Need To Know

London is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With lots of history behind it, I'm sure the oldest and most modern parts of it will amaze you.

The weather in England's capital is crazy, remember that it rains quite a lot so taking an umbrella with you is always a good idea. During winter it's pretty cold, so if you're going during those months make sure to take some really warm clothes with you.

Remember that they drive on the left side of the road, so be careful when crossing it!

In most restaurants tips are already included in the bill, so you don't have to leave extra.

London is a very safe city. However, you have to be careful in touristic spots with pickpockets.

One scam you have to be aware of: fake tickets sold for theatre plays, sold mostly on Leicester square. If the price is too good to be true, don't buy it. The TKTS booth is legitimate, so buy tickets there.

As it's a capital city, you'll definitely find something open no matter what time it is.

- Shops: they tend to open from Monday to Sunday between 10:00 and 19:00. Some in touristic spots open until later and some close on Sundays.

- Meals: lunch is usually between 12:00 and 13:30 and dinner between 18:30 and 20:00.

It’s pretty easy to move around London, you just have to choose your way!

The fastest way: public transport

The Underground, Overground and buses are part of the public transport system. The price of the first two depend on the zones you travel between, there are 6 zones in total and the city center is on the 1st one, generally being more expensive the more zones you cross. Buses have a flat fare of £1.50, no matter what distance you travel.

To get on the public transport you can either buy an Oyster card or use your Contactless bank card. In both cases, you have to touch in and out of the tube and it will deduce the fare of the distance you've traveled, and on buses you have to touch in when you get on. In case of the Oyster, you have to buy it in one of the stations (it costs £5 and it's refundable in some spots) and top it up with as much money you think you're going to use. Another option is to buy the Oyster Travelcards: a Day travelcard provides unlimited trips for the day. A 1 day Travelcard costs £13.10 for zones 1-2, a 7 day Travelcard costs £35.10 for zones 1-2, and the prices increase with more zones added.

If you're using your Contactless card, keep in mind that you can be charged transaction fees for non-UK cards and pounds will be converted into your local currency.

The most comfy & Panoramic way: Hop On- Hop Off buses

Perfect option for those who don’t like crowded tubes or buses. There are different companies that provide this service, I explain them in the next square.

- The Original London: they offer 24, 48 or 72-hour passes, with 6 different routes and stops on the main sights. You can also choose one of 3 walking tours and a cruise along the River Thames. The price goes from €40.22 per person for one day. You can read more details and buy the ticket through this link.

- Big Bus: it offers three different options. The Classic ticket valid for 1 day, the Premium valid for 2 days and the Deluxe valid for 3 days. All of them include a Thames river cruise (the classic only one way, the others with return option) and a free walking tour. They have 4 different routes. The prices go from €46.13 per person for the Classic ticket, € 53.23 for the Premium ticket and € 59.14 for the Deluxe ticket. You can read more details and buy the ticket through this link.

- Golden Tours: they offer a 24 hour tour and a 72 hour tour with over 70 stops along the city. You can choose to include a boat tour and a walking tour. The price goes from €40.22 per person for one day. You can read more details and buy the tickets through this link.

English is their main language, but as it's a cosmopolitan city you'll find lots of people from other parts of the world who speak other languages too.

Many books and movies were based in London, and I'm sure there are many more to come. Some of the best, in my opinion, are:

Movies

- Notting Hill

- Harry Potter 1 to 7

- Love actually

- The Bourne Ultimatum

- Paddington

- James Bond

- Sliding Doors

- Bridget Jones's Diary

Books

- Harry Potter by JK Rowling.

- Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

- A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens

- 1984 by George Orwell

- Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

PASSES TO MAKE THE BEST OF YOUR VISIT

There are different Passes you can buy to enter attractions and each has its own options, so you should check them out before choosing. If you read the descriptions and still can't decide which pass to get, send me a message and I'll help you with it!

- London Pass: you can get it for 1, 2, 3, 6 or 10 consecutive days. It includes access to over 80 of the most famous attractions such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge and The View from The Shard. You'll be saving up to 55% on the regular ticket prices, and some also include skip-the-line access. It offers a hop-on hop-off bus tour for a day and you can also choose to include transport by adding an Oyster card to the Pass! The price goes from €80 per pass for one day. You can read more details and buy the pass through this link.

