There’s no denying that London is an amazing backdrop for movies, and it has been for many decades. And walking its streets means you’re wandering through spots that have appeared in everything from romantic comedies to spy thrillers, wizarding movies and literally everything in between.
And one of the best things about this knowledge for film buffs is being able to turn a pretty ordinary day out into something special that allows you to indulge yourself in all the places that you have seen on film.
But doing this isn’t easy, and it can take some planning. Let’s take a look at some tips for booking your next visit to London to take in some of the most famous movie locations.
Book Popular Locations Early
Not all locations are free to wander to whenever you want, and some of the more busier locations or even attractions book up months in advance. This is something worth knowing for visits to Warner Bros. Studio Tour for Harry Potter. These slots book fast, especially during the summer months or school holidays.
If this or any other busy attraction is on your must-do list, then you need to check availability as soon as you lock down travel dates to make sure you get tickets when you’ll be visiting. The least busy times are usually weekday mornings, and it’s always recommended that you book directly through an official site rather than a third-party reseller to avoid inflated fees or invalid tickets.
Visit Early to Avoid Crowds
Locations like Notting Hill, Portobello Road, or the infamous book shop used in the movie Notting Hill always see copious amounts of visitors, and this means locations get busy fast. The same applies for places like Trafalgar Square, which has been a backdrop for many films including Spectre, Edge of Tomorrow, 28 Days Later, and American Werewolf in London.
Arriving right as the shops open or even earlier for outdoor locations means clearer photographs and a much calmer experience walking around.
This matters even more on weekends when local footfall adds to the usual tourist crowds.
This isn’t always a hard-and-fast rule, and not all locations will be swarming with people all day, but it’s worth looking at busier times and reading reviews from others who have visited to understand when it generally gets busier and its quieter periods.
Choose Accommodation Near Key Locations
The last thing you want to be doing is traipsing all over London to get to the locations you want to see. The best thing to do is to pick a location that’s central to everywhere you want to visit on your trip. Especially if you need to be visiting places that aren’t too close together.
It’s a good idea to check a tube map against your planned stops before booking where you’re going to be staying to make sure that you’re on the right tube lines if this is applicable. And you’re well located to get to where you’re visiting, and you’re staying without making life harder for yourself. A little time here can make all the difference to how smoothly everything runs and how easily it is to navigate the parts of London you’re moving around.
Store Your Luggage
This is such a good tip. When you arrive in London with luggage in tow, or you’ve checked out and have a few hours to kill before you leave, then dragging around your luggage is going to make life harder.
Finding a luggage drop off Victoria station area means you can leave your luggage until you’re ready to collect it, to either head to your accommodation or your train home, for example, and it frees up your hands and energy to do what you really want to do and not just navigate crowds with your luggage getting in the way.
Check Which Locations are Free to Visit vs Paid
You don’t need to pay for everything you want to see. Many locations and filming spots are free to see and get up close and personal. Tower Bridge is one such location where you can see the exterior without paying to go inside if you don’t want to. Others, like the Warner Bros Studio Tours or any walking tours, you need to book and pay for to join in.
Take a look at what you can see for free and in what limited capacity, if any, and include them so you’re not paying out for everything, and you can save your money for those positions or experiences that require you to book. There might even be offers on some types of tours, meaning you can bundle some together for a lower cost.
Plan Routes Around Nearby Locations
Grouping locations by area rather than visiting them in the order they appear on a list will save you hours of unnecessary travel so you can spend it doing what you really came to do.
If you’re a fan of James Bond, then you might want to cluster your trip around Westminster Bridge, Whitehall and the National Gallery as these are all within easy walking distance of each other.
Approaching your day like this means you can get more in and you’re not looping back on your day, retracing steps or getting stuck on the tube all day instead of doing what you actually came to do.
Leave Time for Delays and Detours
Not everything is going to run on time or be smooth. The tube, buses, and city traffic will rarely run exactly to plan, and if you’re scheduling your day with no buffer, not only will you be setting yourself up for added stress, but you’re running the risk of not making it to where you want to go.
The trick here is to give yourself more time than you think you need. This will give you breathing space when getting around in case you run into unexpected queues or transport delays. This does mean not over-scheduling your day, but often this works out for the best anyway as you get to experience more and enjoy it without worrying about making the next connection or missing your arrival times.
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