Want to go on a vacation?Read this guide to find out where to go this summer.
London
London [1] is the capital and largest city of both the United Kingdom and of England, and the largest European city. Situated on the River Thames in South-East England, Greater London has an official population of roughly 7.5 million people—although the figure of over 14 million for the city's total metropolitan area more accurately reflects London's size and importance. London is historically one of the great "world cities" and remains a global capital of politics, culture, fashion, trade and finance.
Getting there
London (all airports code: LON) is served by a total of six airports - getting to and from the airports is made relatively easy by the large number of public transport links that have been put in place over recent years. If transiting through London, be sure to check the arrival and departure airports carefully as the transfer may be quite time-consuming.
In addition to London's six official airports (of which only two are located in London) there are a number of other regional UK airports conveniently accessible from London. Since they offer a growing number of budget flights, choosing those airports can be cheaper (or even faster, depending on where in London your destination is).
For transfers directly between London's airports, the fastest way (short of a taxi) is the direct inter-airport service by National Express [3]. Buses between Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton airports run at least once per hour, with Heathrow-Gatwick services taking 65 minutes (£18) and Heathrow-Stansted services 90 minutes (£20.50). (Note that services between Stansted and Luton Airports run only once every 2 hours.) However, it's essential to allow leeway, as London's expressways, especially the orbital M25 and the M1 motorway, are often congested to the point of gridlock. Buses have toilets on board.
Landmarks
The Tower.
Buckingham Palace.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
St.Paul's Cathedral from across the River Thames
Central London
Somerset House [40] - this magnificent 18th century building off the Strand, recently restored to the public, houses the collections of the Courtauld Institute of Art, Gilbert Collection and Hermitage Rooms. You'll also find shops, cafés, a restaurant and the spectacular Fountain Court, scene of public ice-skating in the winter.
Trafalgar Square - home of Nelson's Column and the lions, and once a safe haven for London's pigeons until the recent introduction of hired birds of prey. It recently attracted controversy over the 'Fourth plinth', previously empty, being temporarily home to a Marc Quin sculpture, 'Alison Lapper Pregnant'. Overlooked by the National Gallery, it's the nearest London has to a 'centre', and has recently been pedestrianised. Previously, traffic used to circle the entire fountain and statuary area.
Leicester Square - Possibly one of the busiest areas in London. It houses the largest cinemas (frequently hosting star-studded premieres), as well as cafes and restaurants. Due to the huge influx of tourists, everything from cinema tickets to bottles of water are very expensive.
Tourists enjoy a rest at Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus - rather eccentric mix of people
South Bank
The London Eye is the world's largest observation wheel, situated on the South Bank of the Thames with magnificent views over London.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, situated on the South Bank a fantastic modern reconstruction of the Tudor period Globe Theatre, scene of some fine Shakespearian moments
The Tower of London, situated just south east of the City, is London's original royal fortress by the Thames. It is over 900 years old, contains the Crown Jewels, is guarded by Beefeaters, and is a World Heritage site.
Tower Bridge is the iconic 19th century bridge located by the Tower of London near the City. It is decorated with high towers and featuring a drawbridge and you can visit the engine rooms and a Tower Bridge exhibition.
City
St Paul's Cathedral, in the City, is Sir Christopher Wren's great accomplishment, built after the 1666 Great Fire of London - the great dome is still seated in majesty over The City. A section of the dome has such good acoustics that it forms a "Whispering Gallery."
Temple in the City, east of Somerset House, is a small realm of serenity in the midst of the typical turmoil. It used to be the court of the Templer knights. You can still visit the beautiful Romanesque church, which is one of the oldest ones in London.
Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster (including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament) in Westminster. The seat of the British parliament and World Heritage site, as well as setting for royal coronations since 1066, most recently that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Buckingham Palace - the official London residence of the Queen, one of several royal palaces in London. Open for tours during the summer months only, but a must-see sight even if you don't go in.
Southwark
Southwark Cathedral - off the traditional tourist path, Southwark Cathedral has been the site of worship since 852 AD. Literally in the shadow of London Bridge, the Cathedral is a shelter from the noise of the city.
Highgate
Highgate Cemetery , Where you can go on a guided tour of the overgrown western cemetery which gives it a special beauty and charm, or self guided on the east side where you'll find the grave of Karl Marx. There are known to be at least 850 notable people buried at Highgate. It has been said that Highgate has the finest collection of Victorian funerary architecture in the country
South Kensinton
Royal Albert Hall - landmark location of many world-renowned concerts (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin), still plays host to top shelf entertainment. In summer, the BBC Proms are a varied classical music festival, and first-come first-served standing tickets can be had for £5 (2006 price). Doors open 30mins before the performance (which generally begins at 7.30pm) but a queue starts earlier, around 6pm for a 'normal' concert and considerably earlier if there are big-name performers. Seated tickets are also available for £20-£50; often there are some still available on the night. Special rules restrict entrance to the famous Last Night in September; you will not be able to get in without attending at least 6 other Proms!
