One of the reasons I’ve been so comfortable adjusting in and getting to know London is because it is an extremely safe city. It’s the perk of living in a big cosmopolitan city – Even at 4 am, I hear cars outside my room at the same intensity as I do at 4 pm. I don’t think one should be worried in London at all, however, it is important you know which places to avoid. I have found myself in places that seemed extremely unfamiliar and uncomfortable. However, these are not specific areas within the city, but specific streets in certain areas, which vary depending on where you live. I think one thing that one should be careful of in the city is the fact that it is a huge tourist hub, and so be very careful with your belongings if you’re in the touristy places. I have found that I’m quite aware of my belongings when I’m travelling but am comparatively laid back when I’m in my home city, just wandering about. In hindsight, I should probably be more aware in my own city. It is also important to note that 911 is not the SOS number here, 999 is for emergencies and 111 is for non-emergency situations.
I have also learnt a few travel tips, both in and out of London over the time I’ve been here. Something I learnt a bit too late was that Google maps is not accurate at all within London, and other apps are much more efficient, my pick being an app called City Mapper. I have learnt this the hard way after being late to many events owing to my reliability on Google Maps. In fact, I have learnt that most European cities have better local alternatives. My friends in Germany use a different app, and my Airbnb host in Prague had asked me to download another app for better travel options. I have learnt my lesson and now check online for the right apps to download before I travel anywhere.
Another important thing that I learnt (which I should probably have learnt long ago) is to keep enough cash with myself. I could get away with using my card everywhere in the US and I ended up underestimating how much cash I would need in the physical form almost every trip that I went to. Of course, I kept some basic sums of money with me but most places didn’t accept cards and change would always be a problem. Even in London I face this problem often since I love going to markets, and most markets here only accept cash. Of course, you can withdraw at any time but random ATMs charge you a lot for withdrawals so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
