Visit London - The DON'Ts of Visiting London, England 

It's a very small thing but if you're walking around and need to stop to check a map or something, please move to the side and do your business. Nothing is more frustrating than when you're trying to get somewhere and there's a group of 10 tourists stood in the middle of the pavement.

Also a tip from a Londoner, you can ride the boats with your oyster card :)

I'm not from London but one thing I notice about American tourists is they are really LOUD, it's not the worst thing and there are totally public spaces you can be loud in, but read the room guys, if everyone else is speaking in low voices it's probably polite to copy.

Just to clarify a common misconception, I know you said it in jest but some of your viewers might not realise it. The fact is we don't love to queue. We can often find it irritating and it can try our patience, but we do it because we believe in fairness and the principle of first-come-first-served. So it can really get our goat when somebody pushes in who hasn't - in effect - put the work in!

As a Londoner.... please don't stand on the left side of the escalators. That's my one gripe with tourists 😂

Don’t buy a discounted Tube ticket from a stranger in the street. It’s a scam!

My tip as a Brit living outside of London would be DON'T just go to London...visit other cities too...visit the seaside...visit the countryside...visit Wales & Scotland. We're a relatively small island with diverse landcapes and types of environment!

Remember to also stand right and walk left on escalators!

Donts: 1. When at a station, please do not stand at the top or bottom of the stairs while you try and figure out where you are supposed to be going particularly during rush hour. People are rushing for their train and tend to get rather angry when there is suddenly a bottle neck because some clueless tourist chose the bottom of the stairs as a good place to idly stand while they get out their map. If you need to do that, find a space at the back of the platform or in a more secluded area where you are going to cause less of a problem for people. 2. Similarly have your card or ticket ready BEFORE you get to the ticket barrier - dont cause a big hold up behind you when you stop to start rifling though your bag to find your ticket. 3. Dont just stick to restaurants when you want to eat - there are some great markets and outside eating areas all over London (my favourites are Borough Market and the South Bank) and you can get a much better variety of food. 4. The Guards at Buckingham Palace and the Beafeaters at The Tower of London may be all dressed up but they are NOT there for the tourists. They actually have a real job to be getting on with so by all means enjoy standing and watching them do their thing, but do not mess with them and do not stand in front of the Beafeaters trying to taking photographs when they are marching - they stop for nothing and the WILL run over you (it has happened). 5. The buses no longer accept cash so come prepared 6. There are 4 Airports that will say they are London plus another that services London. However only one of those airports is actually IN London (London City Airport). Heathrow is now technically within the boundaries of Greater London (it is in what was once part of Middlesex) but you a literally on the boundary line. London Stansted is in Essex and London Gatwick is in West Sussex. All of them service London and therefore have reasonable transport links into central London but DONT expect that if you are flying to one of these airports that you are close to where you want to be as it is still going to take you a while to get into Central London. 7. Dont underestimate the crowds that certain events draw in, the crowd control measures you will have to negotiate or the distance you may still have to travel once you get off the train if you are intending to attend one of these events. Nottinghill Carnival - you will need to dedicate a day not just for the carnival but for the one way systems the Police put in place afterwards to ensure everyone leaves the area safely plus the crowds on the trains can add a further couple of hours. Wimbledon Tennis and Epsom Derby (thats pronounced DAR-BEE not DER-BEE) are still a distance from the station and although taxi's and buses are laid on to transport people from the station (for which you buy a special ticket - your oyster card or travel card will not work for these) and as the local towns get completely clogged with traffic during these events it can still take a while to get there so leave plenty of time to get to where you are going. 8. Dont forget that people who live near to London will often choose school holidays as a chance to take their kids to do the touristy things in London for themselves - a day out at Tower of London and you may actually have exhausted your hyperactive child sufficiently for at least 2 days of however long it is you need to keep your kids occupied before they go back to school. If you can avoid it, dont come during the Summer or Easter school holidays (I would also say half term but as we tend to stagger those it may be too complicated to factor them in). The point is that there will be even more people when you factor in the daytrippers and you may not therefore necessarily get the best use of your time if you have to wait in huge queues for everything. 9. Dont rely on £50 notes and American Express cards. If you get given a £50 note get it changed for a lower denomination as soon as possible as lots of places refuse to take them. You also tend to find lots of places wont accept American Express due to the charges they incur for using it. There are many places that still will take it, but if you are solely relying on it then it may cause a problem given so many place wont take it. Also if you are travelling to Scotland and then back to England and you pick up any Scottish notes while in Scotland then try to get rid of them while still in Scotland (the note will say if its Bank of England or Bank of Scotland). The reason is that while Scottish notes can be accepted as legal tender in England (and vice versa with English notes in Scotland), it is not uncommon for English shops and restaurants to refuse Scottish notes either because they look so different from the notes that they are used to so they think they are fake, or because they are different to the notes they are used to so they dont have the facility to tell whether they are fake, or because they are unaware that Scottish notes can be accepted in England or because they know they are legal tender but they also know its hard to get rid of them for the aforementioned reasons and its just easier to refuse them then have the hassle. Its daft but better just to try to avoid encountering the problem in the first place then to get into an argument with someone about the fact it is perfectly legal for you to present a Scottish £5 note as payment (as I once did). 10. While there are many things to see and do in London itself, you dont just have to stick to London. Many people avoid going outside London as trips to the North, the South West, Scotland and Wales are often going to be more than a daytrip and if you are staying in London you might not want to spend further money on hotels elsewhere if you were not anticipating it. However there are many things you can do outside London that you can get to and back within a day. Brighton makes a great day trip and its just an hour on the train from London Victoria. Hever Castle in Edenbridge (the home of Anne Bolelyn) from London Victoria, Hampton Court Palace at Hampton Court (about an hour from London Waterloo), Canterbury Cathedral, Leeds Castle (not in Leeds), Hastings, Chichester, Kingston, Arundel, Tonbridge Wells, Lewes, the list goes on and on. If you are a Harry Potter Fan dont forget the studio tour in Leavesden which can easily be done in a day (although you have to book in advance, you cannot buy tickets when you get there)

