Well congratulations, as you are already on your way to be a savvier tourist when you are reading this. London is one of those cities where things are sprouting up almost everyday. This is all good but this also makes the visit pretty hectic especially when someone is on strict timelines. By following some tips, your trip to this dream city can be stress-free and full of fun. To Londoners, this post will be no-brainers but this post is to get travellers London-street-savvy. So read carefully, this could save you a good amount of time and money.
Before jumping on the details let’s first know How long can one stay in London without Visa?
For someone, who is from English-speaking country, there is no need of a visa and visitors can stay up to six months anywhere in UK. If not sure, you can check the complete visa guidelines here. Just make sure, your password expiration date is after the date of your scheduled return. Also, keep checking the latest regulations before your travel is sure.
Get an oyster card!
An oyster card can save you from all those travel related issues that seem to gobble up your cash. An oyster card is free and you have to preload it with some amount. With an oyster card, your journey is not only discounted but you will also get a daily capped amount that you can freely spend in a day. That means, after 3-4 journeys, your journey all over the London is free with an Oyster card.
Grab discounted rail and tube fares
For the youngsters of age 26 and below, students and if you are travelling with family, a railcard is certainly a good option for the ones who are visiting the city multiple times. A rail card will cost you £30 per year and it will give you 33% discount on all your rail and tube trips at off-peak times. This might be a good saving if you are an all time lover of travel.
Low cost airports are big saviours
To keep the travel fares in control, grabbing a low cost flight like Easy Jet or Ryan Air is a good option. These carriers are tend to land at cheaper landing fee in airports like Stansted airport where the fares are comparatively very low than their rival carriers landing at Heathrow or London city. Stansted is only 45 minutes by train or 1 hour by bus away from the city center and it is genuinely more economical to land at this airport even after paying bus or train fares.
Visit museums and art galleries for free
When speaking of free stuff, London has too much of them. The Natural History Museum, The Science museum, The British Museum and many more are free for anyone who wish to visit. One can easily spend a full day wandering through the splendid historical artifacts and enjoy the rich heritage of the city.
Tipping is not the custom at London restaurants
Unlike US or many other countries, Tipping at London restaurants is not necessary but that doesn’t mean it is not appreciated. Usually, 10 to 15 percent tip is more than fine for a restaurant in the city. Generally, Londoners don’t admire the tipping custom especially when they are on night outs when several drinks come in. They also don’t give a tip when hailing a cab.
[su_note note_color=”#efefef”]Also read: The Family-Friendly Guide to Portugal Holidays[/su_note]
A visit to London’s food market is must
London has a bunch of food markets that no one can whittle them down in a few visits. London Borough market is favorite of many Londoners, head here for a delicious lunch and grab a little ice-cream treat for yourself from one of the many dessert stalls.
Stand on the right at tube stations
Tube stations get very busy during evenings and have a very limited space. There are always long queues at these stations. Stand at the right side of these tube stations is a one piece of advice we can offer.
Explore Camden town at least for once
Camden town is one of the best neighbourhood in London. Here one can discover amazing street markets that offer everything from Ethiopian food, Moroccan leather to Pan-Asian cuisine. The whole area is covered with an electric vibe of an alternative counterculture which is full of excitement.
Honestly, London is an exciting and vibrant city and Londoners are absolutely amazing people. There is no doubt why this city is high on most travellers bucket list. Just keep these points in mind and don’t stop your travelling soul from visiting London.
[su_note note_color=”#efefef”]Also read: Top 10 holiday travel tips and tricks[/su_note]
