Rover Saga

When visiting a new country it is always hard to know the know-hows without visiting first. Here are my essential tips for your first time in London and they are all you need to know before you leave for London.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post has affiliate links, so when you click on the links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

An overview over my tips for your first time in London

I have put a lot of information into this article, but you might not need all of it. Maybe you are not planning to see the traditional sights and instead want to visit the auction houses. You might have already decided on what to see, but here is some inspiration, some information and just the most necessary tips for your trip. But make sure to scroll all the way down for a hidden bous tip, or more like important information for your first trip to London.

1. An overview over my tips for your first time in London
2. To get around in London, do you really need an Oyster Card?
3. How to Navigate the different airports in London
4. The Booking Rule: Reserve Tickets in Advance
5. How long should you visit London?
6. Where to book your Hotel in London
7. Why you should not skip the buses in London
8. Bring comfortable shoes and walk the city streets
9. What should you see while in London?

To get around in London, do you really need an Oyster Card?

The short answer is no. You do not need an Oyster card in London when you are traveling on The Tube or bus anymore. Currently it is possible to pay your fare with your debit or credit card through contactless payment, you can also use Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Should you get it?
That is up to you, but there are some great advantages to investing in it.

Many small charges on your card. You might pay a pound or two for the rides, then imagine you ride the tube four to six times a day and maybe some bus rides, suddenly you have 10 charges to your card for that day. If you are looking for one specific charge later on, it will be a lot harder to find it.
Exchange rate. If you are visiting London for the the first time from a foreign country, your card will also be foreign and the transaction fee or exchange rate might be expensive. Then it is better to get an Oyster card and top it up.
Your card is not contactless? Most cards are contactless, but imagine if it is not or if it suddenly does not work. Then it is very good to have an Oyster Card, so you can at least get back to your hotel.

There is also a downside with it and that is that you have to pay for the card. Since you have to pay for the card and activation fee, you suddenly have an extra expense on your trip. However I would still get one as it makes for a wonderful souvenir and if you are planning to return to London, you can use it again.

Where can you get the Oyster Card?

You can purchase it at the major train stations, it is also possible to buy it while still at the airport, visitors centres and tube stations. If you buy it at a tube station it is by the ticket machines and you will pay the non-refundable fee there to get the card before topping it up.

There is also something called a Visitor Oyster Card. If you ask me, it looks cooler and makes an even better souvenir. You will need to order this one before you leave for London in good time. Because you will receive it in the mail where you live and you will be able to use it once you arrive once you topped it up. The non-refundable fee is the same for both cards.

What do I have? I have one of the regular Oyster cards. I used to live in London and had a student one at that time, when I later went back to visit my friends or with my family I just borrowed one of my mom`s ones. Somehow one disappeared, so I had to buy my own in 2026. I decided to buy one as I keep them as souvenirs and I know I will be back one day. I also dislike many small charges on my card, as well as the exchange rate was very high at the time when I visited.

Bonus information, but important!
When you enter The Tube or bus you need to tap in and tap out. While on The Tube you will not be able to leave before you have tapped out. However if you forget to do it while on the bus you will automatically be charged the maximal travel fee for public transportation. Though once is fine, but if you keep forgetting to tap out, these fees will soon eat up your travel budget.
So this is just your friendly reminder to not pack away your credit card or Oyster card before you are getting off the bus.

How to Navigate the different airports in London

London has six airports you can fly into. So I will take you through how to get into London city from each of the different airports. If you already know which airport you are arriving at, just click on it to start reading about how to get to London from it.

1. London Stansted Airport (STN)
2. London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
3. London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
4. London Luton Airport (LTN)
5. London City Airport (LCY)
6. London Southend Airport (SEN)

London Stansted Airport (STN)

The easiest and fastest way is taking the Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street Station, but it is also the most expensive option. You can book tickets online before you leave for London or after you have landed and collected your luggage. The tickets are available at the train station, so just start walking there and you will see the machines when you arrive.
If you want to purchase them online, you can do so here.