Don't smile and say Good Morning on the underground, the locals will think you're a weirdo ;) Where I'm from (Yorkshire) we always say good morning and acknowledge people but sadly this isn't the case in London nowadays.

Here are my tips for visiting London and the UK in general: 1. Oyster cards are not accepted outside of London - now this can be a bit confusing because the airports outside of London are called London airports, for example Stansted is known as London Stansted airport even though it is in the county of Essex and not a part of the city. I was on the train home from work on the Stansted Express train and I saw two young American boys fined £80 (each) because they presented their Oyster cards which are not accepted outside of London. 2. Watch a play at the Globe - it is a brilliant experience, for both tourists and natives, and you may even see a famous actor (I saw the guy who played the butler in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air!) I will warn you though, that no matter how you watch the play you will be uncomfortable, if you stand in the pit (which is the cheapest) your feet are going to hurt, whilst if you sit in the balconies your bum is going to go numb as they are basically church pews (you can rent a cushion to sit on but it makes no difference and its expensive). 3. Explore! - London is a great place to set out from to explore the rest of the country. I highly recommend seeing Cambridge, brilliant shops, museums, sights and history. But, also try going out and seeing the countryside, the pretty villages and market towns - these are great places to see at this time of year as the weather is generally pleasant (with a spot of rain) and you may even get to see a few country fairs, markets and proper country pubs (you can get more for your money as well!) But what makes London so brilliant is that you can travel from London to any other part of the country via coach, car, train or plane so take advantage of that and go and see Bath (a beautiful city), the Lake District, pretty much the whole of Scotland (Inverness is my favourite) or anywhere! (P.S. If your stuck for ideas on what to see outside of London then look up the National Trust, they own loads of historic buildings, estates and woodland that make for brilliant days out) I hope this has helped :)

Would also recommend the natural history museum and the science museum.

Go to a "Greggs" bakery and get a hot Cornish Pasty. Enough culture in one of those bad boys to last a full week.

As two Brits, one of whom lived in London, this was so bang on we were in fits laughing! Our don'ts would include; Don't litter, there are plenty of bins (trash cans) around, we are very proud of our 'Keep Britain Tidy' ethics. Don't pay a fortune for coffee, private establishments charge extortionate prices and we love Starbuck's and Costa, so you will find plenty of reasonable prices and, dare we say better, standards of coffee in there. And... Don't forget there are wonderful cities only a couple of hours away, our beloved home city, Liverpool, is only two hours by train, always welcome here!

