Huge point: there’s a £6.80 cap per day on an oyster card in zones 1-3. So you could ride 1,000 times in 1 day and pay no more than £6.80 for the entire day.
@@rimbadawi8187 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_fare_zones You can also get a 1 week travel card/pass for the zones you want (eg: 1 to 6) which lets you travel an unlimited amount of times within those zones for the week. You can add these passes to an oyster card instead of topping it up with money
If you are going to the Tower of London go as early as you can and see the Crown Jewels first. The Lines get immense by 11. Also do the tour with the beefeater...
I'm putting this separately from my other post because it's unrelated. Don't Take The Picadilly To Heathrow! If you're just carrying a small backpack, then it's fine but don't load your luggage onto the tube. Picadilly is a VERY busy line and hauling 4 huge suitcases onto the train - esp. if you have an early flight, you'll be on the tube during rush hour - is cumbersome. Put a taxi or Express ticket into your trip expenses. You'll thank yourself, Londoners will thank you. Take my advice with a grain of salt, as just another traveler but I did it once with just one suitcase and it was brutal.
Haha I took the Piccadilly to Heathrow with a carry on and personal item bag. I was on at 8 in the morning. Not packed and I was able to get a seat. Maybe I just got lucky!
London is such an easy place to visit if you speak english, and it is not a lot of different from what people from Japan or the US might be used to. It is one of the most tourist friendly city in Europe
Really? When was the last time you visited London? I was there two months ago and only a small minority I met was remotely English or speaking English?
The thing with the tube is not to buy seperate tickets to every station. Instead buy an all zones (or the central zones) all day ticket which you can reuse to get anywhere in London on the tube. Much cheaper than buying lots of individual tickets
Oyster card / contactless you don't need to 'buy tickets', you just need to load your oyster card with money or have money in your account. It'll cap out at each day depending on which zones you visit/whether you've travelled before 9:30am. No need to buy tickets ever
Spent 6 days touring London in September. Got an Oyster card & the London Pass ahead of time. They both worked great as I moved around a lot. Used the tube, buses & water taxi's everyday and walked a lot as well. Never felt unsafe or threatened. Thanks Mark for commenting on the traffic safety rules as I found myself almost getting clipped by a black cab when I looked the wrong way :-). All in all had a great time and would go back tomorrow. I agree that London is a unique city in England and is not representative of the country. Sort of like saying you went to New York City and saw the United States.
Glad you enjoyed your tour. London has always been one of the best places for tourists attraction, great people, food/resturants, pubs the list goes on. GREAT FOR VACATION TOO. Left there recently, definitely would recommend.
@@johnwilson4283 Mine wasn’t even a planned vacation, I made profits from an investment so I decided to take myself out, toured around London and dined at some of their top restaurants such as The Araki, and Dinner by Heston to name a few. I really enjoyed myself there, you should definitely try it too.
London is such an easy place to visit if you speak english, and it is not a lot of different from what people from Japan or the US might be used to. It is one of the most tourist friendly city in Europe
Also don’t forget to check out the various suburbs of London such as: Hampstead, Richmond, Camden and Wimbledon! All beautiful places worth to explore.
If you go to Gatwick, don't use the Gatwick Express (red train). Use the Southern Rail (green/white) trains, which go along the same route at a lower price and take 40 minutes instead of 30. GX is a scam. The same thing kind of applies to Heathrow, the TfL rail/Elizabeth Line trains take twice as long and cost half as much
if you are in London for a while you can purchase online a 7 day Travelcard covers buses & tube. you get the choice of 2 different zones. only drawback is that you cant travel before 9.30am Mon- Fri but heaps cheaper starts at $23.00 for a week ticket unlimited travel.
Judy Hayward That’s not entirely true. 7 day travel card which can only be loaded onto an Oyster card has no time restrictions only the 1 day travel card does and you can choose anything up to 6 zones.
More zones=more money, A LOT more, you cannot buy a 1 or 2 zone card economically ie for it to be useful unless you live inside a tube/subway zone and are going to travel only 1 or 2 zones each direction to your place of work/employment, if you plan to travel round London as a tourist/visitor or go between for instance museums and parks and music venues on different sides of the city, obviously miles apart, you must go through sometimes up to 6 zones each way on a single route/journey,the zone card will not be valid and you will get charged a lot more or possibly charged fees and penalties. In some cases your route can enter a zone and leave it 200 meters later into another zone and you'll get charged for the extra zone. The busses are the cheapest way to travel round but take a very long time to get from a to b and you need to change busses at different stops, be aware that the whole bus system is managed by a control centre and if the bus you are travelling on is re tasked ie diverted to take over from a broken down bus on a different busier route or one perceived as more crucial, you will need to notice that the bus Is deviating from the direction/route that it is supposed to be taking, sometimes an audio announcement plays on the bus to tell you to get off at the next stop and find an alternative way to continue your journey, other times this does not happen and the bus can take a different turn and end up taking you up to 10 miles in the wrong direction, if this happens you'll need to look out for or go on google maps and wait until the nearest subway/underground station is coming up, get off at the bus stop closest to it and walk to the underground to use the train for the rest of your route or to another connecting bus route/bus stop/bus station. Frequently when the underground trains go offline for repairs or a breakdown or tube workers strike, the busses all of a sudden get re tasked/rerouted and diverted, so you have to keep your wits about you and be ready to get off and find another way to travel onwards, don't rely on a taxi or uber for any kind of distance unless you are quite happy to part with £100/$130 as the traffic can be horrendous at morning and evening rush hours.. (edited due to autocorrect changing random words)
Just to add to the public transport tips on this video, be especially wary when using the tube between 8-9 in the morning and between 5-7 in the evening Monday-Friday as these times are when city workers are using the tube to get to and from work and therefore it's even busier than usual
London Ontario!! My hometown. 😂 I moved to London UK on a working holiday visa for a year after university. I got a lot of people confused as to which London I was actually in. 😂
I live in the UK and must have been to London hundereds of times, for leisure and work. I think this year I went about 7 times already. I use contactless for the underground or Apple Pay which you can use now. I've never used a taxi though, you can get almost anywhere by foot, bus or underground. I really recommend the British Museum for a free museum, you can easily spend a few hours, and for parks Hyde Park and Regent's Park.
