Aside from the fact that I should have my bookings/reservations to different places, can someone just point out other key points to have ahead of time?

For example, order the oyster card so I have it before getting there? (Not sure if this is even possible or it makes sense).

or Obviously book the train ticket so it's cheaper between London/Edinburgh.

Please even point out the obvious ones as I'm trying to also make sure I'm not really missing anything or misunderstood something and thought I didn't need to do it now versus when I get there.

I'd like to know also if there are tips on doing something now cheaper or a better way which would help refine what I may have done already.

Yes, check out the London-Edinburgh train fares in advance on www.nationalrail.co.uk. Leave it to the last minute and you could well get a very nasty surprise. More advice on www.seat61.com.

You can get a Visitor Oyster in advance, but I'm not sure if there's any great gain on getting one when you arrive, apart from the hassle factor of queueing up on arrival. Without knowing your likely travel plans and patterns, it's hard to advise further (what airport in London, how long are you staying there before Edinburgh, and so on).

Are you "I" or "we"? The answers will be different depending on that

Are you traveling alone or with someone? If the latter, the visitor Oyster is a waste of money and you should be dealing with the Days Out Guide 2-for-1 offers.

Whatever trains you're using, it's best to book as far in advance as possible.

Ok a little bit more information, I'm travelling with my 10 year old son so I think for the most part, he will be free for certain things.

We do plan to stay in London for 6 to 7 days and then 4 to 5 days in Edinburgh.

Right then, that's a 7-day travelcard for zones 1 and 2 on the Oyster for you (your son travels free on London buses and tube as long as he's with you), and book your London to Edinburgh tickets in advance.

You seemingly can't put the travelcard on the Visitor Oyster until you get to London. That isn't difficult (there are sales points in a great many corner shops and the like, as well as tube stations), but since the minimum PAYG you can put on it is £10, it's hard come to to see how you would spend that over and above the travelcard value.

The one eyecatcher I could spot about the Visitor Oyster was that if you were travelling from Gatwick you could use PAYG money on the Oyster to pay for that - the add-ons from Heathrow wouldn't come to anything like £10.

Meds
SImm for phone/unlocked phone etc
conversion socket for chargers
tell bank/credit card companies
travel insurance
pack small and pack layers, mini umbrella
look right at roads (except where it says look left), no such thing as Jay Walking in the UK

PatrickLondon:

Any difference between a visitor Oyster card versus a normal oyster card? Sorry I know I have to get an Oyster card when I get to London but since this is brought up, I guess I should ask the question.

no difference . . . except you have to pay for the postage so no real advantage to the Visitors version IMO.

The normal Oyster comes with a refundable £5 deposit, the Visitor version has a non-refundable £3 fee attached. Both cards are good forever so a nice investment for future trips.

No one mentioned that the visitor card is prettier:

https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-informatio...or-oyster-card

and like janis said, delivery adds a few more GBP to total cost.