You're right about not treating it as England. As someone who lives in Hampshire it seems like a completely different world... and when I first visited London I felt like just as much of a tourist as someone from a place like America.

I just returned from my first visit in ages and loved it. The Underground is so efficient compared to NYC and D.C. subway systems. So much to see and do there; I wouldn't be too worried about the "don'ts." Just be polite and use common sense and everything is good. Please and thank you go far.

Don't mess with the queen's guard.

I am English and a born 'n' bred Londoner; there are only 2 things you MUST NOT DO when visiting London - 1. DON'T forget to take a warm coat. 2. Don't forget to take an umbrella. Both these things are applicable 12 months a year. Then there is one thing you ABSOLUTELY MUST DO; take a lot of money with you - cause you'll need it.

Here is my don't of London. Don't be intimidated or overwhelmed with the city. After checking into our hotel in the morning (yes, they let us check in early after arriving on an AM flight), we set out and explored our own. We just started walking. We went through Kensington Park to Kensington Palace. Then we walked down past Royal Albert Hall, St. James Palace, #10 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Parliament, etc. This took us a good 4 hours. By the time we were by Big Ben, we were exhausted. I looked at the Tube map and quickly found the trains needed to get back to the hotel. At the heart of rush hour, we were back at our hotel in less than 30 minutes. This a the first time we'd ever been to London. We just jumped in and explored before meeting up with our tour the following day. The British Museum is a MUST see,

and also: don't mess with the queens guards. they are trained killers who have the ultimate honour of guarding the queen without some annoying tourist mimicking them. i have said my piece. enjoy your trip to london!

The British Museum is one of my favorite things we did when we visited England (that and Oxford). My favorite thing in the British Museum (because I'm weird) was the back of the Rosetta Stone because you never see it in pictures.

If you want a real English experience, go to York, Bath, Wells, Oxford and Cambridge etc.

Don't pronounce the ham as ham in Buckingham and other places with ham at the end, pronounce it buckingum.

The Rules of the Queue: (1) If you are new join the back of the queue. DO NOT PUSH IN! Your fellow Queuers may exercise the right of passive aggression and the reserved right of direct confrontation if you do. (2) If you are in a queue but you need to temporarily leave said queue - you become new (refer to rule 1). The only exception to Rule 2 is the friends and family principle. Friends and family members have a special status within the queue as they have the ability to 'hold' your place. The friends and family principle does not however negate the right of passive aggression. (3) Your age and gender do not give you an advantage over your fellow Queuers e.g. if an elderly woman pushes in front of a child then said parent/guardian or fellow age appropriate Queuer is able to exercise their right of passive aggression. (4) It is extremely important when entering in to a general undefined queue that you quickly assess your position within that queue. You are permitted to have a momentary glance at your fellow Queuers to assist in your assessment. The usual test is - last in everyone else ahead of you is before you. There is an exception to Rule 4 - the appointment and simply waiting clause - your fellow Queuers will indicate, when technically it should be their turn, whether they are simply waiting or have an appointment with say a particular hair dresser and will give you permission to move ahead of them. (5) The undefined queue in a public house/bar/nightclub. When trying to order drinks at a busy bar the burden of assessment switches from the Queuer to the bar staff. You may need to get their attention if they are distracted by initiating polite conversation or have a note or card or menu in your hand (don't wave said note etc. in their face) This is a indication that you have joined the queue and have not been served yet. (6) The Situation rule - if the situation warrants a material breach of rule 1 then your fellow Queuers may voluntarily surrender their position in the queue. If they do so then you can move ahead and it will not constitute an offence under rule 1. (7) The Privacy rule - in certain situations Doctors surgeries, ATMs etc - you are required to form a defined queue at a respectable distance behind the person stood talking to the receptionist or using the ATM. In certain situations there are defined markers which will indicate what constitutes as a respectable distance. In most situations however there is no set definition of respectable distance so an assessment must be made.

I'm a Londoner, and had a brief giggle at how ABSOLUTELY CORRECT you are about 'engineering works' on the underground and overground. It's the bane of anyone travelling on the Piccadilly line. Also, the Richmond to Stratford overground service has been disabled on and off for ages. You've an intimate understanding of London. Fantastic.

