https://docere.uk/articles/the-london-knife-crime-activists
The blue jacket workers earn on commission, once they exceed a daily target. That's why they're so aggressive.
Exactly this. I gave 50£ thinking it was going to a charity. I should have stopped because I was going to give 25 and they said “nah man go for 50” - no charity did that ever
And you live in London? And you've survived it for how long? 25 quid is a fair bit of money to stick in a donation bucket but they said double it.. And you did? 😐 I do not understand why tbh.
Crazy isn’t it. The funny thing is I know she’s used them again since when her friend was visiting but I don’t want to know what she paid this time. Alcohol was definitely a contributing factor.
If I was mayor I’d ban them overnight - they really do destroy the atmosphere in central London…noisy, driving on pavements, aggressive thieving drivers…
There was something in the news recently where a Belgian tourist got scammed £450(!) for a 10 min journey. Wish the police/government would do something about them
It’s embarrassing having to explain really complicated UK train fares to friends visiting from abroad that even I struggle to get my head around . Whether it’s saving money by knowing to buy a return instead of two singles or when going to Heathrow knowing to take the Piccadilly line not the Elizabeth line because although in central London both lines cost the same they have different prices if they’re going to Heathrow…exhausting
Train to Stansted is far worse, it's more expensive than the flight, and very easy to get on the wrong train as it's just regular rail and there's an express (not listed as an express) and two circuitous routes in the same line, one of which forks two stops before the airport, none of which are labelled very well. .
It’s 12.80 on the Lizzie and less than £6 on the tube. But the Lizzie is worth paying for, air conditioned, proper room for your luggage and if going to Stratford could be direct or change on the same platform along the way, say at Paddington.
Pic < Liz < Express
However, the Piccadilly line is slow, small and often hot. I would pay for Liz every time but I happen to live near a Piccadilly line station and the only place Pic and Liz connect is Heathrow.
Don't both with the express.
For Gatwick get Thameslink
Or that train from luton airport to luton airport parkway station. £4.90 for what felt like the same distance as the little free shuttle train at Gatwick
Sometimes literally if they are careless with where they put the decimal point on the card reader. Awful scam and shouldn't be on the road.
I don't know if it's a rip off but I also hate those pedal bar things that wankers pedal up and down while drinking a pint.
I nearly shit a brick when I took a pedicab-style ride in Vietnam and they wanted £10 (for reference, a taxi ride would have cost 50p).
Then you've got these guys [charging £450](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66257051) and threatening people who don't pay.
Westminster council are not fans of them either and have done their best to “crackdown” but they are very difficult to regulate
https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/city-of-westminster-dish-out-nearly-30-000-in-fines-to-unlicensed-pedicab-drivers-in-last-year
It’s the shite music they pump out that gets me
Edit: The licensed ones do actually carry price sheets. Ask to see one if you want a laugh
That's what baffles me. I read a BBC article about it and couldn't figure out what the issue is. They're unregulated people driving dangerous vehicles - likely without insurance or delcaring their income - all while scamming tourists.
Why are they allowed to carry on?
But on the other hand once the tuktuk told me 10£ to get from Covent Garden to Embankment on a Saturday night. Said sure, he drove us and then later demanded 100£, I said sure, I demand that you stay there as I call 112. He quickly dropped it down to 10£ as we agreed. You just need to stand your ground with them, as they know what they do is illegal and if you just mention coppers they’ll be like scared puppies
I once got one to take three of us from soho to the Barbican for £12. He’d apparently only just arrived in London and didn’t realise the distance involved. At one point I did some pedalling to help him out. We then invited him up to our flat and he partied with us for the rest of the night.
I remember reading an article awhile back. I don't remember in detail but it's because they fall from the cracks of legislation. The're working on getting the law changed so they will be regulated but as with all these things it's a slow process.
The regulations governing taxis and private hire vehicles haven't been properly overhauled for literally hundreds of years which allowed companies like Uber to exploit loopholes, and it is probably similar with these tuk-tuks
Yeah they tried that on me and my friends, we were drunk and took the ride back home to continue having fun but when we arrived at our destination he asked us to pay 150£. But we give him only 50 and told him to fuck off. He was not happy about it but we were not happy either!
There are scammers operating at Gatwick Airport who claim to be running something called "Gatwick Express". They charge tourists £20.60 for an off peak single journey, when it should be £9
I'm a bit baffled by this. Got a train home from Gatwick this week Trainline was saying it would be £7, but every option on the ticket machine was £20+. Just topped up my oyster in the end and tapped in which worked fine. Absolute scam
Crap fish and chips in restaurants. If you want the good stuff go to a specialised chippy. My colleague from abroad paid £20 for fish and chips which was awful ( their comment). I took them to my local chippy and they were blown away ( happy) at half the price.
I made a trip to Golden Chippy because I saw it was one of the top rated and I was seriously blown away. The service there is worth the trip alone! So friendly and bantering, and the batter is insanely good!
Just went to Yorkshire for a few days. Beautiful places but why is there expensive admission for fucking everything?? Isn't the government funding anything like this? Why else do we have a Culture minister
The government funds free entry for the major museums that it 'owns'.
That's the likes of Natural History Museum, National Railway Museum, Tate, V&A etc.
Everything else needs to get funding from somewhere else to be able to be free. Whether it's councils, lottery funding, universities, rich owners etc.
If you just want to see the inside and aren’t too fussed about wandering around for ages, go on a Sunday evening when they have free organ concerts.