- London Explorer Pass: with this pass you'll choose 3, 5 or 7 attractions from a list of 21 and it'll be valid for 30 days after the first use. The list includes St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Kew Gardens, Royal Albert Hall, Greenwich Royal Observatory and many more. The price goes from €69 per pass for one day. You can read more details and buy the pass through this link.

- Merlin's Magical London: it includes access to 5 different attractions: Madame Tussauds London, SEA LIFE London, The London Dungeon, DreamWorks Tours: Shrek's Adventure! London, and the Coca-Cola London Eye. Perfect if you're traveling with kids! The price goes from €74.52 per person. You can check more details and prices in this link.

There are many ways to get from Stansted airport to the center of London:

The fastest way: Stansted Express train

This train has two stops near central London: Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street Station, and each of them has good connections with the Underground and buses. It takes 36 minutes to get to Tottenham Hale and 47 to arrive at Liverpool Street Station. It departs every 15 minutes, 7 days a week. The price goes from € 27.80 per person. You can book one-way or return tickets in this link.

The cheapest way: bus

This bus connects Stansted airport with different spots of the city center and ending at London Victoria coach station. They depart every 15 minutes, all day every day, and it takes a little bit more than an hour to get to the final stop, depending on the traffic. The price goes from € 14.19 per person. You can book tickets through this link.

The most comfortable door-to-door option: Private Transfer

If you book this service you'll have a driver waiting for you at the Arrivals Hall to take you directly to your accomodation. The price depends on how many people there's in the group and the luggage, but calculate around € 124.59 per group up to 2 persons. It takes around one hour to get to your destination, depending on your hotel location. You can book a transfer through this link.

The other door-to-door option: Shared transfer

The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 94.62 for 2 passengers, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes. You can book a transfer through this link.

There are many ways to get from Gatwick airport to the center of London:

The fastest way: Gatwick Express

It departs every 15 minutes and it takes 30 minutes to get to London Victoria Station in the city center, which has good transport connection. The price goes from € 26.02 per person. You can book one-way or return tickets in this link.

The cheapest way: Bus transfer

National Express buses leave every day, every 15 minutes and get to London Victoria coach station in approximately 1.20 hours. The price goes from € 11.83 per person. You can book tickets in this link.

The most comfortable door-to-door option: Private Transfer

If you book this service you'll have a driver waiting for you at the Arrivals Hall to take you directly to your accomodation. The price depends on how many people there's in the group and the luggage, but calculate around € 166 per group up to 3 people. It takes around two hours to get to your destination, depending on your hotel location. You can book a transfer through this link.

The other door-to-door option: Shared transfer

The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 94.62 for 2 passengers, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes. You can book a transfer through this link.

There are many ways to get from Heathrow airport to the center of London:

The fastest way: Heathrow Express train

This train takes 15 minutes to get to Paddington station. The price goes from € 26.02 per person. You can book a ticket through this link.

The most comfortable door-to-door option: Private Transfer

If you book this service you'll have a driver waiting for you at the Arrivals Hall to take you directly to your accomodation. The price depends on how many people there's in the group and the luggage, but calculate around € 41.40 per person. It takes around one hour to get to your destination, depending on your hotel location. You can book a transfer through this link.

The other door-to-door option: Shared transfer

The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 53.64 for 2 passengers, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes. You can book a transfer through this link.

There are many ways to get from Luton airport to the center of London:

The cheapest way: Bus transfer

National Express buses leave every day, every 15 minutes and get to London Victoria coach station in approximately 1 hour. It has more stops on the way, such as Baker Street and Golders Green. The price goes from € 14.19 per person. You can book tickets in this link.

The best door-to-door option: Shared transfer

The cost depends on where you're going, but it goes from € 39.42 per person, and the time depends on whether the van is full of passengers or not, and if you're the first ones to be dropped off or the last ones, around 60-90 minutes. You can book a transfer through this link.