The Most Essential London Travel Tips For First Timers

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London is one of the most visited cities in the world for a reason, and the sheer amount of people can make it overwhelming for first timers.

That’s why we prepared this guide on the essential things to know before visiting London for first timers, so you don’t feel out of your depth when you arrive.

The following London travel tips are based on our own experience visiting London, as well as from lessons we’ve learned living there and tips shared by our Editor who lives in London currently.

All of this combined experience brings you this complete list of tips and tricks so that you can make your first trip memorable.

I can tell you from my well-rounded experience and expertise as a professional traveler and blogger, London is one of the best bucket list destinations you could ever ask for.

But, it’s one of those destinations that requires careful planning so you don’t waste time and money…

Know the best time to visit London

London is a year-round destination, but it really comes alive in the warmer, summer months with people out enjoying the parks, riverside bars, festivals, music events and, of course, the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament. Summer is peak tourist season.

When you travel to London during the summer months the days are much longer with the sun setting around 10pm. Although traveling in summer will mean bigger crowds and higher prices as it’s high season.

Spring is pretty with blooming flowers and weather that is warming up. We visited in late March (spring) and had a run of five warm (ish) clear, sunny days – a rarity even in summer.

We were 1-2 weeks too early for spring blooms but did catch some on our last couple of days, including cherry blossoms.

Spring is a great time to plan your London trip as it will be the shoulder season (May and June) with fewer crowds and cheaper prices, but with nice enough weather for you to enjoy your stay.

September – October will be a similar experience.

The festive season will bring Christmas lights and holiday events, but the winter months will be bleak, cold, and dark with very pronounced Tube Faces.

London has dark days in the winter, from 9:00am – 4:00pm, so there’s little sunlight and it can often lead to SAD.

Do your best to avoid the busiest times, which are bank holiday weekends (public holidays), school breaks, and July and August. US school breaks will be mostly different to the UK, which could work in your favor.

Plan for at least 5 days in London

We stayed for 10 days in London and still didn’t see it all. It’s a sprawling city with so much to see and do, even when we lived there we were still finding new attractions!

How long you stay depends on what you want to see and do, how busy you want to be, and how much time you have in your schedule.

If you just want to experience the top London attractions, then I’d say visit for at least three days. If you want to explore a little deeper into London’s neighborhoods, festivals, and events, then you can extend that for at least five days or as long as you want.

I think five days in London would be optimal for most visitors to experience the top things to do in London and to encorprate a bit of downtime in the itinerary as well.

Plan for 7-10 if you’re adding in day trips or getaways such as to Stone Henge, Dover, Hastings or Bath.

Here is our 3 day London Itinerary guide and our 7-day itinerary for London to help you with your planning!

Be aware of interchangeable weather

When the sun is shining and the temperature is warm, it’s hard to find a happier, more buzzing place than London.

It makes you want to live there, until a few days later when the typical London gray gloom and drizzle sets in and the temperature drops to freezing. This can go on for days and days.

The weather in London can be unpredictable, and tough to handle. Pack an umbrella every day, regardless of what the sun is doing. It could be clear blue skies one minute and a thunderstorm 30 minutes later.

For a short London vacation, you shouldn’t see such huge changes, but you should check with the MET Office for hour by hour weather forecasts. It’s usually pretty accurate.

You aren’t going to experience any weather extremes on a short trip to London, but you will definitely need layers year round – at least in the evening if you do get one of those warm days.

Average weather temperatures for London are:

• Nov – Jan: 45F – 53F
• Feb – Apr: 40F – 49F
• May – Jul: 51F – 74F
• Aug – Oct: 59F – 73F

Pack sturdy and comfortable walking shoes

As you’ll be busy exploring a lot on foot, one of our top tips is to pack comfortable clothes and footwear to suit the weather.

Wear a sturdy and supportive pair of walking shoes with adequate tread for exploring in the day.

In the evening, unless you are visiting a fancy restaurant, dress can be as casual as you like in London. You can wear sneakers (trainers for the Brits!) in most places, unless stated on the website.

Some other things we recommend you pack are:

• A rain jacket. I prefer raincoats over umbrellas as it’s more versatile and easier to pack and carry. Umbrellas can be very awkward in a city as busy as London and annoying having to put them up and down when going inside and out.
• Pack layers. We had one day in Bath where it went from feeling warm in the sun, to snowing, and then back and forth again about three times!
• Bring a comfortable day pack for carrying around your layers, water bottle, and personal belongings.

