What to pack for London in April

Lows around 41°F. Goes under the shell when the wind picks up.

Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.

The layer you'll wear more than any other.

Wind at 20 km/h cuts through to the scalp on park walks.

UV index of 5.7 burns exposed skin during 13.9 hours of daylight.

Glare off wet pavement and water makes eyes water without polarization.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Urban terrain means blisters from new shoes and minor cuts are common.

This country runs on Type G. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Daylight stretches to 13.9 hours; the phone dies before you do.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Overhead bins on flights to London are tight; oversized bags get checked.

Museums and galleries are a day's walk from the hotel.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

Coastal wind cuts through a t-shirt fast.

Nine rain days mean wet neck and shoulders on the Tube platform.

Tap water is safe but carrying a bottle saves money and time.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

Airports and train stations are packed with bags that look identical.

Nine days of clothes fit better organized than crammed loose.

Humidity at 72 percent speeds up sweat and grime buildup.

Lows around 41°F. One blanket that packs small covers the car, the campsite and the beach at sunset.

Noise from the Underground and traffic makes quiet time impossible without them.

The 41°F low requires layering that packs down for variable April days.

Afternoon sun at 5.7 UV hits the face on every street.

Crowded transit and museums expose hands to germs all day.

One outlet in the hotel room charges nothing without a spare cable.

Border control requires your passport at every checkpoint on the route.

Shared accommodation and hostels mean your bag needs its own lock.

Damp weather means toiletries leak onto everything in an open suitcase.

Train seats to London are narrow and the journey is long.