TripAdvisor suggestions to AVOID in London (and what to do instead!)
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- Опубліковано 5 кві 2023
- Ok so lots of people use Tripadvisor when coming to London but guess what? It's sending you to the most touristy places and some of the most expensive. Hey that's fine if you want to pay £25 per person for the London Eye but how about I give you some great alternatives? Cheaper, less crowded, more in touch with London life (in some cases). Here's an alternative guide to London's top attractions on Tripadvisor (links to everything mentioned at the bottom of this description box.)
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About Love and London:
I'm Jess, I've lived in London for many years, and this channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, myself and my team show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch our videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.
MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO (some are affiliate links):
1. Tower of London. Book tickets here: www.getyourguide.com/tower-of...
OR the Jewel Tower: www.english-heritage.org.uk/v...
2. The British Museum
OR
The Museum of Brands and Packaging. Grab tickets here: www.getyourguide.com/london-l...
3. The London Eye. Grab tickets here: www.getyourguide.com/the-lond...
OR
The Monument: www.themonument.info/ (you can just buy tickets at the door)
OR the Sky Garden (tickets released three weeks in advance): skygarden.london/
4. The National Gallery. Free to enter, or book an official guided tour: www.getyourguide.com/london-l...
OR The Saatchi Gallery: www.saatchigallery.com/
5. Tower Bridge and the Tower Bridge Exhibition. Book tickets for the exhibition: www.getyourguide.com/london-l... or go with this Tower of London and Tower Bridge Early-Access Tour: www.getyourguide.com/london-l...
OR
Watch a Tower Bridge lift: www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-t...
or hop on an Uber Boat: www.thamesclippers.com/plan-y... or book a boat that forces the bridge to go up (coming soon!)
I used to believe in avoiding tourist traps but when I went to Rome I discovered that popular attractions are worth seeing because they're really worth seeing.
For each person it's different!
I’m a history junkie so I definitely hit the tourist traps, but it really depends on each person’s interest. Admittedly, going early usually is a good tip for touristic places 😊
@@loveandlondon I want to marry with you really u are so beautiful lady 😮😮😮
There is a huge difference between a turist trap and a popular attration. Those popular attractions are popular BECAUSE they are worth seeing and not just some sort of "clickbait". Shouldn't we go to museums jsut because they are popular because you have tons to see there? can't really see the logic in it.
Lol rome isn’t london
Ha, I worked for Tripadvisor for years in London (we got rid of capitalizing the "a") and every word of this is accurate.
My rec for people visiting is to spend their first day walking from Tower Bridge along the Thames to London Bridge, to the Eye, to Westminster Bridge, over it, up to Trafalgar Square, through to Picadilly Square, then up Regent's Street and finish at Marble Arch.
Very big day walking, but they sleep great and feel like they've got a good sense of London and its scale. :)
Interesting video. Post Covid 19 most museums and historical sites need our support and visitor numbers. With rising energy costs, building's like the British Museum need our support. A lot of museums provide warm spaces and access to toilet facilities, supporting the most vulnerable in our society. Free museum access was advocated by the Victorians and should not be lost to people on reduced incomes or the inability to pay.
Die päüO
Instead of the sky garden try the garden at 120, it's right by fenchurch st station so it's not hard to get to and because you are'nt on top of one of london's famous buildings you get a get a great view of all of them. It's also free to enter on a first come first serve basis and the queues aren't particularly long (I waited about 10 mins on a weekday at sunset). Make sure you are wrapped up warm though, it gets windy up there.
Also instead of a tourist boat cruise the riverboats by TFL are a more budget friendly and flexible option, they are fairly frequent in the centre of london and you can just tap in with oyster or contactless like the tube and bus.
Finally a unique way to see tower bridge is by bus, routes 42, 78 and 343 go straight over the bridge and it will only cost £1.75 to go over and come back. You could even change buses come back over london bridge for a great view of tower bridge
would swap the National Gallery for the National Portrait Gallery, it's also just round the corner (it's also free)
For elevated views, take the boat down the Thames to Greenwich and walk up to the Observatory for a great view of London. I love the Tate Britain and the V&A museum FAR more than the British Museum or the Tate Modern. Fact is that there’s something for everyone to see in London if you can afford the expensive lodging. Thanks for your videos, Jess. You are really helping a lot of tourists. TripAdvisor has become unreliable with all the fake reviews there!