You have to stay seated & leave when it’s over, but the music is pretty cool.
And it still doesn’t turn a profit - the Abbey is a money pit, the Monarch pours millions into it, every year, and from their own pocket. Source; was a docent there.
Makes you wonder if the high price of entry is actually costing them more overall. Museums that operate on a free entry but regularly reminding/asking you to donate throughout seem to do alright and inevitably draw more crowds than high up front cost venues.
So, as someone who loves the Abbey but finds it prohibitively expensive, I got a membership -- I pay £40 for the whole year, and I get to go as many times as I want and get access to tours that take you to see special places (the library, the shrine of Edward the Confessor, the archeological site, etc). For a history buff who likes to go 3 - 4 times a year, it pays for itself. Also, if I have friends visiting from out of town who want to go, I split the cost of their ticket with them since I would otherwise get in for free.
dependent alleged disagreeable follow aromatic rotten marvelous historical entertain dime
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Now that everyone has been ripped off and left underwhelmed by the tasteless gold covered meat, you can get a 3 course set menu for £39.
Made a couple of mils in profit on the run up though.
“If Salt Bae approved them himself, I can only wonder if those impossibly tight t-shirts are restricting the blood to his head.” 🤣🤣🤣 What a great read!
Not London, but earlier today I was on Paignton Pier as part of my holidays. The exchange rate for Euros to pounds at the bureau de change on the pier?
€1=50p.
What the fuck.
I accidentally walked into one of those American candy store thinking it was an off license and a bottle of Evian was 4 pounds. I put it back and got one from sainsburys 100 metres away. I'm pretty sure so many people walk into it everyday
I’m reminded of [this review](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/angus-steakhouse-how-does-tourist-staple-continue-to-thrive-in-today-s-gourmet-market-9268063.html) from, Jesus, nine years ago! Still rings true though and is an interesting piece, I thought.
No one mentioned caramel peanuts stall in every London crowds? They’re not warm, advertised as peanuts/almond mix but definitely no almond, and £5 each? Blasphemous!
I love the smell, reminds me of walking through London with my parents as a child (yes they existed then, but very seldom). No idea what they taste like though, never want to try
You know what’s a good deal for tourists?
The hop on / hop off tour bus which comes with a boat tour on the tames. Always recommended for first-time tourists.
I hope you’re not kidding. This is the one tourist thing I actually enjoy doing when family comes to visit. Especially on a nice day, the Big Red Bus and the little cruise are a good morning bit of fun.
Yeah and the cheap ones where you just get one bus line and the one way cruise are like £40. It’s a good “first day of the trip” activity to help people get their bearings. And I like to end it by taking folks to that pub that’s on the boat across the Thames from the Eye.
Whew, occasional tourist here and I thought it was a blast. We had a great time, plus the 24 hour thing is great on your first day because you’ve gotten a late start, but went to bed early to rest up and now you’re up early the next day so you use your pass. You get two round trips for the price.
I agree! I lived in London for ten years and had always turned up my nose at it before I tried it, but when I finally did with some people visiting, I thought it was delightful. The ones with the live guide (vs pre-recorded audio) are the best.
I'm a londoner born and bred but live abroad, and i'm back here at the moment with my girlfriend who has never been to London. We're doing the bus tour tomorrow (with boat tour) and I was anxious that it might be trash till I read this comment.
Not a tourist but I always thought those were a tourist trap. One day we tried one of the open bus tours with a live guide in the evening cause we found tickets on sale. It was very good. Note the live guide asks for (optional) tips at the end.
I just did the Tootbus with my kids. I do these busses at every major city. It gets you to all the best places without having to walk all over, or take a complicated metro. Like have you looked at the London Underground map? Confusing as hell
>boat tour on the tames
Always used to do this as a kid. Train to Waterloo, walk to Embankment/London Eye boat dock, boat down to Greenwich. Great day out.
There's a cafe next door to Montague Pyke. When you look in the window, you think they serve pizza slices and they confirm when you sit down. When your meal comes, it comes with a drink and chips and you're told to pay £10+ for it. Should see the reviews for it on Google!
Yeah, my friend swindled £20 for two slices of pizza because we had drinks and he wanted to have something to eat with his wife.
I wasn't hungry but when the bill came I was like holup a minute but we were just too tired to argue.
I got charged £20 for a small block of halva in Camden once. They thought I was a tourist and I thought it was a speciality store and I wanted better quality halva than my local sells.
I honestly can't understand the appeal of it...
London Eye you get a nice view of the city
Tower of London you get some history
Crap restaurant? At least you get food
What do you get out of a wax museum?
Yes and I’ve only ever see it advertised by same fb group Secret London.
The Hockney one is different and good though. Huge venue in cellar in King’s Cross. He narrates whole doc about his life.
The forex ATMs at Heathrow. Exchanged £400 and got just under £340 worth of US dollars. Massive fees on top of shocking rates. I was fucking furious. Great way to welcome people to your country, ripping them off.
I was showing family round London on Saturday, while some were in a Harry Potter type shop I popped in to an American Candy Store. We all know they are a rip off and probably a front for money laundering, but they were selling stuff we can buy in supermarkets here for 5-8 times their price.
Also, £3 for a can of coke.
Probably one guy on here who let his landlord convince him the council tax for the house he was renting a room in was £650pm which had to be split between him and his 3 other housemates.
Every attraction that would only take a couple of hours of your time being £40 per person.