Londoner here. Don't be afraid to venture out of London on a day trip. You can be at the coast in an hour from Fenchurch Street near tower hill. Leigh on Sea is lovely and there's a nice little amusement park in Southend called Adventure Island. For the full British Seaside experience try the 2p machines! Also, I do love steak and kidney pie but I prefer steak and ale, so give that a try too!

It also doesnt take alot for us to get annoyed. Also if we say “are you alright” (usually pronounced “you a’right”) we dont care if you are or aren’t. This is one of many versions of “hello”. Also- we love a good moan (just read some of the comments). If you want to come to london just come. If you have any questions like “wheres so and so”, its probably a good idea to ask someone working in a shop or a black cab. The public wont really help. And if they do theres a chance that theyre leading you on a wild goose chase because we like to tease people, its just our comedy... i once asked a policeman for directions, he sent me around the block, once i saw him on the same road i started on he was laughing. Also, bus drivers here arent really all that helpful either, not sure why, but i just avoid talking to them now. The people who work at train stations are usually nice though. Hope you enjoy your visit. So long as you know that london really is like the video said “international”. Tbh i don’t really go to central london all that much, and i only need one train to get to it. I feel like tourists see alot more of london than the locals.

I'm British and i honestly cannot see what it is that makes London so appealing.

As an Englishman, it's very interesting to see other people's perceptions of our culture (or, am I from North Korea?!? WHO KNOWS!!! ).

When you see the police call them a ‘bellend’ it’s a lovely greeting they will even give you some nice bracelets to reward what you just said to them honestly it’s well worth it

1. don't say England is my city

Don't forget to look for the smaller museums - they're EVERYwhere!! I loved the Foundling Museum and the Florence Nightingale Museum. Read up about the little museums, you'll find something you're interested in. Don't forget walking tours, they take you to the older areas you figure were all covered up. Don't forget day trips outside of London. You're just a train away from Hampton Court Palace and other goodies. Don't be afraid to talk to Londoners but do remember they're usually on their way to/from somewhere and don't have time to chat. They'll help when they can. The tube is fun but so many things are walk-able distance from each other. And...yes, stand right, walk left.

Don't use the the tube (Underground) or London train services (Overground) at rush hours if you can avoid it. Especially if you have bags, or a big backpack. The squash can be unbearable, especially in hot weather, and big interchanges such as Green Park can become frighteningly crowded. Don't get fixated on the big tourist sites, such as Madam Tussauds. Don't try and "do" all the British Museum in one go. Spend an hour or so, see a few things, then if you want you can return and see some other stuff. It's free! And don't forget that the other great museums are also free, though if you wish to make a small donation that will be appreciated.

Don’t get a hire car in London. You don’t need one and the traffic jams are endless...

I’ve got a don’t for you that may have been overlooked. Don’t think that London Luton, London Stansted and London Gatwick airports are in London, because they’re not. They are not even near. Only Heathrow and London city airport is actually in London. So whilst it may be cheaper to fly to these airports, the cost to get back into London could add up if you use public transport. Fly to Heathrow and catch the train to Paddington station

I live up north near the Scottish border and it really pisses me off when Americans think that England is just London and the Cotswolds. Also it pisses me off when people think that the UK is just England. I would point out that if you go a couple hours north of London, everything is sooo much cheaper.

I agree with what you are saying, London is very international; go to villages and other historical towns aswell . The food here is great, but you tend to get what you pay for. Food at the 'posher' pubs is really good. Things are very expensive, it annoys us Brits too, but what you are saying about the great free stuff, you're paying for it in the VAT on other 'expensive' stuff. Personally, a boat trip on the Thames is affordable and fun, get the 'commuter ones' not the touristy stuff to save money. Don't forget to visit all of the shops here, there's a great diversity. Also, Don't use 'American English' if you can help it.