The other way is to take a bus from Stansted to London. This is also a great option and it let`s you choose out of more stops, where the mains are: London Stratford, London Victoria Coach Station and London Golders Green.
It also stops at London Liverpool Street Station and London Paddington Station, I think the reason these are not listed as mains is because it is not an end or start station. That is just my guess as it is over ten years since I took the bus from Liverpool Street Station. It is a very comfortable route if you prefer to take the bus.
If you want to look closer at the timetable and stops, you can do so here.

London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Compared to Stansted Airport, so is Heathrow Airport closer to the city and you can take The Tube into the city centre. There are two lines you can take, which is the Elizabeth Line and the Piccadilly Line. They will both take under an hour into the city and is cheaper than the Heathrow Express.

Heathrow Express is your fastest way into the city and you will arrive at Paddington Station. It takes about 15 minutes for the ride, but if you book within a short notice it will be more expensive. Heathrow Express costs between 10£ to 26£, you can purchase your ticket online here.

There is also the option of buses that goes from Heathrow to London Central. The price starts at 12£ and depends on the timetable.
You can look more at the prices and stops here.

London Gatwick Airport (LGW)

The Gatwick Express is the fastest option for your journey to London and it will stop at London Victoria Station. It takes about 30 minutes into the city and if you book your ticket with a short notice it will cost you around 21£. The tickets are also possible to buy at the airport, but you can buy them online here.

The other option is to take a bus from Gatwick to Victoria Coach Station. This will take around 1 hour and 40 minutes, but the starting price is at 6£. You can look more into the timetable and prices here.

London Luton Airport (LTN)

The Luton Airport Express goes directly to London St Pancras Station and takes around 45 minutes. The tickets start at just over 9£ and this is your fastest option to London. You can look closer at the timetable and pre-book your tickets here.

The cheapest way to travel to London from Luton is by bus. National Express is one possibility and you can check out their timetable here. It is also possible to take a Flix bus to London and you can have a look at their timetable here. The Flix bus does take a bit longer compared to National Express, just so I have mentioned it before you go to their booking sites.

London City Airport (LCY)

Located on the River Thames and within the city borders, you can not land closer than this. Like Heathrow airport, here you can take the public transportation into the city centre by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) before changing to the tube.

Because the airport is inside the city and if you are not staying at the other side, this is the only place I will say a cab might be an option as well. Though it will be a lot more expensive than traveling with the railway and change to the tube.

London Southend Airport (SEN)

The most direct route is to take the Greater Anglia train from the airport to London Liverpool Street Station. It will take about 45 to 55 minutes into the city centre. You can book the tickets here.

It is also possible to take a bus to and from the airport and it will take just under an hour with about 53 minutes. You can look at the timetable and prices here.

I will admit that London Southend is the only airport I have not landed on, so my knowledge here is a bit more limited compared to the airports I usually land at. The only reason for me not landing on London Southend Airport is that flights from Norway usually lands on three out of the six airports.

The Booking Rule: Reserve Tickets in Advance

While not all shows need to be booked long in advance, I can tell you that special events, opening nights and plays running for a short term will. There are always some seasonal shows playing or events happening, so if you are planning to visit them I would advice you to book them beforehand. There might still be tickets left, but to ensure you get one, book it in advance.

There are musicals running year round, such as Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and Les Miserables. The last one I visited was The Devil Wears Prada and it was great, me and my mom also got really good seats for it when we booked the day before. If you do want to do it like us, you need to be aware of a couple of things.
First is, not all plays run on the day you might be planning to see a musical. So it might be worth looking it up if there is a musical you really want to see, just so you do not plan it for one of the nights it is not running.
The second is, it might be sold out. The day off or the day before it might actually be sold out or it might not have the best seats left. Me and my mom find this a bit entertaining to do, but we have also been to a few musicals and if there is not one we like when we go to buy it near Leicester Square, we are good with that. So if you wait until the last second, be prepared for maybe chanching your plans.