Stay in Zones 1 or 2

London is easily divided up into zones, which makes it easy for exploring (and budgeting). The centre of London is zone 1, and then the zones work their way out from there.

There are 9 zones in total, but as a tourist, you probably won’t go past zone 3 – so we recommend staying in zones 1 & 2, especially first-time visitors.

Most of the attractions are in Zone 1 and 2, and so will save you time and money getting around.

Some of the popular areas to stay in London Zone 1 and 2 are:

• Victoria
• Kensington
• Waterloo
• Hyde Park
• St Pancras
• Westminster
• Southwark

You can stay further out of the city to save some money, but sometimes the trade-off between saving money and saving time on commuting by being central to the action cancels each other out, particularly on short getaways!

It’s also worth noting that when traveling around on the London Underground (the metro) it can take up to an hour to get from Zone 3 to the center.

Wherever you stay in London, the efficient and fantastic London public transport system will be close by so it’s not a big deal if you stay further out.

Book a hotel near a tube station

We recommend booking your London accommodation near a Tube Station (The Tube is the affectionate nickname of the London Underground).

It will save you so much time, cost, and hassle.

The best Tube lines to get you around to the major tourist attractions in London will be the:

• Piccadilly Line (dark blue)
• Circle Line (yellow)
• Central Line (red)
• Northern Line (black)

The three hotels we stayed in during our London trip were all just minutes’ walk to tube stations and it was heaven.

Hotels we stayed at:

• Millennium Gloucester (Kensington – near Gloucester Road Tube),
• Hilton London Kensington (near Shepherds Bush and Holland Park tube)
• Holiday Inn Camden Lock (near Camden Town tube)

Changing hotels may be great for variety and to be closer to certain neighborhoods or attractions. But, it can also be a hassle and eat into your time. Do your due diligence to work out what is best for your time and budget.

Accommodation in London is expensive

Did you know that London has more 5-star hotels than any other city in the world? Lux travelers are in luck!

You can find accommodation to suit any style in London, but no matter what your style, you can expect to pay a price for it. Backpackers will find many hostels, but expect to pay anywhere from £50-£60 for a bunk bed in a dorm room. Yes, I know.

Hotel rooms in London also tend to be small with many old, or outdated buildings and rooms, especially in Zones 1 and 2 where there are more historic buildings that were built before they were turned into hotels.

Double rooms typically have two double beds. Family suites are two double beds, just a slightly bigger room. Always check with the particular hotel’s room descriptions, as we found the room classifications confusing.

Some hotels will offer interconnecting rooms for families, but that will be the extra expense of two hotel rooms.

If you are traveling to London from the USA, hotel servicing won’t be as great as you’re used to, and some amenities may be missing like body lotion and tissues!

Some hotels may have buffet breakfast included, or for an additional fee.

Included breakfast with your hotel will save you time seeking out local spots, but, if you just want to grab a quick croissant, pastie, or bagel for breakfast, having breakfast out will be a much cheaper option.

We found the breakfasts in the hotels to be quite good with plenty of options, including a Full Hot English breakfast. They are definitely better than standard US hotel continental breakfasts.

Of course, it’s best to book your accommodation in advance, especially during the busy summer months!

London Airports have high airport taxes (and there’s more than one airport!)

One important thing to know before visiting London is that London has several airports. The main international airport is London Heathrow, but you may also fly into London Gatwick Airport, which is more commonly serviced by countries in Europe.

London Heathrow is the major airport in London where most international travelers will arrive. Gatwick is the second biggest. You can read more tips on getting to and from London airports.

When you arrive in London, if you have a child under twelve, you can join the family express line when getting through immigration. An attendant escorted us to the front of those long lines.

This was the first time in all my years passing through UK Immigration that the officer did not ask a million questions, and was friendly and efficient. Be prepared to tell them where you are traveling, how long for, and why. They may even ask questions about your work situation and finances for your trip, 

There is also London Luton, which is really far from the city center (though you can get a train directly into the city), London Stanstead (a pain to get to from the city) and London City Airport (usually only domestic in the UK).

