Before you go:

• 💳 Visa! The UK now requires Americans to request a visa to enter the UK. It costs £20 as of April 2026. Usually this takes <1 day but it says to give it 3 days to come through. Use this link to apply for a visa: https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply.

Weather:

In August, the average high in London is 73, but it can often go into the high 80’s. Lows are in the 50s. Days are long (sun sets around 9-10 pm) so things don’t cool off until late into the evening often.

Also air conditioning is very uncommon here, so if you think you’ll want that, check your accommodation before you book.

Currency/Payments:

• Currency here is the Pound. $1 = £0.75
• London is mostly contactless, although in Kent you may run into the need for some cash for cabs or more rural restaurants.

Transportation:

• In London you can take the tube (underground), buses, overground trains, or Ubers/Taxis. Contactless should be acceptable for all of these.
  • Citymapper and Google Maps are the best apps for public transportation
  • Use Trainline to book train trains across the country, or Southeastern Railway will be slightly cheaper for the train for London → Ashford
• In Kent, they do have Uber but there aren’t many drivers, so taxis have been better. These can be pre-booked or called for 15-30 min before you want to leave. Some are cash only. There are numbers for Kent taxis on the wedding website.

Communication

• If your phone carrier doesn’t have an affordable international option, I suggest getting an eSIM. With this you can have an additional UK number and data without losing your US one, but you can make local calls for free (will be helpful in rural areas).
  • Holafly is a good option
  • Be sure to check that your phone is compatible with eSIMs

I want to go elsewhere in the UK..where should I go?

Here are some of my favourite places:

1. London

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I’ve made a map of my favourite London restaurants, bakeries, museums and sights here.

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Areas to know:

• SoHo - aka the Theatre District. I think of this as central London because it is where so many restaurants and theatres are. Very, very busy.
• King’s Cross - a popular transportation hub, a little north from SoHo. Has it’s own shopping and restaurants but more recently renovated so has a fresh vibe. Where the trains to Ashford leave from.