London guide for first-time visitors

If you’re going to London for the first time, use these London travel tips to make the most out of your trip. This guide includes the most important things you need to know on how to prepare for a trip to London.

London is a huge and fascinating city, and visiting it takes a bit more preparation compared to other big cities.

There are common mistakes that first time visitors make when they come to London, and this post will help you avoid them.

It’s a really fun city and the better you plan for it the more you’ll enjoy all the things it has to offer.

This guide includes all the essential travel tips you need to know before you visit London for the first time: How to get to London, where to stay on your first time in London, recommended tours and activities that cover the main London attractions, what to pack for London, how to get around the city and more London travel tips for first timers.

How to get from London airports to the city

Most major and low-cost airlines fly to London and it’s one of the most convenient places in the world to fly in and out of.

To get from London airports to the city, you can normally choose between private transfers, trains, or buses.

The easiest option is to book your own private airport transfer (such as SIXT ride) from the airport that will take you straight to your accommodation in London.

Here are the public transport options from London airports:

Gatwick

The Gatwick Express train takes you to Victoria station in 30 minutes. From there you can take buses or the underground to your hotel.

The National Express bus from Gatwick.

Heathrow

The Heathrow Express train will take you to Paddington station in 15 minutes.

National Express buseswill take you from Heathrow Airport to Victoria station and you can reserve a seat online in advance.

The Piccadilly line or the Elizabeth line are both convenient options, depending on where you’re going in London.

Luton

The East Midlands Railway or Thameslink train are the easiest options. You first have to take a shuttle bus from the airport to Luton Airport Parkway train station, which takes about 10 minutes. Then the train ride into the city should take about 30 minutes.

National Express buses take you from Luton Airport to central London in less than an hour.

Stansted

The Stansted Express train will take you to Liverpool Street station in about 45 minutes.

National Express buses run from Stansted Airport to central London and the journey takes about 50 minutes.

City Airport

London City Airport is the closest to the city. You can take the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) or an underground train. Check the Journey Planner on the Transport for London website for details.

Southend

Take a Greater Anglia train from Southend Airport and you’ll be at Liverpool Street Station within 52 minutes. There are several special bus lines from Southend Airport.

What’s the best time to visit London?

• Late spring / early summer (May to June) is probably the sweet spot. The parks are green, the days are long, and it’s not quite as crowded as in the peak of summer.

• September is also one of the best times to visit London, as the summer holidays end and tourist numbers drop (a bit), so you can enjoy fewer crowds and shorter queues. Personally, this is my favourite time to be in London.

• Summer (July, August) is great for long daylight hours, a lot of lively outdoor activities like festivals, outdoor bars, and picnics in the park. London is a high energy city in summer. The downsides are that it’s way too crowded and hotel prices are higher.

• Winter is a good option if you want to enjoy the Christmas charm. Christmas lights on Regent Street, ice rinks at Somerset House and the Natural History Museum, and mulled wine. The downsides are that it’s cold and it gets dark early.

London’s weather is very unpredictable in any season or month of the year. Check the forecast before your trip and be prepared for both heat waves and rain.

It’s much easier to deal with rain and cold weather in London, as it’s designed for that kind of weather, but it’s certainly not designed for heat waves.

These are becoming longer each summer and can last a few weeks at a time. Air-conditioning isn’t the norm in England (yet). I recommend taking a frozen water bottle and a handheld fan wherever you go.

What to see in London

No matter how many times I’ve been to the city (double figures…), I still discover more things to see and do.

The city seems to reinvent itself every couple of months, while at the same time preserving its history.

London is huge. Massive. If you try to see it all on an average visit, you will cause yourself endless frustration and FOMO.

My best tip would be to plan your London itinerary in a way that gives you enough time to see the things that interest you most, but also relax.

Take your time.

And take into account the distances… Check on Google Maps how long it would take to get from one place to the next. 

Even things that look close on the map could be an hour away from each other by public transport.

Remember that even if you won’t be able to see everything, that’s fine.

It’s better than rushing around and stressing out every single day of your trip.

Make a list of the things you want to do and see in London, such as:

• Guided tours – There are tons of them in London (see my selection of the best tours below).
• London’s famous streets – Iconic pop culture and historical streets in London.
• Trendy parts of London, such as Brick Lane, Shoreditch or Brixton.
• If you have time, see some of London’s hidden gems.

Check the locations and make time for rest and relaxation – London’s parks are great for that 😉

Get to know London with local guides

The best way not to get too overwhelmed by London’s endless list of things to do is to take some guided tours.

I recommend you do that on your first couple of days. You’ll cover the main highlights and attractions in London and be free to select more things you want to do later.

Guided tours to take on your first visit to London

Start by reserving a place on a free London walking tour that will give you a general introduction to London.

For more specialised sightseeing tours in London, check out these options:

• Best of London Private Tour: Sights and Secrets
• 5-Hour Bike Tour
• Private Personalized Tour with a Local Host
• London: Top 30 Sights Walking Tour and The Shard Entry
• London’s Top Sights: Walking Tour with Fun Local Guide

Themed tours in London

There are some themed tours that are unique to London, thanks to its amazing cultural heritage.

Take the opportunity to experience some of those, based on your interests:

For Harry Potter fans

• Harry Potter Guided Walking Tour
• You may also want to take a day trip to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studios.

For foodies

• London: See 30+ Top Sights and Eat 8 British Foods Tour
• Thames River Ale Tasting Bike Tour

For music lovers

• Rock ‘n Roll London Tour By London Taxi
• Silent Disco Adventure Tour

If you’re after more unique experiences in London

• Mary Poppins Walking Tour
• Notting Hill Rom-Com Walking Tour

What to pack for London

I’ve written a detailed post about what to bring on a trip to Europe with a handy packing list.