You can book tickets here:
London Theatre
London Theatre Tickets

If not, do like me and have a bit of mystery of what is available for when you book the day before. It is kinda fun and a small excitement which might take you to an unexpected musical.

Another option is to book through Get Your Guide as I know they also has some of the musicals on sale on their site. If you already have an account here, it might be easier than creating a new account for a purchase that might only happen once.

Check the options Get Your Guide offers here

How long should you visit London?

London is a city that has a lot to offer, you can easily spend a week there and still not be bored. Many people travel to London for the first time for a long weekend stay or half a week. I would say 3 or 4 days would be perfect for your first visit, 2 days will also allow you to see a lot, but it might feel rushed or you will miss out on places within the city. It also depends on when your flight is landing.

Therefore I would say 3 to 4 days for your first visit. Of course 4 days will allow you to see more and maybe spend a bit more time at each sight and slow down the pace.

You already booked your visit for a week? No worries, London will have enough for you to see and explore in depth. If you want to get out of the city, there are some amazing day trips for you to do from London as well. My suggestion is Oxford or Cambridge as they are easy to get to and gives a very different vibe from London. There is also Stonehenge if you want a day trip that can potentially become a half day adventure.

You can book your tour to Stonehenge here

Where to book your Hotel in London

London is huge and there are so many things to think about once you are looking. Such as is it by a Central Line tube station, far from a tube station, easy to get to from the airport and what about the prices?
Too be honest, the prices will always be high within central London, but it is also where you want to stay. If you stay far outside of the city you will spend extra time getting to London and it will also cost more.
I would look at a hotels along Central or Circle Line. To keep the price down I would not look at hotels in the middle of London, but maybe right outside of it. I have a few regular tube stations I stay at and I will share them with you.

Queensway Station

This one is more because of it is where my mom loves to stay and now, so do I. It is just two stations down from the start or the end of Oxford Street and a direct line to Oxford Circus Station with just 4 stops. It is a genius place to stay and it is just one station away from the famous Notting Hill as well as close to the major hub Paddington Station.
It gives you access to both the Central Line and Circle Line. Queensway only has Central Line, but a two minute walk down the street lays Bayswater which has both Circle and District Line.

Here are some hotels to check out by Queensway Station:
NOX Hyde Park – Check availability here
Hyde Park Green – Check availability here
Comfort Inn Hyde Park – Check availability here

Liverpool Street Station

This is a major hub for trains and buses throughout London, but also for arrival from the airport. It is an busy area so you might prefer something a bit calmer like Queensway which is by Hyde Park. However it is very practical to stay near Liverpool Street Station as you will get easy access to Central, Circle and Metropolitan Line. Not far away is Moorgate station that will also connect you to Northern Line.
As it is a major hub, it is also more expensive to stay in this area.

Here are some hotels to check out by Liverpool Street Station:
Clayton Hotel London Wall – Check availability here
Great St Helen Hotel – Check availability here
Pan Pacific London – Check availability here

Holborn Station

Just one station down from where Oxford Street starts or ends. Holborn Station has two lines, where one of them is Central Line and the other is Piccadilly Line. Both very beneficial when getting around London. It is also not a long way to walk to Tottenham Court Road Station which also has the Northen Line.
It is also a bit more expensive to stay here, but it is cheaper than Liverpool Street Station and here you can say you are in the city centre.

Here are some hotels to check out by Holborn Station:
Grange Clarendon Hotel – Check availability here
The Z hotel Holborn – Check availability here
The Hoxton – Check availability here

Of course there are a lot more places and areas that are good to stay at. These are just my suggestions for your first visit, to help you stay near the tube lines you will be using the most during your visit. Specially if you are going to be seing some of the big sights. However if you are on a budget click here to see more budget friendly options that still has great access to The Tube and sights.

