plan a trip london tube

How to Use London Underground: A Comprehensive Guide for Tourists

The London Underground, affectionately known as the ‘Tube,’ is more than just a transit network; it’s an iconic part of the city’s heart and history. I have used the London Underground countless times and it is my favourite mode of transport to move around the city.

As a tourist, understanding the Tube is key to unlocking the full potential of your London adventure. The Underground connects you to the most iconic sights in the city.

Now, as you go on this journey, keep in mind some cultural nuances. Londoners value their ‘ Tube etiquette ‘ – things like standing on the right side of the escalator and allowing passengers to alight before boarding. These small gestures go a long way in blending in and experiencing the city authentically.

Understanding the London Underground System

Planning your journey, purchasing tickets and oyster cards, how to use the london tube:, accessibility features of london tube:, safety and etiquette rules of the tube:, exploring london’s attractions by tube, tube’s common challenges and solutions.

Alright! Let’s delve into the world of the London Underground, a system that’s not just about trains and tunnels, but also rich in history and culture.

Now, let’s talk about navigating this sprawling network. The Underground is split into nine zones , radiating out from the heart of London. Zones 1 to 3, often called Central London are where you’ll find the big-ticket attractions, while the higher numbers take you further afield.

But why should you care about zones? Simple: they determine your ticket prices. Traveling across more zones usually means a higher fare, so understanding this system can be a real wallet-saver.

Each Underground line has its distinct flavor. Let’s start with the classics: Circle Line (Yellow) , looping around central London like a yellow ring, and the Piccadilly Line ( Deep Blue) , your gateway to landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the British Museum.

Then there’s the Central Line (Red) , slicing through the city, perfect for shopaholics heading to Oxford Street. Each line is a different color on the map, making it a breeze to follow your route.

Beyond the main lines, the London Underground offers lesser-known routes that are treasures in their own right. The Jubilee Line (Grey) , with its sleek, silver trains, is a perfect route for history buffs heading to the Tower of London.

Meanwhile, the Hammersmith & City Line (Pink) takes you through the heart of London’s vibrant arts scene. Stops near the famous Tate Modern and the eclectic markets of Portobello Road are perfect for those who love culture and quirky finds. Then there’s the District Line (Green) , offering a direct route to Kew Gardens , an oasis of tranquility and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Not to be overlooked is the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) – Two Green Lines , providing a futuristic journey through London’s regenerated Docklands area. Here, you can enjoy stunning views of the modern skyscrapers of Canary Wharf.

Each of these lines not only connects different parts of the city but also encapsulates different aspects of London’s diverse character and history. As you plan your journey, consider venturing beyond the well-trodden path to uncover these hidden gems of the Underground.

Next, let’s chat about planning your Underground adventure to go from point A to B within the city. Our main goal here is not to get lost and make your journey longer than it should be.

Remember, if you are crossing the whole London via Tube (East to West), it can take you around or more than 2 hours!! Believe me, I tried it! It was probably the longest train/tube ride I have ever done.

First up, your secret weapon: the Transport for London (TfL) website and the TfL Go app . These tools are like having a personal guide in your pocket. With just a few taps, you can map out your entire journey.

You’ll get a list of options with the estimated travel time and even walking directions to and from stations, which can be very convenient for tourists on the go.

Some Underground stations have no mobile data network, however, the TFL and mobile networks are working towards providing coverage within the whole Underground network or you can connect to their free Underground public WIFI.

Now, let’s decode the London Underground map ( You can download it here for free ). At first glance, it might look like a colorful bowl of spaghetti. But fear not! Each line is color-coded, making it easy to track your path.

The stations are marked as dots along these lines, and the interchange stations, where you can hop from one line to another, are highlighted with a special symbol. It’s like connecting the dots in a vibrant puzzle.

Navigating rush hour can be a bit of a challenge, but I’ve got you covered. The busiest times are typically from 7:30 to 9:30 AM and 5:30 to 7:30 PM. If you can, try to travel outside these hours it’s a bit quieter and more relaxed.

If you do find yourself traveling during these times, don’t worry. Just be prepared for a more crowded experience and remember, it’s all part of the authentic London adventure.

Now, let’s the world of tickets and Oyster cards. Think of it as a treasure hunt where the prize is the most cost-effective way to travel around this magnificent city.

First, let’s talk about your options. You’ve got pay-as-you-go Oyster Card , Travelcards , and contactless payments – each a trusty companion on your Tube travels, but with their special powers.

Pay-as-you-go Oyster Card is like your flexible friend; you only pay for the journeys you make and then will stop on your daily cap. Then there’s the Travelcard, a sort of ‘all-you-can-travel’ pass for a set period. Contactless payments? Well, that’s just using your bank card or a Travel Money card like Wise like a magic wand to tap in and out of the gates.

BEST TRAVEL MONEY CARD

If you are looking for a reliable, safe, and convenient travel money card that has different currencies in one app and card, I highly recommend Wise Travel Money Card . They have the best forex rates and minimal fees plus transfer your money in an instant.

So which one is the best? I wrote another article that can discuss this in full detail you can read it here — Contactless, Travelcard or Oyster card: Which is Cheaper and Best for Tourists .

Now, let’s get into the heart of the London travel game – the Oyster card . This little blue card is your golden key to the city. You can pick one up at any Tube station, and topping it up is a breeze.

Just find a ticket machine, choose how much to add, and you’re ready to go. It’s like loading up a gift card for yourself but for trains and buses! You can also keep it as a London souvenir after your trip.

For my savvy tourists out there, here’s how you can save some pounds. The Oyster card has a daily cap, which means once you hit a certain amount, you won’t pay a penny more for the rest of the day.

It’s like getting a bonus round in a video game! And don’t forget to look into special passes like the Visitor Oyster card, which offers additional discounts on attractions and dining. For more tips, check out my budget travel tips in London .

Using the Underground – Practical Tips

As we continue our adventure through the London Underground, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of actually using this iconic transit system. Think of it as a backstage pass to the most efficient way of zipping around London!

First things first, let’s walk through using the Tube, step-by-step:

• You’re at the entrance of a Tube station.
• Have your Oyster card, travel Card, or contactless payment card at the ready. If you need to top-up (put credits on your Oyster card) you can do so at the machines before the tube’s barrier gate.
• You tap it on the yellow card reader or for Travel cards, insert it into the ticket slot at the gate, and hey presto, the barrier opens!

Now, you’re in the labyrinth of the Underground. Follow the signs to your desired line – they’re color-coded to match your map. Look for the arrows pointing you toward the right platform, especially at larger stations where multiple lines intersect.

It is important that you familiarize yourself with the tube system, and where in London you want to go. Getting your bearings on North, East, West, and South would be tremendously helpful in navigating your way within the London Underground network. Otherwise, you can get lost here pretty quickly!

For those who might need a little extra help, the London Underground is continuously improving its accessibility features. Many stations now have lifts, ramps, and tactile paving to assist travelers with disabilities.

It’s always a good idea to check the Transport for London website for the latest accessibility information for specific stations. It is marked with an Accessibility icon (♿︎) next to the station name. You can check the image above for the Index to London Stations.

Now, let’s chat about safety and etiquette – the unspoken rules of the Tube. One golden rule? Stand on the right side of the escalators, leaving the left side free for those in a hurry.

On the platform, mind the gap between the train and the platform edge – it’s a bit of a London catchphrase for a reason! It is also imperative to let the people off the tube first before pushing your way into the Tube. When this unwritten rule is violated, British people find it so rude!

And remember, no matter how packed the train is, it’s always good manners to offer your seat to someone who might need it more than you.

Moving on, let’s embark on an adventure exploring London’s most iconic attractions by the trusty Underground. Imagine zipping around the city, hopping off at stations that lead you straight to the doorstep of history and culture.

Sounds exciting, right? Let’s dive into an example itinerary for a day packed with exploration and fun.

Start your journey at Buckingham Palace . If it’s summer, you might be lucky enough to peek inside the Staterooms, you can book this tour for that . You check out my experience review of the Buckingham Palace Staterooms tour when my husband and I visited it last summer.

Just a short walk through the splendid St. James’ Park, and you’ll find yourself gazing at the architectural marvel of Westminster Abbey . Remember to book a guided tour to fully appreciate its grandeur.

🚇 Nearest Underground: Green Park and St. James’s Park. I wrote another article about 5 Ways How to Get to and Nearest Tube to Buckingham Palace .

Next, take a stroll to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben . Fun fact: Big Ben is the name of the bell, not the tower! There is also a guided tour of the House of Parliament worth doing to see around the iconic political heart of Britain.

From here, it’s a hop, skip, and a jump to the London Eye . If you fancy a bird’s-eye view of the city, make sure to book a spin at this iconic London attraction .

🚇 Nearest Underground: Westminster

Now, let’s weave through the streets to Trafalgar Square , followed by the vibrant Leicester Square for West End shows and the dazzling lights of Piccadilly Circus . These places are perfect for those Instagram-worthy shots! Continuing the journey, you’ll reach the charming Covent Garden, a haven for foodies and shoppers alike.

🚇 Nearest Underground: Charing Cross, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus

After refueling, head towards St. Paul’s Cathedral . Its magnificent dome is a sight to behold.

🚇 Nearest Underground: St. Paul’s

Next up, London Bridge and the historic Tower of London , where you can delve into centuries of British history. And don’t miss the chance to visit Tower Bridge , where you can explore the museum inside.

Fancy a view from the top? The Shard’s viewing deck is your go-to spot. For naval history enthusiasts, HMS Belfast is a must-visit. And for a unique twist, consider a River Cruise along the Thames. It offers a picturesque view of the city’s landmarks from a different vantage point.

🚇 Nearest Underground: London Bridge, Monument and Tower Hill

If time allows, there are more gems to uncover. Oxford Circus buzzes with shopping excitement, while the British Museum offers a dive into the past, and it’s free!

🚇 Nearest Underground: Oxford Circus, Tottenham Road Court, Holborn, Goodge Street and Russell Square

Remember, this itinerary is ideal if you’re content with a quick stop and photo opportunity at each landmark. If you wish to delve deeper into each attraction, you’ll need more time. Always book in advance to snag those online promotions. You can check out more examples of a one-day itinerary in London .

Finally, let’s tackle some common challenges you might face while navigating the Underground and how to smoothly sail through them. Think of it as learning some secret spells to magically solve any Tube trouble!

First up, service disruptions – they can be a bit like unexpected plot twists in your travel story. Maybe there’s maintenance work, or perhaps a signal’s gone on a bit of a holiday.

But fear not! The key is to stay informed. Check the TfL website Status Updates or the handy apps before you set off. They’ll give you real-time updates on all lines, so you can reroute your journey if needed.

Now, let’s talk about a traveler’s mini-nightmare: lost property. Imagine you’ve left your bag on the Tube, and it’s now traveling solo across London. First, don’t panic. Items found on the Underground are sent to the Lost Property Office .

Head to the TfL website to report your lost item . It’s like sending out a search party for your beloved belongings.

Sometimes, you might need a helping hand, and that’s totally okay. If you’re ever in doubt or need assistance, the staff at Underground stations are your go-to heroes. Look for anyone in a TfL uniform – they’re usually near the ticket barriers or wandering the platforms.

They’re like friendly guides in the labyrinth of the Underground, ready to help with directions, accessibility information, or even just to answer a curious question about London.

Always keep an eye on the departure boards for real-time updates and listen to the announcements. They’re not just background noise; they’re the voice of the Underground, keeping you in the loop.

So there you have it! With these tips up your sleeve, you’re more than ready to face any challenges the London Underground might throw your way. Embrace these solutions, and you’ll be zipping around London like a pro in no time!

Have you ever experienced the London Underground before? Tell me your story about your experience in the comment section below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Everything Zany

Everything Zany Travel Blog exploring the UK and beyond. Sharing travel guides, tips, history, and culture. Our travel media brand is founded by travel and hotel industry expert – Ryazan Tristram, a Dual Citizen (British–Filipina) based in Birmingham, UK. Everything Zany is a reputable and award-winning travel blog. Our work and contributions have been featured in the Huffington Post, CNBC, Discovery Channel, GMA, Readers Digest, and Lonely Planet. Our mission is to build a great travel community and resource of travel tips, visas, and travel guides for travelers. Join us as we travel around the UK and beyond with a mission to share the best of the world.

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London Public Transport Journey Planners

These are the best apps and tools to plan a journey by public transport in London. We recommend using the options listed below instead of Google to plan a journey.

Citymapper is the most comprehensive public transport planning app for London.

It’s available online or as a free app for ios or android . The online version is now rather limited. The app is much better.

The route planner shows all transport options including cycling, walking and local trains.

The adult Pay as you go Oyster card/contactless fares for each journey are also shown. This make it easy to find the cheapest route.

Transport for London’s TfL Go app is a sleek design and easy to use . It’s the easiest app to find and live departures for underground trains and buses.

It also has a route planner showing options for

• fastest route
• an alternative route (usually bus)

Select ‘Status’ for delay information. You are then able to see if there are any problems on a particular train or underground line.

It defaults to an excellent live tube map, which finds your closest tube station. Click on the underground station, then the name of the station to get the times of the next tube trains.

Click on ‘bus stops’ to see times of the next buses from bus stops near you.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t give fare information. But it’s recommended if you don’t need to know the fare.

Transport for London’s online journey planner

Transport for London’s online Journey Planner shows the quickest way from A to B.

It’s possible to choose bus/tube/train only routes. It also gives you the Pay as you go Oyster peak/contactless and off-peak fares.

Do bear in mind that the default is the quickest route, which is not always the cheapest. For example, to Heathrow Airport:

• under ‘Edit preferences’ deselect ‘National Rail’ to exclude the expensive Heathrow Express train.
• Deselect ‘Elizabeth line’ if you want to exclude that as well.

Early morning or late-night journeys

To be somewhere at a specific time, especially if it’s in the morning or late at night, use the TfL Journey Planner

Mobility issues

If you have mobility issues, you can narrow down your search options to find the best route with:

• Escalators but not stairs
• Stairs but not escalators
• Step-free access to platforms
• Full step-free access

If you just need a tube map and don’t want to use an app, download a pdf tube map to your device.

Related pages

• How to get around by bus
• How to get around by underground
• Walking in London

Getting around London

• How to use the London underground
• How to use London buses
• London cycle hire scheme
• London trains
• London taxis & minicabs

Useful information

• Plan your journey
• London transport zones

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London Underground 101: A guide to getting the Tube in London

Editor's Note

If you've never visited London before, navigating its iconic Tube system can be either an adventure or a confused mess of Tube lines, fare types and labyrinthian stations.

You might not have initially thought so, but there's a lot more to it than just getting to a station, hopping on a train and then exiting. Thankfully, TPG has your back, and we created this guide to the London Underground.

Let's dive in.

Related: The 23 best hotels in London

Paying for the Tube and how to save money

First of all, let's make sure the price is right.