When you’re packing for London, there are three things you want to pay attention to. These are:

• Comfortable shoes
• A rain Jacket
• A travel adaptor

Bring good walking shoes

This is a good tip for any traveller, but London being as massive as it is, it’s worth mentioning here.

You walk a lot in London. Even if you use public transport, you still have to walk to the station, inside the station (this could even reach a 10 minute walk inside big stations…) and then around the city as well.

I once had a friend who came to London with a pair of new shoes. She had to break them in before the trip, bus she didn’t and she suffered badly for the first couple of days.

Always be ready for rain in London

British people like to talk about the weather, and they have a good reason to.

In London it might rain any day, in any season. Pack a rain jacket.

Whether or not it’s forecast to rain, always assume that it might, because the weather in London is known for its unpredictability. It could rain even in the middle of summer during a heat wave (true story…)

If you find yourself in London when it rains and need a place to hide or a way to pass the time, check out my post on what to do in London when it rains.

An umbrella or a rain jacket are essential items on your packing list for London.

I personally prefer a waterproof rain jacket to an umbrella. If it’s large enough, it can cover your purse or bag as well. It also serves as an extra warm layer.

Buy a UK travel adaptor

Get a reliable adaptor with USB ports before your trip.

The power plugs in the UK are Type G and the voltage is 220-240V. If you’re visiting from a country that uses a different plug and/or voltage, you will need a travel adaptor.

Type G plugs are also used in other countries, including Ireland, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Malta, Malaysia, Singapore and a few others.

If you buy it in advance you’ll save some money, as it would be more expensive to buy at the airport.

If you’re already in the UK and need an adaptor, beware that some shops will overcharge unprepared tourists, but there’s no need to pay too much for something so basic – best buy it online before you go.

Getting around London – essential travel tips

London is your Oyster!

Oyster is the unlikely name of London’s public transport card.

You buy it once and then top it up (load it) with the amount you need or with a weekly or monthly pass, depending on how long you plan to stay in London.

Don’t use paper tickets; they cost almost double.

You can use the same Oyster card across many different modes of transport – underground and overground trains, buses, trams, light rail etc.

If you get a London Pass (the city pass that gives you discounts and free entry to London attractions) you can also get it with an Oyster travelcard to save more money. Read more about how it works here >>

Stand on the right on station escalators

Going on the underground train with masses of people can be quite overwhelming.

But it’s rare to see anyone pushing or shoving, even during rush hour.

That’s because there’s a very easy rule that everyone in London follows:

When you go on the escalators remember to always stand on the right. If you want to walk up or down – do that on the left.

Sometimes there’ll be a service announcement to remind people of that.

Londoners get annoyed when people stand on the left, and quite understandably – when you’re in a rush to catch a train you want that left lane to be available.

Travel on public transport outside peak times

Trying to take a train in central London during rush hour can be a pretty nightmarish experience.

Sometimes the stations are so packed that you can’t even get into the station, not to mention board a train.

Avoid the massive crowds on Monday to Friday between 06:30 am and 09:30 am and between 4 pm and 7 pm.

How to cross the street in  London

Cars drive on the left in the UK, so crossing the road in London can be confusing.

One of the first things you’ll notice in London is that at every crossing there are directions for you to look left or right or both ways.

I suggest you make a habit of always looking both ways.

More London travel tips

When you’re travelling to london for the first time, you want to avoid some common mistakes that tourists often make.

Here are some more travel tips to help you with that.

Book your accommodation in London in advance

This may sound obvious, but in case it isn’t, bear in mind: London is always full of tourists.

To make sure you get a good deal, you want to book your accommodation at least a month before you arrive in London.

If you travel during high season (e.g. July-August or Christmas), book even a couple of months in advance.

Find hotels in London

Find vacation rental in London

Find hostels in London

Tipping in London

One of the things I always check about each country I visit is the local tipping etiquette.

In some countries tips are not common at all (Japan, for example) and in others you just round up the bill.

In London it’s normal to tip 10-15% at restaurants. Some restaurants will add a service charge (usually 12.5%) to the bill. When paying by credit card, ask if you can add the tip to the bill.

Londoners don’t normally tip in pubs, but you can leave a tip if you like.

At your hotel, feel free to tip the staff. Sometime a service charge is already included in your bill.

If you take a black cab in London you can tip 10-15% or round up the fare.

Avoid Oxford street on Saturday

Oxford Street, being the main shopping street in London, is extremely busy with tourists, shoppers, cars, buses and taxis.

Human traffic jams are a common sight any day of the week, but especially on Saturday.

It’s no fun. You can hardly cross the street or even move forward on the pavement.

If you choose to do your shopping on Oxford Street, best plan to go there on a weekday.

Don’t get locked inside a park

This happened to me a couple of times in the past, even when I was hanging out with Londoners…

Many parks in London are locked at night. If you’re having a picnic or a walk in the park and forget about the time, you may find yourself locked inside.

This isn’t the end of the world, of course, as you can often climb over the fence. Still, best avoid that.

At the entrance to the park there’ll be a notice board or a sign with the opening hours. Sometimes it wouldn’t specify the hour, but just say the park is open till “dusk”…

Also, listen out for the bell – the person who locks the park would walk around with a bell to alert people just before the park is locked. I’m not sure this applies to all parks, but I’ve seen that in quite a few.

Get in line!

British people love to queue.

It’s part of the culture and they have a great reputation for forming an orderly queue, even if not instructed to.

As a tourist you will encounter that every day when boarding buses or trains, entering museums and attractions, when you go to concerts, shows or festivals and so on.

It makes a lot of sense, especially in such a hectic city, and helps prevent all sorts of chaotic situations.

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