The only guide you need before going to London

If there is a city that can offer you the ultimate travel experience it has to be London. You can spend the weekend, 10 days, two weeks or a whole month, and you would still need more time to get to discover this city. But there are some things you need to know. And here is the only guide you need before going to London.

Why London?

Because London is a global capital, where 37% of the population living in London was born outside of the UK, with such a diversity in culture and religion, with so many languages spoken, one of the best financial centers, and some of the world’s top universities. And what sounds even better is that 40% of the city is green space, making London the greenest city of its size in the world.

Arriving there

If you are arriving by plane I recommend taking the National Express bus, from any of London’s airports. You can decide your final stop since the bus stops along the way. The best way is to purchase the tickets in advance. This way you can get them at half the price, depending on when you buy them.

London has one of the best public transport networks. That means that is very easy to get around the city. You can purchase an individual ticket, pay using a contactless card. The method that I preferred was to use an Oyster Card. Tube stations are easily recognizable with the distinctive London Underground logo. A red circle with the text “Underground” featured in a blue box.

Where to stay

Regarding your accommodation, you have two options. Either book a hotel/apartment in the center, that is at a walkable distance from everything you want to visit. Or make sure your hotel/ accommodation is near the tube station since that is the fastest way to get around the city. I would always choose the second option since hotels in London are quite expensive. You can stay further away if you have a good connection to transportation. Keep in mind to purchase an Oyster card or a Travelcard, because this way it would be cheaper to pay for the ride.

When to visit

London is a city that can be visited year-round. It doesn’t have an extreme climate, so you can go anytime you want, depending on your preference. In spring, the weather can be mild but wet, but after Easter, I consider it the best. Because as the summer will start everything will be crowded, but you can enjoy more sunlight.

Whilst winter can be cold, the Christmas season is actually my favorite time to be in London. London is one of the best-decorated cities for the holidays. Everything around the city gives you such an amazing vibe. You can’t miss the spectacular New Year’s celebrations and, of course, the January sales.

What to eat

While you are in London there are some culinary experiences that you have to try. First of all, you have to try an English Breakfast. You can go to any local pub. Another thing that you must try is an Afternoon Tea. You can observe also the art behind serving it, in some of London’s best hotels. And even if you are not a fan of tea, you can always go for the cookies and cakes.

For more information about what to visit while in London, check my Top London Itineraries.