Best Free Apps For Exploring London

King’s Cross can be a pretty chaotic place with throngs of people rushing about and cars coming at you from all directions. However, arriving in London doesn’t have to be a stressful experience – these apps make it easier to navigate the city, and differentiate yourself from an everyday tourist.

Hype

Hype answers your question of “What should I do now?” acting as the perfect companion to explore London. The team behind Hype carefully curate the activities and recommendations suggested through the app, ensuring all content is relevant and up-to-date. You can customise the app to suit your preferences as well – create a profile, follow a handpicked group of urban creatives, build a personal list and above all, explore!

Available: iTunes

Do you ever find yourself in need of some caffeine, but mega coffee chains aren’t your cup of tea? Coffee(In) Touch brings together independent coffee shops in the vicinity on a map for easier navigation. Instead of hunting for a decent cup of coffee to fuel your jet-lagged haze, you can head to your nearest preferred establishment (based on filters such as WiFi and dietary requirements ) to load up.

Available: iTunes

OpenTable UK

Unsure about what to eat for lunch or dinner? Make life easier by searching for the best deals and booking them with OpenTable. With offers such as 50 percent off food at certain times and special set menus, it is almost a given that every meal in London will be worth your money. There are ratings, reviews and menus – everything you need to make an effortless decision.

Available: iTunes | Google Play

Citymapper

After using this app to navigate London, it is almost impossible to fathom commuting in the city without it. Citymapper calculates the amount of time needed to get to your destination, providing routes you can take either by walking, cycling or car. As well as suggesting the most time-efficient routes via public transport, it also tells you how much money you need to spend, or in the case of walking and cycling, the number of calories you burn.

Available: iTunes | Google Play

Santander Cycles

Cycling around London just got easier. The Santander Cycles app shows updated information on which docking stations have available bikes and spaces, as well as a handy map for you to navigate around safely. London is said to be expensive, but a full-day bike access fee for £2 is a great way to save some money.

Available: iTunes | Google Play

Kabbee

If you are in a hurry or it’s raining too heavily for cycling, Kabbee is the way to go. An alternative to hailing cabs on the street, Kabbee allows you to search through fleets and book a car to get you somewhere. Prices are calculated by distance and are fixed upon booking so you won’t have to worry about any hidden charges.

Available: iTunes | Google Play

The Culture Trip

Want to know more about local hotspots and what London has to offer in terms of food, art and culture? The Culture Trip app provides a simple way of getting up to speed with all things cultural, such as the most significant musicals in London’s West End or where the best pancakes are located. It has a good mix of recommendations and interesting trivia, all written by people living in London. Perfect for a quick read on your way to the city.

Available: iTunes | Google Play

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.