These London Travel Tips for tourists will enhance your London visit and keep you safe
London Travel Tips - General
Following these London travel tips will make your stay more enjoyable:
- Choose Paddington as your place to stay – Here are 10 reasons why it’s the best place to stay in London.
- Bring comfortable footwear – Wear shoes that have lots of padding. You’re going to be doing a lot of walking and standing on hard surfaces.
- Carry some change with you – Many public toilets require coins for entry.
- Audio Devices – Use the audio tour devices at the tourist attractions that offer them. You’ll gain a wealth of knowledge about the attraction you’re seeing.
- Always stand to the right in London escalators – the left is reserved for those in a hurry and wanting to walk up or down the escalators.
- Allow enough time to see the attractions – Allow enough time to see the attractions and plan accordingly. Some of the attractions take much longer to see than others. This is where I can be a tremendous help to you!
London Travel Tips - Safety
Pay attention to your belongings!
London is a wonderful place, but like any large city in the world, it comes with its fair share of imperilment. Traveling is one of the most fulfilling activities we humans do, and by nature it causes us to be distracted because it takes us away from the familiarity of our everyday life and presents to us new visuals and even sounds. I have many times observed tourists fresh off their flights, arriving at pubs with their suitcases and handbags outside railway stations in London. It’s plain as day that their brains are on overdrive, taking in all of the new and unfamiliar surroundings, and the last thing they’re thinking of is their own basic safety. Thieves thrive in these places, taking full advantage of the distracted tourists by stealing women’s handbags and any other belongings they can get their hands on. Unfortunately these thieves are very good at plying their trade.
Follow these practices when traveling around London:
Be aware of thieves in pubs, particularly those located near international railway stations, and pickpockets in the major shopping areas.
- Keep your handbags and luggage within view at all times. When seated at tables in pubs always keep your bags under the table and never to the side of your chair.
- Many pubs provide hooks on the bar. If seated at the bar take advantage of these hooks and hang your handbags in front of you.
- Never leave your belongings unattended
- When visiting major shopping areas, women should keep their handbags towards the inside and front of their torsos.
- If you’re carrying a backpack, be sure not to leave valuables in outside open pockets.
Pay attention when crossing the street!
While there are some exceptions to this, be sure to look right before crossing the street. Vehicular traffic in the U.K. runs opposite of that in the U.S. and many other cities in the world. I strongly urge you to utilize the pedestrian crossing signals to ensure you don’t make what could be a tragic mistake.
