Getting around central London

The single most important thing: do not buy paper tickets. Use a contactless card or phone, or pick up an Oyster card at any Tube station. Single fares on the Tube with a contactless card are capped automatically: you'll never pay more than the daily cap, no matter how many journeys you make.

If you're using a foreign card, check the foreign transaction fees. Many visitors find it worth getting a Monzo or Revolut card specifically for travel.

Gloucester Road station (District, Circle, and Piccadilly lines) is a 5-minute walk from the apartment. The Piccadilly line takes you directly to Heathrow in about 50 minutes, no changes. The District and Circle lines cover the riverside from Richmond to Tower Hill.

South Kensington station (a few minutes further east) is on the same three lines and is the closest station to the museums. Worth knowing the difference between the two when you're figuring out which way to walk.

Victoria Station is 7 minutes on foot: one of London's main interchanges, with the Victoria, Circle, and District lines plus National Rail services to Gatwick, Brighton, and the south coast. The Gatwick Express runs every 30 minutes.

Pimlico tube station (Victoria line only) is also a short walk. The Victoria line runs north to King's Cross, Oxford Circus, and Brixton. It's a reliable, fast north-south axis and one of the least-disrupted lines on the network.

London's red buses are slower than the Tube but often more convenient for shorter hops across the centre. Pay with contactless, exactly the same as the Tube. Bus fares are fixed regardless of distance, and a contactless card caps at the daily bus fare cap, separate from the Tube cap.

Useful routes from Pimlico: the 24 runs from Pimlico up through Victoria, Green Park, and Oxford Street to Hampstead. From South Kensington, the 14 and 74 connect to Fulham, Knightsbridge, and the West End.

Central London is more walkable than it looks. Many major landmarks are 20-30 minutes apart on foot. Walking from Pimlico to Westminster, or along the Victoria Embankment, or from South Kensington to the South Bank: these are genuinely pleasant journeys that most visitors take the Tube for and shouldn't.

Santander Cycles (the 'Boris Bikes') are at docking stations across central London. The first 30 minutes of any rental are included in the access fee, which is enough for most journeys. The app shows the nearest docking stations and which ones have bikes.

From South Kensington: the Piccadilly line from Gloucester Road goes direct to all Heathrow terminals in about 50 minutes, no changes.

From Pimlico: Victoria Station has the Gatwick Express (30 minutes to Gatwick). For Heathrow, take the District line from Victoria to Earl's Court, then change to the Piccadilly line westbound, around 60 minutes total.

Stansted and Luton are served by National Rail from Liverpool Street and St Pancras respectively, both about 45-60 minutes. City Airport is easiest via the Elizabeth line to Paddington, then the DLR.