Important things you MUST know before visiting London (2025)
Video Overview & Insights
Visiting London in 2025? Well Londoner Phoebe Minson is here to tell you about the very important basics to know before you come to London for the first time. From the landscape of London, to weather myths, to the ACTUAL drinking age in the UK, take these London tidbits and keep them in mind for your visit.
I struggled with the buses as they would say they were going to the destination on my City Mapper app and partway through the trip the driver would terminate the service and we would all have to get off the bus and wait for the next one. This happened quite a bit on my visit and locals told me buses always do this
Grab our FREE London 101 Guide, which has everything you need to know (even more than in this video!) before you start planning your trip: https://loveandlondon.com/london-101-guide-main/
Chapters:
London is Soo Beautiful ❤😊 I bet there's soo much to explore in London! I Love English accents ❤🥰
00:27 Geography
01:59 Airports
citymapper is all you need in london
03:09 Where to stay
04:38 Public transport
Luton Airport has a cable tram from Luton Airport Parkway Station.
The Stanstead Express doesn't take contactless. Buy a ticket to avoid a big fine.
06:53 Currency
07:26 Weather
I am from Nottingham but London is my favourite city. Also Manchester. Lovely buildings and beautiful skyscrapers.
08:19 Dietary requirements
09:13 Plugs
is it safe for east asians to travel to London😂
09:24 Crossing the street
09:44 Safety
DEMOCRACY HAS BECOME SECRET ILLEGAL CHILDREN MAFIA CRACY GOVERNMENT OF THE MAFIA FOR THE MAFIA BY THE MAFIA 🎉😊❤❤
10:03 Drinking age
Mentioned in the video:
THANKS WOW THAT'S AWESOME KEEP IT UP FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY LOVE KINDNESS HI FIVE HAT'S OFF WELL DONE THUMBS UP STANDING OVATION 🎉😊❤
WATCH: How to get from Gatwick Airport to London: https://youtu.be/9J_BVQQOrEk?si=HsUS6oCnFkeZoi3U
WATCH: How to get from Heathrow Airport to London: https://youtu.be/VIKvMuPPPZA?si=sK8Jo6fd3KWYDF6Y
THANKS WOW THAT'S AWESOME KEEP IT UP FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY LOVE KINDNESS WOMEN POWER DIGNITY FREEDOM LIBERTY FRATERNITY EQUALITY PROSPERITY JUSTICE HAPPINESS 😊🎉❤
WATCH: Where to stay in London - Top Areas: https://youtu.be/Cg0bkvXArGQ?si=_KBWah4FJOF38682
WATCH: How to take the tube in London: https://youtu.be/EOVX4eUYJ-4?si=MOT0HkbFSE5OfQ20
READ: How to avoid foreign transaction fees on your cards while traveling the UK and abroad: https://loveandlondon.com/how-to-avoid-transaction-fees-uk/
♥️ MORE LONDON HELP ♥️ (some links are affiliated and help us keep producing these videos)
Miss, can you explain to us what is something considering polite and impolite in London?
📗 Free London 101 Guide for first-time London visitors: https://goo.gl/Eh3HP3
📱 Get our ULTIMATE London Itinerary: (PDF guide, digital map, and more included): https://shop.loveandlondon.com/collections/itineraries?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=description+box+links&utm_term=101+guide
Thank you so much for ALL these!!! You did an incredible job explaining in detail all this information!!!
📍 Travel guides for London with Londoner-loved hidden gems, divided by area (The Casual Tourist Guides): https://bit.ly/3bgeRoj
💸 London Spending Guide (includes budget calculator spreadsheet, hotel recommendations and more): https://bit.ly/3OduFqy
I’m going with 2 other “family” friends (in total we are 9, each couple has 1 kid) thought of reserving on Airbnb but I accept advices. I’m trying to figure out the coming from the airport to the house as well as eating and all visiting points. I wanted to see universal (Harry Potter) but what I have seen is that it takes a full day 😢 also going in April (Easter) do things close that time around? It’s basically 3 days visiting and returning on a Sunday (I’m in Europe btw). HELP and advices are very much appreciated! Have downloaded all things you guys have here ❤ (not my first time in UK but has been a long time)
🏨 Our top London hotel and apart-hotel tips and recommendations: https://loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=description+box+links&utm_term=101+guide
🚕 Pre-book your airport taxi: https://www.book-online-transfers.com/en/loveandlondon-airport-taxi
How about Airbnb? Not recommended ?
🚐 Book trains, coach buses and more around the UK and Europe via Omio: https://omio.sjv.io/c/1719972/409973/7385
📲 Get your phone connected while in the UK with an eSIM: https://tidd.ly/46kJQb7
On lodging: I stayed about 100m away from where you were standing whilst discussing lodging. It was shockingly inexpensive.
