It’s the pinnacle of visiting the UK, but plan your trip to London incorrectly and it can also be the very definition of tiring and ridiculously expensive.

As today’s title might have already given away, we are going to try and help you avoid such mistakes. We will now document four of the biggest mistakes that people make when they visit the capital, in a bid to make your trip all the sweeter.

Mistake #1 – You visit London

Ok, so there’s some irony in this first mistake, but give us time. The point we are trying to make here is that accommodation in London is expensive, and you can still enjoy the UK without necessarily visiting there. It might mean getting a hotel in Cheltenham and just commuting for day trips in the capital, or it might even mean just staying in that region and making the most of it. In other words, don’t buy into the notion that London is the only thing that the UK has to offer – you can stretch your net further and still reap plenty of enjoyment from this country.

Mistake #2 – You drive

It might be one of the most established capital cities in the world, but this is the very reason why you should be avoiding driving at all costs as soon as you land in London. Sure, the rental cars can be cheap when you land at one of the airports, but that’s where things stop.

You will have to pay a congestion charge every time you enter the designated zone (which covers the majority of tourist sites!), while let’s not even talk about traffic. In short, you will be wasting hours upon hours if you decide to drive anywhere, and that’s before trying to find a reasonably priced parking spot. Instead, take advantage of public transport – it will be your savior.

Mistake #3 – You always get the metro

We touched upon public transport in the last section and while it can be very useful on a lot of occasions, don’t for a moment think that you have to turn to it all of the time.

For example, between some metro stations its actually quicker to walk than jump on the transport system. Not only that, but when peak hours arrive, some stations limit the amount of people that are able to enter them. It means that you can avoid being a sardine, and perhaps save a bit of money some days as well. Oh, and there’s the exercise-factor.

Mistake #4 – You don’t take advantage of London’s freebies

It might be billed as incredibly expensive city, but that doesn’t mean to say that there are not “bargains” to be had across London. Sure, there are some attractions which charge a fortune, but at the same time there are all of the free museums, plus the parks which obviously don’t cost a penny to enter. Rather than hone in on all the so-called premium attractions, try and focus some attention on these free ones to keep things on-budget for your trip.