There is something you will not be forgiven for in your favorite destination

Sometimes it seems that the British mandate can be removed from Israel but not the Israelis from the British mandate. The history, the royal family, the culinary tours, the shopping, the countless attractions and the excellent musicals – these are just some of the countless good reasons to visit the kingdom’s capital.But as in any big city, there is a gap between what the tourists do and how the residents behave. While tourists fall for the classic traps, any self-respecting Londoner conducts himself in the city in a completely different way. From January 2025, Israelis who want to visit Britain will have to apply in advance, and we have found ten things that Londoners will never do, so that you too can adopt them and conduct yourself in this huge volume like old residents.

 

Food and drinks

British cuisine has received a lot of criticism and ridicule for decades, but today’s London is a culinary paradise that brings together the best of every possible cuisine. Still, there are some things you should not do.

drink beer or eat in mediocre pubs

 

 

 

 

The pubs of central London are known as tourist traps – the food is mostly average (sometimes also heated in the microwave) and the prices are high. Locals will always prefer to sit in pubs in neighborhoods like Camden or Notting Hill, where the food is better, and the atmosphere is much more authentic.

This does not mean that there are no good pubs in the city center as well – some recommended options are Lamb & Flag near Covent Garden, which was a favorite of Charles Dickens, theCoach & Horses in Soho or The Anchor The historic one, near London Bridge (don’t confuse it with the famous Tower Bridge). It just means you should take a look at the reviews before you go inside.

Another rule that is important to remember is that most pubs do not have waiter service, you have to order drinks as well as food from the bar, so if you sit at a table and wait, you may sit there all evening.

Eat in Leicester Square

 

 

 

the square (Leicester Square) is the biggest tourist trap of all, and there’s absolutely no reason to go there unless you’re standing in line to buy discounted tickets to a musical. So, instead of eating around the square, head to the side streets around Covent Garden, to the area Seven Dials The great or to Chinatown which are all within walking distance, and you will enjoy delicious food at much more reasonable prices.

Also, don’t just stick to fast food restaurants or chain restaurants. As mentioned, London is a first class culinary destination, it has more Indian restaurants than Mumbai, and almost every cuisine you can imagine, so don’t settle for mediocre food.

Visit Borough Market on Saturday morning

 

 

 

Borough Market (Borough Marke) is indeed considered one of the most well-known and popular food markets in London, but if you stumble upon it on a Saturday morning, you’ll realize you’ve made a rookie mistake because you’ll have to fight four million other visitors to get close to any food stall. Come here in the middle of the week, skip between the different stalls and enjoy the culinary experience.

Give up afternoon tea

 

 

 

Traditional afternoon tea is definitely a British experience not to be missed, but do yourself a favor and don’t head straight to Sketch just because the place is terribly Instagrammable. There are many, many less expensive and delicious (even spectacular) experiences, so choose according to your favorite style. I personally enjoyed a tea dinner a few years ago according to all the rules of the ceremony at the famous Ritz Hotel, but maybe it is not suitable for everyone. If you are not interested in a tie-dye experience in one of the luxury hotels, find out details about the tea at the well-known Fortnum & Mason department store, or choose a small and authentic tea house in neighborhoods like Islington or Richmond.

attractions

London is so rich in attractions that you can spend months or even years there. Not for nothing did Samuel Johnson say about her “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” But here are some things you shouldn’t do in London.

miss out on free attractions

 

 

 

One of the advantages of London is that most of its museums are completely free. The Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate, the British Museum and the Science Museum are just a few sites you can visit without paying, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get to know local culture and history for free.

Another thing that is a shame to pay money for or waste your time on is the London Eye giant wheel, or a climb up to the top of the triangular building called the Shard, where you will pay tens of pounds per person, when across the river you can visit the sky garden rooftop completely free (with advance registration) and enjoy An equally spectacular crane.

Lock on Oxford Street

 

 

 

Many tourists who come to London shop only on Oxford Street, another tourist trap full of kitschy souvenir shops and chain stores that you will find everywhere. Londoners do their shopping on nearby Carnaby St, in the small neighborhoods outside the center and in markets such as those of Shoreditch, Camden, Portobello and more.

Visit the “four gruesome attractions”

 

 

 

Madame Tussauds (Madame Tussauds), the dungeon of London (London Dungeon), Shrek’s Adventure (Shrek’s Adventure) and the London Aquarium are notorious among the residents, and let’s face it, any connection between them and the real London is strictly coincidental. After all, you can find similar attractions almost anywhere in the world, so if you really insist, what’s yours is yours, but if you have a long list of attractions that you must see, let’s say that these can go to the bottom of the list.

transport

London is a huge city in size, but also a city that is fun to discover on foot, and if you plan your days well you can avoid using public transport too much. Still, you should know in advance some things that are prohibited (or not recommended).

Stand on the left side of the tube’s escalators

 

 

 

In the London subway, there is an iron rule – the left side of the escalator is for people who are in a hurry and want to get on or off, and only the right side is for those standing. A true Londoner will never block the left side, and may get very upset if you prevent him from getting to his train on time.

Buy paper tickets

 

 

 

It is true that you can still buy tickets for a single ride on Tube or a daily free ticket, but let’s just say that if you do that you will be looked at a little crookedly. The locals use the card Oyster Recharge or simply pay with a credit card through the digital wallet. And if you thought it would cost you more, well, it won’t. The smart cards have a daily price ceiling, and if you travel a lot on public transport you will pay less than the cost of a free-daily card.

Pay for a tourist bus when you can travel by public transport

 

 

 

Another completely unnecessary expense is traveling in an open-top tourist bus – everyone only passes through the most kitschy attractions, you travel in the same traffic jams as any public bus anyway, and you will pay several times more than the fare on a regular double-decker bus. On websites like Visit Britain you can also find recommendations on the most recommended travel routes for those who want to be impressed while traveling by the beautiful sights in the city.