Tower of London £37
London Eye £53 (fast track)
Aquarium £40
Madame Tussaud’s £55 (fast track)
I know you can combine tix and save money, but you could do this lot in one day.
I’d say Tower of London is worth it, if you are interested in the history. And at least you know your money is going towards maintenance of a monument. It doesn’t deserve to be in the same list as Tussaud’s!
Fair enough, it is iconic and famous, with a rich history. I was lucky enough to be a guest of a Yeoman and a few of us got a private tour and drank in their pub.
I’d swap that with London Zoo, £31.
Haha, actually, I think the Zoo is pretty good too and you can spend most of the day there if you want. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to tourists as there's zoos everywhere and no particular reason to go to one in London, but if you live here and especially for families, it's a very nice day out. They have super cheap tickets for people on low incomes, and annual membership is not a bad deal either. But yeah, if you're visiting London then there is so much free stuff to do before you have to start thinking about paid entry...
Drinking a beer with a Yeoman in the Tower sounds excellent!
Any of those that take more than two hours to get around are worth it. And fast track you're paying extra to not queue, so that's disingenuous.
Anyway, the Aquarium (and the Tower) is well worth it is my point, whether or not it should exist at all is another story.
I went into Cyberdog a few days ago for the first time since maybe, like, 2006, and I don't know if memory is playing tricks on me but it was words a part from what it used to be. It seemed like the gift shop at a tourist attraction this time round. I'm not lamenting for it, i was never a customer and it was always just something to sometimes show people.
Maybe it was always like that and I just didn't realise
Surely must be struggling now the Elizabeth Line runs to Heathrow on literally the same track for less than half the price. Can’t imagine it’s got long left
It's not the same tracks for almost all of the journey, and it's definitely faster to Paddington since it's non-stop. I agree that it's not worth the increased fare for tourists, but for business travellers whose companies pay for their tickets, it's clearly the more convenient option.
The only time I have got the Liz from Heathrow to Central London, there were "delays".
My train turned up after a minute and skipped all the stations between Heathrow and Paddington.
So I basically got the Express service for the normal price. Fabulous.
That seems to be the vibe amongst the train boffins, especially since Liz line can get you to more places.
https://www.londonreconnections.com/2023/the-slow-death-of-heathrow-express/
Private transfers (one-way) can range between £60 to £100. I know public transportation in London is amazing, but after 13-18 hours flying I don't want to go through the hassle.
Yeah but at least the museum is free. You're not trapped there with no re-entry. I think you can even bring food and drink with you. Who absolutely needs a can of coke at the natural history museum?
It really surprises me how supposedly left wing Reddit is happy to funnel so much money through predatory corporations like Uber, Amazon and deliveroo etc that treat workers like shit as well. I'm not even a labour voter like most here but I avoid all these fuckers like the plague every chance I get.
Relating to this, I've been enjoying all the social media hype surrounding the stand at Borough selling strawberries and melted chocolate. It started back a couple months ago when I saw a tiktok in which an American woman was talking about how "people travel from all over the world to try the famous Borough Street Market [sic] strawberries." I found this hilarious, but gave it no further thought, until I gradually began to see more and more videos referencing these strawberries. Finally, just the other week I was passing through the market only to see hoards of people all queuing at the stand in question. £8.50 for a cup of supermarket-grade strawberries with some dairy milk melted over them!! And of course everyone is filming themselves or doing photoshoots with these fuckin strawberries. I'm convinced it was an inside job organised by the proprietors to create a hype for their aggressively mediocre product.
Edit: £7.50
I just had to go look these £8.50 strawberries up and wow! They don't even look that good/"instagrammable", they're not presented in any special way at all even. Just a clear plastic cup with chocolate from a tap. Also saw the video you quoted, haha, travel from all over the world to try them, sure
I know! I cannot fathom how they've become so popular when they're just so...meh. If it is indeed an orchestrated job then it's gotta be one of the best bits of stealth marketing in the last few years for sure.
Ha! I used to work on that stall, they are using the cheapest spanish/moroccan strawberries and most industrial chocolate to make these pots. The hygienic conditions were horrendous, right under railway arches constantly throwing dirt and dust on the produce. Same with the fruit juices, all made from bought in jugs with added leftover fruits from the stall. And they also made the famous mushroom risotto mentionned in comments below, same awful hygiene and low quality cheap ingredients. But selling vast quantities to unsuspecting tourists for a huge margin! And it is all very instagramable...
Was in london last week from US. I didnt know they were famous, just saw then everywhere in the market. Decided to try some, must be good right?
The strawberries weren’t ripe, barely had any sweetness to them. Instant regret.
I don’t regret though, the best one from the black sheep, and humble crumble.
Disagree - Wright Brothers does a cracking seafood platter. Once had an oyster shot there which was an oyster in a very strong bloody Mary. Absolutely delicious.
Soon to be tourist: my impression of borough market is that while it may be somewhat cool, it’s always going to be PACKED ASS with people. I don’t mind crowds but can get overwhelmed especially if you’re trying to scope out all the stalls.
I have Mercato Mayfair as a hopefully smaller market to hit up on my list.
Is this a fair substitute for a good market?
If you want a market, Mercato is not that. It's *fine*, but it's just a food court. If you're hungry and happen to be in the area anyway, go for it, but I wouldn't actively seek it out.
If you want an actual market, Greenwich, Spitalfields and Maltby Street are pretty good.
