30 things you NEED to know before visiting London (2024)

[@yoselinerobles727]

Aww your chihuahua is so cute! Hi, Pam! 🐶 Great and helpful video!

[@loveandlondon]

PAM SAYS HI BACK ;) thanks for watching!

[@d.c.127]

I was just in London and, this time, took busses more than the Underground; cool to see more of the city. Agree on wearing layers! And so much good food, OMG. Your videos helped immensely. 💞

[@loveandlondon]

Love it! hope ya had a great time. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch!

[@nzcatus]

Thanks Eliza, this was really helpful! We are from New Zealand and coming to visit for the first time in September.👍

[@loveandlondon]

Ah we're so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for watching!

[@charlesbrenan6269]

E-sim definitely recommended. Speaking as a Londoner, who used one in South Korea, it was incredibly useful being able to use the metro and local map apps etc. The same principle will apply if you're visiting London (and the rest of the UK) from abroad. 👍😊

[@loveandlondon]

Absolutelyyyyyy need to have connectivity when travelling abroad, it's not really an option not to anymore. Thanks for sharing!

[@heatherdorsey4770]

This is one of the best videos for those prepping to travel to London!

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for your support ❤️

[@caseh4235]

Native born Londoner here; we do not always tip. There is usually a “service charge” added on to the bill, but this is completely optional, so if you say “I don’t want to pay the service charge”, it is not as frowned upon as if you did not tip in USA. Hospitality staff have the same mimumim wage as everyone else, unlike in the US.

[@renferal5290]

I love your dog ❤❤❤❤

[@loveandlondon]

How cute, right?! Pam will definitely be in more videos , so stay tuned 😂

[@kfedfan1314]

Love your shirt Eliza. Disabled people are not all inspirational just by living, disabled people live by just like all other people. 🙏🏻

[@loveandlondon]

Exactly. Thanks so much for watching our video :)

[@maobfh]

I’m with you on Airbnb. Used to use them but as housing was tightening up, an airbnb host (who was much less than forthcoming on his listing) was telling me he had just bought 15 houses in the neighborhood. Shameful. Gotta be greedy. I quit Airbnb because of that.

[@loveandlondon]

Oh ew we hate that. Thanks so much for watching!

[@JuancoPRoFlow]

Commies

[@maobfh]

@@JuancoPRoFlow - commies!?! Do you understand what that means? Most citizens of communist countries own very little, are paid little and could not afford 1 house, let alone 15+ in one purchase. Communist leaders don’t buy anything. They take what they want.

[@CUFC247]

Hello Pam, doggie tail wags from my two rescue Chihuahuas Jasper (a teacup Chihuahua) and Muffin, they are 11 years old.

[@loveandlondon]

OMG CUTE!!!! Thanks so much for watching!

[@sboyce246]

Coming from the Caribbean, I love your videos, they are so helpful. Thank you

[@michaelpierce826]

I'm a local Londoner live right near Croydon yh south is so underrated

[@loveandlondon]

Agreed! Thanks for watching!

[@michaelpierce826]

@@loveandlondon welcome

[@EugeneTChu]

I visited in November 2022 and July 2023. It was a great experience. One topic for future video is food. While I am not picky, some may have allergies or religious restrictions. There are numerous restaurants that respect them, but one may need to research ahead of time.

[@loveandlondon]

So glad you enjoyed your time here! We actually cover lots of food recommendations in our London Guides: shop.loveandlondon.com/collections/all-products They also allow you to filter between plenty of dietary restrictions like GF, veggie and vegan 🙂

[@Magic_beans_]

Related to 2️⃣: Europe has a lot of old buildings, that’s probably half the reason you’re there. Consequently, you won’t find many publicly-accessible power outlets with which to charge your phone while you’re out and about. That includes semi-public places like coffee shops. Where a Starbucks in Seattle may have power sockets at every table and maybe USB ports in the bar, a Costa in London may have two sockets for the whole dining room and they’ve both been claimed by locals. That sparsity of outlets combined with heavy GPS usage means an unprepared visitor could run out of juice during the day. I’d advise double-checking that your phone is in fact charging overnight (people forget about that toggle next to the outlet) and consider bringing or buying a portable battery.

[@Magic_beans_]

3️⃣ In addition to people driving on the left, London in particular has a _lot_ of one-way streets and unusual intersections. Even if you’re from a country who also drive on the left, be extra careful in central London.

[@Magic_beans_]

1️⃣5️⃣ Conversely if you want to get away from the crowds, getting outside zones 1-2 goes a long way, and there’s still plenty to see. Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, and Richmond make a nice day of laid-back sightseeing. Another option might be to find a more residential area whose street market is open that day; I did that in Bromley en route to one of Jess’s recommendations, Bethlem Museum of the Mind. I find that people outside the city center have more time for (an interest in) socializing with visitors.

[@dirtywaterpj_dj]

Children being allowed in pubs in the evening might be true in tourist areas but most pubs elsewhere usually don’t allow kids after 7pm. Anyway, parents ought not be drunk while in charge of children and a lot of drinkers want to drink in a pub, not in a crêche.

[@loveandlondon]

Depends! Thanks so much for watching.

[@thintintwister]

I just love your helpful and fun videos, all done with such professionalism.

[@loveandlondon]

Ah we're so glad you've enjoyed them. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch!

[@FalcomScott312]

I appreciate your tips and advice all about London, England here! It's really helpful & I've been checking out tips for a while just studying everything even the Neighborhood's like Notting Hill, Marylebone, & others. Thanks for sharing for over the years Love & London! ❤💂‍♂🏴ɢʙ

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks so much for always watching Falcom!

[@FalcomScott312]

@loveandlondon You're welcome!

