Everything you need to know if visiting London in 2026
Video Overview & Insights
If you're visiting London for the first time in 2026, there are a LOT of new things you NEED to know before you start your trip planning. I've been helping London tourists like you plan life-changing trips to London for over 10 years now and these are the things that you will want to pay attention to if you want to also have the BEST time exploring London.
Seems like some really good information here. I'm visiting London for the first (and likely only) time next April, after voyaging to England on the QM2. Really looking forward to it!
HUGE thanks to Walks for making this video possible! This is the company you should book with for your tours around London as well as Paris and other major cities in the Europe (they actually started in Italy!) Have a look at their London tours here: https://takewalks.co/3VVkQmE
Other London guide videos I mentioned:
i am going to london
All transport options for Heathrow Airport (and which to avoid): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIKvMuPPPZA&t
Transport options for Gatwick Airport (and one to avoid): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J_BVQQOrEk
Im going to London for the first time in September! I cant wait
The best areas to stay in in when visiting London: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg0bkvXArGQ
How to not get robbed when you're in London: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXUNlBkHTmM
Totally agree about not hiring a car. Driving in London is hell.
But if any USA visitors do hire a car then worth being aware of the two main differences. Yes, we drive on the left (as you've mentioned) but also there is no free turn on a red light. A red means stop and wait for green, regardless of what direction you're going.
♥️ MORE LONDON HELP ♥️ (some links are affiliated and help us keep producing these videos)
📗 Free London 101 Guide for first-time London visitors: https://goo.gl/Eh3HP3
I love the way u dress! Nice
📱 Get our ULTIMATE London Itinerary: (PDF guide, digital map, and more included): https://shop.loveandlondon.com/collections/itineraries?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=description+box+links&utm_term=101+guide
📍 Travel guides for London with Londoner-loved hidden gems, divided by area (The Casual Tourist Guides): https://bit.ly/3bgeRoj
Your videos are so helpful thank you!
💸 London Spending Guide (includes budget calculator spreadsheet, hotel recommendations and more): https://bit.ly/3OduFqy
🏨 Our top London hotel and apart-hotel tips and recommendations: https://loveandlondon.com/category/london-accommodations/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=description+box+links&utm_term=101+guide
I'll be flying to United Kingdom from the US. Are you from the US?
🚕 Pre-book your airport taxi: https://www.book-online-transfers.com/en/loveandlondon-airport-taxi
🚐 Book trains, coach buses and more around the UK and Europe via Omio: https://omio.sjv.io/c/1719972/409973/7385
I like being around Waterloo and Pimlico
📲 Get your phone connected while in the UK with an eSIM: https://tidd.ly/46kJQb7
❓Visiting London FAQs: https://loveandlondon.com/faqs-from-london-visitors/
Jess, you helped me so much when I visited in 2021 and now I want to go back!!!❤❤❤
About Love and London:
This channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, our founder Jessica Dante and our team show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch our videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.
Glad
More User Perspectives
You forgot to mention probably the most important thing. Avoid all the Cancer that is Islam
@TheSavageDinosaur🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
@Foodie_77823Why visit London? You can just fly straight to Pakistan.
@shaik-cd7luThanks for your sharing. God bless you.
@chingwheiIs traveling in the tube with luggage feasible?? are there elevators?? Or do you get stairs a lot?? traveling with my 70 year old mom with two luggage’s and planning to take the tube from Heathrow to London and then to our hote
@Rain26128I like how you keep saying we as you are British.
@saadibrahim8770Going to visit London next week, thanks, this video helped me the lot!😊
@ThisLottieShowThis video i really liked
@takamuzykaswiata8982Love London, it's one of my fave cities. Would move there in a heartbeat if I could... But I know that's a lot of people's idea which is why it HAS so many people 😂 and that it's so expensive
@oj1914Very nice ♥️♥️
@AmericanLifeUncovered851815% is a lot from 100 pounds its 15s extra liso 20 uss ( 30000 pesos) I think! anyways love your videos
@andyv172I stayed in Vauxhall London last week took your advice on some trips & had a great time!! So thanks!!👌🏻👌🏻
@JasonWelsh-l1sThanks so much!!!
@Kantaap18lallantaapGreat info! Will just be there for a few days to take the kids to Harry Potter experience (an hr out). Then taking train to Edinburgh. Is there an area that would be best to stay so we are closer to where we need to travel?
@audreyfitzpatrick1870How would you reccomend I travel from Polzeath to London??
@mfe3049I bought an adapter from Amazon that has the U.K., Europe, U.S. and Australia on it. Very convenient.
@carollewis3912A little late to the party, but concerning adapters and dual voltage: the issue with hairdryers in particular isn't actually the voltage, but the potentially different frequency of the electrical network. The UK (and Europe generally) runs on 50 Hz, while the US (and most of the Western hemisphere) runs on 60 Hz. Adapters don't solve this issue, but it's only a concern for devices with fast-running motors - those will hit the wrong speed and eventually break from that.
Or to put that another way: don't try running American hairdryers in Europe or vice versa. There's a reason many hotel provide them for you.