The daily fare on the Oyster card is actually capped at around £6 for tube zones 1 and 2 (central part of London). If I remember right, after the 4th ride you don't pay any more for the day. The cap increases depending how far out you travel, maybe £10 or so if you go all the way to Heathrow.
London is not for the faint, please be prepared to walk. Wear comfy shoes. Bring a jacket. Bring a power bank. Have a few pounds for buying souvenirs. Ask for " still " water because all water served is sparkling water. Chips are just fries. The tube is mostly always packed. Download citymapper or Google maps for directions.
I've never once been given sparkling water when asking for water in my 11 years of living here. They may ask if I want still or sparkling, normally I just say 'tap water'
The easy way to know which of London's two major airports (Heathrow and Gatwick) you are flying into is to know which airline you are flying with, if it's British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines or Air Canada you will be flying into Heathrow whereas if you are flying in with Tui, Thomas Cook, Norwegian or Wow Air you will likely be flying into Gatwick
On the Oyster / Contactless thing: Don't worry if you forget to tap out, you can regsister online and fill in the blanks there - then you get the money back. Also, if you are makeing several journeys in one day, you can buy a travelcard for around £13 - however Oyster / Contactless will always be cheaper
I would add London is incredibly cheap. Yes you could spend a fortune but you could also eat, sleep, and visit attractions for very little money. Food : you could buy everything in a chain supermarket like Tescos or Sainsburys. You could stay in a budget chain like Travel Lodge . Most museums are free. Attractions like Westminster Abbey and St Paul's can be visited for free for evesong. It is incredibly free place to go.
Also remember that Oyster cards do have a cap so usually they won’t charge you more than £10 a day. Also don’t take a black cab, unless you’re loaded. Uber or Gett are better with set fares.
How exciting! I live in London and have tons of Christmas things to do blog posts and videos on my channel, if you would find them helpful. Happy to offer ideas if you need any assistance ;-)
As an American living in London and having a UA-cam channel about visiting London, I just have a few suggestions. 'Big Ben' is covered in scaffolding and will only ring on NYE and Remembrance Day for a few years. Also, I write about the London Pass a lot on my blog because it's a great way to save money on attractions. Regarding food, as a foodie traveller, I think the culinary scene is immense here and just published a video on Bray- England's food capital. Regarding the Tube- just make sure you pay attention to strike information. They've been happening much more often the past few years. Uber is far more affordable. I use it all the time- even on my trip to Windsor over the weekend. And I agree- Madame Tussaud's is overrated, but probably you're only 'real' way to see the Queen" 😉☀️🇬🇧
I have been doing some research because we are visiting London for the first time in April. I found about the London Pass a few days ago and it will make our visit so much less stressful. I found your blog and your You Tube so I am off to go watch some of your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with those from across the pond.
He's not kidding! London IS expensive even if you are just buying basics so you need to be aware of what you are spending and keep an eye on it. Prices in the rest of England should not be a shock.
Yes, absolutely let your bank know you'll be traveling. I took a flight to another state and my bank locked my credit card when I tried to make a purchase. I spent an hour on the phone with them to get it removed so I could order dinner and get home the next day.
If you have Apple Pay or contactless on your card you can do that plus you can use your card on the train system (tube) instead of an Oyster card it works out the same
Londoners who are responding, you have to give yourselves and your city some love. I've been there a lot. Most of our flights go in and out of Heathrow anyway so I may as well stay a few days on my way home, so I'm at the point where I'm no longer doing touristy things. The food is great (British cuisine gets a bad rap but I love the simplicity.) and, while a lot of people are in a hurry (tourists forget that people live and work there!), if they're not, they have time to chat. Even a construction worker noticed my look of confusion and came over to help me. Cut yourself slack. You don't notice because it's just your work-a-day place but you live in a great city and you're fantastic, warm, welcoming people - even if you're complaining on the inside LOL. I miss you when I'm gone.
You can buy attraction passes for London that cover all attractions including Windsor Castle and London Zoo we did this on a recent visit and saved a ton of money .
Great video i dont know if anyone has added this . Im a expat just remember the voltage is different . In the UK its 220v so your 110 v hair dryer etc will not work . Even with an adapter . Also check out the Premier Inn Chain for accomadation . Somtimes cheaper than normal hotels . If you get the oyster card take a river taxi ride that is included .
And you can use your oyster for the journey - although it's a bit cheaper to get a paper return ticket, but if it's just a single you require, tap away!
There are £50.00 notes but people may react with suspicion if you use them (due to counterfeiting). As a result they are pretty uncommon, which again increases peoples reluctance to take them.
Great advice here! Definitely call your bank to let them know you’re going overseas or you may have trouble getting cash. Yes, Westminster is worth the money. I’ve never felt unsafe in London and I’ve spent 8 weeks total there over 5 trips. Take the boat tour on the Thames - it’s cheap and informative and you can go down to Greenwich, walk up the hill to the Observatory and get great views of the City. Bring a lightweight day pack for your light jacket, maps, water bottle so your arms are free when walking. We had good food at Borough Market, local shops and neighborhood pubs. Looking forward to returning with my son in 2022.
I love London! So many wonderful museums, and things to do. Cabs are great, and even the newer cabs can fit in wheelchairs. Would also suggest spending time with a guide. The legit guides just add to your trip. Oh make sure to set up a pin for your credit card as often you need a pin when buying something. Oh pack a windbreaker as it can get cool anytime of the year. Don't forget to see the Museum of London as its really cool.
