10 Reasons Londoners Hate Tourists

Yes, Abbey Road is famous, but it’s also a functioning crossing. Notting Hill? People actually live there. Too many tourists treat these spots like their personal film sets, forcing traffic to grind to a halt to recreate the Beatles album cover and staging photoshoots at the famous blue door, thinking Hugh Grant lives there. If you really want to live out your London film fantasies, there are lots of ways to recreate the magic without getting on anyone’s nerves and plenty more to explore in Notting Hill that don’t revolve around Grant. And if you’re a Harry Potter fan, queue for a picture at King’s Cross Platform 9¾ to your heart’s delight, but try not to get in anyone’s way. Locals are just trying to catch their trains.

Londoners have mastered the art of efficient tube travel: let people off first, then board in an orderly fashion. The Tube is a well-oiled machine, not a free-for-all—tourists who rush the doors and try to bulldoze their way in before passengers can exit just slow everyone down, including themselves. Oh, and nothing builds quiet rage like tourists fumbling with paper tickets or searching for their Oyster cards while blocking the tube barriers during rush hour. Don’t be that person.

From historic spots with century-old charm to trendy gastropubs serving craft beers and cocktails, London has some of the finest pubs in the world. The key to surviving pub queues? A little bit of preparation and a whole lot of speed. There’s no table service in British pubs, and the bartender doesn’t care who was “here first” if you’re just standing there waiting. Know your order, have your money ready, and for the love of all things holy, don’t order one drink at a time. If pubs aren’t your thing, check out London’s buzzing nightlife scene with everything from trendy speakeasies and cocktail bars to a West End show for a night of glorious fun.

If your entire London experience revolves around watching a guy pretend to escape from a straitjacket while you eat at a chain restaurant, you’re doing it wrong. London has so many incredible neighborhoods, each with its own character. Wander along the canals in Little Venice, hunt for vintage treasures in East London, and soak up the charming village-like atmosphere in Hampstead. There’s a whole city beyond the tourist hubs, and trust me, you don’t want to miss it!

Somehow, tourists on public transport are always twice as loud as necessary. In London, the Tube operates under library rules: keep it quiet. But visitors—yes, especially Americans—don’t seem to get the memo, enthusiastically recapping their itineraries to exhausted locals just trying to get through their commute and making sure everyone knows they “just can’t believe how SMALL the London Eye is in person!” I promise we hear you. We all hear you. And every Londoner within earshot is silently willing you to use your indoor voice.

London’s streets and transport systems function on three cardinal rules: stand on the right, walk on the left, and don’t even think about blocking the flow of foot traffic. Tourists strolling four-abreast or stopping mid-pavement to consult maps/take selfies/vlog/check out a Zara window sale turn the city into an obstacle course, and failing to leave the left side of an escalator clear is practically a criminal offense. Break these rules during rush hour, and you’ll be met with a symphony of sighs, glares, and the infamous British tut—the polite yet devastating sound of extreme disappointment.

We’ve all obsessed over Netflix’s “The Crown,” but the number of tourists who genuinely believe they might bump into the royal family while shopping on Oxford Street is staggering. Watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is one thing, but pestering locals to find out where to spot the King, as if he’s just popping into the local coffee shop, might take it a step too far. Royals tend to stick to their palaces for a reason, and it’s not to hang out with shoppers on Regent Street.

If your only experience of British cuisine is a sad plate of fish and chips in Leicester Square… honestly, that’s on you. London is a food lover’s paradise, with Michelin-starred restaurants and hole-in-the-wall gems serving up dishes that’ll make your taste buds do a happy dance. Locals aren’t eating at Angus Steakhouse or lining up at the M&M’s store (seriously, why is that always packed?), so take their advice and eat your way around the world at some of the best restaurants in the city.

We love that you’re embracing our bike-share system, but if you’re weaving through traffic like Bambi on ice and forgetting we drive on the left, you’re giving pedestrians, drivers, and fellow cyclists heart attacks. We beg you: ride with confidence, follow the rules, and for everyone’s sanity, maybe practice in a park before taking on Oxford Street at rush hour. If that sounds like too much, no shame in sticking to walking… at least until you’ve got your London legs.

Bus drivers aren’t paid to give directions. Retail workers aren’t concierges. And most commuters do not have the time to explain how Oyster cards work. Sure, Londoners can be helpful, but stopping someone during rush hour to ask where Buckingham Palace is—while literally standing in front of it—may result in a polite but firm “Mate, really?” Want local recommendations for hidden gems and insider tips? We’ve got you covered, no need to bother people on the street.