10 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO LONDON

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This list of the best tips for traveling to London, will help you prepare a getaway to one of the most incredible cities in the world, which we are sure, will surprise you and like you equally.
Known for its multicultural neighborhoods and leisure and cultural activities 24 hours a day, London is perfect for relaxing in the well-kept parks, looking for a bargain in the many markets, trying local and international cuisine, shopping in stores of all kinds , learn from its fantastic museums or visit all its most famous tourist attractions, among many other things.

Using the last two times we visited the city as a reference, the penultimate on a trip to London in 6 days and the last on a trip we stayed in for a month in the Notting Hill neighborhood, from where we wrote this travel guide to London, we have made a list of those that are for us, the 10 essential tips for traveling to London. We start!

1. What is the best time?

Although it's always a good time to travel to London, the best time is from May to September, when the weather is more pleasant and you can enjoy the maximum splendor of the parks. Keep in mind that rains in London are frequent during all months of the year and only the months of July and August offer more guarantees of not suffering them.
The winter months are short, cold and with abundant rainfall, which makes relatively inadvisable visit it if you don't want to spend many days visiting museums and covered enclosures, to protect yourself from bad weather.
Within winter, a good time to visit the city is at Christmas, when the streets are illuminated and the shop windows are decorated, creating a magnificent Christmas atmosphere.

2. Entry requirements and travel insurance

Pending the changes that Brexit can produce, the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, the entry requirements to London are limited to carrying the DNI or passport for Spanish and EU citizens. In any case if you think travel to London In the coming months, we recommend being aware of the news to know the new conditions to enter the United Kingdom, if Brexit is completed.
If you are from another country you can check the page of the British Embassy or the Foreign Ministry of your country to find out what are the mandatory documents and if you need a visa.

Another of the requirements to travel to London Very advisable, is to bring the European Health Card that allows you to have free medical assistance in public hospitals in the city.
If you do not have the card or want to go more covered for more exceptional situations such as repatriation, we recommend you to take the best possible travel insurance.

We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip. Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.

3. Money exchange

London, although it is a country of the European Union, has as official currency the pound sterling equivalent to approximately 1.20 euros.
To get pounds sterling, known as pounds, it is preferable to get cash at the ATMs of the city with your card, rather than changing euros at the exchange houses or bringing pounds from your bank in your country, something that in general will be more expensive for the commissions and the exchange rate they will make you.
To avoid paying commissions and having the change of day, we recommend using the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

Pound sterling

4 How to go from London airport to your hotel?

London has 4 main airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, all located just outside the city. From these 4 airports you can choose all types of public and private transport to make the transfer to the city center or to your hotel in the most comfortable and fast way possible.

Luton Airport: It has the Thameslink train that will take you in one hour to Victoria station and also you also have the Green Line, Easybus and National Express bus companies that take 90 minutes to reach the station and the taxi.
You can expand the transfer information in this post on how to get from Luton Airport to London.
Stansted airport: It has the Stansted Express train that will take you in 45 minutes to Liverpool Street station, Terravision, National Expres, Easybus buses, which will take you to Victoria station in an hour and a half and the taxi.
You can expand the information in this post on how to get from Luton Airport to London.
Heathrow Airport: You have the subway that will take you to Piccadilly Circus station in 50 minutes, the Heathrow Express train that takes 15 minutes to reach Paddington station and the National Express bus that leaves you at Victoria Station in 45 minutes.
More information in this article on how to go from Gatwick Airport to London.
Gatwick Airport: It has the Gatwick Express train that will take you to Victoria station in 30 minutes, the Easy Bus bus that is cheaper than the train, but takes about 90 minutes and the taxi.
More information about the transfer in this article on how to get from Gatwick Airport to London

One of the best tips for traveling to London and the most comfortable way to make the transfer from these 4 airports, which can be even cheaper if you are several people, is to book this private transfer, in which a driver with a sign with your name will be waiting for you at the exit of the terminal and will take you directly to the door of your hotel.