I remember the story from 1999. A group of former raf pilots from ww2 at a reunion. One of the pilots was killed by a tourist bus. ironically the bus was a charter bus of German tourists. The English pilots said it took 45 years but the Germans finally got bill.
Vry useful video...i wl b coming to London from Malaysia in Dec....hope I can have great time there...First time as solo traveler to abroad...excited...
A Taxi from Gatwick Airport late at night to Golders Green cost £161, at night time Gatwick is notorious for the train system shutting down for maintenance, strikes or any number of reasons, I think it actually has a last train time of something like 10pm, you'll not be able to hail an uber as its about 60 miles in to London all in and a lot of times uber drivers cancel the call /booking as there have been so many tourists arriving and jumping in a shared uber or hiring a car and having it delivered before cancelling, the busses stop and you can find yourself in a queue with 50 other people waiting to get to the counter at a tiny cab booking kiosk at the exit doors just to book a taxi, expect to wait 2 hours in line then be beckoned over to book, then wait 45 minutes to an hour for your taxi driver to appear and call your name. I arrived back from Greece at 11pm with my girlfriend on a Sunday night in April, the terminal building was freezing cold, all the exit sliding automatic doors were locked to open and we stood in the cold along with about 50 other people waiting to book a taxi, there can be flights arriving in 6 at a time at 1 and 2 am and you can find a crowd of 2000 people all around you, most of which are being picked up by relatives or large private hired group or tour busses sitting waiting.. We didn't take the car as it was going to be a late arrival for us and the drive home would have been too tiring, and decided that from then onwards we would always just bring the car and pay the huge parking bill just to have our own transport and comfort and not take 3 3/2 hours to get home all in after our flight landing for what was a £161 taxi bill ($200) lesson learned... I have a feeling that some people will be paying in excess of £200 for a taxi and that we got off a bit more lightly than some.
Heads up: Better not ask locals where an "ATM" is - in UK they are known as "Cashpoint". Also, at times Westminster abbey is closed, especially for church services - better check online before you visit to avoid annoyance.
With the Oyster the only places you have to tap in and out is the tube network Docklands Light Railway and with that there are in some cases no actual barriers but the card readers are at the bottom of the stairs or the top so keep an eye out for them. The overland trains and suburban railway services. The main thing that you have to look out for is the barriers being open especially when you're exiting any other rail services because if you don't tap out your will be charged for the hole days travel on the network. But you can be reimbursed but you'll have to phone TFL and explain the situation to them and they'll give you a refund on your Oyster card but that means you'll have to find a local tube station to be reimbursed. If this does happen to you the TFL customer service phone number is on the back of the card. As for London buses you do not need to be tap out but make sure you tap on because if the bus inspectors get on and check your card you could get yourself and £80 fine and they may even confiscate Oyster card on the spot. So make sure you tap into the buses.
I recommend taking the boat across the thames across town, its like 4 pounds and you can see a ton. Also do a pub crawl or check out a rugby or soccer match at a pub.
One thing I think was missed in the video is that it is very decentralised. There are many shopping zones and the sights are spread all over London. The Tube is good value if you use it many times during the day if you use tap to pay. The buses are good value too and cheaper than in other parts of the UK.
Best tip: check for building projects. Practically everything was in scaffolding when I was there. You don't want to travel halfway around the world to see Big Ben covered in bars and tarps. Also, about the Oyster card: it's practically impossible to forget to tap out, as pretty much all stations in zones 1-3 have their gates closed. You can't get out without tapping.
English Heritage and National Trust have 'Tourist Cards' for 7-14 days that give free or discounted entry to a lot of attractions in London and much more outside in the country.
The easiest airport to arrive at is Heathrow. You just get on the tube and it will take you into the centre of London, cheaply (for London) and with no hassle. The only problem is if you are staying at somewhere not too close to a Piccadilly line station then you'll need to haul your bags from station to station which is no fun at all.
Sooo I’m in London now. I am American and something should be noted they don’t do take out boxes after dining in. I had a feeling the waiter was going to look at me odd when I asked for a box but i thought let’s just try. I’ve never felt so painfully American. But some done like wasting food so we want to take it with us to eat leftovers. That fish n chips went to waste. But the underground was expensive next time with luggage I’ll just take Uber because some stations don’t have luggage friendly elevators. I hauled my luggage up a ton of stairways today. I have to say the buildings are beautiful here. This is my first time out of America and next stop in three days is Paris. 🥳🤩
The saddest thing about London today is its enormous tourist population. I was there in 1976. The tourist population was less than half that it is today, and London was magical. It was truly British. Now, when I go it’s loud. It’s crowded. And it’s not British. That’s the truly sad part. When you go to a country for its culture and you don’t find it, it’s kind of tragic.
Especially if you are staying outside of London... at places like Swindon or Reading or Bristol... the trains direct to these locations are MUCH cheaper & quicker... (You don't have to go in to London & then change trains & maybe stations to go out again)
Another great video! I would say most English people don't eat fish and chips or Sunday roasts (or the "traditional" pub food all that much thesedays :-) London has some of the best Modern European restaurants and restaurant start ups covering all cuisines and price brackets. Even pubs are modernising their menus. For example the Enterprise in Holborn had a range of much more interesting dishes on the specials board than most pubs when I ate there. Definitely worth doing some research before eating out, but a quick look at one or more well known review sites will clue you up in where is good.
I would say come down to Brixton and have a walk around and take in the world food south of the river or the end of the Victor line the light blue one.
My London born husband and family regularly have both fish and chips and Sunday roast. Enterprise is great! And yes, I agree, some research makes all the difference.
