Visiting London for the First Time (27 Tips & Tricks)
Traveling to London for the first time? Here you’ll find practical London travel tips to help you navigate the city like a pro, plan your itinerary, and make the most of your trip and budget.
If you’re planning to visit any of London’s paid attractions, such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, or the London Zoo, then I highly recommend buying the London Pass.
The London Pass is a pre-paid sightseeing card that gives you free entry to over 90 of the best tourist attractions in London.
You don’t have to worry about waiting in long ticket lines. Just buy the London Pass online, download the app on your phone, and scan your pass at each attraction entrance.
Instead of buying individual tickets at each attraction, you can save up to 50% off regular admission price with the London Pass. November 7th. You have 2 years to activate the pass.
How does the London Pass work?
You can choose the duration for your London Pass – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 consecutive days.
Buy the pass online to get the best price, then download it to your smartphone or print at home.
Some attractions need a reservation (such as Kensington Palace), which you can easily book directly through the London Pass website.
Then you’ll show your pass at each attraction to be scanned for admission. It’s that easy!
Arrive early to attractions
London is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, which means that both its free and paid attractions can get quite busy with tourists, locals, and school groups.
If you want to beat the crowds, try your best to arrive early (ideally when the attraction opens) and during the week.
Weekends, bank holidays, and the summer months (peak travel season) are the busiest times to visit London’s attractions.
It also helps to buy your tickets in advance, so you don’t have to waste time waiting in long ticket lines. Instead, head straight to the entrance for those who already have tickets and enjoy more time sightseeing.
If you’re using the London Pass or London Explorer Pass, you can head straight to the entrance since your pass is your ticket.
Book in advance
London receives around 30 million visitors from around the world every year.
If you have your heart set on visiting a certain attraction, seeing a particular show, or eating at a specific restaurant, you should book in advance.
Booking in advance will save you money and the hassle of having to wait in long line-ups when you’re in London, especially during the hot summer months. Just skip the line and head straight to the attraction or restaurant.
Below are some of the popular attractions and tours that you may want to consider booking in advance.
I like buying attraction and tour tickets through GetYourGuide. They offer free cancellation so you can receive a full refund just in case your travel plans change.
- Buckingham Palace
- Tower of London
- London Eye
- Churchill War Rooms
- Westminster Abbey
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
- Kensington Palace
- SEA LIFE London Aquarium
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Hampton Court Palace
- National Gallery
- Natural History Museum
Stay as centrally in London as you can afford
Many first-time visitors want to know – What is the best area to stay in London?
Whether you’re visiting London for a weekend or an entire week, you’ll never run out of things to see and do.
I know it can be tempting to stay outside of central London to save money on your accommodation, but you’ll regret doing this.
This is because commuting to the city every day will cost you a lot of money and time. Instead, use that extra time and money for sightseeing.
Staying in central London allows you to see and do more in less time. It’s also nice to go back to the hotel in the afternoon to freshen up before going out in the evening.
Below are the best areas to stay in London:
- Leicester Square (Best for first-time visitors)
- Covent Garden (Best for first-time visitors)
- Piccadilly (Best for first-time visitors)
- Westminster (Best for attractions and sightseeing)
- Trafalgar Square (Best for attractions and sightseeing)
- London Bridge and South Bank (Best for attractions and sightseeing)
- Soho (Best for nightlife)
- Shoreditch (Best if you want to see London like a local)
- Kings Cross and St. Pancras (Best if you’re travelling by train)
Tipping is appreciated, but not expected in London
If you’re visiting London from the United States or Canada, you might be surprised to learn that tipping is not very common in London.
Below are some suggestions on how to tip like a local in London.
Restaurants (~10%) – Most restaurants in the city add an optional service charge (between 10% to 12.5%) to the bill.
If you enjoyed the service, you can pay this optional service charge. Service charges or gratuities are exactly the same as a tip in London.
If the service wasn’t to your satisfaction, then you can ask for this optional service charge to be removed from the bill.
If a service charge wasn’t included on your bill, you can choose to leave a small tip (between 10% and 15%) of the bill when eating out.
Fast food (No tip) – It’s not customary to pay a tip for fast food, self-service, or take-away meals.
Bars and pubs (No tip) – Most people don’t tip in bars and pubs, unless you get table service.
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