There are many ways you can pay to travel around London via the Tube.

You can buy paper tickets from the ticket machines at each Tube, Overground and Docklands Light Railway station. One-way, return, daily and weekly travel cards are available. If you're buying tickets for single journeys, you'll probably spend more than you really need to if you take the Tube more than once.

The most convenient payment method, though, is to use your contactless payment card. Simply touch it on the yellow card readers found at Tube entrances and some platforms to pay for your ride.

These card readers also work with prepaid Oyster cards sold at all Tube and Overground stations, plus most Elizabeth Line stations and select newsstands and visitor centers throughout London, for 7 British pounds ($8.86) each. If you choose to purchase and pay via an Oyster card, you can add money to the card using the ticket machines found inside Underground stations. You can then purchase daily or weekly travel cards covering various zones.

Regardless of how you pay for your ride, you'll use the same process for confirming your payment. Use your phone (for contactless payments) or debit, credit or Oyster card to tap in and out at the barriers of your start and end stations. Remember that card readers aren't always connected to gates and are sometimes free-standing, so make sure you locate one and tap in and out to avoid getting charged for traveling through all nine zones.

To see the full details and decide exactly which payment method is right for you, check out the Transport for London website .

Daily limits

If you use an Oyster card or contactless payment to pay for your Tube journey, there is a cap on how much you can be charged, depending on the zones you travel in or between.

Say, for example, you only travel within Zones 1 and 2. For a full day of travel via the London Underground in those two zones, you'll pay 8.50 pounds (around $10.76).

You can view the prices for other zones on the TfL website .

Child discounts

All children under the age of 11 can travel on the London Underground for free, and children between 11 and 15 receive discounted fares (as outlined below). To ensure that you get a discount, you should talk to a member of the London Underground staff inside the station.

How much does travel on the London Underground cost?

The London Underground operates a peak and off-peak fare system. The amount you're charged depends on which zones you're traveling in or between.

Peak fares are charged Monday to Friday between the hours of 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. Off-peak fares are charged at all other times and if you're traveling from a station outside of Zone 1 into Zone 1 between 4 and 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Journeys on the Tube and the Elizabeth Line to and from Heathrow Airport (LHR) are always considered peak fares if you start, end or go through Zone 1.

Travel cards

Peak and off-peak travel cards are also available in the Tube stations' kiosks. The cost of travel cards varies depending on the zones you travel in. Paying with an Oyster card or via contactless payment is usually cheaper.

An Anytime Day travel card can be used for the entire day that you purchase it until 4:30 a.m. the next day.

An Off-peak Day travel card is valid for an entire weekday from 9:30 a.m. — or any time on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays — until 4:30 a.m. the following day.

How to read the London Tube map

The London Underground map is divided into nine zones. The center of London — along with its most popular tourist attractions and iconic hotels — is in Zone 1. The outer parts of the city are in Zone 9. The zones are serviced by 11 tube lines and a handful of other rail services identified by color.

The London Underground lines are as follows:

• Bakerloo (brown) : From Harrow & Wealdstone in northwest London to Elephant & Castle south of the River Thames
• Central (red) : From West Ruislip in west London to Epping in east London
• Circle (yellow) : From Hammersmith to Edgware Road and then back to Edgware Road in a loop around central London
• District (green) : From Upminster in east London to Richmond in south London
• Hammersmith & City (pink) : From Hammersmith to Barking in east London
• Jubilee (gray) : From Stanmore to Stratford in east London
• Metropolitan (maroon) : From Aldgate to Amersham
• Northern (black) : From Edgware in the northern suburbs to South Wimbledon in southwest London
• Piccadilly (dark blue) : From Cockfosters via Hammersmith to Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; the Piccadilly Line has two branches, which split at Acton Town
• Victoria (light blue) : From Walthamstow Central in north London through central London to Brixton
• Waterloo & City (turquoise) : From Bank to Waterloo Station

Though not technically Tube lines, you'll also find the following rail routes on the Tube map:

• Overground (orange — double stripe) : From Watford Junction in the northwest to Croydon in the south and from Barking in the east of London to Richmond and Wandsworth in the southwest
• Docklands Light Railway (turquoise — double stripe) : From Bank in the City to Lewisham in east London and Bank to Woolwich Arsenal; there are further routes from Tower Gateway to Beckton, Stratford to Lewisham or Canary Wharf, and Stratford International to Woolwich Arsenal
• Elizabeth Line (purple — double stripe) : From Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east

Taking the Tube to Heathrow Airport

Depending on where you're traveling from, the Tube or Elizabeth Line will likely be your cheapest and most direct route to Heathrow Airport.

You can learn more about the best ways to reach Heathrow here .

While there's extra space on the Piccadilly Line for suitcases, trains on other lines aren't always as accommodating. Either way, traveling with multiple pieces of luggage at peak times can make for a stressful and awkward journey for you and those around you.

It's not always possible to get to Heathrow without getting on the Tube during peak times. If possible, try to leave earlier to avoid rush hour and have a far more comfortable journey.

How to plan your trip

TfL provides a range of free Tube maps that are available in most Tube stations and some small shops to help you plan your journey.

You can also use TfL's journey planner . Add in your start and end destinations, and the site will work out the nearest Tube stations and what changes you may need to take. The site will also suggest bus routes if they're faster, and it'll advise on journey times.

You can filter its suggestions to only include buses if you wish to avoid the Tube; you can also filter for routes that are accessible, routes near taxi ranks or routes that have the fewest changes or least amount of walking.

In terms of apps, many Londoners tend to use Citymapper ( iOS / Android ) or Google Maps ( iOS / Android ), both of which will provide you with up-to-date Tube suggestions, walking routes and bus options.

How early does the Tube run?

The London Underground's opening times can differ depending on the line you want to take and where you're starting your trip. Generally, though, Tube trains begin operation around 5 a.m. from Monday to Saturday, with slightly reduced operating hours on Sundays.

How late does the Night Tube run?

On Friday and Saturday nights, you can ride the Night Tube when the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines run for 24 hours. Additionally, the London Overground operates a 24-hour service on these days between New Cross Gate and Highbury & Islington.

The Night Tube is charged at off-peak rates.

The quickest route might not be the obvious one

If you're not used to London, you might think you need to take the Tube to get anywhere. The Tube is your best bet for longer journeys in and out of the city. However, shorter journeys in central London will likely be quicker on foot.

When planning your journeys, the TfL website has a handy box to help you determine which routes are quicker to walk.

By walking shorter routes, you'll not only save time but will also breathe in less thick, soupy air. The views are guaranteed to be an improvement, too.

Travel etiquette on the London Underground

Polite behavior when traveling on the London Underground can pretty much be simplified into three main rules.

Escalator etiquette

Perhaps the most important rule of Tube stations is to stand on the right on the escalators. This allows those in a rush to glide down the escalators in a flash to avoid waiting an extra minute for the next train.

Mindful Tubing

Everyone getting the Tube has somewhere to be and is likely in a rush. Letting all passengers get off your carriage before boarding will enable a smoother, quicker and more pleasant journey for everyone.

Additionally, don't hog seats if someone in need, such as elderly people, pregnant women or people with disabilities, would benefit more than you by sitting down. Checking if someone needs your seat will go a long way in making someone's journey, if not their entire day, better.

As for rides during busy commuting hours, remember that squishing as tightly as possible into the area closest to the doors doesn't benefit anyone. Move down the train. It makes for a more comfortable, less sweaty journey for everyone.

In general, queueing is somewhat of a national sport for Brits. We do it anywhere and everywhere, and anyone who fails to queue correctly will receive passive-aggressive eye rolls and tuts from all who witness it.

This also applies to the Tube, whether you're waiting to get through the barriers, waiting to get on or waiting for the stairs, escalators or elevators to leave the station. Save yourself the glares and cranky tuts of fellow passengers by falling into line.

Bottom line

Love it or hate it, London would come to a standstill without the Tube. Whether it's your first time in the capital or you're a seasoned Londoner, the above tips will serve you well. Remember, above all else, to stand to the right.

Tube Map - London Underground 4+

Tfl map and journey planner‪.‬, mapway limited.

• #83 in Navigation
• 4.7 • 16.3K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Tube Map is the award-winning navigation app that includes the official TfL (Transport for London) Tube Map. Tube Map - London Underground works both on and offline and is the #1 Tube Map with over 22 million downloads! Key features: Uses the official TfL iconic Harry Beck London Underground map design. Includes additional map views for the TfL Night Tube and Rail Network. Plus a bonus map that we have created that is more geographical.  An easy to use journey planner that works with and without an internet connection. Check line status for delays, closures and service changes. See what time the next Tube is due with live departures from TfL. National Rail arrivals and departures. Journey planning made easy with real-time routing around closures and delays. Use step-by-step directions in the journey planner to find your way around London. Save your favourite routes for quick selection when on the go. Save your Home and Work stations for up to date station, line and route information. Find your closest Tube station wherever you are in London. Tube Map – London Underground Apple Watch app available. Line status widget Travel Guide Exclusive features also available; First & Last Tube Times, Tube Exits, Premium Line status widget and Priority Support. NEW - Remove advertising subscription With over 60 million downloads worldwide, there's a Mapway app for many of the busiest transport systems in the world including New York Subway, Paris Metro, Bus Times London and Berlin Subway. Plan. Route. Relax. Please note: whilst we endeavour to ensure that Line Status notifications are delivered in a timely manner we can’t guarantee this 100% of the time. There may be occasions when the functionality isn’t available due to technical reasons outside of our control. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Tube Map Premium available as an in-app subscription: 99p weekly, £3.99 monthly or £9.99 annually, or as a one-off purchase of £24.99. Prices may vary by location. Cancel at any time, for any reason. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, at the cost of your chosen price tier. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings in your iTunes Account. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased, where applicable. Read our terms in full at https://www.mapway.com/terms-conditions/

Version 7.3.7

Thank you for downloading the app. We regularly update the app to make it better for you. This release includes an updated map and some bug fixes and improvements for you. To make sure you don’t miss a thing, just keep your updates turned on. Got a question? Tap Support in the About section in the app.

Ratings and Reviews

16.3K Ratings

Great app for London Tube travel

Just got back from our first trip to London and using this app made getting around London to see the sights via the tube so much easier. It can show you the nearest tube station to your location and all you do it put in the location of the station you will be starting from and where you want to go and it does the rest. Gives you what t train to take and tells you what stop to get off. If you have to switch trains, it tells you the stop you get off ti switch the train and the next train to take and what stop for your final destination. This was great and the tube is so nice to use to travel around London. Highly recommended to anyone going there and planning ti use the tube. Much, much less expensive than a taxi.

Developer Response ,

Hi. Many thanks for the five stars and comprehensive review. Best regards, Team Mapway

Huge Timesaver

I used this app extensively on our recent trip to London. The route feature tells you exactly which lines to take and where to change lines. For a small fee it even can tell you which exit to take and whether to try to sit near the front or middle of the train (the fee was well worth it in my opinion). I did not find the adverts overly distracting. A cool feature is that once you've plugged in your route, you can switch over to a familiar Underground map and it will highlight your stations so you know where you are in the city/system. 5 stars from me. I downloaded another paid London map app that was worthless but this app is fantastic. Thank you for making my trip much, much easier!

We have loved reading your comments thanks so much for the review!

Forget the map - get this app!

Simply stated, unless you are very familiar with the London "tube", this app is a must have! No need to puzzle over maps, or ask guidance from an English-challenged employee. Just open the app, go to route planner, and enter your beginning & ending stations. It'll show you the lines and changes to get there! You can even put a location like "Hard Rock Cafe" in for your destination, and it will route you to the nearest station! The only catch is you must have cell service and be willing to use it. Just make sure you get a good plan on your phone!

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The developer, Mapway Limited , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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Some in‑app purchases, including subscriptions, may be shareable with your family group when family sharing is enabled., more by this developer.

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Tube Map London Underground

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Available free on iOS and Android

Official TfL Tube Map.

Including Night and Rail maps.

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Live line status..

The latest info from TfL, including live departure boards.

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Offline route planner..

The easiest way to navigate the Tube.

London’s favourite app for using the Underground.

Tube Map prepares you for the journey ahead with line status updates, real-time routing to anywhere in London and of course the latest official Tube Map from Transport for London. The award winning transport app features the iconic Harry Beck Tube Map which is easily recognisable to both local commuters and tourists. With a range of great features and the latest maps available every time there is an update, the Tube Map app is the simplest way to navigate the Underground when on the go.

Official Tube Map

Tube Map includes the latest official Transport for London map, based on the iconic Harry Beck design. The Tube network is constantly changing, from closed stations to the addition of entire lines (hello TfL Rail!) Download once and know that you’ll always have the latest Tube Map ready to go.

Line status and departure boards

Tube Map’s live status about every line on the TfL network. Whether it’s a closure on the Bakerloo line or delays on TfL Rail, you’ll always be in the know. Tap on a line for further information about any delays and what stations are causing the problem. Head to the Status & Departure Boards tab on a selected station to see departure times.

– Travel Guide –

Need help planning something to do in London or have questions about using the London Underground? Read the Mapway Travel Guide to London .

Journey Planner

Planning a journey to anywhere in London? Tube Map makes it easy! Plan journeys to and from postcodes, points of interest/tourist attractions and Tube stations. Realtime routes will avoid known delays so you can travel in confidence knowing that you’re going the quickest way. Tube Map’s route planner also works without an internet connection so you don’t have to worry about using up data!

Available free iOS and Android

Accessibility information.

View how accessible each platform is with ratings for those travelling with heavy luggage, a pushchair or using a wheelchair.

 – Travel Tip –

Don’t forget to tap out with the same card you used to tap in, or you might be charged more for your Tube journey.

Tube Map London Underground review on iTunes

Robroy060 | 6th december 2021, amir haqani | 17th october 2019, rydley | 2nd september 2019, – did you know –.

You should stand on the right when using an escalator on the London Underground or risk being frowned at by the locals!

– Travel Tip –

For more travel tips tap any station in Tube Map and click Information & Facilities. You’ll find some fun facts, travel tips and things to look out for!*

*Available on Android. Feature in development for iOS.

Additional features, first & last trains.

This handy in-app purchase is an additional feature that gives you the first and last train times for each service. For more information visit “Unlocked Features Explained” .

Want to know the quickest way off the Tube and out of the exit? This helpful in app purchase tells you which carriage to use to get out first. For more information visit “Unlocked Features Explained” .

Walking Routes

The walking routes shortcut is a map overlay that shows which stations are quicker to walk to and how long it will take.

Need to catch a ride once you get off the Tube? We’ve partnered with Uber to offer you a quick way to catch a ride once you’ve finished your journey.

Live Twitter Feed

In the side menu Tube Map includes a live Twitter feed with information from all of the official TfL accounts. These helpful tweets are packed with travel information and can be shown on the map view of the app.

