Use regional transport apps, carry a backup card, and check ETA rules before travel
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.
The broadest international ride app in the UK, with service across many Great Britain localities and Belfast.
A useful fare comparison in selected cities across England, Scotland and Wales. It does not cover Northern Ireland.
Books black cabs and private-hire rides in selected UK cities, including London, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Restaurant delivery and collection across the UK, with options determined by the entered postcode.
Meal, grocery and retail delivery with strong selection in London and many other UK cities and towns.
A major UK delivery option with restaurants and groceries in all four nations, subject to the exact address.
The UK's most commonly used smartphone app, useful for hosts, tour operators, friends and some businesses.
The default for UK addresses, businesses, urban walking and driving, with downloadable areas for reduced connectivity.
Detailed Ordnance Survey leisure maps, offline downloads and route tools for walking and cycling in Great Britain.
Multi-operator urban journey planning across London and many other UK regions, with live departures and disruption routing.
Transport for London's official planner for live status, arrivals, station facilities and accessible routes.
Official planning and live information for Northern Ireland's buses, coaches and trains, with selected rail tickets.
The official government app for travelers who must obtain electronic permission before boarding for the UK.
Useful for visitors who do not speak English and for interpreting Welsh or Gaelic text and unfamiliar signs.
Authoritative Great Britain rail planning, live trains, disruption, station information and fare comparison.
Convenient rail and coach comparison with digital tickets and split-ticket suggestions, but some UK bookings carry a fee.
Books long-distance coaches to UK towns, cities and airports, stores tickets offline and tracks services live.
Northern Ireland journey planning for NI Railways, Goldline coaches and the cross-border Enterprise train.
Broad UK restaurant discovery and reservations, with verified-diner reviews and live availability in many regions.
UK restaurant bookings with participating discounts and loyalty offers, strongest in larger dining markets.
A smaller reservation catalogue used by selected restaurants, particularly sought-after venues in London.
The UK's official forecast app, with rain maps, severe-weather alerts and specialist mountain and beach information.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
Post-Brexit EU roaming is the main trap: only Three still includes free EU roaming on prepaid, while EE, Vodafone and O2 charge around GBP 2 per day or GBP 10 per month extra, so pick Three if the UK is one leg of a wider European trip (and note EU SIMs no longer reliably include the UK either). 3G is fully shut down, so very old handsets won't work. Watch for advertised prices excluding 20 percent VAT or a roughly GBP 3 activation fee, and phones from the Americas may have limited 5G band support.
The largest operator, with the fastest 5G rollout and the best rural coverage. Also the strongest signal in the London Underground tunnels.
The data-heavy budget network, and the only major carrier still including free EU roaming on prepaid.
Strong city coverage and regarded as the best bet on intercity rail routes.
Balanced coverage, plus free Wi-Fi hotspots on the Underground and high streets.
The essential apps for United Kingdom are Uber, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Google Maps, Citymapper.
We've curated 22 apps across 11 categories for traveling in United Kingdom, including 9 essential apps.
Uber is the top-rated ride hailing app in United Kingdom. The broadest international ride app in the UK, with service across many Great Britain localities and Belfast.
Local taxi apps, lek cash and offline maps matter more than global brands
Public transport first, with city and Alpine tools that prevent expensive mistakes
Carry BAM, use local transport apps, and stay on established routes
National rail, regional transit and simple card backups for Belgium
Licensed taxi apps, city-specific transit tools and euro cash backups
Use SBB first, keep a card and francs handy, and prepare offline maps for the mountains
