London Weekend: Days 0 & 1 – Getting There, Getting Settled, and Doing It Right
We’re no strangers to London, BUT every trip teaches us a little more about how to make the journey smoother and more enjoyable. If you’re reading this, think of us as your sidekick: here to help you
✈️ Getting There: United, SFO > LHR
We flew United to London, crossing our fingers for an upgrade on PlusPoints. No luck this time, which is typical for busy summer flights. (Good news: when we landed, one of us hit 1K, so future upgrades should get easier.)
At SFO, we popped into the United Club at the G gates. If you’re wondering, it’s not bad. The staff is excellent, the food is decent, but the space itself is dated and, as usual, packed. If you’re not set on sitting inside, it’s worth grabbing a quick bite at some of the other options at SFO. We picked Joe & The Juice, especially because United was still clawing back from its catering issues due to provider changes. While it wouldn’t have affected international flights, we just wanted to make sure we had a little more control.
Boarding was delayed due to a technical issue after the crew boarded. United swapped in another plane quickly, and we were on our way with only a 90-minute delay, which was not bad at all. The Air India crash news was breaking while we were still at the airport, which was sobering and made us quietly grateful to arrive safely.
The flight itself was smooth.
London Day 1: Getting Right Into It, The Perfect Way to Dust Off Potential Jet Lag
🛬 Landing at LHR T2: How to Make It Easier
We landed at Heathrow’s Terminal 2, a terminal we know well. Here’s the thing: the walk from your gate to immigration is long. At a relaxed pace you’re looking at 20–25 minutes. If you’re really moving it, you can shave it down to 15–20.
If you can, use the lavatory on the plane just before landing. The first few bathrooms in the terminal tend to be mobbed, and the ones closer to immigration are usually emptier.
Immigration lines depend on luck. We’ve breezed through in 15 minutes before, and waited as long as an hour and a half. This time, it wasn’t bad at 30 minutes in the staffed line because one of us couldn’t use the eGates. Helpful trick we learned (and will try next time): if you’re traveling with a mix of eGate-eligible and ineligible passports, you can ask to go through the family line. They might say no, but no harm asking. It’s usually much faster.
Oh, and as you exit, tucked off to the left is the arrivals lounge for United and Air Canada business-class and United Global Services passengers. Note this isn’t a Star Alliance Gold benefit, unfortunately. We didn’t qualify this time, but it’s actually a really nice perk if you do. There’s good food (the shakshuka is the standout), showers to freshen up, and they’ll even press two pieces of clothing for you while you eat. A great way to reset before heading into the city, especially if you’re arriving earlier in the morning.
🚇 Into London: Picking the Right Route
We’ve tested just about every way to get into Central London:
Uber or taxi: expensive (£80+) and often slower in traffic.
Heathrow Express: fast, pricey (£25+), and only gets you as far as Paddington.
Piccadilly Line (blue): older cars, but connects directly to King’s Cross/St. Pancras and the north and east.
Elizabeth Line (purple): modern, smooth, affordable, and reaches the heart of Central London.
We recommend the Elizabeth Line if you’re headed anywhere in Central London. The newer cars are a breath of fresh air, and it costs a fraction of an Uber (~£14 vs £80+). If you’re going farther north or east, like King’s Cross or beyond, then the Piccadilly Line might actually save you a transfer (and is even cheaper at ~£6). That being said, always check Google Maps when you land. It will usually give you the fastest option at that moment.
Give yourselves another 20–25 minutes to get to the Tube stations. Simple as following the signs but depending on bags, elevator and escalator traffic will likely delay you. And as always please Mind The Gap.
📍 A few tips for the Tube:
Tap in and out with a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees. No need for an Oyster card.
Escalators can be long. Lead your bag ahead of you so it doesn’t catch behind you, and stand to the right if you’re not walking.
Google Maps shows you walking routes inside stations, and those are almost always the most efficient path. Still, allow an extra 5–10 minutes if changing lines at bigger stations like Tottenham Court Road or Charing Cross.
We took the Elizabeth Line to Tottenham Court Road and walked a few minutes to Turpan, our go-to spot for Uyghur food.
🍜 Lunch: Turpan
Our friend introduced us to Turpan back in 2023, and we make it a point to come every visit because it’s warm, casual, and consistently good. We ordered beef qoruma chop, fried rice noodles with chicken, and Cokes. A touch saltier than usual this time, but exactly what you want after a long flight.
🏨 First Time at Great Scotland Yard
After lunch, we headed back to Tottenham Court Road, switched to the Northern Line, and got off at Embankment. From there it was a short walk to our hotel: Great Scotland Yard, our first time staying here.
Check-in was seamless, with a warm welcome and some nice little touches, like wooden keys, which we liked. The room on the 5th floor wasn’t large, this is London, but smartly designed, with a separate shower and toilet, clever hidden storage in the bookshelf, and a very comfortable bed.
A couple notes for fellow travelers:
The “fridge” is more of a chilling tray. Ask if you need a real fridge.
Tea selection was underwhelming. We always peek at the tea wherever we stay, and this was forgettable.
We’d absolutely stay here again. It’s comfortable, well-run, and feels tucked away while still being central.
🍩 Bonus: Bombolone Doughnuts
On our way out to dinner we stopped by Bombolone Doughnuts (21 Whitcomb St.). Honestly, we didn’t expect them to have much left — it was late in the afternoon — but luck was on our side. A large order had canceled, so they still had plenty of stock and even threw in a couple extra. Well worth the hype, and the pistachio doughnut is certainly the best thing on the menu.
We finished the night at Paradise, which deserves its own post, coming up next.
🤔 Why This Trip Was Pricier, and Why That’s Okay
One last note: we inadvertently booked during a peak period, a combination of our schedules, London Tech Week & the summer London Restaurant Festival (which we knew about), and the Trooping the Colour ceremony (which we didn’t know about). That meant higher prices and fuller flights than if we’d planned with more flexibility. That said, we still optimized with points and were happy with how it worked out. In fact, we wanted to be there during Restaurant Festival to give you the best reviewed trip. If you’ve got flexibility, you can definitely save more than we did by avoiding those weeks. And that’s also why you have us: so you can still get the best out of it even when it’s busy.