Tips & Tricks

For your stay in London

We are looking forward to seeing you all in London!

As (almost) everyone needs to travel to attend, we thought it would be helpful to add some general tips and tricks for your stay.

Choosing your accommodation

London is vast, and it’s easy to get confused by all the options the city has to offer. Here are some pointers which should make picking your accommodation easier:

  • We suggest staying north of the Thames River

  • We also suggest you stay within walking distance of an east <-> west running tube line, making travel to and from venues easier, but also makes connections to most major tourist attractions a breeze

    • These include: District Line, Circle Line, Central Line, and the Piccadilly Line (of course other options are available), so please ensure you take a look at how you’d be able to move across town.

  • Some neighborhoods you might want to consider include:

    • Kensington, Pimlico, Westminster, Islington, Soho, Hackney

Arrival in London

Most of you will arrive at either Heathrow, or Gatwick Airport, both of these will have great links into London via trains, some making local stops along the way, and others taking you directly into a larger London transit station.

The train links are great ways to get into the city, especially if you are travelling alone or as a couple, they are easy and affordable, allowing you to continue your journey to your accommodation by tube, bus, or taxi as needed.

However, if you are travelling in a larger group, with larger luggage, we would suggest considering an Uber or other car service. Depending on where you are staying in relation to your arrival airport, and how large your party is and subsequent luggage situation, it may be cheaper to opt for an Uber or other car service.

NOTE: When traveling to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airport, the ‘tap in and tap out’ system doesn’t always apply. Make sure for these longer train journey’s you have the correct ticket, as making the mistake could cost you steep fines, or being charged for the maximum daily rate for the distance you have traveled (significantly higher than the £8.40 discussed below).

Quick tip for traveling within London

All public transport in London allows you to ‘tap in’ using your contact less card or apple pay, there is no reason to get an Oyster Card.

Additionally, in London there is a maximum spend limit per day, once you reach said limit (est £ 8.40) you can travel as much as you want withing that calendar date. However, you will notice, that you aren’t charged until about 3 am the following date, meaning if you tap in and out of London transit 8 times in one day (reaching the daily fee limit) and only see a singular charge at 3 am for your full days travel.

It’s also helpful to use the CityMapper App rather than google or apple maps for navigating around the city’s public transport. They are the most up to date on departure times, disruptions, and efficient route planning, while also highlighting the the cost of each journey.