London – Avoid Common Tourist Mistakes

Tourists make mistakes on their journeys and that is surely something to be expected, especially if you are in a big city for the first time. London is a huge city with so many things to see and even its citizen cannot visit all the museums and tourist attractions. However, there are mistakes you can easily avoid and we will mention some of them.

London Bridge is not Tower Bridge. London Bridge from the well-known song is long gone. In fact, it is still over the Thames river, but it’s not the one “in the pictures”. It’s nothing special and you’ll hardly distinguish it from other bridges. That bridge seen on many souvenirs from London is Tower Bridge.

This one should be easy and obvious, but tourists tend to make mistakes: don’t walk, drive or stand on the wrong side of the sidewalk or street. Be aware of escalator etiquette in Britain: stand on the right and walk on the left.

Don’t shop on Regent and Oxford Streets, because they are full of “uninformed” tourists shopping at chain stores, such as Mango or H&M, even though they can easily find them at home. If you need to do some shopping in these shops, go to Kings Road or Kensington High Street, because you will find less congestion and nicer environs there. Also, Union Jack or Mind the Gap are nice shirts bought by tourists as souvenirs. Well, don’t wear them if you don’t want to become a target for thieves and pickpockets. Easy target, I would say.

Don’t visit Buckingham Palace thinking the Queen will be there. If she is there, you will see royal standard raised and more guards wearing huge hats and red jackets.

Don’t pay museum tickets, because the most of London’s museums are totally free. Tourist staying in Bloomsbury hotels in London or hotels near British Museum, should definitely visit it. Trust me, after visiting it, you would be exhausted and you will see amazing exhibitions for free.