What I wish I knew BEFORE Visiting London (Read this before you go there!)

London is one of those must-see cities, there’s no doubt about it. From its thousands of years’ worth of history, to actual Royalty, to parks and museums and architecture galore, this city is a playground for travelers. That being said, there are some things to know before you come to London to avoid disappointment and to look out for. As someone who has always dreamed of going to London (and who thought she had done enough research prior to going), here are some things I wish I had known before I arrived:

#1: Book everything IN ADVANCE

Okay, so this one may be an obvious one- but it is probably my #1 regret I have for my time in London. London is one of the most visited cities in the world, so you may think there will be plenty of attraction tickets available- but many attractions will actually be selling out of tickets. I ran into this problem multiple times- and it severely impacted what I could do and see. As a history lover I desperately wanted to see and tour the Tower of London- I waited to book until I was literally IN London- and there were no tickets left for the entire duration of my trip, which was very disappointing. Another historical site I wanted to tour was Kensington Palace- the former residence of some of my favorite British royals, such as Queen Victoria and Princess Diana. I was on the website trying to buy tickets for myself and my friends a few days in advance, and while I was in the process of checking out the tickets sold out. We settled for seeing the palace from the outside only and exploring the gardens, but it was another preventable disappointment. The next time this happened was when we wanted to have an evening at the Sky Garden, which is London’s highest garden and home to restaurants, bars, and some of the best views in all of London. Access to the Sky Garden is free, however tickets are still required for entry. It was sold out for the entire weekend, so once again we were left disappointed, however it is good to know for future trips (you can book free tickets for the Sky Garden up to three weeks in advance!).

My sister and I at the Tower of London- we admired it from the outside since tickets were sold our for the entire weekend.

#2: Some Free Attractions still require tickets

Picking up where we left off on the topic of the Sky Garden- don’t be fooled by free attractions- just because no purchase is required for entry doesn’t necessarily mean that nothing is required for entry- tickets may still be a requirement, and you may need to book well in advance (sound familiar?). The Sky Garden is just one free ticketed attraction in London- there are many others, so be sure to double check your itinerary ahead of time to ensure what you need to book in advance and what you can do spontaneously.

See that walkie-talkie looking building in the background? That’s where the Sky Garden is.

#3: Be aware of ALL holidays:

This is another one of those more obvious tips, but still, a reminder never hurts. When I booked my trip to Europe, London was the first leg of my trip- and what I missed about that when I booked? I was going to be in London during Easter weekend- and as England is officially a Christian country, Easter is kind of a big deal there. Westminster Abbey has its famous Easter service (which is open to all and free to attend). Whilst it was cool to experience London during a holiday and see the festivities, the crowds were absolutely horrible. London is usually busy anyways, but this weekend in particular it was difficult to even make your way down the sidewalk. And again going back to tip #1, most attractions were sold out because so many people were visiting the city at once. For free, un-ticketed places such as Borough Market and Camden Market, you’ll be getting stepped on A LOT- or at least I was. It was a lot. This tip isn’t even particular for London, but more so with every major city you’d ever visit. Just be mindful of major holidays and events going on when you book a trip- that way you can skip the crowds, lines, and even avoid paying more for the same experience.

For an escape from the crowds, head to one of the many peaceful parks in the city, such at St. James’s Park.

I absolutely loved my time in London, and out of all of the places I’ve been so far it is my favorite place in the world. I plan on going back several times and I can’t wait until my next visit. I definitely learned a lot during my first trip there, and here’s what I’ll be taking into account when I go back:

Book everything IN ADVANCE
Even free activities sometimes require tickets
Be aware of big events/holidays

So, those are three things I wish I knew during my time in London- I definitely would’ve been able to see and do a lot more had I thought about these three things. I hope these tips help you when booking your next trip to London (or even any big city).