What I Hated And Loved In London

Thinking of planning a trip to London? These are the top things I loved and hated about traveling in London. You might love and hate these things when visiting.
The Airalo E-sim -- airalo.pxf.io/CamdenDavid
Where I get my travel gear -- bit.ly/NomaticCamdenDavid
How I track my bags -- amzn.to/42aoutq
My wallet (protects me from scammers) -- amzn.to/45AlwBp
The backpack I started with (Sarah's main bag) -- amzn.to/3OJ600c
How I stay organized -- amzn.to/3OHQLEA
My favorite universal adapter -- amzn.to/3N0YzAg
My quick dry travel town -- amzn.to/3IFvmIf
How I do my laundry (it has to happen) -- amzn.to/3MF95LT
DISCLAIMER: I only express my opinion based on my experience. Your experience may be different. Links above may include affiliate commission or referrals. I'm part of an affiliate network and I receive compensation from partnering websites. This video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.

[@camdendavid]

If you want a weekly travel tip and an update from where I am, feel free to follow my newsletter: bit.ly/TheTuesdayTravelTip

[@fluffyfiber]

one thing worth mentioning about the prices; plenty of world class museums in London that are completely free of charge. You can have a pretty cheap time in London if you manage it correctly

[@camdendavid]

Great point! Thanks for watching and bringing that up :)

[@MrAshbash2011]

A good labour policy in my opinion.

[@LondonLocal]

Tourists complaining about the amount of tourists always makes me smile 😃👍🇬🇧

[@camdendavid]

Haha definitely hypocritical of me

[@kitchen-sink.4090]

Betty Grable!

[@Neags]

Being from London born and bred I’d generally agree with most criticisms (which is why I no longer live there!), but some of your drawbacks I seriously disagree with, or you’re just wrong. Transport - Smaller airports like Luton and Stansted are notoriously a bit of a pain to travel to/from, but Gatwick and Heathrow either offer direct Trains, Tubes and National Express coaches, all under £25, which accommodates luggage ,for families. I don’t get the complaint about cost and accessibility? You’ve chosen the longest and by far the most expensive option. Plenty of cities in the world have airports with no public transport, and geographically further. Drinking -drinking is part of the UK (not just London) culture, and sets them apart from most other countries. Clearly you looked at it negatively and not inclusive because you don’t drink, fair enough, but on the flip side its incredibly social. It’s in the DNA for a lot of people. Again I don’t get the complaint when for someone that doesn’t drink, you wouldn’t need to go near a pub or club for example? I assume you say the same thing about Vegas for example? Food - food enjoyment can be subjective, but to crap on the food quality for the whole of London is a bit disrespectful. The points you made about greasiness I can agree with to some extent, however plenty of dishes like cottage pie, roast dinners, stews etc. have none of that. Not to mention the infinite multicultural cuisines available. As another post mentioned I find the comment a bit strange coming from someone from the US for obvious reasons.

[@camdendavid]

Couple of notes -- First, I really appreciate you taking the time to share all this! I love when someone has a different perspective and can help the community learn stuff like this. Transport -- You're spot on when it comes to the amount of options for airport transportation. But I do think it's important to note that there aren't many places in the world where a bus would cost $25. I think many tourists would find that to be a steep price. Just want tourists to have realistic expectations so they can properly enjoy the city :) Drinking -- I think you're spot on, again. Definitely a cultural element that could be viewed as a positive or negative. And yes, I'd say Vegas is worse haha Food -- Agreed on the infinite multicultural cuisines available. But looking at it from a tourist perspective, most quality foods seemed to be REALLY expensive. I really struggled to find a healthy meal at a decent price but maybe I was looking in the wrong spots. But totally understand how it seems weird coming from an American (we're the worst when it comes to healthy food). I went in expecting high prices but I was still caught off guard by the prices. Hoping tourists can have more realistic expectations so they can enjoy :) Thanks again for providing a different perspective! By the way, where are you living these days?

