View Full Version : Any tips for someone who's visiting London for the first time?
I'm visiting London for the first time in 2 weeks and I'm a bit worried since I'm going alone with my boyfriend and we've never traveled together or been to London.
Is there anyone from London/UK that could give me some advice?
I'm mostly afraid of getting robbed/assaulted/beaten up...
Which spots/areas should I avoid?
How should I act while I'm in a crowd?
What should I pay attention to?
I'm sorry for all the questions but I'm really anxious about this... I'd be grateful if anyone could answer these questions
I'm from London :)
Honestly, you have nothing to worry about! Ive lived here for nearly 15 years now and I have never had anything stolen or been assaulted. The only place you really have to even think about getting anything stolen (and its a big if) is on the tube system, but I would recommend having a bag with you that you can see, so a purse you can pull in front of you rather than a back pack. Back packs can get in the way on the tube as well and you might hit someone in the face by accident with them, that's happened to me a lot :p Your boyfriend should just keep his phone and wallet in the inside of his coat in a pocket, which is perfect because it's cold here right now! You'll be absolutely fine then. Also the London transport officers are quite savvy, if there's a well known pick pocket around ( this was some years ago, they don't do it so much anymore because it doesn't happen so much ) they put up an announcement on the intercom telling you to watch your stuff. Weird huh?
As for areas you should avoid, I've never really felt uncomfortable anywhere, but I would say use common sense like any big city and don't walk down dark alley ways alone, etc. If you're going to be mainly staying in tourist areas (soho, embankment, etc) then you'll be fine. London is a huge multinational city, so just be yourself! In Soho in restaurants you'll get asked where you're from and have friendly service/chatty barmen and waiters so it's fun!
In a crowd or walking along the street, I only have one piece of advice: we're fast! Like New York it drives us crazy when people stop suddenly in the middle of a crowd to look at a map or take a photo. It usually causes a lot of bumping and annoyance XD just think of it like a motorway-- pull over to do anything and you won't get knocked.
Most importantly you will be welcome with open arms and have a great time in our beautiful glittering city! I promise I don't work for London tourist industry, I just love it here :p have an amazing time!!
agree with everything Lyn89 says. I live not far from London and used to commute at one time. I have never felt uncomfortable or threatened at any time. It's very busy yes but with so much to do on a first visit the time will fly. It's full of tourists like yourself and there really is something for everyone.....relax and enjoy! It's fun :) x
Thank you guys, I feel more relaxed now. I guess I'm just overthinking..
So, it is not common for tourists to get robbed/attacked? I guess I would get parlyzed and wouldn't know what to do if someone with a knife reached me and told me to give him all my money, or enter a car or something like that :/
Compared to other capital cities of the world, London is super safe. I've lived here all my life (25 years minus a couple of years at uni) - the only time I've ever been robbed was when someone reached into my open bag for my purse when I was 15. That was in Covent Garden when it was busy. Moral of the story: don't use bags that don't zip up.
Someone pinched my mum's handbag from a supermarket trolley 10 years ago when she left it a few feet away to look at something. Moral of the story: always keep your handbag on you.
This is all common sense, right? Keep your valuables near you, within sight, zipped away.
The only other way to get robbed is if you join a gang. So don't do that.
I don't think that tourists are especially targeted in London, though I might be wrong. If you're very worried about that, avoid looking at a paper map as much as you can. Londoners look at maps on their smartphones, not on a paper map. You'll look much less like a tourist if you look at your smartphone instead of an A-Z.
Citymapper is a useful app to get you from A to B - it will tell you walking times and routes, and the best public transport route. If you want to get around using a taxi, Uber is much cheaper than a black cab, the cab drivers are trustworthy and you can pay through the app so you don't need to worry about change.
I would say that you are as likely to get robbed where you are from as in London.
Peckham and Brixton used to be infamous dodgy places, but nowadays the hipsters are moving in so it's safer.
Have fun, let me know if you want any sightseeing tips!
I agree with other opinions here.