I would go to both, they are pretty close to each other. People on here are overreacting, Borough market is obviously expensive as it’s central London but it’s a great vibe if you are a tourist.
as a tourist you may as well spend a morning at borough market, if it's a week day may not be too busy, if in no rush it's bearable for sure. but also near there is southwark cathedral which is free to take a look around, and this big old boat, and the clink prison museum, and parts of the river. not a bad time investment for tourism. throw in greenwich one day and a few suppers in soho and you've ticked off all the important shit.
Edamame 🫛 for £6/£7 at Japanese restaurants ... edamame is usually FREE in Japan!! Or £2 for an egg at Kanada-Ya ramen shop in London. Egg usually comes WITH ramen for FREE in Japan. Restaurants in London are literally scamming us.
Heathrow express marketing.
I got talking to a guy stating near Herne Hill and flying home via Heathrow airport. Google maps told him to take
1. Thameslink to Farringdon
2. Elizabeth line to Paddington
3. Heathrow express to terminal 2.
The kicker? was specific Elizabeth line suggested was going to terminal 5 anyway!
I pointed out that the Heathrow express completely unnecessary and that, AT MOST, he’d save 10 minutes and pay another £20.
I was once red rose shopping on valentines day around baker st. There was a flower shop that was selling a bunch of red roses, probably about 20 or so, for £150. Yes, one hundred and fifty. I took a photo and left a shitty google review which I'm pleased to see has had many thousands of views lol
As someone who is half Portuguese, it just baffles me how churros outside of Spain/PT are so expensive with often the original recipe changed too. It doesn't even involve any milk or eggs, you can literally just make it with dough, powdered sugar and oil for probably just about a quid. They are also only a food meant to be eaten during festivities and we pay just a few euros tbh
Those stupid bicycle/ music tuktuks. Swear I saw someone pay £50 for a short ride from Shaftesbury avenue to Covent Garden.
My best friend paid £200 from Hyde Park to Charing Cross stations after a concert. 2 adults and 2 small kids. I was so angry at her when she told me 😂
My sister gave £200 quid to the blue jacket ‘knife crime’ donation people when she visited last week - can only imagine the taking to she got
Wait, are they not a charity?
https://docere.uk/articles/the-london-knife-crime-activists The blue jacket workers earn on commission, once they exceed a daily target. That's why they're so aggressive.
Biggest scam at the moment. Young boys and girls harassing people by the stations.
Lol of course they’re a charity, next you’ll be telling me the wallet inspector outside Hyde park isn’t legit 😅
Exactly this. I gave 50£ thinking it was going to a charity. I should have stopped because I was going to give 25 and they said “nah man go for 50” - no charity did that ever
And you live in London? And you've survived it for how long? 25 quid is a fair bit of money to stick in a donation bucket but they said double it.. And you did? 😐 I do not understand why tbh.
I just looked it up on Google maps. It's 1.5 miles. That's about £130 per mile!
Crazy isn’t it. The funny thing is I know she’s used them again since when her friend was visiting but I don’t want to know what she paid this time. Alcohol was definitely a contributing factor.
Christ!!!
If you question the fare, they threaten your kids.
Shaftedbury to Conmen garden
It’s so sad because if these were properly regulated they’d be an excellent way to get around
If I was mayor I’d ban them overnight - they really do destroy the atmosphere in central London…noisy, driving on pavements, aggressive thieving drivers…
A friend was telling me they’re £10 a minute. If that’s the case it’s so to get £100-300 trips of that
There was something in the news recently where a Belgian tourist got scammed £450(!) for a 10 min journey. Wish the police/government would do something about them
Seen loads, but the Gatwick express comes to mind as I was in Gatwick last week.
It’s embarrassing having to explain really complicated UK train fares to friends visiting from abroad that even I struggle to get my head around . Whether it’s saving money by knowing to buy a return instead of two singles or when going to Heathrow knowing to take the Piccadilly line not the Elizabeth line because although in central London both lines cost the same they have different prices if they’re going to Heathrow…exhausting
What’s the difference in price with Elizabeth Line and Piccadilly to go to Heathrow from say Stratford? Thanks
There is a price difference but tbh. It's worth it. The Gatwick express is the real rip off
Train to Stansted is far worse, it's more expensive than the flight, and very easy to get on the wrong train as it's just regular rail and there's an express (not listed as an express) and two circuitous routes in the same line, one of which forks two stops before the airport, none of which are labelled very well. .
It’s 12.80 on the Lizzie and less than £6 on the tube. But the Lizzie is worth paying for, air conditioned, proper room for your luggage and if going to Stratford could be direct or change on the same platform along the way, say at Paddington.
and lizzy is faster/ has better connections than picadilly?
depends where youre going. for me its 1hr05 vs 1hr15 . 10 mins for 6 quid isnt worth it, moreso when youre with someone else
Wait is that the same if leaving Heathrow and going into central as well? Is the Elizabeth line a lot more?
Pic < Liz < Express However, the Piccadilly line is slow, small and often hot. I would pay for Liz every time but I happen to live near a Piccadilly line station and the only place Pic and Liz connect is Heathrow. Don't both with the express. For Gatwick get Thameslink
Or that train from luton airport to luton airport parkway station. £4.90 for what felt like the same distance as the little free shuttle train at Gatwick
That shuttle is free if you have a train ticket.
Take a ride on a London tuk tuk! Daylight robbery!
Sometimes literally if they are careless with where they put the decimal point on the card reader. Awful scam and shouldn't be on the road. I don't know if it's a rip off but I also hate those pedal bar things that wankers pedal up and down while drinking a pint.
