London Questions

Will be in London this June and have a couple questions,

 

Do taxis take American Express or MasterCard for the fare?

 

Plan to take in a musical play and a trip to a museum, probable the British Museum. I can get a taxi by the hotel but wondering if taxis are usually available outside the venues I visit.

 

Do most higher end hotels (4 or 5 star) have currency exchange services available.

 

Thanks for any advice.

Will be in London this June and have a couple questions,

 

Do taxis take American Express or MasterCard for the fare?

 

Plan to take in a musical play and a trip to a museum, probable the British Museum. I can get a taxi by the hotel but wondering if taxis are usually available outside the venues I visit.

 

Do most higher end hotels (4 or 5 star) have currency exchange services available.

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

black cab London taxis should take credit cards but American Express is less accepted than MasterCard in many places-probably due to higher fees charged to retailers

 

taxis are circulating everywhere in London-just hail one which has light on signalling it's available

if you are in a central hotel a fun alternative is a pedicab-they are abundant in the Theatre district

 

best place for currency exchange is via a bank ATM or a high street travel agent

don't use the rip off booths which are very common in London

Taxis are legally required to take cards but frequently their machines are 'broken', that is until you tell them you have no cash and then they suddenly repair themselves.

 

Black cabs are everywhere so that wouldn't be a problem, or you could use Uber who also have cabs everywhere.

 

I can't imagine that a high end hotel won't do currency exchange, but the rates will be horrible.

Do taxis take American Express or MasterCard for the fare?

 

Plan to take in a musical play and a trip to a museum, probable the British Museum. I can get a taxi by the hotel but wondering if taxis are usually available outside the venues I visit.

 

Do most higher end hotels (4 or 5 star) have currency exchange services available.

1. Mastercard certainly; I think most if not all will take Amex but I'm not sure because I've never yet paid for a cab with a card. There is no longer any additional charge for paying by card.

 

2. You should be able to get a cab pretty easily near the British Museum. If there aren't any in sight, walking to the nearest main road can be a useful thing to do.

 

After an evening show, you will be emerging from the theatre at a peak time for cabs. Some days of the week are also more difficult than others at that time of the evening. However, even so it's usually not too difficult unless it's also raining. If you can say which theatre you're at, it's possible that there may be a well-known spot where it's easy to get a cab.

 

3. Probably, but to be perfectly honest, there is pretty much no point these days. Use an ATM card in an ATM. I don't think I've used a currency exchange place anywhere for about a decade now.

f you are in a central hotel a fun alternative is a pedicab-they are abundant in the Theatre district

No, please don't do this. They are a flaming obstructive nuisance (whether stationary or mobile) and bloody dangerous - to other pedestrians even if not to themselves and their occupants. I wish TfL would get on with their promise to ban them.

if you are in a central hotel a fun [and rip-off expensive] alternative is a pedicab-they are abundant in the Theatre district

 

My addition in bold.

wow my recommendation of a pedicab went down like a lead balloon with the locals-

had no idea they were so despised

wow my recommendation of a pedicab went down like a lead balloon with the locals-

 

had no idea they were so despised

 

 

Yes, get rid of those dreadful things and Uber, and the streets of the West End would be much more tolerable of an evening!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

1. Mastercard certainly; I think most if not all will take Amex but I'm not sure because I've never yet paid for a cab with a card. There is no longer any additional charge for paying by card.

 

 

This sounds like Visa is not used there--is this true? We have Visa cards, DH may have a MasterCard. It would be good to know in advance if taxi's didn't accept Visa cards. When their CC machines are working of course :D

This sounds like Visa is not used there--is this true? We have Visa cards, DH may have a MasterCard. It would be good to know in advance if taxi's didn't accept Visa cards.

Visa is certainly taken. It's almost impossible to find somewhere that takes Mastercard but not Visa, or vice versa.

 

My answer was phrased like that only because the OP only asked about Mastercard and Amex!

I just wanted to add that on your return back to the hotel consider taking the Tube (Underground). Depending on where you are located it could be very fast and convenient.

 

Yes you can get local currency at hotels but you will pay a higher exchange rate but do get some local currency.

 

You could also use an ATM card upon your arrival to get a better rate.

 

Or even though you will pay a higher rate you could get currency at most major banks in the USA.

 

Enjoy your time in London. One of our favorites cities.

 

Keith

In London you can get away without needing to pay in cash anywhere. Everywhere (with the exception of black cab drivers and their 'broken' machines) takes cards and usually contactless payments.

For the British Museum and “ a musical” you could probably walk everywhere as we do if you pick a hotel in the Covent Garden/ Trafalgar Square area.

Visa and Mastercard are accepted anywhere in Europe. AMEX and Diners - more difficult. Debit cards with chip and PIN are what we use most here.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

AMEX and Diners - more difficult.

Amex is very widely accepted in London. I understand it may be a bit more difficult outside London but there are few in-person transactions that I make here using Visa because almost all of mine can be done using Amex.

 

I don't know about Diners because I don't have one, but I see very few of them so I wouldn't count on it.

A contactless card would be your best option, but I'm not sure if these are issued by US banks?

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

Looking forward to our stay there. Staying at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, not real close to museums or theaters we would like to see. Taxi's will probably be our most convenient to get around the city.

Uber s also available in London.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

The tube, buses and Overground are by far the best means of transport in London.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Visa is certainly taken. It's almost impossible to find somewhere that takes Mastercard but not Visa, or vice versa.

 

My answer was phrased like that only because the OP only asked about Mastercard and Amex!

 

Thanks Globaliser, my heart skipped a beat when I saw your response about CCs. Now I can calm down.

Zukecruiser - your hotel may not be near theatre land but is very handy for buses and not too far from Aldgate Tube Station (few minutes walk.) you can walk into Wapping (or get the 100bus) to take you to some of the oldest pubs in London. Oppisite the hotel there is an excellent Indian Restaurant- Cafe Spice Namaste and next door to that an authentic Victorian pub called The Princess of Prussia. The next street along (Leman St) there is the Brown Bear pub of Ripper Street fame.

You are also in easy walking distance of many of the sights...

 

 

By the way, it's a lovely hotel too.....

Edited March 22, 2018 by Morgans

I've stayed at The Grange; a nice hotel, if a bit impersonal. Their target guests are business people so they often have good deals at weekends. It's very handy for The Tower of London, Tower Bridge and a trip down the Thames to Greenwich. The rest of London is easy to get to by underground or by river taxi.

Have to give a thumbs up to Spice Namaste for Indian food. In Wapping try the Prospect of Whitby, the Captain Kidd and the Town of Ramsgate. They are in the same street in Wapping and each has lots of history and are beside the Thames.

 

There is a good Italian restaurant. Il Bordello, in the same road.

 

Not far away is Spitalfields Market, well worth a visit and has lots of dinning options.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

NoWhiners

 

Visa and MasterCard are taken everywhere and we are fast becoming a cashless society.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

The tube, buses and Overground are by far the best means of transport in London.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Hello,

Please tell me this not true! We arrive to London on April 20-23 and I read

somewhere the Tube union is planning to go on strike on that weekend.

I was looking forward to use the Picadilly line from Heathrow to central London.

 

Isa