London

[taemo]

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ForEx rate on CCs fluctuate + ForEx fee per transaction/scan vs. Oyster card fill-up is minimal fees (less transactions)

It's double ding. However, there might be an app now so you can just do auto top-up but I don't know about fees on that one.

Hmm.. that's true, I guess it depends on how often you are planning to take public transit in London.
I pre-calculated most of our rides and used a CC with no Foreign Transaction fee so I found it more convenient to just use our CC.

[flipstah]

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Hmm.. that's true, I guess it depends on how often you are planning to take public transit in London.
I pre-calculated most of our rides and used a CC with no Foreign Transaction fee so I found it more convenient to just use our CC.

Actually, check this out and do maths haha:

[tonytiger55]

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If you want to see Big Ben, it's behind scaffolding till 2021.
@tonytiger55 YESSSS thanks for this. I'm going to try and do your suggestions as well.

The restaurant chain Waggamama. The chicken Katsu Curry or the Yaki Soba.. That is all I have to say and you will be in food heaven.

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What is the benefit of the Oyster card vs using your contactless credit card?
This was a couple of years ago but we used our then Amazon.ca credit card to take the tubes around London, but we tried to walk as much as we and maybe used the tubes only 2-3 times a day.
We also took one of the public double-decker busses that went from the Tower of London to the Big Ben.

Oyster card taps out to the daily maximum. It depends on how often you use it. You might jump on the bus or tube to get to various parts of London.
As a tourist, its hard to say how many times you would use it. As a local, its better.

Tourists generally like to take the buses as you get to look out of the window. But its not the fastest way around the town.
I was working in Russel Square one summer and I had so many tourists ask which bus goes where and where is the bus stop. A lot of the destinations toruists asked about were quicker and easier by tube.
Plus as others have said, Forex fees' etc.

[sabad66]

Forex fees (unless you have a no forex fee card) are generally the visa/mc/amex "posted rate" + 2.5%

If you get an oyster card you pay i think a 10 pound deposit, and then add money, say 20 pounds. So you would pay 30 pounds * (posted rate + 2.5%)

if you use your tap card, it's the same thing except billed per ride instead of all at once.

I really don't see how you're saving money unless you're buying the oyster card with cash you've already exchanged which you got a good rate on. Also with oyster cards, if you don't use it all i don't think you can get a refund, and most people will forget to return it to get their deposit back. (i haven't been to London for a couple years so not sure if they still charge you a deposit for the card itself)

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EDIT: Oh also want to suggest MEATliquor as a good lunch restaurant.

[stillworking]

There is a Transport for London kiosk at Heathrow before the underground. In hindsight the unlimited would have been a better since I topped up a couple of times and paid more than unlimited would have been.

Recommend:

Bricklane Sunday market.
Camden Market

London in one day! See the main sights
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/experiences/407932?source=p2

Unseen London by Bicycle
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/experiences/57922?source=p2

https://www.secretfoodtours.com/lond...ian-food-tour/

[flipstah]

Gail's for great bakery treats.

[tonytiger55]

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Gail's for great bakery treats.

Greggs Bakery... its everywhere there.
The sausage rolls, the pasties and the cakes.. omg. Im getting hungry just thinking about it.
You have to try the chicken bake or the beef and vegetable pasty.

https://www.greggs.co.uk/

[flipstah]

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Greggs Bakery... its everywhere there.
The sausage rolls, the pasties and the cakes.. omg. Im getting hungry just thinking about it.
You have to try the chicken bake or the beef and vegetable pasty.

https://www.greggs.co.uk/

OMGOMGOMG is this better? K time to try haha.

[rx7boi]

Natural History Museum is the bomb.

Loved that joint.