London travel planner – How to plan a trip to London in 7 easy steps

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: March 11, 2024

Are you planning a trip to London for the first time? If so you may be finding the process a little overwhelming. There are so many things to think about that you may not even know where to start!

This article is aimed at removing the overwhelm and showing you how to plan your trip to London in a few easy-to-follow steps.

As well as this easy-to-follow London travel planner our website, our podcast and our Facebook community are also here to help you. Together they form the perfect online resource to help you shape the perfect London travel plan for your travel style and needs and ensure you make the most of your trip to London.

We have dedicated articles and podcasts which include practical tips and information for first-time visitors to London on this site and on our UK Travel Planning sister site but in this article, we start with the steps to follow to start the process of planning your trip to London.

If visiting London is only one part of a bigger trip we recommend planning the London element first and building the rest of your itinerary out from there.

What time of year is best to visit London?

How many days to spend in london, step 2 – decide on your budget 💷, london airports, travel insurance, where to stay in london, here are some practical tips to help plan your itinerary:, check out our sample itineraries:, we recommend the following companies for london tours, tickets and activities, how you will access wi-fi, how will you pay for things – cash or cards/contactless, deciding what to pack, deciding how you will pay for london transport (oyster card or contactless), how will you get from the airport to your hotel, london travel planner – plan your trip to london in 7 easy steps, step 1 – decide what time of year you want to visit london and for how long 📆.

If you are not impacted by time constraints you may have the ability to choose exactly what time of year to visit London.

Things you may want to consider when deciding when to visit London include the weather, hours of daylight, whether you prefer peak, shoulder or off-peak season, any particular events you would like to see (the Chelsea Flower Show, Christmas markets or Wimbledon for example) and school and public holiday dates.

You can find information about visiting London during every season and month on this website but for a summary, this provides a flavour of each season –

🌷 London in Spring – At this time of year, spring flowers are in full bloom and it’s less crowded than the busy summer months. The darkness of winter has lifted and the days become longer and the weather milder. This is the perfect time to enjoy London’s parks and gardens and spend some time outdoors.

• London in March
• London in April
• London in May

☀️ London in Summer – Summer (along with Christmas) is London’s busiest time. The weather can be very hot and sunny and the days are long so lots of time for sightseeing. Popular events and festivals are held during these months.

• London in June
• London in July

🍁 London in Autumn – Prefer to visit London during the shoulder season? Autumn weather in London is usually pleasant and mild and the days are still long enough to fit in a decent amount of sightseeing. Enjoy a stroll through London’s royal parks or visit Kew Gardens to enjoy autumnal colours.

🧣 London in Winter – Not only will you be able to experience the amazing winter festivities and  Christmas things to do in London  such as festive markets, Christmas lights and outdoor ice skating, but the winter weather (fingers crossed for snow!) transforms the city into a true winter wonderland! The downside is that the days are short but with cosy pubs to enjoy who is complaining?

• London in December
• London in January
• London in February

Once you have decided when to visit the next decision is for how long. We are often asked how many days to spend in London but this is a really difficult question to answer for someone else!

We have completed itinerary consultations for people whose entire trip to the UK is spent in London and for others where London is the start/end point of a longer trip around the UK (and possibly Europe ).

Ideally, 3 days would be a minimum as this will give you an opportunity to see some of London’s main landmarks, attractions and sights but if you can plan for longer we would recommend 5 – 7 days is a good starting point.

INest step is to know how much to budget for what might be the first of many visits – or a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

London has a reputation for being costly and you may be wondering exactly how much does it cost to go to London?

The quick answer to this question is that we recommend budgeting around £105 plus (about $130 in US dollars) per day, per person, after paying to get there. You can of course spend a lot more, or a little less, but our recent trip revealed this figure to be a good starting point. 

We have a dedicated article about budgeting for London which we suggest reading to help calculate expenses for your trip.

(Do remember there are many free things to do in London and we do also have tips to help you stick to a budget when visiting London too)

Step 3 – Book flights and organise travel insurance 🛫

Step 3 is planning how you will get to London.

If you are in North America, Asia, Africa or Australia/New Zealand the answer is generally by air.  (Unless the UK is the start or end point for a cruise or you are travelling overland by train or bus)

There are 6 international airports that serve London including London Heathrow (the Uk’s largest airport), London Gatwick, London City, London Luton, London Stansted and London Southend (the last 3 serve low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet).

To find the best flight deals to the UK I use  Skyscanner  to get a good comparison of all available options (prices and routes)

Skyscanner  is useful if you are searching for various route options and the cheapest dates to travel. Set up an email alert if prices change.

Once you have your flights booked I highly recommend paying for travel insurance. I have never travelled without it and although (as yet) have never needed it I have heard many stories from those who have.

Step 4 – Book accommodation 🏨

Step 4 seems to be a major stumbling block for many people when it comes to planning their trip to London. We totally understand – deciding where to stay in a city you have not visited before can be quite daunting. And then add into the mix the cost of accommodation in London and it can be even more difficult to choose the right area and the right accommodation for your travel party, travel style and of course travel budget!

My tip? Study the table below and choose an area which suits your interests.

Another great tip? If it’s your first time in London pay that little extra and stay in or around Covent Garden. It has great transport links, is near many of the main sights and has excellent entertainment and restaurant options.

Accommodation options

There is a large range of accommodation options available in London to suit all travel budgets and styles including hotels, apartments, hostels and Airbnb.

We recommend using  Booking.com  for your hotel and apartment accommodation in London. It is the site we use for our own trips all over the world. The site is easy to use and we find the option to book with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance of a stay absolutely essential. It may cost slightly more but for peace of mind, it is invaluable.

Vrbo  is a great option for those who are looking for an entire home or apartment to rent for their time in London.

Plum Guide  lists the top 3% of vacation homes around the world all of which must pass a rigorous application process. If a beautiful luxe experience is what you are after then we highly recommend checking out Plum Guides London’s inventory.

Read – Where to stay in London: Area and Accommodation Guide

Step 5 – Plan your London itinerary 📋

Step 5 of our London Travel planner involves itinerary planning. And we know that planning your day-to-day London itinerary may be the most difficult part of this entire process. Much as you may want to see and do it all and plan an itinerary to include everything on your London bucket list we know it is pretty much impossible.

Also, don’t underestimate how tiring London is, especially with a packed itinerary.

• Prioritise the list into “must do’s” and “would like to’s”
• Using a map of London like this one add dot stickers for the “must do’s” (in red) and “would like to’s” (in green)
• You will find that you have clusters of dots – this will help you to plan your itinerary!
• For example, one day itinerary may include visiting the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Sky Garden, Pudding Lane, Leadenhall Market and St Dunstans in the East.*
• One day visiting Big Ben, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, Churchill War Rooms, 10 Downing Street etc
• One day visiting South Kensington Museums such as the V&A, Natural History Museum
• Read relevant articles for opening hours and recommended visiting times for each of the attractions (check our London itinerary planners for history lovers and museum lovers for essential information)
• Also include some flexibility in your plans due to the unpredictable British weather.
• *Try not to plan too many things in one day! The examples above may need to be adjusted based on the time of year, budget constraints, mobility needs etc
• I’m saying it again but please don’t underestimate how tiring London can be (wear comfy shoes!!) don’t forget a good supply of drinks to stay hydrated, not just in summer.
• 3 days in London itinerary
• 5 days in London itinerary
• London itinerary planner for history lovers
• London itinerary planner for museum lovers

Step 6 – Book tours, attractions, experiences and activities 🎟

Once you have your itinerary planned it’s time to consider booking your tours, tickets and activities . There can be some variability when these become available and you may need to check nearer your departure date for some tickets and tours.

If this is your first visit to London and you are planning to visit a lot of the most popular sights and attractions it may be cost-effective to invest in a London Pass .

• Includes access to more than 90 of London’s top attractions
• See London’s top landmarks and attractions with a hop-on hop-off bus tour
• Includes a digital guide which is packed with instructions for each attraction
• Get your London Pass instantly on mobile
• Choose the option that’s right for you with passes available for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 10-days

We recommend buying the London Pass from Get Your Guide as you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund if necessary.

Read more about the London Pass

• Get Your Guide and Viator – Both companies offer a large selection of tours, attractions and experiences. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a refund on most bookings.
• Walks (Take Walks ) – Offer small group guided tours including their popular “London in a Day Tour” and “Exclusive opening ceremony at the Tower of London and Crown Jewels Tour”
• Liv Tours – Offer sustainable private and small group London tours with local guides including popular museum and food tours.

Step 7 – Predeparture checklists and tips

While this may seem like a long section for step 7 these are things that you may want to consider in the 3 months or so pre-departure (or sooner if you wish!)

We are often asked what the options are for connecting to the internet in London. Relying on hotspots* for free wifi is an option and is available in many locations like museums and coffee shops plus most hotels now include free wifi too.

However, if you want a fast and reliable service your best options are

• They are portable, about the size of a drink coaster and very easy to use.
• Call your provider to see what their options are. Some have international calling built right in, while others offer international day passes. For the day passes, be sure to make a note of the price, the limits on data and the ability to make calls and texts.
• For those folks not so technically minded, a SIM card is the small card inside of your phone that stores data unique to the user and to the phone. When travelling to the UK from abroad, assume you’ll need to swap out your existing SIM card for a UK-compatible SIM card.

* If you access free public wifi we highly recommend using a VPN to protect your privacy

Again this is a common question that comes up in our UK and London Travel Planning Facebook group . We do recommend bringing some cash with you but if you are spending your entire time in London you will need less than for example someone planning a road trip around the UK (you may need some for parking meters!)

If you prefer not to use your credit card when you visit (for example if you incur currency exchange fees) you may wish to consider a  Wise card .

The Wise Card comes from Wise, an international payment and transfer platform. Wise was set up to offer simple, lightning-fast and low-cost transactions. 

The Wise Mastercard is available to anyone with a Wise account, including citizens of countries like the US, New Zealand, Australia and Europe. You need a multi-currency Wise account to apply for the card.

A Wise card works like a debit card. Put simply, if there’s money in your Wise account, then you can spend it anywhere Mastercard is accepted. You can pay via Wise in more than 50 currencies worldwide. A set amount of money can also be withdrawn in cash, and this varies by country. 

It’s free to  open a Wise account .

I love a good packing list as it’s the best way for me to stay organised for my travels. Whether you prefer carry-on only or are someone who takes their luggage allowance to the max it’s useful to be prepared for your London adventure.

Some essentials to consider include :

• Comfy shoes – I can’t stress this enough. Don’t wait until your trip to ‘break them in’ either! In winter a pair of waterproof boots is a great option while in summer sneakers or sandals are the perfect option.
• Adaptor – You will need to plug in all your electricals so don’t forget to pack an adaptor .
• Theft-proof bags – I have a day pack and a variety of cross-body bags from Travelon and I always use these when I travel wherever I am in the world.

Read – UK Packing List for every season

Coming soon – London Packing lists for every season

There are many public transport options available to get you around London including the Underground (Tube), overground trains, London buses, Uber boats, Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth Line, bicycles, and even a cable car as well as private transportation options including London black cabs, Uber

To pay for public transport in London you have a choice between purchasing an Oyster Card (Standard or Visitor) or using contactless methods. The Oyster Card is the size of a credit card which you preload with funds to pay for public transport. Learn more about Oyster Cards.

Alternatively, contactless methods of payment are becoming increasingly popular. Both methods have their pros and cons and we recommend reading our article which compares Oyster card versus contactless before deciding which is best for you.

You can purchase a visitor or regular Oyster Card on arrival in London and of course if you prefer contactless you are all set!

If (like me) you prefer to be organised and know exactly how you are getting from the airport to your hotel you may wish to book a private transfer. With a private transfer, you don’t need to worry about negotiating an unfamiliar transport system or city with your luggage after a long flight.

Other options to get from London Heathrow to London include via the Tube (Piccadilly Line), Elizabeth Line or Heathrow Express. Taxis are also available just outside arrivals at each terminal.

From London Gatwick into the city, options include the Gatwick Express, coach or a taxi. Private transfers are also available to book from Gatwick into London.

If you have booked accommodation and can’t get access until later on in the day check out our guide to where to store luggage in London.

London Travel Guide & Itinerary Planner Ebook (+ 4 BONUS ebooks)

The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Your First Trip to London

Are you planning your first trip to London?  

This global city is endlessly popular with travelers from all over the world. With its famous landmarks and iconic sights, the number of things to see and do in London can easily excite and overwhelm first-time visitors.

In this post, you’ll find a cheat sheet compiled over 3 separate visits to London packed with information about how to get to London from the airport, where to stay in London, how to get around once you arrive, and best of all,  mapped-out London itinerary planning tips .

Are you ready to make your first trip to London a success? 

How to Plan a Trip to London

It can seem daunting to get started on your London trip plan. It’s a huge city with lots of iconic sights and experiences. In fact, I think it’s often underestimated by travelers who often write to tell me what a great time they had in London and that the city was such a surprise…in a good way!

So, as any good teacher will tell you, start with an outline. In this case, you want to break down each step you’ll need to do to plan a trip to London and then work on filling in all the details.

Start with deciding when you want to visit London and how many days you’ll stay. (I recommend at least 3-4 days.)

Once you know this, you can work on booking your London accommodations. (I recommend staying in a central-ish area within walking distance of a Tube station. Keep reading for more below) The further out you book your London hotel, the more available options you’ll have with competitive pricing.

ProTip: If you have flexibility, you might even look at London flights and hotels first to find the cheapest combination of dates and rates. In this way, you’re letting the deals decide when you travel versus looking for a deal on the dates you need/want to travel.

Once you’ve got the major logistics set, it’s time to work on your London itinerary. (I’ve got specific itinerary ideas below so keep reading!)

At this point in your planning a trip to London, you’ll want to make a list of the London sights and attractions that are your must sees and dos. Then, using the maps below (or Google Maps), start grouping them by area.

One really important thing to know as you plan your London trip is that the city is huge. The distances between places can be far, and with limited days, you don’t want to backtrack or plan activities on opposite ends of the city on the same day.

From here, figure out what can be booked ahead…and actually book it ahead! London is a popular destination. It’s normal for there to be lines at top sights and restaurants that are completely booked.

You can use sightseeing passes like The London Pass (my complete review) to pre-plan and save money. Or you can book individual tickets through a platform like Get Your Guide .

Once you know where you’re staying and what you’ll be doing each day, you can round out your London trip planning by looking at the Tube Map to orient yourself and decide how you’ll get from the airport to the city center. (More tips on this below!)

What to See and Do on Your First Trip to London

This London trip planner is set up in different sections to help you plan a trip to London from start to finish. The first part helps you get ideas about how to plan your days in London with landmarks, attractions, museums, markets, and activities in a logistically sensible way.

You want to maximize your time in London without backtracking or zigzagging around the city. These ideas can also help you piece together a complete day because not all of them require a full day.

