Best eSIM for London

London was never planned: it is an aggregate of villages absorbed over centuries, which is why every district has its own centre, market and pub, and why the streets follow no overall logic. The City fits inside a square mile inherited from the Romans, while Greater London sprawls across 1,570 km². Three hundred languages are spoken here daily, more than in any other city on earth.

1. British Museum 🏛️ Culture

   Eight million objects, the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Marbles, in a courtyard roofed by Norman Foster's glass canopy. Entry is free, as at most major British national museums.

2. Tower of London 📍 Architecture

   A Norman fortress from 1078, in turn palace, prison and armoury. The Crown Jewels are displayed here and the Yeoman Warders, who still live on site, give the tours.

3. Westminster and Big Ben 📍 Architecture

   The neo-Gothic Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower, whose bell is called Big Ben — not the tower. Opposite stands Westminster Abbey, coronation site since 1066.

4. Borough Market 🍜 Food

   A food market documented since the 12th century, under the railway arches near London Bridge. British producers, cheeses, oysters, and a raclette sandwich that alone justifies the queue.

5. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens 🌿 Nature

   250 hectares in the middle of the city. The Serpentine, swum in year round, Speakers' Corner where the right to address a crowd has been protected since 1872, and Kensington Palace.

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  Visa Since 2025, an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is required for European and Canadian nationals. It costs £16, is applied for online, lasts two years and is usually approved within hours. A passport is required: national ID cards are no longer accepted since Brexit.
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  Voltage 230 V, Type G three flat-pin sockets. An adapter is essential from continental Europe or North America.
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  Eau Tap water is drinkable and good quality, if hard. More and more pubs and cafés refill bottles for free, a network mapped by the Refill app.
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  Pourboire 10-15% in restaurants, often already added as an optional service charge — check the bill so you don't pay twice. No tipping at a pub bar: you order and pay at the counter.
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  Argent London is close to cashless. Contactless works everywhere, including on buses, which no longer take cash at all. Many venues are card-only.
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  Santé No mandatory vaccinations. The European health card is no longer valid for EU visitors since Brexit, and the British GHIC does not cover visitors. Travel insurance is essential, since private care is very expensive. Pharmacies (Boots, Superdrug) give a lot of advice without an appointment.
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  Urgences Emergencies: 999 (or 112) | Non-urgent police: 101 | Non-urgent medical advice: 111

💡 London is expensive to sleep in but generous on culture: the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum and V&A are all free. A trip stays reasonable if you stay in zone 2 or 3, both well served by the Tube.