The free things every first-timer should do
London's best museums, views and markets are free. Not cheap, free. Here is the canon, the lot you should not leave without seeing, none of which costs a penny to walk into.
A free day out, start to finish
A real route you can walk in a day, museum to river to sunset, and it costs nothing but a few bus taps and your shoe leather.
How London actually works
Three things that save every first-timer money and stress. Learn these on the train in from the airport and you will look like a local by lunch.
Just tap your card
Tap any contactless card or your phone in and out. No Oyster, no paper ticket needed. It finds the cheapest fare and caps your day automatically so you never overpay.
Zones 1 and 2 are plenty
Almost everything a first-timer wants sits in zones 1 and 2. You will rarely go further, and the tube map makes the city look far bigger than it actually walks.
It is closer than it looks
Covent Garden to Leicester Square is one stop and a four minute walk. Loads of sights are quicker on foot. Walk the middle, save the tube for the long hops.
Getting in from the airport
The single easiest place to get fleeced before you have even arrived. Here is the cheapest sensible way in, and what to walk straight past.
Piccadilly line
The tube straight into the centre, direct to King's Cross, Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Slowest of the three but a fraction of the price, and it counts towards your daily cap.
Elizabeth line
The modern one. Step-free, comfy, straight to Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Liverpool Street. Dearer than the tube but quicker, and our pick if your bed is near one of its stops.
Heathrow Express
Non-stop to Paddington and that is all, and about £25 if you just turn up. Only worth it booked 45+ days ahead (from about £10) or if someone else is paying.
Do
Tap in with a contactless card or phone on the tube, the Elizabeth line and the DLR. Same as a local, nothing to buy.
Pick the line that lands nearest your bed, not just the fastest. A direct train beats a fast one plus two changes with luggage.
Check which airport you are actually flying into. Stansted and Luton are an hour out, not round the corner.
Don't
Do not grab the Heathrow Express on the day on a whim. It is about £25 against £5.90 on the tube for the same city.
Do not take a black cab from Heathrow to the centre. It is £70 to £100+ and the train is there.
Do not follow anyone in arrivals saying 'taxi?'. The licensed ranks and the trains are signposted, the touts are not.
What tourists overpay for
For nearly everything they will try to sell you at the airport and on the strip, there is a free version that is honestly better. Here is the swap.
The neighbourhoods, at a glance
London is a stack of villages that grew into each other. Here is the quick map of where to point yourself, and what each corner is for.
South Bank & Bankside
The riverside walk, free galleries and the best people-watching. If in doubt, start here.
Soho & Covent Garden
Theatres, tiny lanes and street performers. The buzzy, busy middle of town.
Shoreditch & Brick Lane
Street art, vintage and bagels. London at its scruffiest and most fun.
Camden
Canals, markets and music history. Loud, weird and brilliant.
Notting Hill
Pastel houses, the Portobello market and a film you have probably seen.
Greenwich
Maritime history, a hilltop view and a foot tunnel under the Thames.
South Kensington
Three world-class museums in a row, all free, plus the grand gardens.
Hampstead
Village streets, the wild Heath and a proper escape from the city.
Where to stay without overpaying
The right base puts the free London on your doorstep and keeps you off pricey taxis. Here is where to book, who each area suits, and a rough idea of the damage.
South Bank & Waterloo
You can walk to half the free stuff on this site from here. You pay for that, but you save it back on transport and taxis you never need.
Bloomsbury & King's Cross
Quietly central, leafy squares, and the best-connected corner of London. If you are hopping about or coming by train, base yourself here.
South Kensington
Three free world-class museums on the street and grand, safe, leafy streets. You pay for the postcode, but it is a lovely first London.
Shoreditch & Hoxton
Scruffier, cheaper and a lot more fun than the West End, with markets and the best street food right outside the door. Our pick for repeat visitors.
Greenwich
Quieter, greener and cheaper, with a proper village feel and a riverboat into town. A bit further out, but you wake up next to a free hilltop view.
Stratford
Not glamorous, but ferociously well-connected and the cheapest beds on a fast line. Elizabeth line gets you to the middle of town in minutes.
Hotel, Airbnb or hostel?
Easiest, no faff, best for a short trip. Look just outside zone 1 for the same room a good bit cheaper.
Best for groups or longer stays, and a kitchen saves a fortune on food. Check it is a real registered place near a tube.
Cheapest by miles and London's are genuinely good now. Dorms or cheap private rooms, perfect if you are out doing the free stuff anyway.
Don't overpay to sleep here
You pay the most money to sleep on the busiest, priciest patch in Britain. Stay three stops out and tube in for half the price.
They look cheap then quietly eat your time and your fares commuting. A cheaper area on a fast line beats a bargain by the runway every time.
First-timer questions, answered
The things everyone wonders before they come. Short answers, no waffle.
Build my free day
Three taps and we will pull a free day out of our spots for you. Tweak it, open it in Maps, or hand it to Brolly to turn into a proper route.