Your first 24 hours in London

The first day in a new city is mostly logistics dressed up as a holiday: getting from the airport to a bed, working out how to pay for things, finding a phone signal, and not doing anything that costs three times what it should. This is a plain guide to your first 24 hours in London, written by people who watch thousands of visitors walk out of Heathrow's arrivals hall every month — from the border to the hotel, and from the hotel to the first evening out.

Hour 0–1: the border and the bags

Have your ETA approved before you fly (who needs one and how it works). At the border, most visitors from North America, Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Europe aged 10+ use the eGates: passport on the reader, face to the camera, done. Bags come after the border, then customs, then the doors. Total time is typically 30–75 minutes from the aircraft. If someone is meeting you, they are in the hall beyond those doors, not outside.

Hour 1–3: getting to the hotel

Which London airport you landed at decides everything about this bit — "London" is on the name of six airports from 6 to 42 miles out (which airport am I at?). Your options from Heathrow, the one most first-timers use:

Rule of thumb: alone with a carry-on, take the Elizabeth line. Two or more people, or any real luggage, or landing after 21:00 — a pre-booked car is the same money and no thinking. Never accept a lift from anyone who approaches you in the hall (why). Full comparison: Heathrow Express or a private transfer?

Money: you probably don't need cash

• Cards everywhere. London is close to cashless. Contactless Visa/Mastercard/Amex, Apple Pay and Google Pay work in shops, pubs, buses, the Tube and most market stalls. Some small places set a £5 minimum for cards.
• Public transport: tap your own bank card. No Oyster card or ticket needed — tap in and out with the same contactless card or phone and the daily cap applies automatically. Each person needs their own card.
• ATMs: if you want £50 in your pocket, use a bank's machine (not the standalone ones in shops, which charge). Decline "conversion to your currency" when offered — let your bank convert.
• Tipping: 10–12.5% in restaurants when service is not already on the bill (check — it often is); nothing expected in pubs, taxis or for transfer drivers. Tipping in the UK.

More: money and your phone on arrival.

Phone: sort it before you land

An eSIM bought at home (or your carrier's roaming plan) means you have data the moment the wheels touch down, which matters for maps, the hotel booking and messaging your driver. Airport SIM kiosks work but cost more and take time you would rather spend leaving. Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted have free Wi-Fi that reaches the arrivals hall, so WhatsApp works before anything else does.

Hour 3–6: the hotel and the first walk

• Check-in is usually 14:00–15:00. Landing at 07:00 means five hours to fill. Ask the hotel to hold bags (they will), or book "early check-in" in advance if you know you will be wrecked. Surviving a dawn landing.
• Plugs: UK sockets are type G (three rectangular pins), 230 V. One adapter per device; most phone chargers handle the voltage.
• Look right. Traffic drives on the left; the road is painted "LOOK RIGHT" at crossings for a reason.
• First walk: stay outside in daylight and go to bed at local time. A river walk from Westminster to Tower Bridge, or Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace, does more for jet lag than a nap.

Hour 6–24: the things first-timers get wrong

1. Buying Tube tickets. Don't. Tap your card.
2. Booking a black cab "because it's iconic" for the airport run home. Take one for a short hop across town — that is what they are perfect for — and pre-book the airport transfer.
3. Assuming the pubs serve food all day. Many kitchens close between 15:00 and 17:00.
4. Expecting shops and restaurants to be open late. Most shops close by 19:00; Sunday hours are short. Restaurants usually stop taking orders around 22:00.
5. Standing on the left of the escalator. Stand right, walk left. Londoners will not say anything; they will just sigh.
6. Leaving the airport transfer home to the last morning. Book it now, while you remember which terminal you fly from.

A few useful London facts for arrival day

• Emergency number: 999 (or 112). Non-emergency police: 101. Pharmacies ("chemists") can advise on minor illness; Boots is the big chain.
• Tap water is safe to drink everywhere.
• The best time of year to come, and what to book ahead: season-by-season guide.
• Moving here rather than visiting? Arrival day when you are relocating · international students.
• Early landing, late flight or a gap between hotel and cruise: luggage storage in London.

Frequently asked by first-time visitors

Should I exchange money before I fly?

A little if it makes you comfortable; you will barely use it. Cards do everything.

Do I need an Oyster card?

No. Your contactless bank card or phone does the same job at the same fares.

Is it safe to walk around at night?

Central London is busy and well lit late; use the same sense you would in any big city. Licensed cars are the way home after the Tube closes (around 00:30 most nights; the Night Tube runs some lines Friday and Saturday).

How do I get back to the airport?

Pre-book a car with your flight number; it collects you from the hotel door at a fixed fare and you will not have to find a station at 05:00.

Starting the trip at the arrivals hall: book your airport pickup — flight number and hotel name. Or message WhatsApp.