I would say stay somewhere outside zone 1 (look on the tube or train map) and travel into it. You'll save tons on your hotel and have a more peaceful place to retreat to. Greenwich feels like a nice village with touristy spots and film locations (I live here, am bias) and you can get back into central by bus, train, DLR, or boat very quickly. Ask a local for a nice place to eat, or use social media. Books are out of date by printing day, concierge are only recommending places that give a kickback or they can book you a cab to (you pay more for that cab and they get the commission). Get the F out of the way during busy periods. Remember It's a busy working city and people really do need to get to places. Taking up the entire pavement with your group causes accidents and traffic. Be aware of your surroundings. We are rude as hell during the day. Just move! stand to the side if you're stopping for a photo. Speaking of photos, on the bridges don't take anyone who's loitering around up on the offer of taking the photo for you. You're dicing with death here. You'll either be robbed or ripped off. They'll try and charge you. Don't forget to look up. A lot of the shopfronts are modern and glass, but the original building is usually still seen above ground floor and have some fantastic architecture spanning hundreds of years on show, everywhere you go. Don't fall for the homeless people's pleas. They make tons of money, more than you sometimes. A lady begged outside London Bridge station and averaged £180 a day for years. There are plenty of outreach centres and places for these people to go that are either free or pittance. Be a part of making these folk accept the help, or help themselves. Making begging to easy encourages it. We have lots of rooftop bars and restaurants that have great views that you don't need to pay for. Even the Shard has a bar you can visit and take in the view just a few floors down from the actually viewing gallery. (That, however, has new interactive stuff in now though) Don't ride the tuktuk's They WILL rip you off and are mostly all Illegal. If you're in an accident you're insurance likely won't help you. Your Uber from home will work here on the same account. Black Cabs are bloody expensive and outdated and anybody who says otherwise is either a Cabbie or knows one. They often don't have as much of a clue as they make out. If you're against Uber morally, then look up the Addison Lee app, they are a huge private taxi firm. Don't be afraid to bargain on prices. Don't hire a car unless you're leaving the city. Don't eat from the hotdog/burger stands. Sometimes illegally operating and not regulated. Homeless people can hire the carts whenever they like. We have great street food near Kings Cross, Southbank, Borough and many more. If you're stopping for lunch or a drink, use the toilet. You'll rarely find a free one when you're walking about town otherwise. In the summer, carry some water with you on public transport. Just have it with you anyway, ok? Tubes and trains are often cheaper after about 9 or 9.30 in the morning and FAR less busy. The stations on the Tube map don't necessarily relate to their geographic location. It's often quicker to exit the station and walk than it is to change lines and get another train. Just check on google if you're doing your routes. Some stations you walk for miles to change platforms. Bank and Green Park are two of the worst. 999 for Emergency Services. Bring a camera Enjoy yourself Don't come back. JK, come back anytime.

stanstead airport isn't in london, it's over an hour away in essex. If you can go to heathrow and you can get the tube into london from there

My favorite city in the whole world!

On the tube try to avoid rush hour 7 - 9.30 and 17hrs - 19.hrs. Visit Liberty Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason's for afternoon tea - enjoy x

I am English and I live in London and this is all spot on. Love number 8! Please, thankyou and sorry! Hahaha

Don't let your guard down. London is one of my favorite destinations (5 times) but I've turned many corners and gone from posh to dodgy. Love Notting Hill market, wouldn't walk it without a money belt.

Big Ben is not the clock, nor the tower. It is the bell inside.

don't walk slowly on the tube platform or randomly stop in the street, it really annoys us. don't talk mega loud on the tube make sure to go to john soanes museum, camden and shoreditch get to the lake district or Cambridge if you can

A tip for you, Mark. Don't forget to visit some of the Outer London boroughs and lesser-known towns and villages within London. London is huge. It seems like you only stick to touristy areas of central London.

"Suffer the ire of the Brits" means we'll just complain about you out of earshot for about 20 minutes and the occasional dirty glance. One thing we hate more than line cutters etc. is confrontation

I would say don't expect to be totally welcomed. Londoners and English people in general just aren't very open to strangers. We are polite but don't start having conversations with us at the bus stop or whatever. Its sad but its true. Also try and avoid eye contact with dodgy people on buses, trains and the tube or they might start something.

I think London is an amazing city to visit. The sights are great, it has some of the best art and museums to visit and lots of historical buildings. It has a buzz and there is so much going on. It does have problems with crime but they tend to be in the poor suburbs where most tourists won’t venture.