❓Visiting London FAQs: https://loveandlondon.com/faqs-from-london-visitors/
About Love and London:
I would love to see her again
This channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, our founder Jessica Dante and our team show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch our videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.
Hi, Phoebe, Are there Groupon equivalents in London that might get me a deal at restaurants or attractions?
Thanks!
More User Perspectives
This is very helpful! Thank you. Going to London for the first time in June and spending a few days there. Very excited! I definitely know I won’t see all of it, but that just gives me an excuse to go back 😉
@steph_h_16You are wrong about the airports IN London... Heathrow is in London (Hounslow to be exact) which is a large borough of West London - You even show it on your map as inside London.
@tigerpawdesignsI am Bangladeshi. I want to live in London.What should I do for this?
@shiponali8917Started a Notting hill Gate in a duplex flat which I was quite nice we were near places to eat and get breakfast to eat on the go it had a great public transport the tube was about a 10 min walk and it some super markets so we could get food when we didn’t want to eat out so we could save money and it was small but it worked out for my group
@downeastboy84Thank you !! Great video
@-vi438"or hostels, where you share a room with other guests" Never! I am 48, and will simply pay the extra money for the Premium Inn, or book a private room in hostel. Once your older, lack of privacy becomes intolerable. Just my honest opinion.
@Jonny-o3lLondon can get as low as freezing, ah, that's so nice for you. I'm sitting here in the Chicago suburbs looking at the thermometer, which is currently showing it's 16 degrees F which is about -9 C. And it's only December 1st...we don't get really cold til late January / early February. Wish I could come back to London now!
@LouieDoesaThingThanks for your video. I am coming to London in July 2025 (first visit) for 13 nights and am researching places. I have studied and reviewed the Tube so I have no fear of using it.
I found Earl's Court to be fairly easy to move around to get to other attractions and from LHR. Would love to see a video done of around Earl's Court.
Hi! can i please get you Facebook page. thanks so much
@shirleymoss9790We just booked a trip from London from Arizona traveling in January because it's a third of the price all around as opposed to the peak season. Will it still be a nice trip?
@robertgarcia2469Heathrow is awesome
@jacoblando5083Nice video Phoebe. I like the outtakes :D
But haven't you forget to mention the "travel restrictions" that are new in 2025? What was it called? esta or so?
Other than that it's a real good video. Makes me going back to London... :)
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@jeffhiatt9168I remember feeling dizzy when i knew that there are a lot of airports in london 😢😂 . @Phoebe another advice for those visiting london , it is still good to carry some cash before flying to the uk and it is best if they go to a trusted (google reviews help) currency exchange establishment in their current country before flying to london.
@tamharhar💕✈️
@jennawoodard8386Cost of a black cab is the same cost for 5 people or only 1,the tube charges for each person, so if there is a group then a taxi can be reasonable.
@paulnolan5451Who doesn’t know what currency is used in London?
@Sm0700537Great vlogg from jess her amazing team always 👏
@StephenRobertdJess, you have found a gem here in Phoebe - wonderful !
And as a northerner who studied/lived in London decades ago, and a visitor as many times a year as I can journey to the capital, I find your videos so interesting and helpful - thank you
Manifesting a week in London for the holidays.. dont got a cent in my account. Thank u for this video
@MissMotshabiLondon Southend Airport is really stretching it 🥴
@AndreiTupolevGreat video!! Very thorough.
@charlesmagicien207Well done, Phoebe 😊🙌🏻
@castorpollux5154talking about safety, after what time is not good to walk alone?
@dimitrisegkomitisCouple of minor errors: Stansted, not Stanstead. And at Luton Airport, you use the DART light rail people mover thingy to get from the terminal to the train station now.
@darrenaitcheson795Love that quirky outfit choice with the gingham pattern sport coat. It caught my attention, and made me click on the video. Great content!
@oscarmakavelliLoving Phoebe presenting!! It's hard to live up to Jess presenting and you're aceing it!!! ❤
@jennybrown2230Clean, concise video. I really liked it, and (with the possible overreliance of the word "Iconic") quite liked Phoebe. She seems genuine, and rather charming.
@rowauthorityGreat video, Phoebe!
@The_MaceThanks for the amazing advice from jess and her brilliant haopy team how to get around London to be safe and happy always 😊🎉❤
@StephenRobertdI didn't need to use a shuttle bus at Luton last year, they have a train thing.
@carolinetaylor5594The Luton airport now has a convenient DART train that takes you to the station for Thames link, so you don't to take a shuttle bus anymore. You can use contactless payments just like underground.
@od2437Excellent advice! I really liked you answer to "where to stay?" I go to London a lot and people ask me about it. The first thing before I do anything is ask them what their interests are. I can't help them with shopping sports things or pub excursions but I can direct them to some videos. You tackle a lot of the 'first questions' so I can tell them to watch this LOL.
@cijmo