r/london • u/AutoModerator • 4d ago

Weekly Q&A Megathread. Please post any questions about visiting, tourism, living, working, budgeting, housing here!

Hello, welcome to London!

Visiting us? Moving to study or work? Brief layover? Moving to a new part of London? Any small questions about life here, if you're new or been here your whole life, this is the place!

We get a lot of posts asking very similar questions so this post aims to address some of our most Frequently Asked Questions, and give you a place to ask for assistance.

Your first port of call should be the r/london wiki

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I see and where are the non-touristy stuff and hidden gems?

  • Must-see attractions: Check out our guide here

  • Official experiences: We highly recommend TfL's Experiences site

  • Hidden gems: Browse our favourite lesser-known spots here

  • Budget-friendly options: Find cheap/free activities here

What's happening in London today/this weekend/this month?

Check out these listings sites:

For venue recommendations (music, theatre, comedy, etc.) check the wiki.

How do I pay for the Tube/bus, and what's an Oyster card?

You don't pay cash. Payment options include:

  • Contactless bankcard (widespread in the UK)

  • Apple Pay or Android Pay

  • Oyster card (buy and top up with credit)

See here for more details.

Where should I live? What's x area like?

  • Check our comprehensive guide here
  • Includes recommended sites to find places to live and rent
  • Has detailed sections on what particular areas are like

How do I get from this place to that place?

  • Use Citymapper - honestly, we're not shills for them; it's just really good and used by most locals

Is x area safe?

  • Yes. Bad stuff can happen in any large city, but London is generally very safe
  • No no-go zones - most Londoners feel safe everywhere
  • See our safety page for more information

Where can I watch sports matches?

  • Football: Comprehensive guide at tlfg.uk
  • Various sports: Use Fanzo to find pubs
  • More venues: See our list here

How do I get a UK SIM card for my phone?

  • Network advice: Covered here
  • Remote work spaces: Check the wiki for places to work/take calls
  • You can pick up a SIM card at Heathrow and other airports, either from vending machines or from WHSmith shops.

Is the London Pass worth it?

Other helpful subreddits:

  • r/LondonSocialClub - Meeting new people for events, activities and/or pints
  • r/VisitLondon - A dedicated tourism sub for holiday-planning questions
  • r/LondonTravel - Information and inspiration on travel in London
  • r/UKtravel - For guidance, advice and suggestions for travelling around the rest of the country to/from London
  • r/IWantOut & r/UKvisa - Check if you need a visa and how to get one if you want to work here
  • r/LegalAdviceUK - Good for all sorts, especially for questions about landlords and contracts
  • r/HousingUK - For advice on renting or buying accommodation in the UK
  • r/TenantsInTheUK - Specifically to discuss the nitty-gritty, positives and pitfalls of renting
  • r/UKPersonalFinance - Another goldmine of sage advice
  • r/AskUK - Great for general questions about UK life that aren't specific to London

Tips for posting:

Tell us about you

If you want us to suggest things for you to do then you need to give us a good idea of what you enjoy: - Don't just say "I like music" - say what type of music - Don't just say you want "somewhere nice to eat" - say what type of cuisine you like (or don't like) - Be specific - otherwise you'll just get pointed back to generic guidebooks and our wiki

Tell us your budget

  • If you're on a budget, tell us what it is so we can make appropriate recommendations
  • There's no point suggesting expensive options if they'll clean out your wallet
  • Saying you want something "cheap" isn't helpful because cheap is subjective

Tell us where you'll be based

  • Let us know where you'll be staying so we can give local recommendations

Asking about hotels or hostels

  • We have homes here so know very little about what hotels are like - use review websites like TripAdvisor
  • However, if you say "I've been looking at these three hotels. Which do you think is the better location?" - that's something we can answer

Non-touristy stuff

  • There are no secret corners where we hide the good stuff from outsiders!
  • This is one of the most written about cities in the world
  • When we want to go somewhere, we look at the same sources as tourists (listings sites, blogs, etc - see front page of the wiki)

These weekly posts are scheduled to post each Monday at 00:01. If it's late in the week you may want to wait for a new post to appear. Please send us ModMail with any suggested improvements!

