While researching what to do in London, like most big cities, I made a big list of must-see sights. However, my husband and I found ourselves with less than a day to explore the actual city of London. We didn’t feel like we had enough time to use the discount city pass or spend a large chunk of time in one venue. We decided to just wander around the city and ‘see everything’. Thus, began our “what not to do in London” list.
Visiting the London Bridge early in the morning might mean you get direct sunlight into your eyes, but at least it won’t be crowded!
In Rome, we spent the day wandering and it was lovely! The sights are mostly free to see and enter. Churches, water fountains, plazas, statues, and the Pantheon are all free and easy access. They are within the restricted driving zone anyway so walking and wandering was the perfect way to see the historic city.
We also loved walking around Edinburgh in Scotland, Kyoto in Japan and Munich in Germany.
Why London is different
London is a whole different animal. Wandering just to see the sights for less than a day was a very unfulfilling way to see this city.
The main sights in London are spread throughout the city. The rest of the city is just a busy downtown. The Metro is easy to use and connects everything, but riding underground doesn’t give a feel for the city like wandering the streets of Rome does.
Most every sight costs money in London. Even the churches. My husband lived in Germany for 5 years and doesn’t ever remember having to pay to get into a church, so with Westminster Abbey being $36 for one person we felt a bit out of our league. Without a discount city pass or tourist card, the prices can add up quickly.
What Not to Do in London
Here are the mistakes we made in London. I hope it helps you know what to do in
1. Don’t Lose Too Many pounds
Don’t lose your pounds here, and I’m not talking about your weight! In England, the Pound and the Pence are the currency. After trading in your American dollar for a fee, you will continue to spend like crazy here. London is a big city and everything will cost you. While the tube has reasonable rates for the tourists, you can only get so far in each zone. Getting to and from the Airport the rates are higher.
Entrance fees to most of the tourist sites are some of the highest we’ve seen. Unlike other parts of Europe, you have to pay to get into churches as well.
The Heathrow airport has the highest taxes in the world. Stand-by travelers often fly into London and home from another airport to avoid the outrageous fee. (Read More on Traveling Standby Internationally) Flying from Heathrow is what not to do in London.
2. Don’t worry about Being Late to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
Every day there is a changing of the guard ceremony in front of Buckingham P
We arrived 15 minutes early and there are literally no ‘seats’. Everyone is standing pressed up to a gate outside the Palace or crowded on the middle island with a statue.
Once the ‘changing of the guard’ starts, a small parade of soldiers arrive with horses and a band. They go behind the gate and nothing happens for a long time. Everytime soldiers would march around, I would get excited, but literally, nothing significant happened.
The bands began to play music. Some popular songs, some classical. The music lasted for 30 minutes. At this point
All I know is I could’ve done with about 15 minutes of seeing the soldiers, the palace and the grounds and park around. The standing around was hot and exhausting for very little excitement. A lot of Pomp and Circumstance, for very little movement.
3. Don’t Go to the Tate Museum of Modern Art.
It’s free for a reason. Unless you are a true art lover, this is a must-skip. It is huge and difficult to navigate. The rooms the docent recommended to us showed dark and ominous art. If you’re wondering what not to do in London, this is definitely it.
4. Don’t shop in Harrods if you are a Budget Traveler.
Having a cloaked and gloved gentleman open the doors for me should have been my first clue that this wasn’t the place for budget-friendly shopping! I will say it was interesting to see such a huge, all-inclusive and beautifully displayed shopping center. But we usually don’t shop much on our trips, so the prices didn’t justify spending much money there.
The displays in Harrods were beautiful and interesting, just expensive.
5. Don’t order too many Fish ‘n Chips.
Even with a big appetite after a long day of walking, there is only so much grease and fish one can consume. One order should be fine for 2 people!
6. Don’t go to Piccadilly Circus without a purpose.
We wandered around wondering what we were supposed to be looking at. It is just like Times Square, probably more interesting at night and most likely fantastic for watching shows. But there is really nothing much to see if you are just passing through.
7. Don’t Drive in the Congested Charge Zone.
In specified areas, you will be charged 14 pounds to drive during the daytime hours. If you aren’t registered, there is
Don’t drive anywhere when you have no wi-fi to show traffic flow. It took us 2 hours and 45 minutes to travel what should have been a 45-minute drive. Luckily, we planned extra time and our flight was delayed, so it worked out!
8. Don’t Pay Full Price for Entrance Fees.
We learned halfway through our day in London that you can use your travelcard (unlimited metro access) to get 2 people in for the price of 1 at many of the main attractions!
Or if it’s cost effective buy a London Pass and see as many attractions as you want.
9. Don’t plan a Quick Stop at Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey is quite the wait! With less than a day, we didn’t have time to stand around, so we had to miss this great sight. Be the first visitors there or plan on a wait to get in.
Another option for a church in London is St. Pauls. This Church is half the cost, plus you get a nice city view from the top of the dome.
10. Don’t visit London while Big Ben is Under Construction
Disappointing to say the least. In Germany, they had the decency to cover the construction with a canvas photo so you could pretend to see the sight.
While this one is not under our control, researching in advance what not to do in London would be a good idea.
What to Do in London to enjoy your stay
If I were to see London again, I would buy the 3-day London Pass and actually go into all the sights. Plan on a busy city with lots of expenses if you really want to see everything.
That being said, I loved our days in the countryside of England and would definitely recommend a visit to the Cotswolds {Coming Soon}.
Read about Driving in the UK here. {Coming Soon}
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2 Comments
Just came across your site. My husband is a pilot also and we too have lots of non-rev experience. We went to London in 2019 and were also bummed to not see Big Ben or the Parliament building under all the scaffolding. We were actually surprised at how much was free because all of the museums seemed to be. The British Museum and the V&A were worth a visit for sure and were both free. But, like the Louvre, you’ll never have time (or energy) to get through them completely. We also were advised to attend a church service to see Westminster for free and it worked beautifully and was a cool experience. We attended an organ recital there as well (I think that was free too?).
Love reading your stories. Very helpful, thanks