London is on everyone’s list of places to see. Even the most novice travellers will tell you they want to see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, go to the top of the London Eye and see the iconic skyline from The Shard. Endlessly popular with tourists from all over the world, this fast-paced city is packed with places to go, things to do and sights to see – sure to overwhelm anyone, especially if you haven’t visited before. Here, we have put together some travel tips for those visiting London for the first time, to help make things a little easier.
This is one of the most important things to keep in mind while planning a trip to anywhere in England. London’s weather can be quite unpredictable. Locals are known to carry their hats, umbrellas, and sunglasses all around the year.
The city sees a large increase in visitors in the months of July and August as these are generally the hottest months of the year. Aligning with the school holidays, there are always lots of activities and events popping up around town in these months. So if you are travelling with a family, this is usually a good time to visit. If, however, you’re a solo traveller, group of friends or a couple you may be looking to avoid the crowd, September through November or March through April will be ideal.
This is one of the most important things to keep in mind while planning a trip to anywhere in England. London’s weather can be quite unpredictable. Locals are known to carry their hats, umbrellas, and sunglasses all around the year.
The city sees a large increase in visitors in the months of July and August as these are generally the hottest months of the year. Aligning with the school holidays, there are always lots of activities and events popping up around town in these months. So if you are travelling with a family, this is usually a good time to visit. If, however, you’re a solo traveller, group of friends or a couple you may be looking to avoid the crowd, September through November or March through April will be ideal.
Although staying in the city centre can appear more expensive, it can actually save you a considerable amount of time and money that would otherwise go towards travelling into the city. Essentially, by staying at the heart of the city, you will get to see more in less time. It also makes getting around so much easier because many of the main attractions are within easy walking distance or just a short bus or train ride away.
Before you arrive in London, its always better to get familiar with the public transport of the city to avoid wandering in circles at the tube stations. London has an amazing public transport system and the best option is to get a Visitor’s Oyster Card. The majority of people in London use their Oyster Card to pay when travelling on public transport as most operators do not accept cash. You can, of course, use a credit or debit card with contactless payments to enter and leave the stations, but keep in mind the overseas fees you might incur. Oyster cards are pre-loaded with £15 and will give you full access to London Underground and Bus Stations. If you’re visiting London soon, book your oyster card and get it upon arrival at WeKnow desk in all arrivals terminals at Heathrow Airport.
Although staying in the city centre can appear more expensive, it can actually save you a considerable amount of time and money that would otherwise go towards travelling into the city. Essentially, by staying at the heart of the city, you will get to see more in less time. It also makes getting around so much easier because many of the main attractions are within easy walking distance or just a short bus or train ride away.
Before you arrive in London, its always better to get familiar with the public transport of the city to avoid wandering in circles at the tube stations. London has an amazing public transport system and the best option is to get a Visitor’s Oyster Card. The majority of people in London use their Oyster Card to pay when travelling on public transport as most operators do not accept cash. You can, of course, use a credit or debit card with contactless payments to enter and leave the stations, but keep in mind the overseas fees you might incur. Oyster cards are pre-loaded with £15 and will give you full access to London Underground and Bus Stations. If you’re visiting London soon, book your oyster card and get it upon arrival at WeKnow desk in all arrivals terminals at Heathrow Airport.
There are a total of 40 commercial airports in England and almost countless private airfields – but it’s most likely that you will be travelling to one of the 5 main airports serving London. These are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, City Airport and Luton. If you’re planning to stay in London Heathrow, Gatwick and City Airport are the closest, all within 26 miles of the city centre.
Travelling to London is easy, there’s public transport from all airports, and you can buy tickets on the day. Keep in mind that families travelling with large suitcases can be a little difficult, and you will still need to plan your journey from the station to your accommodation, so you may want to pre-book a taxi. If you’re landing in Heathrow, WeKnow work in partnership with the airport offering the official, onsite fully electric car transfers. Book in confidence knowing that with our desks in the arrivals halls, it’s easy to find us and your booking is 100% secure.
There are a total of 40 commercial airports in England and almost countless private airfields – but it’s most likely that you will be travelling to one of the 5 main airports serving London. These are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, City Airport and Luton. If you’re planning to stay in London Heathrow, Gatwick and City Airport are the closest, all within 26 miles of the city centre.