Why you should not skip the buses in London

Though the tube is very efficient in getting you near all the parts in London, you might have to change lines once or twice, maybe even three times. If you look at the buses they might be able to get you there with a more direct line.
Of course, you might be stuck in traffic in rush hours compared to the tube, but then you just avoid those 2 to 3 hours a day when it comes to buses or transportation at all. The Tube can also get very crowded and unpleasant in the rush hours.

But the great thing with the bus is that you get to see so much more, specially if you go to the second floor to sit down. The double decker buses are famous in London and just that makes it worth a ride with it.

In other words, some buses might save you from changing lines at The Tube often, while some will give you a view of the city you did not know you needed before you experienced it.

Bring comfortable shoes and walk the city streets

Maybe as a girl you want to bring your nicest and prettiest shoes. As a guy you might want to dress to impress and match the shoes as well. This is not uncommon, but if you are visiting for the first time it is smart to bring sneakers or comfortable shoes. There might be more walking than anticipated. Some things are so close to eachother or just a short walking distance so it does not make sense to hop on The Tube or a bus. This might in some cases actually take longer time than just walking and before you know it, you have walked half of Oxford Street, down to Carnaby Street and to Soho and Leicester Square. This is a lot if your footwear is uncomfortable.

This is the one mistake many people do when packing for their London trip, not bringing comfortable shoes. You can still look good and take care of your feets and legs. I will also let you know that many locals wear shoewear like this as well. Not all of them put on high heels and walk around, because many places in London you will be walking around on cobblestones.

And you should definitly plan in you itinerary to walk the city streets! You will see so much more as well as small hidden corners you would not if you only took The Tube or the bus, specially when you will be able to walk there in about the same time.

What should you see while in London?

When visiting a new place your family and friends will always ask about if you visited certain places, if you saw certain monuments and if you ate a certain food. Some places have some things that are just that well known and that you are expected to see and visit. London has a lot of those places and it will be hard to choose, but here is a short list of places. Here is a list of seven iconic places to visit, that I am sure you will be asked about at least one of them when you return back home after your travel.

Big Ben

One of the most iconic sights in the world and one of the first thing many think of when they hear London. Did you know Big ben is not the clock outside, but the big bell that is inside of the tower? Did you know you can enter the tower? No? Well, you can, but it sadly sells out so fast.

Book the tour inside of the Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben here

They release the tours 3 months ahead and they sell out so fast. If it is just a month until your trip, you might be out of luck with getting tickets to enter, but then you can enjoy it from the outside. People know the tower from the outside more than the inside anyway. Though I am sure it would be a cool experience to go inside.

Tower Bridge

Another iconic landmark in London and it is a must see. Maybe you think it is just a bridge, but inside of it is a museum as well you can visit. If you enter the museum, you will head up the towers and come even higher up and down on the other side after a walk across the bridge. Even if you do not enter, it is still worth coming by to see it or crossing it. Luckily there is a nother monument right next to it, so you don`t need to come just for a bridge.
It is also an experience to see it from the River Thames while you are visiting.

Get Your Guide offers many different tours for Tower Bridge here

Tower of London

Right next to Tower Bridge is Tower of London, the one place I always wanted to visit while living there. It ended up being the first place I visited when I went back for a vacation instead, depite living only a 15 minutes walk from it, but it truly lived up to my expectations. This is also where you can see the Crown Jewels and the ravens. It is said that if the ravens leave Tower of London that the British Monarchy will fall.

Have a look at the offers from Get Your Guide here

It is also possible to pay upon arrival, but there are many tour groups there and many people visiting. Personally, I would feel more comfortable booking my ticket in advance for Tower of London just so I can go directly to entrance.

Buckingham Palace

I will be honest, this is not my favorite sight as it is a fenced in palace, but it is very nice to visit one time and to have checked it off. I would suggest to visit St. James`s Park in front of it as well. In the summer it is very nice to relax there and while you stand on the small bridge crossing the pond you will be able to see Buckingham Palace.
If you have the time and possibility, you can see them change the guards there 3 times a week. If you want to make sure you see it, you can book guided tours, but this is an event you will need to plan around.

