Safety in London
Staying safe on a London vacation
London is a friendly city to its visitors, and in heavily touristy areas you may feel safer than you do in your own hometown.
Even formerly seedy SoHo is full-blown tourist-friendly now.
Areas where you may find yourself feeling a bit uneasy—Tottenham, South London, Hackney—lie far beyond central London.
Even so, London is a very large city, so you are wise to take general precautions to prevent being targeted by thieves or pickpockets.
Frankly, you're far more at risk of getting hit by a car—not because London drivers are reckless, but because folks from right-drive countries unconsciously look the wrong way before stepping off the curb. » more
- Tel. 999 - The general emergency number for the entire United Kingdom. Call tel. 999 for the police, fire department, ambulance, or coast guard. The European Union standard number of tel. 112 also works.
- Tel. 101 - Call tel. 101 to contact the police in a non-emergency situation.
- 0800 88 77 66 - Call tel. 0800-88-77-66 to receive roadside assistance from the AA (the British Automobile Association). This is not a free service (unless you are a member), but it can come in handy if you break down.
- Squaremouth.com - This aggregator is like an online personal shopper, canvassing 22 independent travel insurance providers based on your criteria and showing you all the results at once so you can quickly compare plans and pick an insurer.Partner
- Insuremytrip.com - This aggregator is like an online personal shopper, canvassing 25 independent travel insurance providers based on your criteria and showing you all the results at once so you can quickly compare plans and pick an insurer.Partner
- Worldnomads.com - A top travel insurer, covering the entire world. Especially good for adventure travel.Partner
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How to lose things—passports, credit cards, and other important items—while traveling and not have it ruin your vacation
From dishonest taxi drivers to thieving restaurant waiters—you won't run into too many scams in Britain, but here are a few common rip-offs to watch out for
This wearable safe for keeping your passport, credit cards, and spare cash secure is the one indispensable accessory every traveler loves to hate
Sleeping on an overnight train is a relatively safe endeavor, but take a few sensible precautions to avoid pickpockets and thieves and sleep more soundly
There are hundreds of road signs blocking your view on British roads and—more importantly—telling you how to get where you're going
Just use ATMs and banks, carefully count your change until you get used to the local cash, and stay away from gray market money changers
Scams and rip-offs at the hotel—many of them perfectly legal. Avoid the minibar, phone, laundry service, and parking garage
Travel on the safe side with trip insurance: when to buy it, what it does and does not cover, and where to get it
Advice and resources for women, gays, minorities, and the disabled traveling in the U.K.
A traveler's guide to race matters in Britain and a frank rundown of what to expect if you're black, Asian, Arab, Indian, or otherwise not visibly of European descent
Information and concerns for gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual travelers in the U.K.
