travellers london england

London Travel Guide

Last Updated: January 5, 2024

London is one of the most popular cities in the world. It’s home to charming pubs, world-class (and often free) museums, tons of history, some of the best theater performances in the world, a diverse population, incredible food, and a wild nightlife.

I know it’s cliche to say there’s something for everyone but, in this sprawling metropolis, there really is!

I’ve been visiting London since 2008 and, with every subsequent visit, the city has grown on me. The more I go, the more awesome stuff I see, the more I fall in love with it. There’s always something new to do here and there’s an energetic vibe to the city.

Unfortunately, it’s also an expensive destination. A visit here can eat a hole in any budget if you aren’t careful.

Luckily, there are tons of free and cheap things to do in London . While budget travelers need to be frugal here, you can still visit London on a budget and have an amazing time.

This London travel guide can help you plan your trip, save money, and make the most out of your time in this cosmopolitan capital!

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on London

Top 5 Things to See and Do in London

1. Visit Big Ben and the House of Parliament

Although you can’t go up the tower, you can view this Gothic structure from the street and hear its chimes four times an hour. Big Ben is actually the name of the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster which can be found inside Elizabeth Tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, but is often used to refer to the clock and the tower as well. To learn about the UK government, take a tour of Parliament, founded in 1801, while you’re here (get there early or reserve tickets online) . Guided tours cost 29 GBP while self-guided multimedia tours are 22.50 GBP. The best view of the tower is from the opposite side of the river on the South Bank, near the London Eye.

2. See the Tower of London and Tower Bridge

Built in 1070, the Tower of London has expanded many times over the years. It was built as a double-leaf bascule bridge in the middle (both sides lift up) to maintain river access to the Pool of London docks while easing congestion on each side of the river. You can visit inside the tower and walk along the glass walkways. Weapons, armor, and coins were made here until 1810 and today you can view the famous crown jewels, walk the battlements, wander recreated medieval palace rooms, see the iconic Yeoman Warders (known as the Beefeaters as they were allowed to eat as much beef as they wanted from King Henry VII’s table), and spot the legendary black ravens that live in the tower. Skip-the-line tickets are 29.90 GBP.

3. Admire Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is only open to the public for 10 weeks during the summer, but you can join the crowds and watch the changing of the guard at 11am every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday throughout the year (get there in good time to find a good place to stand). Admission to the palace isn’t cheap, with tickets costing 30 GBP online (33 GBP on the day), while exclusive guided tours are 90 GBP. Check the Royal Collection Trust website for details on other events happening throughout the year.

4. See Westminster Abbey

A working royal church, the Gothic Westminster Abbey was founded by Benedictine monks in 960 CE. More than 3,300 people are buried here including 17 monarchs and numerous royal funerals have been held here over the centuries. It’s the traditional coronation site for British monarchs and has been the setting for every coronation since 1066, as well as for many other royal occasions, including 16 weddings. Other famous British figures buried here include Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Aphra Behn, and Charles Dickens. Tickets cost 27 GBP , but you can visit for free if you go during a service. Just make sure to dress (and act) appropriately as it is a place of worship.

5. Hang out in Trafalgar Square

Stroll around and admire the fountains and the famous monuments, such as the four bronze lion statues and Nelson’s Column (which honors Admiral Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805). It is bordered on all sides by a number of museums, galleries, cultural spaces and historic buildings so there’s plenty to do as well. Trafalgar Square is also known to be a center of national democracy and protest so peaceful rallies and demonstrations are frequently held (usually at weekends). Even if there aren’t any official events, lots of people still hang out here so it makes for a good place to people-watch.

Other Things to See and Do in London

1. take a free walking tour.

London has tons of different walking tours on offer. From free tours to specialty tours to paid tours to literary tours to quirky tea tours, London has it all. Free London Walking Tours and New Europe Walking Tours are two of my favorite companies to go with when it comes to free tours. They’re the best way to see the sights and learn about the city on a budget. Just remember to tip at the end!

If you’re looking for more in-depth and specific tours, check out Take Walks. They offer affordable tours that go into a lot of detail. And if you’re a Harry Potter fan, Get Your Guide runs an awesome Harry Potter tour around the city for 15 GBP.

2. Go museum hopping

London has more museums than you could see in a single visit, and many of them are free. You can spend days visiting world-class museums like the Tate, the British Museum, the City Museum, the National Gallery, the Historical Museum, and many others — all without spending a penny. One of my favorites is the Natural History Museum, a beautiful Romanesque building that contains over 80 million items, including specimens collected by Charles Darwin. It also has an expansive collection of fossils, making it a fun and educational stop. The Victoria and Albert Museum (named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) is another favorite of mine. It’s home to over 2,000 works of art covering over 3,000 years of human history.

3. Grab some food in Borough Market

Established in 1756, London’s Borough Market has something for every foodie. It’s home to some of the best British and international produce and dishes. Come here hungry and leave satisfied. It’s great for people-watching too. The market is open daily but the crowds are terrible on Saturdays so be sure to get there early.

4. Enjoy some theater

London is known for its famous theater scene. Attend a show while you’re here and see some of the incredible performances that make London famous. Tickets can be pretty cheap, and something is playing every night (check out TKTS for discounted tickets to shows in the West End). Otherwise, catch a Shakespeare show at The Globe in South London — tickets range from 5-62 GBP depending on the show and seat you choose.

5. Stroll along Brick Lane

Known for vintage clothing, cheap eats, and art, this East London street is a local favorite. Sunday is the best day to come, as this is when the outdoor street market takes place, though the restaurants and shops lining the street are open daily. Brick Lane has some of the best (and cheapest) food in London, especially when it comes to curry, as this is the hub of London’s Bangladeshi community. This street is also a great place to bring a camera, as its walls are basically a gallery for London’s best street artists, including Banksy, D*Face, and Ben Eine.

6. Ride the London Eye

The London Eye is a 152-meter (500-foot tall) Ferris wheel. While a little cheesy, it’s nevertheless one of the most popular attractions in London. It’s across the street from Parliament and provides excellent views of London and the city’s most iconic buildings, especially on a clear day. Tickets are 32.50 GBP , but if you want to play tourist and take in the view, it might be worth it. The ride lasts 30 minutes and tickets start at 32.50 GBP.

7. Visit the London Dungeon

The London Dungeon calls itself “the world’s most chillingly famous horror attraction.” It covers 2,000 years of London’s gruesome history and is a morbid but interesting museum. Although you can learn about popular torture methods in England, this place has turned into more of an “amusement park” type attraction. But if you like things like escape rooms and scary boat rides, it’s enjoyable. Tickets cost 29 GBP when you book online (32 GBP in person).

8. See St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s is a striking English Baroque cathedral with a world-famous dome. Architect Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, the iconic building dates from the 17th century. Inside, you can visit the crypt to see the resting places of famous figures including The Duke of Wellington, Christopher Wren, and Admiral Nelson, or just enjoy the cathedral’s glittering mosaics and elaborate stone carvings. If you don’t mind climbing some stairs, a highlight is to climb to the Stone Gallery or Golden Gallery for panoramic views over surrounding London. Admission costs from 18 GBP when you buy online , which is cheaper than the London Eye and offers similarly breathtaking views.

9. Explore Covent Garden

Covent Garden, a popular West End neighborhood, is a fun place to hang out for an afternoon. It’s home to lots of quirky stalls, busking musicians, an artsy market, and a selection of unusual pubs and coffee shops. Covent Garden is also within walking distance of all the big musical theater shows, so it’s a great place to spend a few hours before catching a performance. Make sure to visit Covent Garden Market, which has been open since the 1830s. It’s a good place to grab a bite to eat or shop at some of the artisan craft stalls. It’s open Monday to Saturday from 8am-6pm, with an outdoor farmer’s market on Saturdays between April and December.

10. Visit Shakespeare’s Globe

An integral part of England’s history, Shakespeare’s Globe is a reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre, the venue for which the famous playwright wrote his plays. It’s a must-see for lovers of Shakespeare, with performances embracing near-perfect replicas of Elizabethan staging practices. You can even sit in front where the groundlings did, for shouting and heckling! The theater is open-roofed, so bundle up in the winter. Tickets cost 5-62 GBP depending on the production and the seat (you can stand just as they did in Elizabethan times). You can also take a guided tour for 17 GBP to learn more about the history of the theater (more specialized ones such as the Ghosts and Ghouls tour or the Pride tour cost 20 GBP).

11. Explore Camden Market

A long-time counter-culture haven, Camden Market is home to over 1,000 independent shops, stalls, cafes, restaurants, bars, buskers, and everything in between. It’s enormously popular and busiest on the weekends (it sees over 250,000 visitors each week). Camden Market is actually a series of six separate markets, so you can literally wander the labyrinth of alleyways for hours and not see it all.

12. See the Royal Observatory

Since its founding in the late 17th century, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich has played an important role in astronomy and navigation. The observatory is divided into two sections, with one half focusing on time while the other half is devoted to astronomy. In the Meridian Courtyard, you can stand on either side of the Prime Meridian, which separates the Earth’s eastern and western hemispheres. The Peter Harrison Planetarium is also housed here, where you can see a show for 10 GBP. The Royal Observatory itself costs 16 GBP .

13. Walk around the Strand

In the 12th century, rich noblemen built elegant homes and gardens along the shore (the strand) of the Thames, making it one of the most prestigious places to live (a fact that remains true to this day). Walk down this thoroughfare and be treated to a grand display of wealth and beauty. It was dubbed “the finest street in Europe” by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli in the 19th century. The Strand, which runs from Trafalgar Square to Temple Bar, is home to numerous shops, pubs, landmark buildings, and classic hotels.

14. Drink beer at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

This historic pub has been around since the great fire of 1666 (and there has been a pub at this location since 1538). It’s surprisingly large inside, and in the winter, fireplaces keep pub-goers warm. The wood paneling, atmospheric lack of natural lighting, and vaulted cellars make stepping inside feel like stepping back in time. Famous literary figures like Charles Dickens, R.L. Stevenson, Mark Twain, Oliver Goldsmith, and others used to frequent (and write about) this particular pub.

15. See the Churchill War Rooms

Located beneath the Treasury Building in the Whitehall area of Westminster, the Churchill War Rooms include the government’s command center during World War II and a museum about the life of Winston Churchill. The centerpiece of the whole place is an interactive table that enables visitors to access digitized material from the Churchill archives. If you are like me and a huge history nerd, this is one of the best attractions in the city. I highly, highly encourage you to visit. It’s worth the price! Admission is 29 GBP.

16. Relax in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

If you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, head to Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens for some reprieve. Both parks, which are (conveniently for the visitor) right next to each other, are designated as Royal Parks of London. Hyde Park is the most famous park in London. Originally the private hunting grounds of Henry VII, it opened to the public in 1637 and is a great place to stroll, picnic, or catch one of the many events that are hosted here throughout the year. Kensington Gardens are home to the Serpentine Galleries as well as Kensington Palace. The park and the gardens cover almost 250 acres!

17. Take a Jack the Ripper tour

Jack the Ripper is one of London’s most infamous killers — and his true identity was never figured out. Every night, there are tons of people in the East End learning about Jack the Ripper on a ridiculous number of similar tours. The tour guides you through dark alleyways, stopping at historic locations connected with the infamous serial killer. Tickets cost 15 GBP .