London taxis

5. Where to sleep?

If you go to travel to London In summer or parties and you do not want to pay very high figures in accommodation, we recommend you to book as many months in advance as possible although you have to keep in mind that hotels in London are quite expensive throughout the year, especially in downtown and in the most charming neighborhoods.
Our favorite neighborhood to find a hotel in London is Notting Hill, between the stops at Bayswater and Notting Hill Gate. In addition to having good communication by subway with all the tourist points of the city, you will enjoy a great atmosphere, especially in the street of Portobello and a great offer in restaurants and local shops.
Our recommended hotel in this area is the Garden Court Hotel, located near Hyde Park and one of the best value for money in the city.
Another good area to stay is around Victoria Station, where you will be well connected by public transport to the airport and to central London.
On our first trip to London we stayed at the Victor Hotel, a small family hotel with a good breakfast, located very close to Victoria Station.
If you go with a higher budget you can search in the downtown area between the streets of Oxford and Soho, or in quieter neighborhoods such as the exclusive Chelsea.
In case you want to save on accommodation, we recommend the Camden Town neighborhood or around Kings Cross station, places that are usually cheaper.

You can use this popular search engine to find the best hotel in London at the best price.

For more information you can consult this post about the recommended neighborhoods and hotels where to stay in London.

Staying in Notting Hill, one of the tips for traveling to London

6. Transportation in London

To the travel to London Keep in mind that the price of public transport and the taxi is quite expensive.
With this in mind, the best option to save money on the metro, bus and metropolitan train is to buy the Oyster Card or Travelcard. Choosing between one or the other will depend on the days you are in the city and the number of trips you take each day.
The Travelcard can be profitable if you are going to be more than 4 days, since it is for unlimited trips as well as being more comfortable by not having to recharge it while the Oyster Card is a prepaid card that allows you to save on simple tickets and has a maximum daily amount, after which extra trips are free.
If you have an contacless card, which does not charge you a commission, such as the N26 or the BNEXT, you can use it as if you had an Oyster Card, with the same prices and conditions.
You have much more information and details in the post "How to use the London Underground".

Another option is to use the typical London double-decker bus and use Google Maps or the boards of each stop to know which one to get on, although we have always seen this means of transport a bit more messy and slow.
The taxi, although it can be a good experience to get on one to see its spacious interior and the professional service they offer, is quite expensive, so we do not think it is a recommended option to use regularly in the city.

If you have little time in the city, it may be a good option to book this tourist bus with comments recorded in Spanish and stop at all the attractions of the city.

London bus

7. Places to visit when traveling to London

London has many places to visit such as markets, museums, monuments, parks, historic buildings, viewpoints and neighborhoods full of magical corners.
Among the most recommended museums in London and among our favorites are the British Museum, one of the most important museums in the world, that of Natural History, the National Gallery, the Tate Modern and Madame Tussauds, a wax museum with exact replicas to the real one.
You can combine museums with visits to monuments and historic buildings such as the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, the London Bridge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Picaddilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and the Palace Buckingham, with his famous changing of the guard.
And to relax after visits to museums and tourist attractions, there is nothing better than taking a walk through one of the most well-kept parks in the city such as Hyde Park, St James's Park or Regent's Park.

In addition to these visits, one morning you can complete it with one of the best markets in London such as Camden, Portobello, Brick Lane, Covent Garden, Borough Market or the beautiful Leadenhall Market, among many others. Remember that you have to check the schedule of each market since some only open all the positions determined days of the week.

And in the afternoon you can get lost in one of the most charming neighborhoods in the city such as Soho and Chinatown, Marylebone, Notting Hill or the exclusive Mayfair, all of them very different from the most touristic London, but which we are sure, will surprise you so much or more than these.

To put the icing up to date we advise you to go up to one of the best viewpoints in London such as The Shard, the Sky Garden or the London Eye, where it is advisable to book tickets in advance to avoid long lines.

In addition to visiting all these tourist attractions, London is perfect for shopping in shopping streets such as Oxford Street and Regent Street, shopping centers such as Harrods or neighborhoods full of original stores such as Soho or Notting Hill.