❤️❤️❤️thanks for watching !
I’d still do the Tower of London and Tower bridge, that’s just where I’d start my day to beat the crowds as much as possible. The V and A museum would be my choice over the bigger museums unless I want to spend all day there, and London eye I’ve heard nothing but negative reviews unless you fluke a good weather day
Jess! Thank you so much for these videos! I'm in the middle of my London vacation, and all your tips have been super helpful! Cannot thank you enough!
Keep up the good work! You deserve a gold star!!
Glad to hear it :)
The tower of london is a fantastic day out if you pay for the audio headphones. It explains every room you are in and all the uses for it and info on who was kept in that room and why etc. We spent hours there. If you dont rent the headphones you will probably zip round it in an hour.
Ok, I lived in England for a few years. I did the tourist bit in London the first 2 trips. I don't regret it one bit. Being me, I REFUSED to wait in Queues though, so THANK YOU for this!
Love your vids, which I discovered recently. Loved this one especially because of the great alternatives your giving, I really never heard of the Jewel Tower or the Museum of Brands. Thx!!!
Thanks so much, glad to hear it! We're all about interesting reccs on this channel 😎
Your UA-cam channel and Instagram posts persuaded me to take a trip into London and go somewhere different namely the Saatchi Gallery. Thoroughly enjoyed the Beyond the Streets exhibition. Other alternatives to the National Gallery I would recommend are the Courtauld Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery (when it reopens later this summer) and Tate Britain which is less crowded than Tate Modern. Thanks for another great video, missed the mittens they remind me of Grimace the McDonalds mascot
Great tips! Thanks so much kieran ❤️❤️
If you really want to see those attractions, I would suggest looking into the London Pass. The pass will allow you entrance to most of those sites and in some cases you can skip the line and use a different entrance.
As a hobbyist photographer, when I travel, the main priority for me is to be able to get good photos and so when I use tripadvisor, I always view the advice there with a grain of salt because I know that most of the people that post there are not traveling the same way I am. I just try to pay attention to things like when is it most busy, do they allow photography, what might I see there... anything that relates to me doing photography at whatever place or location I'm reading about. Often times I just like reading through posts and lists because even though most of it is something that won't apply to me, I do occasionally find that there are some good bits of info or advice than I can use.
Just a note about the Sky Garden, it is also extremely busy there during sunset (like most attractions that offer a view) and I'm not sure if this was always the case, but the line to take the elevator back down was extremely long and it snaked all throughout the bar area which meant people were just randomly cutting in line. Not sure if the other set of elevators were broken but I just thought I should mention it since a lot of this video is about avoiding crowds.
There must have been a lift broken it's not usually like that ☺️thanks for watching!
Take some photos of the river at night,there are rumours the lights might be turned off so be quick
Very interesting theme for this video, Loved these unexpected suggestions, I’ll be visiting London again in July, so definitely this video (and many of your other videos) comes in handy
Sounds great thanks for watching! Be sure to head to our shop too... Shop.loveandlondon.com
Great video, we are going to London in June and we look forward to see all these places.
Great to hear. Don't forget to grab a guide from our shop: shop.loveandlondon.com
I love your videos, but this one is one of my favorites. It’s refreshing to see an alternative take that pushes back a little on tourist traps. Huge lines and huge crowds can be a bummer depending on where you are.
So glad to hear it. Thanks for the kind words 😘😘
💯 This is a greatest alternative list I’ve seen!
Thank you ❤️❤️
Trip Advisor should have a disclaimer. Our reviews are submitted by anyone, no qualification required - proceed with caution” - lol. As a Londoner, I hate the London Eye, not the structure itself but the location. It’s completely trashed that part of the embankment. The original remit was for it to be moved down river but, surprise, surprise that idea was scrapped, can’t possibly think why? 😆. Thanks Love and London, you know your subject and give good advice.
Thanks for watching !
I like your advice. Especially look forward to seeing the Monument next time. I'd also like to put a word I for The Old Operating Theatre by Old St Thomas hospital. Great look at an old Victorian OR and how surgeries were done
Great tip. Thanks for watching!