I was born, raised and lived my whole 43 years in London. I have never felt threatened or had anything bad happen here. As said already, just be very aware and vigilant when traveling on the trains/tube, and also in very busy shopping areas. Central London is RIFE with pickpockets at the moment (particularly on the underground) so don't have a bag just over your shoulder or a rucksack/backpack. Have a shoulder bag ACROSS your body, and with the main part of the bag in front of you, within sight. Also, no purses or wallets in your coat pockets. These scumbag thieves are very, very quick and you don't even realise they have done what they do, so just be careful.
Also, the pace of London is superfast, especially in the centre of the city, so just be aware that you may come across some pushing and shoving and impatient types around here, but don't take it personally.....that is London for you, unfortunately.
The main issue in the City is not really crime....not that I have especially noticed, but like any big City, it has it's fair share, but certainly not anything as bad as having to be totally on guard here all of the time. I personally don't venture into the centre much - I live about 20 mins away by train, in North West london - but more because I can't stand the crowds and the stressy pace of life. Does my head in!
There are certain places I wouldn't go for - South East London is somewhere I wouldn't be thrilled to visit, as it does have a fairly high crime rate, but as for the main tourist areas and the popular parts of London, you will be just fine, I am certain.
The best thing about London is that there is something for everyone here in terms of food, music, nightlife, entertainment, things to do, tourist attractions, etc. etc. Whatever your like, you will find it here.
Hope you enjoy your trip. :)
So nice to hear that London is safer than I thought! :P Thank you all lovely people :) I was starting to enter panick mode, also, the fact that I started to search about terrorist attacks in London probably didn't help lol
I'm staying for just 3 days, I'll fly to Stansted Airport and I'm going to stay in a hostel near Hyde Park. I will be using the Queensway and Bayswater Tube Station mostly.
I'm visiting the Tower of London, Baker Street, Old Street, Abbey Road, Oxford Street, North Gower Street
in Camden, Earl's Court, Harrods, Notting Hill (I heard there a lot of vintage clothes stores and I'd like to buy something there, do you know anything about that? :P );
I'm going to the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, I'm going to watch the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
I'll for a walk in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and also near the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben...
I also thought about going to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, but I read that the boat ride takes 40 minutes and we have to walk during 1h or more to get to the museum... so maybe I'd spend a lot of time there :/ I still haven't decided yet..
Should I be careful in any of those places?
Also, is there any more places you think I should visit (I only have 3 days)? :)
Hi, London is a great place, that's why we get so many Tourists. It is also a Big place, so you do really need to know where you want to go. You don't mention whether it is for the day, a few hours or longer. That obviously makes a difference.
Hyde Park is quite nice this time of year and you have Knightsbridge with it's famous Harrods not to far from that. Covent Garden always has a buzz and has lots to do and if you like Markets; the famous 'Portabello Road' might be of interest to you.
St. Paul's Cathedral is quite stunning or maybe you want to see the House of Parliament or Buckingham Palace. Richmond and Kew are wonderful places to spend the day too. I actually like West London the best and you are probably safer here than a lot of other Cities. I know one thing, once you have visited, you will want to come again. :)
Portobello Road is where you go to when you come from Notting Hill. I wouldn't say the vintage clothes are great there - it's better for trinkets and jewellery, and it's pricier than you think it will be. Camden market is an Aladdin's den for vintage clothes though, at affordable prices - you can even haggle the price down sometimes. If you have to do either Portobello Road/Notting Hill or Camden, and you want to buy vintage clothes, go to Camden.
You can walk from Old Street to Shoreditch High Street station. There is a lot of interesting graffiti on that walk, as well as some trendy bars. There are lots of vintage shops on Brick Lane which is close to Shoreditch High Street station. That's a cool thing to do - you might not have time for that if you're doing the change of the guard type tourist stuff first.
Earl's Court is a waste of time unless you're going to see something there in particular. I know it's going to be pulled down but it's not really a stunning building. Maybe I just don't appreciate it as much as I should. There are better Art Deco buildings in Amsterdam. The tube stations are sometimes Art Deco style.
Hi,
I've lived and worked in London all my life. You'll be fine. Just keep your wits about you.
Watch out for pick pockets on the tube as others have said and don't wander off the beaten track. Oh, and have fun, it's awesome!
Dan
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