For more information on other cities in England, check out these guides:

• Bath Travel Guide
• Brighton Travel Guide
• Bristol Travel Guide
• Cambridge Travel Guide
• Liverpool Travel Guide
• Manchester Travel Guide
• Oxford Travel Guide

London Travel Costs

Hostel prices – A bed in a dorm with 4-8 beds costs 16-25 GBP per night while a bed in a dorm with 10-18 beds costs 13-16 GBP. A private room with a shared bathroom costs 50-90 GBP per night. If you want to stay closer to the center of the city expect to double these prices and expect prices to be at least 10 GBP higher in peak season. Free Wi-Fi is standard and many hostels offer free breakfast and self-catering facilities.

Budget hotel prices – A budget hotel room costs 70-100 GBP per night. Prices are higher in the center and in peak season. Expect basic amenities like free Wi-Fi, TV, and a coffee/tea maker.

There are lots of Airbnb options in London. A private room costs 45-60 GBP per night (80-100 GBP in the center), while an entire home/apartment starts around 90-150 GBP per night (more in high season).

Food – While British cuisine has evolved in leaps and bounds due to immigration (and colonialism), it’s still very much a meat and potatoes country. Fish and chips remain a popular staple for both lunch and dinner while roasted and stewed meats, sausages, meat pies, and the quintessential Yorkshire pudding are all common options as well. Curry (and other Indian dishes, such as tikka masala), are super popular too.

You can eat cheap in London if you stick to street eats and food vendors (plus many of the hostels have free breakfast). You can find fish and chips or a kebab for about 7 GBP each. Indian food can be purchased for between 8-10 GBP for lunch entrees. You can buy pizza for 8-12 GBP or burritos and sandwiches for 5-9 GBP. Fast food (think McDonald’s) is around 13 GBP for a combo meal.

For a mid-range meal of traditional British cuisine at a pub or restaurant, expect to pay 14-16 GBP. A pint of beer can cost up to 6-8 GBP while a glass of wine costs around 7-10 GBP.

You can find tons of high-end dining in London, but be prepared to spend a lot. Expect to pay at least 30-35 GBP for a three-course menu with a drink in a mid-range restaurant and upwards of 70 GBP in a higher-range establishment.

If you plan on cooking for yourself, a week’s worth of groceries costs around 50-60 GBP. This gets you basic staples like rice, pasta, veggies, and some meat. The best places to buy cheap groceries are Lidl and Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are more mid-range, while Marks & Spencer and Waitrose are higher-end.

A great way to save money is to get the Taste Card. This diner’s club card offers 50% discounts on tons of restaurants as well as two-for-one specials. It can really pay off, especially on any nice meals you want to have. You can only live on fish and chips for so long!

Backpacking London Suggested Budgets

If you’re backpacking London, expect to spend about 60 GBP per day. This budget covers a hostel dorm, taking public transit, cooking all your meals, limiting your drinking, and sticking to free activities like parks, free walking tours, and museums. If you plan on drinking, add another 10 GBP to your daily budget.

A mid-range budget of 150 GBP per day covers staying in a private Airbnb room, eating out for most of your meals, having a drink or two, taking public transit and the occasional taxi, and doing some paid activities such as Tower Bridge or Westminster Abbey.

On a “luxury” budget of about 300 GBP or more per day, you can stay in a hotel, eat out anywhere you want, drink more, take more taxis, and do whatever activities and tours you want. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. the sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages — some days you spend more, some days you spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in GBP.

London Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. But thanks to its free museums, cheap pubs, and numerous hostels, there are a lot of ways to cut your costs and save money here. Here are my top tips for saving money in London:

• Visit all the free museums – Most of the museums in London are free, including the Museum of London, the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum. The National Gallery and the Tate Modern are also free and are two of my favorites.
• Buy an Oyster Card – This prepaid transit card saves you about 50% on each tube, bus and tram ride. If you plan on using the tube a lot, get this card! You can get a refund for the balance left on the card at the end of your trip. If you aren’t charged international transaction fees and have a contactless credit or debit card, you can also use this for travel and the system automatically caps your travel so you never pay more than you would have if you had bought a travel card. Just make sure to tap in and out and the beginning and end of each ride to make sure you’re charged the right fare.
• People watch at the markets – Sunday is market day in London, with Camden Market, the Portobello Market, the Flower Market, being some of the more popular options. People watch, snap some photos, and enjoy local London life without spending a dime.
• Watch the changing of the guards – Both the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace (4 times a week) and the changing of the horse guards (daily) at Whitehall take place at 11am (10am at Whitehall on Sundays). Take in true British flare with these interesting and free ceremonies.
• Just walk and explore – London is a huge city and beautiful, historic buildings abound. I once walked for four hours and barely made a dent in the route I was going to take (hence the need to get the Oyster Card.) However, once you get out of the tourist area around the Thames, you get to see London the way the locals do. You can pick up free maps of showing walking routes around the capital from any of London’s tourist information shops.
• Snag last-minute theater tickets – You can get last-minute tickets to the theater from the official booth in Leicester Square. Availability varies every day, so be sure to get there early. And if you don’t want to shell out a lot of money to see The Lion King or Les Misérables , check out smaller shows and comedy nights at theaters like Leicester Square Theater, where prices start at about 17 GBP.
• Skip the cabs – Taxis are incredibly expensive in London and can destroy your budget. I stayed out past when the tube closed one night and the taxi to my hotel was 31 GBP! If you start taking taxis everywhere, you’ll end up spending hundreds of dollars per day, so keep this in mind.
• Master the night bus – In London, the tube closes around 12:30am (the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, and Victoria lines do run all night on Friday and Saturday nights). To avoid taking expensive taxis, make sure you get a map of the night bus routes so you can get back to your hotel/hostel on the cheap. These buses go all over the city and into the suburbs.
• Take a free walking tour – London, like most big cities in Europe, has a wide array of free walking tours given throughout the city. For a historical view of the city, try New Europe , and for off-the-beaten-path tours, try Free Tours by Foot .
• Get the Taste Card – This diner’s club card offers 50% discounts on thousands of restaurants as well as two-for-one specials. It can really pay off, especially on any nice meals you want to have.
• Get the London Pass – If you get the London Pass, you can enjoy access to over 80 London attractions, including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. A one-day pass is 89 GBP, a two-day pass is 115 GBP, and a three-day pass is 135 GBP. You can get all the way up to a ten-day pass for 199 GBP although they often have deals on giving discounts to this. This pass makes for good savings if you’re planning on doing a ton of sightseeing! Other passes available include the London City Pass from Turbopass which includes an option to add transport costs, and the London Sightseeing Pass.
• Bring a water bottle – The tap water here is safe to drink so bring a reusable water bottle to save money and reduce your plastic use. LifeStraw is my go-to brand as their bottles have built-in filters to ensure your water is always clean and safe.

Where to Stay in London

While the city may be expensive, its popularity means there are lots of hostels here. I’ve stayed at dozens of hostels over the years. Here are some of my favorites:

• Astor Hyde Park
• St. Christopher’s
• Clink261 Hostel
• Generator London
• Onefam Notting Hill

For more hostel suggestions be sure to check out my list of the best hostels in London.

How to Get Around London

Public transportation – London has excellent public transportation and is the cheapest way to get around. A one-way fare on the tube in Zone 1 costs 6.30 GBP, but getting a Visitor Oyster Card reduces tariffs to 2.50 GBP per ride. No matter how many trips you take per day, your Oyster Card caps your travel at 7.70 GBP for travel in Zones 1 and 2. This is applicable across all public transit, including buses and trams, saving you a ton of money.

The Visitor Oyster Card costs 5 GBP, and then you choose how much credit to add to your card. Remember that you can get back any remaining balance at the end of your trip.

The bus system in London also uses the Oyster Card and costs 1.65 GBP per ride. However, a day of unlimited bus- and tram-only travel costs a maximum of 4.95 GBP. Buses do not accept cash; you must use either an Oyster card, a Travelcard, or your own contactless payment card.

The tram system in London works the same way as the bus system, with rides costing the same.

Bicycle – London’s public bike-sharing program is Santander Cycles. With 750 docking stations and 11,500 bikes, they’re available all over the city. Renting a bike costs 1.65 GBP for up to half an hour and 1.65 GBP for each additional 30 minutes, though you can always dock a bike and take out another one to restart the free timer.

Keep in mind, however, that London isn’t a super bike-friendly city, especially if you’re used to biking with cars driving on the other side of the road!

Taxis – Taxis are readily available, with prices starting at 3.80 GBP and going up around 3 GBP per mile (the tariff is more expensive at night). Given how expensive they are, I wouldn’t take one unless absolutely necessary.

Ridesharing – Uber is available in London but it still costs an arm and a leg if you use it a lot. Stick to public transportation.

Car rental – Cars can be rented for 20-30 GBP per day for a multi-day rental. However, traffic is terrible in the city so I wouldn’t rent a car here unless you are heading out on some day trips. Remember that driving is on the left and that most cars have manual transmissions. There’s also a 15 GBP daily Congestion Charge for driving in the center (7am-6pm Mon-Fri and noon-6pm Sat/Sun/public holidays) and parking is expensive too. Drivers need to be 21 to rent a car as well.

When to Go to London

London doesn’t get too cold, but it’s notoriously foggy and rainy. Summer is peak tourism season, and temperatures are the warmest during this time — but rarely are they ever above 30°C (86°F ). London is bursting at the seams during the summer, but the city has a fun, lively atmosphere. People make the most of the warm weather and there are constantly tons of events and festivals happening.

Spring (late March-June) and autumn (September-October) are also fantastic times to visit, as temperatures are mild and the city isn’t as packed.

Winter lasts from December to February, and tourism crowds thin out dramatically during this time. Temperatures can dip below 5°C (41°F), and prices are slightly lower as well. Expect grey weather and be sure to dress warmly.

Since it is frequently rainy here, pack a light rain jacket or an umbrella no matter when you visit.

How to Stay Safe in London

London is a safe city and the risk of violent crime here is low. Scams and pick-pocketing can occur around high-traffic areas, especially around tourist attractions like London Tower and on crowded public transit. Pick-pockets tend to work in teams, so stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep your valuables secure and out of reach at all times just to be safe.

Solo travelers, including solo female travelers, should generally feel safe here, however, the standard precautions apply (never leave your drink unattended at the bar, never walk home alone intoxicated, etc.).

Although there are no super seedy neighborhoods in London, avoid wandering around late at night alone — especially if you’ve had a pint or two. As an extra precaution, only bring the money you need when you go to the bar. Leave the rest of your cards and cash in your accommodation.

Scams here are rare, but if you’re worried about getting ripped off you can read about common travel scams to avoid here .

If you do experience an emergency, dial 999 for assistance.

Thanks to a few high-profile terrorist attacks and riots across Europe (including London), I frequently get emails inquiring whether or not Europe is safe to visit. The short answer: yes! I wrote a whole post about why Europe is safe to visit.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

London Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• HostelPass – This new card gives you up to 20% off hostels throughout Europe. It’s a great way to save money. They’re constantly adding new hostels too. I’ve always wanted something like this and glad it finallt exists.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• The Man in Seat 61 – This website is the ultimate guide to train travel anywhere in the world. They have the most comprehensive information on routes, times, prices, and train conditions. If you are planning a long train journey or some epic train trip, consult this site.
• Rome2Rio – This website allows you to see how to get from point A to point B the best and cheapest way possible. It will give you all the bus, train, plane, or boat routes that can get you there as well as how much they cost.
• FlixBus – Flixbus has routes between 20 European countries with prices starting as low 5 EUR! Their buses include WiFi, electrical outlets, a free checked bag.
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!
• Fat Tire Tours – For bike tours, use this company! They have fun, interactive tours led by expert local guides. You’ll get to see all the main sights without breaking the bank!
• BlaBlaCar – BlaBlaCar is a ridesharing website that lets you share rides with vetted local drivers by pitching in for gas. You simply request a seat, they approve, and off you go! It’s a cheaper and more interesting way to travel than by bus or train!
• Take Walks – This walking tour company provides inside access to attractions and places you can’t get elsewhere. Their guides rock and they have some of the best and most insightful tours in all of England.

London Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on backpacking/traveling England and continue planning your trip:

The 14 Best Things to Do in Bristol

Where to Stay in London: The Best Neighborhoods for Your Visit

The 8 Best Hostels in London

How to Spend a Week in London

The 9 Best Walking Tour Companies in London

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London Travel Guide

Welcome to our London Travel Guide . London is one of the most popular cities for visitors in the world. Every year an estimated 18 million people flock to sample the culture and history which make it so special.

Nearly 9 million people call London home and it is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world.

It is also where you will find some of the world’s most iconic buildings – Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London as well as 170 museums, numerous parks, restaurants and shops.

With so much to see and do what are you waiting for?

Below you will find links to all the information you need to plan your visit to London.

For general planning advice take a look at our UK travel planning page and guide to the best booking websites for UK travel.

Check out our new London Travel Planning website too which is totally dedicated to London!

LONDON PODCAST EPISODES

London travel guide – itineraries, london sights, landmarks & attractions, london with kids, london tours & tickets, london tips, london in winter, london in spring, getting around london, food & drink, where to stay in london, harry potter, london tv & movies, london sport, london events, day trips from london, beyond london, london packing, london travel books, when is the best time to visit london, how much time do i need in london, how can i get around london, how can i get from the airport to my hotel, how much money should i budget for london, what should i pack for london.

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If you are unsure about what to pack for your London trip I recommend including the following items.

You can find a detailed packing list (including a free printable) in this packing guide for London in winter or this all-seasons packing guide for the UK.

VISITING LONDON – FAQ’s

Below you will find the answers to frequently asked questions about planning your London trip.

London is busy pretty much all year round so deciding when to visit can be tricky if you are hoping to avoid the crowds!

London is particularly busy in July and August during the UK summer school holidays and again in December during the festive season.

To help you plan your visit to London read my guide to “When is the best time of year to visit the UK?” which looks at every season as well as detailing a month by month guide to events and festivals occurring throughout the year in London and the UK.

I recommend planning to spend at least 3 to 4 days in London to see some of the main sights and attractions.

Tip – If you are jet lagged on day one why not take a hop-on hop-off bus tour to get your bearings of the city.

Don’t underestimate how tiring visiting London can be especially if you pack a lot of attractions into a short period of time.

Public transportation is excellent in London with a choice of the Tube, buses, trains, riverboats, trams and even bicycles to get around.

The cheapest way to get around London is with an Oyster Card which allows you to travel between all parts of London using public transport.

Read more about London transportation in our guide.

There are various options to travel from Heathrow into London including the Tube, cab, bus or Heathrow Express train.

You can read more in our guide which details the various options including costs, time and availability.

Plan at least £120 per day per person in London. This will cover food, transportation, and accommodation costs. Consider the time of year that you plan to visit as prices for accommodation will be substantially higher during those times.

Whilst London is not a cheap city to visit there are ways to save money including purchasing an Oyster Card, visiting free attractions, and buying lunch from supermarkets. Read my guide to visiting London on a budget.

Pack layers! Even in winter it can be hot in shops and on the Tube so take clothes that you can layer off and on.

An absolute must are comfortable shoes. London is a walkable city so be prepared with sneakers or boots. Don’t wear heels!

Assume it will rain whatever time of year you are visiting and pack a waterproof.

Read more in my UK packing list.

> CLICK HERE FOR MY STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR UK TRIP !

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The best hotels in London according to the editors of Condé Nast Traveller

By Steve King

There are approximately 123,000 hotel rooms in London . Nobody knows for sure exactly how many. You would think that, as with schools or hospitals or public swimming pools, there would exist a definitive and up-to-date list of the city’s hotels. Apparently not. In any case, 123,000 was the figure that some diligent scholar of the hospitality sector came up with back in 2010. A decade later, that number has no doubt increased considerably.

Still, a shortlist of hotels in London is plenty to be getting on with, especially 30 that are as diverse, exciting, innovative, sumptuous, original and surprising as these. While it is true that certain other great cities of the world are, in hotel terms, similarly blessed – Paris and New York , undoubtedly; Hong Kong and Geneva , possibly – none is more so than London.

How we choose the best hotels in London

Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.

What area in London is best to stay in?

If it’s your first time to the capital or you’re looking to stay among the action, most of the best hotels in London tend to surround the West End in areas such as Soho , Piccadilly, Mayfair , and Covent Garden . For a stay that sits alongside greenery, some of London’s smartest high-end hotels neighbour Hyde Park or Green Park, with grand landmarks like Buckingham Palace and Harrods located nearby. To be closer to London’s creative, music and nightlife hub, head to East London, where there are a number of smart hotels in Shoreditch .

Other places to stay in London

To help you narrow down your search, we also have the following recommendations:

• The best boutique hotels in London
• The best family-friendly hotels in London
• The best affordable hotels in London
• The best dog-friendly hotels in London
• The best hotels near Buckingham Palace

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All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Claridge's hotel review Arrow

Featured in our Gold List of the best hotels in the world 2024

Founded in 1812, frequented by Queen Victoria and listed by 1878’s influential Baedeker’s guide as “the first hotel in London,” Claridge’s could easily rest on its storied laurels. But it has always kept ahead of the rest, enlisting the likes of Guy Oliver and Diane von Furstenberg for face-lifts over the decades to ensure it bestrides the classic and modern in a way few hotels manage. The lobby captures the art deco glamour of the Jazz Age when flappers hobnobbed with royalty. Its checkered-floor expanse buzzes with an international motley crew of Hollywood stars, brides and business types catching up over zesty Ginger John cocktails in the 1930s-style Fumoir bar. The pick of the new suites is the Georgian, an impeccable meld of English heritage and subtle chinoiserie. There’s a Steinberg baby grand piano, silk de Gournay panels in the dining room and a kitchen with a 24-hour butler. The hotel’s expansion into the next-door building created space for suites such as the Mayfair, where designer Bryan O’Sullivan (The Berkeley Bar) has ingrained modernity through scalloped mohair furniture in coral and pastel-green palettes. Claridge’s has also dug deep to impress guests with its subterranean spa. Designed by André Fu (the Maybourne Bar in Beverly Hills), its limewood and stone textures and dreamy peachy hues are the backdrop for bamboo-stick massages and Cryo Oxygen Shot facials. The pool ripples beneath a vaulted ceiling, surrounded by stone columns and cushy cabanas. Claridge’s is no longer the only show in town, but it’s with good reason that every other heritage hotel in London still sees it as the benchmark. Noo Saro-Wiwa

Price: Rooms from around £842 per night.

Address: Brook St, London W1K 4HR

Closest tube station: Bond Street

The Dorchester Arrow

Not to be outdone by arrivistes thudding onto the top-end scene, the Dorch has been shaking her tail feathers with the biggest refurb in three decades: public spaces supercharged, and two floors of new rooms and suites revealed. Penthouses and a rooftop remain under lock and key until later in 2024. The hotel where Elizabeth Taylor signed her Cleopatra contract in the bath remains out-and-out fabulous – but with a Pierre-Yves Rochon uplift. The Artists’ Bar sparkles with a mirrored ceiling, Lalique crystal pillars girdling the bar and Liberace’s mirror-ball-clad baby grand. This is the spot for caviar, native oysters and Petal Head cocktails (Stoli Elit vodka, kumquat, Aperol and passion fruit) served from a trolley. A hoard of London -centric art glints on the walls: Ann Carrington’s Elizabeth II silhouette in mother-of-pearl buttons, Sue Arrowsmith’s delicate silver leaf with coral branches. Martin Brudnizki’s Vesper Bar invites intimacy with its smoked glass and scalloped armchairs, and the spa (best for Dr Uliana Gout’s new medical-grade facials) is a pink girly haven. The Grill by Tom Booton, a fun slice of British culinary theatre, has a fresh menu: don’t miss the squid bolognese à la Koffmann, given the tick of approval by Pierre Koffmann himself. The new suites have the palettes of an English garden, in leaf green, rose, and heather. If Hôtel Plaza Athénée is the American fantasy of Paris , then this Park Lane dame’s new rooms are the American fantasy of Britishness – one we are happy to buy into. Lydia Bell

Price: Rooms from around £902 per night.

Address: 53 Park Ln, London W1K 1QA

Closest tube station: Marble Arch

Raffles London at The OWO hotel review: “The London hotel opening of the 21st century” Arrow

Featured in our Hot List of the best new hotels in the world 2024

The most talked-about hotel to have opened in London this century faces off the mounted cavalry troopers of The King’s Life Guard with reborn aplomb. From 1906 to 1964, this was the War Office, where Winston Churchill boomed out briefings to staff on the wraparound Grand Staircase while secretary of state for war; where D-Day was planned; and where the spies had their own entrance. In 2016, the Empire struck back when the lease was purchased by the Mumbai-founded Hinduja Group, which sank £1.5 billion into the building and brought Raffles on board. It took seven years and an 80-foot excavation to create the 120 rooms and suites, nine restaurants, three bars, 20-metre pool and 27,000-square-foot Guerlain spa by design firm Goddard Littlefair (Gleneagles, Villa Copenhagen). Grand state offices have become plum suites, including The Haldane in smart red damask, once Churchill’s office. OWO’s interiors impresario, Thierry Despont, sadly died last summer before the final unveiling, but he conceived its look of regal masculinity wrapped in a palette of blazing red, which references the Household Cavalry. Three of the restaurants are by Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco, including a fine-dining spot, a private-table option and Saison, the all-day space. Best for boozing and schmoozing is the Guards Bar, which heaves with gossipy politicians and media types; and the tiny Spy Bar, occupying an old interrogation room in the basement, is a good evening bookender with its red velvet banquettes and half of the car from No Time to Die on the wall. Lydia Bell

Price: Rooms from around £1,100 per night.

Address: 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX

Closest tube station: Charing Cross

The Peninsula, London Arrow

It’s a sign that a hotel opening is a real event when even the taxi driver excitedly explains the subtly marked genders of the lion statues outside (hint: look for the egg). The Peninsula London has been 30 years in the making, with the Hong Kong brand spending decades looking for a goldilocks site before opting to knock down an office block that housed the headquarters of building company Sir Robert McAlpine, overlooking the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner. For all the staff buzz (just ask any of them about the feng shui), the sense inside the new eight-storey edifice is of a frictionless bubble. The creamy seven-star cosseting feels distinctly Asian, despite the red buses and daily Household Cavalry horses outside. All the key brand markers are here: the Rolls-Royces in Peninsula green; the tinkly underwater pool music; the afternoon teas in the vast lobby; the robo-loos and drawers with nail dryers; and Cantonese classics at Canton Blue and its adjoining Little Blue bar, with sultry interiors inspire by the 19th-century Keying trading junk. There’s also a nostalgic Britishness at play, from the de Gournay wallpaper depicting the Royal Parks to the Brooklands restaurant-bar inspired by the UK’s golden age of flying and motor racing. It’s already Michelin-starred for its modern British dishes by Bibendum’s Claude Bosi, and has rare views across the parks to the London Eye. This is a hotel for a new London: global, solvent and demanding only the best. Toby Skinner

Price: Rooms from around £1,300 per night.

