England
London
Away-day guide
London offers unmatched flight and rail choice but is expensive, sprawling and slow to cross, so choose accommodation for the ground rather than simply booking the cheapest central bed. Contactless transport makes a weekend straightforward, while planning the correct station and away pub matters more than it does in most cities.
Public transport
Use contactless payment or Oyster on the Underground, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, London buses, trams and most local National Rail journeys. Tap in and out on rail services; on buses and trams, tap only when boarding. Each traveller needs a separate card or device, and switching between a physical card and the same card in a phone wallet breaks the daily cap. Pay as you go automatically caps spending by zone, so it is normally better value and less hassle than buying a paper Day Travelcard. Weekly contactless caps run Monday to Sunday, which is less useful for a short trip spanning two weeks. TfL Go is best for official live status and step-free routes; Citymapper is useful for comparing Tube, bus and walking options. Night buses run after the Tube closes, while the Night Tube operates on selected lines on Friday and Saturday nights. Airport expresses and some journeys beyond the contactless area have separate fares, so check before boarding.
Typical prices
- Beer (0.5L)
- GBP 6.5
- Coffee
- GBP 3.8
- Meal, mid-range
- GBP 22
- Taxi from airport
- GBP 85
- Single transit ticket
- GBP 3
✈ Airports & cheaper alternatives
- Heathrow Airport LHR primary 24 km Take the Elizabeth line to Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon or Liverpool Street in roughly 30–45 minutes. The Piccadilly line reaches central London in about 50–60 minutes. Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes to Paddington but costs considerably more. London's main airport, with the widest choice of flights. The Piccadilly line is slow but usually the cheapest transfer; the Elizabeth line is quicker.
- Gatwick Airport LGW alternative 45 km Thameslink runs to London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras; Southern serves Victoria. Allow roughly 30–50 minutes, depending on the train and destination. Often competitive for European flights and reasonably straightforward despite being well outside London.
- London Stansted Airport STN alternative 56 km Stansted Express runs to Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street, taking about 50 minutes to Liverpool Street. Airport coaches serve Stratford, Liverpool Street and Victoria but are vulnerable to traffic. A major low-cost base, but the transfer can wipe out some of the saving. Check return-train times after evening matches.
- London Luton Airport LTN alternative 55 km Use the Luton DART to Luton Airport Parkway, then Thameslink or the Luton Airport Express towards St Pancras. Allow around 40–55 minutes overall to central London. Frequently cheap for low-cost flights, though the airport transfer has two stages and can be awkward with a large group.
- London City Airport LCY alternative 14 km The DLR runs directly from the terminal to Canning Town, Stratford and Bank connections. Bank is roughly 20–25 minutes away. The easiest airport for central and east London, but flights are often dearer and the route network is smaller.
- London Southend Airport SEN alternative 64 km Greater Anglia trains run from the airport station to Stratford and Liverpool Street. Allow roughly 50–65 minutes. Occasionally much cheaper, but it has relatively few flights and is a long way from most London grounds.
🍺 Supporters' pubs
Arsenal
Home fans: Home support gathers around Holloway Road, Drayton Park, Highbury and Finsbury Park. Regular Arsenal pubs include the Tollington Arms, The Gunners Pub, The George, Twelve Pins, The Eaglet, Horatia, Bank of Friendship and Famous Cock Tavern.
Away fans: The Hercules on Holloway Road is the clearest established away-friendly choice. N19 on Sussex Way has also admitted non-rival visitors, but check before travelling. Many groups drink around King's Cross or farther down Holloway Road and then approach the stadium. Avoid relying on The Drayton, The Gunners Pub or the Tollington Arms: these operate as home pubs on matchdays, with ticket or Arsenal-identification checks reported. Twelve Pins and other well-known Arsenal pubs may also refuse away colours.
Arsenal are in the 2026/27 Champions League. Pub policies can tighten for European fixtures or particular opponents, so contact the venue on the day and keep colours covered until admission is confirmed.
Crystal Palace
Home fans: Palace supporters drink around Norwood Junction, Selhurst and Thornton Heath. Regular home venues include the Clifton Arms, The Cherry Tree, Pawsons Arms, The Albion, Jolly Sailor, Dark Horse, White Horse and the Victory Club. Boxpark by East Croydon station is another common starting point.