As in every capital city around the world, everything is expensive in the tourist hot spots. Be aware that Westminster Abbey is a lovely place, but it will cost you about £20 ($25) each to go in, and there is a strict "No Photography" rule. They will even tell you to turn off mobile (cell) phones.
Currently planning for 2 weeks in England in the spring. Been watching your videos on London and Bath. Do you have anything for Southampton or Newcastle? Videos to watch or suggestions?
It's not really that expensive. A beer in a pub is less expensive than in major U.S. cities, public transport is relatively affordable, and food in a restaurant costs about the same as in a major U.S. city. Best of all there are lots of free museums and attractions.
TIP: Use your contactless card or Apple Pay for the tube. It is cheaper or same price as Oyster Card and you don’t need to go through the hassle to get one because you already have your bank card.
It's pronounced 'tems' not 'tames', but overall a fun and interesting video. Especially from the perspective of a Londoner, I've always wondered what tourists really think of the city
Hey. It is nice to hear from you again from London. Do you have a video on Oxford as well? We want to visit it as a day trip from London this week. I have a second question. We travel a lot with our children, which are a bit older than yours 10 and 14 and the baby. I always want to eat local so as you recommend. Unfortunately it is very difficult to find a place with acceptable prices and good food. Do you have some tips on finding places to eat in other countries. Greeting from Germany.
Its an exciting city to visit, but compared to just about every other location and town or city in the Uk, its prohibitively expensive. Obviously business rates and other financial regulations, mean that business owners have to hand these charges over to the visiting customers, but as a Uk resident, i rarely visit the countries capital, because of the huge financial cost. Its just too expensive, and that's from someone who is in a very well paid job.
If you buy your Heathrow Express tickets in advance you can have them for as cheap as £5, it’s all about planning. From Gatwick it’s usually better to take the local trains to London Bridge. or other stations if you are staying at a hotel further up north in London.You can buy tickets in advance on Trainline,co.uk or Thameslinkrailway.com. On public transport you can either use an Oyster card or your contactless bank card ( applewatch works too). To avoid transactions fees it might be better to top up an Oyster Card . Just remember to touch in and out with the same device/card to get the right price and your daily cap.
Oops, too late, we went to the UK for the first time in 2015 and had a fabulous time. Great tips Mark. There are loads of free stuff to do and didn't find London as expensive as we actually expected. My tip is to pre-purchase a London Pass and Oyster Card package. Once bought this got us into a bunch of things we wanted to do at no extra cost, such at the Tower of London, Lords Cricket Ground Tour, Shakespeare's Globe etc. Another thing I would do is avoid visiting in August. It seemed like everybody from continental Europe was visiting London. We ended up skipping the London Eye because it was so busy.
Huge point: there’s a £6.80 cap per day on an oyster card in zones 1-3. So you could ride 1,000 times in 1 day and pay no more than £6.80 for the entire day.
We are going to visir london soon.. can i know what are zones 1-3 ?
@@rimbadawi8187 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_fare_zones You can also get a 1 week travel card/pass for the zones you want (eg: 1 to 6) which lets you travel an unlimited amount of times within those zones for the week. You can add these passes to an oyster card instead of topping it up with money
Nice to know. Thnx :)
The payment system is overcomplicated.
each time my wife and i gonna visit a new city we watch your videos. cheers!
If you are a student, bring your student ID. You can get student discounts at some tourist places.
Even for all US Universities?
If you are going to the Tower of London go as early as you can and see the Crown Jewels first. The Lines get immense by 11. Also do the tour with the beefeater...
I'm putting this separately from my other post because it's unrelated. Don't Take The Picadilly To Heathrow! If you're just carrying a small backpack, then it's fine but don't load your luggage onto the tube. Picadilly is a VERY busy line and hauling 4 huge suitcases onto the train - esp. if you have an early flight, you'll be on the tube during rush hour - is cumbersome. Put a taxi or Express ticket into your trip expenses. You'll thank yourself, Londoners will thank you. Take my advice with a grain of salt, as just another traveler but I did it once with just one suitcase and it was brutal.
Haha I took the Piccadilly to Heathrow with a carry on and personal item bag. I was on at 8 in the morning. Not packed and I was able to get a seat. Maybe I just got lucky!
London is such an easy place to visit if you speak english, and it is not a lot of different from what people from Japan or the US might be used to. It is one of the most tourist friendly city in Europe
Really? When was the last time you visited London? I was there two months ago and only a small minority I met was remotely English or speaking English?
London actually gets low rainfall, on par with Tel Aviv or Melbourne and half that of NYC. It is however overcast a lot of the time.
Yeah I don’t think people realise how relatively dry western Britain is. I live near Detroit and we get like 4/3rds the rain they do annually.
Vienna first and London are my favorite cities in the world!
The thing with the tube is not to buy seperate tickets to every station. Instead buy an all zones (or the central zones) all day ticket which you can reuse to get anywhere in London on the tube. Much cheaper than buying lots of individual tickets
Is this the same as an oyster card?
Oyster card / contactless you don't need to 'buy tickets', you just need to load your oyster card with money or have money in your account. It'll cap out at each day depending on which zones you visit/whether you've travelled before 9:30am. No need to buy tickets ever
Spent 6 days touring London in September. Got an Oyster card & the London Pass ahead of time. They both worked great as I moved around a lot. Used the tube, buses & water taxi's everyday and walked a lot as well. Never felt unsafe or threatened. Thanks Mark for commenting on the traffic safety rules as I found myself almost getting clipped by a black cab when I looked the wrong way :-). All in all had a great time and would go back tomorrow. I agree that London is a unique city in England and is not representative of the country. Sort of like saying you went to New York City and saw the United States.
Glad you enjoyed your tour. London has always been one of the best places for tourists attraction, great people, food/resturants, pubs the list goes on. GREAT FOR VACATION TOO. Left there recently, definitely would recommend.
