Very Early Arrival in London: What's Open in Wee Hours of the Morning?
 

So coming Tuesday I'm flying from Ibiza to London Luton via easyJet, and the flight arrives around 3:30 am. I don't have a hotel booked, and I'm flying back to NYC later that day (around 8:05 pm). I'm planning to go to a few museums (I've been to London many times). I'll probably take the bus to central London.

What's open in the wee hours of the morning? A good coffee shop somewhere? I just need suggestions for places to hang out until the city starts waking up too.

Thanks!

If you're getting the bus, the tube from Baker St starts around 5, but it'll probably be 6 before you get there.

Not sure what you're doing with your bags (left luggage at St Pancras opens at 0600 , and at 0700 at the other major stations)

I'd suggest dropping the bags off at St Pancras (KX tube), then getting the tube on to Farringdon. Have a decent breakfast in Smithfield's Cock Inn (visually horrible, but great black pudding: goes very nice with an early morning pint of Guinness) or the Fox and Anchor from 0700 - though there's lots of greasy spoon open round there a lot earlier to cater for the butchers.

Many of the latte joints in the City open round 0630 - though I suppose by next Tuesday, there might not be any customers.

Ther restaurant Vingt Quatre in the Fulham Rd is open (as the name suggests) 24 hours.

Thanks. I haven't thought about the bag yet, but usually I've a very small carryon so can carry it with me until it's convenient to drop it off somewhere.

I looked up Vingt Quartre. I think it's a bit out of the way for me. If I'm coming in from Heathrow, maybe, but I'm coming from Luton, which is in the opposite direction. For future reference, the address is 325 Fulham Road.

British Museum has a cloakroom at North Entrance for Bags. Are you flying back to NY from Luton or elsewhere? From BM tube Russell Square to Heathrow or train from St Pancras to Luton not so cheap but much quicker than bus.

Are you going to stay up from midnight until 8 pm and then have a 6 hour flight home?

I'm a Londoner so speaking from experience, i agree Smithfield is good for an English "fry up". There are also many, many small cafes that do breakfast from quite early (0700). These are dotted around the City (these can be smarter, modern places or older ones around the back streets of the City) and the West End (the best are in side streets generally, older than the City coffee bars and often owned and run by Italians or Greeks). Most will provide a good breakfast for around £5 or £6.

Hi, this was what I ended up doing. I got in around 5 am as expected and the London weather was pretty dreadful (much chillier than Ibiza). A friend who let me use his apartment for the day, but since he doesn't normally get up until 7-ish, and I didn't want to wake him up, I didn't head there right away.

My first strategy was to look for the Citibank that used to be near Bond Street tube, thinking I could wait there for a while, but it's closed now. Then the Bond Street tube station had opened around 5:20 am and I went there and sat there for a while. I think one person must have thought I was ill or homeless and he walked up to me to ask if I was ok.

Then a little before 6 I walked down Oxford Street and I found a McDonald's that was open (I think it opened at 6). So I had breakfast there and stayed there for a bit and then walked a little further until I finally gave up and took a bus. I took the bus because I was planning to buy the off-peak Travelcard and a tube ride was 4 pounds a ride (or something like that) and the bus was only 2 pounds (the off-peak Travelcard wouldn't work until 9:30 am -- and I don't think that I could have bought it at 7 am anyway).

My flight home was around 8 pm. But I did sleep on the flight from Ibiza and a little on the bus ride from Luton.

By the way, if you're taking the easyBus, it is probably a good idea to buy ahead of time. I paid 6 pounds (but I think rates could be as low as 2 pounds). The walkup fare from the bus driver was 13 pounds, I think.

Oh, by the way, I have an old Time Out London (c. 2003) and it mentions Vingt Quartre also.

Also there's mention of Smithfields as well. I think there's a place near there open 24 hours. I've to look it up as I've forgotten the name. In any case I think the meatmarket in London starts around 3 or 4 am, so there should be something in that area.