Book Changing of the Guard Experience at Get Your Guide here

London Eye

If you are near Big Ben or Buckingham Palace it is the perfect time to go on over to the other side of The Thames to see London Eye or maybe even ride it. Everybody I know, myself included, is happy to have ridden it once, but feels like it is a one time experience. The view is amazing and you get to experience another view of Big Ben. You can buy tickets when you arrive or pre-book package deals online.

Book your London Eye Experience through Get Your Guide here

The Shard

The Shard is the tallest building in the UK and the construction did not start before 2009, but it has quickly become one of the landmarks in London to see. It is also possible to visit and enter the building and see London from above. To enter The Viewing Gallery at the Shard, you will need to book them in advance. I have never been up in The Shard as I always forget to book tickets or that you even can enter it.

Book tickets to The Shard`s Viewing Gallery here

Piccadilly Circus

A quick photo stop at the neon signs of Piccadilly Circus is a must for your first time in London. You do not need to plan in a lot of time for this stop and it is perfect to combine before dinner in Soho or a musical. But it is definitly worth a five minutes stop to get that cool photo or video before you move on to your next adventure in London.

Mini tip! Do not stand right under the screen, but at the other side of the road by the Eros statue. This is where you see all the amazing photos from. You might need to take a minute or two extra due to traffic, but it is definitly worth it. Or maybe having a double decker bus in your photo will add something extra to it.

There is so much more to visit and see in London, such as Oxford Street, Camden Town, Little Venice, museums, Trafalgar Square and St. Paul`s Cathedral. A short visit will never be enough to cover every place to visit in London, which means you will have to come back one day. Too bad, right?

What food to try while in London?

These are four meals you have to try while in London. Though there is so much more to try and so many markets to visit. I would never skip Chinatown while in London, but here are four iconic foods for you to try before you eat your way through Chinatown.

English Breakfast

Do I need to say more? If your hotel has breakfast included they will definitly serve this and you will already have it checked off. If not do not worry it is easy to find. Most pubs will serve this and if you are lucky you can order it with a pint at the same time.

Afternoon Tea

This is iconic and there are so many places to try. Some of them are themed while others are on the more traditional side. Some of the themed ones you can find is Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan and Phantom of the opera. I have never been to exactly these ones, but they look amazing. Another themed afternoon tea place is on a double decker bus and it looks like a very cool and memorable experience to drink tea while you drive around London. Afternoon tea varies a lot in pricing and you can definitly find cheaper places than the themed ones, but I would think they are more fun, specially if you are a fan of one of the themes.

Book your Afternoon Tea on the Double Decker Bus here

Fish n Chips

It might sound plain, but I am sure your family or friends will ask if you had this and if it came wrapped in a newspaper. To spoil it, it is rarely served like that anymore. Most pubs in London also has this on the menu, if not there are plenty of places that specialises on just fish n chips. If you visit one of the markets, there is a high probability that there is a stand there for fish n chips.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Believe it or not, this is the national dish and not fish n chips. It is definitly worth having while visiting. This is not bar food, though I have seen one or two bars that does serve it, but your best bet is to visit an Indian restaurant. I am also not sure about the quality on the Chicken Tikka Masala at a bar, but if you see it and try it, please let me know how you found it. I will probably never order it even if I see it on a bar menu again.

If you are not sure where to eat or what, you can look at some guided tours and maybe inspiration will find you or maybe you will find a tour you want to experience.

Book a Food and Drinks tour at Get Your Guide here

Bonus Tip!
When you are eating out at a restaurant there will be a service charge. That charge is usually on 12,5% of the total of your bill. Sometimes it is higher and sometimes it is lower, but the standard is 12,5%. This will be noted in the menus as well, but it is good to be aware of this before you are in London and before you sit down at the restaurant and is presented with a bill higher than expected.
You should still not hold out on eating out, London has some amazing restaurants which is definitly worth visiting.

Related Articles