[@debybel]

@@camdendavid I agree £ 25 is pretty expensive, but I have to say that San Francisco was not that cheap haha. I expended around $13 plus the card. Lisbon is way cheaper, less than 5 euros haha

[@camdendavid]

​@@debybel Agreed! San Fran is pricey haha

[@paullewis2413]

Thanks for your comments, accurate in some but not on others. Yup, as a Londoner I know my city is overall expensive, though of course living here you know where to find good value. Agree about binge drinking though again that doesn’t apply everywhere. Overcrowding is a real problem particularly in the Summer months around the tourist hot spots but again after around 6pm a lot of them seem to disappear and even in the central area there are plenty of calm and peaceful places. Food not healthy coming from someone from the U.S.? 😂😂 Maybe you just went to the ubiquitous fast food imports or the tourist rip off joints? London is now a foodie’s paradise but you won’t discover that in just a few days unfortunately.

[@camdendavid]

Really appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective. Do you have any recommendations for good food? I consider myself a foodie but struggled a bit in London haha. I only spent a month there so I definitely have more exploring to do. Looking forward to finding those spots during my next visit (I know I won't find them in the US haha)

[@freddiemac1438]

As another commentator says there are huge nos of completely free attractions and hundreds of museums that you would pay for I other countries

[@camdendavid]

So true! Plenty of wonderful free things but also plenty that will be surprisingly expensive for some tourists :)

[@bois8219]

$50-100 dollars getting to the city centre?! It takes 45 minutes on the tube from Heathrow to central London and costs £5. Gatwick to London Bridge takes 33 minutes and costs £12 on the train. If you decided to get in a black cab and spend £100 on it, then that is on you and your poor research.

[@camdendavid]

Agreed! Important to remember that many international tourists will arrive with lots of bags and are overwhelmed/too tired to navigate the tube after the long flight. But you're right -- certainly more affordable options if you do your research :)

[@buttlesschap]

I don't drink either and when I visited, partner and I had good times in the teahouses there.

[@camdendavid]

Glad to hear that! Any teahouses you’d recommend?

[@buttlesschap]

@@camdendavid Theres lots of places to get afternoon tea - a lot of public museums actually offer it. We had it at the Royal Maritime Museum and the Barbican Conservatory, for example. For a "teahouse" , I liked Mei Leaf - more of a cafe vibe compared to the hotels with tearooms. Best value was Muffin Man Tea Shop and for a whole afternoon tea experience it was Hamyard Hotel tea room. For hotels Shangri La has the best view but its pricey (we had dinner there, not afternoon tea). I thought Rosebery at the Mandarin Oriental was better as far as luxury hotels go and it cost the same as most other places. One Aldwych had a Charlie and the Chocolate factory theme.

[@paulhanafin9798]

American saying food is unhealthy that made me laugh 😂😂

[@camdendavid]

So fair! Both places need some improvement in the food department haha

[@SwoonGaming]

Well the difference is that American food will get you fat, but it'll taste great. UK food just gets you fat. 😅

[@WestGroupTechnical]

your observation is spot on mate. Cheers.

[@camdendavid]

Cheers

[@danielherve856]

Good video agree with your points but airport access via train is affordable and 20-30 minutes direct in main central stations which I think is quite common for major cities but yes if you choose to get a taxi it will cost you a lot of money and time

[@camdendavid]

Agreed! I think many tourists with bags opt to avoid the trains and choose a taxi/uber. But the train can be great if you have limited luggage. Thanks for watching :)

[@camdendavid]

Yay or nay on London?

[@elenad288]

Yay:) been only to Leicester, so definitely want to visit London and more😊

[@cultav1x]

Yay ! :)

[@guyintheburbs]

I enjoyed your video and agreed with most of what you said ESPECIALLY about transport from the airport to the central part of the city. I downloaded the Gett app and ordered a black cab while here in the U.S. that was synched with our flight and was waiting there for us upon arrival. A little steep at about $120, but it was a miniscule cost when compared to the overall cost of our trip. Do not even consider a tube ride with luggage unless your hotel is within a block or two of the station. My biggest beef is the "afternoon tea". IMO and what I hear from others it's a huge waste of money and the food is just meh. Suggestion? Use the $150 - $200 that you will waste and instead use if on a black cab from the airport!

