- Flight
- about 10 to 11 hours eastbound
- Departs
- LAX
- Lands at
- Heathrow
- Time difference
- London is 8 hours ahead
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Los Angeles to London is eleven hours in the air and eight hours of time difference, and it is the route where pretending jet lag does not exist costs you the most.
Do not book the first night
On an east coast flight you can get away with it. From Los Angeles you usually cannot. Eight hours is enough that your first evening in London is the middle of your afternoon and your body has not caught up with any of it. Plenty of people arrive convinced they are fine and are asleep by nine.
The second evening is the better bet. By then you have had a night in a bed and your timing is closer to the city you are standing in.
The time difference works in your favour beforehand
Eight hours is awkward on arrival and genuinely useful before you go. Mid-morning in Los Angeles is early evening in London, which is the best moment to be enquiring. You can arrange the whole thing over a couple of days without ever being awake at an odd hour.
You will land at Heathrow
Almost all Los Angeles traffic comes into Heathrow, usually in the afternoon London time. That is a kinder arrival than the overnight from the east coast, since your room will be ready and you can go straight to it.
Worth reading first
The differences from home are smaller than the distance suggests but they catch people out. The visitor guide covers tipping, cash and hotel etiquette, and incall and outcall explains why outcall to your hotel is almost always the right call when you are not from here.
When to get in touch
London runs 8 hours ahead of you. Messages sent between about 3am and 3pm your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come.
Areas near where you land at Heathrow
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Common questions
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
What time should I message from the United States?
London is five to eight hours ahead of most of North America. Aim for mid morning on the east coast or mid morning on the west coast, which lands in London in the afternoon or early evening, when people are answering.
Will my hotel mind?
Central London hotels see guests receive visitors constantly. Pass your room number by message and the evening is unremarkable.
What currency do I need?
Cash in pounds sterling, agreed beforehand. Draw it before you need it rather than looking for a cash machine late at night.
Is prostitution legal in England for tourists?
The law applies to everyone in the country equally, visitors included. Selling or buying sex between consenting adults is legal in England and Wales, but soliciting in public and using brothels are not.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.