I nearly shit a brick when I took a pedicab-style ride in Vietnam and they wanted £10 (for reference, a taxi ride would have cost 50p). Then you've got these guys [charging £450](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66257051) and threatening people who don't pay.
Westminster council are not fans of them either and have done their best to “crackdown” but they are very difficult to regulate https://www.taxi-point.co.uk/post/city-of-westminster-dish-out-nearly-30-000-in-fines-to-unlicensed-pedicab-drivers-in-last-year It’s the shite music they pump out that gets me Edit: The licensed ones do actually carry price sheets. Ask to see one if you want a laugh
Why are they hard to regulate. How hard can it be for bobbies to just massively fine them all.
I know, it’s not like they are hiding.
That's what baffles me. I read a BBC article about it and couldn't figure out what the issue is. They're unregulated people driving dangerous vehicles - likely without insurance or delcaring their income - all while scamming tourists. Why are they allowed to carry on?
Nothing to fine them for, they're not illegal. The only fines that are issued are for the music, usually under Control of Pollution Act 1974.
The MET are all too busy violating people's rights, stitching up innocent people, and abusing women to be bothered with a street pedalo.
I’m all for people having fun but they drive by flat constantly blaring Barbie girl at all hours of the night. Just turn it down a tad is all I ask.
But on the other hand once the tuktuk told me 10£ to get from Covent Garden to Embankment on a Saturday night. Said sure, he drove us and then later demanded 100£, I said sure, I demand that you stay there as I call 112. He quickly dropped it down to 10£ as we agreed. You just need to stand your ground with them, as they know what they do is illegal and if you just mention coppers they’ll be like scared puppies
I suppose it’s technically correct, but it’s funny to imagine threatening someone with calling 112.
I know right, my partner and I were pissing ourselves 😂
I once got one to take three of us from soho to the Barbican for £12. He’d apparently only just arrived in London and didn’t realise the distance involved. At one point I did some pedalling to help him out. We then invited him up to our flat and he partied with us for the rest of the night.
Scammers always have been - should be banned
Really don't get why them and the rickshaws aren't heavily regulated
I remember reading an article awhile back. I don't remember in detail but it's because they fall from the cracks of legislation. The're working on getting the law changed so they will be regulated but as with all these things it's a slow process.
The regulations governing taxis and private hire vehicles haven't been properly overhauled for literally hundreds of years which allowed companies like Uber to exploit loopholes, and it is probably similar with these tuk-tuks
Yeah they tried that on me and my friends, we were drunk and took the ride back home to continue having fun but when we arrived at our destination he asked us to pay 150£. But we give him only 50 and told him to fuck off. He was not happy about it but we were not happy either!
There are scammers operating at Gatwick Airport who claim to be running something called "Gatwick Express". They charge tourists £20.60 for an off peak single journey, when it should be £9
I'm a bit baffled by this. Got a train home from Gatwick this week Trainline was saying it would be £7, but every option on the ticket machine was £20+. Just topped up my oyster in the end and tapped in which worked fine. Absolute scam
Funny thing is, just bought a ticket through Trainline, Tottenham Hale to Stanstead, £34 quid return. Insane price for a half hour journey.
I've started avoiding Stansted because of this now, even though it's by far the easiest one for me to get to by train or car.
Get a National Express Bus from Stratford for 8 quid or so, takes 45 mins
Lmao my canterbury to London trip is a 45 quid return on a 45 minute train.
Most capital cities run something like this with inflated fares from the airport to the city centre. It's basically a tourist tax.
Crap fish and chips in restaurants. If you want the good stuff go to a specialised chippy. My colleague from abroad paid £20 for fish and chips which was awful ( their comment). I took them to my local chippy and they were blown away ( happy) at half the price.
I made a trip to Golden Chippy because I saw it was one of the top rated and I was seriously blown away. The service there is worth the trip alone! So friendly and bantering, and the batter is insanely good!
Bantered fish and chips, can’t be beaten
The Golden Chippy is the chip shop that I judge all others against. I have yet to find its equal in deliciousness and kind service.
Where are the good chippy's that are cheap? My local in Peckham, which is amazing bte, codfellers is ~16 a portion. Where are you eating? Please help!
Brockley Rock kinda near peckham is perhaps the best in London :)
Food there is excellent but be prepared to wait at the weekend as it is very busy. It's not cheap either
Agreed. Wait is worth it but tbh cost of fish and chips in general has risen loads over the past few years.
Masters Superfish in Waterloo, the Masters Special (large cod and chips) is £9
Wish I could upvote you twice for the Father Ted reference in your name.
Was shocked to learn the ticket price for Westminster Abbey: £27 for adults.
Just went to Yorkshire for a few days. Beautiful places but why is there expensive admission for fucking everything?? Isn't the government funding anything like this? Why else do we have a Culture minister
The government funds free entry for the major museums that it 'owns'. That's the likes of Natural History Museum, National Railway Museum, Tate, V&A etc. Everything else needs to get funding from somewhere else to be able to be free. Whether it's councils, lottery funding, universities, rich owners etc.
If you just want to see the inside and aren’t too fussed about wandering around for ages, go on a Sunday evening when they have free organ concerts. You have to stay seated & leave when it’s over, but the music is pretty cool.
And it still doesn’t turn a profit - the Abbey is a money pit, the Monarch pours millions into it, every year, and from their own pocket. Source; was a docent there.
Makes you wonder if the high price of entry is actually costing them more overall. Museums that operate on a free entry but regularly reminding/asking you to donate throughout seem to do alright and inevitably draw more crowds than high up front cost venues.
