The capital of England is a popular destination for travellers from all around the world. However, visiting London can be a mixture of well-loved and highly overrated experiences.

Do you think that London is an overrated city? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

London is Overrated: Poor Exchange Rate

London uses the Pound Sterling (£), which has an awful exchange rate with the Canadian Dollar. As of June 2021, 1 Canadian Dollar is equivalent to 0.58 Pound Sterling. This would mean, as a general rule when converting, that a traveller should double the British cost to equate to the Canadian one.

For example, the average restaurant meal within London is around 15-25 pounds. Therefore, a Canadian traveller would pay anywhere between 30-50 dollars for one meal! This compared to the Euro, at the current June 2021 exchange rate of 0.68, would be 20-35 Canadian Dollars.

London is Not Overrated: Food and Pubs

From farmers’ markets to delicious street foods, you will always find new and exciting cuisine in London! According to a 2018 report, there are over 15,500 restaurants across London resulting in a neverending variety of foods to try and enjoy! Additionally, there are more than 7000 pubs throughout the capital city! Tourists and locals can try an assortment of alcoholic beverages with friends, coworkers, and family.

Overrated: The London Eye and the River Thames

As eye-catching (haha) as the London Eye may be, the tourist attraction is highly overrated. With tickets over £24 per person and its terribly slow rotation (30 minutes to complete one loop), you’ll be bored within the first 5 minutes. Not to mention, the River Thames is one of the most unappealing rivers in all of the UK. The nasty, murky-brown river places a large and unattractive obstacle into every photo when on the London Eye. The Ferris wheel is truly more beautiful from the ground.

Instead of the London Eye, I would personally recommend the Sky Garden. The view is completely free, but please reserve a spot in advance by at least a week. The individual tickets are valid for an hour giving visitors access to one of the most spectacular views of the city. Feel free to also book a table! There are two restaurants (Darwin Brasserie & Fenchurch Restaurant) and 3 bars (Sky Pod, City Garden, Fenchurch Terrace).

Hours:

• Sky Garden is open seven days a week.
• 10am – 6pm weekdays
• 11am – 9pm weekends

Not Overrated: Free Museums and Art Galleries

One of the best parts about London is the many amazing and free museums and galleries! This is a major win considering how expensive the local attractions and how terrible the conversion rates can be. You can spend hours in the British Museum, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum or the Science Museum at no cost! This is an opportunity to experience free British culture and enjoy some truly beautiful masterpieces for absolutely no cost.

COVID INFORMATION: Most museums are asking visitors to collect a free admissions ticket for a designated timeslot. This is mainly to help control foot traffic within the museums and galleries.

Overrated: London is Overall Expensive

It probably comes as no surprise that London is overall very expensive. From the hotels to food, pretty much everything is expensive. In a report by Yahoo! News, London is the sixth most expensive location to live in the world, which is largely attributed to high rental accommodation costs and living expenses. In a report by the Evening Standard, London is 18 percent more expensive than it was five years ago and has been ranked at the top of the index since 2014. 

Accommodations

Accommodations can be over the top in cost. The most expensive options are hotels, which average around 150-200 Pounds per night ($250-340 CAD). The cheapest option for travellers is hostels at around $50 CAD a night. Thankfully, the London hostels are usually located in great downtown locations. I’ve enjoyed my stay at many hostels, but it’s definitely not for every traveller. I don’t think everyone could handle 12 people sleeping in one room, shared bathrooms, and constantly surrounded by strangers.

I definitely recommend booking your accommodations early! This will give you more time to find the cheapest and most budget-friendly options for your next vacation.

Check out THIS article for more tips on how to save on accommodation costs.

Tourist Attractions

Although museums are often free in London, the other attractions are insanely expensive if you’re on a budget. It costs £18 ($30 CAD) to see the inside of Westminster Abbey, £47 ($80 CAD) to visit the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour, £24.50 ($42 CAD) for one loop on the London Eye, and £34 ($58 CAD) to visit Madame Tussaud. If you’re planning a trip to London, be ready to spend a large portion of your budget on tourist attractions!

Not Overrated: Transportation System

London has an amazing public transportation system when compared to other European cities.  Transport for London covers a range of options for getting around the city: Underground ‘tube’ service, buses, the Overground and National Rail trains, the Dockland’s Light Railway (DLR) and trams. Not to mention, London is a very walkable city with well-maintained sidewalks and bike paths. According to Far and Wide, 85% of the population in London is satisfied with public transportation as the system is affordable, efficient, and innovative.

