What to pack for London in May

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

UV index hits 7.2 in May, high enough to burn exposed skin in two hours.

Fifteen hours of daylight means glare off pavement and water all day long.

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

Crowded urban spaces in May mean minor cuts and scrapes happen on every trip.

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

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

Walking to parks near the city for full days requires a bag that fits airline overhead bins for the onward journey.

Museums, parks, and markets near the city pull you out for full days of walking.

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

For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.

UV hits 7.2 here. Long sleeves beat reapplying sunscreen every hour.

The sun climbs high in a 15.6-hour May day and there's nowhere to hide on London streets.

Tap water is safe but carrying your own bottle saves money and plastic waste.

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.

International travel through a busy airport and city makes bag tracking worth the weight.

Eleven rain days mean damp clothes pile up fast in small hotel rooms.

Humidity at 72 percent makes clothes smell after two days of walking.

Tube noise and 15.6 hours of urban activity make quiet time essential.

Wind at 20 km/h dries lips fast, and UV index 7.2 damages them in minutes.

Public transport and tourist sites mean constant contact with high-touch surfaces.

Long days of sightseeing require charging phones and cameras multiple times.

International borders require your passport at every step, so keep it separate.

Hostels and shared accommodations need locks on bags during the busy May season.

Wet conditions and high humidity mean mold grows on damp toiletries in bags.

Late sunset at 9 PM and early sunrise at 4 AM disrupt sleep without support.