The Easiest Ways To Blend In On A Trip To London, According To Locals

One of the best ways to experience London is to do as the locals do. Taking a cue from Londoners will help you see the city away from the attractions, dodge costly tourist traps, and sidestep time-wasting transportation mistakes. It'll also help you avoid conflict, especially if you come from a place where eye contact is the norm.

The TikTok account @secret.london posted a video where people in the U.K.'s capital revealed easy ways to blend in when visiting the city, and multiple people gave the same tip: Don't make eye contact. "Don't look anyone in the face, don't look anyone in the eye, just avoid anyone," one man said. Another explained he doesn't make eye contact to avoid "starting something" with passersby. A third man recommended keeping to yourself and not looking at anyone when taking the trains.

@secret.london

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The advice may sound cold to outsiders, but it's become a running joke among London residents. At one point, graffiti stickers were even placed around the London Underground that read, "No eye contact," and "Don't acknowledge fellow passengers or sustain eye contact beyond 2 seconds." While there isn't an actual rule against eye contact, looking too deeply at others' peepers while visiting London probably won't help you make friends with the locals.

Just because you shouldn't make eye contact with people in London doesn't mean you should ignore them altogether. In fact, watching how others move through the city — and following their footsteps — will help you blend in better. One man in the @secret.london video noted that people tend to walk in all directions, but if you notice a pattern in the flow of foot traffic, follow it. For instance, you'll likely see people standing on the right when on escalators in London. Breaking this norm will make you stand out as a clueless tourist, and you may anger someone who's in a hurry and can't get through. To keep the flow of traffic, always have your Oyster Card or other payment card ready when entering and exiting the Tube so as not to cause congestion. Nobody likes a bottleneck.

Similarly, if you see a line, respect it. Londoners, and British people in general, despise queue cutters. A 2013 survey (via The Daily Mail) of Britons revealed that people pushing their way into a line was considered the most anger-inducing thing in a list of common pet peeves. Cutting in line is one thing that will surely elicit some eye contact, and we don't mean the friendly kind.

Acting like a local in London probably won't come naturally unless you happen to be from the city. Still, it helps to carry yourself with confidence and pretend like you know what you're doing, according to a pair of women on @secret.london's TikTok. "It's very busy, like, you need to be able to, like, be confident and know your way around," one explained, with her friend agreeing.

Another local, who posts on TikTok under the handle @loveandlondon, echoed this, sharing that acting confident, even when you're not sure what you're doing, is "very London." It's okay to fake it 'til you make it as a tourist, but to really be confident, plan your itinerary and research your route before you head out for a day of sightseeing. That way, you won't look lost on the Tube or overwhelmed by all the famous buildings and seemingly endless traffic. When you appear to lack confidence, you won't just look like an outsider — you might attract unwanted attention from pickpockets and other shady characters. Remember to keep your head up and walk with purpose when exploring the streets of London. If all else fails, take a breather with a quiet pint in the nearest pub — the most "local" of all London activities.