[@camdendavid]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@user-xy6sq8uc1h]

food was surprising international and diverse just look around ... best chinese food ever, awesome middle eastern food and tea is always a wonder,,,, what no like sunday roast ??? !!!!

[@camdendavid]

Diverse -- yes. High quality for an affordable price -- ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. But I could have been looking in the wrong places. Feel free to shoot over any recommendations :)

[@pentium212]

A pretty fair view of a city I lived in for 18 years. In my view, if you want a foodie’s city, head to Istanbul!

[@camdendavid]

I appreciate the support! Istanbul is one of my favorites :)

[@Ichsukatanuka]

that is a problem with London, tonnes of tourists and traps for them. Expensive af now too

[@camdendavid]

Would agree with you

[@sathyasrinivasan9350]

Fair observations but I disagree with you on the food.. it’s the best place for people on all kinds of diet! And it’s not just the expensive places… literally for any budget you can get excellent variety. Another thing is the English Tea.. and gardens.. more like every garden or even garden center has a tea room with great cakes to go with tea. Sorry, you missed a big thing with food in London / UK

[@camdendavid]

Appreciate you sharing and providing a different perspective! I’ll be sure to focus a bit more on the food during my next visit 😃

[@jayclarke6671]

Thanks Camden that was very informative. Although I'm originally from Scotland, after living on the island of Jersey for 4 years during the mid 70s, I spent my youth and 20s in LA. I have no interest in returning largely because I dislike my relatives who never left the UK, and never bother to even email me from time to time. Also, I find English people for the most part to be very uptight about a lot of things like age and socioeconomic level. Here in Spain, although I can't stand Spanish women because they are basically unapproachable compared to women in Asia, things overall are way better.

[@trevorhalliday793]

Nobody in their right mind would get a taxi/uber from any of the 3 main London airports, all, 3 airports have express train links to central London, you can get the tube at Heathrow to Picadilly Circus for about £10, takes about 1 hour, sounds like you didn't do your research first,there's lots of informative videos right here on KZbin !!!!

[@camdendavid]

Tourists might my friend. That's why I pointed it out in hopes of preventing folks from making that mistake :)

[@joewalker378]

Try going to York, definitely the nicest city in the uk 🇬🇧

[@camdendavid]

I'll add to my list for my next visit. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@joewalker378]

Your welcome. Thank you for all your videos on Cape Town. I went there a few months ago and your videos were really helpful! 👌

[@camdendavid]

@@joewalker378 So glad to hear that! I appreciate the support

[@MetDaan2912]

Nice video! I was in London last week and really enjoyed it. Only the Underground is everything but accessible, except for the Elizabeth line, most stations can't be used by people with a disability. Also, me and my family flew from Gatwick Airport and had no trouble getting there by train with our luggage; no cabs needed.

[@camdendavid]

Glad to hear you had an easy experience from Gatwick and enjoyed the city! And you’re right.. accessibility was a poor word choice on my end. I meant to say it provides easy access around the city. Appreciate you bringing that up :)

[@camdendavid]

Glad to hear you had an easy experience from Gatwick and enjoyed the city! And you’re right.. accessibility was a poor word choice on my end. I meant to say it provides easy access around the city. Appreciate you bringing that up :)

[@freddiemac1438]

Don’t know where you’re going to eat / I wouldn’t go to brick lane at all / the salt beef is way too salty and there’s plenty of other areas such as Covent Garden and Fitzrovia where there are tons of places to eats

[@camdendavid]

Gotta disagree on the salt beef bagel (loved it) but appreciate your perspective! I’ll spend some more time in Covent Garden and Fitzrovia during my next visit. Thanks for the tips!

[@freddiemac1438]

@@camdendavid you need to try other places -eg Ruben’s on Baker St, Selfridges food hall or B&K much much better and much less salty IMO.

[@camdendavid]

@@freddiemac1438 Will do -- much appreciated!