All the airports impose high airport taxes. Many travelers will avoid flying in and out of London to escape the fees, but the cost of a train into London from those airports is more than the taxes, so you might as well pay the tax.

If you travel to London from the USA, it can often be cheaper to pay for your flights instead of using your mileage points, as you have to pay those higher fees.

We somehow booked our flights using points through the Chase Portal and did not get any tax charges. I’m sure they included the taxes in the entire “(point) price” rather than paying as an extra.

You may find low-cost flights to one of the smaller London airports like London Luton, London Stansted, and London City.

They’ll be cheaper than places like Heathrow or Gatwick, but be sure to factor in additional travel time and transport costs into the city.

If you are flying internationally, I recommend Heathrow or Gatwick as they are connected to the London Underground, so you can easily get to your hotel.

Leave for the airport in London 3 hours before your flight

When you leave London, arrive at the airport 3 hours before your flight to allow you time to get through security and immigration, which is notoriously slow.

Heathrow is a fantastic airport. It’s huge so give yourself time when leaving London to get yourself cleared and walking around. You’ll find lots of great stores and places to eat.

It’s a refreshing change to US airports which are terrible (except for our own small RDU). It’s embarrassing when you compare JFK to Heathrow.

Getting around London

We have an entire guide on getting around London, which describes in detail the transport types including the London underground (tube), buses, cabs and ferries, plus ticket options and prices including the Visitor Oyster Card vs contactless payment.

For a first-time visitor, it can feel complicated, but once you understand it you will LOVE the ease and efficiency of the London Transport Network!

Our number one tip for traveling to London is to walk as much as you. We walked from 8-12 miles per day and loved it!

Not only was walking fantastic for our health, but it also really helped us to see so much of London as we moved from A to B.

It’s often faster to walk between tube stations than to catch the tube. So, map it out. Our rule of thumb was if it was a 20-minute walk, we’d just walk as by the time you get in and out of Tube stations, and wait for the trains, and then ride to your destination twenty minutes could have passed.

“Quid” means British Pound / Sterling

The UK uses pounds and pence, not dollars and cents! English people have so many colloquial and slang terms, which I’ll share in more detail later, but the one you will hear a lot is the word “quid” in place of pounds.

So, if they say, “it’s five quid,” they mean five pounds.

London is a cashless city

London is a city where you don’t need to use cash. We didn’t use local cash once. We didn’t even touch or exchange any British money, only using our credit card.

As exchanging money can be stressful, we loved this newfound ease.

You can use all major credit cards, but most common will be VISA and Mastercard. Some places will accept American Express, but I’d have a backup to be safe!

You will find ATMs, or cash machines as the English typically say, everywhere so accessing money if you need it is easy.

I was surprised how common and natural it was for everyone to pay by tapping their cards – or bt payment apps. It’s pretty much the only way cashiers offer payment.

If you don’t have the tap feature on your card, they still take the insert and swipe.

Tipping in England isn’t expected, but appreciated

While we’re on the subject of money in England, I’ll answer the question, “Do you have to tip in London?” No. No. No.

My favorite thing about London and being in England was not having to tip. In America, tipping adds a lot of extra cost to your bill, especially now it’s common for them to expect 25%.

I loved being able to walk into any café or pub, know that they are getting paid a good wage, order, tap and go. The price is as it says, and I can walk away.

If you eat at restaurants with table service, they will typically add on a service charge of around 7.5%. But it can go up to 12.5%. If service charge is not included you can leave a 10% tip if you like.

Be sure to check your bill so you don’t tip more than necessary.

You don’t need to tip anyone, including housekeeping, bell boys etc. No one in England expects it.

For our Americans, I will warn you, you will not get service like you do back home…and that’s okay. Not better or worse, just different.

We’ll share more through this post, but basically, you’ll be self-serving, or seeking out help a lot of the time. While it’s not as attentive, it is still friendly and helpful.

For our Aussie friends, it’s just like home!

London is expensive, plan your budget accordingly

Lots of people ask me what budget do I need for London, and this is a question that’s complicated to answer as it depends on when you are traveling (and what current economic conditions are); your particular currency conversion rates, your spending habits and your style of travel i.e. do you prefer more luxury or budget.

London is a big city, so it will not be a true budget destination. I didn’t find it much more expensive than traveling in the USA, but your budget can get out of control if you’re not careful.

