds if you ever really want to leave London on a day trip.
You will spend a lot of time on the Tube (or the bus), but you’ll get a real feel of true British life.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Stay Close to What You Want to Visit
If you want to avoid spending too much on transportation, I would recommend staying in a hotel or hostel close to what you want to visit in London.
Every time I go back to London, I feel like a tourist again.
It’s just the time for me to adjust again to the city life.
But when I room, I try to rent it close to the areas I love hanging at.
Even as a tourist, there might be places you’re more attracted to than others, so once you figure these out, you can think of booking suitable accommodation.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Choose a Hostel if You’re Alone
If you’re traveling solo to London, book a hostel instead of an AirBnb or a hotel.
That is, if you don’t mind living in a hostel and are on a budget.
Some of my favorite hostels in London are the St Christopher’s Inns at London Bridge and the one in Greenwich.
I stayed at both and really enjoyed my stay.
For couples and families, a private room in a hostel, a hotel or an AirBnb just makes it smoother to live on a daily basis.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Book an Airbnb for Longer Stays
If you know you’re going to stay for a few weeks in London, I would recommend taking an Airbnb.
You can rent a room in London for upwards of £700 for a really good room depending on the area if you plan on moving to London, too.
In any case, I’ve lived in hostels long term and while it was fun, it was also hard.
Cheaper, but no privacy – hence the AirBnb for longer stays.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Shopping in London
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Avoid Weekends
If you want to go high end or cheap shopping in London, the rule is the same: avoid weekends.
The shops on Oxford Street are usually super busy whatever day of the year, but during weekends, it’s even harder to make your way through the crowd.
Same thing if you want to pay a visit to some of the best shopping centers in London.
Just come around 11 am on a weekday, and you’ll have much more fun shopping in London!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Go Charity Shopping
Charity shops in London are an institution, and this guide to London travel tips wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t tell you about charity shops.
There are lots of cool markets in Shoreditch, like Brick Lane, for vintage shopping.
But charity shopping has even more of a thrill to it, as it’s really cheap.
Sometimes, you can find a brand new garment for 50 p, £1, £2…
It’s thrilling to be able to find your next best fashion piece for almost nothing.
And then, you still have budget to go try halal Thai food or beautiful doughnuts at Bread Ahead Bakery!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Know About Cheap Shops
There are lots of really cool budget shops in London, and most of them will save your life.
From tampons to stationery, adaptors and books, they can be really useful when you’re new in London and need Q-tips or toothpaste.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Compare Prices
There are a few apps and websites to compare supermarket prices in London, and one of the most famous is Trolley.
But beyond just food and grocery shopping, compare prices for everything.
Find the cheapest theatre tickets, the cheapest meals, in one word – the best value.
If you’re not planning on living in London on a budget, comparing prices are less of a priority, but still important to make the most of the city!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Visit Vintage Shops & Vintage Markets
There are some really cool vintage markets and vintage shops in London around Brick Lane and Camden, mostly.
You’ll find the odd vintage shop here and there, but those are two beating hearts of fashion in London.
Some vintage Burberry coat at Brick Lane or some vintage jewelry at Camden Market are always some really nice treats to oneself or a loved one.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Pop By Cyberdog
Cyberdog is one of the most instagrammable shops in London, and home to the rave and party universe.
There, even if you don’t party and like more chill activities like roller skating in London, you’ll find something you like.
Colored contacts, party attire, neon makeup, even kids clothes – Cyberdog is one of the best hidden gems in London.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Understand the Currency
At first, when I traveled to London for the first time, I wasn’t too sure about using pounds and it took me a few days before actually trying to understand the coins.
When it comes to the bills, you have £5, £10, £20 and £50.
As for the coins, you have 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.
If you can pay by card, it will be even easier.
But just in case you need to pay cash, make sure to have a currency converter app installed on your phone!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Taxes are Included
Taxes are included in all the prices so you’ll never have a bad experience when paying at the supermarket or in a shop.
That’s actually really appreciated as it makes going makeup, candle and clothes shopping in London much easier.
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Find The Best Things to Buy in London
There are so many cool things to buy in London for each and every taste.
For HP lovers, there are lots of cool Harry Potter shops in London to visit for presents.
Otherwise, for home decor lovers, you’ll also find anything from classic DW Home candles at TK Maxx to beautiful teapots from Whittard’s.
Check out the guide I’ve written about this to find the best gifts from London; those you’ll be proud to bring back home!
London Travel Tips for First Time Visitors: Pack Well
If you want to save money in London and be able to shop more, pack well.
It’s the last one of these London travel tips for first time visitors, but so important!
Forgetting things like your adaptors, your umbrella, that type of thing, will make you spend more in the long run.
Pack for your London trip according to the season.
It rains often in London, but when it gets hot, it’s almost unbearable!
The London Travel Tips To Make Your First-Time Visit a Blast
There you have them, all my best London travel tips in a huge guide about shopping, food, pretty neighborhoods and more!
Hopefully, you’ll learn here all the things I wish I knew before going to London for the first time!