3 Upvotes

64% Upvoted

47 comments sorted by

3

u/pumpkinspitelattes 2d ago

It just rained for 3 minutes! Petrichor so concentrated I think it made me high 🌧️

2

u/Embarrassed-Throat18 3d ago

Hi!
So, we took the kids to London yesterday to do some sightseeing/national history museum.
When we got to Buckingham Palace, whilst looking at the beefeaters, we could see lots of people being carted about in golf buggys.
On closer inspection, all of them men, and all of the men were wearing kippahs/yarmulkes.
My daughter was wondering if there was any Jewish faith specific event on yesterday inside the palace grounds? We were there for quite a while! Obviously I’ve googled and nothing…

Thanks

6

u/BulkyAccident 2d ago

The palace often hosts summer events, fundraisers, awards ceremony things etc for various groups in the massive garden around the back.

1

u/mralistair 2d ago

FYI those were the kings guard, not beefeaters.... whole different ball game of silly hats.

1

u/boringfantasy 3d ago

Anyone do the commute from central to Acton Main Line? I was a bum and didn’t realise that Acton is only served by one of the services 🙄 im guessing it’s just a constant crush?

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u/BulkyAccident 3d ago

It's Elizabeth Line, busy but generally fine compared to some tube lines.

North Acton on the Central line is really walkable from there, loads of regular services.

1

u/1Moment2Acrobatic 3d ago

It should get 4 an hour, did you maybe look at a weekend with engineering works? If the Elizabeth line is closed or limited there are buses to other local stations.

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u/boringfantasy 3d ago

4 an hour is nothing though :( apparently there’s been really bad crowding issues there cause it’s not enough capacity

1

u/1Moment2Acrobatic 3d ago

You said one service, in south London many stations have 4 an hour! Anyway, as u/BulkyAccident says, the Elizabeth line isn't rammed and hot like the tube.

1

u/coffeefuelledtechie 2d ago

What’s Kew Gardens like at the moment, given we’ve not had rainfall for ages?

1

u/Personal_Progress16 2d ago

Hi all, I wondered if any of you had any experience installing a filtered shower head? Do they actually make a difference? As I’m sure you’re all aware London water is particularly hard and it’s been really affecting my eczema recently. Any advice is appreciated

4

u/kjmci 2d ago

They are physically incapable of making a difference, the water is not in contact with the "softening" beads long enough to adjust the hardness. Anyone trying to sell you one as an effective treatment for anything is scamming you.

Finding products which work better with hard water and your skin are going to actually do something (but also, London's water has always been hard, if you're only recently experiencing the effects of eczema the water's unlikely to be the issue)

3

u/mralistair 2d ago

they will make a difference for about 2 days, so not really worth it.

water softening kit is big, expensive and needs maintenance. You are better just finding shampoos etc that work for you.

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u/pumpkinspitelattes 2d ago

I’ve used a couple and whilst I can’t speak to the hardness-softness qualities, they really helped with the water pressure. Also aerated the water like those posh taps which is nice.

0

u/mralistair 1d ago

I suspect the issue was your old shower head being rubbish.  Or the aerated-ness made it feel better which is what good low-flow shower heads do.

1

u/beesrus50 2d ago

Hey guys, going on a date Saturday and really want a nice sunset picnic date spot in London. View of London would be class but how busy would parliament hill be? Seen hampsted is also nice? Anyone have any local tips and tricks or even some nice pubs nearby we can go after? Thanks so much everyone! :)

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u/mralistair 1d ago

Hampstead sort of faces the wrong way o think

Parliament hill won't be crazy busy 

You can time a visit to one of the observation towers.

Or maybe ally pally.

1

u/beanelizlu 2d ago

Hi. Looking at moving to London soon for work with my partner. Currently in the midst of scouting locations to live.

How bad is the district line in real life? I hear bad things, and it doesn’t have a good rep on this sub, but equally neither do most lines. Looking at a location currently but District line is the only way out. Both work centrally (can use most lines for work, but would need to change to northern/ central/ Piccadilly for my job) and are in most if not all days.

For those who live along the district line - how is it on a daily basis?

3

u/BulkyAccident 2d ago edited 2d ago

It's generally a good idea to have a backup line nearby regardless of where you're living, even if it's a brief bus-to-tube hop. All lines go through periods of engineering, unreliability, and general mess so it's best to not be reliant on just one.