For a family of four, you can expect to spend around £250 – £500 a day (factoring in accommodation).

Get a 3-pin plug (Type G outlets) for charging gadgets

The United Kingdom uses Type G outlets. These sockets have three rectangular holes, including a ground. You’ll need a power adaptor for the UK – we travel with a universal one so it covers most countries we visit.

Don’t forget to turn on the small switch on the outlet, or the electricity won’t flow!

UK’s frequency is 50Hz and the standard voltage is 230V. Appliances rated between 220 and 240V can be safely used without a voltage converter.

If you are from the US, you’ll need a converter if traveling with electric razors, hair dryers, or curling irons. It can blow up your device and start a fire otherwise!

We recommend leaving all of them at home. Hotels will have hair dryers to cover you! English people aren’t as image conscious as Americans and you won’t be judged.

And you won’t need convertors for laptops, phones and cameras.

It’s a clever idea to have a portable charger for your phone as you may not be able to find many power points throughout your day exploring. With all those photos and videos you’re capturing for memories, your battery will drain quickly.

Get an eSIM data plan, Wi-Fi in London is not fast

As we work and travel, we need to be connected, and the free wifi in London isn’t reliable enough.

Free Wifi is not hard to come by in London, but it’s usually not fast. In cafes like Starbucks, Costa or Cafe Nero, you will find WiFi and it’s usually fast enough, but when walking around you’ll want to stay connected.

You can purchase an eSim from Airola, the world’s first and largest eSIM store. You can get connected the moment you land and avoid those nasty roaming charges.

It’s so easy to sign up and activate it for your phone, and at $10 for 3 GB over 30 days, you can’t beat it. All you do is install the app, choose your destination and package, install the eSim and then activate it.

You can also grab a local Sim card from most electronic stores, but why bother when you can do it digitally.

Just be careful, uploading Tik Toks and video streaming can chew up data fast.

You will find free Wi-Fi in a lot of places, but it’s unreliable and often choked and slow. Some of them are extremely painful to log onto.

You typically need to sign up for most – either through Facebook or by email. Some would only let you connect by sending you a text message. “Hello, I’m international, so I can’t receive any text messages!”

And the WIFI on the great Western Railroad was dreadful. So don’t get excited by that wonderful benefit of catching the train!

Honestly, get the eSim.

You can drink tap water in London

This may seem like one of our most unusual London travel tips, but it’s one of the biggest things that bothered or impacted us the most in all our years of travel – water.

In London, you can drink the tap water, but you won’t find fountains or be given water in restaurants without asking for it.

We’ve become so used to easy access to drinking water in the USA – when I sit down at a café or restaurant in the US, the first thing the waiter does is place a pint of ice water down in front of me, and then fills it up throughout the duration of our meal. I NEVER have to ask for water.

When we first arrived in London, I didn’t even realize I wasn’t drinking water until the end of the first day when I felt so dehydrated.

You have to ask for water in the UK. Or, they’ll have a self-serving jug on the counter with really SMALL cups.

Guzzle three glasses before taking one back to your seat.

It was also hard to find public water fountains. Fill up before you leave your hotel and whenever you stop for food.

You’re overcoming jet lag, you’re walking around a lot and exploring, drinking plenty of water is very important, even in cold weather when you don’t feel as thirsty!

We DO NOT recommend buying single use plastic water bottles. They are TERRIBLE for the environment and your wallet.

London is primarily safe, but…

Safety is one of the biggest concerns about London, and the truth is no matter where you travel, you should always be alert, aware, and prepared. Anything can happen anywhere.

I don’t think of traveling to London as dangerous, nor have I ever felt unsafe or afraid, but that’s because I don’t travel to the notoriously dodgy neighborhoods (Brixton, Camden). Westminster has the highest crime rate, which is probably because of its proximity to parliament.

Central London is usually busy with people moving around until at least 10pm, which helps you feel safer, and the police force is also excellent in London with surveillance cameras everywhere and quick response times.

I used to walk around at night on my own a lot when I lived in London (not saying I recommend this btw as a solo female traveler. You do have to still remain cautious and vigilant) and never had any problems.

You may come across someone on the tube who may be a little drunk, disorderly, or a little on edge. This is why London introduced the British Transport Police, who you can simply text if you see anything that makes you uncomfortable to 61016 and they will sort it.