@@jaluriaja6294 You think so right? …. I haven’t been to London tho but my family and I plan on spending our next vacation there next year.
@@johnwilson4283 Mine wasn’t even a planned vacation, I made profits from an investment so I decided to take myself out, toured around London and dined at some of their top restaurants such as The Araki, and Dinner by Heston to name a few. I really enjoyed myself there, you should definitely try it too.
London is such an easy place to visit if you speak english, and it is not a lot of different from what people from Japan or the US might be used to. It is one of the most tourist friendly city in Europe
@@jaluriaja6294 That’s great to hear glad you enjoyed you visit, you mentioned about an investments, pls could you tell me more about that?
London is really safe, as long as you are in the right areas of town. Just be sensible.
Adam Brittain then London is not safe. Simple.
@@archyarchfiendx2938 it's like any city. Some neighborhoods are safer than others.
Also don’t forget to check out the various suburbs of London such as: Hampstead, Richmond, Camden and Wimbledon! All beautiful places worth to explore.
If you go to Gatwick, don't use the Gatwick Express (red train). Use the Southern Rail (green/white) trains, which go along the same route at a lower price and take 40 minutes instead of 30. GX is a scam.
The same thing kind of applies to Heathrow, the TfL rail/Elizabeth Line trains take twice as long and cost half as much
if you are in London for a while you can purchase online a 7 day Travelcard covers buses & tube. you get the choice of 2 different zones. only drawback is that you cant travel before 9.30am Mon- Fri but heaps cheaper starts at $23.00 for a week ticket unlimited travel.
i know right! i remember wandering around until 9:31 and then hoping in the tube to visit a few sights :)
Judy Hayward That’s not entirely true. 7 day travel card which can only be loaded onto an Oyster card has no time restrictions only the 1 day travel card does and you can choose anything up to 6 zones.
@@MrBirdman1 thanks looked into that further 7 day anytime card pre purchased online before travelling even cheaper than the off peak pass.
More zones=more money, A LOT more, you cannot buy a 1 or 2 zone card economically ie for it to be useful unless you live inside a tube/subway zone and are going to travel only 1 or 2 zones each direction to your place of work/employment, if you plan to travel round London as a tourist/visitor or go between for instance museums and parks and music venues on different sides of the city, obviously miles apart, you must go through sometimes up to 6 zones each way on a single route/journey,the zone card will not be valid and you will get charged a lot more or possibly charged fees and penalties.
In some cases your route can enter a zone and leave it 200 meters later into another zone and you'll get charged for the extra zone.
The busses are the cheapest way to travel round but take a very long time to get from a to b and you need to change busses at different stops, be aware that the whole bus system is managed by a control centre and if the bus you are travelling on is re tasked ie diverted to take over from a broken down bus on a different busier route or one perceived as more crucial, you will need to notice that the bus Is deviating from the direction/route that it is supposed to be taking, sometimes an audio announcement plays on the bus to tell you to get off at the next stop and find an alternative way to continue your journey, other times this does not happen and the bus can take a different turn and end up taking you up to 10 miles in the wrong direction, if this happens you'll need to look out for or go on google maps and wait until the nearest subway/underground station is coming up, get off at the bus stop closest to it and walk to the underground to use the train for the rest of your route or to another connecting bus route/bus stop/bus station.
Frequently when the underground trains go offline for repairs or a breakdown or tube workers strike, the busses all of a sudden get re tasked/rerouted and diverted, so you have to keep your wits about you and be ready to get off and find another way to travel onwards, don't rely on a taxi or uber for any kind of distance unless you are quite happy to part with £100/$130 as the traffic can be horrendous at morning and evening rush hours..
(edited due to autocorrect changing random words)
You can buy travel cards for before 9:30 as well, but like most things on-peak (rush hour) tickets cost more. As a Londoner I just use contactless.
Visit London in November or Feb/March - you'll have the place largely to yourself & it's not like you went there for the weather anyway.
Just to add to the public transport tips on this video, be especially wary when using the tube between 8-9 in the morning and between 5-7 in the evening Monday-Friday as these times are when city workers are using the tube to get to and from work and therefore it's even busier than usual
Aaron Hurst especially the northern and central
So the usual public transport rush-hour (I guess there be students as well, considering lessons start at 9 in the UK)
London Ontario!! My hometown. 😂
I moved to London UK on a working holiday visa for a year after university. I got a lot of people confused as to which London I was actually in. 😂
if you’re going to visit a pub in london go to a wetherspoon!! it’s family friendly and the food/drink is so much cheaper
I live in the UK and must have been to London hundereds of times, for leisure and work. I think this year I went about 7 times already. I use contactless for the underground or Apple Pay which you can use now. I've never used a taxi though, you can get almost anywhere by foot, bus or underground. I really recommend the British Museum for a free museum, you can easily spend a few hours, and for parks Hyde Park and Regent's Park.
The daily fare on the Oyster card is actually capped at around £6 for tube zones 1 and 2 (central part of London). If I remember right, after the 4th ride you don't pay any more for the day. The cap increases depending how far out you travel, maybe £10 or so if you go all the way to Heathrow.
London is not for the faint, please be prepared to walk. Wear comfy shoes. Bring a jacket. Bring a power bank. Have a few pounds for buying souvenirs. Ask for " still " water because all water served is sparkling water. Chips are just fries.
The tube is mostly always packed.
Download citymapper or Google maps for directions.
I've never once been given sparkling water when asking for water in my 11 years of living here. They may ask if I want still or sparkling, normally I just say 'tap water'
Were you going that all water was sparkling??