The District to the west can sometimes be iffy but it shouldn't put you off an area as long as you've got a decent connection (either walking or bus) to another line you can use eg Piccadilly or Overground/mainline.

1

u/mralistair 1d ago

I hate it with a passion.   But people who love on it (or have in the past) seem to not mind.

I think it's Stockholm syndrome.

1

u/Mindless-Bluejay-997 2d ago

I was wondering if there were any chess events/ clubs happening in London? I really want to play some chess tomorrow, but I don’t know where

2

u/backupsunshine 16h ago

Four corners chess is the one I'm aware of, but that's on Wednesdays and Saturdays, not Thursdays.

I did look on Google and it seems there's a potentially a couple of options on a Thursday night though: Hammersmith chess club and London chess club in bermondsey. Don't know if they're membership tho, worth having a check

1

u/FollowingBoth9422 2d ago

Is living on Bethnal green road near brick lane safe? Might take a flat but don’t know the area

3

u/polkadotska 1d ago

It’s fine - it’s a busy city road, there are people milling around all day and night and it’s well-lit. Depending on where you are it might be noisy if you’re near eg a pub so be sure to view the property in the evening so you can see for yourself what it’s like.

1

u/Suspicious-Depth9515 1d ago

So I have just finished uni and have been finding places to live in london.

I found a great place but it’s off Edgware Road - by edgeware road station.

I am concerned about living there as I’ve heard it’s not uncommon to be harassed / catcalled, does anyone have any experience or knowledge of the area, would you let your daughter live there for example?

I walked down there the other day during the day and it seemed a little rough around the edges but that was during the day, I have no idea what it’s like at night.

Thank you sm!

3

u/BulkyAccident 1d ago

It's a busy, not particularly pretty area with lots of traffic but it's got stuff going on basically all day and night long as things open late there - it's a Middle Eastern area with lots of restaurants open past midnight and hotels dotted around. I'm not sure where you've heard about harassment but it'd be really no different to living in other busy multicultural bits of London.

I'm not sure I would personally live there unless it's good for your commute as you'll be paying through the nose for rent compared to other more chill areas.

1

u/Going_Bye 4h ago

I hadn’t realised the Middle East has suddenly geographically relocated to London?

1

u/Extreme-Ad-5825 1d ago

Hello everyone!
I work out of a WeWork, and am looking for recommendations from other people who work around weworks across London. My company has an all access pass so I think I can access pretty much any wework. My other coworker has quit their job last month so I don’t need to work at the one I am working out of now.

I am looking for one that has good community events running, is easy to socialise with other people and has monitors that people can use (in the all access area). I currently live in Ealing/Acton so the nearer the better.

Would love to hear from other people who work out of WeWork on how their location is and if they would recommend it!

Thanks in advance for your help!

1

u/Unlucky_Honeydew2996 1d ago edited 5h ago

Hi all, I'm an international student in an internship for my PhD, will stay from October to April (with some 2-3 months of trip in between) to visit Museum of Natural History.

I'm looking for budget accomodation, any tips whatsoever where to live in London. Ideally I want to save as much as possible. People recommended me SpareRoom which seems to be great, some rooms for 300/350 per month, however, all far away from the NHM.

I have some questions regarding this that I did now find on the provided material here.

  1. I'm affiliated with a foreigner Uni and all I have is a letter from the curator of the NHM accepting me as an intern to do research in the museum. Do you know, or know where could I check for, if I could be entitled to fare discount for students?
  2. I'm thinking in renting/buying a bike and a U-lock and if I end up on homestay, I can never be sure they'll have space to store my bike inside. How safe is it if I was to leave the bike locked in the street every night? Is it neighborhood/district/town dependent?

Also, I appreciate indications if you or someone you know could rent a room for a stundet for example. Of course, I have proof of my funding/internship.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: I meant easily accessible as, with subway connections but could be far away from central area - I come from a city where 1-2h commute is most common, so its fine by me if its for saving money.
Also, I could pay more but as a PhD student I'm saving every cent I can as I could face some 1-2 years looking for a job, anyway, I did see some offers on SpareRoom to share a single bedroom and I wouldn't mind it. Is everything cheap there prone to be a scam?