London does have a bit of a homeless problem, and it’s not uncommon to see beggers on the tube. Don’t give them any eye contact or pay attention if you don’t want to donate spare change.

Other passengers will be there to help, and you can speak to the guards at the station (though if you can find them! Many tube stations seem to be void of staff).

You can always get off the tube if you’re uncomfortable and catch the next one coming soon after.

You will see lots of signs warning you about pickpockets and thieves so be vigilant in looking after your possessions.

Brush up on English Culture and Etiquette

English people are generally friendly and helpful. You may find them more reserved than Americans and Australians (in London at least, not in the countryside), but they are less serious and image conscious than Americans.

They have a fun sense of humor, enjoy “taking the mickey” out of people, and love a little boisterousness when spending time with others.

They love music (and have a stellar history of top musicians in the world) and sports, and are pretty well-educated when it comes to politics and world affairs.

The English have a reputation for politeness and good manners, so remember to add in your “Excuse me, Pardon me, please, and thank you.”

This politeness extends to never jumping a queue (line) and standing to the right side while going up and down escalators in the Tube stations.

You’ll soon discover an impolite English person if you break these rules. I agree, England. I agree!

The culture in London is also very diverse, which is one of the many reasons we love it!

You can find cuisines, celebrations, festivals, and representation from many countries around the world.

I can imagine most cultures around the world will then feel somewhat welcome or have a place to connect to their own culture.

London is HUGE. Explore By Neighborhood

It’s easy to feel intimidated by a city the size of London. Not just for its 607 sq. miles (double NYC) and population of 9 million people, but for the intensity of the experiences and attractions that lie within its sprawling streets and neighborhoods.

A trip to London requires careful planning in advance. We had almost everything booked before we arrived in London and an itinerary mapped out for each day.

To save money on transportation and time wasted on moving between attractions, explore London each day by neighborhood or area.

Remembering that you’ll spend most of your time in Central London, which is not just one area, but a combination of many neighborhoods spread out throughout Zones 1 & 2.

Book attractions online in advance

From history and Royalty to art and culture, amazing theater shows, and buzzing neighborhoods with different personalities, there are so many things to do in London for any interest.

Research your tours and attractions and book them in advance. They can book out quickly and they even may only operate on certain days. We missed a couple of tours we wanted to do because of this reason.

Tickets booked online in advance can also be cheaper than buying in person at the attraction. And some attractions like the Shard and the (free) Sky Garden require advance reservations.

If you are planning on visiting the Warner Bros Studios for the Harry Potter tour, you must reserve your tickets far in advance. Click to read our full guide with tips and review of the experience.

3D verification

We ran into an issue when trying to book train tickets on the Great Western Railroad from London to Bath and Oxford with our US credit card.

It wouldn’t accept our card as it wasn’t 3D verified, and Chase Visa could not 3D verify our card for some reason.

I’m told this is a widespread problem in Europe now. It happens only for online transactions and only for some companies.

We only encountered it this one time and were able to book our tickets through Trainline instead.

Arrive early to London Attractions and Tours

For popular tourist attractions like the Tower of London, arrive early to beat long lines.

Again careful research and planning is needed to know the busiest attractions and how you can fit it into your daily schedule.

Our Beefeater guide told us lines to see the Crown Jewels are often 2 hours long, and while the London Eye can move fast, wait times can still be long.

Thankfully, given we were traveling in London in March when tourist numbers were still low, we did not have any wait.

Fast Track or Skip the Line Tickets are worth it

Time is of the essence when you visit London. A great idea, if your budget allows, is to purchase skip the line tickets whenever you can.

If you get the London Go City Pass you will have many top London attractions included. However, some will not be, like the London Eye.

Also, some included attractions like the Tower of London don’t have the skip the line feature, and you can’t reserve your place in advance.

In those instances it might be better for you to use the London Pass for other attractions and pay separately for the top attractions.

You will have to do the math and research to figure out what works best for your budget and period.

We also purchase a lot of our Sip the Line tickets through Get Your Guide or Tiquets.

The London Pass by Go City

If you are visiting several London tourist attractions, it will be worth purchasing a London Go City attraction pass.