[@lisapires5122]

Agree with the food but we had great Indian food and Chinatown was so good (and Nando's!) Totally disagree about the airport. My sister and I (both in our 50's) had carry-on luggage and took the tube from Heathrow to our hotel: very seamless and easy. Maybe because our hotel was a 2-minute walk from the tube station but traveling to and from Heathrow and South Kensington was lovely and quite affordable using public transportation (disclaimer: I have arthritis in my spine and there is A LOT of walking, but it is all flat and I was fine....unless the lifts and escalators are broken lol)

[@camdendavid]

Thanks so much for sharing all this :)

[@99994139]

I beg to differ about US public transportations , NYC is by far the best metro systems in the world (my humble opinion) yes London Tube is cleaner , but it close around midnight ( same for Dubai metro ) NYC however is a 24/7 service and much cheaper (2.90 USd for a ride wherever you want to go in the city)

[@camdendavid]

Appreciate you sharing your perspective! But I'd have to disagree with you. Yes, NYC has a great metro system, but that only serves NYC. The vast majority of the US has awful public transportation (outside of a few cities like NYC, Boston, Chicago, and DC).

[@jonathanbowen3640]

London underground has 24hours on certain lines. I've tried both NYC and Londons and they are largely the same in terms of quality but London is slightly ahead as its expanding, the new Elizabeth line for example.

[@freddiemac1438]

I don’t drink and I’m a brit / you don’t have to drink really you don’t!

[@camdendavid]

Great to hear that! Any recommendations on where to avoid the craziness of the drinking culture?

[@freddiemac1438]

Keep out of pubs

[@camdendavid]

@@freddiemac1438 🤣

[@freddiemac1438]

Why wouldn’t you have cell service?

[@camdendavid]

Typically no cell service in any country outside of your home country (that’s how it is for folks coming from the US). Is that different for folks in the UK?

[@DisabledAtDisney]

We have good cell service abroad (and in London)

[@camdendavid]

@@DisabledAtDisney Are you saying your local cell plan works when traveling to other countries? And do you get charged any fees for that?

[@josephferrara6309]

Because he needed to mention his sponsor for this video.

[@camdendavid]

@@josephferrara6309 If you're traveling from the US you won't phone service in the UK without an eSIM. And this video was not sponsored. Just found a product that solved a my problem so sharing it with the world :)

[@paulm3033]

I found NYC far , and i mean far more expensive than London, even the guy who hailed a cab for me ( I didn't ask him to) expected a tip . Generally I thought your video was rather negative, I can take it, but i think a lot of your criticisms were naive , and if you'd researched your visit before you arrived i think you would have had a more positive experience.

[@camdendavid]

I appreciate the feedback and would agree on NYC haha. Wasn't meaning to come across as particularly negative but it's a fair criticism :)

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

Spot on ! What you say abt Lon is RIGHT ! Your vlogs are excellent. ~~~ Too many closeups of you, aspiring model? Show us the town, NOT YOU !!

[@camdendavid]

Thanks! I’ll work on that :)

[@danhurley6152]

Put your phone down - Drink beer = Living 😊

[@camdendavid]

Whatever makes you happy :)

[@seaafrica8283]

I must say mate, I lived in London for 4 years and your video is a bit of a swing and a miss for me... First of all, you are wrong on MANY "opinions" and secondly if you cannot find good food in London you obviously cannot use Instagram or ANY other social media platforms that can point you in the right direction... Ever heard of Trip Advisor? Me and my wife have been to 60 countries so I'm not a novice traveler, but it is very rich for an American to point out that UK or London has a drinking culture, it is true, but I do not think they are nearly as sloppy and obnoxious as the Americans! No offence to my American friends - it is just a fact; London has a bit of style and Pub culture that you won't find anywhere else. I myself don't drink either so if you do not hang around Pubs and Clubs it won't bother you. Just a not the transport to and from airports is much less than you claim, you can most certainly travel with a family to and from airports for £5 - £25 depending on your level of comfort on coach (trains like Heathrow Express), busses, Picadilly line etc. No need to pay £50 - £100 for taxi's, honestly. Simple google search should have sorted you out. Lastly, I get you want to advertise Airlo so you can make an extra buck, fair enough. But there are very little cities in the world where you will find free Wi-Fi for all to use, the UK offer some of the best rates for data and tourist sim cards through their multiple mobile providers. If this is one of your "hate" points, I just wanna rub my head and say: Dude, I thought you are supposed to give advice about things you know... not sell me on stupid data plans that is worse and more expensive than getting a real carrier... Nice try, but for me a total miss; maybe do a bit more research and maybe chat to locals more so you get to know the local spots or don't put yourself in a position to be caught out....