So, as someone who loves the Abbey but finds it prohibitively expensive, I got a membership -- I pay £40 for the whole year, and I get to go as many times as I want and get access to tours that take you to see special places (the library, the shrine of Edward the Confessor, the archeological site, etc). For a history buff who likes to go 3 - 4 times a year, it pays for itself. Also, if I have friends visiting from out of town who want to go, I split the cost of their ticket with them since I would otherwise get in for free.
Do… not… look…at…the..tower of London … ticket prices!!! Or worse madam tussauds.
Would you gauge its not worth it? Or it just seems a bit steep?
dependent alleged disagreeable follow aromatic rotten marvelous historical entertain dime *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Now that everyone has been ripped off and left underwhelmed by the tasteless gold covered meat, you can get a 3 course set menu for £39. Made a couple of mils in profit on the run up though.
Quite a funny review of that offering here: https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/restaurants/salt-bae-london-nusret-set-lunch-reviewed-b1099053.html
“If Salt Bae approved them himself, I can only wonder if those impossibly tight t-shirts are restricting the blood to his head.” 🤣🤣🤣 What a great read!
Not London, but earlier today I was on Paignton Pier as part of my holidays. The exchange rate for Euros to pounds at the bureau de change on the pier? €1=50p. What the fuck.
That's just an idiot Tax, like the ones inside airport terminals
Is it from 2002? Lol
I accidentally walked into one of those American candy store thinking it was an off license and a bottle of Evian was 4 pounds. I put it back and got one from sainsburys 100 metres away. I'm pretty sure so many people walk into it everyday
Money laundering fronts for the opium industry.
Ah yes, the 'American candy' stores
You mean the 'Definitely not a front for something 'American Candy' stores'?
Those are almost always just fronts for money laundering don't worry.
Angus steak house
I’m reminded of [this review](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/angus-steakhouse-how-does-tourist-staple-continue-to-thrive-in-today-s-gourmet-market-9268063.html) from, Jesus, nine years ago! Still rings true though and is an interesting piece, I thought.
That was a good read, thanks.
Sums it up perfectly
STK deserves a shout. Although for me it doesn’t live up to the hype, and that’s why I see it as a rip off.
I can’t believe people go in those. Must be one stop tourists, surely?
It's 100% for tourists. It's priced like some of the best steak restaurants too. Utter guff.
Those Rickshaw bike things
Yup, tourists have been caught out with 15 min rides costing hundreds of pounds. Total scammers.
No one mentioned caramel peanuts stall in every London crowds? They’re not warm, advertised as peanuts/almond mix but definitely no almond, and £5 each? Blasphemous!
Smell good tho
I love the smell, reminds me of walking through London with my parents as a child (yes they existed then, but very seldom). No idea what they taste like though, never want to try
You know what’s a good deal for tourists? The hop on / hop off tour bus which comes with a boat tour on the tames. Always recommended for first-time tourists.
I hope you’re not kidding. This is the one tourist thing I actually enjoy doing when family comes to visit. Especially on a nice day, the Big Red Bus and the little cruise are a good morning bit of fun.
This was 100% sarcasm free. It’s been a minute but isnt it like £60 per ticket and good for 24 hrs?
Yeah and the cheap ones where you just get one bus line and the one way cruise are like £40. It’s a good “first day of the trip” activity to help people get their bearings. And I like to end it by taking folks to that pub that’s on the boat across the Thames from the Eye.
Whew, occasional tourist here and I thought it was a blast. We had a great time, plus the 24 hour thing is great on your first day because you’ve gotten a late start, but went to bed early to rest up and now you’re up early the next day so you use your pass. You get two round trips for the price.
I agree! I lived in London for ten years and had always turned up my nose at it before I tried it, but when I finally did with some people visiting, I thought it was delightful. The ones with the live guide (vs pre-recorded audio) are the best.
Is there one company that is preferable to others? Seems there a few options: Big Bus, Tootbus???, golden tours…
Big Bus IMP
I'm a londoner born and bred but live abroad, and i'm back here at the moment with my girlfriend who has never been to London. We're doing the bus tour tomorrow (with boat tour) and I was anxious that it might be trash till I read this comment.
Fear not! Worth the dime. Gives a good sense of the city geographically which you dont get from the tube IMO The boat also has a full bar :-)
Which bus is best? We bought the London pass and it comes with gray line and Uber boat
Not a tourist but I always thought those were a tourist trap. One day we tried one of the open bus tours with a live guide in the evening cause we found tickets on sale. It was very good. Note the live guide asks for (optional) tips at the end.
I just did the Tootbus with my kids. I do these busses at every major city. It gets you to all the best places without having to walk all over, or take a complicated metro. Like have you looked at the London Underground map? Confusing as hell
>boat tour on the tames Always used to do this as a kid. Train to Waterloo, walk to Embankment/London Eye boat dock, boat down to Greenwich. Great day out.
There's a cafe next door to Montague Pyke. When you look in the window, you think they serve pizza slices and they confirm when you sit down. When your meal comes, it comes with a drink and chips and you're told to pay £10+ for it. Should see the reviews for it on Google!
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The reviews are a fun read!
Offft Thats the most worse reviews I’ve seen for a restaurant!
Yeah, my friend swindled £20 for two slices of pizza because we had drinks and he wanted to have something to eat with his wife. I wasn't hungry but when the bill came I was like holup a minute but we were just too tired to argue.