The easy way to know which of London's two major airports (Heathrow and Gatwick) you are flying into is to know which airline you are flying with, if it's British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines or Air Canada you will be flying into Heathrow whereas if you are flying in with Tui, Thomas Cook, Norwegian or Wow Air you will likely be flying into Gatwick
On the Oyster / Contactless thing: Don't worry if you forget to tap out, you can regsister online and fill in the blanks there - then you get the money back.
Also, if you are makeing several journeys in one day, you can buy a travelcard for around £13 - however Oyster / Contactless will always be cheaper
I would add London is incredibly cheap. Yes you could spend a fortune but you could also eat, sleep, and visit attractions for very little money. Food : you could buy everything in a chain supermarket like Tescos or Sainsburys. You could stay in a budget chain like Travel Lodge . Most museums are free. Attractions like Westminster Abbey and St Paul's can be visited for free for evesong. It is incredibly free place to go.
Also remember that Oyster cards do have a cap so usually they won’t charge you more than £10 a day. Also don’t take a black cab, unless you’re loaded. Uber or Gett are better with set fares.
I’m visiting London for the first time for Christmas. Thanks for this vid!
that is a great time to go! i spent a couple christmas around london and they were all a wonderful experience
How exciting! I live in London and have tons of Christmas things to do blog posts and videos on my channel, if you would find them helpful. Happy to offer ideas if you need any assistance ;-)
@@DiamondOnTheInternet you're*
Jealously sucks huh?
It's you're not your.
As an American living in London and having a UA-cam channel about visiting London, I just have a few suggestions. 'Big Ben' is covered in scaffolding and will only ring on NYE and Remembrance Day for a few years. Also, I write about the London Pass a lot on my blog because it's a great way to save money on attractions. Regarding food, as a foodie traveller, I think the culinary scene is immense here and just published a video on Bray- England's food capital. Regarding the Tube- just make sure you pay attention to strike information. They've been happening much more often the past few years. Uber is far more affordable. I use it all the time- even on my trip to Windsor over the weekend. And I agree- Madame Tussaud's is overrated, but probably you're only 'real' way to see the Queen" 😉☀️🇬🇧
Sunny London Do you need a visa to visit London from America?
I have been doing some research because we are visiting London for the first time in April. I found about the London Pass a few days ago and it will make our visit so much less stressful. I found your blog and your You Tube so I am off to go watch some of your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with those from across the pond.
He's not kidding! London IS expensive even if you are just buying basics so you need to be aware of what you are spending and keep an eye on it. Prices in the rest of England should not be a shock.
Yes, absolutely let your bank know you'll be traveling. I took a flight to another state and my bank locked my credit card when I tried to make a purchase. I spent an hour on the phone with them to get it removed so I could order dinner and get home the next day.
All the major attractions are around £30 per adult
In my personal experience as a former Thames Valley resident, you have to go a bit outside of London to get great British food.
If you have Apple Pay or contactless on your card you can do that plus you can use your card on the train system (tube) instead of an Oyster card it works out the same
Är du f.d KD twittraren?
Londoners who are responding, you have to give yourselves and your city some love. I've been there a lot. Most of our flights go in and out of Heathrow anyway so I may as well stay a few days on my way home, so I'm at the point where I'm no longer doing touristy things. The food is great (British cuisine gets a bad rap but I love the simplicity.) and, while a lot of people are in a hurry (tourists forget that people live and work there!), if they're not, they have time to chat. Even a construction worker noticed my look of confusion and came over to help me. Cut yourself slack. You don't notice because it's just your work-a-day place but you live in a great city and you're fantastic, warm, welcoming people - even if you're complaining on the inside LOL. I miss you when I'm gone.
The 3 point plug, the best in the world 🇬🇧
You can buy attraction passes for London that cover all attractions including Windsor Castle and London Zoo we did this on a recent visit and saved a ton of money .
This is great and timely - we maybe going for Christmas! 😍
So , did you go ?
this is the most charming guy ever
Great video i dont know if anyone has added this . Im a expat just remember the voltage is different . In the UK its 220v so your 110 v hair dryer etc will not work . Even with an adapter . Also check out the Premier Inn Chain for accomadation . Somtimes cheaper than normal hotels . If you get the oyster card take a river taxi ride that is included .
Tower of London with the Crown Jewels is a must.
Don't get the Gatwick Express, get a Thameslink train for London bridge and Thameslink core or a southern train for Victoria they are half the price
And you can use your oyster for the journey - although it's a bit cheaper to get a paper return ticket, but if it's just a single you require, tap away!
Definitely best travel info yt channel
There are £50.00 notes but people may react with suspicion if you use them (due to counterfeiting). As a result they are pretty uncommon, which again increases peoples reluctance to take them.
Great advice here! Definitely call your bank to let them know you’re going overseas or you may have trouble getting cash. Yes, Westminster is worth the money. I’ve never felt unsafe in London and I’ve spent 8 weeks total there over 5 trips. Take the boat tour on the Thames - it’s cheap and informative and you can go down to Greenwich, walk up the hill to the Observatory and get great views of the City. Bring a lightweight day pack for your light jacket, maps, water bottle so your arms are free when walking. We had good food at Borough Market, local shops and neighborhood pubs. Looking forward to returning with my son in 2022.
Going on a trip to Dublin for 3 days and then we go to London on New Year’s Eve! So pumped!
You will love it.
I love London! So many wonderful museums, and things to do. Cabs are great, and even the newer cabs can fit in wheelchairs. Would also suggest spending time with a guide. The legit guides just add to your trip. Oh make sure to set up a pin for your credit card as often you need a pin when buying something. Oh pack a windbreaker as it can get cool anytime of the year. Don't forget to see the Museum of London as its really cool.
I remember the story from 1999. A group of former raf pilots from ww2 at a reunion. One of the pilots was killed by a tourist bus. ironically the bus was a charter bus of German tourists. The English pilots said it took 45 years but the Germans finally got bill.
