Mistakes everyone makes in London
Eight decisions that cost an hour, a ticket or a whole day
- Costly
- A London Eye ticket at the desk
- Wrong day
- The Abbey on a Sunday: no sightseeing
- The hour
- The Changing of the Guard is Mondays
Most mistakes in London are made with the calendar and the clock, and the money follows. A ticket bought at the wrong window, a church visited on the wrong day or a ceremony awaited on the wrong weekday costs more than any taxi ride. Below are eight decisions that cost an hour, a ticket or a whole day, and in each one the fix is cheaper than the mistake.
Buying a London Eye ticket at the desk
The desk price for an adult is €45, while the same ticket from a phone is €34. It is one of the costlier mistakes on a first trip because it is made on the spot, with the wheel already in view and the group already tired. Buy online instead, from your phone, while the wheel is still in the distance. A standard online ticket can be changed to another date or hour more than once without extra payment, so a change of weather does not burn the money.
Official ticket
- At the desk
- €45
- Online
- €34
Through a partner
- options with a guide or audio guide
- usually costs more than the official ticket
Westminster Abbey on a Sunday
On Sunday the abbey is open for worship only, and sightseeing does not happen. The hours are: Mon–Fri 9.30am–3.30pm, Saturday 9.30am–3pm, Sundays worship only. Saturday closes half an hour earlier than the weekdays, so a late Saturday arrival loses the same slice of the day. If the weekend is the only time you have, attend a service, which is free and open to all, and keep the Coronation Chair and Poets' Corner for a weekday morning.
A ticket with a chosen time slot, booked ahead.
The Tower of London in the afternoon
In the afternoon the line for the Crown Jewels is reportedly up to an hour and a half, and from November the Tower closes at 4.30pm. On Sunday and Monday it opens at 10.00 instead of 9.00, which shortens the day further. The fix is the first slot, Tuesday to Saturday at 9.00. Do the jewels first, and the rest of the fortress will not mind the wait.
Official ticket
- First slot
- Tue–Sat, 9.00
- Sun, Mon
- opens 10.00
Through a partner
- options with a guide or audio guide
- usually costs more than the official ticket
The Changing of the Guard on a Tuesday
The ceremony at Buckingham Palace takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11.00, and a Tuesday arrival finds a palace with nothing to watch. The calendar is published month by month on householddivision.org.uk, and rain cancels the ceremony. The cost is a morning spent on a pavement. Match the visit to the day first, and treat the rain as the second reason to carry an umbrella.
The State Rooms out of season
The State Rooms sell only in summer, and in 2026 that meant 9 July–27 September 2026. In September the doors opened from Thursday to Monday only. Out of season the palace offers a few guided-tour dates and little else, so a winter plan built on the rooms leaves a gap in the day. Plan the palace for the summer window, and treat any other month as a chance to see it only from the outside.
A ticket with a chosen time slot, booked ahead.
Borough Market on a Monday
Borough Market, by London Bridge station, is closed on Mondays. It opens Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 17, on Saturday from 9 to 17 and on Sunday from 10 to 16. A lunch planned around its stalls on a Monday ends at the gate, with the crowd you hoped to avoid reassembling at the nearest chain. Move the market to a Tuesday or Friday and give Monday to a museum instead.
A foreign card on the Tube without checking the fees
A contactless card from home works on the Tube, and the fares are the same as on an Oyster. The catch sits with your bank. It may add a cross-border fee or a currency conversion to every ride, and some foreign cards are not accepted at all. Speak to the bank before you fly. The Visitor Oyster carries no fee from TfL, although the sellers charge for the card itself, and the price varies.
A car in the centre
Driving in the centre adds the congestion charge, €21, on weekdays from 7 to 18 and at weekends from 12 to 18. The ULEZ charge, €15, applies on top if the car does not meet the standard. The alternative is the Tube and the buses, which stop charging once you pass the daily cap: €10. Leave the car where it is, and save the engine for the way out of the city.
Where to next
Nomadinho scores out of 100, the same ones behind “Where to go”.
If you like London
Three places with the closest scores, from any country.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What is the costliest mistake on a first trip to London?
There is no single answer, but a London Eye ticket at the desk is one of the costlier, with the gap between €45 and €34. Wrong days follow close behind, since the abbey, the guard and the market each have a day on which they offer nothing.
Is a contactless card better than an Oyster?
Fares are the same on both, so the choice comes down to what your bank charges per ride. If the fee is zero, use the card you already carry. If it is not, the Visitor Oyster avoids the TfL fee, though the seller sets a price for the card.
What if you pick the wrong day?
Most of the mistakes above can be undone by moving one visit. Put the abbey on a weekday, the guard on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, the market on a Tuesday or later, and keep Sunday for a service or a walk.
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