Address: 1 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HJ

Closest tube station: Hyde Park Corner

The Emory hotel review Arrow

Looking across from Hyde Park, The Emory is a glassy box with protruding steel outriggers, somewhere between nautical and industrial. No red brick or Portland stone here, among so many other stalwart London hotels. The entrance to this one, down the Old Barracks Yard side street, is barely marked. Reception is just a little glass box, which most guests will arrive at in a virtually silent electric BMW i7. This is the latest offering from Maybourne, behind Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley next door. It’s remarkable for being London’s first all-suite hotel, and a departure of sorts for a group known mostly for heritage grandiosity.

But The Emory is most notable as one of the last projects of the late Pompidou architect Richard Rogers, who came up with the plan almost two decades ago with former Maybourne head Paddy McKillen. Six renowned interior designers were involved, with public spaces by superyacht designer Rémi Tessier. Four designers were given two floors each – André Fu (Claridge’s Spa), Pierre Yves Rochon (The Savoy), Alexandra Champalimaud (Raffles Singapore) and Patricia Urquiola (Six Senses Rome) – while the 300sqm penthouse is by London-based Rigby & Rigby. The Emory isn’t messing about, but it’s not shouty either. The word everyone uses is “discretion”, with guests able to rent out whole floors – something Louis Vuitton has already done for its top brass. One of the other main talking points is the longevity-focused Surrenne holistic spa, where guests and members have access to nutrition programmes by model-turned-nutritionist Rose Ferguson and skincare products and treatments by New York’s favourite plastic surgeon, Dr Lara Devgan, while trainers at the futuristic gym can go deep on biohacking or the function of the vagus nerve. Toby Skinner

Price: Rooms from around £1,440 per night.

Address: Old Barrack Yard, London SW1X 7NP

Closest tube station: Knightsbridge

First in: Broadwick Soho, London Arrow

This Martin Brudzinski-designed hangout on the corner of Berwick Street and Broadwick Street is no elegant grand dame or glassy international transplant. Instead, the 57-room hotel owned by a group of friends throws patterns (leopard print, zebra stripe, geometric lines), textures (cork panelling, glitter DJ booths, silk walls) and colours (flamingo pink, maroon, aquamarine) together to create a joyful place to stay. As is Brudzinski's way, spaces here are hardly shy and retiring. The designer's trademark maximalist vibe naturally draws comparisons to his other projects, especially Annabel's, but Broadwick is her own person entirely. Two enormous elephants hover above the street-level entrance in top hats and bow ties, while bedrooms pick up the motif and run with it by placing handcrafted Jaipur elephant mini bars front and centre and decking the walls in shimmering elephant-print wallpaper. A hotel this fun, of course, needs sharp public spaces for merrymaking: Flute is the disco-chic rooftop bar; Dear Jackie is a sultry, dimly lit restaurant with an impeccable Sicilian-inspired menu; and little sister Bar Jackie is a more casual café with strong coffee for soothing weary heads the morning after the night before. Then there's The Nook, a guests-only den for nightcaps or afternoon snoozes. The result is a hotel that feels fresh while simultaneously fitting right into the London scene; a space that trades heavily on its glamour and distinctly Soho soul. Sarah James

Price: Rooms from around £464 per night.

Address: 20 Broadwick St, London W1F 8HT

Closest tube station: Piccadilly Circus

Chelsea Townhouse, London Arrow

If you know London, you also know how prized its private communal gardens are to the residents lucky enough to live by them. The Cadogan Place Gardens in Sloane Square, with their mature trees and gated railings, are among the most prestigious – and the newly opened Chelsea Townhouse gives its guests access to that rarified local perk. The 36-room hotel – the third London property and the sixth hotel in the Iconic Luxury Hotels collection—sits across from three redbrick Victorian townhouses and includes roomy, ground-level suites with French doors that open directly into the garden. The decor here leans antique but is light-touch and chic – think botanical prints, pleated lampshades, velvet headboards, and the odd porcelain figurine. Much of the period furniture has been repurposed from its predecessor, the Draycott Hotel, but the redesign has breathed new life into its spaces, which are bathed in restful shades of grey and cream. Its communal areas include a fire-warmed dining room and bay-windowed library, made cosier with staff who anticipate your needs. Once nestled in this cocoon, it’s easy to forget the abundance at your doorstep: Stylish sister property 11 Cadogan Gardens – with a clever little gym that’s available for Townhouse guests – is around the corner, as is Pavilion Road, a pedestrian mews street with indie restaurants, bars, and design shops. Further out in Chelsea and Kensington, opportunities abound for a great night out; but as you wind your way back to this comfy, tucked-away sanctuary, you’ll be ever glad to be home. Arati Menon

Price: Rooms from around £455 per night.

Address: 26 Cadogan Gardens, London SW3 2RP

Closest tube station: Sloane Square

Nomad London review Arrow

Best for: showmanship

Despite the Ace Hotel’s departure from the city, there’s something of a USA revival going on in London, with The Standard landing in King’s Cross and the Mondrian just launched in Shoreditch . And earlier this year, the first NoMad outside the States opened in a palatial former magistrates’ court opposite the Royal Opera House . It came with some expectation – after all, the original put a whole New York City neighbourhood on the map, its Dirty Martini-fuelled bar an overnight sensation – but has hit the ground running. The centrepiece restaurant, in a luminous, almost neoclassical atrium draped with greenery, was booked up for weeks, a see-and-be-seen destination. There’s plenty of showmanship here, but it’s more Noël Coward than PT Barnum: vintage chandeliers, brass and crimson, mohair and damask, mural painters from the opera house involved in the decor. In the bedrooms, bathrooms nod to golden Twenties Art Deco and the main spaces to a sort of transatlantic connoisseur spirit, with big-brushed abstract expressionism propped up on the floor, Hopi kachina dolls beside the fireplace and a blend of Victoriana and art history on the walls (we perhaps have hotelier Andrew Zobler’s grandmother, who owned an antiques shop , to thank for this). The Library bar has shelves and shelves of books, though the prominent criminology section can’t match a tour of the adjacent new Bow Street Police Museum, birthplace of London’s first force, which has seen the Krays, Oscar Wilde and Emmeline Pankhurst pass through its cells. Shakers rattle like sidewinders in the tavern-esque Side Hustle, mixing up fancy American-style cocktails. This is a big-thinking but surprisingly intimate hotel that deserves a standing ovation.

Price: Rooms from around £499 per night.

Address: 28 Bow St, London WC2E 7AW

Closest tube station: Covent Garden

The Connaught Hotel Review Arrow

Best for: one of the world's best bars

The Connaught has stood on the corner of what is now Carlos Place since the early 19th century; these days, it's surrounded by the super-smart shops and restaurants of Mount Street. Despite the new Asian-style influence, the solid Englishness of the place remains intact – a quality embodied in the celebrated central staircase (dark and woody of bannister, bright and stripy of carpet), which apparently drove Ralph Lauren into such a fit of longing that he commissioned a replica of it for his Madison Avenue shop. Restored to its former glory and simultaneously whizzed into the 21st century a little over a decade ago with the addition of a newer, minimalist, Asian-inspired wing and an exquisite Aman spa, this hotel, part of the Maybourne Group ( Claridge’s , The Berkeley ) is a Mayfair landmark.

The late David Collins and interior designer Guy Oliver are behind the contemporary classic look of the rooms. Some pair walnut parquet flooring and silver-grey velvet chaises longues; others have duck egg-blue walls and traditional wooden panelling. In 2024 the hotel unveiled The King's Lodge , a passion project for Guy Oliver in collaboration with Turquoise Mountain , a charity founded by King Charles that supports artisans across the Middle East, Afghanistan, Myanmar and India . The Connaught Bar is a mini Art Deco masterpiece and our pick for the best bar in London . Both Hélène Darroze's three Michelin-starred restaurant and the less formal Jean-Georges at The Connaught are outstanding too (the latter with a view onto a magical Tadao Ando water sculpture outside).

Price: Rooms from around £1,050 per night.

Address: 16 Carlos Pl, London W1K 2AL

First in: 1 Hotel Mayfair review Arrow

Best for: sustainability

This nine-storey hotel is a sustainable sanctuary slotting naturally among London’s oldest hospitality icons just across the road from The Ritz and The Wolseley. Inside, you are greeted by a giant suspended plant chandelier, a reception desk hewn from the trunk of a giant oak tree in a Sussex forest and a wall of Yorkshire stone, tactfully slotted together with no additional materials by a father and son carpentry stonemason duo. It’s an unexpectedly soothing space amid  London ’s busiest shopping district; inside, the noise of  Piccadilly  fades away, absorbed by thousands of plants (1,300 to be exact – including 200 local and regional species) and raw materials sprinkled throughout the hotel. The reception’s tranquil aesthetic extends into each of the 181 bedrooms. Sandy hues and creamy tones come in the form of linen-covered cushions, soft furnishings and oak flooring, and each room has a living moss wall, further emphasising the hotel’s dedication to bringing the outdoors inside. Downstairs the hotel also has is a cafe and  co-working space  by day which transforms into a wine bar  by night, as well as an elegant, low-lit cocktail bar area leading on to London’s most talked-about  new restaurant , Dovetale.

Price: Rooms from around £454 per night.

Address: 3 Berkeley St, London W1J 8DL

Closest tube station: Green Park

The Twenty Two, London Arrow

Best for: privacy

This previously residential Edwardian manor house has been turned into a 31-room hotel and member’s club by former Blakes owner Navid Mirtorabi, with the help of business partner Jamie Reuben, a scion of a family that owns swathes of Mayfair . In a marble-floored lobby that smells of churchy frankincense, guests are greeted by a cape-wearing doorman and a row of staff in Charlie Casely-Hayford suits. A pervasive friendliness cuts through the velveteen quality of a place that feels more like a louche Parisian hideaway than most smart new  London hotels , which tend to fit into Hoxton or Heritage pigeonholes. Most rooms are understatedly plush, painted an elegant blue that’s on the sensual side of Edwardian; former Arbutus chef Alan Christie hits the key modern British notes in the dining room. Some of the prices are shiver-inducing, but then this is Mayfair, and The Twenty Two is offering something different – something sexier and more fun, which might just be a marker point for the area’s future.

Price: Rooms from around £540 per night.

Address: 22 Grosvenor Sq, London W1K 6LF

The Mayfair Townhouse hotel review Arrow

Best for: decadent design

The brains behind classic country-house hangouts Cliveden and Chewton Glen have whisked up a sharp new city offshoot for any of their loyal troupe of guests wanting to overnight in a London hotel. But there’s no whiff of a rural familial connection. Instead, the Half Moon Street address pays tribute to the frilly artistic folk of the 19th century: there’s a playful dose of Alice in Wonderland meets The Importance of Being Earnest (the play is set on the same street), with nods to the flamboyance of Oscar Wilde’s characters and quirky coloured graphic art referencing motifs from down the rabbit hole. It could all add up to something distinctly gimmicky but a sense of restraint and a Claridge’s-like appreciation for Art Deco has resulted in rooms that are moody, masculine and smart. Some have a tiny quiet garden terrace to retreat to – a rare thing indeed for central London – while others major in marble. The building spreads grandly across 15 converted Georgian houses, a few Grade II-listed, and a lucky handful of the jewel-toned suites come with views over leafy Green Park below. But the real high point is The Dandy Bar on the ground floor – a shiny mirror-and-plush-leather speakeasy serving up a smooth menu of cocktails alongside dishes such as chicken cobb salad and steak frites. If you can prise yourself off your bar stool, Shepherd Market with lovely Kitty Fisher’s restaurant is just around the corner, the Royal Academy is a brisk 10-minute walk down Piccadilly and 5 Hertford Street is a late-night stumble away. A brilliant new spot in a location that already knows how to have fun.