London is one of the great cities of the world. If you like big cities then you will like London. A "don't" I would add is, don't hire a car to travel around London if you can avoid it. To travel around London use the Underground (known of course as the "tube"). London is like NYC in this regard, far easier to get around by public transport than by car. Personally I cycle around London and if you are a cyclist then this is something to consider. Cycling is a great way to see just about any city, but of course you need good road sense. However those who cycle regularly in a city will find it quite doable and very enjoyable.

I'm from the UK, not London but have been there millions of times. These days you don't need an oyster card as Contactless credit cards now work the same way. Not sure if it works on foreign cards, but the pricing the same. Hotels are always super expensive, but I find London is way better than other European cities for free stuff. Very true for queues, you can never get enough of that. Another thing is talking so loud on the trains and Underground, which is usually pretty quiet but I find American tourists echo there voices throughout the whole train. Better to speak quietly.

I had a great time visiting London during my first time. Coming from New York, I loved using the Oyster Card. It's so handy compared to the MTA cards to get into the subway. Definitely, would like to come back for a longer stay! - Raymond

Make sure to visit all the free museums and visit all the parks and see if there are any free events on during your stay, if you download the dice app there are many free gigs you can go to to help you explore, there are many free jazz and blues bars and the theatre is a must.also try not to go to congested places like Oxford street as this isn't the only representation of London, places like Nottinghill and Greenwich are nice places to go to and more gentrified areas like Brixton and Dalston have great restaurants and bars but I wold say to respect these areas and all the people who live in them as many areas of London are or have experienced gentrification in the last couple decades and are not as authentic as they used to be.

If you have a spare day in London and you are not sure what to do, just walk at random somewhere. London is full of hidden gems and it s virtually impossible to get lost in the city.

Don't make eye contact or initiate a conversation with people on public transport in London. They will seriously feel threatened and consider you a psychopath. The only exception is on Friday and Saturday nights, when people tend to be really drunk. Oh, regarding Oyster cards you only tap ONCE ON BUSES - yes, on other modes of transport, always tap in and tap out.

this feels weird watching as a brit normally us brits aren't seen as too intricate so here ya go - -if you are gonna go get typical british food DONT GO LONDON its simply a tourist trap. i live 45 mins away from our capital yet i go maybe once a year only because of peasky tourists and expensive everything near enough. -the dudes still right that the monuments and what not, London is a beautiful place but thats kinda just it, unless your british and know the backstreets and specific food places that are cheap and serve nice food i wouldn't bother really (london dungeons, big ben, the windsor house, london eye and parliment are kinda just musts) -if you want a whole different experience food wise, i would also recommend going to east london and trying jelly eels n pie and mash with liquor (most people are regulars so please dont go round taking photos, its seen as very rude) -if your into cars i would recommend going to the ace cafe, its a very well known car meet joint with lovely 'america' sized portions and a chill atmosphere (make sure to check what days certain cars will turn up, and better to not go on a week day) -if your into scenery and want a purely british experience (britain is very diverse) places like york and oxford are very authentic and posh. -if your into food, make sure to go china town for really nice chinese places. brick lane beigel bakery for really famous bagels (salt and beef there is amazing) -finally i would very much recommend to goto camden and go through there markets and food stalls (make sure to watch your stuff just incase of pickpockets abit more like any busy area) and try out the wide range of food they've got there. if your fancy theres many very posh restaurants to eat from aswell ;) a brits guide to britain enjoy

Well, the first thing is actually, to resist the temptation to say "London, England", unless you are from Ontario. London is the first, London, Ontario is another. And don't try getting a train to "Old York", it's York. It's very old, that's something you know, rather than speak out loud. And it's the reason why New York is, well, new. And despite Wolter's enthusiasm for England, the "h" in Buckingham Palace is not spoken, it's silent. He did manage to pronounce Greenwich correctly, rather than saying "Green witch"

Don't tap out on the bus though! You'll be charged twice

Don't stand on the left side of the escalator (particularly going to/from the underground). If you want to stand and ride the escalator stick to the right, so those in a hurry can walk/run up or down the escalator on left.

I stayed at an awesome hostel near Paddington station for 25 dollars per night, I ate at Indian restaurants mostly, and some pubs, of course, bought one souvenir at Camden market and went to British museum and v and a for free, so I really didn't spend all that much for an awesome vacation!

Try and avoid rush hour on the tubes, most stressful part of my commute.

another don't is don't speak to anybody near the bridge In Camden town they will rob you

This especially applies to our US visitors. When indoors, turn down the volume of your voices to a tenth. Then down a bit more.

