Contactless card payments are accepted almost everywhere in the UK, so cash is rarely needed. Download Citymapper before you arrive. It is far superior to Google Maps for navigating London's complex tube and bus network. Train tickets booked in advance through Trainline can be dramatically cheaper.
The London fintech on home turf: a fee-free pound card you tap on the Tube, in pubs and everywhere else in a country where cash has nearly disappeared.
Convert to pounds at the mid-market rate and tap like a local debit card, useful in the UK where almost nothing needs cash but foreign card fees add up fast.
These apps need data
Guac eSIM covers United Kingdom with plans from $1.50 per GB. Install it before you land and activate instantly.
How to Pay in United Kingdom