LONDON
custom travel guide just made for Peter from March 3 until March 9, 2014
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London. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Understand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Get in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Get around. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 See. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Learn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Buy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Eat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Drink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Sleep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Stay safe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Stay healthy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Day Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Culture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Monday March 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuesday March 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wednesday March 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thursday March 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday March 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday March 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday March 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Top Top Top Top
Best Restaurants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Italian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vegetarian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Weather. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunrise/Sunset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Currency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Passport and Visa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emergency numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Restaurants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2
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Useful info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 2
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Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 City center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Bus routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Underground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
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References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
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London
London · Understand
London
London
Understand London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
The Tower of London
The City and Westminster
London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world's leading financial centre alongside New York City and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world depending on measurement. London has been described as a world cultural capital. It is the world's mostvisited city measured by international arrivals and has the world's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times. London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries. In March 2011, London had an official population of 8,174,100, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union, and accounting for 12.5% of the UK population. The Greater London Urban Area is the second-largest in the EU with a population of 8,278,251, while the London metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million. London had the largest population of any city in the world from around 1831 to 1925. London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory marks the Prime Meridian, 0° longitude, and GMT). Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Library, Wimbledon, and 40 West End theatres. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world.
The world famous St. Stephen's Tower (the main bell is Big Ben)
If you ask a Londoner where the centre of London is, you are likely to get a wry smile. This is because historically London was two cities: a commercial city and a separate government capital. The commercial capital was the City of London. This had a dense population and all the other pre-requisites of a medieval city: walls, a castle (The Tower of London), a cathedral (St Pauls), a semi-independent City government, a port and a bridge across which all trade was routed so Londoners could make money (London Bridge). About an hour upstream (on foot or by boat) around a bend in the river was the government capital (Westminster). This had
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London · Get in
a church for crowning the monarch (Westminster Abbey) and palaces. As each palace was replaced by a larger one, the previous one was used for government, first the Palace of Westminster (better known as the Houses of Parliament), then Whitehall, then Buckingham Palace. The two were linked by a road called The "Strand", old English for riverbank. London grew both west and east. The land to the west of the City (part of the parish of Westminster) was prime farming land (Covent Garden and Soho for example) and made good building land. The land to the east was flat, marshy and cheap, good for cheap housing and industry, and later for docks. Also the wind blows 3 days out of 4 from west to east, and the Thames (into which the sewage went) flows from west to east. So the West End was up-wind and up-market, the East End was where people worked for a living. Modern-day London in these terms is a two-centre city, with the area in between known confusingly as the West End.
ble 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 final destination is). For transfers directly between London's airports, the fastest way (short of a taxi) is the direct inter-airport bus service by National Express. Buses between Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton run at least hourly, with Heathrow-Gatwick services taking 65 min ( about £18) and Heathrow-Stansted services 90 min (around £20) (note that services between Stansted and Luton run only every two 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. Some buses have toilets on board.
London Heathrow
Get in By plane
Rail and tube lines go to different terminals at Heathrow
Summary map of rail connections to London airports
Due to London's huge global city status it is the most served destination in the world when it comes to flights. London (all airports code: LON) is served by a total of five airports. Travelling between the city and the airports is made relatively easy by the large number of public transport links that have been put in place over recent years. However, if transiting through London, be sure to check the arrival and departure airports carefully as transfers across the city may be quite time consuming. In addition to London's five official airports (of which only two are located within Greater London), there are a number of other regional UK airports conveniently accessi-
