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In-person meetings & travel
London
UK · Europe/London · UTC+1
London is one of the world's leading global financial centers and a major time-zone bridge between Asia and the Americas.
Current time in London
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Next public holiday
Christmas Day
Friday, December 25, 2026— in 194 days
Business hours & meeting culture
- Working hours
- 09:00–17:30
- Workweek
- Monday to Friday
- Culture
- British business meetings are polite, agenda-driven, and on time. Disagreement is often understated; pay attention to qualifying language.
- Meeting tips
- Bank holidays (early May, late May, late August) and the Christmas–New Year gap are quiet periods. School half-terms also affect availability.
Travel & logistics context
Quick reference for business travelers — climate, currency, and language.Currency and language are country-level. Climate may vary across the country.
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Climate
Temperate oceanic
Best: May–Sep
Avoid: Nov–Feb (short days, drizzle)
🟢 Currently a good month
Mild year-round, frequent rain; carry an umbrella in any season.
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Currency
£
GBP
British Pound
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Language
Official
English
In business
English
English: Widely spoken in business
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Plug & voltage
G
type230V · 50Hz
UK three-pin only — adapter required for most international devices.
See plug types ↗🤝Business etiquette
- Greeting
- Firm handshake; first names quickly adopted.
- Cards
- Standard exchange.
- Gifts
- Not typical at first business meetings; bottle of wine for personal hospitality.
- Tipping
- 10–12.5% at restaurants if not included.
- Dress
- Business smart; finance and law remain formal.
- Dining
- Tea/coffee meetings common; pubs OK for informal business.
Time difference vs. major business cities
Computed for 2026. Daylight saving will shift these by an hour during transitions.
| City | Time zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 🇯🇵Tokyo | Asia/Tokyo | +8h |
| 🇮🇳Mumbai | Asia/Kolkata | +4h 30m |
| 🇦🇪Dubai | Asia/Dubai | +3h |
| 🇫🇷Paris | Europe/Paris | +1h |
| 🇺🇸New York | America/New_York | -5h |
| 🇦🇺Sydney | Australia/Sydney | +9h |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | America/Los_Angeles | -8h |
| 🇨🇳Shanghai | Asia/Shanghai | +7h |
Public holidays in UK, 2026
Commonly observed national holidays. Regional holidays and bridge days are not included. See also the global holiday calendar.
- 2026-01-01
- 2026-01-02
- 2026-03-17
- 2026-04-03
- 2026-04-06
- 2026-05-04
- 2026-05-25
- 2026-06-15
- 2026-07-13
- 2026-08-03
- 2026-08-31
- 2026-11-30
- 2026-12-25
- 2026-12-28
Plan a meeting with London
Use the meeting planner to compare times across multiple cities, with weekend and holiday awareness.
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