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In a city as enormous as London, you can’t possibly do all of its best bits in one trip. That means that you want to make sure everything on your itinerary will actually be worth it. That’s what Time Out’s guides to the city’s best restaurants, theatre shows, museums and more are for. But to get the best out of your trip, you should also be aware of which parts of London you might want to avoid.
Like in any city, the Big Smoke has its fair share of tourist traps. Now, the Telegraph has included one London popular spot in its list of the top 10 worst tourist attractions in Europe – or, more specifically, the continent’s ‘most naff attractions where no discerning tourist would be seen dead’.
Leicester Square, home to the Hippodrome Casino, the ODEON Luxe, the Lego store and M&M World, landed in second place. The central London plaza is one of the most packed areas of the city and apparently attracts more than 2.5 million visitors every week. Add to that the neon flashing screens and music blaring from businesses and passing rickshaws and you’ve got the perfect recipe for complete sensory overload.
The paper’s travel expert Rob Crossan wrote: ‘There is no finer act of charity that a Londoner can bestow upon a visitor than to drag them away from M&M World, the Hippodrome, the Hard Rock Café and everything else that makes Leicester Square feel like a vision of what Las Vegas would be like if it was run by [Ryanair CEO] Michael O’Leary.’ What a burn.
Other landmarks on the Telegraph’s ‘must avoid’ list include Juliet’s Balcony in Verona, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and John O’Groats in Scotland (‘the most undeserving tourist attraction of them all’).
The good news is that Leicester Square is easy to avoid, and there are hundreds of alternative things to see and do across London that will actually be worth your while. Plan your perfect trip with Time Out’s guide to the city’s 50 best things to do.
ICYMI: Take a look at all the vendors at Leicester Square’s huge new food hall.
Plus: The biggest ever exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion is opening at Buckingham Palace in 2026.
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