Heathrow (IATA: LHR, ICAO: EGLL) is London and Europe's largest airport and the world's busiest airport in terms of international passenger movement, with services available from most major airports world-wide. Currently, four of the five terminals are operational - T2 is closed until 2014 for redevelopment. Flights landing at Heathrow are often delayed by up to an hour as a simple result of air traffic congestion and waiting for parking slots. To complicate the matter, airlines that fly into Heathrow are currently playing a system-wide game of musical chairs as gate assignments are cycled through the new terminal, making it even more necessary for travelers to check their terminal and gate assignment in advance. Do plan your itinerary to allocate some time needed to get through Heathrow Airport T3, it can be long if you are not holding an UK / EU passport. A quick summary of transport options: Fastest: by Heathrow Express rail, (Paddington Station Heathrow 1, 2, 3 & 5), ☎ +44 0845 600 1515. Every 15 min,
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London
London · Get in
journey time 15 min. Travelcard & Oyster card not valid. These train lines terminate at London Paddington which for most people will require a tube, bus, or cab ride to their final destination. Despite the Heathrow Express & Connect's speed, they are often not the fastest way to a final destination in London. One way about £16.50, return trip approx. £32 (+ £3 surcharge if bought onboard). Second fastest: by Heathrow Connect rail, (Paddington Station - Heathrow 1, 2, 3 & 4), ☎ +44 0845 678 6975. Travelcard & Oyster card not valid to Heathrow. Does not serve Terminal 5. Follows same route as Heathrow Express but stops at several intermediate stations to London Paddington so journey is 25 minutes and trains less frequent. One way approx. £7.90, round trip around £15.80. Cheapest: by London Underground (Piccadilly line), ☎ +44 0845 330 9880. Every few minutes, journey time approximately 1 hour, however this depends on your destination. For the cheapest single fare ask for an Oyster card (£3 refundable deposit). Zone 1-6 Travelcard valid. If using this method to return to Heathrow during the morning/evening peak, leave plenty of time in departing from central London as trains often get rerouted down the Rayners Lane branch or terminate short at Acton Town or Northfields even if they were originally designated as Heathrow-bound. Be aware that weekend engineering works can result in replacement buses being run in place of the trains - check with the TFL website beforehand. With Oyster one way approx. £2.00-3.50. Bus N9: operates service from midnight to 5:00AM between Heathrow and Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, roughly following the Piccadilly Line into Central London Tax:. A taxi from Heathrow to central London will cost £45-60. You may wish to consider taking a taxi if you have a lot of baggage or small children. Alternatively catch public transport into the city centre and then catch a taxi. There are two types of taxis: Black cabs (these can be hailed on a street or at a taxi rank) and licensed mini cabs (these are typically cheaper - but must be booked in advance over the phone or on the web). There are over 1000 minicab companies in London. Also: to South London, ☎ +44 0845 748 4950. Bus 285 (or taxi) to Feltham railway station (20 minutes) then a train to London Waterloo on the South Bank or Clapham Junction in South West London. Furthermore, bus X26 (limited stop) is an express route stopping in three of South London's district centres: Kingston, Sutton and Croydon. Zone 1-6 Travelcard valid on all London buses and trains. approx. £2 single. Airport Parking: Heathrow Terminal 5 Parking.
London Gatwick (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK) London's second airport, also serving a large spectrum of places world-wide. To get to the centre of the city, the following options exist: By rail: Gatwick Express, ☎ +44 0845 850 1530. Every 15 min, journey time 30-35 min. To London Victoria. Travelcard not valid. One way about £16.90, round trip around £28.80, for the cheapest fare visit their website. By rail: Southern Railway, ☎ +44 0845 127 2920. Every 15 min, journey time 35-40 min. To London Victoria via Clapham Junction. Much cheaper than Gatwick Express - approx. £11.90 (around £3.75 if booked in advance). By rail: First Capital Connect, ☎ +44 0871 200 2233. To London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras International, Luton Airport and further north. Much cheaper than Gatwick Express - about £10 (they occasionally have advance tickets priced at half that). By bus: EasyBus operates every 15-20 min, journey time 60-90 min. To Earl's Court/West Brompton. One way prices start from £. Book online.. By bus: National Express operates every 30 min, journey time 75-110 min. To London Victoria. One way prices start from about £7 Book online. By car: 47 km (29 mi). By cycle:There is a long-distance cycle path into Central London, but as it involves an indirect route, going over the North Downs and through South-East London, it will likely be quite a ride. For adventurous people. When departing, note that after passing through security you will find no drinking fountains in the South Terminal departure lounge.
London Stansted Getting to Stansted for an early morning flight is fairly straight forward, coaches run through the night, provided by Terravision and National Express from London Victoria and London Liverpool Street. Terravision costs £9 one way and run roughly every hour throughout the night, check their site for up to date timetable information. Be aware that lines are very common at Stansted, security check can easily take an hour. Also getting to the airport can take longer than the proclaimed 90 minutes, expect more like 120 minutes. (ICAO: EGSS, IATA: STN) Currently London's third airport, the base for a large number of budget carriers (for example EasyJet , RyanAir and AirAsia ) and flights within Europe and a few inter-continental flights. There are several commercial wifi hotspots covering most of the airport, but they charge extortionate rates. A free wi-fi hotspot is in the arrivals gate area,
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next to the phone booths offering fixed internet. Transport options into central London:
between the terminal and airport every 10 minutes, costing about £1 each way.
By rail: Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street, ☎ +44 0845 600 7245. Every 15 min, journey time 45-60 min. One way £20, round trip £27. Travelcard not valid. Most budget carriers' websites offer reduced price deals for the Stansted Express, allowing you to save a few pounds.
By coach: Green Line number 757, ☎ +44 0844 801 7261. Every 20 min, journey time 90 min. To Victoria (tube: Victoria) via Brent Cross, Finchley Rd tube station, Baker St, Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner. approx. £14 one way if bought from the driver, tickets can be purchased in-advance online from £2. Service is run by Greenline and in conjuction with easyBus (but can be used by all travellers regardless of airline you travel with). Travelcard not valid.