We also now have 50p coins with peter rabbit or paddington bear on, and if you're really lucky you might just get one in your change. :)
I have one with sherlock homes on it
Thank you so much and God bless you. Very informative and you are very friendly.
Your videos are so useful and you explain everything so flawlessly. Thank you! I'm a subscriber :)
Vry useful video...i wl b coming to London from Malaysia in Dec....hope I can have great time there...First time as solo traveler to abroad...excited...
Hello same here, do you have any advice for me? Did your trip go well?
A Taxi from Gatwick Airport late at night to Golders Green cost £161, at night time Gatwick is notorious for the train system shutting down for maintenance, strikes or any number of reasons, I think it actually has a last train time of something like 10pm, you'll not be able to hail an uber as its about 60 miles in to London all in and a lot of times uber drivers cancel the call /booking as there have been so many tourists arriving and jumping in a shared uber or hiring a car and having it delivered before cancelling, the busses stop and you can find yourself in a queue with 50 other people waiting to get to the counter at a tiny cab booking kiosk at the exit doors just to book a taxi, expect to wait 2 hours in line then be beckoned over to book, then wait 45 minutes to an hour for your taxi driver to appear and call your name.
I arrived back from Greece at 11pm with my girlfriend on a Sunday night in April, the terminal building was freezing cold, all the exit sliding automatic doors were locked to open and we stood in the cold along with about 50 other people waiting to book a taxi, there can be flights arriving in 6 at a time at 1 and 2 am and you can find a crowd of 2000 people all around you, most of which are being picked up by relatives or large private hired group or tour busses sitting waiting..
We didn't take the car as it was going to be a late arrival for us and the drive home would have been too tiring, and decided that from then onwards we would always just bring the car and pay the huge parking bill just to have our own transport and comfort and not take 3 3/2 hours to get home all in after our flight landing for what was a £161 taxi bill ($200) lesson learned...
I have a feeling that some people will be paying in excess of £200 for a taxi and that we got off a bit more lightly than some.
Heads up: Better not ask locals where an "ATM" is - in UK they are known as "Cashpoint". Also, at times Westminster abbey is closed, especially for church services - better check online before you visit to avoid annoyance.
Really? I've lived in England my whole life and only ever called them ATM's
Na, it’s a cash point! Only use ATM when abroad so other people know what I’m referring to 😂
With the Oyster the only places you have to tap in and out is the tube network Docklands Light Railway and with that there are in some cases no actual barriers but the card readers are at the bottom of the stairs or the top so keep an eye out for them. The overland trains and suburban railway services. The main thing that you have to look out for is the barriers being open especially when you're exiting any other rail services because if you don't tap out your will be charged for the hole days travel on the network. But you can be reimbursed but you'll have to phone TFL and explain the situation to them and they'll give you a refund on your Oyster card but that means you'll have to find a local tube station to be reimbursed. If this does happen to you the TFL customer service phone number is on the back of the card. As for London buses you do not need to be tap out but make sure you tap on because if the bus inspectors get on and check your card you could get yourself and £80 fine and they may even confiscate Oyster card on the spot. So make sure you tap into the buses.
Thanks for talking about the plugs!
my friend (also londoner) went on a hop on hop off tour to get more familiar with where everything is - would recommend
I recommend taking the boat across the thames across town, its like 4 pounds and you can see a ton. Also do a pub crawl or check out a rugby or soccer match at a pub.
pub crawl is one of my must do's everytime :)
Football "cough, cough"
Be careful what pub you choose in London for a football match.
Spot on. I recommend watching a Millwall match in a pub in Bermondsey. Make sure you loudly call it "soccer" as well.
Those damn nutters will kill the man lol
thanks for the video! I'll go to London in 2 weeks ☺️☺️and this video was very useful !
thank you. i am glad i could help.
June 21 is the date that england will left all covid restrictions. I cant wait to visit london again it's one of my first cities
Enjoy your visit :)
One thing I think was missed in the video is that it is very decentralised. There are many shopping zones and the sights are spread all over London. The Tube is good value if you use it many times during the day if you use tap to pay. The buses are good value too and cheaper than in other parts of the UK.
Best tip: check for building projects. Practically everything was in scaffolding when I was there. You don't want to travel halfway around the world to see Big Ben covered in bars and tarps.
Also, about the Oyster card: it's practically impossible to forget to tap out, as pretty much all stations in zones 1-3 have their gates closed. You can't get out without tapping.
OlofTheOrange yes currently here and was very sad when Uber told us it was covered as he was dropping us off 😤
English Heritage and National Trust have 'Tourist Cards' for 7-14 days that give free or discounted entry to a lot of attractions in London and much more outside in the country.
and a lot of other great sights around the country
5:19 Brixton lol
If a pub is advertising "British food" it is a tourist trap. Go to a country pub if you want a true Sunday roasted.
Yeah, try driving on the highway. I was really confused first time.
☔️ raining horizontally that’s the weirdness of old world of London!! 7:30
The easiest airport to arrive at is Heathrow. You just get on the tube and it will take you into the centre of London, cheaply (for London) and with no hassle. The only problem is if you are staying at somewhere not too close to a Piccadilly line station then you'll need to haul your bags from station to station which is no fun at all.
I love your videos ! Please make more !!
Great Video! Very helpful since in January I will be coming to London with my wife for our anniversary. Do you have a top ten places to see list?
I recommend going Liverpool when going England
TheRenaissanceman65 I’m not English I’m scouse
Very functional & informative video !
If you get regular oyster card instead of the tourist card, you can redeem it at many stations at the end of your trip and get the £5 fee back.
