To have a one of a kind British experience, visit London! The city is the proud home to the historic Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Big Ben and House of Parliament, which are travellers’ favourites. Also, for being the spot for the coronations of the British ruler, the legendary Westminster Abbey in London oozes with history.
Here, history collides with fashion, food and art. An impeccable day is different for each person. Culture fanatics should hit the Royal Opera House and the Tate Modern. For foodies, cream tea at Harrods, or crispy fish and chips from any restaurant offers traditional London flavour. Oxford Street has shopping galore for you to shop ‘till you drop. Book and music fans will love the Abbey Road and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Also, everyone can take a walk to the Regent’s Park for a great escape into the world of nature.
Spring and summer are the major tourist seasons. You should pack an umbrella no matter when you travel, since London is infamous for experiencing misty days and rains constantly. But even with its unexpected weather, this magnificent city will captivate you! Welcome to London!
Visiting London provides a great opportunity to experience the amazing London Eye, Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The View from The Shard and lots more. Purchase your tickets in advance for fast, hassle-free entry to the places you want to be.
Tickets for Madame Tussauds London: Priority Entrance
Tickets for Hop-on-Hop-off City cruise London 24H
The best time to visit London would be the months of May, June and September if you want mild weather and less crowds. The prime tourist season is July and August when hotel and flight prices reflect the surge. Mild winters and Christmas markets make London an incredibly popular place to be during the holidays. This time of the year the streets are crowded with both English and international tourists. People visit London year round because the city is always open, but no matter what time of year you go, you should pack an umbrella.
London is served by six international airports: London City Airport (LCY), Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), Luton (LTN), Stansted (STN), Southend (SEN). If you are going to be in London for more than a day, it’s worth booking a Visitor Oyster Card in advance.
London City Airport is located in the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham, approximately 11 km (6.9 mi) east of the City of London.
London City Airport is well-connected to the London Underground, or ‘the Tube’ as Londoners call it. The airport has its own stop on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), making transport to and from the Airport fast and convenient. Services run every 8 to 15 minutes with journey times of less than 7 minutes to Canning Town or Woolwich Arsenal and 17 minutes to Stratford International. The Airport is located in Zone 3. You can use your booked Oyster card or Oyster cards and tickets can be purchased at the DLR counter adjacent to the Airport Terminal. Click here to plan your journey on the Transport for London website.
Local bus routes serving the airport are the 473 and the 474. Standard bus fares apply and Oyster and Travelcards are accepted. To plan you journey and for an interactive map of bus services at the airport click here.
Heathrow Airport is located in Hillingdon, approximately 22 km (14 mi) west of Central London.
London Underground (the Tube) provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow and the capital. The Piccadilly Line connects all Heathrow terminals with frequent services to London and journey time is under an hour to the city centre. All stations are in Travelcard Zone 6. The single cash fare to central London (Zone 1) is £6.00, but you are able to use your Oyster card, too.
Trains offer the quickest link between Heathrow and central London. There are two services to choose from: Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect.
Most people prefer the direct Heathrow Express train, as its journey time is only 15-20 minutes between the airport and London Paddington, and departures every 15 minutes. Trains depart from Heathrow Central Station (walking distance from Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and Terminal 5 Station but if you’re arriving at Terminal 4, take the free Heathrow Express transfer shuttle service. Oyster cards and travelcards are not valid on Heathrow Express. A single fare costs £22 and a return fare costs £36. You can buy tickets at the station, on the train or in advance online via the Heathrow Express website.
The Heathrow Connect service is a slower train service as it stops at 5 stations on the way to London Paddington. This service takes 25-30 minutes, and operates every 30 minutes, with a single fare costing £10.20 to London Paddington. Trains run between Heathrow airport Terminals 1,2 and 3 and Paddington, but travelling to Terminal 4 or 5 you should use the free inter-terminal service. Purchase your Heathrow Express tickets online here.
London’s famous black taxis stop at the ranks outside each Heathrow terminal. The journey time to central London is approximately 45-60 minutes and should cost between £45 and £70.
Gatwick Airport is 5.0 km (3.1 mi) north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and 47.5 km (29.5 miles) south of Central London.
There are lots of options for getting to London by train from Gatwick. The Gatwick Express is the fastest way into Central London. Trains run every 15 minutes between Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal and London Victoria Station with a journey time of 30 minutes. Adult tickets on the Gatwick Express cost £19.90 for a single journey, or £34.90 for a return journey. You can save money by buying your Gatwick Express tickets online. For online purchase click here.
There are also regular train services that run between Gatwick Airport and central London.
Southern trains services operate four times an hour to Victoria with a journey time to Victoria of around 35 minutes. Book Southern Trains.
Thameslink also offers regular train services from Gatwick Airport to Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International that leave four times an hour. Book Thameslink.
The journey time by taxi to central London is approximately 60-70 minutes and it will cost you approximately £70. Find out more and book a taxi in advance on TfL taxi fares page.