Please don’t bash people for wanting to rent cars there! We’re renting one because we plan to drive to Stonehenge rather than be stuck on an 8 hr tour. But, taking all the rest of your tips to heart.
@laurabenedictscott7291Is it worth going with my wife and my 2‑year‑old son in January? Can you still explore the city?
@nsammarcoThe areas we always stay in are either South Kensington (Gloucester Rd) or Earls Court.
@GusGus1996Great video, Jess! We are returning to London next month after having a great trip there last year. One issue I didn't hear mentioned, that goes along with which side of the road they drive on and looking for cars coming that direction and not standing on the left on escalators, is which side of the sidewalk you are supposed to walk on. NYC seems to have it pretty clear that you walk on the right side of the sidewalk, but Londoners seemed to be all over the place last time we were there. Is that the case or was there some rule not being followed where I was walking? And if chaos is the rule, could you please work on sorting that out before we return??!! Thanks!!
@ScottSpear-qn9ukI was 5 min. into this video before I realized she had absolutely no British accent!
@m.f.m.67I’m so disappointed that I only have about a day and half in London in April. I’m hoping to see the heavy hitters - Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s, Parliament, the Royal Mews, St. James Park, Some of the house like Spencer, Clarence, 10 Downing Street. We are staying right across from the Royal Mews, and I’ve been mapping everything! I hope we can see it all! Not sure I’ll ever be back.
@monicab28You mentioned places to stay in London and some are better than others for access to visit sites. What are your thoughts on Greenwich?
@twinchipI have like a giro debit card and i dont know much since i barely use it
Is it usable like do they accept it?
great info and its really usefull.thanks from Malaysia
@mohammadhafizidahlan5514Hi. I will be in London in April 2026 during St George's Day. Is it an event worth attending if I have the chance?
@patrickbilodeau1298Plz make video about Stanmore london
@shaheerkhan2424Heading back in May with wife and two boys. Can’t wait. Lived there for first half of 1997 and been back many times. This time we’ll hit some famous sites but also get out of the fist 3 zones to see some other things. 8 days helps. Staying right by Borough Market this trip.
@TFamUTI love going to London, went three times last year on my own although one of those was purely as a base for something else i was doing.
Already got two visits planned for the spring and one in the summer to see some cricket at Lord's.
If you love sport and theatre then London has something literally every day for you to see
My bank does not provide a service for ordering foreign currencies (which is just great) and tells me to go to a business called GWK Travelex, which is basically one of those airport exchanges which offer horrible rates. Google says 1 euro > 0.87 gbp rounded up and that GWK Travelex would only give me 0.78 which is a 11% loss haha. But thankfully my friend made me get Wise a while ago which i kinda forgot about😅 but now i made a digital card for my phone on there that is already loaded with GBP, and i was able to exchange it for 0.8635 (google is 0.8686) which is AWESOME so i highly recommend it to anyone that is planning on also going anytime soon that might see this comment <3
@starberry847I just got home from London, stayed in Soho, and the tube is so efficient. The wait is never over 4min for the next train. Traffic though is really bad, almost like Asia.I fell asleep on my way to the airport. If you can help it, always take the tube/metro. I bought vodafone physical sim and it was only partly reliable. Maybe e-sim would have worked better. The food in London is amazing, and by this I mean it's so varied and encompassing. I found baklava everywhere, ube at random open markets, satay and fish & chips in one place. Love, love...❤ I also got cash from the atm in the airport and never got to use it. Everywhere is cashless. I travelled solo, used a tripod to take photos outside Westminster station, in that red phone booth spot w/ the Big Ben background. No one stared.
@aileenpanes8110You look brown though
@Sab7maralHi, i would like to visit London by the end of March, is that a good month? Like too much raining, thank u
@michellego8214Ur videos r really helpful! Thank u :)
Can someone please recommend some Hotels in limited budget 😅 I am planning to visit London in April and i am kinda scared imma book any Hotel far away from Central . I would appreciate it 😊
Thank u in advance.
I'm having trouble deciding where to stay between a couple hotels. One is next to tower bridge and the other next to king cross station. I will be taking the Eurostar for a quick trip to Brussels during my London stay. So any thoughts on which is better? Will be traveling with a 5 yr old. Thanks
@hinope2524Thank you, Jess, for a LOT of great travel tips in your videos. Wish I had found "Love and London" before our 2022 trip. We're heading back for a shorter trip, this spring. Between my experience from the last trip and your well-heeled advice, it's looking to be a wonderful, well-planned visit!
@docschollI fly into Heathrow and stay in Huntingdon. Trains run I believe every 15 minutes to London, and it is less than an hour away. I stay two weeks and staying in London is just too expensive for that long of a stay. Flying To London from Atlanta in 17 days!
@jimkofron8638I love visiting London!!!!! Book things as early as possible… take the Eurostar to Paris… trains aka tubes are soooo efficient
@Cece7863Ma’am how the weather will be like in march this year? Will it be good for tourists?
@rupalishekhawat9531