Address: 27-41 Half Moon St, London W1J 7BG

Mondrian Shoreditch hotel review Arrow

Best for: a Los Angeles-style rooftop pool

This East London enclave should really have had its day. It’s been years since Shoreditch’s street-food stalls, concept bars and cutting-edge boutiques started taking off. Then came the smart stays, award-winning cocktail dens and Michelin-starred restaurants . Bright young creatives were quickly priced out of living here. Then, over the past 18 months, the once-buzzing streets went silent. A couple of big names closed for good and there was space for fresh players to shake up the re-emerging neighbourhood scene. Mondrian, the city-slicking group dreamt up by Ian Schrager in the 1990s, was primed to launch a new London hotel after handing over the keys of its South Bank stalwart a few years ago. The company, helmed by the Reuben brothers, took over splashy members'-club-hotel The Curtain when it shuttered and brought in design studio Goddard Littlefair – also behind the 2016 facelift of Scotland ’s Gleneagles – to switch things up. The loveliest of the 120 whitewashed, exposed-brick rooms have large balconies and skyline views, but this is the sort of place where you won’t spend much time in bed. Art fills the lobby – spot the double-height piece by British painter Fred Coppin – while ground-floor Christina’s serves glossy pastries by day and Espresso Martinis by night. There’s a members'-only rooftop restaurant with its own pool and co-working space where events and panels are held. And – the biggest coup of all – Spanish chef Dani García has opened the first UK outpost of his renowned BiBo brand downstairs. The best incentive yet to rediscover Shoreditch.

Price: Rooms from around £233 per night.

Address: 45 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT

Closest tube station: Old Street

The Standard hotel, London review Arrow

Best for: Coal Drops Yard cool

Having cracked Manhattan , Miami and Hollywood since it was founded 20 years ago, when The Standard London opened in 2019 it brought a much-needed edge to King's Cross. Its Brutalist building and former annex of Camden Town Hall was much maligned by locals who nicknamed it the egg box. Now, with its red-pill-shaped lift that scales the Euston Road façade, it more than squares up to the splendid Gothic Revival St Pancras station nearby. Inside, American designer Shawn Hausman, a long-time Standard collaborator, created all the spaces with a decade-switching look that is mind-boggling and fabulous. Utilitarian civic signage meets Seventies Milanese terrazzo and tiling: Transport for London’s colour palette inspired the loud carpets; and the colourways, shapes and humour of Italian design movement Memphis permeate everything. Rooms range from about £199 for a single, aimed at students and early-bird Eurostar travellers, to about £729 for a terraced room with an outdoor bathtub overlooking St Pancras. Expect Memphis design meets Miami with a mix of bright colours and pastels, crazy carpets and tiles. Furniture is both vintage and bespoke and all the rooms have great views. The hotel's 10th-floor restaurant Decimo continues to be one of the hottest tables in town, where Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias highlights Spanish dishes with a Mexican twist and a cocktail menu full of margaritas. The downstairs cocktail bar Double Standard serves burgers, fish and chips and pints, while next-door Isla offers seasonal British small plates.

Price: Rooms from around £239 per night.

Address: 10 Argyle St, London WC1H 8EG

Closest tube station: King's Cross

The Hari, London hotel review Arrow

Best for: romantic liaisons

With the flurry of London openings in recent years, you’d be forgiven for overlooking hotels such as The Hari, but this is a contemporary bolthole with an artistic temperament and loft-style bedrooms that are a pleasure to dawdle in. And while many of London’s classic hits are a stroll away, staying in for an evening isn’t to be sniffed at either, drifting on a little passeggiata from the bar with its riffs on classic cocktails down to the restaurant for authentic Italian dishes . There’s a real sense of being tucked away here, of bedrooms being chic dens from which you can peek out at London, with decor mixing Starck-like polish with just a little burlesque (a waft of gauze, a lingerie-clad portrait) and lithographs such as Tracey Emin’s ‘She Lay Down’. For a personable, well-connected London base tucked away in Belgravia – this feels like a secret hotel for romantic liaisons or a weekend break taking in a show or exhibition, shopping on Sloane Street then stretching out for an indulgent Sunday morning.

Price: Rooms from around £378 per night.

Address: 20 Chesham Pl, London SW1X 8HQ

The Lanesborough hotel review Arrow

Best for: Regency grandeur

Minimalists, modernists, fanciers of all things sleek, shiny, geometrical and monochrome – this is not the place for you. The Lanesborough was always an unrepentant riot of Regency splendour. In 2015 it reopened more unrepentant, riotous and Regency-splendid than ever. The Royal Suite, at £26,000 a night, is supposedly the most expensive in London – guilty as charged – but certain of the Junior Suites are among the most charming and cleverly contrived hotel rooms you will find anywhere. The celebrated Library Bar and cigar terrace are still there, little altered. The main restaurant, The Lanesborough Grill, deserves mention as one of the most spectacular dining rooms in town, where executive chef Shay Cooper serves intricate plates of food as the restaurant transforms from a brightly-lit space by day into a seductively glowing supper spot come evening.

Price: Rooms from around £930 per night.

Address: Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA

The Berkeley hotel review Arrow

Best for: Seventies style

Part of the Maybourne Group, which also manages Claridge's and The Connaught, The Berkeley is a bit like both but not much like either. A child of the early 1970s, there are no heritage trappings; instead, the look is cool, low-key, non-specifically modern. With their refined neutral palettes, subtle pops of colour and bathrooms awash with marble, rooms are stylish and classic. Soothe your aching muscles and achieve a state of serenity at the Blue Bar, or at the health club, home to one of the best spas in London . The views over Hyde Park are excellent; the rooftop pool is itself as pretty as a picture, though too small to be of much use to anyone who actually wants to swim. By way of compensation, there is Andre Fu's 278-square-metre Opus Suite – a spectacular space boasting more impressive vistas. For a sweet treat, the hotel is arguably the buzziest address in town, with a queue regularly snaking its way between the dark mahogany tables and rattan chairs of the pâtisserie Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley.

Address: Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RL

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square review Arrow

Best for: foodies

Nobu Hotel Portman Square spills out onto a cool, cosmopolitan terrace reminiscent of New York (fitting, perhaps, considering Lower Manhattan was where the legendary Nobu restaurant first opened in 1994) and builds on Nobu’s Park Lane legacy while adding fresh, minimalist rooms and chill-out spaces to complete the picture. There are no frills or fancy here – it’s all smooth urban energy with design-led chairs and sleek tables where London’s glitterati fine-dine on signature dishes such as black cod miso and yellowtail sashimi, sizzling wagyu beef, Chilean sea bass and wasabi lime miso. As one of the best restaurants in London , the space (and omakase multi-course tasting menu) feels grown up, sexy even, with flashes of diamonds, stilettos and red lacquered chopsticks, while the bedrooms demonstrate Japanese minimalism in its purest form: clean lines, muted woods, restrained natural fabrics. For a near-mythical, indulgent (and mind-blowingly tasty) lunch or supper experience, followed by a calming sleep in the bedrooms, this is a hotel that’s earned its spot occupying the corner of one of Marylebone ’s handsomest patches. Staying without booking a table in the restaurant is akin to visiting The Ritz and forgoing their famed London afternoon tea.

Price: Rooms from around £399 per night.

Address: 22 Portman Square, London W1H 7BG

Beaverbrook Townhouse, London hotel review Arrow

Best for: a country house in the city

A smart offshoot of the Surrey Hills original, this property has taken over a pair of restored Georgian townhouses in a prime position near Sloane Square. It feels like a joyous and timely celebration of the capital – especially on the stairs where an extraordinary collection of artwork has been cherry-picked by creative director and advertising legend Frank Lowe: old posters for the Boat Race, Brooks’ Peckham Brewery and Kew Gardens. Just as bedrooms in the country mansion pay homage to former owner Lord Beaverbrook’s friends and guests, here each one is named after a London theatre, with framed programmes of past productions and books on opera and Laurence Olivier. Interior designer Nicola Harding, who previously worked on the estate’s Garden House, has used a bolder, more playful palette for this spin-off, lending it a grown-up urban edge. Four-posters and fringed velvet sofas sit alongside antique desks, patterned lampshades and cushions made from vintage fabrics by Penny Worrall; bathrooms are equally colourful, with glassy tiles in rich apple green and bottle blue. On the ground floor, a Japanese apothecary cabinet at the entrance of the arsenic-hued, Art Deco-detailed bar marks a shift to the East. The best spot in the Fuji Grill restaurant, helmed by ex-Dinings SW3 chef Alex Del, is at the counter, where a sensational 20-course omakase supper is prepared, combining traditional techniques with modern European elements for dishes that might include tuna dry aged in house and hamachi sashimi with smoked aubergine. This standout addition to the area – where the Cadogan reopened under Belmond in 2019 and At Sloane opened in 2023 – is part of a new chapter for Chelsea.

The Ritz London hotel review Arrow

Best for: a grand dame

There have been a few changes at The Ritz in recent years. Above all there was the renovation of the Rivoli Bar (which serves the best-presented cocktails in London ) and the acquisition of the magnificent William Kent House next door (César Ritz's dream ever since he built the hotel in 1906). Yet the main public spaces – including the adored Palm Court and dining room, aligned along the sumptuous gallery that runs the length of the building, from Arlington Street at one end to Green Park at the other – remain little changed. Here you still have a sense, enhanced by the rich, warm, golden glow of this part of the hotel, of having found yourself preserved in amber. No celebrity interior-designers have been let loose on the rooms, which retain their original Louis XVI style and a lustrous palette of pinks, yellows and blues. Ravishing.

Price: Rooms from around £999 per night.

Address: 150 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9BR

Shangri-La at the Shard hotel review Arrow

Best for: the views

Never has a traffic jam on the Old Kent Road looked so enchanting – everything seen from The Shangri-La looks enchanting. The hotel occupies floors 34 to the 52 of Renzo Piano's 87-storey London landmark. The rooms (contemporary, creamy, Asian-influenced), restaurants (especially the romantic Ting) and bar (gin and rosemary – divine) are all fantastic, though nothing can compete with the extraordinary views over London , which turn every guest into a slack-jawed infant, lost in wonder, gazing out, palms to the window, all day long. At night, sitting cross-legged on the bed with the blackout blinds open is like being on a magic carpet, floating high above the ceaseless glow of the great city.

Price: Rooms from around £638 per night.

Address: 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9QU

Closest tube station: London Bridge

The Savoy London hotel review Arrow

Best for: Art Deco vibes

Though people tend to think of it as monolithic and unchanging, The Savoy has something of a split personality and has in fact changed a great deal over the years. It's decorated in Edwardian style on the Thames side – from which Monet and Whistler painted the river – but it's quintessentially Art Deco on the Strand side. Rooms are large and traditional but never frumpy; and in a world of shrinking bathtubs , The Savoy's remain satisfyingly deep. The Savoy Grill is excellent and The River Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay brings the best of British seafood and shellfish; and the hotel is blessed with two of the finest watering holes in London, The American Bar, granddaddy of London's cocktail bars, and its younger, sassier sibling, The Beaufort Bar. So don't even try to make it an 'either/or' proposition – it must be an 'and'.