[@camdendavid]

I really appreciate you taking the time to share all this! A few thoughts... Can an opinion really be wrong haha? I really found it challenging to find good food in London but I'd love if someone could point me in the right direction :) But you're right, it must be weird coming from an American (I'll be the first to admit that America has a food problem and a binge drinking culture). Would agree with you on the transport to and from the airports but think it's important to recognize that those prices are still very high for many foreigners. Tourists often choose the convenient option after a long international flight and I think it's important for them to know what to expect. The reality is it takes muchhhhh longer to get from any of the London airports to downtown (compared to other cities). I really do think that's a pain point for folks. I'd have to disagree with you on the wifi. I've been traveling full-time for the last few years and I've never had more of an issue with wifi than I did in London. It really was a huge pain point for me and a few other travelers I met up with there (I also recognize a month is a short window). I only bring up Airalo cause it's the best solution that I've found and I use it on a daily basis. If you've got an alternative recommendation, I'd love to check it out cause I'm always looking for new options. Any tips here? Again, I really appreciate you sharing all this! I find the most learning /impact happens when we get a mix of opinions here :)

[@thelibrarian6196]

@@camdendavid I really appreciate the class with which you approach these comments (including just the fact that you address most, if not all, of them). I learn not only from the videos, but from the comments they generate - I just don't appreciate the rudeness in some of the responses - have we completely lost the ability to converse in a respectful manner? Travel vlogs ALWAYS consist of personal perspectives/opinions and I would assume folks watching them would understand this - too bad the outrage of some trumps their ability to take what they can from your experience and simply remember that this is just one person's perspective. Hell, the fact that you travel, collate your thoughts and produce these videos gives you a far more credibility than the whiners. Keep on perspectin' - it's very helpful for the less traveled.

[@camdendavid]

@@thelibrarian6196 I appreciate your kind words and support. I love when folks feel inclined to join the conversation. It helps others in the community see things from a different perspective and provides us all with an opportunity to reflect/grow. I won't always get things right, but I'll always listen :) Thanks again for the support. Cheers

[@kchoog]

I prefer London at night

[@camdendavid]

I can appreciate that

[@chichipotter4487]

Brilliant. Shame about the booze culture. Easier to avoid if your are older I think. It's a city that is hard to do on a budget. It always has been unfortunately Thanks again ~~!

[@camdendavid]

Very true! Thanks for watching :)

[@user-si2kd1wq5x]

I think you left the USA by mistake!

[@camdendavid]

Hahah how come?

[@ConsciousEyeandI]

It makes me laugh when tourists talk about food in London.........there is so much more variety if you venture outside the tourists spots best Caribbean and African food for starters, wicked spots for Lebanese, Afghan, Greek etc etc the choices are massive with gr8 quality but again don't hit the tourist spots LOL

[@camdendavid]

Got any recommendations for my next visit?

[@ConsciousEyeandI]

@camdendavid loads.......tell me when you are coming down I'll write a list or even take you to a few myself 😊. I'm from a black African mother and white French father and my hubby Jamaican Brit so we love our food we could defo take you to the right places ❤️

[@camdendavid]

@@ConsciousEyeandI Sounds great to me :)

[@koru615]

Kind of hilarious all of the Brits who are offended by your opinions 😅

[@camdendavid]

It comes with the territory haha. Always good to get different perspectives

[@edholohan]

Way overrated. Way way expensive

[@sirtimowerner5692]

London is a absolute Dive! Most people in the uk outside of London avoid going to that cess pit

[@jonathanbowen3640]

Where do you live?

[@hal90001]

London is overrated.

[@camdendavid]

I think I'd agree