London Luton Airport is located 2.8 km (1.7 mi) east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, and is 46.71 km (29.02 mi) north of Central London.
easyBus offers frequent departures to/from Victoria, with intermediate stops at Golders Green, Finchley Road, Baker Street and Marble Arch. The coaches run every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the time of the day, 24-hours a day. Central London in as little as 50 minutes. Tickets are available on-line starting from £2 one-way and with average fares of little more than £6. Book online and early for the best prices.
National Express services run throughout the day and night from bays 4, 5, 6 and 10 situated in the front of the terminal building. The journey time to central London is approximately one hour and 20 minutes, and one-way fare costs between £7 and £11. Book online on National Express website.
Greenline 757 is an express service to Central London. Stops include Brent Cross, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Marble Arch and Victoria. Green Line 757 provides assisted travel for people in wheelchairs (For more information click here). Tickets can be booked online on Greenline 757.
Luton Airport has no train station in the airport complex, but the nearest train station, Luton Parkway Station, is about 1.6 km (1 mi) from the Luton Airport passenger terminal. There is a regular shuttle bus service between Luton Airport Parkway and London Luton Airport terminal. The service runs every ten minutes. If you have a train ticket to Luton Airport the shuttle is included in the price. If you have a train ticket to Luton Airport the shuttle is included in the price. If you only have a ticket to Luton Parkway, the shuttle bus will cost £1.60 single and £2.70 Standard Open Return. Train tickets can be bought on trainline.com.
London Stansted Airport is located at Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, 48 km (30 mi) northeast of Central London.
The rail station at Stansted Airport is located directly below the main terminal building. The Stansted Express service is a regular, fast and convenient train service between the airport and London Liverpool Street station, with a journey time of 45 minutes. Trains depart every 15-30 minutes. A standard single ticket costs £19. For more information and online booking click here.
Terravision operates a shuttle bus service between Stansted Airport and London Victoria, departing every 30 minutes. Journey time is 75 minutes to Victoria and costs £10. For online booking click here.
National Express operates services from the airport to London Victoria Coach Station from 4am to 1am. The service runs every 15 minutes and takes an hour 25 mins to an hour 40 mins depending on the time of day. Book your ticket online on nationalexpress.com.
24×7 Stansted Airport Taxis are the official private transport provider to London Stansted Airport. For more information visit 24x7stansted.com.
London Southend Airport is in the district of Rochford within Essex, approximately 68 km (42 miles) from the centre of London.
The Train is probably the best way to get to Central London from Southend Airport. At peak times up to 8 trains an hour run, with a journey time to London Liverpool Street Station of 53 minutes. A standard one-way ticket costs £15.90. For online booking visit: National Rail.
Transportation is divided into zones; the further the zone is from central London, the more expensive it will be to get there. If you are going to be in London for more than a day, it’s worth booking a Visitor Oyster Card in advance. Oyster Travelcard provides access to all London Transport Networks (London Underground, Buses, Docklands Light Rail, Overground Trains).
Plan your journeys across London with the TFL (Transport For London) journey planner. The journey planner covers all public transport.
London’s Underground rail network, or “the Tube” as it is known, is normally the quickest and easiest way of travelling around London. There will be an Underground Station within walking distance wherever you want to go in Central London. An adult cash fare on the London metro for a single journey in zone 1 is £4.90, while the same Tube fare with Visitor Oyster card is £2.40.
London’s famous red buses are a quick and cheap way to travel around London, with plenty of sightseeing opportunities along the way. A single bus fare costs £1.50. You can pay this fare using a Visitor Oyster card.
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London Official City Guide App helps you make the most of your time in London while on the move. Features include offline maps, weather, restaurant and bar recommendations, guides, and travel information.  |
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Citymapper is the ultimate public transportation app. Combines all available transit to find the best route: subway / metro, bus, train, Uber, rail, ferry, bike share & personal bike with cycle lanes. |
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London Travel Guide and Offline City Map is a reliable and easy-to-use travel companion. Find directions with detailed offline maps, in-depth travel content, popular attractions and insider tips. |
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Museum of London: Streetmuseum app lets you travel back in time. Hold your camera up in present day London and watch as images from London’s past appear on your smartphone screen. |
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Toilet Finder helps you locate all the toilet facilities around you in a quick glance. It’s very useful in need… |
| London transportation prices | Price in gbp |
|---|---|
| Taxi from Heathrow to city centre | 45.00 - 70.00 |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 |
| Single Tube journey in Zone 1 (cash fare) | 4.90 |
| Single Tube journey in Zone 1 (Oyster fare) | 2.40 |
| Single bus fare | 1.50 |
| London food and drink prices | Price in gbp |
|---|---|
| Budget breakfast | 3.50 - 6.00 |
| Meal for 2 people in mid-priced restaurant | 40.00 - 70.00 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 2.30 - 3.00 |
| Pint of beer | 3.50 - 5.00 |
| McDonalds Big Mac | 2.89 |
