It happens to all of us when we travel to a new place we pay extra for a bunch of different things. And this happens for several reasons. But in this ARTICLE, I’m going to tell you about five things I always see tourists overpay for and how you can avoid doing it. So let’s go now. Getting to central London from the airport.
Here are three ways I see tourists paying extra for this, so let me walk you through them.
Let's start with the taxi.
Almost all London airports are not actually in London, so many tourists will walk off the plane and be shocked when they find out that a taxi to their hotel is going to cost them £100 or more. If that’s not in your budget, every airport has at least a few public transport options that will get you into central London much cheaper.
With a quick search on CityM from the airport where you’re going to your hotel, you can see all of your available routes and how much each of them will cost. Just don’t forget to adjust your arrival time in the app as public transport availability decreases very early in the morning or late at night.
Now let's talk about Heathrow Express.
If you go to London Heathrow Airport, you will see many signs for the Heathrow Express to take you to Central London. You can do it, but the Heathrow Express is the most expensive train in the world at $25 per minute for a 15 minute journey. But if you book your ticket 90 days or more in advance, you can avoid paying the £25 and opt for an advance purchase ticket instead,Which is only £5.50, which makes it cheaper than taking two, which actually takes a lot longer. If you haven’t booked your ticket 90 days or more in advance, you can still avoid that £25 ticket price by skipping the Heathrow Express and opting for the Elizabeth Line. This also goes to Paddington. Takes just 28 minutes and only costs £12 £11.80, so it’s a lot cheaper, just a little slower. The Elizabeth Line goes well into Central London and even East London, so Google Maps can tell you that taking the Elizabeth Line to your hotel is a better option. Now, if you’re not flying into Heathrow, you’re probably flying into Gatwick Airport, and we’ve got another complex there too.
There’s the Gatwick Express, and it’s a tough number. In most cases, if you take the Gatwick Express, you will have to pay extra for your transport from the airport to central London. Why?
Well, one way, a Gatwick Express ticket is £20 when you buy it at the station, and the train takes 30 minutes to get to London Victoria Station. But there is also a Southern train that goes from exactly the same place which costs just £12.50 and has two extra stops, making it just three minutes longer than the Gatwick Express. So if you take the Gatwick Express, you’re paying a lot more to save three minutes. So it’s basically just never worth it.
Additional payment for public transport.
Ok, so now you’re in central London and you want to explore the city. The number one way tourists pay extra for tubes and buses while you’re there is to get a day travel card. Now, you hear travel cards every day and you think, oh, unlimited rides. It’s definitely going to save me money. But actually it doesn’t. If you just use an Oyster card or interact with unsupported payment methods, it actually costs you more.
Let me elaborate
A daily travel card costs £14.40 for travel between zones one and four. Now, most tourists end up staying in zones one to two, which if you pay for public transport in that zone, the daily cap, or the most you’ll pay for a whole day in zones one to two, is just £7.70. So if you live in those two regions and you get a daily travel card, You’re essentially paying double the price for the same trip. Even if you travel between zones one and four, the daily cap for those zones is £11. So if you get a daily travel card, you’re still paying more.
If you are too confused, don’t worry. All you need to know is don’t get a daily travel card. You’ll end up paying a lot more and instead, pay for your transportation with a contactless payment method or an Oyster card and you’re good to go. OK, enough about public transport.
Let's talk about its charm.
I get mixed reviews from my community who visit London and do must-do’s like the London Eye or the Tower of London. Tickets for such major attractions are like £30 plus, so some people feel like they’ve paid extra to go to these things.
So how do you know if you’re feeling this way? Well, that sounds simple, but ask yourself, why am I going to the Tower of London if I’m not really that interested in history? Or if you really don’t like musicals, don’t feel like you have to go see a show in the West End. It is important for you to think about what you want to do and what you want to do and not what someone tells you when you are in London. We have so many things that you can do here that whatever your interests, you will always find something that will interest you and you will feel that you paid good price and you did not overpay for it. ok,
- Now let’s say you’re here for all the big must-do’s and major tourist attractions.
That’s totally fine. Let me give you some tips to help you save some money and feel like you didn’t overpay for your attraction tickets.
First tip, most tickets are 10% cheaper if you order them online versus getting them at the door, so make sure you do that ahead of time. Number two is to check out the London Pass and the London Explorer Pass. These are two different city passes that give you access to attractions around the city. And I have articles for both of them that will help you figure out which one will be right for your trip.So I’ll leave those links in the description box. Paying extra for bad food near tourist attractions.
Make sure you plan your meals when you go sightseeing and don’t just leave it at that, we’ll find something when we’re there. This is a great recipe to end up at any old restaurant that’s probably a tourist trap where you’re going to pay a lot for some really bad food.By doing your research and planning your meals, you can make sure you’re not trying to find an old place on an empty stomach. You can save in good places. You can make sure that you can actually get a table when you want it. and you Just do your research and make sure you find places that you’re going to feel like you’re getting really good value for your money. It could mean you see the difference between paying £30 for a terrible burger at Planet Hollywood or Paying half price at a market that has delicious street food that you knew about because you did your research. Paying extra for your accommodation just because you think you will be safe.
A follower of mine once told me that a friend of his told him that the only way to make sure your accommodation in London is safe enough is to pay at least £600 per night for it.
It is absurd and completely wrong. I have heard of many tourists who spend a lot of money in mid-range international overpriced hotel chains here in London because they think they areIt will be more comfortable and safer there. But the truth is that here in London, we even have budget hotels and hostels that are incredibly safe. So you don’t have to overspend to be able to feel comfortable and safe where you are staying.
Tip number two is that we have lots of accommodation recommendations in Preme London. less But if you’re looking at a particular property here in London, the best way to get a feel for whether it’s going to be safe is to simply read the reviews. So make sure you check those bookings. Com or review TripAdvisor before you book anything. Tip number three, don’t be afraid to book accommodation outside of central London, where all the major tourist attractions are. Generally, you’re going to get a bit more for your money if you do this, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be somewhere that isn’t safe. If you live outside of central London, you might want to get to know some of our city’s more local areas Which are totally safe, and you get to know the tube and bus system really well, which I think is a big part of living in London.