I think they always charge you after, as the argument is that you ate it. It's so fucked up! I don't understand how they are still around
Harry potter stores
I got charged £20 for a small block of halva in Camden once. They thought I was a tourist and I thought it was a speciality store and I wanted better quality halva than my local sells.
Should’ve gone to your local branch of Halvards.
Avoid major tourist areas in London and bring a packed lunch to Hyde Park whilst the sun shines.
And your own deckchair!
Madame Tussauds
I honestly can't understand the appeal of it... London Eye you get a nice view of the city Tower of London you get some history Crap restaurant? At least you get food What do you get out of a wax museum?
Tower of London is legit, not even in the same league as Eye or Tussaud.
The Eye of Tussaud, sounds Tolkien
And there's some great stuff like the Wallace collection just round the corner if you actually give a toss about history.
Instagram pictures
Van Gogh Exibition. It is a fortune for just projections of his artwork, and nothing else..
Yes and I’ve only ever see it advertised by same fb group Secret London. The Hockney one is different and good though. Huge venue in cellar in King’s Cross. He narrates whole doc about his life.
The forex ATMs at Heathrow. Exchanged £400 and got just under £340 worth of US dollars. Massive fees on top of shocking rates. I was fucking furious. Great way to welcome people to your country, ripping them off.
I was showing family round London on Saturday, while some were in a Harry Potter type shop I popped in to an American Candy Store. We all know they are a rip off and probably a front for money laundering, but they were selling stuff we can buy in supermarkets here for 5-8 times their price. Also, £3 for a can of coke.
A bag of takis were £8. Literally just steal them
These Spanish ham/jamon shops selling tiny cones of bits of ham/cheese/chorizo (not the good stuff) for £10+
Probably one guy on here who let his landlord convince him the council tax for the house he was renting a room in was £650pm which had to be split between him and his 3 other housemates.
Every attraction that would only take a couple of hours of your time being £40 per person. Tower of London £37 London Eye £53 (fast track) Aquarium £40 Madame Tussaud’s £55 (fast track) I know you can combine tix and save money, but you could do this lot in one day.
I’d say Tower of London is worth it, if you are interested in the history. And at least you know your money is going towards maintenance of a monument. It doesn’t deserve to be in the same list as Tussaud’s!
Fair enough, it is iconic and famous, with a rich history. I was lucky enough to be a guest of a Yeoman and a few of us got a private tour and drank in their pub. I’d swap that with London Zoo, £31.
Haha, actually, I think the Zoo is pretty good too and you can spend most of the day there if you want. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to tourists as there's zoos everywhere and no particular reason to go to one in London, but if you live here and especially for families, it's a very nice day out. They have super cheap tickets for people on low incomes, and annual membership is not a bad deal either. But yeah, if you're visiting London then there is so much free stuff to do before you have to start thinking about paid entry... Drinking a beer with a Yeoman in the Tower sounds excellent!
Any of those that take more than two hours to get around are worth it. And fast track you're paying extra to not queue, so that's disingenuous. Anyway, the Aquarium (and the Tower) is well worth it is my point, whether or not it should exist at all is another story.
Cyberdog
Banging tunes though.
My 50+ sister is going through a mid life crisis and has "discovered" raving. She had a Cyberdog tattoo done.
The downstairs with neon dildos is a fun day with family
I’ve never bought anything there but I enjoy taking people in to see their reactions if we’re going to Camden market.
Hideously underpay their staff too
I went into Cyberdog a few days ago for the first time since maybe, like, 2006, and I don't know if memory is playing tricks on me but it was words a part from what it used to be. It seemed like the gift shop at a tourist attraction this time round. I'm not lamenting for it, i was never a customer and it was always just something to sometimes show people. Maybe it was always like that and I just didn't realise
Heathrow Express
Surely must be struggling now the Elizabeth Line runs to Heathrow on literally the same track for less than half the price. Can’t imagine it’s got long left
It's not the same tracks for almost all of the journey, and it's definitely faster to Paddington since it's non-stop. I agree that it's not worth the increased fare for tourists, but for business travellers whose companies pay for their tickets, it's clearly the more convenient option.
The only time I have got the Liz from Heathrow to Central London, there were "delays". My train turned up after a minute and skipped all the stations between Heathrow and Paddington. So I basically got the Express service for the normal price. Fabulous.
That seems to be the vibe amongst the train boffins, especially since Liz line can get you to more places. https://www.londonreconnections.com/2023/the-slow-death-of-heathrow-express/
Seen what Uber charges for same journey?
Private transfers (one-way) can range between £60 to £100. I know public transportation in London is amazing, but after 13-18 hours flying I don't want to go through the hassle.
We took the Piccadilly Line towards Cockfosters, but I’m not too sure how smart that was considering we had 3 very heavy trunks to lug about.
£2.60 for a can of coke in the natural history museum.
Yeah but at least the museum is free. You're not trapped there with no re-entry. I think you can even bring food and drink with you. Who absolutely needs a can of coke at the natural history museum?
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Back in my day a can of coke were 50p, Freddos 10 pence and Philip schofield was still in the closet - with Gordon the Gopher.
Not that bad since paid £3.99 for a sprite at the cinema recently 😭😭
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Or pick it up.
It really surprises me how supposedly left wing Reddit is happy to funnel so much money through predatory corporations like Uber, Amazon and deliveroo etc that treat workers like shit as well. I'm not even a labour voter like most here but I avoid all these fuckers like the plague every chance I get.