It’s a discount attraction card which will save you money on admission prices. You can purchase a card that has 2, 3, 5, 6 or 7 attractions.

Do your research to see which of the attractions on the card you want to do before you select the type of card you want.

We had a 3-pass attraction given to us by Go City to trial. For our 10 days in London a 7-attraction pass would have been more beneficial.

Choose the attractions that are the most expensive to use with the cards, and then maybe pay for the other attractions you want to do that are less expensive.

DO THE MATH for the different scenarios to see whether it’s cheaper to buy individual tickets or the London Pass, or a bit of both.

There is also the London Sightseeing Pass, which we did not get to evaluate while in London so cannot give a personal recommendation, and I’ve recently experienced terrible customer service with them.

However, we have used them before in the USA and loved it, especially for their more local experiences. I also like how they have multi-day passes instead of attractions.

If you want just the top London attractions though, I think the London Pass will be better.

There are lots of free things to do in London

One of the best things about travel to London is that so many of their museums are free! And their museums are exceptional. In fact, it’s usually the smaller museums that are more niche that you have to pay for, the big ones are usually free.

Here are a few free museums we love: British Museum, Tate Modern National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum, and the best one by far, the Natural History Museum.

The Changing of the Guards, a popular thing to do at Buckingham Palace, is also free!

As mentioned, walking around London is a wonderful way to absorb the culture – and it’s FREE.

You can walk across Westminster Bridge and London Bridge to see views of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, you can visit Westminster Abbey for free but pay for a tour is you want to.

We also enjoyed walking around to the Harry Potter Film locations in London. It’s free, but you can also join a guided walking tour if you don’t want the hassle of doing it yourself.

For a densely packed city of people and buildings, you’ll find a vast number of open green spaces with charming Royal Parks and gardens, and the beautiful Thames River meandering through the city. We love St James Park, Hyde Park, and Regents Park.

And, many of the best panoramic views in London are free!

London is a shopper’s paradise

If you’ve come to London to do some shopping, you’ve hit the jackpot. There are so many markets in London that are fun just for browsing and people watching.

Some of our favorites are:

• Camden Markets – an alternative neighborhood and iconic market. See our post on how to experience the ultimate day in Camden.
• Borough Market – a vibrant, local food market. Yum!
• Portobello Road Market – a Saturday market renowned for its antique wares.

Other popular shopping areas include:

• Covent Garden – although a tourist area, it’s one of my favorite places to visit in London. Plenty of big name brands and boutique stores (with lots of restaurants). Expect higher prices though.
• Oxford Street – one of the busiest streets in London with big name brands and deals. Avoid on a Saturday as it’s shoulder to shoulder.

We didn’t do much shopping in London as I think prices are cheaper in the USA. It’s a fun London activity for teens though, and Kalyra bought some clothes from Brandy Melville – which was cheaper than the US.

The West End Theater Ticket Hack

A highlight of any trip to London is a theater show in the West End. London is renowned as one of the best places in the world for theater with over forty venues in the West End.

On our last vacation to London, Kalyra, Savannah and I went to see Matilda in the Cambridge Theater in Covent Garden and loved it!

Kalyra did the research to find the best price tickets and booked it while we were in London. We booked through LondonTheatre.co.ukand got some of the last seats.

But, since it was a small theater, all seats had great views, and we somehow ended up with seats near the front and for what we thought was a great deal.

There are a few hacks for getting a good deal on West End tickets.

1. Book as far in advance you can, especially for popular productions, if you want a good seat.
2. You can snag cheaper West End theater tickets by opting for stand by tickets, which you buy on the day at the venue.
3. Book on the day. If you go to one of the stands in Leicester Square, and you’re not fussy about what you watch, you can get a deal on a show happening that day by filling a seat. Of course, you run the risk of missing the show or getting a terrible seat if you don’t book ahead, but if you are okay with just experiencing the West End rather than passionate about a particular show, this is a great way to save money.
4. Book a matinee. This is usually cheaper than an evening show.
5. Book a seat at the back. This counts as an obstructed view seat and is cheaper than standard ticket prices.

You can get last-minute tickets from the TKTS ticket booth on Leicester Sq.

Don’t let anyone tell you British food sucks…

There is a common misconception that British food is terrible. This. Is. Not. True.