[@sherikennedy4117]

brilliant! thank you. will be visiting london pre cruise in december. staying right at the hilton airport for central access. will use the public transport. will scour your other videos. new fan here....

[@loveandlondon]

Yay! Wishing you a wonderful trip ❤️

[@omanicc9854]

Wow I've been living in London my whole life but stopped taking the bus many years ago so this was informative to me too haha had no idea that buses no longer accepted cash.

[@itsjohndell]

If you don't like the weather in London, wait a minute. It will change...

[@loveandlondon]

LOL EXACTLY. Thanks so much for watching John!

[@benniemartins_]

I’m surprised about the tipping. Since when has that been introduced? I used to live in the UK and never heard of tipping cabs or restaurants or cafes.

[@loveandlondon]

Service charge has been around for a while now - just on bills when eating in ❤️

[@Pablo260492]

Thanks for sharing

[@loveandlondon]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@nancyk8153]

can you please make a video about going to the Chelsea Flower Show?

[@loveandlondon]

Will pass it on to the content team! ❤️

[@itsenkaybee]

Quick thing; while most of the TfL bikes are normal (manual? I dunno), more and more are becoming electric :) I think they charge a little more than the normal ones though

[@loveandlondon]

Totally! Thanks for watching!

[@lopezjuan316jl]

I forgot the plug in Spain but luckily the hotel had usb, I got really relieved when I saw them

[@loveandlondon]

Fab! Thanks so much for watching!

[@discogareth]

I wouldn’t even mention the whole 16 year old drinking clause. 25 years in the trade and I’ve never known any establishment do this. Especially with challenge 21/25/30. Whilst technically legal, if an establishment doesn’t allow it, you can’t argue.

[@frankslattery9104]

Thank you for the videos ! My husband and I are coming from Texas for our first ever visit to London October 23-30th. Super excited !!

[@loveandlondon]

Ah amazing!! Thanks SO much for taking the time to watch!

[@terrym3837]

Great time to visit

[@frankslattery9104]

@terrym3837 trying to decide on a show to see. Like wicked at the apollo Victoria theater or even lion king. We're staying in Hammersmith, any recommendations?

[@terrym3837]

@@frankslattery9104 Yes Wicked is brilliant go and see that you won’t be disappointed

[@terrym3837]

Or the Book of Mormon that’s very good as his Tina thinking about it Tina it will have you out of your seat

[@The_Mace]

Hello, PAM!

[@loveandlondon]

PAM SAYS HI BACK HEHE

[@ailin113093]

I'm using wise and it's card.can that be used in the UK?

[@loveandlondon]

Yes!

[@Tania60]

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@Cupcakiiiii]

So I just moved to London and my tipp is: do not pay your single ride ticket for the tube with cash! It will cost about three times as much as if you paid contactless.

[@loveandlondon]

Absolutely! We always recommend contactless as it's usually the cheapest way to get around as opposed to buying any single rides or day passes ❤️

[@MrYoungjj]

I'm planning on going there next year and I have two nieces. I'm also going with my question is can I use my device 3 different time for them or they have to have buy two different tickets?

[@loveandlondon]

We actually have an article on our website that explains how to pay for kids on public transport in London. You can have a read here: loveandlondon.com/how-to-pay-for-kids-on-londons-public-transport-when-visiting-london/

[@stevenmurray436]

Pubs are for adults, not children, unless they’re going in for food. I wouldn’t take a child anywhere near a pub in Central London - if you walked in to most pubs in Soho with kids for example, you’d certainly get some strange looks!

[@jldisme]

Do you have a problem in London with aTM skimmers?

[@loveandlondon]

You don't have to worry too much about it, just make sure you cover your pin as you're entering it. Other than that, you should be okay!

[@user-xr2ul8jb6w]

Hi, I'm from Sri lanka. I'm interested to come to UK for working. How should I find a job and get the working visa from UK? Appreciate if you could guide me. Thanks.

[@loveandlondon]

Unfortunately, we don't offer visa advice ❤️

[@shilpasathe2691]

Hey

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for watching!

[@ricktaylor5397]

It’s been many years since I’ve visited London, so this might not be an issue anymore. Is there still a reluctance to accept £ notes issued by the Bank of Scotland? Also, can scooters like yours be rented in London on a short-term basis?

[@hughtube5154]

Yes, Bank of Scotland money is legal but frowned on. Hardly anyone in England knows who's supposed to be on the note, so it's hard to check for forgeries. You might have to point out all the security features (watermark, holograms, braille-type raised areas etc) to assure them it's legit. Scottish money is kinda like £50 notes - most shops don't want to accept them.

[@loveandlondon]

There's still reluctance despite it being legal tender!

[@Amalthea11]

Thanks for the tips, but do you think you could speak a bit slower, not in such a hurry, so also foreigners can catch everything? (when I slow down to 0.75, it's too slow then 🙈😂). Many thanks!

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for watching!

[@jennawoodard8386]

💕💄

[@AbdulRahim-cu7y]

Hi! Do you edit videos yourself, or have you hired someone? I'm an editor and would love to discuss it if you’re interested.

[@loveandlondon]

We have a freelance video editor position available on our site: loveandlondon.com/hiring/

[@AbdulRahim-cu7y]

@@loveandlondon That’s awesome! I’ve just submitted my application for the position.

[@blackrose7596]

..

[@joshwidmer8046]

The sound quality on your video isn’t great. Add the background city noise and the music plus the fact that you talk a little fast and it is challenging to catch all that you are saying. The CC lags behind as well. I realize there’s a transcript if I want you to do that, but I don’t. Please give a bit more consideration to your sound quality. I like your content a lot, but a couple parts I had to rewind several times to catch all you were saying.

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for your feedback :)