Our daughter will be headed to London with her theatre department for 10 days in May. Any advice/good recommendations are greatly appreciated! Their schedule is pretty full so really I just need any info about important things for her to take with her or info on anything she needs to do before she goes.
-
Check with her phone carrier to see if her phone will work there, or if she will need to pay attention to where there is WiFi. If she can use it there, what is free/unlimited and what will she be billed for.
-
Let your/her bank/credit union know and any credit cards she’s taking know that she will be there. If there are big differences in charges for converting money, tell her which card has the cheap rate and to try that one first. If her cards have chips but she hasn’t set pins for them, she should do that too.
-
Is her phone designed for dual voltage? Then she just needs an adapter for the plug for re-charging. If it isn’t designed for dual voltage, she will need a converter.
What a wonderful trip! I’m sure she’ll have a great time!
I suggest that she download the London Citymapper and the Tube Map apps - very helpful for getting around. Here are a few other good ones she may not have: https://uk.urbanest.com/student-accommodation-london/best-london-apps-to-have-on-your-phone/
If her debit/credit card can be set up for contactless payments, do it.
Plug adapter(s) for phone, tablet, laptop
Never pay for anything in US currency, ALWAYS pay in British £. Dynamic Currency Conversion is a scam. The merchant or ATM has to ask first - they’ll make it sound good (so much easier to pay in US $ so you know what you’ve spent!), but you’ve left yourself open to a lousy conversion rate. The only one coming out ok is the merchant or ATM owner.
If she likes makeup/beauty/skincare, Superdrug and Boots have great stuff. Salli Hughes in The Guardian has great recs.
Pack some layered clothing… be ready for cool / damp or rainy. (Admittedly I have not been to London. It’s just general Europe / springtime travel advise.)
If she has some free time, she should try to go to an afternoon tea. She can google to find one.
I also do recommend for her to bring an umbrella or a light rain coat.
I just came back from Spain with D1 and her H. The temp was around 65 and rained off and on. She had a short puff jacket (I bought one myself because it was so warm and light) and a light rain coat over it. She was good for all weather.
All three of us had carry on for an 8 day trip. We didn’t have to wait for our luggage. On the other hand if your D is traveling with a large group, she may need to wait anyway.
Your D can take out cash at an ATM machine when she gets there, no need to bring pound with her. If she takes out too much she can always use it at her last meal or spend it at the airport.
She should be able to take uber in London.
Free walking tours are very popular in Europe. D1 went on few in Spain. It is a good way to get to know a city. The tour guide at one city told D1 and her H where to get the best tapas and drinks. At the end they tipped 15-20 euros for 2 of them.
I also think taking a bus tour (hop on hop off) is a good way to know a big city like London.
Thanks everyone! Great information so far!!
An Oyster card (pre-paid smartcard) good for tube, bus, some trains, etc, if she will be on her own for transportation at any point and doesn’t have a US contactless pay card. Lots of info on-line on how to purchase and use. Uber and taxi can often be tied up due to heavy traffic