VISITING LONDON: A CHEAT SHEET
GENERAL TIPS
• Sainsburys and Tesco grocery stores have £3 “meal deals” which include a sandwich/wrap, snack, and drink.
• It can now and again be quicker and easier to walk someplace than taking the Tube.
• Drivers are intended to forestall for pedestrians at zebra crossings, but don’t constantly.
• When on escalators, stand at the proper; walk t the left. You have been warned.
• Stella Artois isn't always fancy beer.
• You won’t need 1/2 the garments you bring. Stock up some merino wool items, grasp a lightweight rain jacket, and you’ll be set. Avoid doing laundry if you could.
• Ditch the rolling baggage and get a proper backpack. I’m a massive fan of the Osprey Farpoint series.
• You may walk ten miles in an afternoon in London. Be ready.
• Getting takeaway (meals to go) is often inexpensive than dining in.
• Mediocre fish and chips is simple to find. Good fish and chips, not so a whole lot. Spending greater than £10 at the meal is hardly ever justified, though.
• Watch your property and wallet AT ALL TIMES. Don’t make your self an smooth pickpocket target.
• Use Apple Pay or Google Pay for super-simple contactless payments.
MONIES
Cash & Debit
While technology has made coins transactions much less frequent (in particular in places like the UK), you will encounter plenty of situations in which you’ll want hard currency. I generally endorse the unfastened Schwab checking account. Offering limitless ATM price reimbursements (foreign and domestic) and no foreign transaction fees, this is cheap and simple.
Definitely keep away from exchanging coins at an airport, as you’ll get the worst fees possible. Withdrawing cash from an ATM with a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction costs will assist reduce expenses and ensure better fees (though, keep away from airport ATMs!).
Credit Cards
Most shops and restaurants inside the UK take credit cards. They’ll anticipate you to use a PIN number. Unless you know you've got a PIN, you’ll want to signal the receipt (the US is still stuck inside the darkish ages).
In the US, you hand your card to a person who whisks it away. In the United Kingdom, they bring about the card reader to you. If you’re asked in case you’d like to pay in dollars, usually pay within the neighborhood currency (£, never $) – whilst not technically a scam, it’ll grow to be costing you greater (the merchant makes use of a fee a whole lot extra favorable to them).
TECH
Phones
I’ve covered a whole lot of this in my Phoning Home post however have a picked up a few pointers and hints on the grounds that then.
You’re bringing your telephone. That’s a given. If you’re on T-Mobile or Sprint, you should be set already. The data connection and
iphone scanner app on these plans will be slower than you’re used to, but good enough for cellphone calls, texts, and emails. Maps, for example, may load slowly. (Check out offline Google Maps).
Apps:
Airbnb (Android, iOS)
Google Drive (Android, iOS)
Google Maps (Android, iOS)- don’t forget to download offline maps in advance of time (instructions for Android, iOS)!
Google Translate (Android, iOS) – you could download the translation packs beforehand of time (instructions for Android, iOS!
Messenger (Facebook) (Android, iOS) – not crucial, but can be once in a while beneficial. Not endorsed for security, though.
Splitwise (Android, iOS)- in case you’re visiting with friends, this app makes it stupid smooth to break up up costs
TempMail (Android, iOS) – ever needed a one-use electronic mail address? This is good for things like signing up for wifi at airports, or unfastened beer discounts at pubs with a newsletter signal-up.
Trainline (Android, iOS)- in case you aren’t acquainted with the myriad UK train companies, get this app and save your self a variety of hassle.
Transferwise (Android, iOS)- useful in case you want to transfer cash to a overseas recipient.
TripAdvisor (Android, iOS)
Uber (Android, iOS)
Whatsapp (Android, iOS)- Europe runs on
WhatsApp. Put away your iMessage and download this app. Do be conscious a whatsapp account is tied to a cellphone number – in case you buy a SIM inside the UK, Whatsapp will use that phone number, not your US one.
Additional Resources:
Top Productivity Apps
4 of the Best Messaging Apps for Different Scenarios
Top 10 Useful iPhone Apps in India