Don't walk around with headphones in or with wallets or phones in back pockets etc. Thieves will steal them.

Don't mess with the guards thats a real fully loaded cocked assault rifle they have there.

I can't wait to go there. I am a bit of an Anglo-phile and have been wanting to go for decades. The best part is, I have a beautiful English lady who lives in London that is going to take me everywhere.....She looks like a younger Olivia Newton-John

Your comments are very helpful. And it's great! Merci.

I've been to London it is amazing

A "Do" for London is do take the walk-on walk-off bus tours. Wonderful way to see the city. Also, go to both the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Westminster Abbey: I get in there for free because I attend the Anglican Church services when I am there. I do of course, as a Christian, pay a donation when I attend any church service when I travel. Bishop Desmond Tutu was giving the sermon at one of the services I attended and I got to see him (didn't really speak with him).

Victoria and Albert museum is free and fascinating! Don’t forget to pick up a picnic lunch and eat in one of the lovely parks!

You don't need to 'tap out' on a bus (or a tram), only on tube (underground) and overground trains.

Using your hand to ask for two of anything. Do bear in mind to always do it with your palm facing outwards like a peace sign. Doing it the other way with the back of your hand facing out is the same here as giving the finger (flipping the bird) in the USA.

I just got back from visiting London and the rest of the UK. In all honesty I enjoyed Manchester more than London. Great BBC tour and the Museum of Science and Industry was fantastic.

There are planned work on public transport every Saturday and Sunday (the whole day). Check the calendar and map before traveling: tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/planned-works-calendar and tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/?startDate=2017-08-05T00%3A00%3A00&endDate=2017-08-06T23%3A59%3A59&dateTypeSelect=This%20weekend Also, you don't need an oyster card unless you want to buy it for a travelcard. You can use your debit card in the same way you use a oyster for single tickets (and there are the same cap fares). One more thing: if you land OR depart from Gatwick Airport during off peak times better use the oyster/debit card to board any train (excluding Gatwick express) to the centre because it costs much less than a single ticket. While if you land and depart from this airport could be cheaper buying the return ticket.

Not just London but most of Britain, Sunday is "God's day" construction and maintenance isn't why you can't travel well on Sunday but because of "Sunday service" buses, trains usually run hourly rather than more frequently on a week day. I'm not 100% sure about London exactly but here in the Midlands buses are usually running after 9am and usually stop running after 6pm same goes with many shops, high street stores and supermarkets. Sunday service means shops usually only open between 6-9 hours rather than the standard 10-14 hours (or 24hrs if it's a 24hr shop) Most shops and transport used to be closed or not running on a Sunday excluding maybe the local pub or corner shop as this was God's day and people would go to church on Sundays.

First of all.......dont visit London. See the rest of the country......why? Because so many tourists come to England go straight to London, then go home and say "yes I've been to England, ive done the UK ". I was born here and I hardly ever go to London, because no.1 there are so many other places to go in the UK. No2 I like fresh air, so I hate the tube. I like to visit London (occasionally), but please please see the rest of the UK or just other places in England.

Don't forget to see the rest of the country once you've finished London! Seriously, the rest of the UK is much, much nicer than London. You could take the ECML up to Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburg. You could travel West, seeing Bath, Exeter and Plymouth. There's so much culture (and manners) outside of the South East bubble, it's totally worth it. The English Riviera is incredible in summertime, and Scotland and Wales are beautiful in winter. I strongly advise you, it would make your trip much more enjoyable, as London is a very crowded, noisy city.

Do take a trip to Stratford on the tube then a short walk to the Emirates Sky line which you can pay with Oyster card and it takes you across the Thames to the O2 Millennium Dome. For around £35 you can walk over the dome in a group with a guide, completely safe as you are harnessed and clipped to a cable, it takes about 90 minutes and well worth it even if you are shit scared of heights, I am. Then after that another short walk to the river and get on the Clipper which is a big river taxi, use the oyster card it is a great way to see a lot of the London landmarks. It's possible to do all this in about 4 hours. Hope this helps.