British food is not all meat and potatoes, you just need to know where to look. You’ll find hearty British food in pubs. Look for a Youngs or Greene King pub (not a Wetherspoons, they are one of the cheapest places to eat food in London but the quality is never great) and you’ll have freshly made, farm to table dinners.

Pubs are a great place to eat. We loved it for the English pub cultural experience, but also because their menus suit most people.

You’ll find many English favorites like fish and chips, steak pies, and Sunday Roasts – you have to try a Sunday Roast at least once. And of course, a pint of English ale to wash it all down with.

There are plenty of places you can grab and go in London too. Look for bakeries with delicious sausage rolls (get one from Greggs, it’s the UK’s favorite), Cornish pastries, and sandwiches.

Marks & Spencer’s, Tesco, and other grocery stores will have premade meal deals (sandwiches and salads, a snack and a drink) that are a more affordable eating out option for lunches.

The truth is, in London, you can find every cuisine. It’s a multicultural city and one of the most diverse places in the world, so if you don’t like British food, you can find every cuisine you can name.

When I lived in London we used to love getting kebabs from our local store near the Tube (especially after a night out!). You tend to find these more once you get out of Central London.

Plan for a high tea (afternoon tea), it is a great English cultural experience and if you are traveling with kids they’ll love it. (see our Science themed high tea in Kensington in this post).

Book in advance for any restaurants if possible.

England gets a bad rap for food, and in some areas that can be so, but, with London’s diversity, you are sure to find good meals wherever you go. We had decent food the entire time.

Be sure to eat as many hot chips with mayo as you can for me! Yum!

Restaurants are usually self-service in London

Be aware that service is very different to the US. Only some restaurants will have hosted seating, but generally not.

Most of the time you’re walking around to find your own spare table, or seat at the bar. There won’t be a waiting list for establishments like this – you’ll just have to be quick to jump in the next available seat.

You’ll order and pay at the bar as well for food and drinks. And will often serve your own water. You won’t get much table service, unless to clear dirty plates.

It’s easy to be Gluten free or Vegan in London

I felt so well looked after in London with the abundance of gluten free food options which included fish and chips, Sunday roast (with gravy), scones with jam and cream, lamingtons, and delicious ciders and beers – and I mean beer!

THANK YOU London. It makes such a difference. Just another reason I miss you so much!

Vegan options are prolific across the city as well, as are many other dietary conditions.

Coffee in London is pretty good

I was surprised at how good the coffee scene was in London, especially since England is more known for its tea drinking.

I never had a bad cup of coffee in London. I had some that were just okay, but there were none that I had to throw in the bin, which happens more than it should in the USA.

Be prepared though – coffee sizes in England are smaller then the US. You will not find 16oz large here. Their large size is 12oz and 8oz is regular (and typical).

Unless you go to Starbucks, which sadly is on every corner now in London.

Don’t go to Starbucks. Just don’t. Support the local coffee shops. Their coffee is good, their stories unique, ambiance warm, and the service friendly and welcoming.

We’ll be sharing a post with some of our favorite coffee we found in London soon.

Drinking in London is iconic, but expensive

You will not be short on places to have a drink in London, the nightlife here is incredible – it’s truly a city that doesn’t sleep. There are pubs on every corner, plus really cool bars.

If the sun is out, head down to the river for a pint with a view.

On warm dry days, patrons will spill over onto the sidewalks outside pubs which brings such a lively atmosphere. The cobblestone streets and alleyways of Covent Garden will be packed.

A lot of pubs in the West End will stop allowing children after 5pm. Most pubs in London will shut at 11pm with a last drinks closing call at 10:30pm!

One thing we LOVED about having a drink in England is the lower ABV% of the alcohol.

The beer is just getting far too strong in the US for Craig’s liking, and he doesn’t want to be drinking 6.5% – 9% beers anymore. In London, they averaged about 4.9% – 5.2%, which he is used to from Australia.

By the way, if you’re a Guinness drinker, the Guinness in London is way better than the USA, the closer to Dublin the better.

And it was so nice to have a 4% ABV cider and not feel over buzzed and have it impact my sleep.

I was thrilled that there were a few gluten free beer options for me as well.

The craft brew scene has really taken off since I lived in London. We only saw one Fosters tap our entire time in London, whereas when I worked there it felt like every pub served it. This is a GOOD thing.

