Top 10 Dos and Don'ts London

I wrote this review a while ago on Epinions. Well, here it is on my blog for any of you who might be going to the Foggy Albion any time soon.


There is no good way to describe this city in the scope of a simple review. There is also hardly a way to form an opinion about it from one, two or even three visits. One needs to spend some significant time in Europe's largest city to begin to appreciate it's goods and bads. And there are plenty of both!
I spent the total of about 8 months in London, both on business and pleasure. What can I say?
First off, it's big. Make it huge. Since most buildings are not very tall, the city spread out sideways, and now it takes a good 2 hours by tube to ride from one end to another. But few visitors need to do that. Most concentrate on Central London's treasures, all within the Circle Line of the Underground. Still, that is a large area stretching for miles and miles.

Since most people who would read this review are probably planning a relatively short-term trip, may I suggest my 10 do's and dont's lists, based on personal experience.


The 'Dos':
1. Get a Time Out London - your best source of what's going on around town.
2. See a show. Whether a musical or a play, West End offers world's best theatre. Get your discount tickets on Leicester Square.
3. Go to a nightclub. I can speak for house music - Ministry of Sound, Fabric, Home, The Cross are just the few that come to mind. Never mind the steep entry fee - London's DJs still dictate what's hot in electronica. There's also plenty of clubs of other music styles.
4. Get a weekend (day) travel card. It will save you lots of money on tube and buses fares which can otherwise be way over the top. Beware of multiple delays on tube each day as well as periodic strikes!
5. Remember to visit the free sights - National Gallery, Tate, Tate Modern, British Museum. You can also visit a Parliament session - it's quite entertaining. Of course, the sights where you have to pay are just as great. London Eye and the Tower of London are the ones that come to mind. Not to mention Westminster Abbey - the definite must.
6. Go to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park on Sunday morning. Truly a democracy in action!
7. Try some traditional English food. Despite what you may hear, it's hearty and tasty. Chimes restaurant in Pimlico is one of the best places, but any pub grub would do. Indian food is great too!
8. Do a guided theme walk. They are listed in Time Out and are a nice way to learn the insights about London and maybe even meet some fellow travellers.
9. Do your shopping on Oxford and Regent streets. It may be more expensive with the strong pound, but the choices are great. Selfridges is a good department store, while Harrods is good mostly for window shopping.
10. If you stay over 4 days, try to get away for a day. Take a trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge, or Eaton and Windsor, or Dover, or Oxford, or Cambridge - choices are great and English countryside is charming.

Now, the "Dont's":

1. Don't expect a stress-free visit. London, as any large city, has its crowds, its rudeness, its impatience, especially with foreigners. Bear with it.
2. Don't exaggerate your walking ability when in London. It's tiring, so plan to use public transport and wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Shorts won't do. Few European women and even fewer men wear them, so they'd know where you are from before you open your mouth.
3. Don't ask stupid questions loudly. They only contribute to a rather unfavourable image of American tourists. What else can an Englishman feel when asked at Oxford Circus, 'which direction is Oxford University?'
4. Don't get in a minicab (illegal taxi) without firmly negotiating a price first. These drivers may not pay their tax, but they are very convenient late at night when no black cabs are in sight. But they know it all about screwing a tourist, so be firm and don't hesitate to refuse excess fare.
5. Don't, if possible, visit the major sights on a weekend. In addition to tourists, there'd be day-trippers and school groups from the surroundings.
6. Don't overtip. Tipping is indeed optional in Britain, and not always expected. Certainly do not tip a bartender for a bottle of beer. I don't think you should in any place, but that's my personal opinion. Tip for a cocktail, though.
7. Don't openly take pictures of punks on Piccadilly Circus. They may break your camera 'by accident'.
8. Don't buy tube tickets from touts. Often they are expired, and besides, you can get cited for it.
9. Don't bother seeing a movie in the West End. Hugely overpriced, it's no different from a cinema in a shopping mall in your home town.
10. Don't let the weather ruin it for you! Take it as a part of London's life, and besides, it rains 4 times less there than in Chicago anyway!