London is a beautiful city with tons of fun things to do, but oftentimes tourists get caught in the same trap over and over again. It may seem as though you have to visit all of the popular landmarks in order to feel accomplished, when in reality many of these places are terribly overrated. With so much to do and so much to see, you end up missing out on the cooler parts of the capital. Here’s a definitive list of 8 most overrated places to go to in London that you should avoid during your next visit.
With tickets starting at over £20 per person, the London Eye is definitely one of the most overrated tourist attractions in London. Not only is it terribly slow (it takes about 30 minutes to complete the loop) but you’ll also spend ages waiting in line to get to it. Why would you waste so much time and money when you could experience magnificent views of London from other locations for free! I would recommend the Sky Garden instead (just don’t forget to register in advance).
Nobody likes enormous masses of people, and guess what – that’s exactly what Oxford Street is, one giant stream of endless tourists. Sure, there are some nice shops to go to, but you could find them elsewhere across the city (especially in either of the Westfield shopping centres). If you’re still adamant on going to Oxford Street, then be prepared to drag yourself at a snail’s pace in and out of stores that are packed full of angsty shoppers. You’ve been warned.
Even if you’re a diehard Beatles fan, you should prepare to be disappointed. Despite its iconic appearance on one of the band’s most famous albums, Abbey Road is quite simply just another boring London street. You won’t even be able to reenact the iconic Beatles cover because of the (justifiably) impatient drivers that won’t have you crossing the street every few minutes as you attempt to capture that perfect shot. It’s best to just keep that staged image in your head and avoid visiting the place altogether.
Even though the river may seem like an important centrepiece of the city, it’s still a very underwhelming attraction. To begin with, The Thames isn’t even blue, but rather a nasty murky-brown shade. Chances are, it’s also swarming with creepy mutated fish and other unidentifiable creatures. It’s a shame that a once beautiful river has turned into something so unattractive; you can’t even enjoy a nice cup of coffee at a riverside cafe because looking at the water will make you physically sick. Also, don’t go on a boat tour – it’s a waste of time.
Let me get this straight – The View from the Shard is a terribly overrated London attraction. Not only is it expensive, with tickets starting at £25 per person, but it’s also (quite simply) really boring. Sure, you’ll get to see the city from the 72nd floor, but as mentioned above, there are plenty of other places where you could admire the London skyline for free. Also, getting to The Shard is a pain – you’ll hate every second of it because you’ll have to travel to London Bridge, which is one of the busiest stations in the capital.
Before I begin, I must say that the craftsmanship that goes into the creation of these wax sculptures is definitely admirable. However, this doesn’t necessarily make Madame Tussauds a worthy attraction. Aside from the never-ending crowds of tourists, you’ll also find yourself feeling rather uncomfortable in the presence of these life-like statues. It’s very creepy, to say the least. Is it worth going to just for the sake of a cheesy photo with your favourite celebrity? Probably not.
There’s a reason why Londoners avoid this place. There’s literally no reason to go there unless you want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a meal or a cinema ticket. Visiting M&M’s World is useless because you could buy the exact same candies at an ordinary supermarket, where you’ll be able to avoid the long queues and probably even save yourself some money. Also, don’t ever go there on a Friday night – everyone’s terribly drunk (or worse) and it’s just not very nice.
This place always attracts tons of tourists and nobody really knows why. It’s quite literally a circus with a roundabout and lots of traffic. The giant illuminated signs are kind of cool but you’ll soon get bored of them and realise that there is absolutely nothing to do there. You’ll then begin noticing the huge groups of exchange students that are all having lunch on or around the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Just go for a wander around Covent Garden instead.
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