The strange thing about London is that it's "beginner level" for tourists, but "veteran mode" for natives who are country bumpkins like me :P I suppose it's kinda good for dipping your toe into visiting the UK but all of our best stuff and greatest natural beauty is hidden away in the arse end of nowhere! For such a tiny country, you really could spend the best part of a lifetime trying to see all the best we have to offer.

3:25, damn the Tower of London now costs £30.30 for adults, I was just there a few days ago

London is NOT expensive if you know how to travel. Stay in an Ibis Budget hotel (Ibis Budget Whitechapel is great and only 2 tube stops away from tower hill). Eat a huge cheap curry in the not-so-touristic places. Instead of eating breakfast at a hotel or cafe/pub, go buy some bread, ham and orange juice in a supermarkt and have breakfast in one of the many parks! :)

My don't is don't expect to see much of Downing Street, it's mostly cordoned off and you won't see the door.

In the UK no matter how trivial the street or narrow it is, take great care when crossing. I almost got nailed by a bus in Edinburgh. It works both ways. Winston Churchill spent time in the hospital because he got blindsided by a taxi in New York. ALSO remember they stop selling alcohol in most pubs in the UK at 11 pm. If you want to drink into the small hours you'd better go to a private club that will have you as a member or buy all the drinks you expect to drink before 11 PM.

I think one big one that you forgot is don't mess with the Royal Guard. They are not statues, they are human beings. They are there to protect the Royal Palace not take selfies with you or be annoyed. The Royal Guards are badass and will give you one heck of a raking if you disrespect the rules of the Palace or pester them.

Also if your going to England by aware the some notes are changing

London is probably one of the coolest citys in the world

Don't make a queue when ordering from the bar! Go to the bar and make a virtual queue in your head and order when your first.

Please don't pay £5-6 for a beer in a pub.

Skip the wax museum, skip the London Dungeon. The best thing- the Tour bus, worth every penny.

As a Soho barman, I'm really proud of what we do as a drinker's pub. But we're not really geared for the best food. You might not get the best British food in a pub. Because that's where we DRINK, not EAT. (There are exceptions of course). It's worth asking the barman, "Where can I get the best fish & chips here", or "Where's the best place for British food nearby". If you get a native member of the bar team, chances are that we'll have the pride in our national dishes & recommend somewhere nearby, where we'd eat. You might not get the same from barstaff from other countries in the pub, but maybe you will. Us Brits are proud of our food heritage, so if we know somewhere better for classic dishes that the place where we work (and we like you more than your money), we'll be really helpful to help you find the best place to try real food. Usually I'll say something like "Have a couple of drinks here, and I'll draw you a map to where you can get your Sunday Lunch/Fish n Chips/ Pie & Mash etc etc, just come back here later on & party late with us". I think a giant proportion of us barstaff would want you to have the most authentic versions of our British food to talk about when you get home, so we'll make recommendations, so that when you're in the US, you won't just be talking about the awesome Viet, Jamaican, Italian, Peruvian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Iranian, Moroccan, Levantine, Greek etc food. We want you to know that all of the foods of the world are here in London, and especially our British delicacies.

Well done Wolters World. Its a very fair Don't. As a born and bred Londoner and travel journalist myself, youve done a great job. This guy knows what he talking about.

The Globe isn't so pricey - all standing tickets are just £5! :D

I work and live in London and this is all accurate! Be polite, don’t yell in the tube while people are commuting, keep left wherever you go (that’s driving me crazy) also make sure to visit all the wonderful free art galleries! People here are happy to help strangers if they are lost, it’s a crowded city and the best is to be mindful of each other’s space :)

Don't get sick! That's just taking the piss! The NHS is incredible!!!!!!!!!! The staff are amazing, but very unappreciated. The big issue is massive lack of funding and long term investment. So, if you have health issues, don't come.

London is an amazing city. Too shame people can't see it. But if you come here, you'll never regret it.

Don't stand on the left side of the escalators in tube stations. The left side is for walking. If you're gonna stand, do it on the right side.

DON'T mess with the Queen's Guards. They are armed, highly trained real soldiers with a serious job to do.

I assumed everyone was human. Boy, was I wrong!

Once more on food never have fish and chips in London (especially those themed restaurant ones that you have to pay through the nose for). Go up north for that or coastal towns Scotland even has alcohol in the fish and chip shops and much more.

A lot of museums are free around London, not just British Museum.