You also note that I’ve included the Tube stops for individual attractions. This is to help you in case you visit these places outside of the order I’ve suggested in the Google Map for each itinerary idea.

After these itinerary ideas for planning your trip to London, you’ll find tips and helpful information so you can navigate the city confidently.

Are you ready to plan your trip to London?

London Itinerary Planning Idea #1 – History Buffs and Foodies

Tower of London – Tower Hill Tube Stop – Circle and District Lines

The  Tower of London  with its crown jewels is an absolute must with its thick, ominous walls, dark past, resident black ravens, and informative Beefeaters. The Tower and the nearby Tower Bridge sit stalwartly as a link to the past when Kings and Queens sent prisoners to “think” about their choices and to wait for the inevitable… execution.

The Tower of London was the inhospitable home to infamous gangsters, spies, Dukes, Bishops, Princes, and even Queens!

Undoubtedly the most famous Queen of them all was the ill-fated Anne Boleyn. The Tower of London is where Henry the VIII’s executioner beheaded her on charges of adultery and conspiracy, however, Henry actually blamed her for not producing a male heir.

Today, visiting the Tower of London is like stepping back in time. The daily traditions involving this historic castle have continued for hundreds of years. The resident Beefeaters live at the Tower of London and maintain the rituals and routines of the past. But they also offer free tours (once inside) and comically share their vast Tower of London knowledge.

These tours begin every 30 minutes starting at 10:00 a.m. and finishing with the last tour at 2:30 p.m.

Pro Tip:  Arrive in the morning when the Tower first opens. It becomes quite crowded later in the day. Use your  London Pass  to get Fast Track Entry and bundled savings when compared to buying attraction tickets individually.

Tower Bridge & Borough Market – London Bridge Tube Stop – Northern and Jubilee Lines

After a morning at the Tower of London, time your escape for lunch at  Borough Market . It’ll be easiest to walk from the Tower of London. Walk across Tower Bridge instead of London Bridge as shown on the map above. The walk is a bit longer than crossing London Bridge, but historic Tower Bridge is a sight in its own right.

You can tour the Victorian-era engine rooms, as well as climb to the bridge’s upper walkways for gorgeous views over London and the River Thames. Get your Tower Bridge ticket in advance or use The London Pass to visit the bridge.

You can also cross the River Thames with a river bus using your Tube Oyster Card (more on these below) from Tower Pier to London Bridge City Pier.

Once at Borough Market, the market lanes are lined with food and grocers selling every imaginable food item. It’s a great place to sample a variety of foods from all types of global cuisines. Not to mention, no London trip is complete without taking advantage of the city’s amazing international food scene!

From famous falafel to perfectly spiced Indian food, huge skillets of paella, and savory British pies from Pieminster, you’ll be thankful to visit with an empty stomach on your first trip to London and every time you return like I do!

Restaurants and cafes fill the upstairs level and the surrounding streets (in case you’d prefer to sit rather than sample and roam) making this Southwark neighborhood a foodie’s delight.

ProTip: From Borough Market, you’re just a 5-minute walk to The Shard , London’s tallest glass skyscraper to see the highest views over the city. If you have it, you can use your London Pass for access. Be sure to follow the pass instructions to pre-reserve a time.

London Itinerary Planning Idea #2 – Royalty and High Tea

Westminster Abbey – Westminster Tube Stop – Jubilee Line

Coming out of Westminster Station, you’ll immediately be in the shadow of Big Ben and London’s iconic Parliament Building. You can walk back onto the Westminster Bridge to capture fuller photos of these London landmarks. If you’re lucky, you just might get a classic shot with a red doubledecker bus!

Continue on to  Westminster Abbey , just a couple of minutes walking from Big Ben. Westminster Abbey is open to visitors Monday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m until 3:30 p.m. The Abbey is closed on Sundays so keep this in mind when planning your London trip.

Use your  London Pass  to gain access to Westminster. Once inside, admire the architecture and the Abbey’s gorgeous choir room. Westminster is also the final resting place of numerous kings, queens, and dignitaries. You can see the monuments in their honor, as well as learn about their place in history.

If you’re a fan of the Royals, you’ll be visiting the spot where Kate and William were married.

Pro Tip:  If you want to take a ride on the London Eye , it can be included with the stops you make in and around Big Ben because it’s just a short walk over the bridge you see in the photo below. Avoid the lines by choosing the fast-track ticket option. It’s also quite popular to depart from the Westminster Pier for a cruise along the River Thames to take in the sights of London from the water.

History buffs won’t want to miss the Churchill War Rooms. They’re not far from Westminster Abbey, along the edge of St. James’s Park. These rooms served as the secret headquarters for Churchill during WW2. The rooms have been preserved just as they were during the war and give a fascinating look at how Churchill operated and made decisions during this dark time in history.

If your trip to London is 3 days or less and it’s your first visit, this WW2 museum may not be a top priority. But if you or a travel companion is interested in visiting WW2 sights and museums in Europe, The Churchill War Rooms are a great way to divert from the typical first time in London sights.

Buckingham Palace-Green Park Tube Stop-Jubilee, Victoria, & Piccadilly Lines

Next, make your way to  Buckingham Palace  where the  Changing of the Guards  happens.

The ceremony is all pomp and fanfare. The King’s Guard outside the castle has been on watch for hours and the new guard comes to take over in grand style! A marching brigade of guards along with a mounted cavalry and a marching band head up The Mall and through the palace gates.

This ceremony draws a crowd so it’s best to arrive ahead of time so that you can get yourself in a position to see the fanfare. I’ve watched from both the gates of Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria Monument directly opposite the palace gates.

You’ll have to choose the location you want because it’s typically too crowded to move from place to place. To get a spot along the fence at Buckingham Palace, be prepared to arrive up to an hour early and wait.

If this is the case, you also may need to reverse the order and visit Westminster Abbey after so that you can stake out your Changing of the Guard spot in the morning.

Pro Tip:  Check the  Changing of the Guard schedule  before you go to make sure the ceremony is planned for the day you intend to visit.

Hyde Park – Hyde Park Corner Tube Stop – Piccadilly Line

When the ceremony is finished, keep those royal juices flowing for a stroll around  Hyde Park . It’s one of the largest parks in London, as well as one of the Royal Parks. Enjoy its monuments, bridges, fountains, gardens, and lake, including the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.

Finish up with a classic afternoon tea experience at  The Dorchester Hotel .

No doubt, it’s a luxurious splurge, but after having experienced life as a royal, it’s the perfect way to properly finish the experience. From finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, sweets, and of course, tea, you’ll have had a quintessential London outing.

Alternatively, if you plan afternoon tea for another day, you might want to visit London’s Natural History Museum or Kensington Palace on the other end of Hyde Park.

The latter has been a royal residence for hundreds of years and was where Princess Diana lived with Princes William and Harry. Today, you can tour the apartments and staterooms and see the sunken gardens where there is a statue of Princess Diana commemorating the 20th anniversary of her death.

While the Natural History Museum displays animal specimens, dinosaurs, and exhibitions about the history of the natural world and the people who evolved in it.

If you intend to walk into Hyde Park and casually make your way towards Kensington Palace or the Natural History Museum, the walk will be broken up by the time spent in the park.

Otherwise, if your aim is to get to either of these sights without a long walk, use the London underground. The Queensway stop along the Central line is the closest to Kensington Palace and the South Kensington stop along the Circle and District lines is near to the Natural History Museum.

London Itinerary Planning Idea #3 – Architecture, Theatre, & Art

St. Paul’s Cathedral – St. Paul’s Tube Stop – Central Line

Start off at  St. Paul’s Cathedral  to admire this Anglican Church’s architecture. You can explore the crypt or head in the opposite direction and climb the dome’s 528 steps for spectacular panoramic London views.

If you have it, entry is included with your London Pass .

Take your time crossing the pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge on your way to the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. This is a great spot to watch boat traffic along the River Thames.

Tate Modern & The Globe Theatre-Blackfriars Tube Stop-Circle & District Lines

These 2 London attractions are just next to one another.

The  Tate Modern  has a vast permanent collection of modern art by the likes of Henri Matisse and Jackson Pollock, as well as temporary exhibitions. There are beautiful views looking back on St. Paul’s Cathedral and the River Thames, as well.

It’s free to enter the museum and there’s no need to book ahead, unless there is a specific exhibit you’d like to see that requires a reserved space.

The nearby  Globe Theatre  is a replica of Shakespeare’s original which burned in a fire many years ago after the thatched roof was ignited during a production of Henry VIII.

For your first trip to London, you’ll want to use your  London Pass  to tour the theater during the day and hear about its historic past. The Globe also has evening performances during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. The ambiance of the open-air theater makes for a fantastic night out!

Pro Tip:  Check times to coordinate visits to both the Tate Modern and The Globe in a way that lets you see one after the other. The Globe performance tickets sell out so purchase them in advance, especially if you want to see a play on a specific date.

London Itinerary Planning Idea #4 – Artifacts, Landmarks, and Shopping

The British Museum – Tottenham Court Tube Stop – Central & Northern Lines

No trip to London is complete without a stop at The   British Museum . The art and artifacts on display are open free to the public beginning at 10:00 a.m. each day. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon, and a vast Egyptian collection including mummies.

It’s worth checking for any special, limited-time exhibits during your stay. If there’s one you’d like to see, it’s worth buying tickets online or at the museum when you first arrive.

After the museum, spend the afternoon strolling through  Covent Garden  or head over to  Soho  and  Oxford Street  for a shopper’s paradise. Covent Garden is in London’s West End, home to theaters, restaurants, and shops. You’re sure to find anything you’d want to buy from the numerous chain stores, boutiques, and markets.

Pro Tip:  There are many classic London pubs in these neighborhoods. If you haven’t had a plate of fish and chips yet, now’s the time. You can also join a historical pub walking tour to visit some of London’s most iconic pubs.

Leicester Square – Leicester Square Tube Stop – Piccadilly & Northern Lines

Make your way to  Leicester Square  and the heart of London’s Theatre District. It’s super touristy here. Think Times Square-esque…a place where you take a few photos before moving on.

But if you plan to see a musical or a play later (and you certainly should!),  get your discounted tickets at the TKTS booth right in the square for performances that day or night.

There’s crossover between shows in London and New York’s Broadway district. Sometimes, you can even catch a performance in London before it heads to New York City.

Trafalgar Square – Charing Cross Tube Stop – Bakerloo & Northern Lines

Finish your walk at  Trafalgar Square . This iconic London crossroads has monuments, historic buildings, museums, and street performers. It’s an absolute beehive of activity and perfect for taking more classic London photos complete with red double-decker buses passing by on the streets in and around the square.

With any luck, you’ll have time to check out the  National Gallery  right in Trafalgar Square which houses famous paintings by the likes of Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt, Cezanne, and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Best of all, it’s free to visit, and you can use your  London Pass  Hop On Hop Off double-decker bus ticket to reposition yourself closer to your hotel when you’re done.

London Itinerary Planning Idea #5 – Harry Potter Fans

Harry Potter Studio Tour Meeting Point – Victoria Station – Circle, District & Victoria Lines

Are you traveling with a wannabe wizard dying for a Hogwarts adventure?

Plan a visit to the  Harry Potter and Warner Brothers Studio . Buses leave from Central London and travel to the magical sets of the famed movie and book series. The closest tube stop to the meeting point is Victoria Station. From there, it’s just a few minutes on foot.

You’ll have 4 hours to see places like the Great Hall, Dumbledore’s Office, Diagon Alley, and more! Plus, get to see some of the most famous props and the costumes worn by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

If you’ve wanted to visit Platform 9 ¾, ride the Hogwarts Express, and attempt to ride a broomstick, then you definitely don’t want to miss escaping the world of Muggles for just a bit on your visit to London!

ProTip: If you want to sprinkle some Harry Potter into your London trip but don’t want to commit a full day to the experience, this Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour is a popular alternative.

Out-of-Town Must-Sees on your First Trip to London

From London, many parts of Britain and the U.K. are easily reachable by train. This makes it possible to visit a couple of popular sites with even just a half day’s worth of time.

Trains run from London to both  Windsor Castle  and  Hampton Court Palace . From their respective train stations, it’s just a few minutes on foot to reach the entry points.

The exquisite staterooms at Windsor Castle are open to the public when the King is not in residence. These rooms are some of the most spectacular castle rooms you’ll see anywhere in the world.

St. George’s Chapel, within the grounds of Windsor Castle, is the final resting spot of Henry VIII and several other Kings and Queens. It’s also where Meghan and Harry were married and the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth II.

Hampton Court Palace is full of Tudor history, as it was a regular stop for Henry VIII and his royal court. The palace creates a historical experience by revealing the inner workings of how the palace operated in its heyday. It’s undoubtedly one of the most interesting and well-preserved looks at Tudor history, as well as what life was like during this period.

Look out for King Henry VIII himself, as visitors can watch the King interact with Anne Boleyn or flirt with his soon-to-be next wife, Jane Seymour. Leave some time for the palace’s gardens and maze.

Pro Tip:  Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace are both included with the  London Pass . Get Fast Track Entry at Hampton Court to maximize your time and avoid any entry line.

If you have extra days in your itinerary, consider a London day trip to:

• Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath
• The Cotswolds
• Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) & the Filming Locations

If you’re planning a trip to England, rent a car and drive into the English countryside when your time in London is done. I’ve done this to spend time exploring places like Stratford-Upon-Avon , the Cotswolds villages , and Warwick Castle .

It’s a perfect way to add on to an England itinerary and explore more of what the country has to offer beyond London.

Best Area to Stay in London

Where to stay in London is one of the most frequently asked questions for anyone planning a trip. It’s understandable. You want to be somewhere conveniently located, safe, and within your travel budget.

London’s neighborhoods and districts each have their own unique charm and flavor. And while some might say you should absolutely stay in the heart of the most touristy areas of the city, I think the most important thing when choosing where to stay in London is to  stay somewhere with convenient access to the Tube. 

You shouldn’t be hesitant to book a hotel or rental accommodation that’s a few Tube stops away from popular attractions. You can truly get nearly anywhere in London very quickly by using the underground train system.

That being said, you don’t want to stay too far from the heart of London, either. The city is big and the Tube rides from London’s outer neighborhoods can take upwards of an hour back to the center.

Ideally, you want to find a London hotel that matches your travel budget, close to a Tube station, in a relatively center-ish location. Example neighborhoods include Seven Dials, Covent Garden, Westminster, Soho, and near Southwark along the south bank.

Below, I’ve shared a couple of hotels where I’ve stayed. They’re in different budget categories and neighborhoods, and they have convenient Tube access.

I’ve had excellent hotel points and paid stays at several London hotels including the ones listed below.

Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street Hotel  – The hotel is located in the Seven Dials neighborhood near Covent Garden, the West End’s Theatre district, pubs, and my favorite Indian restaurant, Dishoom. Rooms are a classic modern boutique style for which Radisson Blu hotels are known.

