What should I pack for London?

The single item that separates London veterans from first-timers: a packable rain jacket that lives in your day bag. Not an umbrella — wind off the Thames turns umbrellas inside out on Westminster Bridge, and you'll see the wreckage in bins along the South Bank. London rain arrives as 20-minute bursts rather than all-day downpours, so a lightweight shell you can stuff into a backpack pocket works better than anything rigid. Layer for the temperature swings. Summer days sit around 18-25°C, which sounds mild until you step into a Tube carriage — the Central line has no air conditioning, and it regularly hits 35°C underground in July. Winter hovers around 3-8°C with a damp chill that cuts through cotton.

Walking shoes matter more here than in most European capitals. London rewards walking — the stretch from the Tate Modern across the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's Cathedral is one of those walks you'll remember — but the pavements are uneven, cobbled around Borough Market where the smell of fresh bread and roasting coffee hits you at 8 AM, and slick when wet. Trainers with decent grip work. Heels don't. If you're planning on the West End theatre district, smart trainers pass the dress code at every restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue and you won't hobble home through Soho afterwards. Mind you, London restaurants are relaxed about dress — even somewhere like Dishoom in Covent Garden won't turn away jeans and clean shoes.

Bring a UK Type G adapter — the three rectangular prongs that no other country uses. Your EU two-pin or US flat-blade won't fit, and the switches on British sockets trip up newcomers: you have to flip the switch ON after plugging in, or nothing charges. A portable battery pack earns its weight on Tube days — you'll drain your phone running Citymapper through the rattling Northern line, tapping in with contactless, and photographing everything from the South Bank to Greenwich. Pack one smart-casual outfit if you have theatre tickets or dinner plans in Mayfair; otherwise London is a jeans-and-layers city.

Skip packing these — they're cheaper or better bought on arrival. Boots and Superdrug sit on every high street, and their own-brand paracetamol costs about 30p for 16 tablets versus whatever you'd pay for Tylenol back home. Umbrellas run £3-5 at any corner shop when a burst catches you jacket-less. The one thing you can't easily replace on the ground: a good packable rain jacket. London shops sell plenty of rain gear, but it's fashion-priced — a Rains jacket at Selfridges runs £100+ for what you'd order online at £40. That said, the Primark on Oxford Street sells serviceable waterproofs from about £12 if you're stuck.