AirBnB
If you are fed up of hotels and their cost, or if you have friends and family coming to stay for a while, this app lets you rent out local homes or apartments in the city of your choice.
Wifi Map
If you are out and about or without internet when you first arrive in the UK, this app will locate all the Wi-Fi spots close by so that your next phone bill does not cost you a fortune with all the extra data and roaming charges.
Foursquare
This app helps you find the perfect places to go with friends and it really is “The ultimate city guide in your pocket”. Discover the best food, nightlife and entertainment in your area. It will suggest local restaurants, give you tips and reviews and even translate them to your chosen language.
Hopper
Hopper analyses trends and patterns in flight ticket sales. It helps you find the best deals and even informs you when would be the best time to book the tickets. This app is all about saving you time and money.
Kayak
Booking holidays, city breaks or flights back home for the holidays can be a nightmare. With so many options, many of which are pricey, it is impossible to ensure you get the best deal.
Kayak does the work for you, searching hundreds of travel sites at once to find the information you need to make the right decisions on flights, hotels and hire cars. You can also sign up to receive alerts when there is a drop in price so you can bag yourself a bargain.
Osmand
This map and navigation app works totally offline meaning no expensive roaming charges. You will be able to easily navigate any city.
Uber
Another alternative taxi booking service which hires local drivers to take you around. Once you have signed up for an account, the app will let you choose which type of car you want to collect you.
It tells you how much the journey will cost and will charge your card automatically upon reaching your destination. This means you will always have a ride home. You can also use a feature called Uber Pool allowing you to split the cost with other people heading in your direction.
Bus Checker
With live bus times, journey planning and route maps for every stop in London, this app lets you know how long you will have to stand in the rain before your bus arrives or two come along at once!
Bizzby
Bizzby brings local service professionals to your door at the tap of a button, ranging from decorating, cleaning, rubbish disposal, personal trainer sessions, and childcare. All professionals are vetted and checked, and you can receive an instant quote.
Waze
Waze is the world’s largest community based traffic and navigation app. Join drivers in your area who share real time traffic and road information to save time, fuel and improve daily commuting for all.
National Rail Enquiries
If you will be commuting in to work or plan on taking the train frequently at the weekends to visit other cities, this app is a must. It lets you effortlessly book cheap train tickets, find out train times and rail fares on the go, and receive train service updates.
Real time train information enables you to track specific trains, save favourite journeys, find out about disruptions and re-plan your journey.
Y-Plan
If you fancy doing something different after work instead of just heading home, this app has got you covered with its smart and curated list of that evening’s events. Y Plan lets you purchase tickets to various concerts, theatre performances, comedy shows and lots more.
The app is designed for spontaneous individuals who are on the go and looking for something to do in London, Bristol or Dublin.
Voucher Cloud
There is no getting away from it; the UK, and especially London, are expensive. Voucher Cloud has the biggest selection of mobile discount vouchers for restaurants, pubs, bars, entertainment, days out and hotels, so you never need to pay full price again.
Museum of London
This amazing app from the Museum of London lets you travel back in time. Hold your camera up in the present day and watch as images from the past appear on screen!
London Tube Map
Whether you are a Londoner, commuter or tourist for the day, this app is a must. It helps you plan your route, locates your nearest stop and points out nearby places of interest. Live information helps you avoid delays.
Hailo Taxi App
This taxi app lets you order a black cab to your current destination and even tells you how long you will have to wait. That means no more jostling on the street to flag down a cab! The driver will even let you know when they are outside. Convenience and safety in one app. Available in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds.
Santander Cycles
Santander Cycles is the self-service, bike-sharing scheme for short journeys in inner London. Download the app to make getting around London by bike even easier.
It will show you bike availability, routes to your nearest docking station and wills end bike release codes straight to your smartphone so you can skip past the docking station terminal and get on your bike quicker.
CityMapper
Unsure if you want to take a bus, walk or cycle to your destination? Unsure which route is quickest? With a statement we can all understand, CityMapper is on a mission to ‘make cities usable’.
The highly rated app is loved by both locals and expats for its easy to use interface to get them where they need to go. It gives you all the best routes to get to your destination and even details the best train carriage to use. Available in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
TimeOut
Get the most out of your city with the Time Out app. They have put everything that is great about the city in one place with information on gigs, events, bars, restaurants, club nights and film releases.
Cities available include: London, Dublin, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, and Manchester.