London was my second-ever international trip with my parents and brother when I was 16. The city felt larger than life, and I remember there being so much to do all the time. That hasn’t changed. So this spring, my husband and I packed up a couple of suitcases and headed to the UK from late March to mid-April. If you’re planning a trip to London in March or April (or anytime), this post has some tips to help you out.
What to know about visiting London
Here are some important things to know before your first trip to London:
Travel requirements for London from the US
Unlike most travelers from Africa, US visitors do not need a visa for the first 90 days of their stay in the UK. If you do need a UK visa and plan to visit Ireland, you’ll need to get a separate visa for that.
Is March a good time to visit London?
Yes, especially if you’re visiting at the end of March. I was very worried about traveling to London in March because I hate being cold, but it was actually really nice.
We visited from March 25 to April 11, and the weather got better and better the whole time we were there. Winter was firmly over, and we had many sunny days and a few rainy patches here and there. The daytime temperature never dipped lower than 48 F.
By the time we left in April, spring was there, and everything was starting to bloom. All the touristy areas were much less crowded than they would be in the summer, too.
What to pack for London in March
I love to travel light, and I knew that I could buy pretty much anything I needed in London, so my packing list for this trip was minimal but sufficient. I packed the following items (exact items linked):
- Puffer jacket
- Wool coat
- A couple of leggings (I like these Lululemon dupes)
- Warm wool socks
- Four sweaters (including this GAP one, this red one, and this leopard print one)
- This pair of Doc Martens
- 1 set of pajamas
- A couple of dresses
- A blazer and denim jacket
If you’d like a PDF copy of the full list, just pop your email in the box below, and it’ll come right to your inbox.
I wished I had a lighter trenchcoat when the weather warmed up in April, but better warmer than cold.
Getting around London
There are three main ways to get around London: trains (tube/underground or overground), buses, or taxis. We used all three and preferred the underground. It’s fast (no traffic), cheap (roughly £2.50 for most trips, compared to eye-wateringly expensive taxi fares), and pretty easy to figure out.
Google Maps makes navigating easy by telling you which lines to follow and which stations to get off at, so you only have to follow directions at the tube stations. To use the underground or buses, you’ll need a contactless bank card or an Oyster card. We prefer the Oyster and you can buy one for about £7 at any ticket machine (there’s one at the airport). Just top up your Oyster as needed throughout your trip.
🚞 Top Tip: You’ll see how much money you have left on your card each time you tap in or out at a station. You don’t have to tap out for buses–only for trains.
We used Uber, Bolt, and Black cabs during our stay. Bolt rides were easier to find than Ubers, while Black cabs were the easier (but pricier) choice at stations. London is such an easy city to navigate if you can walk, but many stations are also wheelchair accessible with step-free access from road to train.
If you like cycling, there are several city bike companies in London and you can rent a bike to get around. You’ll see many people cycling to work and about.
Where to stay in London
This was my greatest conundrum when I was planning this trip, and I found this post by Wheatless Wanderlust to be the most detailed (although a tad overwhelming). I recommend using it when you’ve narrowed down some areas you’re interested in.
What I found most helpful was figuring out some of my top activities and areas I wanted to see and then finding accommodations close to those areas. Although people say, “You can stay anywhere, the tube is great,” some areas are better than others, and spending one hour traveling is just a waste of time when there’s so much to see and do.
I’ll have a whole post about the three areas where we stayed and our specific accommodations, but I’ll just say we loved the Notting Hill area, Greater London, and North London, close to Camden. We also stayed in Westminster but found it too touristy for a stay.
My top tips for traveling to London
@afomastravels If you’re headed to the UK soon, you’ll need these top 5 tips for a smoother experience. I was so glad we traveled the way we did. What tips would you add? #londonlife #londontiktok #londontravel #londontraveltips ♬ son original – afomastravels
As you prepare for your first London trip, these are some of my main tips for having a stress-free trip and making the best of your stay:
Fly direct if you can: I avoid layovers wherever possible because they can be so tedious and make the trip much longer than it needs to be. If you’re like me, British Airways is probably your best bet since they offer direct flights to the UK. They’re also part of One World, so if that’s your loyalty program of choice, win-win!
Ask for help if needed: Naturally, we were pretty confused the first couple of days figuring out our underground lines and understanding how everything worked. We found Brits to be super polite and helpful (and honest if they really don’t know the answer).
Double-check your tube platform: If your country doesn’t have a train/underground system, it can be confusing to know which platform you should be at and which direction of the same train line you should be going. Again, Google Maps helps by adding your final station and platform number. Just double-check!
Choose a central location as your base: Being central made our stay so much fun! We planned our itinerary around where we were staying at any given time, which kept travel times to 30 minutes or less each way instead of traveling from one end of town to the other every day.
Book activities and restaurants in advance: Apparently, since COVID, a lot of London activities and restaurants have become very pro-reservations. We found this especially helpful for restaurants like Dishoom and Chishuru and activities like the Churchill War Rooms.
Bring/buy an umbrella: It’s going to rain for at least 30 minutes every single day so it’s great to have an umbrella or a jacket with a nice waterproof hood so you’re not drenched or cold while shopping or walking around. You can get some cute ones at Boots or M&S.
Eat at the M&S food halls: This might be very niche, but I LOVED the pre-packaged meals at M&S Food. The spaghetti bolognese costs £4, and you can order them on Deliveroo too. I was absolutely smitten!
Pop into at least one Boots store: My favorite thing about the UK is all the little franchises: Pret, M&S, and yes, Boots! Want some nail polish with your cold medicine, go to Boots! You might even run into Fenty Beauty lip gloss and some cold meals while you’re there.
If you’re planning a London trip, keep an eye out for my list of activities and restaurants/things to do in London soon! Have you visited London? What tips would you share for first-timers?
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