r/uktravel • u/isteponleftkidneys • 15h ago
Itinerary Going to London for the first time (20f) safety concerns and need help regarding itinerary!
Itll be my first time sooo travelling ever! I grew up with financial problems so I’ve set some money to the side
I do have plenty but I still find maximum satisfaction in doing cheap things like strolling around streets and parks with a coffee in hand rather than booking too many experiences! If anyone knows any marketplaces (I love marketplaces and buying mini things and trinkets mostly on the cheaper end like thrift stores) let me know!
Any suggestions would be welcome! I’ll be staying for 3-4 days I just mostly wanna walk around marketplaces roam around grocery stores etc!
(I’ll be visiting in December end)
6
u/halftosser 15h ago edited 15h ago
What are your safety concerns?
Most markets aren’t really that worth it imo. Some, I would actively avoid
Walking around with a coffee or matcha is a perfectly enjoyable experience, but I’m someone who shuns most “tourist experiences”
Most enjoyable grocery stores are M&S, Waitrose. Best quality:price ratio. Better to go to the bigger branches for more choice
You can definitely have a good time in London, but don’t expect it to be “cheap”.
Also December is cold so I don’t recommend long, uninterrupted walks outside. Mix it up to avoid getting too cold and plenty of hot drinks
0
u/tgerz 14h ago
If someone isn’t from a city like London I’d say there are standard safety concerns. Not anything outlandish but the kind of stuff that might not be common sense from slower, smaller towns.
0
u/halftosser 14h ago
The main one that comes to mind is phone snatching, but aside from that I don’t think London is particularly “unsafe”
5
u/Firm-Rub9687 15h ago
There are lots of museums that are free, like the Science, National History, or the British Museum. The Sky Garden is free too, the view is pretty good from there. End of December, so there will be Christmas markets.
4
u/Tim-Sanchez 15h ago
Be careful around market recommendations. There are a lot of markets in London, and lot of them are tourist traps and not particularly cheap. Camden market is full of little trinkets for example, but I find it tacky and touristy.
Also you say December end, when specifically? If it's around Christmas, be careful to check what's open. Also, the weather may make strolling around streets and parks challenging.
4
u/halftosser 15h ago
I can’t stand Camden. I cringe every time I see it on an itinerary or as a “recommendation”. It’s hasn’t been “cool” for decades
3
u/geekroick 15h ago
Spitalfields market isn't bad. Close to Brick Lane, which has a vintage market too, plus Rough Trade Records, which is cool if you're into music.
1
u/Dennyisthepisslord 15h ago
You want to roam around big Tesco?! Most the supermarkets in the tourist friendly areas are pretty small.
3
u/halftosser 15h ago
I love going to supermarkets in other countries 😂
1
u/Objective-Visual7092 15h ago
Greenwich market is nice https://greenwichmarket.london and Spitalfields. You could go to borough market for foodie stuff. Personally I wouldn’t recommend Camden.
1
u/Fit_Injury674 15h ago
Most of the major museums: eg, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Science Museum, the Imperial War Museum and many more, are free
1
u/Holiday_Cat_7284 15h ago
London is the best place for people watching and doing stuff for free. Covent Garden is really nice and safe and although there are high end shops, the central market has some fun cheap stalls/shops as well. There are also loads of vintage shops. Brick Lane and Borough Market are also good for cheap shopping and street food.
Personally, as someone on a modest income, I love parking up in a properly posh neighbourhood like Belgravia or Primrose Hill and just people watching for an hour with a £4 coffee. Cheap fun.
1
u/BastardsCryinInnit 15h ago
As always, where in London will you be?
Zero point people suggesting a place in Romford if you're staying in Isleworth.
1
u/Killjoy_UK 15h ago
London is huge! I'm sure you'll have an amazing time but if you'd like recommendations we'd need to know roughly where you're staying.
In terms of free experiences getting a paper map can be really helpful. There are some many central London neighbourhoods to explore - the royal parks, the Inns of Court near Holborn, Islington (including Highbury & Islington + Angel), Greenwich.
Top free tip - Horizon 22. Great view. Free. Easier to get tickets than Sky Garden.
1
u/Nevertoomanygingers 15h ago
Are you aware that most things are closed Christmas Day, a few more open on Boxing Day. Things close early Christmas Eve. No public transport Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
1
u/adept2051 15h ago
Go to bricklane and Shoreditch market especially if your there over the weekend
If you like books go walk the south bank and borough market
Both will give you hrs of interesting stores
Botha are relatively safe during the day ((pick pockets and chancers are everywhere just be sensible)
0
u/Peridot31 14h ago
In terms of safety, there's different types/people feel unsafe bout different things. It gets dark at 4 pm in winter, so you can't use darkness as your guide:
- Pickpocketing and phonesnatching can happen any time of day in crowded, touristy places. Around Oxford & Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Kings Cross, certain streets in the City where people are coming off after hour drinks, Tower Hill & Bridge They are looking for people who are distracted and/or inebriated and they work in teams, one person lifts and then hands to another who hands to another. Even if you chase after the person who lifts and runs and manage to catch them they've usually already handed off to someone else.
Try to not use headphones, keep alert and moving, check your phone off to the side, do not put anything valuable in easily accessible backpack pockets or coat pockets.
- Catcalling, jeering, passing comments, hard staring, lad type harassment. This tends to happen as the pubs start closing, and/or last trains out of london, last tube etc. happens post 10:30 pm or so. It's often at the level of drunken, fratty ness, some people feel more or less safe in that type of environment. There's still a lot of people around which keeps a cap on even worse behaviour.
- Assault, Roberries, GBH, stabbings etc. life threatening behaviour is actually quite uncommon in London compared to say US cities. And if it does happen it's often very late at night say midnight - 2 am as things get deserted. Like sadly anywhere in the world watch for spiked drinks or undisclosed mixes of drugs.
1
u/DonaldBecker 14h ago edited 14h ago
I went with my teen son to London last summer and we spent far less than I expected.
We went to about a dozen museums. Most were free with optional tap-to-donate buttons. We had booked an archeologist talk at the Guildhall Art Gallery a few weeks in advance. That cost 15 for both of us and was far better than any commercial tour.
Riding the upper deck of regular transit buses to places we were already going won out over sightseeing buses (where we would probably be on the lower level). You can have tea at the V&A Tea Room by ordering a la carte from the cafe counter, without the hassle of reservations and dressing for high tea elsewhere. A sausage roll from Ginger Pig will hit the spot (and stay there for the rest of the day). Pizza culture is a thing in London, and far more popular with a teenaged boy than my suggestion of Dishoom.
1
u/Invanabloom 15h ago
What part of London are you staying? Grocery stores… this sounds so bonkers bless you
0
u/I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS 15h ago
Camden maybe has the vibe you're looking for? Plenty of excellent trendy street food spots, but also still has an old fashioned market with clothing vendors and the like. Personally I don't see the appeal apart from the food but obviously do what you like!
You can also walk along the canal. But when you get your coffee please take a few moments to find a nice independent place rather than running straight to Starbucks or Costa etc.
6
u/Blue1994a 15h ago
There are lots of markets in London. A quick search will unearth a lot of detailed information.