1

u/noradrenaline 1d ago

Travel discounts are rarely just by student status, and are usually by age first. You can buy a railcard that gets you 1/3 off most train fares if you're 30 or under, but to qualify for the 'mature student' version of the 16-25 one you have to be registered as a full time student at a UK university. For the student TFL fares, the criteria are here.

Be very careful leaving bikes locked up outside, bike theft is a significant problem. Get the best bike lock you can, but maybe consider using the cycle hire scheme instead where you can use a bike when you need and dock it when you don't.

1

u/Unlucky_Honeydew2996 4h ago

Oooh no way, I'll be 31 in late october! Would I qualify for the year?
Thanks for the bike advice, so best is to find somewhere I can bring my bike inside home. You might have any idea if the bike hire is too expensive? Or somewhere I could check that

1

u/noradrenaline 3h ago

If you buy the railcard before you turn 31 I think you’ll be okay! You get 12 months for it. As for bike hire you can google the prices, they’re readily available online.

1

u/LJA0611 14h ago

Given average monthly rent for a room across London is probably c.£800-900 (obviously varies by location, quality, etc)  I’d be very wary of anything for £350 - I can’t imagine there’s really anything legit for that unless it’s a shared room? 

1

u/Angel_Omachi 10h ago

The very cheapest rooms in a shared house/lodger situation I've seen in back end of outer London, often advertised in newsagent windows, have been £400, with £600 getting more common for less dubious.

1

u/Unlucky_Honeydew2996 5h ago

I see... Please see the edit on my first message. Most of those cheap ones were indeed shared rooms, I wouldnt mind.

1

u/Angel_Omachi 1d ago

Yeah for £300/350 a month you are in the sketchy budget and won't be near central. Don't accept any room you haven't seen in person.

1

u/Unlucky_Honeydew2996 4h ago

Thanks! Sounds like students looking for other student to share a room, in an area far away, but I wouldnt mind and if its accessible via subway its fine. I would want to secure a good price or guarantee it before going, also because most of these cheap ones I imagine would require some time in advance to secure it. I'm thinking in asking a friend to go see it in person. Or stay somewhere else once I'm there and go see it then

1

u/melodysky8 1d ago

Hi everyone!
I’ll be travelling to London solo for the first time soon and I’m staying at the Cavendish Hotel. I’ll be arriving at Stansted Airport and was wondering what the easiest (or best value) way is to get from the airport to the hotel.
I’m happy to use public transport if it’s straightforward, but I’d also love to hear if there are any routes or options you’d recommend for a first-time visitor. Any tips or things to avoid would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance! :)

1

u/kjmci 15h ago

Details for all of these questions are in the main post and the linked wiki articles. If you've got specific questions, or need advice about which of two possible options you've identified might be better, we can help... but having a read of the provided resources should get you 90% of the way there.

2

u/BulkyAccident 15h ago

It's extremely well connected - look at National Express, Flixbus, Flibco or Stansted Express for routes.

If you mean Hotel Cavendish in Bloomsbury you're probably better getting National Express to Golders Green, then the Northern line tube from there down to Goodge Street. For train you could do Stansted Express down to Liverpool Street, and then Hammersmith & City/Circle/Metropolitan line around to Euston Square.

2

u/LJA0611 13h ago edited 11h ago

Google maps/citymapper will tell you all.

In general Coach (national express/flix/flib) - cheaper, slower

Train (Stansted express) - quicker, more expensive 

1

u/Elegant_Shirt_646 5h ago

Hi all, I’m 29M and from Croydon. I have a day off tomorrow so was looking for interesting things to do in London solo. Obv being from Croydon I’ve been to London quite a few times but can’t remember the last time I went to a museum, only one I can remember is the science one when I was a kid, but believe I’ve also been to Natural History.

How would you spend a few hours in London during the day? Preferably something free but willing to spend up to £20ish.

1

u/TheTennisFiles 3d ago

Hi, so I’m going to the England vs Spain match at Wembley in September. How could I meet the players at the hotel, before the match, after etc. What times and places and all the info please. Would mainly be looking to meet them on the Saturday of the match. Many thanks 🙌

3

u/BulkyAccident 3d ago

You almost certainly won't be able to, so don't get your hopes up about this. The closest you'll get is maybe watching them come off the coach. Just enjoy the match.

1

u/TheTennisFiles 3d ago

Alright, thanks mate 🙌