London is one of my favorite destinations I’ve been to. It was such a fun trip! I had fun planning it and obviously traveling there as well.

But, I did my research first, and I wrote down all of the things I should know before the trip and while visiting London.

Here’s a list of 25 travel tips you must know before visiting London!

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#1 Purchase an Oyster Card

London is a pretty expensive city, and especially it’s transportation.

An Oyster Card is a preloaded “pay as you go” card. It is like a credit card that you use to travel in London.

The London Oyster Card can be used at any type of transportation in the city; the London Underground, London Overground, trains, buses, and more!

The reason you would want to purchase an Oyster Card is that it’s cheaper than paying for single rides anywhere you decide to go.

To use your Oyster Card, you just touch the card to the yellow card reader and that’s it! At Underground/Overground/trains/any stations, you will have to touch the yellow reader both when going in and out of the station, so your journey can be calculated based on how, when & where you went to.

Also, I must mention that there is a 5-pound charge for purchasing the Oyster Card, so keep your card at the end of the trip, you’ll never know when you’ll be there again 😉

Running out of money on your Oyster Card

If you run out of money on your card, there is no reason to be worried. You can easily refill it at most transportation stations and shop throughout London!

What happens if there’s money left on your card at the end of your trip?

In this situation as well, there is no reason to be worried! You can get up to 10 pounds refund, as long as you do it before you leave London (you can do it at the same machines in the transportation stations).

If you have more than 10 pounds left, you can give it to a family member or a friend who is visiting London, or keep it for your next visit!

I personally had less than 10 pounds, so I did get my money back from the machine.

If you don’t want to waste your time when arriving in London, I highly recommend purchasing your Oyster Card at home.

Time is expensive these days, and on your trip, you don’t want to waste even more time at the airport/in the city by searching around for purchasing an Oyster Card.

#2 Purchase a local sim card

At least for me, it was the best decision. International mobile internet plans are pretty expensive in Israel (where I live), so I found that purchasing a local sim card is usually much cheaper and also much worth it.

I got a pretty good deal, a local sim card (if I’m correct) for only 9.99 pounds (which I don’t know how it’s for you, but if I am comparing it to prices in Israel it’s amazing), it also had a lot of GB, but I can’t remember the exact number.

Anyways, the point is that you should consider purchasing a local sim card if it’s the cheaper option for you.

#3 Find a hotel that is close to everything

It is important to stay somewhere central, which is pretty close to everything you are planning to.

In fact, I first planned a general plan for the trip, and then according to that general plan I booked the hotel.

Also, you must know that the more central the hotel is, it is most likely will be pricer (again, not all hotels.

But from my research, nice hotels at the center of the city are pretty expensive for traveling on a budget).

At first, I was looking for hotels in the Hyde Park area, which had amazing hotels, some pricier and some are very affordable.

But my boyfriend and I decided we want a nicer hotel which is more spoiling, and we booked our stay at the Moxy London Stratford hotel which is right next to the Underground station and takes the same time to arrive in the center of London as staying somewhere in our budget at the Hyde Park area.

So, calculate the time it takes from your hotel to the attractions and places you are planning on visiting, and stay where you want!

CLICK HERE to find some affordable and nice hotels in London!

#4 Arrive early at the Buckingham Palace

Wow, guys, it’s a shame I didn’t take this tip seriously before visiting the Buckingham Palace.

It was written everywhere!! and I knew it! But I was still not early enough to the Changing Of The Guards, I didn’t have a good viewpoint, I bearly saw anything and it was pretty sad.

So, don’t be me and arrive even 30-40 minutes early to find a good spot!

#5 Keep your belongings close to you

For some reason, I was very surprised to discover that there is a thieves problem in London as well.

I don’t know why I was surprised, but I was. Anyways, I highly recommend keeping your bag close to you, even using an under-your-shirt pouch for your passport/money/phone/etc (I can’t travel anywhere without this pouch).