Price: Rooms from around £712 per night.

Address: Strand, London WC2R 0EZ

Closest tube station: Temple

The Beaumont London hotel review Arrow

Best for: art aficionados

This used to be a multi-storey car park, you may be surprised to learn. The Beaumont is named after Jimmy Beaumont, a fictional character from Prohibition-era New York. Hence the Art Deco trimmings, wood panelling, vintage photos, and red-leather banquettes in the Colony Grill Room, where the shrimp cocktail is as good at the steak. In this context, Antony Gormley's astonishing 'Room' literally sticks out like a sore thumb – a three-storey sculpture extruding from one side of the building, which also happens to contain a suite.

Price: Rooms from around £680 per night.

Address: 8 Balderton St, Brown Hart Gardens, London W1K 6TF

Corinthia London Hotel review Arrow

Best for: the spa

As delicious as the huge slice of cake that it resembles when seen from the right spot by the Thames. No fewer than 1,001 Baccarat crystals illuminate the double-height, Victorian-pillared lobby, whose parquet floors and elegant palette of creams, caramels and charcoals with splashes of lime-green hint at the splendours beyond. Guests with a list of London landmarks to be checked off will find this a convenient base, within striking distance of Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Theatreland and the South Bank (if you take one of the top-floor suites with a terrace, you can save yourself some time and see all of them at once). The ESPA Life spa occupies four levels, with 15 treatment 'pods', a marble-and-leather spa lounge, glass-encased sauna and steel-lined pool.

Price: Rooms from around £755 per night.

Address: Whitehall Pl, London SW1A 2BD

Closest tube station: Embankment

Dukes London hotel review Arrow

Best for: a Martini, shaken, not stirred

Practically hidden down a barely existent alleyway between St James's Street and Green Park. Practically hidden is how they like it here. Hushed, discreet, cosy and ever-so-English – yet by no means sombre, stuffy or stuck-up. How could anyone remain sombre, stuffy or stuck-up after a martini perfectly prepared by Alessandro Palazzi in one of the greatest bars on the face of the earth? This was supposedly where Ian Fleming first envisioned James Bond ordering his favourite drink 'shaken, not stirred'. The GBR (Great British Restaurant) is delightful; so is the entirely chic Cognac and cigar garden.

Price: Rooms from around £365 per night.

Address: 35 St James's Pl, St. James's, London SW1A 1NY

Hotel Café Royal London review Arrow

Best for: shopping getaways

This revamped Regent Street landmark combines fin de siècle opulence with streamlined modernity. There are subtle references to its storied past – vases filled with tulips are a silent salute to Oscar Wilde, who once drank so much absinthe in the Grill Room that he hallucinated he was cavorting in a field of the flowers. The Grill Room has been turned into a bar, and its opulent gilt and mirrors have been sexed up with a frankly immodest blush of red furnishings. Recover your composure downstairs at the Akasha spa, which specialises in watsu aquatic-massage treatments.

Price: Rooms from around £721per night.

Address: 10 Air St, London W1B 5AB

The Langham, London hotel review Arrow

Best for: Victoriana

If it feels as though The Langham has been there forever, that's because, in hotel terms, it pretty much has. But a century and a half on, it's looking grand, as sophisticated and elegant as it did when Napoleon III spent the night. These days the Victoriana and chinoiserie are offset by smooth, occasionally quirky contemporary elements – notably in the award-winning Artesian bar, with its timber chandeliers, imitation-snakeskin flooring and resin-topped tables. It would be difficult to name a finer hotel restaurant than Chez Roux, where Michel Roux Jr pays hommage to his childhood memories and his father Albert Roux OBE, who worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family, and created first menus from Le Gavroche in 1967.

Price: Rooms from around £721 per night.

The London Edition Arrow

Best for: party people

A restaurant with rooms ? That wouldn't be entirely fair, but there's no escaping the fact that chef Jason Atherton's ground-floor Berners Tavern is the palpitating heart of the hotel. The lobby cocktail bar, oak-panelled, reservation-only Punch Room and nightclub Basement only increase the pulse-rate. Once upon a time this was five lovely 1835 townhouses, which were combined in 1910 to create the Berners Hotel. Fast forward to 2013, it was taken over by Ian Schrager’s fast-growing Edition brand, with a design by the prolific and influential Canadian design firm Yabu Pushelberg, which brought in Christian Liaigre furniture and mod stylings but kept the Edwardian grandeur of the facade and public spaces. Pushelberg imagined the 173 rooms as like cabins on a yacht. They’re clean, crisp and wood-panelled, with a vague sense of the midcentury and gilt-framed portraits by the Dutch photographer Henriks Kerstens: think Girl With a Pearl Earring reimagined by a Noughties Shoreditch creative studio. They are also marvellously quiet, a perfect antidote to the hubbub below.

Price: Rooms from around £409 per night.

Address: 10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP

Closest tube station: Tottenham Court Road

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London review Arrow

Best for: walks in the park

The Queen learnt to dance in the ballroom of this splendidly florid pile. A great deal has changed since then. There's now an award-winning, state-of-the-art spa, a restaurant from Heston Blumenthal alongside the buzzy Aubrey, and perpetually packed bars (not one, not two, but three, and all terrific in their very different ways). In June 2018, straight off the back of the biggest refurbishment in this Hyde Park hotel’s history, a major roof fire kept the hotel closed for another 10 months. Reopening in April 2019, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park retains elements of its gentler, more cosily traditional past, but with interiors that have had a modern makeover, and are significantly lighter and brighter. Meanwhile, the clippity-clop that rises faintly from the Hyde Park side as horses from the Household Cavalry make their way past the hotel never gets old.

Address: 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

Rosewood London hotel review Arrow

Best for: a glossy stay

With their first foray into London, Rosewood has created not just a magnificent new hotel but a whole new neighbourhood: 'Midtown', previously known, without any of that implied New York spunk, as plain old Holborn. Yet the location is extraordinary, starting with the most unexpected of courtyards, like a mini Somerset House, from which a kind of country-house vibe emanates – a country house, however, with a tremendous sense of wit and panache. The style of the interiors is difficult to characterise, by turns demure and decadent, muted and glossy, traditional and contemporary. The overall effect is dazzling. The perpetually jammed Scarfe's Bar and the elegantly elongated Mirror Room are at either end of an exquisitely lit bronze corridor that insulates the lobby from the outside world. The Holborn Dining Room adds a lively brasserie buzz, particularly on Sundays when they serve up trad roasts. Sitting outside in the courtyard terrace in summer with a glass of something chilled is a joy.

Price: Rooms from around £612 per night.

Address: 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN

Closest tube station: Holborn

Bulgari Hotel London hotel review Arrow

Best for: a taste of Italy

Just when you thought the vita in this part of town couldn't get any more dolce , along came this gem from the great Roman jewellery house. It's all very hard-edged and stealthily spoiling, but softened and enlivened with thoughtful design touches such as bedside lamps inspired by Bulgari 's classic silver candlesticks. The clever use of subterranean space is one of The Bulgari's distinguishing features – there's a serious screening room, the swimming pool is positively radiant with golden mosaic tiles, and the spa is among the biggest and best in the city.

Price: Rooms from around £790 per night.

Address: 171 Knightsbridge, London SW7 1DW

Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane review Arrow

The proverbial oasis of calm over the Circus Maximus that is Hyde Park Corner. Trust Four Seasons stalwart Pierre-Yves Rochon to keep things elegant but well and truly on the down-low. There are no expressive upheavals or synapse-battering splashes of colour here. The most conspicuous decorative features are the use of discreet walnut and sycamore panelling in the rooms, and the large-format black-and-white fashion photos from Vogue in the corridors. Otherwise expect spacious marble bathrooms – kitted out with everything you need – in the rooms, as well as that Four Seasons bed, which is one of the most comfortable around. The hotel's destination spa on the tenth floor has serene park views, and perpetuates the chilled-out ambience. The restaurant, Pavyllon, is one of the hottest tables in town, with French chef Alléno modernising French cooking, earning a Michelin Star in 2024.

Address: Hamilton Pl, Park Ln, London W1J 7DR

London Travel: The Ultimate Guide. Tips, Attraction Reviews & More

For many travellers to England, the focus of their visit will be the capital, London .

We’ve therefore collected our most popular London travel posts in this mini guide to one of the world’s great cities.

About London

London is both the capital and dominant city of the United Kingdom. Founded on the River Thames by the Romans, who named it Londinium, it is now a global city of over 16 million people in the Greater London Area (although the official ‘City Of London’ is only a square mile in area). Britain was the world’s top power for much of the 200 years from the late 18th century and this dominance is reflected in the pomp and majesty of the likes of its Royal palaces and other wonderful historic buildings. The city receives of 17 million visitors a year making London tourism one of the largest industries on the UK.

Here’s what we cover:

London Travel Lists

The first group of articles focuses on our various lists of things to do.

Our most popular post is a ‘bucket list’ of the places in London you ‘must’ do . Even the most adventurous traveller would probably want to do, say, Buckingham Palace in a London visit and we’ve therefore produced a quick list for your reference.

London Travel Tips

Two of our most popular articles are on tips to London visitors (especially how to navigate the London Underground system):

Eating & Drinking In London

Food and drink is an important part of any London trip and we have your back here too.

Our most popular articles have looked at budget food locations, pubs and bars.

Where To Go & What To Do In London

And finally we have several popular articles on specific things to do and see in London

Here are the articles:

Full English Breakfast In London: 19 Great Places To Eat

How do you find a good full English breakfast in London? And what qualifies as a ‘full English’ anyway? Here’s…

5 Castles That Make A Great Day Trip From London

Here are five great great castles that you can visit easily in a day from London. Perfect for a trip…

11 Historic London Churches To Visit

Historic London churches are some of the best showcases of the capital’s history, culture and character. They are places popular…

3 Days in London: 72-hour Itinerary for the Perfect London Getaway

If you’re in Britain or anywhere else in Europe, a short trip to London is a must. Being one of…

9 Great Places To Visit Near London

London’s a great place to visit, but it would be a shame if you didn’t also grab the chance to…

12 Most Popular Streets in London – And What to See in Each

London is rich in history and culture, and its streets reflect that. It’s a bustling metropolis with a seemingly endless…

8 Historic Old Buildings in London that You Must Visit

“London is a glorious mess,” as the noted American author James Geary once said. This impression is probably generated by…

Primrose Hill London: A Green Sanctuary Amidst a Bustling City

A beautiful, grassy hill just located north of London with a stunning panoramic view is the Primrose Hill. It has…

The Shard: The Tallest Building in London

The city of London is a city of magnificent buildings erected in various historical as well as modern architectural styles.…

How is London in December?

While the days become shorter, the temperature drops and the nights grow longer in December. But December in London is…

Weather in London in May: Enjoy Spring

Do you know why the weather in London is known for being dramatic and unpredictable? Because it rains roughly all…

London Weather in October: Admire the Stunning Autumn Colors

It is often said that summer is the peak season for traveling to London because that is the time when…

Does it Snow in London? When Does it Snow and What to Do?

