Check your entry permission before departure. As of August 2026, many visa-exempt visitors need a £20 UK ETA linked to the passport used for travel, while British and Irish citizens and people with UK immigration status are exempt. England, Scotland and Wales share the National Rail system, but Northern Ireland uses Translink, so one transport app does not cover every journey. In London, use the same contactless card or device every time you touch in and out; switching between a phone, watch and physical card creates separate fare records. Each traveler aged 11 or older needs a separate payment method or Oyster card. Contactless payment is common, but businesses may choose whether to accept cash, so carry a second physical card and a modest amount of pounds. Call 999 or 112 for a life-threatening emergency. Weather changes quickly, especially in upland and coastal areas, and an offline road map is not a safe substitute for proper walking navigation.
A short-stay visitor does not need a UK bank or payment app.
Bring at least two physical Visa or Mastercard cards from different accounts, check their foreign-transaction and cash-withdrawal fees before departure, and add one to Apple Pay or Google Pay if supported. Contactless payment is widespread, but it is not compulsory for merchants and individual businesses may be cashless or cash-only. Keep a modest amount of pounds for small businesses, markets, tips and outages. At a terminal or cash machine, choose pounds sterling and decline dynamic currency conversion unless you have independently checked that its rate is better.
Visa states that the home-currency option can include its own exchange rate and extra fees. Prefer bank-branded or clearly marked free-to-use cash machines; the LINK Cash Locator identifies both free and charging machines. London transport has special rules. Each traveler aged 11 or older needs a separate contactless card, device or Oyster card.
Use exactly the same physical card or the same phone or watch for every touch, because the wallet token and plastic card are treated as different payment methods. Daily and weekly capping applies only when the correct sequence is recorded, and some premium services sit outside the caps. Revolut and Wise can be useful products if already arranged, but neither is required for paying in the UK and neither is worth opening just for a trip.
These apps need data
Guac eSIM covers United Kingdom with plans from $0.58 per GB. Install it before you land and activate instantly.
How to Pay in United Kingdom