I don’t recommend using backpacks when traveling in a busy city. It’s on your back and you won’t know whats going on back there.

So, keep your eyes on your stuff, and close to you, and avoid hectic crowds.

And if you do get into one, keep your hands on your bag and close to the front side of your body.

#6 Transportation pricing changes

Another thing you should know before visiting London is that during rush hour, transportation prices increase.

Now I don’t know if you are familiar with this, because I live in Israel and our transportation pricing doesn’t depend on rush hours or so.

I was pretty surprised, so be prepared for that and plan your days according to the perfect time to use public transportation (before-around 7:00 am or around 9:30-10:00 am).

#7 Sunset time is early in London

This depends on when you are visiting London, but for example, I visited London in December, and sunset time was around 4:00 pm which is soooo early!

I am writing this post in February, and from what I can see online, sunset time during February is at 5:00 pm.

The point is, that there aren’t too many hours of light, so plan well your day according to the sunset’s time.

#8 Book everything you can online

One of the best things I done myself on my trip to London was to book everything I was able to online. That means booking attractions, tours, The London Pass, etc.

If you are looking for discounted attractions/tours/entertainment in London, I highly recommend checking out this website.

#9 Follow the side walk’s instructions

When crossing the street, look on the sidewalk for instructions where to look. Usually, it is written as “look right”/”look left”. By following the instruction you’ll know where the traffic comes from.

#10 Save money and time with the London Pass

A huge lifesaver on my trip to London was purchasing an attraction card, or if to be exact – The London Pass.

The London Pass is a sightseeing pass that includes free admission to multiple attractions and tours in London!

The best thing about the London Pass, and the reason people decide to purchase it, is the fact that it can save you up to 70% on what it would cost to purchase each ticket to these attractions individually.

What I also love about this pass, is that with the pass you also get skip-the-line tickets to many attractions.

And, you get free bus rides all around London, including a cruise ride tour! (which is one of my favorite things to do when exploring a city that has a river. Such a different way and viewpoint of the city. So much fun!)

You can purchase the London Pass for how many days you need, we personally decided to use the London Pass for only 3 days.

>> CLICK HERE for my full review on the London Pass! <<

#11 Always stay at the right in escalators

This was actually one of the things I was most impressed with in London.

On escalators, they always stand on the right and leave the left side free for people to go up!

Now again, I don’t know where you are from, but there is nothing like this in Israel and I was so excited by this polite act!

#12 Don’t miss a hop on hop off bus ride!

London is THE CITY for hop on hop off bus rides!

It’s such a fun way to view the city! Also, if you purchase the London Pass you get unlimited access to these buses and you can go on multiple tours (day tour, sunset tour, and even a night tour of the city!).

#13 Tipping isn’t required

Unlike most places I’ve visited, tipping in restaurants isn’t always required. Usually, the tip is already calculated in the bill, so just read the little words and see if it is included or not.

#14 Wear layers

If you are visiting London during the fall/winter, wear layered clothing! Yes, it’s freezing inside, but indoors it is SO HOT.

I personally wore a short shirt and then a jacket and on top of a big coat. It worked perfectly for me, and every time we entered a restaurant/store I just took of the big coat.

#15 A lot of museums are free!

If you didn’t know, most museums in London are actually free at all times!

The most common ones are; the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate Modern, and more!

#16 DON’T skip London’s markets!

WOW, honestly, the best food I ate in London was in the markets! The food there isn’t expensive, and it’s also the best I have eaten in the city.

My favorite one is Camden Market, which has so many delicious food options – meat, Italian, Arab food, delicious desserts, and so many options!

Also, the Brick Lane market had some amazing and cheap food as well.

#17 You CAN go inside the Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is open for visitors during the summer months, which is so cool!

Sadly I visited in December, and it was closed for visitors.

But if you are visiting London during the summer, you can’t miss it! It is definitely a one time chance!

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25 Travel Tips You Must Know Before Visiting London