London is the UK’s largest city as well as its capital. Romans laid the foundation for London, which has been…

15 Most Famous & Iconic Stadiums in London

London is a big city with a rich cultural heritage representing the history of the British Empire and much more. …

14 Most Famous Bridges in London

London, the historic city of England, has been the bearer of British culture and the century-long history of Europe. The…

12 Independent Boutiques in London You Must Visit

From the people to the storefronts of the boutiques strewn across famous streets, fashion is everywhere in London!  London is…

The Most Luxurious Penthouses in London

Penthouses have magic in the spacious floor plans, expansive outdoor areas, and jaw-dropping interior design. The best part is the…

Weather in London in November

London in November is the start of chilly breezes with occasional rain and possibly some snow. During this month, London…

Weather in London in September

Tourists contemplating a visit to London overlook September, although it is one of the best times to visit. But why? …

Weather in London in August

Summer arrives in London in June and lasts until August. As a result, you will encounter pleasant and comfortable weather…

London Weather in July: The Sunniest Month for Activities

People know London for its rain. The romanticism created around London rain is only acceptable to some because many want…

Weather in London in June: The Best Time to Visit the City

London’s long summer days last from June through August. Despite the fact that it’s early summer in June, the temperature…

Weather in London in March

People who wish to visit London often ask the same old question- ‘When is the perfect time to visit London?’…

Buckingham Palace | The Queen’s Official London Residence

One of the most famous landmarks in all of the United Kingdom, Buckingham Palace is the monarch’s residence in London,…

London Travel Guide: Westminster Abbey

A trip to London is not complete without a visit to Westminster Abbey. Although its correct name is the Collegiate…

The 20 Best London Theatres | Great Theatres In London To Take In A Show

Our guide to the best London theatres. London is the home to some of the most iconic theatres in the…

St Paul’s Cathedral, London

St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the iconic sites of London. Standing on Ludgate Hill in the City Of London…

The British Museum: A London Visitors’ Guide

[Updated August 2021] The British Museum in London is one of the most popular attractions in the United Kingdom. Millions…

For many travellers to England, the focus of their visit will be the capital, London. We’ve therefore collected our most…

Top 10 Things To Do In London On A Budget

Enjoy London on a budget: there’s no reason not to have a great time if you’re strapped for cash with…

The Tower Of London Explored: Its History From Medieval Times To The Present Day

No other royal residence in England has been put to such dastardly use or gained such a chilling reputation as…

London Science Museum: Great Educative Fun For All The Family

The London Science Museum in South Kensington attracts 3.3 million science enthusiasts each year. The huge museum has over 250,000…

London Architecture’s Hidden Gems

London is full of fantastic famous buildings such as the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace (many of…

London’s Sky Garden: Rise Above it All

At the Sky Garden in London you can get a breathtaking bird’s eye perspective on the capital – without spending…

The London National Gallery And Its Art Collection

England ranks alongside Italy and France among the world’s most popular spots to experience the best in art. An abundance…

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London, England   Travel Guide

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Best Times To Visit London, England

The best time to visit London is March through May when the temperatures are mild and the city's parks are green and blooming. However, late spring – along with summer – is also prime tourist season, and hotel and flight prices reflect the surge. You're more likely to find airfare and accommodation deals in the fall and winter though you'll also encounter chilly temperatures. December in London is also an incredibly popular place to be during the holidays, so expect the streets to be crowded with both English and international tourists. And no matter when you travel, you should pack an umbrella: London is notorious for experiencing misty days and showers year-round. If you have any concerns related to the weather, crowds or other unpredictable factors, you might want to consider an international travel insurance policy  or a cancel for any reason plan for more extensive coverage.

Another thing to keep in mind: it's nearly impossible to escape crowds in London. Along with being one of the biggest cities in Europe, London is one of the most popular destinations to visit in the world , so no matter what time of year you go, you're bound to run into lots of tourists.

Weather in London, England

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

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Raffles London at The OWO review: a quintessentially British stay

This heritage building has been given a twist as a luxury hotel in the nation's capital

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If you've walked from Big Ben to Trafalgar Square, or meandered from St James's Park to the Thames, the chances are you've seen – and admired – the Old War Office. The turreted, dove-grey building is one of the jewels of Whitehall, completed in 1906 to house Britain's imperial military machine.

For much of the 20th century, its offices were inhabited by Britain's leading politicians, from Lord Kitchener to David Lloyd George, along with their armies of staffers, cooks and typists. 

For a time it was the workplace of T.E. Lawrence, later Lawrence of Arabia. In 1914, he lamented to a friend that the grand marble staircase at the heart of the building was allowed to be used by "field marshals and charwomen" alone. 

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A century later, in 2016, the Ministry of Defence sold the building for a reported £350 million; and last year, after extensive but historically sensitive renovations, it opened as a five-star hotel, Raffles London at The OWO. 

From the street, The OWO looks much as it has since it was constructed but, inside, a transformation has taken place. Two new floors have been built, as have three new basement levels to make room for a ballroom, a swimming pool, an underground car park and more. Thousands of square metres have been added to the building's already considerable acreage, taking its total footprint to some 76,000 square metres.

The result is easily the most major hotel to have opened in the capital in a generation. 

Why stay here?

London isn't short of ultra-high-end hotels, but Raffles London at The OWO distinguishes itself from its peers in several ways. Its location couldn't be better: situated opposite Horse Guards Parade, it is ideally placed for visitors wishing to walk around the capital, or needing a central place to stay while doing business.

The hotel also has a tangible sense of place. You couldn't wake up in one of its rooms thinking you were in any major world city: it feels deeply English. The interiors, which were overseen by the feted designer Thierry Despont, skilfully marry old and new, allowing visitors to appreciate the old-world aesthetics of wood panelling and other original features, while enjoying high-tech loos, vast, comfortable beds and generously sized marble bathrooms.

The staff are knowledgeable and helpful, as willing to suggest childcare options as they are to come up with last-minute wardrobe help (during my stay, my dress's zip broke; within five minutes, room service had sent up a bag of safety pins). There are also a serious number of them: the ratio of staff to guest room is an astonishing 3:1.

Rooms and suites

There are 120 rooms and suites to choose from, none of which are the same, and none of which come cheap. Prices start at about £1,100 per room plus service and tax (and may not include breakfast, so look out for that). 

Many of the grandest suites are named after the great figures that worked in them: the Haldane, for instance, was occupied by successive Secretaries of State for War; while the Churchill Suite was originally the army council room, where critical decisions were made during the Second World War. There are also 85 residences – privately owned apartments with access to the hotel amenities.

Eating and drinking 

The OWO has nine restaurants and bars, including a rooftop restaurant with views over St James's Park. If you don't want to order room service for breakfast, it can be taken in a light-filled atrium where the buffet options are superb (the almond croissants are particularly good) and the menu options even better.

Acclaimed chef Mauro Colagreco is in charge of three of the nine restaurants, which include Mauro's Table, a private dining room with views over Whitehall. A pre-dinner drink at the Spy Bar, the hotel's "speakeasy", is a must, and gratifyingly hard to find.

 Other things to see and do

The spa is a big draw. Situated far beneath the ground floor, extending over four floors and designed by Goddard Littlefair, it features the usual steam rooms and saunas, and a large pool in a hall that is surprisingly tall for a room so deep underground. 

For those fussy about lighting, the spa – and in fact the rest of the hotel – knocks it out of the park: the lighting is warm and not abrasive; subtly different according to each space's requirements, but always exactly right. 

Look out for the hotel's remarkable collection of art, too: there's a six-metre high sculpture by Saad Qureshi and an oil painting, "Naval Officers of World War I", by Sir Arthur Stockdale Cope, on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, among other works.

The verdict

What the impressive statistics of The OWO don't capture is the hotel's style and grown-up charm.

Notable too are the warmth of its staff, and the intelligence with which this most storied of buildings has been coaxed into the 21st century, making this a truly unforgettable stay.

Leaf Arbuthnot was a guest at Raffles London at The OWO, Old War Office Building, 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX; raffles.com/london

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United Kingdom

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16 local tips to know before traveling to England

Jul 13, 2023 • 7 min read

These top tips will help you be prepared for anything on your trip to England © SolStock / Getty Images

Such is England’s reach on popular culture, you may think you already know the country before you visit.

Though if you’re expecting to be surrounded by a bunch of well-heeled James Bonds or a gaggle of eccentric Monty Python characters, then think again.

While the everyday English aren’t quite the same as how they’re portrayed in film, television and books, this is a country with a number of peculiarities that are good to know before visiting, especially when venturing outside of London . From practicalities like train prices to etiquette tips on how the English approach queueing, it’s always important to be ahead of the game when visiting this wonderful and varied country.

Here are a few key things to know before traveling to England.

1. You should pack a jacket, even in summer

Preparing for all types of weather is an essential part of the English experience. England’s maritime location in the wild North Atlantic means that even in summer , biting winds and untimely rain showers can unexpectedly scupper a balmy afternoon. 

That doesn’t mean you need to take an umbrella everywhere, but you do need to put a jacket in your suitcase and always check the conditions on your favorite weather app before venturing out. As a rule, London is usually a couple of degrees warmer than other parts of the country.

2. Be ready to discuss the weather 

Talking about the weather is in the English blood and a part of the national psyche. And the more lamentable the forecast, the more likely people are to talk about it. Come rain or shine, prepare to offer an opinion on the day’s weather, and express that it’ll hopefully brighten up/cool down as the week goes on. 

3. Train prices are steep

Unlike some other countries in western Europe , England’s train system was privatized many years ago, and this, along with other factors, has lead to some of Europe’s highest train prices.

Try to book ahead of time (around 12 weeks before travel for the best rates) and look out for cheap advance fares. While not as quick as train travel (and certainly not as romantic), coaches such as National Express and Megabus offer far cheaper prices when traveling across the country and are highly recommended for those on a budget. 

4. There’s a whole world outside of London

London’s big, bold, and full of iconic English landmarks and experiences . But it isn’t everything. If you have the time to explore beyond the capital, you’ll discover a variety of landscapes, people and cultures, and some wonderful things to do . 

From the wild coastlines of Cornwall to the soaring hills of the Lake District , there’s much to see in this ancient land. 

5. Crossing the English Channel means different plug sockets

Yes, England is in Europe, but it doesn’t always play by European rules (in more ways than one, with Brexit still something that people can't agree on seven years after the vote). If you’re backpacking around Europe, remember that the UK and Ireland use type G plug sockets (three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern), so make sure you have the right power adapter when arriving in England as it differs from the rest of the continent. 

6. Many museums are free

England is home to many of the world’s greatest museums , and you won’t need to pay a penny to enter some of them. Especially great for rainy days in London, you can peruse dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum or masterpieces by Turner at the National Gallery and spend the money saved at the pub later on.

7. Pronouncing place names will be a challenge

Alongside some truly bizarre place names, England also has several towns and counties that aren’t pronounced the way they are spelled. Names with a -ter suffix are particularly notorious for this.

Bicester is pronounced biss-ter rather than bi-ces-ter, Gloucester is pronounced gloss-ter rather than glou-ces-ter, Leominster is pronounced lem-ster rather than Leo-minster. You get the picture. 

8. Hit the beer garden when the sun comes out

The English need no excuse to go to the pub on a sunny summer afternoon, and sitting indoors is almost unthinkable. Find a table in the beer garden at the local boozer and order in a few cold pints. Job done.

9. Expect to hear a different accent in each region

Traveling just a few short miles in England can often mean a change in accent, so train your ears to prepare for this. Regional accents are hugely diverse, and while they’re still English, they can sometimes be difficult for even fellow England residents to understand. 

The accent you’ll hear in Birmingham ("Brummie") differs wildly to what you’ll hear when you arrive in Newcastle ("Geordie"). London is a separate case as it’s so cosmopolitan that you can expect to hear a variety of different accents and languages throughout the day.

