Traffic: Avoid driving in London during rush hour, which runs from 6-10 a.m. in the mornings and 4-6:30 p.m. in the evenings. For more information on London's traffic laws and regulations, see the official Highway Code.

For most 2026 visitors, driving in central London is generally not wise and can be an expensive, stressful ordeal. The city is governed by the Congestion Charge, which increased to £18 per day in early 2026, and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) which penalizes older, non-compliant vehicles. Traffic is notoriously slow, with average speeds often dropping below 10 mph in the West End, and parking is both scarce and prohibitively expensive, often costing over £10 per hour. Public transport—via the "Tube," red buses, and the Elizabeth Line—is significantly faster, cheaper, and covers almost every corner of the city. However, driving can be wise if you are traveling with a large group of people with limited mobility or if you are using London as a starting point to head out into the English countryside. For 2026 urban travel, the consensus remains that a "contactless tap" on a bus or train is far superior to navigating the maze of London's one-way streets and camera-enforced restrictions.