Travelling to London is easy, there’s public transport from all airports, and you can buy tickets on the day. Keep in mind that families travelling with large suitcases can be a little difficult, and you will still need to plan your journey from the station to your accommodation, so you may want to pre-book a taxi. If you’re landing in Heathrow, WeKnow work in partnership with the airport offering the official, onsite fully electric car transfers. Book in confidence knowing that with our desks in the arrivals halls, it’s easy to find us and your booking is 100% secure.
There are so many things to do in London, and you probably already have a good idea of what you want to see. It is recommended to pre-book as much as you can before you arrive to ensure you get to experience everything. Especially in the busier months, tours and attractions get booked up quickly and the last thing you’d want is to arrive and find out you can’t get any tickets.
If you do pre-book your tickets, make sure you print them out before you arrive as many operators do not accept tickets presented on a mobile phone. If you are landing at Heathrow Airport, you don’t need to worry about this. We’ll print out your tickets for you, and hand them to you in your welcome pack when you arrive. Just visit our desks in the arrivals halls and one of our London Experts will make sure you have everything ready to go.
There are so many things to do in London, and you probably already have a good idea of what you want to see. It is recommended to pre-book as much as you can before you arrive to ensure you get to experience everything. Especially in the busier months, tours and attractions get booked up quickly and the last thing you’d want is to arrive and find out you can’t get any tickets.
If you do pre-book your tickets, make sure you print them out before you arrive as many operators do not accept tickets presented on a mobile phone. If you are landing at Heathrow Airport, you don’t need to worry about this. We’ll print out your tickets for you, and hand them to you in your welcome pack when you arrive. Just visit our desks in the arrivals halls and one of our London Experts will make sure you have everything ready to go.
Bus tours in London are the perfect option for a first-time visitor. Not only are they accompanied by audio guides in multiple languages, they also work on a Hop-on Hop-off basis. This means that you can get on and off from the bus at any of the designated stops all around London, completely at your own pace.
While London does have a fantastic public transport system, the routes you need to take can get confusing even for the locals. So, bus tours are perfect for knowing you’re staying on route, and you can always ask the operators questions about directions at any point throughout the day.
The buses stop near most of London’s top attractions as well as the free ones. The city is full of parks and museums which are a must for a first-time visitor, and don’t break the bank! Also recommended are some of London’s famous shops, whilst actually shopping there won’t be free, visiting them absolutely is. Our recommendations are Harrods (particularly at Christmas as the whole building is lit up with lights) and Oxford Street. If you’re a family travelling with children, don’t miss Hamleys, the largest toy shop in the world.
Bus tours in London are the perfect option for a first-time visitor. Not only are they accompanied by audio guides in multiple languages, they also work on a Hop-on Hop-off basis. This means that you can get on and off from the bus at any of the designated stops all around London, completely at your own pace.
While London does have a fantastic public transport system, the routes you need to take can get confusing even for the locals. So, bus tours are perfect for knowing you’re staying on route, and you can always ask the operators questions about directions at any point throughout the day.
The buses stop near most of London’s top attractions as well as the free ones. The city is full of parks and museums which are a must for a first-time visitor, and don’t break the bank! Also recommended are some of London’s famous shops, whilst actually shopping there won’t be free, visiting them absolutely is. Our recommendations are Harrods (particularly at Christmas as the whole building is lit up with lights) and Oxford Street. If you’re a family travelling with children, don’t miss Hamleys, the largest toy shop in the world.
Due to public health and safety concerns, some of our tours, attraction and theatre partners have made the decision to temporarily suspend operations. Please check the operators official websites for further information.
All transport is currently still in operation, and we will update accordingly should anything change.
We've taken the decision to close our physical retail stores at Heathrow Airport from Thursday 26th March until further notice.
While we have done everything we can to remain open, the health and safety of our customers, employees and communities are our top priority.
Please only travel if your journey is essential, but should you require transport our car transfers are still available for online booking.
We are taking all possible precautionary measures to ensure our drivers and passengers safety.
If you need any help or have any questions, you can check out our FAQs or you can always talk to our customer service team.
In the meantime, take care of yourself and each other.
