Best Apps To Use While Traveling Around London
Check out the best apps for London travel, broken down by what you actually need them for.
Author:James RowleyMay 28, 20261 Shares21 Views
London is huge. Over 9 million people live here. Tourists arrive in the tens of millions every year — around 40 million visits were recorded before the pandemic years, and numbers have climbed back close to that since. Getting around without the right tools on your phone? That's how you waste half a day on the wrong Tube line.
These are the best apps for London travel, broken down by what you actually need them for.
Getting Around: Transport Apps First
TfL Go
Start here. TfL Go is the official Transport for London app, and it covers the Tube, buses, the Elizabeth line, Overground, and river services. All in one place.
Real-time departures. Live service updates. Step-free route options too. It's free and it works offline for maps once downloaded.
Citymapper
Citymapper is, for many people, better than Google Maps in London. It calculates walking, cycling, bus, and Tube combinations together — and it's almost unnervingly accurate about arrival times.
It also covers e-scooter and bike-hire options. That matters more in London now than it did five years ago.
Maps And Navigation Beyond The Tube
Google Maps
It still works well for surface-level London navigation. Walking directions around areas like Southwark, Shoreditch, or Notting Hill are reliable. But the Tube complexity is where Citymapper has the edge.
Use both. They complement each other.
What3Words
Less known, but very useful. London has some genuinely confusing addresses — especially in parks, markets, and large venues. What3Words divides the world into 3m × 3m squares, each with a unique three-word address.
Telling a black cab driver "///limit.verb.tiger" is oddly efficient.
Safety And Emergencies
What3Words (Again)
Worth repeating here. In an emergency in a park, large venue, or unfamiliar street, being able to give a precise three-word location to emergency services can matter a lot. The UK's 999 service now accepts What3Words coordinates.
VeePN
You'll constantly use public Wi-Fi in London. The problem: public networks are open. A VPN routes your connection through encrypted VPN servers before it reaches the internet.
VeePN is one option worth knowing about here. Using VeePN secure VPN, you can avoid data leaks when connecting through an insecure connection. You can also redirect traffic through VPN servers to bypass regional restrictions. A VPN is also useful on secure networks, as it offers anonymity and protects your digital identity.
NHS App
If anything goes wrong health-wise, the NHS App connects UK residents and visitors registered with a GP to medical records and services. For tourists, it's at minimum a useful pointer toward walk-in centres and urgent care.
Finding Things To Do
Eventbrite
London runs on events. From free gallery nights in Mayfair to warehouse raves in Hackney. Eventbrite aggregates a huge range, many of them free or cheap.
Filter by date and distance from where you're staying.
Time Out London
Time Out has been covering London since 1968. Their app and site list restaurants, exhibitions, theatre, pop-ups, and hidden gems by neighbourhood.
Their "Love London" section is especially useful for first-timers wanting curated picks rather than algorithm-driven results.
Money, Tipping, And Paying
Monzo Or Revolut
Both are popular digital banks in the UK. Either one lets you spend in London without foreign transaction fees—important if you're visiting from outside the UK. And yes, it's still important to use at least a free VPNwhen connecting to public networks and elsewhere. Digital security is always a plus.
Monzo has a coral-colored card that's become something of a London landmark in its own right.
Splitwise
Traveling with others? London expenses add up fast. A show, a meal, a day trip to Windsor. Splitwise tracks shared costs so no one's quietly resenting anyone by day three.
Eating And Drinking
TheFork (formerly ElFenix)
Reservations in London can be surprisingly necessary. Even on a Tuesday. TheFork covers a wide range of restaurants and often has discount deals for booking through the app.
Deliveroo
For nights in, or rainy afternoons that turned into evenings. Deliveroo is the dominant food delivery platform in London, with coverage across all boroughs.
Uber Eats also works well, particularly in central areas.
Language, Currency, And Accessibility
XE Currency
If you're travelling from outside the UK, XE gives you live exchange rates and a clean converter. The pound sterling moves against most major currencies — check before you spend.
Google Translate
Surprisingly useful even in English-speaking London. Menus in Borough Market's international stalls, signs in Chinatown, or just confirming what a British friend meant by "gutted." The camera-based real-time translation is the feature worth knowing.
Quick Summary
| Need | Best App |
| Tube & bus | TfL Go |
| Full routing | Citymapper |
| Walking maps | Google Maps |
| Events | Eventbrite / Time Out |
| Restaurants | TheFork |
| Privacy on Wi-F | VeePN / VPN for Chrome |
| Currency | XE Currency |
| Emergencies | What3Words |
London rewards preparation. Download these before you land — not on airport Wi-Fi. That way, even if your data connection is slow in the Underground, the essentials are already cached and ready to use.
James Rowley
Author
James Rowley is a London-based writer and researcher covering London life, cultural geography, and selected public figures across entertainment, sport, business, and public life.
For over 15 years, he has focused on verified sources, first-hand local context, and clear explanations that help readers understand both places and people more deeply. His work combines street-level London knowledge with careful research into career credits, media work, business interests, and, where relevant, transparently explained net worth estimates.
He writes every article published on London Webcam.
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