Useful apps for United Kingdom: transport, maps, translation

The UK runs on a handful of apps, and none of them are hard to set up. The split is roughly: one app for London transport, one for trains, one for taxis, one for entry paperwork, and a weather app that actually understands British conditions.

For London, TfL Go is the official Transport for London app and covers Tube, bus, Overground, Elizabeth line and river services. Citymapper does the same job with a friendlier interface and works in a few other UK cities too. Both handle contactless fares and give live disruption alerts, which matter on weekends when engineering works close lines.

For trains, Trainline sells tickets across all UK operators and shows split-ticket options; National Rail is the official source for timetables and live running. Advance tickets are much cheaper than walk-up fares, so book a few days ahead where you can. Railcards (16-25, 26-30, Two Together, Family & Friends, Senior) cut a third off most fares and pay for themselves in a couple of long journeys.

For taxis, Uber, Bolt and FreeNow all operate in UK cities. Outside the big cities, licensed local firms still dominate and are best found by phone or a local app. Black cabs in London take contactless and can be hailed on the street.

The UK ETA app is the official Home Office route for the Electronic Travel Authorisation, required for visa-free visitors. Apply before you fly; it is not a visa and does not replace one.

Weather is genuinely useful here. Met Office gives national and local forecasts; MWIS covers mountain areas in Scotland, England and Wales with wind, visibility and cloud-free summit probabilities. Both are free.

Download offline maps for the Highlands, Welsh valleys and island ferries before you leave reliable signal. Coverage is good in cities and on main rail lines but drops in those areas.

Set up your eSIM or buy a UK SIM before you rely on apps at the airport. Free Wi-Fi is common in cafés, pubs, trains and stations, and most London Underground lines now have 4G/5G, but you do not want to be hunting for it on arrival.

Add a contactless card or phone wallet before you travel. Contactless is standard on buses, Tube and most rail, and it is usually the cheapest way to pay for a single journey.

If you are driving, add a parking app for the city you are visiting and check whether your route crosses a clean air zone or toll (London congestion charge, Dartford Crossing, M6 toll). Rules vary by city.