Now you’ll find local breweries taking center stage at the taps. Craig really enjoyed drinking the local English cask ales from the pump.

The pump is a unique way of pumping the Real Ale from the keg in the cooler cellars up into the bar. It’s uniquely British and specifically appropriate for traditional cask-conditioned ales.

I LOVED the Old Mount Berries and Cherries cider. Put that in a glass with ice and try not to drink its sweet goodness too fast!

Two other famous English drinks to enjoy are:

• Pimm’s and Lemonade – England’s favorite summer drink, especially for women.
• Gin Spritzers – You’ll find a whole menu of gin options in almost every place you go. I took a liking to the various flavors of gin spritzers you’ll find.

Take day trips from London (or overnight stays)

As you’re planning your trip to London, consider if you want to take any day trips. I forget just how small England is and how it’s train service makes it so easy to connect to other cities and towns.

You have many fantastic destinations in the UK that are easy day trips from London. It’s a good way to break up the intensity of London and experience a wider English culture.

We recommend going by train or renting a car if you feel brave enough to tackle the UK’s roundabouts and London’s chaotic roads.

The trains are efficient, but they are becoming more expensive. You can book tickets through Trainline, or if you prefer a bus, you could also use the National Express bus service or Flixbus.

We caught the train to Bath from London for two nights, and Oxford for two nights in the middle of our London trip. Both were fantastic.

Other top places to visit in England close to London include Stonehenge, Brighton, Hastings, Cambridge, and the Cotswolds.

Learn the lingo

I mentioned earlier that the Brits like to use “quid” when talking about their currency, but this is not the only lingo you might hear on your travels.

If you’re not a native English speaker, and you’ve learned English abroad, you may think you’ll be find with the English language on your trip to London – it’s England, after all.

You’ll soon find the Brits have different words for almost everything and you’ll be wondering if you’ve accidentally booked a trip to Mars.

To help you out, here are some commonly used slang words in England that you may come across:

• A’ight: It’s a greeting that’s a shortened version of “alright.” They are not asking you if you’re ok, they are just saying hello.
• Cheers: Brits use “cheers” to say thank you, it’s not just for clinking drinks together and wishing each other luck.
• Mate: Everyone is your mate in England. It means friend, or just what you call someone you don’t know to get their attention. You may frequently hear “oi mate!” which could be a tout trying to get your attention.
• Knackered: means tired.
• Bloke: means a man.
• Skint: means no money.
• Chinwag: it means to have a conversation.
• Chuffed. means happy.
• Taking the Mickey: I mentioned this earlier, see if you caught it! It means to mock someone or to joke about them.
• Leg it. It means to run. If you hear someone shout leg it, they are telling you to run, so probably best to run.

Get Travel Insurance

I can’t tell you how safe I felt knowing that if anything happened on our trip to London, our travel insurance wouldhelp protect my whole family.

Travel insurance is the first thing we purchase before booking a trip, so we’re protected should something go wrong on your trip, as well as while you’re waiting for your trip to begin!

The world is far too uncertain to take the risk of losing your travel investment AND having to pay more should something unfortunate happen.

It’s such a small price to pay for peace of mind and security. And as we’ve always said, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, these are our top London travel tips and as you can see there’s a lot to know, and I’m sure there are more tips to add so do let us know if you have any more questions in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer them.

London is an incredible city, and we know that no matter what, you’ll fall in love with it as much as we did. It has world-class museums, unique tourist attractions, iconic landmarks and architecture, ancient history, a vibrant arts culture, and unrivaled pub scene and diversity of people and neighborhoods. What more can you want?

I lived in London for two years in the late 90s, returned there several times with Craig when we lived in Dublin, and again in March 2022 with our two daughters, and we still love it every time we come back here.

I consider it my home of my early twenties, and I hope this London travel guide helps you to feel the same way about this incredible city.

You can also read our tips on how to plan a trip to Europe with kids and tips for visiting Europe with kids. And destinations in Europe teenagers will love.

FREE London Bucket List Printable PDF

We’ve created a simple one-page checklist of all the top things to do in London, UK. We’ll soon have some PDF itinerary guides for you! Pop your name in the form below to access. We’ll email you the itinerary guides once they are ready!

Do you feel ready for your trip to London? Ask any questions in the comments below!