London is Overrated: Weather

I think this one was a given. London is famously known for its rainy, bad weather! If you’re planning a trip to London be prepared to vacation in the rain. There is always that small chance you will experience only sunshine, but you might want to start praying early. According to the London weather network, London receives approximately 106 rainy days throughout the entire calendar year. Therefore, you might want to bring your umbrella no matter what.

London is Not Overrated: Nature and Landmarks

London is home to some of the most iconic buildings and landmarks in England. A true architectural gold mine with historical landmarks such as the Tower Bridge, the Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben intermixed with sleek, 21st-century skyscrapers like The Shard. There are also over 8.4 million trees and over 300,000 gardens throughout the city. This basically makes London a gigantic National Park.

Overrated: Crowded

London currently has over 8.9 million people living in the city! And according to the DailyMail UK, this is the highest population since the pre-Second World War. This means that the city is heavily crowded and has become that much harder to find quiet spaces. Thankfully, the city’s transportation system is quite organized! This allows for way less of a chaotic mess when people are trying to get places. But nevertheless, be ready to navigate compact spaces with endless tourists and locals passing by!

Not Overrated: Vibrant World Culture

 London is one of the most multicultural cities in the world! Approximately 1/3 of Londoners are born abroad with over 200 languages spoken in the capital according to University College London. There is a vibrant and diverse life to the city that makes London, well, London. While visiting the city, you can try an assortment of dishes from around the world, unique cultural stores, and endless festivals celebrating the diverse cultures of the city.

HERE is a list of some London Multicultural Festivals.

Overrated: Non-stop Traffic

To no surprise, DailyMail UK reported that London is the worst city in the UK for gruelling traffic ahead of Manchester, Belfast, and Birmingham. Additionally, according to Londonlovesbusiness.com, London has some of the worst traffic in all of Europe. Basically, London equals non-stop gridlocks. Honestly, bless the souls of all the drivers who have to put up with the London traffic every day.

Not Overrated: The Arts

The city is booming with the arts! There is always something new and exciting to visit and experience while in London.

Literature

Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and Oscar Wilde— London is the world’s greatest literary hub. Tourists can even visit the British Library! This is one of the largest libraries in the world and holds over 170 – 200 million items inside the building.

London Theatre

Did I forget to mention that London is the theatre capital of the world? Yep! As of 2014, a new study published by the Society of London Theatre and the National Theatre has revealed that London has the biggest theatre audience of any city on the planet. Surprisingly, even beating New York City.

London offers spectacular plays at a variety of venues! There is the world-famous Globe Theatre, the Offical London Theatre, and even outdoor plays at Regent’s Park throughout the summer.

Street Art

England is famous for its street art and street artists such as Banksy! London has all sorts of creative street art ranging from extremely fun or funny art to hard-hitting political pieces to outright breathtaking, realistic masterpieces. Remember to bring your camera and snap some amazing shots of the thriving London art life!

HERE is a list of 10 of the best places to see street art in London.

Overrated: Abbey Road

Probably one of the most underwhelming experiences even for a diehard Beatles fan. Shockingly, despite the iconic nature of Abbey Road, it is nothing more than just an overcrowded and boring London street. Plus, trying to reenact the iconic Beatles cover is nearly impossible!

There is a constant stream of impatient drivers trying to cross the road and long lineups of overly eager tourists. These tourists wait nearly 20 minutes for one single shot. When realistically, the whole experience should take no more than 5 minutes! Instead, many people end up sticking around for nearly an hour, if not more. Instead of getting the desired photo, head to the Abbey Road gift shop and pick up a nice souvenir.

Not Overrated: Local Markets

Lastly, London has an endless amount of famous markets throughout the city. Below you will find a list of some of the best markets in all of London! They offer food, flowers, arts and crafts, fashion, textiles, antiques, collectibles, and so much more.

Top Markets in London:

• Portobello Market
• Camden Market & Camden Lock Market
• Borough Market
• Covent Garden Market
• Old Spitalfields Market
• Greenwich Market
• Columbia Road Flower Market
• Brick Lane Market

I hope that this list of overrated and not overrated parts of London helps you with planning your next trip! Feel free to leave your own experiences and thoughts on London in the comments below.

Safe travels,

Carina