Holiday Inn Express London-Southwark  – Just a 10-minute walk to Borough Market, the Tate Modern, or the Globe Theatre, with a Tube station nearby. This hotel is on the south bank of the city not far from the Southwark Tube station.

London Rental Accommodations

During my travels, I’ve also opted for apartment and home rentals. You feel more like a local and oftentimes can save money because you’re able to prepare your own breakfast or share the overall cost with family members or friends. Not to mention, you can find truly unique places to stay with awesome views or even discover a new neighborhood!

London is the perfect destination to consider a rental accommodation over a hotel because hotels aren’t cheap(!) and London is well-connected with its underground trains.

My go-to place to search for rental accommodations is Plum Guide . They vet the properties on their site using “Home Critics” and only select the best properties in a variety of price brackets. Plum Guide even offers phone support 24/7 should you need any help or have questions.

How Many Days to Spend in London

As with most places, you can spend an extended period of time and still not see and do everything a fantastic city like London has to offer.

If it’s your first time in London, you likely will focus on the most popular attractions and experiences that interest you. For this, you’ll need 3-4 days to explore and make use of the London itinerary ideas in this guide.

With 4+ days in London, you can also use a day to visit a popular sight just outside of London or even  get off the beaten path .

London is a great city to explore. It’s also the perfect jumping-off point for future trips to Europe. It’s not complicated to add a couple of days in London as a stopover before continuing on to another destination in Europe.

Arrival into London

The  Heathrow Express  is a quick and efficient way to get into the city from London Heathrow Airport. The train leaves every 15 minutes and arrives in just about the same time to Paddington Station.

You can book your tickets online or using the Heathrow Express App. Not only will this save you any hassle at the airport, but you’ll also save money. Heathrow Express prices are lower the further you book in advance.

Gatwick Airport also has an  express train  which arrives at Victoria Station. Trains run every 15 minutes and take a half-hour to reach London.

Similarly, the express train from Gatwick offers considerable discounts for booking online and ahead of time.

The airports also have commuter trains, buses, and taxis to get you into London. Except for the taxis, these options are less expensive than the express trains mentioned above but do take more time.

You can check prices and schedules for  Southern Railways  from Gatwick to compare.

In addition, from London Heathrow, you can take the Tube. Trains along the Picadilly and Elizabeth lines connect terminals 2, 3, 4, and 5. The ride takes between 45-50 minutes to reach central London but is less expensive than the Heathrow Express.

From Paddington and Victoria Stations in London, you’ll have access to the  London Tube  with lines spreading across the city, as well as a taxi queue at ground level. Most taxis take credit cards but be aware of the occasional cash-only sign in a taxi’s window.

Pro Tip:  My recommendation is to use an express train or the Tube (from/to Heathrow), for a quick and easy trip to London’s city center or even directly to your hotel. Avoid London traffic and expensive taxi rides.

If you’d prefer to arrange transportation and/or avoid taking the trains, consider booking a car with Welcome Pickups  to transfer to the city. Although I’ve only used the trains to get from Heathrow to London, I’ve used Welcome Pickups in several other European cities and always had a great experience.

This will be a much more affordable option compared to a London taxi. The price will be a flat rate, as opposed to paying based on the taxi’s metered fare which can get quite high with even the smallest amount of traffic

How to get around London

London is very pedestrian-friendly and you’re bound to do a good amount of walking during your London trip. Remember, cars are on the opposite side of the road compared to the U.S., so you need to LOOK RIGHT when crossing the road. When in doubt, just look both ways before crossing.

Along the Thames, the riverwalk is a clear path connected with several bridges to help you cross to the other side as frequently as you need.

In addition, London’s Tube (subway) is reliable, easy to navigate, and stretches across the city. The announcements are clear and the lines are identified with colors and names, like Central, District, and Piccadilly. Given how big London is, you’ll need to rely on public transportation to maximize the time you have rather than always walking long distances.

As with getting to London from the airport, taxis are expensive in London and get even pricier when traffic is heavy. It’s best to go underground to save time, money, and patience.

Visitors staying for a few days can get an Oyster Card for easy use and refills in the Tube. Your Oyster Card is good for your first trip to London and every return trip thereafter!

London Pass  purchases come with the option to add a visitor’s Oyster Card. I would skip this option because the card takes several weeks to be physically mailed to you. You can also save more money by simply using a regular Oyster Card or the Tube’s contactless payment system because it will cap how much you’ll pay each day automatically.

Use a contactless credit card to pay to enter the Tube, as well as a mobile device like a smartphone with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. Just be sure you’re using a card with no foreign transaction fees.

A few things to keep in mind when paying to access the Tube.

• Use the same card or device when you touch in and out at the yellow card readers. The London Tube caps how much you’ll pay. So, you can ride as much as you want in a day or a week and you’ll never pay more than the capped price.
• If you don’t use the same card or device, the Tube card readers won’t be able to accurately cap the amount you pay.
• If you’re using a device like a smartphone, be sure you have enough battery power. You need to touch in and out of the Tube. You also need to use your phone all day otherwise the system can’t cap the amount you pay.
• You can pay for another person if you are traveling together. (They will need to touch out of the Tube and can’t do it without your card or device.) You’ll need to pay for yourself with a separate card or device.

London Tips for Your First Trip

As you plan things to do in London and where to stay in London, also take into consideration the tips below. They’ve come from 3 separate trips to London and a lot of travel experience overall.

The best time to visit London is during spring and fall.

Visiting London in the shoulder/winter season months, April-June and September-November, are the perfect combination of moderate to cool temperatures and fewer visitors. January to March can also be a good time to visit if you’re not bothered by colder temperatures and prefer to visit during the least busy time of year.

Summer can be very busy, making the next London travel tip even that much more important.

Book as many things as possible in advance.

Not only will things like the London Pass or advance fast-track tickets help you save time and money, but it’ll eliminate indecisiveness about what to do while you’re in London and who to trust when you eventually buy the tickets, tours, and passes you want.

Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

London isn’t a budget destination. The last thing you want to add to the currency exchange are fees from your credit card once you get your bill back home.

Credit cards are widely accepted throughout London and also remove the necessity to convert and carry large amounts of dollars to British pounds.

ProTip: When paying by credit card or using your debit card to withdraw money at an ATM, always pay in the local currency (Pounds) and/or decline the currency conversion. This is a sneaky way to convert your money at a less-than-desirable rate.

Wear comfortable walking shoes.

I know this seems obvious but it truly can’t be understated. As someone who lives in New York City, I can always recognize a visitor who’s regretting his/her shoe choice.

These are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I wear them walking around New York City and they’re a staple I pack for nearly every trip I take. You can walk miles without any irritation or blisters.

Check for service charges.

Tipping isn’t obligatory in London. In fact, service charges are often added to bills at restaurants and pubs. That being said, if you’re happy with your service, you always leave a small amount as a gesture of appreciation.

Pack the right electrical converters.

Most commonly, you’ll need a Type G converter to plug into the outlets throughout the U.K. I’ve encountered one place where this wasn’t the case. So, it’s smart to also have a universal adapter with USB ports, too.

London Trip Planner FAQs

How do i start planning a trip to london.

To plan a trip to London, first, decide how many days you’ll spend in the city. Then, book your hotel. You’ll find more options and competitive pricing the further in advance you book. After this, plan your London itinerary. Make a list of the sights and activities you want to see and do. Then, group them by area to logically plan what to do without backtracking. Be sure to book ahead as many things as possible to save time and to ensure you can visit places on the days that make sense for your London itinerary.

How many days should I plan for London?

As you plan a trip to London, you’ll need at least 3-4 days to comfortably see the city’s top sights and attractions. London is a very large city with an endless number of things to see and do. You can easily plan a trip to London for a week and have plenty to fill your itinerary.

What time of year is best to go to London?

The absolute best months for a perfect combination of weather and number of visitors is from April to June and September through November. January to March can also be a good time to visit London because fewer people are visiting during this time. Summers come with big crowds and long lines.

What is the best area to stay in London?

The best area to stay in London is in the heart of the city, especially if you’re visiting London for the first time, and within walking distance of a Tube station. These include neighborhoods like Seven Dials, Covent Garden, Westminster, Soho, and along the south bank near the Southwark area.

Where should I go on my first trip to London?

For your first London trip, plan to see the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the British Museum, Covent Garden, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and the iconic view of Big Ben and Parliament from Westminster Bridge. You should also plan to have afternoon tea, eat at Borough Market, go to a play or musical, and glimpse London from above at the London Eye or the Shard.

First Trip to London – Bottom Line

You have chosen a fantastic city to visit, full of important landmarks, historic sights, good food, and fun experiences. With some advance planning, you’ll arrive in London prepared with your itinerary and know-how to navigate the city confidently for an unforgettable trip.

So, what questions do you have about your first trip to London or about planning a London itinerary?

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76 thoughts on “the ultimate cheat sheet for your first trip to london”.

I have been to London several times, but I found your guide and itineraries very helpful!

I’m so glad, Chrysoula! Thanks for reading. 🙂

Such a great guide! I’ve been to nearly 50 countries and still not the UK, so I’ll have to remember to come back to this article when I finally make it to London 🙂

Thanks, Tamara! 50 countries is quite an accomplishment! Awesome. Glad the guide will be useful when you make it to London. 🙂

Somehow I wish I’ve read this post before my first trip to London. Then I wouldn’t have skipped many experiences listed here) Thank you for putting this up! I’ve pinned it as well (maybe I’ll visit London again, then I’ll need it for sure)

Thanks for reading and sharing on Pinterest, Natalia. 🙂 Here’s to hoping you make it back to London soon!

Love the Pro Tops plus how you broke each day down into categories. What a great way to see London! I also like how you included things to see if it is your first time there. Going anywhere for the first time can be so overwhelming!

Especially in a big place like London, Bryanna. It’s nice to break it up and make the most of your time.

You made me want to visit London again! Love the way you divided the itinerary with themes and suggestions for good food. London is such a huge city and planning a trip there for the first time can be overwhelming, you just make it so easy! Cheers,

Thanks, Natalie! Sometimes, it’s just easier to work on trip planning in small chunks. 😉

I’ve been to London a few times, but I’ve never made it to the Windsor Castle or the Hampton Court Palace. There is just so much to do in the city and its surroundings, but you’ve highlighted the must-sees in a very comprehensive and informative post. I’d love to go back and take more advantage of the free museums, especially the National Gallery!

Next trip, Erika, take some time for Windsor Castle and/or Hampton Court Palace. They’re well worth your time. 🙂

Wish I had your cheat-sheet on m first trip to London! You certainly covered all the hot spots and then some. I can’t wait to go back and hit the places I missed.

Thanks, Sue. A return trip to London is always a good idea. 🙂

Loved your tips! I’ve pinned and will reference during my London trip planning. Can you share a bit more about the oyster card?

Thanks, Amanda! I’m so glad the post is helpful for planning your London trip. The oyster card is a plastic card you can use for quick and easy entry to the London’s metro, buses, and many commuter trains. The card is 5 pounds to buy, after which you load some money onto it. The fare you’ll pay for a metro ride with the oyster card will be cheaper than if you had simply purchased a single ticket for the ride. The Oyster card also caps off what you’d pay in a day making sure you never pay more than had you bought a day pass travel card. Hope that helps! 🙂

I love the addition of the pro tips, especially times of day best to visit. I do love London, but timed a few things wrong, ending up in bigger crowds than I like.

Thanks, Rhonda. I certainly know that feeling of being in a crowd and wanting to be anyplace but there! Glad the pro tips will help for your next London trip. 🙂

Hi Jackie! Any tips for going to London with a toddler? Going to London this Wednesday and I’m going to use your cheat sheet! Thanks!

Hi Jen! So exciting to hear about your trip. 🙂 I’d definitely do the London Eye, but book tickets ahead of time online to skip the line. The Changing of the Guard with its parade, music, and horses are also toddler-friendly. He’ll get in free to the London underground, but if you don’t want to do that, go for the Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. The pirate-themed Princess Diana Playground in Hyde Park is also supposed to be a big hit. Not sure if he’s too young, but the I’d also look at the Natural History Museum, the National Maritime and/or Transport Museum, and maybe a show like Lion King. If that show is too long, how about The Gruffalo? It’s based on the kids book and is less than an hour long. Let me know if you have any more questions and have a great trip!! 🙂

Awesome, thank you for this! I printed out your cheat sheet & 8′ using it for our guide! Thanks!

Great! Hope you have a fantastic trip, Jen!

I’m actually from London, yes all these places are great, but you haven’t mentioned how expensive they can be. Most museums and art galleries are free and fantastic but eating at fancy hotels is only for the rich! Try to go to restaurants and pubs that are not in the tourist areas and you’ll be much better value for your money. As for traditional fish and chips, there is a great place in Waterloo road called Superfish. It’s the best around and very reasonable. Lots of London Taxi drivers eat there, so you know it’s good!

Hi, Joanne and thanks for the tip about Superfish! It’s so great to get that from a local. Totally agreed about eating in hotels, too expensive. I only splurged on the Dorchester Tea because we wanted to have a fancy afternoon. Thanks again for reading. 🙂

Hi, thank you for your tips. We’re going to London ne te may, my husband and I. Do you recommend Stonehenge ?

Hi Helene, Thanks for reading and commenting. You know, as many times as I have been to London, I have not made it to Stonehenge. To help you, I’m linking to another blog post all about visiting Stonehenge written by a blogger friend of mine. She’s got some great tips. Hope that helps! 🙂

There are some great tips here. I’m planning a trip to London during the high season with a variety of ages from grandmother, 4x 30 year olds, 4 kids between the ages of 8-3, and 2 newborns. Aiaiai. Just trying to get a place to eat together will be challenging. I loved your tips about the Oyster card, and pre-booking tickets, It saves lots of time to book in advance so that you are not waiting in line for tickets, and then waiting in another line for entry. Depending on how early you book it also puts that block of tickets on separate credit card bill instead of all at once. Just a tip from how I travel with all the children and trying to be budget concsious, I usually stop in a local grocery store and grab the 3 (pound, I don’t have the symbol on my keyboard) meal deal, Its filling and usually healthy. If you have any more kid friendly tips I’d love to hear them. Thanks for the guide, I found you on Pintrest, and will make sure to repin.

Thanks for reading, Erin, and for repinning on Pinterest. I appreciate it. 🙂 Sounds like your trip is set to make some amazing multi-generational memories. Thanks for sharing your food tip. London has great parks to make use of when the kids need a break. Hyde Park has paddle boats for rent and a great playground and fountain. St. James Park also has a popular playground. Enjoy your trip!

Do you have more ideas? We will be in London for 10 days. We will do all you mention but we need more?

