London and Credit Cards

[CaroleLee]

Hi,

 

Hope a Londoner has an answer. Planning on using a HoHo Bus to tour London. Does anyone know if the following venues accept credit cards or only GBP:

 

Westminster Abbey

Tower of London

St. Pauls

Churchill War Rooms

Buckingham Palace (if HMQ not home)

 

Is there some sort of tourist ticket that allows entry to all of the above or is each a separte admission ticket.

Thanks

Carole

[Bob++]

You won't find a combined ticket for those attractions. St Paul's and Westminster Abbey are free, but it would be normal to donate at least £10 each towards the huge costs of maintaining the buildings.

 

You should check out the relevant websites before you decide where to go. I hope you don't expect to cover them all in one day. The Tower and St Paul's would be a full half day, and maybe Buckingham Palace in the afternoon. Tickets can be purchased in advance, and this would be essential for the Palace.

[Bob++]

You won't find a combined ticket for those attractions. St Paul's and Westminster Abbey are free, but it would be normal to donate at least £10 each towards the huge costs of maintaining the buildings. The others will all accept credit cards, as will just about anywhere you want to go.

 

You should check out the relevant websites before you decide where to go. I hope you don't expect to cover them all in one day. The Tower and St Paul's would be a full half day, and maybe Buckingham Palace in the afternoon. Tickets can be purchased in advance, and this would be essential for the Palace.

[roaming_kiwi58]

St Paul's Cathedral is definitely not free. Nor is it a "suggested" entry fee - you actually have to buy a ticket. Last time we went, in 2012, it was 15 GBP per adult, but I see on their website it is now 16.50, or if you buy in advance online you can get it for 15 GBP. Well worth it though. The first time we went was many years ago, when it really was free! When we returned we hesitated, because of the entry cost when we had been before, but it was still well worth a return visit. We spent half a day there, and then had to leave at closing time. There is so much interesting stuff to see in St Paul's it is well worth half a day.

[LondonTowner]

Yes, all those places will accept credit cards. Remember we use chip and pin in the UK. Visa and MasterCard are the most accepted. American Express is not widely accepted. There are plenty of ATMs everywhere. Also in Victoria St there is a branch of Thomas Global Exchange which gives the best exchange rates I can find in London.

 

Buckingham Palace is only open during certain weeks in the year, so check it out. I would imagine almost everything can be booked online anyway.

[whogo]

Except for worship services, St. Paul's Cathedral charges £16.50 admission and Westminster Abbey charges £18.

[Marebear]

On one of my last trips to London I put my ATM card next to my day pass for the tube and stripped them both !!! Be careful where you keep your cards and tube passes !

[whogo]

I am not a Londoner, but I think I have most of your answers.

The London Pass (which I do not consider a bargain for most people) covers Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, and Churchill War Rooms. http://www.londonpass.com/london-attractions/index.html

 

The Days Out 2 for 1 discounts are available for Tower of London (except from 15 July 2014 - 3 September 2014) and for Churchill War Rooms. http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk

 

I do not recommend hopping on and hopping off the hop on hop off bus tours. Make a complete circuit or circuits and use the tube or regular buses to get to your attractions.

 

As to Buckingham Palace, the state rooms are open from Saturday, 26 July 2014 to Sunday, 28 September 2014. Book in advance.

[Bob++]

oops - sorry about the wrong information.

[LondonTowner]

Marebear

 

I have demagnitised mine in the past. It sometimes happens when you keep them in a handbag with a magnetic clip to close the bag, which I did.

[nikel]

As to Buckingham Palace, the state rooms are open from Saturday, 26 July 2014 to Sunday, 28 September 2014. Book in advance.

 

 

We are there in November, does that mean we have no chance of seeing anything Palace related?

[whogo]

We are there in November, does that mean we have no chance of seeing anything Palace related?

The changing of the guard will be viewable every other day. The Royal Mews will be available for tours. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/royalmews Personally, I consider Buckingham Palace to be a minor London attraction. It pales next to the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Churchill War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, British Library, National Gallery, and a number of other attractions.

[orchestrapal]

The Queens Gallery (wonderful museum) at the palace is open daily from 10-5:30 and very worthwhile. The main attraction for our 37 visits soon to become 38 is the London stage where you'll see the best actors plying their trade,

[nikel]

The changing of the guard will be viewable every other day. The Royal Mews will be available for tours. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/royalmews Personally, I consider Buckingham Palace to be a minor London attraction. It pales next to the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Churchill War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, British Library, National Gallery, and a number of other attractions.

 

 

It's not my first time to London so basically have seen most of the other sights. Some like Westminster Abbey I will repeat as there is something about that building I so enjoy.

[Globaliser]

American Express is not widely accepted.

Yet again, I have to say: This is untrue.

 

I use an Amex as my primary card. Last month's statement had 49 lines on it.

 

I have a Mastercard as a backup card for the places that don't take Amex. Last month's statement had 13 lines on it.

 

If you do use an Amex as a primary card, then you will need a Visa or a Mastercard as a backup. But the suggestion that Amex is "not widely accepted" simply doesn't accord with my experience.

