20 Top Tips and Things to Do & See When in London

After spending a day in London as a tourist there was a lot of little things I wanted to add into that post, but it was starting to get a bit long. Since I have moved to the UK I have visited London several times for various reasons and there are things I have learned and experienced that I feel like I can write an informed post of tips, tricks, and other things to see/do there.

There isn't any order to these just things I started to type up as I thought of them during the writing of my London tourist post. If you have anything to add please leave a comment below! I'm always looking for little things that make exploring and experiencing a city easier and more efficient!

Enough rambling here is ....

1. Book tickets a head of time for shows and things you want to see. 
2. Spend one day getting lost. (If you have more then one day.)
3. See the city from above as well as below (Sky Garden (free) or London Eye (not free) or The Gherkin (not sure))
4. Bring a waterproof jacket/coat with a hood. No one really wants to be messing around with an umbrella, the wind usually breaks them anyway. Waterproof bags are also useful. One that folds up in your bag is useful now that all plastic bags cost 5p. Summers can be warm, bring sun screen! 
5. Walk - a lot of the famous touristy things to see are within walking distance of each other. 
6. A comfy pair of shoes and 
7. Comfy socks, with an extra pair in your bag in case you step in a puddle. 
8. Keep a water bottle with you. 
9. General tip for eating out - ask for tap water it's free. 
10. There are some great restaurants in London, but if you happen to grab a McDonald's because of time and convenience don't beat yourself up over it. 
11. Bag - roomy without being too big, preferably one that goes across your body for safety and saves you from losing it. Or a backpack that can be secured in front. 
12. Museums are free - donate odd change if you have any to keep them free! 
13. Some (not all) toilets cost 20p so keep some change on you in case of an emergency. 
14. Research - before you leave have a look at what’s going on. Different seasons have different events. e.g. Natural History Museum has an ice skating rink in the winter. 
15. See a show in the West End. 
16. Ride the tube - let it take you where you want to go or where you hadn’t expected!
17. Check out Big Ben - he’s a bell inside a clock, but he’s cool. 
18. Oyster Card, it’s the cheapest and easiest way to get around London. Don’t be scared of the underground, it’s super easy once you get the hang of it! Like I said let it take you where you need to go! 
19. Tips on Souvenirs - books and guide books will add weight, take down the isbn number and order the book once you get home - from experience you will never look at the guidebook again and no one back home wants to see it. Might sound harsh, but true. Find something small and inexpensive like magnets/postcards/mugs/possible t-shirt or something useful like a rain coat!
20. If traveling in a group if possible take a day to yourself to do what you want to do!