Sooo I’m in London now. I am American and something should be noted they don’t do take out boxes after dining in. I had a feeling the waiter was going to look at me odd when I asked for a box but i thought let’s just try. I’ve never felt so painfully American. But some done like wasting food so we want to take it with us to eat leftovers. That fish n chips went to waste. But the underground was expensive next time with luggage I’ll just take Uber because some stations don’t have luggage friendly elevators. I hauled my luggage up a ton of stairways today. I have to say the buildings are beautiful here. This is my first time out of America and next stop in three days is Paris. 🥳🤩
That's why we have fatburgs blocking up the sewers. All that oil and fat down the sink.
The saddest thing about London today is its enormous tourist population. I was there in 1976. The tourist population was less than half that it is today, and London was magical. It was truly British. Now, when I go it’s loud. It’s crowded. And it’s not British. That’s the truly sad part. When you go to a country for its culture and you don’t find it, it’s kind of tragic.
If arriving at Gatwick, don't pay extra for the Gatwick Express, most trains are barely any slower but cheaper.
Especially if you are staying outside of London... at places like Swindon or Reading or Bristol... the trains direct to these locations are MUCH cheaper & quicker... (You don't have to go in to London & then change trains & maybe stations to go out again)
Another great video! I would say most English people don't eat fish and chips or Sunday roasts (or the "traditional" pub food all that much thesedays :-) London has some of the best Modern European restaurants and restaurant start ups covering all cuisines and price brackets. Even pubs are modernising their menus. For example the Enterprise in Holborn had a range of much more interesting dishes on the specials board than most pubs when I ate there. Definitely worth doing some research before eating out, but a quick look at one or more well known review sites will clue you up in where is good.
I would say come down to Brixton and have a walk around and take in the world food south of the river or the end of the Victor line the light blue one.
"Most English people don't eat fish & chips or roast"??? Where in England do you live??
My London born husband and family regularly have both fish and chips and Sunday roast. Enterprise is great! And yes, I agree, some research makes all the difference.
The Sunday roast/fish and chips thing you said is deffo inaccurate :) lol
As in every capital city around the world, everything is expensive in the tourist hot spots. Be aware that Westminster Abbey is a lovely place, but it will cost you about £20 ($25) each to go in, and there is a strict "No Photography" rule. They will even tell you to turn off mobile (cell) phones.
4:20 is the smaller building next to the abbey.
Currently planning for 2 weeks in England in the spring. Been watching your videos on London and Bath.
Do you have anything for Southampton or Newcastle? Videos to watch or suggestions?
It's expensive, but it still be interesting when the pound is weak to euro or dollar, or if you want to buy a Burberry... cheaper than elsewhere.
It's not really that expensive. A beer in a pub is less expensive than in major U.S. cities, public transport is relatively affordable, and food in a restaurant costs about the same as in a major U.S. city. Best of all there are lots of free museums and attractions.
TIP: Use your contactless card or Apple Pay for the tube. It is cheaper or same price as Oyster Card and you don’t need to go through the hassle to get one because you already have your bank card.
Watch out for card skimmer scams they are more common now in public high traffic areas.
It's pronounced 'tems' not 'tames', but overall a fun and interesting video. Especially from the perspective of a Londoner, I've always wondered what tourists really think of the city
If this video doesn't inspire wanderlust, I don't know what will! - talesinpixels
Go to pimlico, best pubs, best people and we have many cheep hotels as well as classy ones
If you set up Google / Apple Pay, you can use contactless payment instead of buying an oyster :)
Hey. It is nice to hear from you again from London. Do you have a video on Oxford as well? We want to visit it as a day trip from London this week.
I have a second question. We travel a lot with our children, which are a bit older than yours 10 and 14 and the baby. I always want to eat local so as you recommend. Unfortunately it is very difficult to find a place with acceptable prices and good food. Do you have some tips on finding places to eat in other countries.
Greeting from Germany.
London Gatwick, London Luton and London Stanstead Stansted airport are no where near London.
Good Video! Very clear, concise and not a lot of babbling on...Im a subscriber!
Its an exciting city to visit, but compared to just about every other location and town or city in the Uk, its prohibitively expensive.
Obviously business rates and other financial regulations, mean that business owners have to hand these charges over to the visiting customers, but as a Uk resident, i rarely visit the countries capital, because of the huge financial cost.
Its just too expensive, and that's from someone who is in a very well paid job.
that bird almost got you at 9:30
"What to Know Before You Visit London?"
Keep that thang on ya bruv. Roadman Tings.
At every intersection, It is written on the road to look left or right before you cross it
If you buy your Heathrow Express tickets in advance you can have them for as cheap as £5, it’s all about planning. From Gatwick it’s usually better to take the local trains to London Bridge. or other stations if you are staying at a hotel further up north in London.You can buy tickets in advance on Trainline,co.uk or Thameslinkrailway.com.
On public transport you can either use an Oyster card or your contactless bank card ( applewatch works too). To avoid transactions fees it might be better to top up an Oyster Card . Just remember to touch in and out with the same device/card to get the right price and your daily cap.
Do not use 50 pound notes ... many places will not take them
Why is the card named the Oyster Card? Isn't Oyster a delicacy?
You can easily go with food for like 20£ per day or even lower
whereee?
Thank you. Very useful video.
Going in sept 2019 thanks
Thank you this is helpful Im so nervous going to London
This channel is great, I wish I had money to experience all of that
thank you Lucas!
i completely forgot that london uses the other side of the lane thanks for reminding me lmao
Oops, too late, we went to the UK for the first time in 2015 and had a fabulous time. Great tips Mark. There are loads of free stuff to do and didn't find London as expensive as we actually expected. My tip is to pre-purchase a London Pass and Oyster Card package. Once bought this got us into a bunch of things we wanted to do at no extra cost, such at the Tower of London, Lords Cricket Ground Tour, Shakespeare's Globe etc. Another thing I would do is avoid visiting in August. It seemed like everybody from continental Europe was visiting London. We ended up skipping the London Eye because it was so busy.