[MATHA531]

In many respects, London is like most American cities (I know some Londoners might not want to hear that but believe me, it is true). Credit cards are taken most everywhere for most everything. Last June, I spent a week in London. Upon arrival I withdraw £10 from an ATM (my bank does not charge for ATM withdrawals nor did the UK bank) and still have the £10 bank note in my wallet. I charged everything everywhere. From topping up my British sim card, to breakfast (my hotel wanted 15 quid for breakfast, Mickey D right next door charge me £2 with a stop at the Tesco for their orange juice at 48p and taking coffee on the Mcd breakfast), to picking up at Tesco a couple of bottles of water for the day, to lunch at either pret a manger or tesco or sainsbury or Itzsu, to picking up refreshment for half time at the theatre (perhaps at Boots in Picadily Circus) to buying the theatre tickets, to eating dinner at a moderately priced restaurant (I grew to really love Wagamama) to refreshments at the convenience store on my way back to the hotel. Not once did I have to pay cash (no I don't drink but at some of the pubs I went to and ordered food, they took my card).

 

Also to allay some people's fears, for the most part the archaic American credit cards lacking the emv chip were taken everywhere without so much as an amused look by the clerks. I have several cards, though, which are chip and signature with no foreign transaction fees and they were taken no questions asked.

 

As far as Amex is concerned, it is widely accepted although there are a few places which take mc/visa and don't take Amex (pret a manger is once or at least was one last June). Therefore you are better off, as noted above, if your main card is Amex to have a mc or visa card as a back up.

[GaryT-UK]

If you do use an Amex as a primary card, then you will need a Visa or a Mastercard as a backup. But the suggestion that Amex is "not widely accepted" simply doesn't accord with my experience.

 

I would say Amex is "less widely accepted". They charge retailers higher fees so a lot of smaller shops tend not to accept it. I'd agree you need a backup card too. London may be a bit of an exception as they have so many tourists. I'm always amused when I visit friends there and they pay by card for everything.

If you don't have a chip & pin card you should be able to swipe & sign in a shop, but that doesn't work if you use an automated terminal (e.g. buying tickets at the machines on the tube).

[Globaliser]

In many respects, London is like most American cities (I know some Londoners might not want to hear that but believe me, it is true). Credit cards are taken most everywhere for most everything.

London may be a bit of an exception as they have so many tourists. I'm always amused when I visit friends there and they pay by card for everything.

If anything, my impression is that if anything, Londoners pay more by card than anywhere that I've seen in the US (which is mostly big cities). This isn't a tourist thing - it's locals doing this day in, day out. There are entire weeks when I don't use any cash for anything.

 

This is also driving the newest card-acceptance technology: contactless payment (for smaller transactions) where you just touch your card on the reader and the money is taken without having to PIN or sign. It's much faster than either formal verification method.

As far as Amex is concerned, it is widely accepted although there are a few places which take mc/visa and don't take Amex (pret a manger is once or at least was one last June).

Pret has taken Amex for a long time now. So do all the comparable sandwich/coffee shops.

 

There's a branch of Pret near the Tower of London where I'm usually found for about half an hour, one morning a week, getting my breakfast (and eating in). I would say that something approaching half of the transactions there are by card - and many of these are for coffees costing less than £2.

[MATHA531]

If anything, my impression is that if anything, Londoners pay more by card than anywhere that I've seen in the US (which is mostly big cities). This isn't a tourist thing - it's locals doing this day in, day out. There are entire weeks when I don't use any cash for anything.

 

This is also driving the newest card-acceptance technology: contactless payment (for smaller transactions) where you just touch your card on the reader and the money is taken without having to PIN or sign. It's much faster than either formal verification method.Pret has taken Amex for a long time now. So do all the comparable sandwich/coffee shops.

 

There's a branch of Pret near the Tower of London where I'm usually found for about half an hour, one morning a week, getting my breakfast (and eating in). I would say that something approaching half of the transactions there are by card - and many of these are for coffees costing less than £2.

 

Apologies. I don't remember seeing an Amex logo at the pret I frequent. Mea culpa.

[Globaliser]

Apologies. I don't remember seeing an Amex logo at the pret I frequent. Mea culpa.

No worries - I didn't mean it as criticism. But there is this general misapprehension that few places take Amex, as illustrated by other posts in this thread - however, it simply isn't true.

[Pet Nit Noy]

The changing of the guard will be viewable every other day. The Royal Mews will be available for tours. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/royalmews Personally, I consider Buckingham Palace to be a minor London attraction. It pales next to the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Churchill War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, British Library, National Gallery, and a number of other attractions.

 

Before you get too enthusiastic about seeing the changing of the guard, read the FAQ about the event. (URL below) For planning purposes, know that the site states that people being assembling at 9:30 for a 10:45 ceremony in the summer. Obviously, November will be different but you'll have to wait to hear from our resident Londoners to learn how different.

 

I made a stab at seeing the ceremony in April 1982. (I know the month/year because the Falklands crisis was taking place during much of our visit.) I arrived 30 minutes before the change and snagged a place in the fourth row of the crowd. Since I'm short, this was almost a worthless experience. That's a lot of time to waste on worthless.

 

For opulence, a visit to Buckingham Palace is always a special experience, but for history or emotional impact any of the places on whogo's list offer a far more meaningful visit.

 

http://www.changing-the-guard.com/faq.html

Edited May 17, 2014 by Pet Nit Noy