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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
London
London is a tube-and-walk city: book one timed entry, do two or three sights a day, take the tube between clusters, and cross roads looking right first.
London's sights are far apart and the crowds are constant, so the trips that go wrong try to cram Westminster, the museums, the City and a show into one day. Five walking clusters cover a first visit; the tube and the Elizabeth line move the bags. Book the Abbey or a big exhibition ahead, and leave the free museums for the afternoon.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Sep · Oct
- Time zone
- Europe/London
- Stay
- 2 days: Westminster morning + Bloomsbury and Covent Garden
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Contactless cards and phones work almost everywhere, including the tube and buses; some places are card-only. Keep a small amount of cash for markets.
- Daily spend
- Budget £40–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–130 excl. bed · High £130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a SIM in arrivals or a phone shop.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 or 112 · Non-emergency police 101 · NHS advice 111
- Plugs
- 230 V; British three-pin type G sockets. Bring an adapter.
- Tipping
- Check the bill: 12.5% service is often added in restaurants. Round up for taxis; not expected in pubs.
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink; ask for tap water in restaurants.
- Toilets
- Stations, museums, cafés and shopping centres; a few charge a coin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | £3–4.50 |
| Sandwich meal deal | £4–7 |
| Pint of beer | £5.50–7.50 |
| Pub main course | £14–20 |
| Tube or bus, zone 1 tap | £2.80–3.50 |
| Black cab across the centre | £12–25 |
| Elizabeth line, Heathrow to Paddington | £13–15 |
| Museum entry (national museums) | Free |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
- LGW to central London: one train to Victoria, about 30–40 minutes — the risk is the last train after a late landing and a rail strike day.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- LHR to central London: the Elizabeth line, about 35–40 minutes to Tottenham Court Road — the risk is not the ride but the last train and a long border queue on a late landing.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| St Pancras International (St Pancras) | Eurostar to Paris and Brussels; trains to Kent and the Midlands | Tube or a 20-minute walk to Bloomsbury |
| London Paddington | Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth line; trains to Oxford, Bath and Bristol | Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road in about 5 minutes |
| London Victoria | Gatwick Express, trains to Brighton and coaches to Oxford, Cambridge and Bath | Tube or a 15-minute walk to Westminster |
| King's Cross and Euston | Trains to Cambridge, York, Edinburgh and the north | Tube to the West End in 10 minutes |
| Victoria Coach Station | Coaches to the airports, Oxford, Cambridge and the south coast | A 10-minute walk from Victoria Station |
| Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City airports | International and domestic flights | 25–75 minutes by train or the Elizabeth line |
Typical fares
- Heathrow to central London, Elizabeth line
- About £13–15, 30–40 min
- Heathrow to central London, Piccadilly line
- About £6–7, 50–60 min
- Tube or bus, zone 1
- About £2.80–3.50
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster; tube, Elizabeth line or bus between clusters. Tap in and out with a contactless card and daily caps apply.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside a cluster and between neighbouring ones |
| Tube (London Underground) | £2.80–3.50 zone 1; capped daily | Between clusters |
| Elizabeth line and Overground | Same caps apply | Heathrow, the City and east London |
| Bus | About £1.75 a ride; capped daily | Scenic routes and step-free travel |
| Black cab | Metered; £12–25 across the centre | Bags, late night, accessibility |
| Uber, Bolt and minicabs | Shown in the app | Late nights and door-to-door |
| Santander Cycles (bike hire) | About £1.65 for 30 min plus a day fee (check) | Short rides in the parks |
| River bus (Thames Clippers) | About £8–13 a ride (check) | A scenic ride to Greenwich |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- Tap in and out with the same contactless card: the daily cap makes a separate pass unnecessary for most visitors.
- Late at night
- The tube stops around midnight on most lines (some run all night on Fri–Sat); night buses run all night.
See and do
01Westminster Abbey
The coronation church with Poets' Corner and royal tombs.
Hours: best The first timed entry · Price: £30–35 · Time: 1.5–2 h · 51.4993, -0.1273
02British Museum
A world tour through Egypt, Greece, Rome and Asia, free.
Hours: best Opening or after 15:00 · Price: Free · Time: 2–3 hHours: best Opening or after 3:00 PM · Price: Free · Time: 2–3 h · 51.5194, -0.1270
03St Paul's Cathedral
Wren's dome, the Whispering Gallery and a city view.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: £25–30 · Time: 1.5–2 h · 51.5138, -0.0984
04National Gallery
Masterpieces of European painting in two rooms.
Hours: best Afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 1–1.5 h · 51.5089, -0.1283
05Natural History Museum
A whale skeleton and dinosaurs under a cathedral-like hall.
Hours: best Opening · Price: Free · Time: 2 h · 51.4967, -0.1764
06V&AV&A
Design, fashion and sculpture with a courtyard café.
Hours: best Rainy afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 2 h · 51.4966, -0.1722
07Tate Modern and the river walk
Modern art in a power station and a bridge view of St Paul's.
Hours: best Afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 1.5–2 h · 51.5076, -0.0994
08Covent Garden PiazzaCovent Garden Piazza
A lively square with performers and a market.
