When is it cheapest to visit London?

London is cheapest to visit in January, February, and November.

Peak season is May, June, July, and August, when rooms cost the most.

London seasons and room prices

London rooms peak from June through August and again from Christmas into the New Year. The London Marathon weekend in April, the Chelsea Flower Show in May and Wimbledon from late June into early July lift prices in their own districts, and bank holiday weekends push rates up across the city. The cheapest stretch is mid January through February, with early November, before the Christmas lights and markets, a close second. Business districts such as the City and Canary Wharf empty out on weekends, so the same room there can be far cheaper on a Saturday than a Tuesday, while the West End works the other way round.

London local costs and payment

The currency is the pound sterling, and London is close to cashless. Contactless is the default everywhere, buses do not take cash at all, and tapping a card at the Tube gates applies the daily fare cap automatically, so pick one card with low foreign transaction fees and use it for transport. Hotel prices are quoted with 20 percent VAT already included, and London has not charged a per person per night city tax the way Paris and Rome do, though a visitor levy has been discussed, so glance at the tax line on the booking page. Pay in pounds at checkout rather than accepting a conversion to your home currency.