r/london • • 3d ago

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

6 Upvotes

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:

  • VisitLondon - London's official tourist website

  • Time Out London - the original and classic listings site

  • The Londonist - like a newer Time Out

  • IanVisits - quirky cultural and historical events

  • What's Going On - Live map and listings of what's on across London, filterable by area, date and free events

  • Another Like That - get recommendations for events and culture around London, based on your mood/likes/dislikes.

  • Skiddle - popular site for gigs and club nights

  • Resident Advisor - the go-to for electronic music and club nights

  • NightNomads - nightlife listings site

  • London Ears - extensive chronological gig listings with Spotify links

  • Designmynight - curated lists of restaurants, bars and events

  • Galleries Now - exhibitions at leading galleries and art museums

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/TheWestEnd and r/WestEnd - For everything related to London theatre including show recommendations.
  • 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!


r/london • • 10h ago

The Met trialling their new SandCats today

799 Upvotes

r/london • • 49m ago

Transport Everyone is coughing and sneezing like crazy on the trains

• Upvotes

Listen, I beleive in the power microdosing viruses to keep your immunse system on its toes, but the viral load on the Mildmay is off the charts.

Every journey my poor immune system has to beat away multiple threats, bolstered only by the daily vitamin D I injest to to keep the frontline troops supplied, albeit meagerly.

When will it end? Its been about 3 weeks or more since id say about 30% of the trains passengers were coughing and spluttering. I feel I will fall too eventually, it is only a matter of time. The viral load is climbing


r/london • • 12h ago

Transport First Sin Bin Riders

331 Upvotes

r/london • • 1d ago

Bus driver just had to ask his passengers for directions

1.2k Upvotes

On the bus this morning, and we got to Elephant junction. Bus pulls up just after a stop, and I hear the driver's door open and he calls out, "Which way do I turn here, is it left?" A moment of quiet, and then several people say that yes, that's the right way. The driver says "Sorry, it's my first day on this route. Thanks everyone!"

It was actually very wholesome, and I'm glad he thought to ask rather than just ploughing on and hoping for the best.


r/london • • 22h ago

Just saw a big poo on the Thames

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618 Upvotes

Save our seas


r/london • • 7h ago

Ronnie Scotts - Going Alone To A Jazz Show - But Not Sure If Thats Odd

32 Upvotes

Hey fellow Redditers and Londoners.

I love abit of jazz, especially live jazz! But like many mid 30 year olds, all of my friends are married and have kids, they don't really leave the house. As such I've gotten used to doing things alone (get the violins out right?!) Anyway, I really want to go Ronnie Scotts at some point but was wondering if anyones gone alone before and if it was awkward. I can imagine it to be a romantic type of establishment... So makes me feel maybe like a weirdo


r/london • • 21h ago

Crime Card skimmed in St Pauls tube station

389 Upvotes

had my card skimmed at st pauls tube station last night. was topping up my oyster card when it wouldnt accept contactless from my bank card, so i put in my card and used the PIN there was a long pause until i got a payment declined or something message. checked with my bank and there had been an ATM withdrawal near by at the same time for £500.

i never noticed anything dodgy with the machine, be careful topping up. almost got stuck on central london with an empty oyster card and blocked bank card.

to add reported to BTP and TFL, bank refunded me almost straight away after talking with the fraud department.


r/london • • 13h ago

Local London Palantir and Sadiq Khan drop legal battle over Met contract

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63 Upvotes

r/london • • 22h ago

Rules restaurant: £11m site of London’s oldest restaurant given to the National Trust

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269 Upvotes

34-35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden has been home to Rules since 1798 and has seen high profile visitors from Charles Dickens, to Charlie Chaplin as well as Edward VII.

The National trust said the £11 million freehold gift would secure the future of the building.


r/london • • 17m ago

Discussion what’s one train line you’re grateful you don’t have to take?

• Upvotes

I was on the central line yesterday and I have no idea how ppl do it 😅. And i thought the northern line was bad…

I’ve been on my fair share of trains but I’m praying I never have a journey that requires me to use that line regularly


r/london • • 21h ago

Transport City of London cyclists 'sin bin': Police reveal bold new approach for red light jumpers

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166 Upvotes

r/london • • 17h ago

Observation That Power Station refurbishment on Lots Road, Chelsea, is really quite impressive inside (once ya fight yer way through the massive crowds!). I'll wager the apartments cost Lots too! 😜

72 Upvotes

r/london • • 16h ago

Cyclists who jump red lights given ‘time out’ and made to watch videos instead of being hit with fines

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37 Upvotes

Ooh time outs and telling offs, that'll teach em. All feels very primary school.