Hours: best Before 10:00 or after 19:00 · Price: Free · Time: 30 minHours: best Before 10:00 AM or after 7:00 PM · Price: Free · Time: 30 min · 51.5117, -0.1226
09Borough Market
The city's best-known food market.
Hours: best Weekday late morning · Price: £6–15 a stall item · Time: 1 h · 51.5055, -0.0910
10Tower of London
A royal fortress with the Crown Jewels.
Hours: best Opening, weekday · Price: £35–40 · Time: 2.5–3 h
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford | Train from Paddington, about 1 h | Full day |
| Windsor | Train from Paddington or Waterloo, about 1 h | Half or full day |
| Cambridge | Train from King's Cross, about 1 h | Full day |
| Brighton | Train from Victoria or London Bridge, about 1 h | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal deal | A sandwich, snack and drink from a supermarket · Citywide | £4–7 | Budget |
| Monmouth Coffee (Seven Dials) | Coffee and a pastry · Seven Dials | £6–10 | Budget |
| Street food and market stalls | A wrap or a hot dish · Borough and Camden | £7–12 (check) | Budget |
| A traditional fish-and-chip shop (chippy) | Cod and chips · Bloomsbury | £12–20 | Mid-range |
| Traditional pub lunch near Westminster | A pub pie or fish and chips · Westminster | £14–24 | Mid-range |
| Dishoom Covent Garden | Small plates and chai · Covent Garden | £25–40 | Mid-range |
| Borough Market | Stall food · Borough | £6–15 a stall item | Mid-range |
| Fine dining and tasting menus | Multi-course menus · Mayfair, Soho and the City | £90–250+ (check) | Splurge |
| Afternoon tea at a grand hotel | Sandwiches, scones and cakes · West End | £45–90 (check) | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses and hours change — check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | £30–55 dorm bed · £90–140 double | Bloomsbury, Kings Cross and Victoria | Hostels and budget chains |
| mid | £150–250 | Bloomsbury and Westminster | Chain and boutique hotels |
| splurge | £350–700+ | Mayfair, Covent Garden and the South Bank | Grand and design hotels |
Per room per night in pounds, 2026 estimate; summer and December add 15–40%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Helloheh-loh |
| Thank you | Cheerscheerz |
| The bill, please | Could we have the bill, please?kud wee hav the bil pleez |
| Which platform? | Which platform is it?which plat-form iz it |
| A pint, please | A pint, pleasea pynt pleez |
| Excuse me | Excuse meex-kyooz mee |
| To this address, please | To this address, pleasetoo this ad-dress pleez |
| I am vegetarian | I'm vegetarianime vej-eh-tair-ee-an |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Queues: Join the back of a queue and wait your turn; jumping one is rude.
- Escalators: Stand on the right and walk on the left on the tube.
- Pubs: Order and pay at the bar; do not wait for table service.
- Tipping: Check the bill for a 12.5% service charge; tip 10–12.5% if it is not included, and round up for a taxi.
- Crossing roads: Traffic drives on the left: look right first, and use the signal at crossings.
- Noise: Keep voices low on the tube and buses; loud phone calls stand out.
Red lines
- Abbey and cathedral: quiet inside, covered shoulders.
- Stand on the right on escalators; walk on the left.
- Do not photograph the guards at the palaces or the police close up.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unlicensed minicab drivers offering rides at airports and stations: use the black-cab rank or an app.
- Street 'friendship bracelet' and petition tricks near tourist sights: walk on.
- Ticket touts outside theatres: buy from the box office or an official seller.
- Card-only tourist traps with high cover charges: check the menu before you sit.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover between flights. Skip: The Tower of London and any second cathedral.
- 09:009:00 AMWestminster Abbey at opening
- 11:0011:00 AMWalk through St James's Park to Trafalgar Square
- 13:001:00 PMLunch in Covent Garden
- 15:003:00 PMBritish Museum, two galleries
- 18:006:00 PMA pub or a wine bar by the river
2 days
The usual short London stay. Skip: South Kensington and the Tower of London.
Day 1 — Westminster and the West End
- 09:009:00 AMWestminster Abbey
- 11:3011:30 AMPub lunch nearby
- 13:301:30 PMNational Gallery
- 16:004:00 PMCovent Garden and dinner
Day 2 — Bloomsbury and the City
- 09:309:30 AMBritish Museum
- 12:3012:30 PMFish and chips or a market lunch
- 14:302:30 PMSt Paul's Cathedral
- 16:304:30 PMMillennium Bridge and Tate Modern
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit London (official): www.visitlondon.com/
- UK government — ETA: www.gov.uk/eta
- Transport for London (official): tfl.gov.uk/
- Wikivoyage — London: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/London
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
London
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- V&AVictoria and Albert Museum
- Covent Garden PiazzaCovent Garden Piazza and Market
- Police, fire, ambulance999 or 112
- Non-emergency police101
- NHS advice111
Write your own embassy's 24-hour number below; most are in the west and centre.
English is spoken; British phrases like 'cheers' and 'sorry' are courtesy words.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/london). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.