Ok the view from the Monument is amazing! Thanks for this suggestion 😊
You're welcome !!
Two weeks until my next London adventure - this comes in handy!
check out the Sir John Soanne's Museum which is free (check which days it's open)
Have a great time. Don't forget to grab one or more of our guides. They includes digital maps and much more: shop.loveandlondon.com
Me too, in two weeks.
Really interesting, thanks
I tend to stay near Waterloo/Lambeth when visiting London but have only ever walked past the London Eye, and oh gosh it always looks so uncomfortably busy. 🤣 That being said last May I did find a really nice open-air second hand book market on the south bank relatively nearby the Eye, and got a nice Mauritian curry from a street food place nearby there too. Hidden gems to be found everywhere!
Yes! That book market is in some of our guides ❤️
I loved the Tower of London, the British Museum and Tower Bridge/ I have some awesome pictures from the middle of the Thames taken from the upper walkway. Then again, I love history. I also loved the Portrait Gallery, the view from the 10th floor of the Tate and attending the theater.
Been doing four of the five things on the TripAdvisor list and the alternatives on my first stay in London as a tourist (don't need London eye and will put Saatchi Gallery on my list for the next visit, probably in 2024). Did the river cruise as a work related evening event when visiting London for work. Still got the certificate I got for climbing The Monument stairs.
interesting take! Summer of 2024, We are going to London for a short stay before flying out to Scandinavia - but the only reason we are stopping in London is to see the Tower of London again. We went there in 2016 and fell in love. This time we are going with our sons and I can't wait for them to experience the Tower of London.
Some very good ideas here. I would say too to check things going on at different times of day and that London is amazing in the winter! There are less queues and loads of things to do indoors, so it doesn't matter if the weather is bad. Try booking into the Ceremony of the Keys, which is at night at the Tower of London, or going to the National Gallery on it's Friday night late opening.
And winter is generally cheaper for flights and hotels 😎
@@loveandlondonExcept in December, apparently ☹️
Top of my list is Hampton Court Palace. I think being able to travel upriver on the Thames would also be cool.
Nice ! Thanks for watching.
Another great and informative show! My wife and I will be in London for our first visit June 11 through the 16th. Hope to see you out and about and if we do the 1st pint is on us!
Glad you're enjoying it Paul! Don't forget to grab one of our guides: shop.loveandlondon.com
Great video and topic!!!!
Thanks for watching !
As a londoner this guide is absolutely spot on!
Thanks for watching !
@@loveandlondon Thanks for making it!
Great video. Thank you.
Thanks for watching ❤️
I’m going to be in paddington station area. Are there any yarn stores nearby Hilton paddington?
Even though I agree with you about how many of the museums acquisitions are ethically challenged, there is still a lot of exhibits about British history, e.g. Lewis Chess pieces sutton hoo hoard, etc. You were spot on about the eye though.
Some would argue that the stolen artefacts are part of British history but to us that doesn't matter 👀thanks for watching!
@@loveandlondon specifically what was stolen? A lot was given, other saved from destruction, what specifically was stolen?
@@zaftra why would you want to see the Rosetta Stone when you could see a Spice Girls doll in its original packaging??
Hi Jess,
First of all thank you for the wonderful content you publish.
Me and my wife came to Elton John concert this week and we used many of your tips and recommendations. I want to point out 3 places that we've been and you dont cover on your videos
and I think you should recommend them: first is kingly court in Soho region. There is a great ramen restaurant there and also many more restaurants and good vibe.
Second is the frameless exebthion which is unique and fun and third is the secret pub behind a refrigerator in one of the breakfast club restaurants.
Again, thank you ....
We've covered all of those one way or another, across our thousands of pieces of tips on our UA-cam, IG, blog etc 😉 glad you had a great time. I was also at Elton John one of the nights ❤️❤️😎
Tower of London is important historic and unique place. I was lacky to visit before overtourism 20 years ago and really enjoyed it.
Excellent tips.
Thanks for watching ❤️
That’s so thoughtful of you Lorraine, Thanks for your positive review,How are you and how’s the weather over there?