Hi June, Thanks so much for reading and so exciting about your upcoming trip to London! 🙂 A couple other sites/places I’d recommend is Kensington Palace and if you’re at all a history buff, the Churchill War Rooms. If you’re doing all of that plus these last 2, check out the London Pass to save some money. Also, check out Free Tours by Foot and Sandeman’s free walking tours. If you’re interested in street art and/or learning more about London’s ethnic food scene check out a tour in the Shoreditch neighborhood. With 10 days, you can also plan day trips out of the city if you want. The Cotswolds Warwick Castle , and/or Stratford upon Avon are just a couple of hours drive, as are Stonehenge and Bath. Even Paris is a doable day trip with the Chunnel train taking just 2ish hours. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the tip about the London Pass! We went last year and no one told us about it, and we are going back in October and still want to do many of the activities included in the pass. Sounds like a great value!

Fantastic, Dana. I hope your trip is fantastic and enjoy the London Pass! Thanks so much for reading. 🙂

The best North Indian food is in southall (West London), trains run from Paddington. Brilliant Restaurant highly recommended..

Thanks Preetvan for the tip! 🙂

It’s ravens that you find at the Tower of London, not crows!

Thanks for that! I have no bird ID skills! 🙂

Thanks for your post; definitely adding it to my Pinterest board. I’m heading there for Spring Break with my husband and three teenage girls. We have eight days (flying into Gatwick and out of Paris-CDG). How do you suggest we split the days between London and Paris? And what would your top recommendations be?

Thanks for reading, Sheath. So exciting about your upcoming family trip to London and Paris. Both cities have so much to see and do, it all depends on your interests. You can easily split your time in half, although the Francophile in me says to give yourself an extra day in Paris. Not sure if you’re into theatre, but a night out to see a show in London’s West End is unforgettable. Tower of London, Shakespeares Globe, Borough Market, high tea are all at the top of my London first time list. For Paris, visit the top of Notre Dame in the morning, Arc de Triomphe at dusk, Sainte-Chappelle, Musee de l’Orangerie, and wander through 4th, 5th, and 6th arrondissements for tucked away shops and cafes as a start to your Paris visit. Hope that helps and have soo much fun! 🙂

Thank you for this cheat sheet. Great tips and ideas. My best friend and I are traveling to Europe for our 40th birthdays in March. We are spending about 2 1/2 days in London. It seems you were recommended traveling by way of the tube for most everything. I had been looking at the Hop On and Off Bus before reading your cheat sheet. Would you recommend skipping the bus and just using the tube?

Hi Heather, Thanks for reading. London is such a great city for a friends birthday trip! I would still recommend the Tube. The traffic in London can be horrible and Hop on Hop off buses can get stuck in it with the rest of the vehicles. With 2 1/2 days, getting underground will help you maximize your time getting from place to place. Enjoy your trip! -Jackie

Do you have any recommendations for visiting in December (just prior to Christmastime)? My family and I will be arriving on a Monday and departing on Thursday (for Germany), flying in and out of Stansted. It will be myself, my husband, and our 2 kids, ages 20 and (will turn while we’re in London) 17 year old (boy and girl). My husband is normally into things like the museums, but he’s the type that would need several days in any one museum (he literally reads each and every plaque, and doesn’t miss a display, LOL). So, because we’re limited on time, we’ll probably skip museums until another time. My husband and I are doing Harry Potter/WB Studios on Tuesday (I’m a big fan, kids not so much) and we’re letting them go off on their own. Will definitely be getting Oyster Cards.

Any other recommendations, especially since will will be cold weather? Thanks!

Thanks for reading, Cammi. I’d definitely try and see a show, be it one in the west end or a special Christmas themed show or concert. I’d also like to see the seasonal attractions like the winter wonderland in Hyde Park and all the lights around the city. I’m a cold weather gal so I love to get outside. But just in case of super cold weather, I’d have 1 museum in mind just as a back up if you need to warm up. Not sure if your hubby has seen the Churchill War rooms not far from Westminster, but I highly recommend. Enjoy your trip!

My husband and I leave for our first ever trip abroad, London, in less than a week! The ironic and very strange thing is that as soon as I read the title of our article was that the authors last name is Sills. That is MY maiden name and some of my father’s family still lives in England! Dad himself, Charles Sills, was actually born in London! We will be visiting some Sills relatives in Suffolk on our trip!

Anyway, thanks for the great articles!

Sincerely, Elizabeth (Sills) Hurd

Hi Elizabeth, Thanks for reading and omg! My maiden name is Sills as well! I have done a ton of family research but always run into a dead end trying to figure out more about the George Sills who came over from England to the U.S. back in the 1800s. That’s so amazing you’ll be combining your tip with some ancestry travel. I hope you have a great trip and enjoy meeting your relatives! Thanks again for reading the blog. 🙂 Jackie

Nice tips overall. Anyway, thanks for the great articles!

Thanks for reading, Brandy. 🙂

I must say this is an ultimate post for travelers who are looking for trip to London at affordable cost. You have covered everything in your post such as best places to stay, which is really helpful.

Thanks for reading, Sandeep. Happy travels to London!

Your blog is amazing – thanks for all the incredible ideas. We are considering going to London for Spring Break (March 8-17, 2019). Would you recommend going at his time ….will the weather be agreeable? Thanks, Stacey

Thanks for reading, Stacey, and for your kind words. So, it’ll likely still be chilly, but I’d say yes, go! Take this with the knowledge that I live in NYC and walk around in all kinds of weather and that I love visiting Europe in the off-season. I’d rather have cooler temps and fewer crowds. Plus, with London’s Underground/Subway, you can so easily pop underground and get around if you needed to escape the weather for a bit. Not to mention with delicious tea, scones, English pies, and Indian food, there’s plenty to warm you up! 🙂 Thanks again for reading.

very informative blog love to read it. i got so many new ideas about London. Thanks for sharing and it will help me during my visit to London. [LINK EDITED OUT]

Thanks for reading, Mickey. Enjoy London. 🙂

Love this guide and the one for Portugal also. Now if I could print it and store it in my travel file folder for easier access when I go to London. Thanks for writing these detailed trip reports – they are extremely helpful

Thanks do much for reading, Jane. You can download the London cheat sheet to help with your travels. 🙂

Going to the Harry Potter Studios by bus from Central London is the silliest thing to do. It takes too long AND you can only stay at the studios until the time your bus would take you back (about 4 hours) – not enough time for a true Harry Potter fan. It is fastest and easiest to go by train from Euston Station to Watford Junction (Oyster can be used) and takes about 30minutes. The studio has buses at Watford Junction to take you there – it takes just about 10 minutes. We stayed over 7 hours at the studios – my kids would start a riot if we had to leave after some 4 hours only!

Thanks for reading, Deesi! And great tips! Appreciate you sharing. 🙂

Your blog is amazing. How do I download the cheat sheet??

Thank you ~Alison

Thanks so much for reading, Alison. All you need to do is fill in the fields on the cheat sheet sign up box. It’ll get sent to you. 🙂 So glad the blog has been helpful for you.

If you have enough time you should certainly consider Kew Gardens and Greenwich. You can take the clipper down the river to Greenwich. Also Kenwood is free to visit and set in beautiful grounds on Hampstead Heath. Don’t pay to go up the Shard. Book the free tickets for Skygarden three weeks ahead. Or go up the tower at Tate Modern. Children like all these places but as other people have said the parks are lovely and all different. It’s lovely to see this thread still working and growing after such a long time. Well done!!!

Thanks for reading and sharing your London tips, Marian! I didn’t know that about the Shard!

The Dorchester is indeed a great hotel, but the very best Afternoon Tea has to be the Ritz.

Thanks for reading and sharing, David. I have heard great things about the afternoon tea at the Ritz. I’ll have to try it next time I’m in London. 🙂

Thank you for sharing this info about London. I am planning to visit in a neaxt month.

Thanks for reading, Alina. Have fun in London. 🙂

Amazing. you have told very easy and splendid ways for exploring London. London is my favourite place to travel and for food too. I love the food Enjoy!

Thanks for reading, Amy. Glad you had great travels to London. 🙂

My niece and I want to go to London. We’ve considered a tour group, but the itinerary is limited, I enjoyed reading your cheat sheet. It was interesting, and we got very excited at the thought of actually visiting the sites, Have you ever traveled there in December? I am a teacher and my big break is in the month of December, I don’t want to go and freeze! The travel dates would be between December 14th and December 24th. Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you.

Rebecca and Brooke

Thanks for reading, Rebecca and Brooke. I haven’t been to London in the winter but I’ve been to many other cities in Europe in winter like Paris, Prague, Budapest, Munich, and more, also during my winter school breaks! I’m probably not the most objective person on this as I live in NYC and walk around outside all winter long. But I love European cities around Christmas. Yes, it’s chilly. But if you dress right the charm and the ambiance is unforgettable. I’d highly recommend a London Christmas visit! If you want some freedom to explore mixed with a few organized activities, plan a couple of day tours instead of something more comprehensive. The London Pass is also a great way to see what’s popular while saving money by bundling sightseeing costs. Hope this helps and you have a great trip! 😉

Thank you so much. We are moving ahead with our plans. I agree, if you dress appropriately, the weather will not be a factor.. Again, I really learned a lot from your cheat sheet and have read it many times.

Thanks for reading, Rebecca and Brooke. 🙂 So glad to hear the cheat sheet was helpful. I hope you have a wonderful trip to London.

Heathrow express!! Saved me so much time! So glad I read this.

Thanks for reading, Scott. Yep, the Heathrow Express makes things super easy! 🙂

Thanks for informative sharing. I must say that your shared information is very useful for me as well as other readers.

Glad to hear it, William. Thanks for reading.

Hello Jackie, I am at the beginning of planning a second Girls Trip to London, and the country side of England. The first was with a group of high school girls friends,(tons of fun) and this one will be with all my sister in laws. Both groups are in their early 60’s. I appreciated the link to the GO transportation site. I like the idea of a van to haul us all to the hotel from Heathrow. There will be six of us in this up coming trip. There were only four on the high school trip. We all squeezed into one cab, and shared the cost. I don’t think we can squeeze six ladies and luggage into a cab, so the van idea sounds good. I suggested a cab for the HS group, knowing it is the more expensive way to get from the airport. I knew we would be sharing the cost AND also with the age of the group, didn’t think we (or I ) would want to be dragging our luggage in and out of tube trains. They were all ok with the idea of a cab. Also one thing I tell anyone I know who is on their way over, WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!!! I know they aren’t always the most fashionable, but gee, your feet will thank you at the end of the day. No new shoes that haven’t been wore in yet either. One last thought– the HS trip was a full week in London, so we all decided that the London Pass would be a good idea– and it was! The Shard visit alone would have cost 50 pounds for one person to enter. The payable sites do add up. All worth seeing, but can get pricy. Not so sure it will be worth it for this sister in law trip, we won’t be spending as much time in London. Thanks for the time and research you put into this travel blog. Very enjoyable read. 🙂

Thanks so much for reading, Deborah! So exciting to be planning another trip (and a Girls Trip, even better!) to London. Thanks for sharing your experiences, too. Totally agree on comfortable shoes! My go-to’s for lots of walking (live in NYC) and traveling (one pair is with me on every trip) are Allbirds . In fact, I just bought 2 new pairs (Tree Runner & Wool Runner) since I’ve worn my others out. If anyone in your group or you are looking for something comfy, definitely give these shoes a look. Enjoy your trip to London and come back if there are any questions I can answer. Thanks again for reading. 🙂

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Travelling in London with kids

When planning a family trip to London, one of the things we need to think about is how we are going to get around London. And in particular, how travelling in London with kids works.

You are probably asking yourself what fares children have to pay on London´s public transport. And you may even need to know how to use London´s public transport with a buggy.

Travelling in London with kids: Fares and transport passes

When travelling in London with kids, it is important to know the different child fares on London´s transport network depending on their age. There are transport passes for children, valid for London´s underground network, buses, DLR, overground and trains within London travel zones .

Children under 11 years of age

Children aged under 11 travel free on London´s buses and trams, at any time, and do not need a ticket. They also travel free on London Underground, DLR (docklands light railway), overground and Tfl rail. They don´t need a ticket as long as a paying adult accompanies them.

Up to 4 children can travel for free with an adult with a valid ticket. When entering the London underground with a child (or more) under 11, it is advisable to use the larger access doors. These doors are wider and don´t close as fast as individual doors. They are designed for people travelling in London with kids, luggage or for disabled people.

Children 11 – 16 years of age

Children between the ages of 11 and under 16 can travel at a reduced rate on London´s public transport. Understanding what tickets are more suitable can be a bit complicated, as there are several options. For this reason, I am going to summarise the different options below. Hopefully, you will be able to decide which option is more suitable for you if you are travelling in London with kids.

Children from 11 to 16 years old can also travel with an adult oyster card or travel card if necessary. In this case, they will not benefit from reduced rates on travel.

Option 1: Oyster card with Young Visitor Discount

This is the best option if you are planning a family trip to London. An oyster card with a young visitor discount will apply half adult rates for 14 days. After 14 days, this discount will expire, and the oyster card will charge full adult rates again. The oyster card can also be returned at the end of your trip, just like a normal oyster card .

All you have to do is buy an Oyster Card or a Visitor Oyster Card, either online or at an underground station, and then ask a staff member to set the Young Visitor Discount. This discount can be applied at any underground station in London, including the underground station at Heathrow Airport .

An adult will need to give their personal details to register the oyster card before the discount can be applied, and you might be asked to confirm the child´s age. You and your child will need to be together when asking for the Young Visitor Discount to be set onto an oyster card, and an adult can request the young visitor discount to be set for up to 4 children (on separate oyster cards).

Option 2: Zip Oyster Photocard

The zip oyster photocard will entitle children up to 16 years of age to reduced fares on the underground and overground and other TFL services, as well as free travel on trams and buses. The zip oyster photocard is normally the best option for children that live in London, as the process to get an oyster photocard for a child can take some time and there is an initial registration fee of up to £20 – so this is normally not the best option for tourists.

• To get a zip oyster photocard if you live in London, all you need to do is fill in a form that you’ll find at your local Post Office and return it to the Post Office. You will also need to include a passport-sized photo and a copy of the birth certificate or passport and pay the fee. You should get the zip oyster photocard in 2 weeks.
• If you are a UK resident, you will need to do the process online on TFL’s website, and you should get the zip oyster photocard within 4 weeks.
• If you live outside the UK you will need to do the process online on TFL’s website. When applying, you will need to choose which London Visitor Centre (Liverpool Street Station, Victoria Station, Euston, Gatwick, King’s Cross station) you want to collect the zip oyster photocard from, as it will not be sent to your home address. You need to apply at least 3 weeks in advance but can apply up to three months in advance.

Option 3: 1 Day Child Travelcard

A one-day child travelcard will allow unlimited travel at any time of the day on any form of public transport in London for the chosen London Travel Zones . No ID is needed to purchase this one-day child travelcard, but fares using an oyster card with a young visitor discount are normally cheaper. If you are visiting London for several days and choose this option, you will have to buy a one-day child travelcard for each day, and this will work out a lot more expensive than using an oyster card with a young visitor discount.

