What Americans should know before boarding the flight to London

Luckily, you read this post. Feel confident as you walk past less experienced travelers as you head straight to the Underground Station.

Most public transport in London accepts tap to pay. Better they have what's called a fare cap. Translation: the cheapest and easiest way to travel around London is to simply choose one payment method and use it to pay for all your travel the entire time you are there. Simply tap in on the sensor when you get on, and tap out when you get off to get past the barrier.

Seriously: Don't forget to tap out, otherwise you'll be charged the maximum trip value!

A couple things to remember: some of the DLR & Overground stations do not have a physical barrier. You still need to tap in and out here. There are TFL security who will check tickets and you will get a fine for not having a valid fare on your card. You also need to use the same card & or device to achieve the fare cap. The machines will not cross associate cards or even the same card with your apple pay instance automatically. At the end of the day Transport for London will tally everything up and you'll see a single charge.

Note: The fun stuff like the cable car near the convention center in East London & the Thames Clippers are not included in the fare cap. While you can still tap in / tap out on these, they are a bit pricey compared with taking the tube, so pay attention to the fare charts.

The underground is almost certainly the best way to get to your hotel

There are two lines that depart from Heathrow: The Picadilly Line, and the Elizabeth Line. Picadilly Line trains are some of the oldest and most cramped, Elizabeth Line trains are the largest and newest in London. Opt for journeys on the latter unless your lodging is very close to a Picadilly Line Train.

Where would I stay if I were still planning my trip?

Hotels in England are very different from the rest of the world. Be careful when choosing budget hotels, some may be smaller than you are used to in the states, and with longer cycles between renovation. My mantra is to only say positive things, so I'll shout out some properties I've stayed in before at what I consider to be a "good value rate" for London and tell you why I'd go back:

1. Hyatt Regency Blackfriars
   This hotel used to be a Crowne Plaza which was showing its age. The complete renovation has worked wonders on the bedrooms which are light, bright, and airy. Rooms have full walk in rain showers with terrific pressure. My main complaint (if I had been working) would be that for a business hotel I would have a hard time with the workspace. The Regency Club also is a public atrium which is a very first world problem.

2. Marriott Executive Apartments London, Canary Wharf
   Stay here for full glass wall views of Canary Wharf in the evening, plus the ability to watch it over dinner you cooked for yourself.

3. Hotel Indigo Tower Hill

   Why stay here? Size & Convenience. The rooms are quite large for London, they have exposed brick, and the floors are even. The latter is a thing you do need to be sure of if you're less mobile as it's not always the case in every property. Huge bonus points at this location as there is a tube station, and the DLR close by, and both a Pret & an Itsu right across the street. Speaking of..

Here's how you eat cheap* & healthy* in London while traveling

*sometimes

The biggest hidden secret in visiting London is the fact that Itsu is half off last 30 minutes. Itsu only serves about a dozen dishes, but they are mostly on the healthier side (fresh, green, not fried) of things. If you are patient, you can snag a 2-3 course sushi takeaway dinner for 12-15 GBP. Thriftier individuals can obviously eat for much less by showing restraint.

If you want to splurge but Sushi sounds good, I've never had a bad meal at a Sticks"n"Sushi. My personal peanut gallery critics have panned my taste because they have a beautiful pictorial style menu. Likewise, many of the sets are pre-crafted for you, nor are they truly authentic. On the other hand, no one I've taken there has complained about the food. Prices are all right for "upper middle class visiting London," ie expect to spend $150-200 / 2 people or 100-150 GBP.

To spend slightly less, but still eat rather well, locate a Marks & Spencer Food Hall. Here are things that seem to surprise my American friends about buying lunch at the supermarket in the UK:

• If you see the "Meal Deal" tag, you need to buy all the items for the discount to apply. Make sure you do, it'll usually be cheaper than even 2 of the items alone.

• The personal size smoothie is £2.10 at Marks & Spencer, spend the extra £.10 to get the family size instead, its a full days worth of fruit in 1 jar 🤯

• If you need a bag, you will have to pay for it. Save and reuse them.

If you're feeling less healthy and want a steak, there's yet another London chain I suggest: Flat Iron. Nothing here is on the healthy side. That doesn't mean it's bad though. I usually get a Flat Iron which is the house special. Beside a Flat Iron, they have 2-3 seasonal cuts, I've never eaten anything bad here. A steak dinner here will set you back £30-50/pp.

Sometimes you just want to eat crap…

If you visit a pub, learn the vocabulary, it'll be loud

In British Pubs you'll typically order from the bar and chances are it will be crowded & noisy. Between the jet-lag and 600 accents it's good to speak the local language. Here are a few translations you should use to ensure you are understood:

1. Toilet: Restroom

2. Queue: Line

3. Lift: Elevator

British / English are not interchangeable terms. There is nuance. English things are British, but not all British things are English.

Britain the island also includes Scotland, and Wales. There are other British territories. The accents may sound similar but are not the same. There are touchy historical reasons and this isn't a history lesson. Error on the side of caution when using a catchall phrasing and say "British" and not "English."