Away fans: The Prince George on Thornton Heath High Street is the customary away pub, roughly ten minutes from the away section. The Railway Telegraph on Brigstock Road is another established visiting-supporter option. Thornton Heath is generally the best approach for away groups. The Clifton Arms is home-only and checks tickets; the Victory Club no longer admits away supporters. Treat the Cherry Tree, Pawsons Arms and pubs immediately around Selhurst and Norwood Junction as home territory unless the venue says otherwise.
Crystal Palace are in the 2026/27 Europa League. Selhurst's pub arrangements are strongly segregated on busy matchdays, and door policies may change under police advice.
Sourced from supporters' forums — always follow your club's and police advice for the fixture.
Nightlife
Soho has the biggest central concentration of pubs, late bars and clubs, but prices are high and door staff may dislike large groups in colours. Shoreditch and nearby Liverpool Street suit bar-hopping and are handy for Stansted trains. Camden has pubs, live music and late venues, with easy links towards Arsenal. Brixton and Peckham have clubs, breweries and late bars and are better placed for south London, though neither is particularly close to Selhurst Park. Borough and London Bridge work well for a pub-based evening with good rail links. East Croydon has Boxpark and several late bars for Palace trips. Check last trains before settling in: a night bus or taxi across London can take well over an hour.
Food & drink
London staples include fish and chips, a steak or meat pie, pie and mash with parsley liquor, a salt-beef or smoked-salmon beigel, a Sunday roast and curries from the city's South Asian communities. Borough Market has plenty of choice but is busy and not especially cheap; Chinatown, Soho, Whitechapel, Tooting and Southall offer better depth. Most pubs sell cask bitter alongside lager, stout and cider. A pint is 568ml, so quoted pub prices will normally be for slightly more than 0.5L. Food service in traditional pubs can finish well before closing time.
Cheap eats & beer
Cheap in London is relative. Central Wetherspoons branches such as The Barrel Vault at St Pancras, Penderel's Oak in Holborn and Hamilton Hall at Liverpool Street generally undercut surrounding pubs, with many pints around 4–6. For food, Beigel Bake on Brick Lane is open around the clock, Roti King near Euston is good for Malaysian rotis and curries, and the Indian YMCA canteen near Fitzroy Square serves straightforward set meals. Around Arsenal, Holloway Road and Finsbury Park have cheaper Turkish grills and cafés than the Emirates concourse; E-Mono in Finsbury Park and Xi'an Impression near the ground are useful. The Hercules on Holloway Road is the recognised away-friendly Arsenal option, though admission can change by fixture. For Palace, away fans usually use The Prince George or Railway Telegraph in Thornton Heath. Central Croydon has cheaper chains and The George Wetherspoons, but leave time for the train or bus to the ground. Never assume a pub will admit European away fans in colours: ring ahead and carry proof of your match ticket.
Staying safe
Phone snatching by riders on bikes or e-bikes is a real problem, particularly outside stations and beside busy roads; do not stand at the kerb holding a phone out. Watch pockets and bags on crowded Tube trains, escalators and around Leicester Square, Soho and major terminals. Use only licensed black cabs or a booked minicab shown in the operator's app, and confirm the registration before getting in. Keep away colours covered in strongly home-oriented pubs and when travelling alone near the ground. Large groups should agree a meeting point because mobile reception can fail after matches. For emergencies call 999 or 112; use 101 for non-emergency police matters.
On matchday
Use the away entrance printed on the ticket and expect ticket, bag and body searches. At the Emirates, visiting fans are normally segregated in the lower Clock End; Holloway Road station can be closed or made exit-only, Drayton Park is often unavailable on matchdays, and Arsenal and Finsbury Park develop long queues. At Selhurst Park, away supporters are normally in the Arthur Wait Stand; approach from Thornton Heath unless club or police instructions say otherwise. Rolling road closures affect streets around Park Road, Holmesdale Road and Whitehorse Lane, while Thornton Heath, Selhurst and Norwood Junction stations may use managed queues after the game. European fixtures can bring designated meeting points, police escorts and stricter pub rules. Follow the visiting club's final travel notice rather than relying on normal league-match arrangements.