When planning a trip to London, travellers typically focus on famous tourist attractions like Big Ben, the Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace. However, one essential tool often overlooked is a reliable communication app. For anyone visiting London, installing WhatsApp can significantly enhance your travel experience. This free messaging app, with its widespread use and versatile features, is a must-have for staying connected, navigating the city, and managing your trip.
Many Americans may not be familiar with WhatsApp or understand the need for it at all. Most of us just use the messaging app built into our phones (whether that’s iMessage or Android). This is because, in most European countries, you had to pay for individual text messages, so people would get around this by installing apps like WhatsApp. Most American phone plans have unlimited texting, and it’s not something we even think about anymore. WhatsApp doesn’t solve a problem Americans have (this is for the questions I see on Twitter every day, wondering why Americans don’t use WhatsApp.
I’ve had WhatsApp for years, but I only use it to talk to my European friends and colleagues and while I’m travelling since pretty much everyone in Europe uses WhatsApp. Here’s a rundown on why you should install this free app before you leave for London.
1. Universal Popularity and Connectivity
WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users globally. In the UK, it’s the go-to communication platform for most people, especially in London. Many Londoners prefer using WhatsApp over traditional SMS or phone calls due to its simplicity, international reach, and cost-effectiveness.
As a traveller, this means you can seamlessly communicate with locals, tour operators, hotels, restaurants, and even new friends you meet along the way. If you need to coordinate with your Airbnb host, check in with a tour guide, or contact local services, using WhatsApp ensures that you’re utilizing the platform they likely prefer. Having WhatsApp installed allows you to send instant messages, make voice or video calls, and even share your location in real time.
2. Cost-Effective Communication
Travellers often worry about the cost of international communication, particularly when roaming charges can quickly add up. One of WhatsApp’s most significant advantages is that it works entirely over Wi-Fi or mobile data, bypassing expensive international texting and calling fees. Once connected to a local Wi-Fi network, you can send messages, photos, videos, and even make calls for free, regardless of where your contacts are in the world (and crucially, it’s free for Europeans to call or text you).
London offers ample public Wi-Fi hotspots in cafes, museums, and tourist areas, so you can easily stay connected without relying on costly mobile data. Suppose you’re using a local SIM card. In that case, WhatsApp allows you to communicate with contacts back home without needing to switch back to your original phone number, making international communication simple and affordable.
3. Efficient Group Communication
Traveling with a group? WhatsApp’s group chat feature makes it easy to stay in touch with your travel companions. Whether you’re planning your day’s itinerary or trying to locate each other in a busy market, WhatsApp keeps everyone connected in real-time. With just a few taps, you can create a group chat for your travel party, share updates, photos, and locations, and coordinate plans.
This feature is handy if you’re travelling with family or friends who might split up during the day. London’s vast range of activities means that people may want to explore different parts of the city at different times, and WhatsApp makes it easy to stay in sync, no matter where you are.
4. Real-Time Location Sharing
London is a big, bustling city, and it’s easy to get separated from your group or feel disoriented while exploring. Thankfully, WhatsApp offers a real-time location-sharing feature that allows you to share your exact whereabouts with friends or family members. This can be particularly helpful when meeting up at a specific spot or letting loved ones know you’ve arrived safely at your destination.
This feature also enhances your safety. If you ever find yourself in an unfamiliar part of the city or need assistance, you can quickly share your live location with someone you trust, helping them guide you to where you need to be.
5. Communication with Local Businesses
One of WhatsApp’s most underrated features is its increasing use by local businesses in London. Many restaurants, cafes, and tour companies in the city use WhatsApp to make customer inquiries and reservations. You can message a restaurant to check for available seating, confirm a tour booking, or ask a question about a local attraction.
WhatsApp Business, a platform used by many London-based businesses, allows you to communicate directly with customer service, make inquiries, and receive confirmations, all through the app. This makes it an ideal tool for quickly handling travel logistics without the need to make costly international phone calls or wait for email responses.
6. Ease of Use and Security
For travellers unfamiliar with the app, WhatsApp is incredibly user-friendly, making it easy to get started right away. Once you download the app and verify your phone number, you can instantly begin messaging contacts, creating groups, or making voice and video calls. The app’s clean interface and intuitive navigation ensure that even first-time users won’t have any trouble getting the hang of it.
Additionally, WhatsApp is known for its strong encryption and privacy features. All messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted, meaning that only you and the person you’re communicating with can read or listen to what is sent. This level of security is essential when travelling, as it protects your communication from being intercepted, giving you peace of mind while using public Wi-Fi networks in places like hotels and cafes.
7. Managing Travel Plans
WhatsApp’s multimedia capabilities are great for sharing photos and videos and for managing and organizing your travel plans. You can send and receive PDFs, documents, and links, which makes it easy to share e-tickets, boarding passes, hotel reservations, or itineraries with your travel companions. If you’re travelling as part of a tour group or organized trip, tour operators often use WhatsApp to send updates, meeting points, or last-minute changes to the schedule.
It’s also convenient for tracking flight updates or train timetables while on the move, as some services in London use WhatsApp for quick notifications. Staying organized and on top of your travel plans is more manageable when everything is in one place.
8. Cultural Integration
Using WhatsApp in London also helps you blend into local culture. As mentioned earlier, WhatsApp is the preferred messaging platform for many Londoners, and using it demonstrates your adaptation to how things are done locally. This is especially important when interacting with smaller, locally-owned businesses, as you might find that messaging via WhatsApp is faster and more convenient than using email or phone.
Moreover, London is a cosmopolitan city, and people from all over the world use WhatsApp. If you meet new friends or locals during your travels, exchanging WhatsApp numbers is the easiest way to stay in touch. This sense of cultural integration can enhance your experience by making you feel more connected to the city and its people.
9. A Lifeline in Emergencies
Finally, WhatsApp can serve as a crucial communication tool in case of an emergency. Whether you’re getting lost in the city, experiencing a medical issue, or needing to reach out to family back home, WhatsApp allows you to quickly and easily contact the people you need. In emergency situations, the ability to send messages, photos, or locations in real time could prove invaluable.
Since the app works on Wi-Fi, even if your mobile signal is weak or unavailable, you can still connect as long as you have an internet connection. This can be a lifeline in a busy, foreign city like London, where things can go wrong and having reliable communication is critical.
WhatsApp has become an indispensable tool for travellers worldwide, and for those visiting London, its benefits are vast. From cost-effective communication to real-time location sharing, group messaging, and business interactions, WhatsApp offers everything you need to stay connected, organized, and safe while navigating one of the world’s most exciting cities. Before packing your bags for London, make sure WhatsApp is installed and ready to use—it might just become your best travel companion.
Author: Jonathan Thomas
Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.