London Travel Blog — Tips & Guides

Beyond Istanbul by Car: Bursa in a Day, Trabzon in a Weekend

Wooden guest lodges on a forested slope below cliffs in the highlands near Trabzon

Bursa is about 155 km from Istanbul and two to three hours by car over the Osman Gazi Bridge, so it works as a day trip. Trabzon is 1,050 km away on the Black Sea coast: fly the two hours, then use a car with a driver for Uzungöl and Sümela. These are the two …

The Old Bridge over the turquoise Neretva seen from a cobbled cafe terrace in Mostar's old town

Mostar is about 125 km from Sarajevo on the M17, the road that follows the Neretva river south. A car covers it in two and a half to three hours without stops. Add Konjic, Jablanica and Blagaj and you need a full day. Spring and early autumn are the best months to drive it. This …

Black Mercedes V-Class with chauffeur, Tripyana fleet, London

A Mercedes V-Class with a chauffeur seats up to 7 passengers and carries 7 cases in one car. Tripyana’s London rate is £55 per hour with a 4-hour minimum, or £460 for a full day. Fixed airport transfers cost £145 from Heathrow. It suits families, groups and cruise parties who want to travel together. This …

Two cruise ships moored side by side at a port, seen from above

The Southampton cruise terminal you sail from is one of five: Ocean, QEII, Mayflower, City or Horizon. Ocean and QEII sit in the Eastern Docks; the other three are in the Western Docks. Heathrow is about 70 miles away, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes by car. Your cruise line’s embarkation email …

London through the four seasons — spring, summer, autumn and winter

The best months to visit London are May, June and September, with highs of 18–21°C and long evenings. The wettest months are November and October, at 66.6 mm and 65.1 mm of rain. July and August are the warmest, with afternoons of 23–25°C. January is the coldest, averaging 8.4°C by day. This guide gathers the …

Private car with a driver in Istanbul on the run in from the airport

Istanbul Airport (IST) sits about 40 km north-west of Taksim. The drive to a central hotel takes 45 to 60 minutes in normal traffic. You have four ways in: a pre-booked private driver, an official taxi, the Havaist airport bus, or the M11 metro. Families with luggage do best with a driver booked before landing. …

Airport departure screens - check whether your Gatwick flight leaves from North or South Terminal

London Gatwick has two terminals. easyJet, Emirates, Qatar Airways and SWISS fly from the North Terminal; British Airways, Wizz Air, Vueling, Ryanair, Norwegian and Turkish Airlines use the South Terminal. TUI splits by flight number — TOM departs North, BY departs South. A free shuttle links both terminals in about two minutes, 24/7. Flying into …