Option 4: 7 Day Child Travelcard

To buy a 7-day child travelcard in London there are 3 options: 1 – By adding a weekly travelcard into a zip oyster photocard. This is undoubtedly the most complicated option, as you need to request a zip card oyster photocard first and then add the 7-day travelcard onto it. 2 – Buy a 7-day child travelcard online . This is probably the easiest way of getting one, as you don’t need a zip oyster photocard, and they’ll send it to your home address before you travel. 3 – Buy a 7-day child travelcard at a national railway ticket office (not an underground station).

16 – 18 years old

People aged 16 to 18 can also apply for a 16 – 18 zip oyster photocard, which will apply half adult rates on any form of public transport in London. Travelcards at a reduced price can also be added onto zip oyster photocards.

You don’t need to live in London to be able to apply for a zip card, but there is a processing fee which makes it hard to justify if you’re just visiting London for a few days. In this case, I’d recommend using a normal oyster card (adult rates) for anyone over 16.

For more information about travelling in London kids visit:  Transport for London

Travelling in London with kids: Travelling to Central London from the airport

Stansted , Luton and Gatwick airports are all located outside London’s Travel Zones , so fares when travelling with kids too and from these airports are different to fares when travelling in London with kids, so under 11 years old’s will need a ticket.

An oyster card is valid for travel into Central London from Gatwick Airport, but children under 11 also need a train ticket to get to central London from Gatwick Airport, even if they are accompanied by an adult.

Heathrow and London City Airports are both inside London Travel Zones , so fares are as explained above. Children under 11 travel free, and Children under 16 can travel with an oyster card with a young visitor discount.

⇒ More information:  London Airport Transfers

Travelling in London with a buggy

One of the things we need to think about if we are going to be travelling in London with kids is if we are going to need to travel around London with a buggy. If you are planning a trip with a baby, it may be that you wish to bring your buggy to London, or if you have older children, you will probably need to use a stroller if you are planning on spending the whole day walking around London.

When you first become a parent in London, using public transport with a buggy isn´t easy at first. Still, you eventually learn how to get around and quickly learn how to read London´s accessibility maps and find the best routes. The truth is that travelling in London with a buggy can be very easy if you know which route is best, or it can be a complete nightmare if you have to go up or down 300 steps when there are no lifts.

This is why we are going to explain how to travel on London´s public transport with a buggy.

Travelling on London´s buses with a buggy

Public buses in London have a dedicated wheelchair and buggy space as well as easy street-level access, and travelling by bus with a buggy normally is the easiest option to get around London. You can enter the bus via the back door, which makes it a bit easier too. Up to two pushchairs are allowed in the dedicated buggy space on a bus, but do bear in mind that during busy periods you may be asked to wait for the next bus or collapse your pushchair.

Travelling on the London Underground with a buggy

The trick to travelling in London with kids using a pushchair is to check London´s accessible underground map in advance and choose your route carefully. Being able to plan your route by choosing accessible stations makes life much easier. It may just mean that you need to get off at the next stop and walk 5 minutes, rather than having to take a buggy and a baby up 100 steps.

Unfortunately, not all underground stations in London are accessible. Most underground stations in London will have escalators, and many stations will also have stairs before reaching the platform. Many other stations have lifts to some platforms, and some stations are completely accessible, with lifts from the ticket office to the platform.

Travelling in London with a buggy is easier if there are two adults as one of you can carry the baby whilst the other one can take the buggy up or down the stairs. If it´s just one adult taking a buggy then I would encourage you to check the best route first. Whenever I had no choice and had to get off at an underground station that wasn’t accessible with a buggy, there has always been someone willing to help me. If you need help going up or down the stairs and you ask a staff member for help, for health and safety reasons, they will ask you to carry the baby and take the buggy for you. I have to say that a lot of people will use the escalators with a buggy, but I would recommend that you use stations with lifts.

London Underground Accessibility Maps

On the London Underground map, you will see that accessible underground stations are marked with the symbol of a wheelchair, in either a blue circle or a white circle.

• Blue circle: Fully accessible station. This means it is possible to go from street level onto the underground carriage without any steps. In these cases, the platform will have a slightly elevated area that avoids steps to get onto the train.
• White circle: Accessible Station. This means that there are no steps from street level to the platform. There is some unevenness when getting onto the train. This is important for someone using a wheelchair, but it usually isn´t a problem when taking a buggy onto the train.

In addition to this map, there is a Step Free Tube Map , which is a lot more detailed and the one I recommend you check when travelling on the London Underground with a buggy. This map highlights the degree of accessibility at each station in detail and explains how accessible it is to change between underground lines at different stations.

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Hi. Thanks for this useful info. I was wondering how a child can use an Oyster card reduced rates. My brother is visiting for five days with five and two children: 6 and 16yo. They will stay in zone four where the only connection to London is on a train. Therefore, do you think the cheapest way to get there each day and back is to use three adult Oyster cards? I read on TFL that children 5-11 can travel free on all sort of transport eleven without a zip photocard as long as they travel with accompanied adult. Of that’s the case, do they go through the gates together touching just with one card?

Hi Pawel, The cheapest way for the adults is to use an oyster card (or contactless debit or credit card ). The 6-year-old travels free, no ticket needed. They just go through the large gates (which are designed for families, disabled or people with luggage) with an adult. The 16-year-old can use an oyster card, like the adults, but will pay the same fare as the adults, but the best thing is to request they apply the young visitor discount on his oyster card at any underground station, paying half the fare than the adults for each journey. Hope that helps, I know it’s quite tricky!

Hi. Thanks for further explanation. I asked today at my local train station (national rail) in zone four and he advised me (although he didn’t sound entirely convincing) that the free travel for under 11s applies only on TFL transport and not on national rail even if it’s within London. Do you know if that’s the case as I read conflicting info on TFL.

Hi Pawel, this is my understanding too, children 5 – 11 need a ticket for national rail trains. Sorry I hadn’t realised you meant train, not underground! Let me know what station it is and I can look into it for you. =)

I’m visiting London with my two daughters (12 and 14). I thought I would get the visitor Oyster card and then ask for the family discount when we get there. How does this actually work going through the tap barriers? Do we all go through with one card?

Many thanks for your help with this! Michelle

Hi Michelle, As they are over 11 years old they need a card each – an oyster card with young visitor discount is the best option for them. Then each one of you will need to tap the card onto the yellow reader at the barrier to go through one by one. Hope that helps!

Many thanks! 🤗

Thanks a lot for the great information! I have a question regarding the young visitors discount. My daughter just turned 16 last month. Theoretically she won’t be able to get the discount, because on the official website it’s says only for children 11-15 years old. Am I missing something? Thanks!

Hi Anna, Yes, unfortunately the young visitor discount only applies to under 16s. As she is already 16, you would need to consider a zip card, or just a normal oyster card, as the zip card has a processing fee which probably makes it not worth it. Hope that helps!

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My questions are: How far is this tube from the platform that I will arrive on in Paddington Station ? Are they all in the same building? How much time should I allow to leave the train from Bath and get to the tube to London Kings Cross? And will I need to buy a separate ticket for this transfer? Or is my ticket for the journey good for this?

Thanks in advance!

19 replies to this topic

The train stations are separate from the tube stations and at Kings Cross, the trains are street level and tube is underground.

Follow the signs for the train to get to your train to Edinburgh .

Of course you don’t need to go to London at all. You could make the short trip from Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads and pick up a train to Edinburgh from there.

Tube is an Underground/Subway/Metro (delete what suits you)

Trains are standard Trains that run overland.

And will I need to buy a separate ticket for this transfer? Or is my ticket for the journey good for this?

You can buy a through ticket including the tube, or pay for the tube using your contactless card or phone.

--The tube is the subway and mostly below ground.--

Actually less than half of the Underground is actually underground

£1180??? How many of you are travelling?

There is 3 of us travelling (2 adult and 1 child) first class the morning of June 2. Maybe I am doing something wrong?

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Subterranean London: The unmissable Underground Tours

A re you looking for a slightly different view of London? Although many of the city’s most notable sites are above ground, you will find that there is a lot of history, remarkable works of engineering, and stories to be told, underneath the Earth.

In an underground tour of London, you can walk behind the scenes of the oldest metro in the world, take a quick peek into former air-raid shelters used during the second world war, and walk the dusty passageways that were once used by former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

If riding in black cabs and queuing at Madame Tussauds is not your thing any more, then try looking below the surface to escape the crowds.

To help you out, I’ve listed some of my favorite underground London tours that take you through lost tunnels and uncover parts of London you didn’t know were there.

1. Cabinet War Rooms

2. chislehurst caves, 3. the london bridge experience and london tombs, 4. tour of the london underground, 5. brunel’s underground tunnel, 6. the hidden london tours by london transport museum, tours of london, more london travel tips.

Planning your trip to London last-minute?

Don’t forget to plan ahead when  visiting London ! Here are some of the top tours, hotels, and useful items you may need before your trip!

Top Experiences and Tours in London

• River Thames Cruise (a great way to see the city skyline!)
• The Tower of London Entry Ticket w/ Crown Jewels Exhibit (an unmissable attraction in London!)
• Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour (to keep the kids happy!)
• London Eye Entry Ticket (to avoid long queues)

Top Accommodation and Hotels in London

• The Londoner Hotel (5* Hotel in Westminster, Ideal Location near Parliament)
• Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt Hotel (4* Hotel with Family Rooms in Kensington)
• The Assembly Covent Garden (3* Hotel in Leicester Square, 2 minutes to the metro and theatres)

The Best Underground London Tours

You’ll discover a hidden world of secret tunnels, terrifying tombs, elaborate train routes, and ancient cave systems on one of these underground London tours.

Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Blitz with a trip down into the historic Cabinet War Rooms.

This warren of tunnels and bunkers under Whitehall was the headquarters for Britain’s war effort during WW2.

The tour starts by exploring the War Cabinet Room from where Winston Churchill planned Britain’s next move.

You can actually see the chair (complete with scratch marks on its arms) which he used during highly stressful meetings.

In the Map Room, nothing has changed since 16 Aug 1945, when the lights were finally switched off.

Wartime maps, colour-coded telephones, and even rationed sugar cubes remain exactly as they were when the war ended.

Check prices and availability for the Cabinet War Rooms tour here.

This network of 8000-year-old caves in the greater London area is an unexpected treat. The caves, which extend for 20 miles, were initially created as a result of flint and chalk mining.

You can take a lamp-lit tour deep into this labyrinth and explore the caves’ varied history; from their origins as mines to their subsequent use as an ammunition depot and then as an air raid shelter during WW2.

You can read more and check prices and availability here.

This spine-chilling historical tour takes you through the early days of London.

Begin by discovering the most haunted bridge in the world – London Bridge – then you’ll be taken through Roman, Viking, and Victorian times and you can watch Queen Boudicca defeat the Romans in battle and see the great fire of London erupt before your very eyes.

For a really frightful time, you’ll need to go deeper underground into the depths of the London Tombs.

This former plague pit has been given a Hollywood-inspired makeover and now boasts state-of-the-art special effects and live actors, to bring London’s bloody history to life.

Although The London Bridge Experience doesn’t have any age restrictions, all children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. The London Tombs is not suitable for children under 11.

We visited the London Bridge Experience with our 14- and 10-year-old. It was one of our teen’s favorite things to do in London . Our tween was a little scared. but she still loves sharing her memories from it.

Check prices and availability for the London Bridge Experience and London Tombs tour here.

You’re sure to have a renewed respect for the tube after this two-hour tour of the world’s oldest underground metro system.

This feat of engineering has been transporting passengers for 150 years and you’ll be able to see its original plans along with the steam engines that were first used.

Along your route, watch out for the ghost station at the British Museum and discover the secrets behind the original hand-dug tunnels.

Check prices and availability for the Underground Tube Tour here.

Discover how Isambard Kingdom Brunel helped his father Marc build one of the world’s first tunnels under a river.

The Thames tunnel, which is 170 years old, was originally designed to allow people and horses to cross the Thames without obstructing the passing ships.

Once known as the eighth wonder of the world, the tunnel was reopened in 2010 as part of the London Overground.

You can now descend into The Grand Entrance Hall at the tunnel shaft and even discover a secret chamber.

Tours can be organized through the Brunel Museum.

READ MORE: 15 of the best views in London (from above and below)

If you want to get off the beaten path, then the London Transport Museum, operated by Transport for London, have several underground tours you can take part in.

The tours are designed to take people to disused stations and secret sites, it’s an urban explorer’s dream come true.

You can choose to visit any of the following stations on a small group walking tour:

• Aldwych Station , which opened in 1907 but closed in 1994, and was the former “end of the line.” It was used as a shelter during the Blitz and is now an abandoned tube station. It has been featured in several film and television, such as Sherlock and Atonement. 
• Charing Cross , which is still in use today but became famous after it was used in the James Bond movie, Skyfall. This tour takes you to closed-off areas and the disused spaces of Charing Cross where you can learn about the station’s history and use in movie sets.
• Clapham South which opened after world war II and consists of eight deep-level shelters and miles of passageways.
• Down Street Station , also known as Winston Churchill’s secret station. It’s located between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner stations and was used as an air-raid shelter for the prime minister and was also the Railway Executive Committee’s bomb-proof headquarters.
• The lost tunnels of Euston . You can walk down the passageways and tunnels from Euston Station that are no longer in use, and still see vintage advertising posters adorning the walls.
• Go behind the scenes at Shepherd’s Bush station , one of the popular stations in London’s suburbs.
• Learn about modern day engineering with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Elizabeth Line from Tottenham Court Road.
• Kingsway trams tunnel tour. Before trains, the city used trams which consequently closed down. You can walk down the only remaining tram tunnel in London on this tour.

Tickets for the London Transport Museum tours are released throughout the year, so you will need to check their website and sign up for their newsletter to find out when tours are happening.

Final Thoughts on Underground Tours of London

I bet you didn’t realize how much of London’s underground world was accessible to tourists? I was pleasantly surprised too.

If you think about it, much of London’s history was served underground. During the 6-months of the Blitz, these underground stations were a place of refuge and safety.

Instead of being disused stations, they have been turned into attractions so tourists can see the city’s engineering triumphs and historical landmarks.

Whether you’re looking for a fun activity for a Saturday night or you’re curious about the history of the world’s oldest metro system, these tours are sure to be a highlight of your London trip.

Save Money on London Attractions

Get Your Guide has an incredible variety of tours, activities, tickets and passes with a list of handpicked tours and things to do in London.   Like this original Harry Potter Guided walking tour

• The London Sightseeing Pass: Our favorite of the tourist discount cards is the London Sightseeing Pass for their flexibility and diversity. They offer entry to top London attractions, plus quirky local tours, and discounts on shopping and eating out. S ee more information and get your pass here.
• The London Pass By GoCity : gives you free entry to 60+ top London attractions, Hop on and Off sightseeing tour, and fast track passes at popular London attractions.  Get your London Pass here .