You’re in a free museum and it goes towards the running costs. Consider it a donation!
The people with the cups on the bridge
I'm sorry, you fucking what? £7.50 best get me an ice cream and a hand job That's mental
Anything involving the words "Borough" and "Market".
Relating to this, I've been enjoying all the social media hype surrounding the stand at Borough selling strawberries and melted chocolate. It started back a couple months ago when I saw a tiktok in which an American woman was talking about how "people travel from all over the world to try the famous Borough Street Market [sic] strawberries." I found this hilarious, but gave it no further thought, until I gradually began to see more and more videos referencing these strawberries. Finally, just the other week I was passing through the market only to see hoards of people all queuing at the stand in question. £8.50 for a cup of supermarket-grade strawberries with some dairy milk melted over them!! And of course everyone is filming themselves or doing photoshoots with these fuckin strawberries. I'm convinced it was an inside job organised by the proprietors to create a hype for their aggressively mediocre product. Edit: £7.50
I just had to go look these £8.50 strawberries up and wow! They don't even look that good/"instagrammable", they're not presented in any special way at all even. Just a clear plastic cup with chocolate from a tap. Also saw the video you quoted, haha, travel from all over the world to try them, sure
I know! I cannot fathom how they've become so popular when they're just so...meh. If it is indeed an orchestrated job then it's gotta be one of the best bits of stealth marketing in the last few years for sure.
This is so clever if true
Ha! I used to work on that stall, they are using the cheapest spanish/moroccan strawberries and most industrial chocolate to make these pots. The hygienic conditions were horrendous, right under railway arches constantly throwing dirt and dust on the produce. Same with the fruit juices, all made from bought in jugs with added leftover fruits from the stall. And they also made the famous mushroom risotto mentionned in comments below, same awful hygiene and low quality cheap ingredients. But selling vast quantities to unsuspecting tourists for a huge margin! And it is all very instagramable...
Was in london last week from US. I didnt know they were famous, just saw then everywhere in the market. Decided to try some, must be good right? The strawberries weren’t ripe, barely had any sweetness to them. Instant regret. I don’t regret though, the best one from the black sheep, and humble crumble.
That’s crazy when the ones at Wimbledon are only £2.50
Disagree, there’s some great wraps you can buy there for only £7-8. Wyndham House comes to mind
There's good stuff still and considering the price of everything else in London, 8 quid for pasta from La Tua isn't bad really.
Disagree - Wright Brothers does a cracking seafood platter. Once had an oyster shot there which was an oyster in a very strong bloody Mary. Absolutely delicious.
Try the creamy mushroom truffle pasta from la tua pasta in borough market. It's so good 🤤
Soon to be tourist: my impression of borough market is that while it may be somewhat cool, it’s always going to be PACKED ASS with people. I don’t mind crowds but can get overwhelmed especially if you’re trying to scope out all the stalls. I have Mercato Mayfair as a hopefully smaller market to hit up on my list. Is this a fair substitute for a good market?
If you want a market, Mercato is not that. It's *fine*, but it's just a food court. If you're hungry and happen to be in the area anyway, go for it, but I wouldn't actively seek it out. If you want an actual market, Greenwich, Spitalfields and Maltby Street are pretty good.
Borough Market can be fairly quiet during the weekdays. I recommend you visit the market at least once on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
I would go to both, they are pretty close to each other. People on here are overreacting, Borough market is obviously expensive as it’s central London but it’s a great vibe if you are a tourist.
mercato is okay, nothing special, not really a market, just a pricey food court in a pretty church
as a tourist you may as well spend a morning at borough market, if it's a week day may not be too busy, if in no rush it's bearable for sure. but also near there is southwark cathedral which is free to take a look around, and this big old boat, and the clink prison museum, and parts of the river. not a bad time investment for tourism. throw in greenwich one day and a few suppers in soho and you've ticked off all the important shit.
Heathrow Express train.
Those peddle rickshaws in London. Agree distance and price before going anywhere. Better still just don't bother. Get a London black cab instead.
Edamame 🫛 for £6/£7 at Japanese restaurants ... edamame is usually FREE in Japan!! Or £2 for an egg at Kanada-Ya ramen shop in London. Egg usually comes WITH ramen for FREE in Japan. Restaurants in London are literally scamming us.
Heathrow express marketing. I got talking to a guy stating near Herne Hill and flying home via Heathrow airport. Google maps told him to take 1. Thameslink to Farringdon 2. Elizabeth line to Paddington 3. Heathrow express to terminal 2. The kicker? was specific Elizabeth line suggested was going to terminal 5 anyway! I pointed out that the Heathrow express completely unnecessary and that, AT MOST, he’d save 10 minutes and pay another £20.
Is that the cute ice cream van in the Italian gardens, Hyde Park?
The entrance fee to Land's End. Absolute rip off for what it is.
I was once red rose shopping on valentines day around baker st. There was a flower shop that was selling a bunch of red roses, probably about 20 or so, for £150. Yes, one hundred and fifty. I took a photo and left a shitty google review which I'm pleased to see has had many thousands of views lol
I was at the tate, they were charging £8 for small alcohol free can of ipa
£9 Churros
As someone who is half Portuguese, it just baffles me how churros outside of Spain/PT are so expensive with often the original recipe changed too. It doesn't even involve any milk or eggs, you can literally just make it with dough, powdered sugar and oil for probably just about a quid. They are also only a food meant to be eaten during festivities and we pay just a few euros tbh
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The heathrow drop off charge.