Remember that tickets to most attractions, except the museums that are free, are quite expensive so a good option to save on your trip is to book the London Pass that allows you to enter 80 of London's main attractions, Some skipping the lines. For more information about this card you can consult this London Pass post: how it works, what it includes and prices.
Another good option to save up to 40% on tickets is to book the London Explorer Pass that allows you access to 3, 5 or 7 of the city's main tourist attractions. In addition, this card offers great flexibility to choose the tickets we want from the 20 available attractions, until the last moment.
You can find more information about this tourist card in this post of the London Explorer Pass.

Another of the best tips for traveling to London It is to complete this list of the places to visit in London and this one of the best things to do in London.

8. Routes through the city

Prior to travel to London or leaving the hotel, it is advisable to prepare well the routes around the city to make the most of the time.
Depending on the days you have, we recommend between 4 and 6 days if it is your first trip, you can visit most of the city's tourist attractions.
A good option to include in these routes are these free tours in London or this complete city tour that will help you to know the history of the city by the hand of a guide in Spanish.
Based on our experience in the city we have made these personalized guides to not miss anything important in London if you have 1 to 5 days.

Tower's bridge

9. Where to eat in London?

Another reason for travel to London It is to try their varied international and local food, accompanied by a good pint of beer.
Some of the most typical dishes of London and the United Kingdom are:

Fish and Chips: fried fish and chips, the most famous and usual dish in the whole country.
English Breakfast: blunt breakfast with grilled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast, among other ingredients.
Sunday Roast: This typical Sunday dish consists of a roast of meat, accompanied by roasted potatoes, vegetables, yorkshire pudding (baked dough shaped like a bowl) and a meat broth sauce.
Apple Pie: hot apple pie.
Shepherd's Pie: minced meat fried with onion, peas, carrots and vegetables, covered with a layer of baked mashed potatoes.
Ox Wellington: beef tenderloin covered with pate, wrapped in puff pastry and baked.
Cock-a-leekie: white potato that is left in the oven for two hours and then opened in half and spread with butter, grated cheese or coleslaw (coleslaw)
Cornish pasties: empanadas with raw stuffing based on meat and vegetables cooked in the oven.
Banger and mash: sausage plate with mashed potatoes, accompanied by gravy sauce.

Among the pubs and restaurants where all these typical dishes and others specialized in international food are best eaten, are: Duke of Wellington, The Swan, The Red Lion, the Greek Kalamaras, the modern MBER, the Lebanese CERU, the hamburgers of Honest Burgers and the Indian Dishoom.

In addition to trying all these restaurants, we recommend you try the delicious Ben's Cookies in one of its many London stalls and Chin Chin desserts, which are simply perfect.

You can find more detailed information in this post about where to eat in London.

Fish and chips

10. Tours and excursions

To the travel to London With more days than usual, you can combine the essential visits of the city with one of the best tours and excursions in London.
One of our favorite tours is the visit to the Harry Potter studios, located about 30 kilometers from central London.
During the visit to these magnificent studios you will hallucinate with the great shooting sets decorated to the smallest detail and the original objects of the 8 films of this popular saga.
To get to the studios you can use a combination of metro, train and bus or book this comfortable tour, which includes entrance and private transportation.

Another of our favorite excursions from London is the visit to the prestigious university city of Oxford. In addition to visiting the most historical colleges of the city, we recommend you to walk the streets of the beautiful historical center, eat in a traditional pub and complete this list of places to visit in Oxford.
You can get to Oxford from London in one hour by getting on one of the trains that leave every half hour from London Paddington Station.
Another option to not miss anything and learn about the history of the city is to book this excursion to Oxford with a guide in Spanish or this one that includes Stratford, the birth town of Shakespeare.

The third recommended excursion is the visit to Stonehenge, the most famous megalithic monument in the world and a World Heritage Site.
To arrive by public transport, it is best to take one of the trains that leave every hour from Waterloo station, and in a journey of an hour and a half reach Salisbury and from there, take a bus that will take you to the train in half an hour. Stonehenge entrance.
Another way to get there is to book this guided tour in Spanish or this one that includes the beautiful cities of Bath and Salisbury.
For more information you can consult this post on how to go from London to Stonehenge.

Other tours and excursions recommended in London here.

The Hogwarts Express locomotive

Do you want to travel to London?
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The best hotels at the best prices in London here
Book the best tours and excursions in / from London in Spanish here
Book your Airport⇆Londres transfer here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here