14 Of The Worst Mistakes That Tourists Make In London
Please, for the love of god, stand on the right-hand side of the escalator.
We recently asked Londoners who are part of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about some of the biggest mistakes tourists make when visiting their city. Here are some of their tips:
1. Travelling on the tube during rush hour.
"Travelling in rush hour when you don't need to. Tubes, trains, and buses will be packed full of tired commuters who use these routes every day. If you choose to travel at rush hour, expect some grumpiness and shoving. If you have to travel at these times, then remember to step off and wait to the side of the doors to let people off. I promise that this will make travelling less stressful for you and Londoners!"
"Avoid the tube and stay away from major stations like Waterloo, Victoria, Charing Cross, Euston, etc, during morning and evening rush hour. They're so busy and full of grumpy commuters!! Much better to travel outside rush hour, when it's a bit quieter."
2. Paying for singular tube trips instead of getting an Oyster card.
"I’m American but have lived in London since 2011. A big mistake is not immediately buying an Oyster card, because it’s never less expensive just to pay for single journeys. You can use a contactless card, though."
3. Underestimating how big London really is.
"One of the biggest mistakes tourists make is not understanding how massive London is and thinking they can wing our public transport system. The museums in Kensington are miles away from the major sights, it’s a 40-minute walk from St Paul’s to Big Ben, you need to get a bus or tube out to Camden if you’re staying near Waterloo. At some point, tourists are going to need to use public transport, so understanding the underground system is vital. And buy a damn Oyster card because it’ll save you money."
4. Heading to Oxford Street, when there are less hectic shopping districts.
"And don’t bother with Oxford Street — it’s busy AF and there’s nothing new or different along there. The King's Road is soooo much better."
5. Standing by the gates of Tower Bridge in order to take photos.
"Standing by the gates when Tower Bridge opens. You get a much cooler view if you stand back on the road and look through the arches. If you know when it is coming (there is a screen on the bridge which will tell you), you can position yourself on London Bridge to watch — the view from there is even better."
—SRed
6. Getting the tube when the bus would be way faster.
"Sometimes it’s actually quicker to get a bus than a tube, especially around stations like Covent Garden or Goodge Street that have lifts, not escalators, and can have a bit of a wait at busy times. Oh, and don’t take the stairs at Covent Garden unless you’re really fit. Wait for the lift; those stairs are brutal."
7. Standing on the wrong side of the escalator.
"If you want to stand on escalators, wherever you are, always stand on the right. People who are in a hurry and wish to walk will go past the left side. It’s written on every tube station; it makes things so much more efficient!"
8. Complaining that the food is crap but not even trying to find some of our best.
"Stop eating in all the worst places, then complaining about how bad the food is! London has amazing food. But you won't find that in Angus Steakhouse or some hole masquerading as a 'proper pub'. Try Camden Market (Camden Town) or Leather Lane (Chancery Lane). Borough Market (London Bridge) is great too, though a little more touristy. Oh, and Pilpel for falafel. There's thousands of great places, but for some reason, tourists gravitate towards the terrible touristy hell holes, then complain about the food."
9. Not downloading Citymapper.
"Get the Citymapper app. And don’t bother with an Oyster card anymore; just use contactless or your phone."
10. Prioritising selfies over road safety.
"I’ve seen them literally stand in the path of an oncoming fast-moving double-decker bus to get a selfie with it. Smh."
11. Not being ready for the ticket barrier on the tube.
"When the ticket barrier is in sight, GET YOUR OYSTER CARD READY. Don't wait until you get to it — it's already too late and people will pile up behind you while you faff around trying to find it."
"There are gates specifically designed for luggage and family groups. Not only are they wider, but they stay open longer so your stuff won't get shut in the gates!"
12. Not doing their research.
"Personal pet peeve from someone who’s lived in Wimbledon all her life: The tennis IS NOT ACTUALLY IN CENTRAL WIMBLEDON. You can get a bus to the tennis from central Wimbledon, but it’ll be faster and easier for you to hop on the District line and go to Southfields. Every year all the tourists get off in central Wimbledon and wander around for ages before they realise the tennis isn’t there. There are lots of schools in central Wimbledon, and it’s a huge inconvenience for all the students when there are a billion tourists wandering around. Please remember people actually live here!"
"Just because something has a fancy name doesn’t mean it’s actually fancy. For example, Manor Park is not really a tourist destination."
—Antonia Bonello
13. Stepping into a red phone box.
"Whenever people take pictures standing in phone boxes, I just think to myself how disgusting it is. They’re literally full of pee..."
14. Not doing your trip your way — even if that means going to see some touristy stuff.
"Don’t feel bad for wanting to do the ‘tourist’ stuff! There’s no reason you can’t experience the typical tourist traps and still do other things, too. A good walk if you’re new or with newbies is getting the tube to Embankment, crossing the bridge, walking along Southbank, pass Big Ben/Westminster (but don’t forget Big Ben is in scaffolding currently!), up Whitehall past Number 10, to Trafalgar Square, then you can cross over and walk up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. One walk that covers a lot of landmarks, and no tubes! And won’t even take that long!"