Notting Hill
Portobello Road - claimed to be the world's largest antiques market. For antiques, souvenirs and other knick-knacks or simply a walk through time. At night this is one of the best pick up areas in London, at least for women needing men anyway.
Greenwich
Maritime Greenwich - home of Greenwich Mean Time, the Cutty Sark
Plces to see
National Gallery
Museum of London
Victoria and Albert Museum
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory Greenwich
Hyde Park
Open top bus tours offer a good, albeit somewhat expensive, introduction to the sights of London. Two principal operators tend to dominate the market for this kind of tour:
Alternative to a bus tour -- use your feet. All the main sights you'll want to see can be reached in a long day of walking (12 hours or so). Sketch a copy of your guidebook map to stick in your pocket, have an early breakfast and be on your way. Magnificent on a sunny day, and even if the weather is awful, you're still in LONDON.
If you are in the mood for a view of London by sea, take advantage of the London Ducktours. Your tour 'bus' is actually a D-Day landing water/land vehicle that has been refurbished complete with tour guide
See history come alive - go to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. This ceremony, the locking up of the Tower, has been performed every night at 10pm for 800 years. It has never been missed and was only delayed once - when the Luftwaffe bombed the Tower. Begun by Edward I to lock the soldiers in the tower so they didn't wreak havoc, these days it is ostensibly to lock people out. Tickets are free but MUST be prearranged
London Theatre - go and see a musical, play or comedy in London's Theatreland.
Walking on Green Grass - There are some parks - usually the ones that are considered "gardens" - on which walking on the grass is actively discouraged. The larger parks, however, are good places to enjoy the sun, play a game of football, or enjoy a romantic afternoon or evening.
EatThis guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
Budget Below £10
Mid-range £10-40
Splurge £40+
It is a huge task for a visitor to find the 'right place' to eat in London - with the 'right atmosphere', at the 'right price' - largely because, as in any big city, there are literally thousands of venues from which to choose. You can find restaurants serving food cuisine from nearly every country in the world as London is the most diverse city in the world.
Unfortunately, London is quite possibly the world's most expensive city to eat in. But this survey hides the fact that there are plenty of good value, even cheap places to eat - you just have to know where to look.
Of course, many travellers (especially those on a budget!) prefer to help themselves; picnicking and/or buying food for preparation in your room is a great way to enjoy good food at the lowest price possible.
Sleep
London has hundreds of options for accommodations - from 4 star hotels, through apartments, to historic B&Bs and hostel beds. You can end up paying anything from £20-200 per person, per night, with most hotels anywhere near the centre charging £50 per person and up. Expect smaller than average rooms, especially at the lower end of the price range. London's most prestigious hotels can charge literally thousands of pounds per night for their top suites!! Your budget will have a lot to do with what part of London you will want to stay in. With the excellent Tube available, where you stay won't limit what you see, but be sure to check where the closest tube station is to your hotel.
Staying further out will be cheaper, but when travelling in allow 1-2 mins per tube stop (near the centre), around 2-3 mins per stop (further out), and 5 mins per line change. This can easily total up to a 1 hour journey if there is a walk at each end. The extra cost of more zones on a travel card is probably not significant compared to hotel savings further out.
Capulse-style crash spaces are just arriving, but currently these are only in central locations. (does anyone know of cheaper capsule-style crash space further out?)
Some nice, convenient areas to stay in London include:
Bloomsbury - relatively quiet area with a wide range of accommodations, gets a little seedy towards and beyond King's Cross station. Many budget options are located on Argyle Street. Cartwright Gardens features a dozen small B&Bs in historic homes.
Kensington - the Earl's Court area of Kensington has many budget and modest accommodations as well as good 4 star hotels and some good restaurants as well.
Paddington/Hyde Park - an area that has undergone a lot of change recently, largely resulting from the Heathrow Express coming into Paddington Station. Good hotels can be found in the immediate area of the station and in quieter spots a short walk away.
Westminster - lots of small B&B hotels (many used to be brothels but are much nicer now) around the back of Victoria station, in the Pimlico area.
Hostels are not necessarily as unpleasant as you may think, and as long as you don't mind sharing with others, they can be the most cost effective option, and also offer breakfast as well as kitchens for self catering. The Youth Hostel Association of England and Wales [102] operates four hostels in Central London:
St Pancras (Euston Road, opposite the British Library and St Pancras railway station) The largest and newest of the four, minutes walk from Kings Cross/St Pancras and Euston Tube stations)
Tour operators:
Cox & Kings Travel Ltd www.coxandkings.co.uk
Gordon House, Greencoat Pl, London, SW1P 1PH, UK - +44 20 78735000
My Vacation (UK) Ltd. www.my-vacation.co.uk
77 Great Peter Street, London, SW1, UK - +44 20 7043 7080
Whitehall Leisure Ltd. www.whitehall-leisure.com
77 Great Peter Street, London, SW1, UK - +44 20 7340 1030
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