Essential Apps for London Living

Essential Apps for London Living – Weather

• Download the Weather app for basic overview of the weather in London
• BBC Weather app allows you to search Greater London, but you can also get as specific as Greenwich or Wimbledon
• The Met Office Weather app includes video forecasts, sunrise/sunset times, ultraviolet forecasts, and even air pollution information
• Pollen dissects the kinds of pollen in the air to help you know what allergies to be on the lookout for
• Barometer is great for tracking migraines to the weather changes

Essential Apps for London Living – Navigation and Travel Apps 

• Apple Maps
• Google Maps 
• Many people say they live by City Mapper since it helps you plan trips and navigate around London
• The TFL (Transport for London) apps is great because it has a ‘status’ button where you can see exactly which lines or running or delayed
• TFL Oyster can help you avoid standing around the ticket machines in the station 
• Use Uber for a quick ride
• Gett, Bolt, Taxiapp, and Freenow are other great transportation apps to download to easily get to point A to point B
• Thames Clippers (aka Uber Boat) will help you explore London on several water bus services
• Santander sponsored bicycles app shows you where the nearest bikes are and how many are available
• Download Uber’s Lime, Forest, Dott and Tier for their quick bike trips
• Scooters app is for those who are more scoot than cycle! 

Out of London Travel Apps

• Nannybag helps you find a place to store bags. Safe locations, payment online, it is pretty easy to store luggage while on the go. 
• Trainline is one of the most user-friendly apps for train travel 
• The Eurostar app should be required apps for all Londoners. This train service helps you reach other popular European destinations from London
• LuckyTrip is a fun travel app. Put in dates and budget and let this app do the work. Let the dice roll and give in to the spontaneity!

Health Apps

• Built-in Apple Health app 
• Sweatcoin is a way to turn your steps into cash!
• The NHS has a general app where you can track your information. This can be a timesaver. 
• ClassPass has subscriptions that give you credits to use towards workout classes
• The ACTIO app allows you to book open-water swim sessions
• Treatwell lets you book a (last minute) haircut, massage, or other treatment at multiple salons and treatment providers around London

Passport and Immigration App

• MPC is Mobile Passport Control and is a quick way to get through the passport alone when you land in the US

Food Apps 

• OpenTable is one of the top apps for booking reservations
• TooGoodToGo allows food retailers to box up unsold food and offer it at a discount
• Tastecard app card subscription allows you to book and collect points for each restaurant visit. NatWest customers can get this subscription for free.
• Step: Your World app is a subscription to follow someone and then you can see their saved places
• Vegan Friendly app helps you see vegan food options 

Essential Apps for London Living – Going Out on the Town

• TodayTix is the go-to app for theatre tickets. The prices are affordable, the tickets are online, and upgrades happen automatically if the sales are low. 
• Stagedoor helps you book tickets in London quickly and easily
• Check out Tkts when exploring listings for different shows in London
• Fever and Skiddle are both great apps for finding things to do and booking tickets online 
• Eventbrite is still the OG for event bookings
• Lecture festivals, conferences, and concerts are all available for booking on it. Dusk is a new one on the scene. 
• Need the loo? Toilet Finder, The Toilet Map, and WC Finder are all apps to help you navigate where the nearest public restroom is. 
• Toiledy, an app with sounds to disguise your embarrassing toilet noises 

Household Errands Apps

• Housekeep is a great app for finding cleaners, handymen or other help around the house
• Helpling allows you to easily connect to others to book and manage domestic cleaners
• Love2Laundry or Ihateironing works with your local dry cleaners and laundry service providers to find you a collect and delivery option 

Learn Something Apps

• The Blue Plaques app by English Heritage helps you to find blue plaques linked to random people in London and read more
• Plaques UK app and Plaque Pro can shed light on who Richard Arkwright was
• British Museum
• National Gallery 
• Use the Royal History Quiz app to see if you know London history 
• Grim London explores the dark secrets of London with a map and stories of people who lived here before
• World-famous street artist Invader has created an app called Flash Invaders where you can snap photos of his mosaic art and get points 

Essential Apps for London Living – Loyalty Cards

• A true Londoner collects Boots points when purchasing their health and beauty products  
• John Lewis & Partners, a British department store chain, also has a loyalty card and they give you a free team and cake every month
• The Waitrose & Partners app allows you to create your grocery shopping list, track your order, book a delivery and more to make grocery shopping easier
• Download QuickChek to gain QC rewards and order ahead the next time you visit this convenience store chain   
• ALDI Shop & Go gives you entry to their grab-and-go store, and as you leave, your account is automatically calculated and charged 

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