10. Never jump a queue

Sometimes polite to a fault, the English are very orderly when queueing, and those who jump a line can expect stern looks and grumbling at the very least. So get in line and patiently wait your turn to avoid any awkward situations.

11. You’ll hear "sorry" a lot

Even in situations where the fault lies with you, you might receive an apology. Only Canadians say sorry more than the English, so get used to hearing it and, eventually, saying it.

12. English food does not deserve its negative reputation

Stereotypes about the English are often amusing and sometimes painfully true, though the one about the poor standard of English food can be comfortably consigned to history’s trashcan. 

Towns and cities across the country are now dotted with superb restaurants offering a strong emphasis on fresh and locally grown produce. Alongside traditional dishes , you’ll find cuisine here from all over the world amid an ever-growing list of Michelin-starred restaurants. 

13. Beer standards are high too

The pub is a rite of passage here, and the English love a pint of beer. But England has grown out of its cruel 1970s caricature of warm stale beer, and these days, there are myriad styles to sample, up and down the country. 

From real ales at historic Victorian pubs to craft beer at bright modern taprooms, choose from sours, stouts, saisons, New England IPAs and beyond. 

14. Summer is festival season

From Glastonbury in June to Reading and Leeds in August and everything in between, there are lively music festivals running throughout the summer in England. No matter what week you’re here, there’s bound to be a festival on somewhere. Getting tickets for the big events is a challenge, though – you'll need to look out for those around nine months in advance.

There are also a plethora of smaller festivals that are often great value and easier to navigate too, such as Birmingham’s superb Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival .

15. If you encounter any health issues, you’ll be in good hands

Visitors from EU countries will be covered for some treatment on the National Health Service (NHS) if they fall ill during a visit by using their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Visitors from non-EU countries with a reciprocal health care arrangement with the UK may also be covered for some treatment needs, particularly emergencies.

16. Measurements can be confusing

Don’t be surprised if you get into a metric muddle. For some things, the English use metric measurements, and for other things, they use imperial. Though metric measurements became legal in the UK back in 1875, Britain has never fully transitioned to using metrication in all situations. Roads are still measured in the imperial unit of miles, for example, and height is often discussed in feet and inches.

This article was first published Jun 26, 2022 and updated Jul 13, 2023.

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Euros 2024 – Articles

Map reveals where new rail routes could be introduced across the UK

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More frequent and new rail services could be on the way, as independent operators roll out plans to launch extra trains around the country.

Stirling in Scotland and Carmarthen in Wales could be some of the first places to have direct links to London after proposals from prospective open-access company Grand Union Trains (GUT).

It is one of several operators to give rail travel a boost and offer low fares on already expensive routes.

They are backed by the UK government , which says the rise of open access gives customers more choice and increases passenger numbers.

Rail minister Huw Merriman said: ‘It’s not just a question of us having rail operators compete with each other.

‘There’s an opportunity for rail to take passengers that may otherwise fly or indeed drive.

‘Open access is such a positive.’

Mr Merriman added: ‘There’s no industrial action on open-access operators, perhaps because it’s a fresher way of working with the workforce rather than on an old rule book basis.’

During recent rail strikes, companies like Lumo and Grand Central have been able to continue running services due to their separate status.

GUT is also consulting on a possible service between Edinburgh and Cardiff. There is currently no direct route connecting the Scottish and Welsh capitals.

Other would-be open-access operators include Go-Op, which aims to run services between Taunton and both Weston-super-Mare and Swindon, and Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway, which hopes to create a route between London Euston and Wrexham.

Lumo also plans to extend its route between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh to reach Glasgow, while FirstGroup wants to launch a service between the same London terminus and Sheffield.

What is an open-access rail operator?

Most of the major rail operators in the UK are either owned or paid management fees by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments.

LNER, Scotrail, CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast and many, many others fall into this category.

But the tracks can also be used by open-access operators, which set their own fares, take full commercial risk, and don’t receive any taxpayer-funded subsidies.

They include companies like Lumo, Grand Central, Heathrow Express, Eurostar and Hull Trains – with several more due to spring up soon.

Proponents say the availability of these other options increases competition which drives down fares.

But critics argue that the companies are simply taking advantage of a ‘false economy’, and it would be better for passengers if the large operators just simplified their timetables.

Grand Central managing director Ian Yeowart said: ‘It’s not only good for passengers – as whether (the operators) survive depends on how good they are and what their customers think – but there are no handouts from the government.

‘Like every other business, if people don’t like it and don’t come, it won’t survive.’

But Gareth Dennis, an engineer who writes about the rail industry, said open-access services should not be permitted in the UK because of the complexity of fitting the trains into already crammed timetables.

He said: ‘The argument on the Continent for open access operators is that they provide competition, but there’s no meaningful competition on a rail network that’s as saturated as ours.

‘What you need is a simple, repetitive timetable that moves huge numbers of people.’

Mr Dennis argued that the operators could charge lower fares because they use depots that exist for other companies and can recruit staff that had been trained already rather than training their own.

He added: ‘It’s a false economy really.’

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Best pubs, bars and outdoor places to watch Euro 2024 games in the UK

If you can’t make it to germany to watch the games live, you can still enjoy a great atmosphere at fan screenings across the uk, article bookmarked.

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From June 14 to July 14, football fever will sweep the nation with the UEFA Europen Championships taking place in Germany . And with that comes plenty of opportunity to cheer on your team alongside thousands of fellow fans

England and Scotland have both qualified for the Championship and with three group matches for each side plus the quarters, semis and finals, it will be hard to avoid the beautiful game.

Fan screenings are popping across the UK in cities from London and Liverpool to Exeter and Edinburgh , catering for both die-hard supporters and those who just love the international tournament spirit.

From giant screens and pumping sound systems to appearances from footballing legends and interactive shows, here’s everything you need to know to ensure you don’t miss a second of the action.

When is the Euros?

Hosted by Germany , the Euros kick off on June 14 with Europe’s top national teams competing for the coveted championship. Scotland will take on Germany in the very first game on June 14, while England’s first match in the tournament will be on June 16 against Serbia. The quarter finals are scheduled to take place on July 5- 6 with the semi finals on July 9-10 and the final on July 14.

Where to watch the Euros in London?

Boxpark wembley.

The outdoor shipping containers are erecting a big screen outside with space for 1,200 fans. You’ll be able to see the action in crystal clear detail on a giant screen with street food stands available should you start to feel peckish. Tickets start at £11.13, which includes one drink.

Tickets from £11.13, Boxpark.co.uk

Dalston Roofpark

Nestled in East London, the alfresco oasis of the Dalston Roofpark offers a unique venue for watching Euro 2024. There will be several screens dotted around the bar to ensure everyone gets a perfect view. The venue has a powerful sound system so commentary will be crystal clear, enhancing the immersive experience. As a further bonus, England legend Paul Robinson will make a guest appearance at England’s opener against Serbia.

Tickets from £12, Dalstonroofpark.com

Clapham Grand

Like a big screen? All Euros games will be shown on the Clapham Grand’s massive 25ft screen, so you’ll feel like you’re on the pitch with the players. But you’ll need to move faster than Jude Bellingham on the ball to secure tickets as they sold out during the World Cup. All standing tickets include a free beer or soft drink. You can also book a seated ticket or a box.

Tickets from £10, Claphamgrand.com

Peckham Levels

The popular South London hangout will be showing all of the England games across its rooftop bar and food halls. If you’re not a beer fan, you can book a table and pre-order carafes of wine or jugs of cocktails for your group. There will be five 65-inch TV screens dotted around the venue to ensure you can see all the action.

Free but must book a table in advance, Peckhamlevels.com

Between The Bridges, Southbank

Between The Bridges is a summer haven on the Southbank, nestled near the London Eye and the Hungerford Bridge. Perfect for football viewing, it will show the games on their massive outdoor courtyard screens which are surrounded by the best London street food and plenty of opportunities for grabbing cold pints at half time.

Tickets from £5, Betweenthebridges.co.uk

100 Wardour Street, Soho

The central venue will be showing all Euro 2024 England games on a giant screen in the downstairs restaurant and club. Make a night of it with a special menu including a bucket of beers (£49), buffalo chicken wings, beef burgers with cheese and burger sauce, hot dogs with crispy shallots, and veggie burgers with harissa mayo.

Tickets £5 including a free beer, 100wardourst.com

Circe, Waterloo

For a boujee place to watch the games, Circe is a 550-capacity rooftop bar near Waterloo station. Inspired by the mythical Circe, the daughter of the ancient Greek sun god Helios, this London hotspot offers luxe food with a Mediterranean feel, so you can settle your stomach with something a little classier than burgers or battered fish. The drinks menu is equally decadent with a great selection of bubbles and spritzes as well as summery cocktails.

Tickets £15 including beer, cocktail or sprits, Circesrooftop.co.uk

Where to watch the Euros in Liverpool?

Bierkeller liverpool.

For a lively party atmosphere, Liverpool’s Bierkeller delivers. There will be screens throughout the venue, catering to those who want to sit down and watch and those who want to play darts or shuffleboard but still keep an eye on the scores.

From £20 deposit to book tables, walk-ins also accepted, Thebierkeller.com

Gravity MAX Liverpool

Gravity MAX has you covered whatever the weather as they’re showing the big screen sporting action inside in their Social bar as well as outside on their roof terrace (which does have a retractable roof, just in case). The terrace will have a self-service draught bar so you can pour your own pint, while downstairs you can order comfort food like burgers, hot dogs and chicken wings.

Free to book a table, gravity-global.com

Revolution Liverpool Albert Dock

From pornstar martinins to penalties, Revolution will keep you well-refreshed as you take in all the nail-biting football drama on the big screen. The venue’s sound system will be broadcasting the live commentary so you know excatly what’s going on and hear every cheer and every gasp. The bar can hold 500 guests so it’s advisable to book in advance to guarantee entry.

Free to book tickets, Fixr.co

Where else can I watch the Euros in the UK?

The lawn club, manchester.

The Lawn Club brings the Euros to Manchester’s Spinningfields on their epic 13ft screen. Teaming up with Lucozade, the venue will be serving up pints and pitchers of cocktails in their ultimate Euro fanzone, showing every single game in the tournament. You’ll be sitting on a deckchair or a picnic bench whenever you’re not celebrating a goal.

Tickets from £20, thelawnclub.co.uk

The Cider Press, Bristol

The Cider Press is a friendly and welcoming pub on the heart of Gloucester Road, famous for their 32 draught ciders. It has eight sccreens as well as two HD projectors and will show all of the Euros games, even offering sports table service so you won’t miss a second of the action queuing for the bar.

Free to book, crafted-social.co.uk

Spark is an outdoor community space, home to some of York’s most exciting start-ups working in food, retail, and the arts. A big outdoor secreen will be erected outside and if you book a table for two, drinks will be delivered to the table.

Tickets from £18, eventbrite.com

Luna Springs, Birmingham

Head to Digbeth in Birmingham for one of the biggest Euros events in the whole country. Luna Springs is a huge event space with massive, HD outdoor screens that’ll be showing every England game, with a pre-match and half-time show to boot. There will also be live music and DJs keeping the party going long after the football has finished.

Tickets from £10, Designmynight.com

Belushi’s Edinburgh

Belushi’s in Edinburgh’s Market Street is an international sports bar that’s always packed to the rafters when a big game is on. Grab a burger and some wings, play beer pong and enjoy the match.

Tickets from £10, Belushis.com

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