Hopefully their chocolate milk isnt cold too.


r/london • • 57m ago

image Twelve fire engines rush to Wembley warehouse blaze

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• Upvotes

r/london • • 23h ago

my personal fav things about londoners + london or idek?

131 Upvotes
  1. i think it's nice when it's super silent in the bus and someone gets off and they shout THANK YOU and the bus driver does a little nod or a mellowed out you're welcome or even a nod. a nod means a lot here, it means go ahead, no worries, thank you, sorry, okay i mean it's endless
  2. letting older people go first in line, on the bus, on the train, escalator and sit down - just commute etiquette is a lost art sometimes but i'm hopeful most of the time like i like that we agree stick to one side and give people space
  3. everyone walks fast like they are running away from a falling building at all times. the union of wanting to get home is cool
  4. someone said sorry to me because they dropped their umbrella around me and wasn't even really near but they apologised to everyone for really no reason at all

i hope these aren't all transport related i'm realising....

  1. seeing everyone huddle around pubs way way into roads and somehow half the customers are in the alleyway

  2. i also like how there are a fair share of really nice parks and every summer everyone bolts there. it's like a fair mix or somewhat mix of country and city i guess. especially cause different areas in london have different vibes, it's a nice change if you want to go to a quieter place or something.

  3. the option of having stuff to do on the weekend whether that's a football match or even just playing football, going to see a movie in a super old picture house or watch a play at the theatre, the free museums make my life a whole lot easier. there's always places to see, eat, take your friends and meet people

  4. i also think it's nice when people cross the road and put their hand up to thank the driver for letting them go past even though they def should have waited

  5. multicultural. i think it's nice to go on the tube and see a bunch of different people, you don't get as much as imposter syndrome. also, multicultural means more food options which is nice. i also like the fact we say order an indian or a chinese. i'm aware this isn't just a london thing but it's cool.

  6. overall, just feels alive. i like when everyone pulls out a really nice trench coat in the winter but refuses to buy a jacket with a hood. honourable mention to the nhs. i also like when tourists come and take pictures of the british library makes you appreciate it better. new year's eve is always great, i could go on tbh.


r/london • • 21h ago

Transport Not building third runway would be 'missed opportunity', says Heathrow boss

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54 Upvotes

r/london • • 1d ago

Question Topped up £50 at Canary Wharf station, showing as an Indian restaurant on my Amex

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501 Upvotes

Yesterday I topped up my Oyster card by £50 at a machine in the Canary Wharf Elizabeth line station. The £50 is in my Oyster card and I am making journeys just fine. However, I checked my Amex statement and I see a transaction of £50 from “Brentwood Spice”. A quick google search says this is an Indian restaurant in Essex. I haven’t been to any restaurants at all recently, nor have I ever been to Brentwood. I don’t see any other £50 transactions or anything from TfL.

Seems quite strange, no? Could it be a case of money laundering?


r/london • • 1d ago

Misleading headline Tube worker 'faces sack after protecting passenger from violent attack'

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271 Upvotes

r/london • • 1d ago

Crime Teenager jailed for raping girl at east London station

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507 Upvotes

r/london • • 1d ago

image Hampstead Heath fair, ca. 1950; photo by John Gay.

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90 Upvotes

r/london • • 1d ago

News Gas leak at Liverpool Street!!

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488 Upvotes

All offices around the broad street are evacuated and have been told not to SMOKE!!


r/london • • 1d ago

Image Giant receipt (?) demonstration on Trafalgar Square this morning

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165 Upvotes

Spotted this around noon today. They unrolled the whole thing and it was really long. Has anyone seen it? Seems to be something to do with Pret.


r/london • • 14h ago

image Beautiful Fruticose lichen (commonly known as beard lichen or Old Man’s Beard, belonging to the genus Usnea) growing on a woody tree branch

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1 Upvotes

r/london • • 1d ago

Discussion If you could choose one thing to change in London - what would it be ?

35 Upvotes

If you could choose one thing to change in London - what would it be ?