Fly direct to London with British Airways and Singapore Airlines

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If you cant wait to reach the city of London then flying direct is your best option. Flights leave every day from Singapore. The two most popular airlines are Singapore Airlines and British Airways. A typical flying time would be about 14 hours. There are also many indirect carriers and some may offer lower air fares. Many airlines also offer special promotion deals during the low season. Some packaged deals with air and hotel combinations can also cost less than individually arranged trips. Packages are usually cheaper for a longer holiday (7 days and more) for a tradition destination  To search for the best prices, you can do some comparison shopping on Internet sites such as Kayak.com.

Singaporeans do NOT require a visa to visit the UK.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of Airbus A380 super-jumbos and these double-deck planes flight to London took off for the first time on 18 March 2008 to bring visitors to Britain.

Checked in Baggage allowance is 20 kg (for economy class) and 30kg (business class).

Within 7 days of your arrival, the SIA boarding pass also entitles you to receive discounts on shopping, dining and entertainment, tourist attractions and transport services.

British Airways

British Airways (BA) has been flying from Singapore for over 70 years.  In Singapore, British Airways works in partnership with Qantas and customers can benefit from a shared network and schedule, giving a wider choice of flights. 

Checked in Baggage allowance is 1 bag (World Traveler) and 2 bags (World Traveler Plus) . Baggage allowance is 23 kg per piece

BA holidays also offers airline customers a selection of hand-picked hotel, car hire, transfers and sightseeing deals which includes many promotion bonus such as free nights and car hire early booking.

Getting around

In a recent survey, London Heathrow airport has been voted the worst airport in the world for second year running while Changi airport remains the best in the world. Hence, it is definitely going to take much much longer than what you normally expected. My advice would be to take a plane that arrives during the off peak hours like 5 a.m. local time whereby the queue would normally be shorter.
 
Compared to Singapore's decade old  MRT, London's century old underground system (also known as the tube) is a lot more crowded, noisier and dirtier. You may even find mice squeaking and running on the tracks!  However, the tube system remains a cheap and convenient way of getting around central London.  From Heathrow airport, it costs £3.50 during peak times and £2 at all other times using the Oyster card (Singapore EZ link card equivalent). The journey typically takes about 1hr 15 minutes from the airport.

The longest London underground tube network in the world is also a  lot more complex than the MRT system in Singapore so get a tube map from any tube stations and bring it around while you are traveling.

The Oyster card can be used later on bus, Tube, trams, DLR, London Overground and the National Rail services in London. An additional advantage of using the pay-as-you-go Oyster travel card is the daily price capping for peak and off peak times applies.  Most of the major tourist attractions are also located within easy walking distance of a station.

The downside of using the tube is that occasionally there may be tube line closure due to planned engineering works so please check  and plan your  journey in advance. Many London underground stations also do not have elevators, so pack light helps you to be mobile or be prepared to lug your bags up and down multiple staircases.  Please note that Londoner always keeps to the right instead of left side  on an escalator and you will often hear the polite announcement, 'Mind the gap'



Bus fares cost about £1 if you use the Oyster card and £2 with cash but it usually takes longer than the tube due to frequent  traffic jams in central London.



One of the most painful part of a journey is getting to and from the airport., the Heathrow express train connects central London to the airport in about 15-20 minutes. This is extremely useful if your hotel is located near the paddington station.

The iconic black cab is probably the most expensive mode of transport in London. The cab fare to the city center cost at least £50 and the journey takes approximately an hour.

If you are student, bring your student card (ISIC - International Student Identity Card) to enjoy various discounts (e.g. transport - rail)

Remember to also bring along a good pair of walking shoes because walking is possibly the best way to see and enjoy London.  A copy of London A-Z (street directory available at newsstands and bookshops) provides a good map of the city center and may well worth the investment.

Hiring a car

Roads in the countryside are good for cruising and well signposted although a little narrow at times. Being able to drive on the left-hand side of the road makes it a lot easier as well. Singapore driving license is considered to be valid  equivalent and can be used to exchange British license without taking the driving test. Please note you will need to pay congestion charge of £8 (similar to the Singapore ERP system) when driving in Central London within the define zone during the peak hours from Monday to Friday.  Traffic congestion in central London is very common and also remember to watch out for kamikaze cyclists at all times. Parking is expensive and sometimes difficult to find.

Cycling

It is easy to get around central London with a bicycle as most roads having designated cycling path and help reduce your carbon footprint.  But cycling on London roads are not for the reckless or inexperienced cyclists,

Where to stay

Besides airfare, hotel accommodations are likely will hit your wallet the most. That's why staying with a family or a friend as a free guest is an increasing popular option with Singaporeans wanting to experience the real London life and means you will have more money left to spend on shopping and food. If not, staying in a rental home can reduce significant costs and often with a kitchen, it can help save meal costs.

The hotels follows the Enjoy England (the official tourist board) "star" rating system which is measured based on the facilities available at the hotel rather than the quality of stay and service you are likely to receive. Walk-ins rates are usually the most expensive so please remember to book your hotels in advance.Great value hotel chains (Budget hotels) like Travelodge offers saver rooms for as little as £19 a night  if you book in advance. Premier inn is the more upmarket but no-frills hotel that offers a good night sleep from £55- 65. The cheaper at weekend rate usually applies in most hotel chains.

Iconic hotels
Claridges 
Ritz
Savoy

Singapore hotels


Royal garden
Millennium Gloucester

Victorian hotel
Hotel Russell

Chain hotels
Holiday Inn

Budget hotel

Travelodge
Hoxton
Premier travel Inn

Hostels
Youth Hostel Association (YHA)

You can also send us an email  so that we can send you more accommodation guide and  details or even get a good discount for you.

Side trip - Paris

Take the international high speed rail Eurostar from Kings Cross St Pancras station (ranked one of the most beautiful train station in the world for its Victorian Gothic masterpiece) to Paris or Brussels in less than three hours. Paris is the city of romance and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In this capital, there is so much going on. If you book early, you can get return trip ticket for as little as £59 or less during special promotion period.

Talk is cheap

The country's telecoms providers are in fierce competition with each other to offer and this is great news for people.  The main operators includes BT, O2, Orange, Vodafone and Virgin mobile.

There are also operator services providing low-cost international mobile calls.. These operators buy minutes from more traditional operators and re-sell them as their own, providing an almost local rate for an international call. Some offer just 1/2p a minute if you call a local UK phone back to Singapore.

VOIP
While phone calls, especially international calls, could be expensive, go for a web telephony tool like Skype and call through internet to save cash if you enjoy long conversation with your family about your Uk trip. Though the quality and reliability of certain VoIP services isn’t that great, and the savings to be made aren’t substantial to continue using them.