Hi Jess, thank you for another great video! A very unrelated question but I can't help it - what brand is your fabulous black bag @ 0:55?
It's secondhand !
@@loveandlondon oh my, it's such an excellent find! Hope you enjoy it for many more years!
just great ideas!
Thanks for watching !
The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London was worth doing.
Cheers 😊
I likewise lived in London for many years and never new the Jewel Tower. Combine with a trip round Houses of Parliament which I found pretty good. Other observation - I suffer (badly) from vertigo- albeit have ascended Sydney and Berlin towers, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Empire State. One real advantage of Sky Garden is there is no suite of steps, open lift or sudden viewpoint. You can “acclimatise” to the surroundings slowly. Any time is good but sunset would be great but you do need to book in advance
❤️❤️❤️
Going to London for my 3rd time on May 1st for the coronation festivities. Any food tour suggestions?
We have an article coming in a couple weeks but if you DM us on instagram we will send you some links to ones we suggest before it goes live 👍
Tower of London is a Must See at least once.
If that's what you're interested in! But some people aren't 😎
Hey do you recommend getting a London Pass and a oyster card?
loveandlondon.com/london-pass-worth/ read this :)
The Wallace Collection is another amazing gallery just off Oxford Street, also free
Yes! ❤️
thanks
Your mention of spending entire days at the Tower of London or the British Museum brings up a topic I’d find interesting: suppose you’re not in a rush, you have a good couple of weeks or even a semester in London. What’s worth sinking more time into?
[Of course it’ll be somewhat individual. I’m mainly interested in the culture as she is currently lived (though of course art and history provide important context for that), so I’d spend more time at pubs and sporting events. I’d love to spend a day at a county cricket match.]
Visit the popular stuff during the winter.
We only have 1 day in London before we head to Southampton to get on a cruise. We also have a 10 year old kid with us.
Saved this video. The Jewel Tower definitely got my attention cause I love history and I'm sure my late dad would have loved to see this if he were still around. Not great with heights (I did go up the CN Tower in Toronto a few times though...) but places like the London Eye and Tower Bridge I want to photograph them from different angles. I absolutely want to get some photos of TfL buses on that bridge and on Westminster Bridge during our 48 hour escapade tto London this coming summer during our family trip to Paris. Bonjour! Hi! from Monteral. QC, Canada!
the Sky Garden is the best place if you don't like heights
Glad to hear you enjoyed it thanks for watching ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for your job. Like + comment for sharing the content
Thanks thanks thanks ❤❤❤
British did outlaw Sati at great relief to the native female population, lol
Should we pre-book tickets for the monument?
No need!
We are planning to come to London in 1st week July , if we land in Heathrow , what will be the best way to reach central london
Google maps will tell you since it will matter depending on where your hotel is.
Yeah, It's a bit hurtful when you see your country's section in a museum 🥺 But every is history🥲
Lovely🎉❤❤
Can you talk about the safe and dangerous places to stay in London? Or how to protect yourself
It's all relatively safe, just act like you would in any major city ❤️
You always come up with smart solutions Jess!
Thanks 😎
MMM don't know about avoiding the Tower of London. It's amazing and you don't have to spend all day seeing it... just choose where you want to go.
omg I love your comments :D
As a tourist, I really do want to hit those top 5 places, even with the crowds.
Even by your own high standards this is an excellent guide. I’ve lived in London for 25 years and I’d never heard of the Jewel Tower, despite working in that area for years and walking past it a thousand times.
It's crazy isn't it!! Thanks so much ❤️❤️❤️
I went there last Saturday it was great
Took my American nice to the cafe in the lower part. She could not get her head around the fact that the building predated Columbus.
i think will be great if you can do a vlog about " what can you do in london if you are travelling with kids "
My drive home often involves driving over Tower Bridge. That'll never get old.
never! :)
Cheers from that place 👍🤠
Black is your color, Jess!
I’m heading to London this week and so glad I found your channel/IG. What a breath of fresh air! Love how you help travelers save money and avoid tourist traps. Especially appreciate the tip to avoid the British Museum full of stolen artifacts!
Aw so glad to hear it. Have a great trip ❤️❤️
@@loveandlondon Thank you! My husband and I purchased your 3-day itinerary and it was worth every penny. You saved us so much time and all your recommendations were right up our alley. Really appreciated all the vegan recommendations as well.
