For many students, coming to King’s is their first experience of London. Students coming from conflict zones and international students may have never stepped foot in the UK before, and that can be extremely daunting. So, if you are one of those students, fear not! KCLSU staff have all gotten together to come up with the most important information you need to thrive in London during your studies!
Transport
Familiarising yourself with public transport in London is extremely important, and there are ways to make the process easier!
- Apply for a Student Oyster card and use it to tap in at train stations! You can save up to 30% on tube and bus journeys.
- Once you have a Student Oyster card, you can also get a Student Travel Card for unlimited travel. Get it specific to the zones you’re likely to travel (1-4 should be sufficient but there are different options).
- Also get a 16-25 railcard and link it to your Oyster card. This can be done at any train station and will give you even more savings on off-peak travel. Railcards also give you up to 33% savings on all trains around the country (and beyond!).
- If you don’t want an Oyster Card and would rather use contactless payment, then set up an Express Card (Apple Wallet) or an Express Transit Card (Google Wallet). These allow you to simply put your phone to the reader without having to fiddle with your contactless payment (or even unlock your phone), and they work when your phone is low on battery!
a) For iPhone
- Go to settings
- Scroll to ‘Wallet & Apple Pay’
- Scroll to Travel Cards > Express Travel Card
- Choose your preferred card
- Open Google or Samsung Wallet
- Go to settings
- Go to Express Transit Card (Google) or Transit Card (Samsung)
- Choose your preferred card
- Confirm and save
5. Learn the tube lines and what they’re best for!
- Central Line (surprisingly) helps you get into Central London very easily, e.g., Oxford Street, Marble Arch (takes you straight to Edgeware Road), and Holborn (takes you straight to Strand Campus, the British Library, and Covent Garden)
6. The closest tube station(s) to each campus are:
- Strand – Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines) and Temple (Circle and District lines)
- Guy’s – London Bridge (Jubilee and Northern lines)
- Waterloo – Waterloo Station (Jubilee, Northern, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City lines)
- Denmark Hill – Denmark Hill Station (Windrush line)
7. Keep in mind that the tube line map is a diagram, not a map. For example, Holborn, Covent Garden, and Leicester Square are all on the Piccadilly Line, and seem quite far apart on the map. But in reality, they are very close together and are walkable!
8. Get the TFL Go App and Citymapper App. These are mapping apps that are slightly different to Google Maps and Apple Maps because they are specific to travel in London. City Mapper can tell you specifically which exits to use at tube stations, which lines to take, and alternative transport.
Speaking of alternative transport, sometimes the tube is not the best way to get around London. It could be very busy (rush hour) or there could be a heatwave, making the tube unbearable (summer 2026 was not for the weak). So, it’s helpful to keep in mind the alternatives available for students.
- Use rentable bikes! There are several different options, such as Lime Bikes, Forest Bikes, and Voi Bikes. Each one has its own app, and they each have different pass options that allow you to hire a bike for a specific amount of time at a reduced price.
- Some buses have a hopper fare for £1.75 for one hour. This allows you to get as many buses as you want and capped at £1.75! Buses are a great alternative to tubes sometimes when they’re too busy and allow you to see London as you travel!
- Walk!! Almost everywhere in London is walkable. It’s a great way to get some exercise and explore London, while avoiding the difficulties of public transport!
- When walking make sure you look both ways, then look again, when crossing the road. This includes when crossing the road on Strand and Guys Campus. Cars and bikes can show up out of nowhere – cyclists are notorious for not obeying traffic lights. Stay safe!
- People drive on the left!
Transport Top Tip: Get to your platform a couple minutes before your train is expected, because trains leave earlier than scheduled!
Food
London has so many food options, and the food scene is one of the best things in London. But as a student you might want something quicker and cheaper. So, what is available?
- Keep in mind that not everything is halal, so make sure to check in advance or ask the staff. This goes for all dietary requirements too!
- Halal food spots near Strand campus include:
- Hiba Express – shawarma
- Leather Lane food market – market of different cuisines and types of food, not all stalls are halal, but most are
- Lebanese Grill
- Tesco and Sainsbury’s meal deals – not everything is halal so double check!
- Halal food spots near Guy’s campus:
- Lebanese Grill
- KFC
- Tesco meal deals
- Shah’s
- Halal food spots near Waterloo campus:
- Shah’s
- Tesco meal deals
- Make sure you sign up to a Tesco club card, Sainsbury’s nectar card, and Lidl Plus Card for extra savings!
What about different cuisines and sit-down restaurants?
- Edgeware Road for Arab food!
- Haringey for Turkish food!
- Brick Lane and East London for Bengali and Pakistani food!
Things To Do
Life is much more than just our studies, and where better to explore than one of the most vibrant capital cities in the world! London is full of culture and exciting activities so you can most definitely keep yourself busy!
- Most museums and art galleries are FREE. Explore!
- They also will have specific areas where you can chill, read a book, do some work, outside of campus. These are also FREE. Examples include:
- National Theatre
- BFI
- British Library
- Wellcome Collection Reading Room
- Don’t be afraid to try new restaurants and cafes on your own.
- Railcards give you discounts on activities, as well as trains! For example, you can get discounted tickets to London Theatre Week and enjoy a new show at a discounted rate.
- Local centres, cafes, and bookshops host regular events. Don’t be afraid to go alone, they are really good ways to meet new people with similar interests, while simultaneously exploring everything London has to offer. Keep an eye on those that are local to you!
- Explore the outskirts of London, not just Central.
- Parks are an excellent place to go for a walk, sit with your friends for a picnic, or even read a book on a bench! And…they’re FREE. Some of the best parks are:
- Richmond Park
- Greenwich Park
- Primrose Park
Things To Do Top Tip: Make the most of everything that’s free while you can!
Need support?
The Counselling & Mental Health Support Service ( CMHS) is here to support you. Their experienced and professionally registered counsellors offer free and confidential short-term counselling. They will prioritise support for you, to ensure you receive the support you need, when you need it.
Whatever you are experiencing, you do not have to face it alone.
Have a look at what we provide students here: Counselling & Mental Health Support | King's College London and you can play the Service videos to meet some of the team and find out how you register online to access counselling support: Counselling self-referral
Follow them on Instagram here: Follow us on Instagram
Miscellaneous
- A lot of medicine can be bought over the counter. For example, ibuprofen and paracetamol can be bought from any supermarket or pharmacy, along with cough medicine and Strepsils (and more). You don’t need a prescription for everything.
- You don’t need to carry much (if any) cash around, most places take contactless payments.
- Always bring both sunglasses and an umbrella. The weather is very unpredictable!
- There is always a mosque nearby.
Top Tip: Londoners are much more friendly than they’re given credit for. Ask for help if needed!
London is a busy city, with so much happening at any one time. For someone coming to study here and having never been to the UK before, it can be quite daunting. Hopefully this alleviates some worry and gives an insight into life in this city!
If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to get in touch at zeina.eweiss@kclsu.org !