The Best London Phone Boxes for Photos
What if you don’t actually want to make a call, but just want a photo opportunity outside a famous red London phone box?
They are also famously grubby. So take care. One of our favourite travel writers, Gabriella (Postcards from Hawaii) has some great suggestion on her post on the topic.
What Not To Do
- Don’t touch anything inside, these phone booths aren’t cleaned and often stink of urine.
- The doors are remarkably heavy so watch out for your fingers.
- There aren’t many with working phones in so don’t expect to be able to pretend to make a call and refer back to my first point if there is one, phone boxes are not cleaned.
St. Paul’s Cathedral
You’re going there anyway, so line up a classic photograph outside the local phone box. Heading down Panyer Alley from the tube station (St. Pauls) is the best option.
Covent Garden Market
You can easily spend a whole morning or afternoon enjoying the incredible shopping, cafes, pubs and restaurants in Covent Garden. But look – there’s a photo opportunity. In fact, there are two phone boxes here at the corner of King and James Streets, in front of the historic market. If you’re lucky, a taxi will be parked in the background (triple London optics).
They’re Rare
The red phone booth people love is the K6 model, designed in 1935 to celebrate King George V’s silver jubilee.
After the 1990’s their use gradually declined, and now there’s a mere scattering in comparison. They’re rare.
Secondhand, they sell to pubs in particular for beer gardens. They have also become free mini-libraries across Britain.
Big Ben and The London Eye
If you also want Big Ben or The London Eye in the background, there is some good advice on the UK Travel Planning website (and some useful example shots).
Ring Yourself Up at Parliament Square
If you want to take a video, have fun using this number and someone will call, according to staff at the Clermont Hotel, anyway.
They say, “Make a note of this number: 020 7930 1397. That’s the telephone number for the Parliament Square London call box, and if you ring it, there’s a good chance a tourist will pick it up. You could even arrange for someone you know to give you a ring when you get inside the booth yourself.”
The Phone Box Pudding Shop
You can even eat in them. (Or one of them). Buy your favourite pudding (the correct British word for dessert) at Walkmisu.
Professional Photo Shoot?
If you want a stunning photograph, you can even book a professional photo shoot here as recommended by UK Travel Planning.
If you do, let us know @holidaygoddess.