Visiting London next week.. great videos especially this one.. saved me lots of 💲💲💲 with your tips and recommendations! Stopped me from buying expensive entry and 'bundle' tickets.. thank you!!
Glad to hear it! Have a lovely time ❤️ don't forget grabbing one of our guides if you haven't already: shop.loveandlondon.com
There is a great art exhibition at the guildhall museum in the city of London the square mile it’s worth a visit enjoy London
The Tower of London was the reason I hated London for 2 years avoided it ! Lol in 2016 my first UK trip I went there first it rained and was a NIGHTMARE to get in so many lines etc !
I was determined to see the Crown Jewels & after I did that I just left .
Ditto the British Museum and tons of tourists trying to all see the Rosetta Stone . You couldn’t pay me to go to either now.
On a positive note the second trip I went to Churchill War Rooms and LOVED it .
I’ve never done the eye & don’t plan to . I’m coming after a week in Oxford ( Christchurch) so I’ll see my Christopher Wren there ! Haha
Gotta get out from the touristy bits to fall in love!
Thanks. Think we’ll visit the Brand Museum. I have young adults who are not interested in going to the British Museum (even though I am) for this exact reason as they know many artifacts were looted from others and now being showcased. We’ll be there in late May. You’ve given us alternatives. Will grab one of your guides, too.
So glad to hear it, thanks for your kind words !
🤘🏻 “Rock ‘n roll…” 😂 !
😈😈
When I left the Tower of London, I didn't know I could use the oyster card for some of the boats.
Yup! ❤️ Any contactless payment method.
Thanks 4 your Tipps. Today we will fligh to London for one week. We are looking forward to our vacation.
Thanks so much! Be sure to grab one of our guides: Shop.loveandlondon.com
🌷
Good days.Turkey
I feel like something being big is not a good reason to avoid it. Just because you can’t see all of it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy what is there. If anything, it ensures you won’t be bored. I spent a day at the British museum and I personally was ok with not seeing everything, since what I saw was cool enough. And I didn’t really financially support colonialism since tickets were free and I didn’t go to the cafe or gift shop.
Overwhelming and crowded is a hard pass for us
One more - we want to visit Harry Potter Warner bros tour London , how far it is from central london and which train i should take
Google maps will give you any transport directions you need! Central London is huge so it completely depends.
What is worse than London Eye? Waiting under it for friends.
You're not wrong
I wanna see the touristy things lol. Call me lame I guess lol.
You do you !
Informative video but not particularly impressed with your view that 'everything' in the British Museum is stolen from other countries! Of course there are contentious artefacts that were acquired by force and that should be returned, but there are thousands of other things that were given, or bought or otherwise obtained that were not stolen by the British and that are still worth looking at. Anyway, keep up the good work!
I don't think I said everything was stolen.
I found climbing the Monument quite difficult until someone pointed out that you’re supposed to go up the inside!
But seriously, I had never even heard of the Jewel Tower before and the Museum of Brands has been on my list to visit for years and I’ve still not been. Must do something about that! Thanks Jess.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching ❤️
THANK YOU THANK YOU for mentioning the British Museum's messy history. I have South Asian ancestry. When the British arrived in India, the Mughal Empire was the wealthiest nation in the world. When they left it was the poorest. My grandparents were in their 20's at the time. Britain's shameless plunder of so many nations needs to be openly acknowledged and talked about as a key reason why Western Europe is so prosperous today.
This is a great guide BTW. I have lots of family in London and I'm using your content to plan my "me time" during an upcoming family visit. Cheers from Canada!
I thought it was very important to mention, thank you for your kind words ❤️
Thank you for the alternative recommendations, especially for the British museum of stolen artifacts. I’ve been conflicted about having to pay money to see stolen goods. However, if I do go, I will not miss the opportunity to point out they are stolen.
@@jennyhouse6748 ahh good to know. Thank you
You're welcome!
Lost me when you went woke on British Museum.
No worries, bye!
"The Museum of Brands. What better way to learn about British history than through actual British things and not things stolen from other countries." Absolutely brilliant!
😎😎😎😎
❤️❤️💐💐💐