The cheap months, the free museums and lights, the transport caps, and the cheapest way in from each airport.
November, January and February have the lowest hotel and flight prices of the year, the museums are free and quiet, and the Christmas lights cost nothing to see. Avoid 22 December to 2 January unless you have to be here, use the transport caps, and put your money into one show and one good meal.
| Period | Hotel level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 20 November | Low | Lights switch on mid-month; markets open |
| 1 to 21 December | Medium | Everything festive is open; weekdays are calm |
| 22 December to 2 January | High to very high | Christmas Day has no public transport at all |
| 3 January to end of February | Lowest of the year | Sales, empty museums, cheapest theatre |
Alone with a small bag, take the train: Elizabeth line from Heathrow, Thameslink from Gatwick or Luton, the Stansted Express or a coach from Stansted. With two or more people and luggage, before 06:00, in the dark and the rain, or on Christmas Day when nothing runs, a fixed-price car per vehicle is usually cheaper per head than the express trains and takes you to the hotel door. Our prices include meet and greet, flight tracking, 60 minutes' waiting and all airport charges; see what the fixed price includes and the route pages for Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton.
January and February are the cheapest months of the year for hotels and flights, November is close behind, and the big museums are free all year. The expensive fortnight is 22 December to 2 January.
The national museums and galleries, the Christmas lights and Trafalgar Square carols, the Southbank market, the parks, the Sky Garden (pre-booked), Changing the Guard, the Thames path and the view from Waterloo Bridge.
A careful visitor manages on £65 to £95 a day excluding the hotel, a mid-range one £175 to £260. Transport is the easy saving: the contactless daily cap is £8.90 in Zones 1 to 2.
Alone, the Elizabeth line or Piccadilly line. With two or more people and luggage, or before 06:00 or on Christmas Day, a fixed-price car per vehicle is usually cheaper per head than the Heathrow Express and takes you to the door.
Terminal confirmed from your flight number, pickup timed backwards from check-in or tracked forward from landing, name board standing where you exit — London's entire airport system run the way it should have always worked. Sixty seconds books any of it.
Visitor guides: Best time to visit London · Things to do in London in winter · London airports guide
Further reading from our Medium blog