Are you planning a trip to London but need more inspiration for your trip? Then you may find these other guides helpful…

• Things to Do in London
• London Travel Tips
• Ultimate guide to getting around London
• Arriving in London Alone and Without Any Money
• 5 of the best accommodation options in London from budget to luxury
• Why you should plan a London vacation
• Is the London Eye worth it?
• 21 Places to visit in London
• 3 Day London Itinerary

Have you explored London’s underground before? What do you recommend? Let us know in the comments.

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London Marathon 2024 travel guide: Start times, route and celebration spots

Spectators can watch runners race through the capital on 21 april, article bookmarked.

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The London Marathon 2024 will weave through the streets of the capital from Greenwich to Westminster on Sunday 21 April, and thousands of spectators are going to be lining the route for a glimpse of their running friends.

Over 50,000 people are expected to take on the mammoth two-foot tour of London landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge.

Since the inaugural 26.2 mile event in 1981, the fundraising race has raised millions for charities each year, and, with sunshine on the forecast for now, celebrations of the charitable and physical feat will take place across the city.

Here’s everything you need to know to plan the day if you’re running  or  supporting this year’s London Marathon.

London Marathon 2024 start time and date

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The London Marathon 2024 will take place on Sunday 21 April.

Exact timings for this year’s races are yet to be confirmed but staggered start times from around 8.30am are the norm, with the masses setting off in waves at 10am and all start lines closed from 11.30am.

The finish line on The Mall closes at 7.30pm and is then moved to St James’ Park until midnight.

London Marathon route

Largely unchanged since 1981, the start line for the race is in Blackheath at the top of Greenwich Park .

From here, a leg to Woolwich, jog past the Cutty Sark and stretch around Bermondsey takes runners to cross the river over Tower Bridge .

After a ring around the Isle of Dogs, it’s a relatively straight stretch along the Thames through the City of London to the Westminster finish line on The Mall.

Will there be train and tube strikes?

There is a planned overtime ban for Aslef members working for LNER on Friday 19 and Sunday 21 April (marathon day), as well as strikes on Saturday 20 April, so those travelling into London from the northeast will likely face cancellations.

Substantial road closures across the capital to make way for the race mean spectators should travel on foot or by tube – roads will reopen as and when all runners have cleared the area.

Marathon participants will receive free travel home up to 6.30pm on marathon day on the London Underground and Overground, buses and DLR.

TfL said that a modified DLR service will start at 5.30am from Tower Gateway to Lewisham so runners arrive on time to the start line.

Rail services out of London to the midlands and the northwest are also expected to be extremely busy from 6pm due to an FA Cup semi-final taking place at Wembley Stadium.

The best spots to watch the London Marathon in person

If the live BBC coverage won’t cut it and you’re coming to support from the sidelines, spectators can watch along most parts of the route, including The Highway in Wapping, where runners will pass twice.

To be in the heart of the action, the halfway point of Tower Bridge at mile 13, and the finish line at The Mall are bound to be exciting but busy. For a quieter spot to cheer, stay east and line up in Deptford or the Isle of Dogs.

Track friends and family taking part using their marathon number on the TCS London Marathon app to best position yourself to catch them on the go.

Marathon organisers advise that some areas, including those by the Cutty Sark and St James’ Park, are likely to be very busy on the day.

Five accessible viewing areas also dot the course for those with disabilities: in Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf, Rainbow Row, Tower Hill and Victoria Embankment.

Where to celebrate along the route

London has plenty of pubs and bars to quench the post-marathon thirst, whether you’ve been running or cheering.

In Greenwich, The Gipsy Moth has Cutty Sark views, The Angel in Bermondsey sits on the Thames and halfway pub, the Tower Bridge Arms, raises pints of IPA to passers-by.

Wet your palette in Wapping’s local Turner’s Old Star, ride the high at Pergola on the Wharf for city views, or refuel at Hung, Drawn & Quartered in Tower Hill with pies and ales.

At Victoria Embankment, board pub boat Tattershall Castle to cheer runners on for the final mile and savour a cold one at The Westminster Arms just before the finish line.

Once the race has been run, Inn the Park restaurant in St James’ Park is ideal for a light bite or head into Mercato Mayfair for a street food party in a restored church.

How to sign up for the London Marathon 2025

After a  record number of entries  signed up for the 26.2-mile race in 2024 – 578,374 applicants according to event organisers – next year’s London Marathon is bound to be another popular event.

To take on the challenge, entry is available through a ballot, international tour operators, charity spaces and athletics clubs.

The public ballot for the 2025 TCS London Marathon will open on Saturday 20 April and close the following Friday (26 April). Winners will be drawn at random and emailed in July ahead of the 27 April 2025 marathon.

Read more: Amazing sports events and experiences to combine with a once-in-a-lifetime holiday

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London Marathon 2024: Where to watch, route, start time, rail strikes and celebrities to look out for

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Swap your sambas for sneakers and get warming up that cheer voice. Britain’s biggest marathon, the London Marathon , returns to the streets of central London this weekend and it’s set to be the greatest yet. More than half a million people are set to take on the world-famous 26.2-mile course — a new record (the previous was set in 2019) — and many thousands more are set to turn out to cheer them on.

If you managed to secure a place in the running equivalent of Glastonbury, you should probably buy a lottery ticket and watch out for lightning (apparently just four per cent of applicants actually get a place, according to new data). If you weren’t lucky enough to nab a spot this year, you can still revel in the buzz and drama of race day. Bonus: no blisters. Folding bike brand Brompton is offering free bike hire to anyone supporting so you can whizz to as many cheer spots as possible. Just head to the brand’s hire stations at East India, Broadgate and Regents Place.

From the hottest support spots and celebrities to look out for, to free food and Brockwell Lido dips for finishers, here’s everything you need to know.

When is the 2024 London marathon?

Sunday is race day and conditions are looking good, with mild temperatures, gentle winds (finally!) and lots of sunshine.

The elite and wheelchair races start from 08:30am, and the mass participation waves will kick off between 10:00am until 11:30am.

Where to watch

For cheer-squad novices, there are two rules for supporting: download the official London marathon app so you can track your runner, and plan ahead. The route starts in Blackheath and winds its way past many of the capital’s most iconic sights before ending on The Mall, so prepare yourself for some shoulder-barging if you want to see your runner (and your runner to see you).

The most popular cheer spots are at the Cutty Sark (mile 6), Tower Bridge (mile 12), Canary Wharf (mile 18), the Tower of London (mile 22), the London Eye and Big Ben (mile 25) and Buckingham Palace (mile 26), but you might have a better chance of wiggling your way to the front of the crowd if you pick a different spot. Miles 9 to 12 around Rotherhithe and Bermondsey are a good option if you want to give your runner a much-needed pick-me-up early-on, and miles 14 to 21 around Limehouse and Canary Wharf are a great base if you want to see your runner multiple times without having to walk too far.

That said, you might not need to walk at all. Thanks to Brompton’s special marathon day treat, supporters can bag themselves a free folding bike for getting around town. Just email [email protected] with your runner’s bib number and you’ll receive a special code. The three hire stations with access to the race route are East India Station, Broadgate, and Regents Place. For those with disabilities, the accessible cheer points can be found at Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf, Rainbow Row (Butcher Row), Tower Hill and Victoria Embankment.

See above for a map of the route on Strava. And here’s our list of the best pubs, bars and restaurants along the full 26.2-mile route.

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No self-respecting British event would be complete without a train strike. Mercifully, there are no Tube strikes planned for Sunday, but if you’re taking part and have friends or family travelling into London from the Midlands or the north, they’ll need to plan ahead.

Strike action will affect the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) network with no service on Saturday 20 April, the day before the race, and reduced service on the day itself. Although strike action shouldn’t affect London trains, do note that there are planned engineering works and closures on the Elizabeth line, Waterloo & City line and the London tram on race day itself.

How to watch on TV and live stream

If you can’t make it into the capital for race day (or fancy a lie-in), you can still enjoy the excitement on TV.

The BBC will be broadcasting the whole thing, with live coverage on BBC One from 08:30 to 14:15, before moving to BBC Two from 14:15 until 15:00. If you miss it, you can watch highlights on BBC Two from 18:00-19:00 and online on BBC iPlayer.

Which celebrities are taking part?

There’s something ever so slightly satisfying about watching your favourite celebrity grinding it out for 26.2 miles, looking a little less polished than they do on Instagram.

The race always attracts big names, with this year’s stars including the comedian Romesh Ranganathan, who’s running for suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM); The Woman in the Wall actress Ruth Wilson MBE, who’s running for Alzheimer’s Research UK; and ex-Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston, who’s running to raise awareness for charity The Big Issue.

Special mention goes to Eastenders stars Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick, who’ll be running as their characters, Honey and Jay, for a special episode of the soap. The storyline will follow the fictional pair as they run the marathon in memory of Jay’s wife, Lola, who died of a brain tumour in 2023. If you spot them, make sure you’re smiling: you could just make your debut as an extra in the background of the show.

Who are the other stars of the amateur race?

Fancy dress is a quintessential part of the London marathon. Remember the guy who spent five days completing the course dressed in a deep sea diving suit?

Conservation charity Save the Rhino claim to have pioneered the whole thing, when a runner completed the race wearing a 12kg rhino costume in 1992, and this year it’s debuting a new first: the marathon’s first ever rhino wheelchair costume, which will be worn by member of Wales Rugby League wheelchair team, Martin Turner.

You might also spot Dave 'the Running Telephone', who’ll be running his 25th marathon in aid of this year’s race charity, Samaritans, dressed in a telephone costume.

This year’s oldest competitor is 91-year-old David Picksley from Croydon, who has run an impressive 13 marathons to date. He’ll be walking the 26.2 mile route to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK in memory of his sister, who he lost to the disease in 1974.

Where to go after

If you’ve got any energy left to celebrate after the finish line, fitness studio Barry’s Bootcamp will be hosting a marathon after-party at its SW1 studio. Think live music, refreshments, and free protein shakes for anyone who shows their medal. It's free to join, but you do need to sign up in advance.

They’re not the only ones handing out freebies for medal-holders. Greene King is offering a free drink of Guinness (or Guinness 0.0%), G&Ts and soft drinks to all finishers who show a medal at one of its London pubs between Sunday and Tuesday; Lush is offering medallists its all-new Cold Water Soother Epsom salt cube (worth £6) and Wiccy Magic Muscles solid massage oil (worth £8); and Franco Manca, Bills, Meatliquor and The Real Greek are among those handing out free food.

Recovery-wise, Fusion Lifestyle is offering all finishers a free swim at Brockwell Lido or North London Park Road Leisure, and online yoga site Live Yoga Teachers is offering free livestreamed recovery classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after the race. Just send in a picture of you at the finish line with your medal and they’ll send you a voucher.

Deliveroo and Boots have also teamed up to launch a ‘ Marathon Roo-covery’ hub featuring everything from bath salts and Compeed blister plasters to protein bars. Just use the code ROOCOVERY10 for £10 off all Boots products on Deliveroo.

When does the ballot open for next year?

If you find yourself getting sucked in by the joy of the event (don’t say we didn’t warn you), there’s not long to wait until you can try your luck for a coveted place.

The London marathon 2025 is set to take place on Sunday, April 27, and the ballot opens this Saturday, April 20, the day before this year’s race. It’ll close on Friday, April 26, so you have just under a week to throw your name into the ring. Here’s to making it into that lucky four per cent.

Britain’s contentious plan to send some migrants to Rwanda hits a hurdle in Parliament

The Associated Press

April 17, 2024, 3:29 PM

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LONDON (AP) — A law that will enable Britain to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda suffered a setback on Wednesday after Parliament’s upper chamber pressed its attempt to amend the contentious legislation.

The House of Lords inserted amendments into the Safety of Rwanda Bill, sending it back to the lower House of Commons in a process known as parliamentary ping-pong.

The government had hoped members of the Lords would stop blocking the bill on Wednesday, relenting to the parliamentary rule that the unelected Lords ultimately can’t overrule the elected Commons. The Lords’ resistance underlines the strength of opposition in the upper house, where the governing Conservative Party does not have a majority.

The bill is still overwhelmingly likely to become law, but the latest move delays its passage, likely until next week.

The legislation will pave the way for deportation flights to take off – though opponents plan new legal challenges that could keep them grounded.

The Rwanda plan is key to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ’s pledge to “stop the boats” bringing unauthorized migrants to the U.K. across the English Channel, and Sunak has repeatedly said the first flights will take off in the spring.

Home Office Minister Michael Tomlinson told lawmakers on Wednesday that the law is needed because “we simply cannot stand by and allow people smugglers to control who enters our country and to see more lives being lost at sea.”

“We have an obligation to the public and to those who are being exploited by criminal gangs to stop this vile trade and to protect our borders,” he said.

It has already been two years since Britain and Rwanda signed a deal that would see migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats sent to the East African country, where they would remain permanently. The plan has been challenged in the courts, and no one has yet been sent to Rwanda under an agreement that has cost the U.K. at least 370 million pounds ($470 million).

Sunak’s government says the plan will deter people from making dangerous journeys across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and break the business model of people-smuggling gangs. Human rights groups and other critics say it is unworkable and unethical to send migrants to a country 4,000 miles (6,400 miles) away that they don’t want to live in.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill is designed to overcome a ban on sending migrants to Rwanda imposed by the U.K. Supreme Court, which ruled in November that the East African country is not a safe destination for asylum-seekers because there is a risk they could be returned to the conflict-wracked home countries they’d fled.

In response, Britain and Rwanda signed a treaty pledging to strengthen protections for migrants. Sunak’s government argues the treaty allows it to pass the new law, which pronounces the country safe , making it harder for migrants to challenge deportation and allows the British government to ignore injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights that forbid removals.

Human rights groups, refugee charities, senior Church of England clerics and many legal experts have criticized the legislation. In February a parliamentary rights watchdog said the Rwanda plan is “ fundamentally incompatible ” with the U.K.’s human rights obligations.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill was approved in January by the House of Commons, where Sunak’s Conservatives have a majority, but met strong opposition in Parliament’s upper chamber, the House of Lords. Members of the Lords repeatedly inserted amendments to water down the legislation, including by exempting Afghans who worked with British forces from deportation.

The Commons rejected them all, but the Lords has repeatedly restored the changes.

The government has refused to accept any amendments. A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday: “We’re not considering concessions.”

Britain’s main opposition parties oppose the legislation. Scottish National Party lawmaker Alison Thewlis urged the Labour Party to repeal the law if it wins an election later this year, as polls suggest it will.

“The Rwanda Bill is a turd which cannot be polished,” she said. “It is absolutely disgusting and objectionable in every sense.”

Follow AP’s coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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