By rail then London Underground: Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale then London Underground (Victoria line), ☎ +44 0845 600 7245. Every 15 min. If you are going to South London, the West End or West London then take Stansted Express to Tottenham Hale then the London Underground (Victoria line). At Tottenham Hale ask for an Oyster card By coach: National Express, ☎ +44 0870 580 8080. Every 15-30 min. Journey time to Stratford: 1 hour. To Victoria: 90 min. To Stratford (tube: Stratford) or Victoria (tube: Victoria). Folding bicycles only. To Stratford: around £8 one way, £14 round trip. To Victoria: about £10, £16. Travelcard not valid. By coach: Terravision, ☎ +44 (0)1279 68 0028. Every 30 min. To Liverpool St Station (tube: Liverpool St) or Victoria (tube: Victoria). To Liverpool St Station: £9 one way, £14 round trip. To Victoria: approx. £9, £14. Travelcard not valid. By minibus: EasyBus To Baker St (tube: Baker St) From £2 (advance web purchase) to £8 one way. Travelcard not valid. By taxi: Journey time 90-120 min. The airport is actually quite a long way from London. It's normally a better idea to take a train to London Liverpool St and continue by taxi from there. approx £70.
London Luton (ICAO: EGGW, IATA: LTN) Is smaller than Stansted, but still a major hub for many Low Cost airlines, and over 10 million passenger fly through the airport each year. It boasts the same facilities of the other major airports and also like Stansted, it is common place for some passengers on early morning flight, to sleepover in the terminal before their flights. The airport is a major hub for easyJet, Ryanair, Wizzair, Thomson Airways and Monarch Airlines, with other airlines also serving the airport like Aer Arann, FlyBE and El Al, to cities primarily in Scotland, Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. By rail: Journey time: 20-55 min. about £12.50 one way. Travelcard not valid. The airport has its own railway station "Luton Airport Parkway", and is served by trains 24 hours a day from Central London using "First Capital Connect Trains" and connects with St Pancras International. There are up to 10 trains an hour, depending on the time of day. All trains go to London St Pancras International, but many also continue on to Blackfriars, London Bridge and Elephant & Castle, and Gatwick Airport. The station is located 1 miles from the terminal building, there is a shuttle bus service running
By coach: National Express, ☎ +44 0870 580 808. Every 20 min, journey time 90 min. To Victoria .(tube: Victoria) via Golders Green and Marble Arch. From £1 (advance web purchase) one way. Travelcard not valid. By car: Locate 60km or 34 miles north of London, just off the M1 motorway which connects London with the Midlands and the North of England. Depending on where you are travelling from in London and time of day, journey times take 45-90 mins. Road users should plan their journey and check traffic conditions, as if an incident occurs on London's busy roads, journey times can dramatically increase.
London City Airport (ICAO: EGLC, IATA: LCY) A commuter airport close to the city's financial district, and specializing in short-haul business flights to other major European cities. Not as expensive to fly into than it used to be, and you may indeed find that from some origins, this may be your cheapest London airport to fly to, without even considering the cost savings of NOT coming from the distant larger London airports with £10+ transfer costs. Then there is the added bonus is that it is close to central London. To get to the city centre the following options exist: By Docklands Light Railway (DLR). See also: Get around. Travelcard valid. By taxi, journey time approximately 30 min. £20-35. By car, it is 10 km (6 mi). By bus, take the 474 bus to Canning Town station and then the 115 or N15 into central London. See also: Get around. Travelcard valid.
Other airports near London London Southend Airport, ☎ +44 (0) 1702 608100. (IATA: SEN, ICAO: EGMC) Currently undergoing redevelopment and is set to become London's sixth international airport once the new rail link is completed. At present it serves destinations in the British Isles only. Southampton Airport, ☎ +44 (0)870 040 0009. Every 30 min, journey time 1 hour. (IATA: SOU, ICAO: EGHI) is not officially
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London a London airport, though accessible enough to conveniently serve the capital, especially South West London. A couple of budget carriers serving an increasing number of European destinations are based here. Direct trains connect Southampton airport to London Waterloo station. £30-35 round trip. Birmingham International Airport, ☎ +44 (0)8707 335511. (IATA: BHX, ICAO: EGBB) is another non-London airport worth considering as a less congested and hectic alternative to Heathrow, being just over an hour away from London. As a major airport serving the UK's second largest city, there is a good choice of long distance and European destinations. Direct trains connect Birmingham International to London Euston and Watford. From £10 (advance web purchase) one way, £35-100 round trip. Other small airports, such as Biggin Hill, Lydd Airport & Oxford Airport
By train London is the hub of the British rail network - every major city in mainland Britain has a frequent train service to the capital, and most of the smaller, provincial cities and large towns also have a direct rail connection to London of some sort - although the frequency and quality of service can vary considerably from place to place. Fares vary considerably. Distance generally corresponds with the cost of the fare. "Walk on" fares - booked at the station for travel that day are most expensive. Cheaper fares can usually be obtained by booking the day before. Train companies also have many special offers - with cheaper fares and limitations on when you can travel - most try to fill seats outside of the peaks (07:00 to 10:00 and 10:00 to 19:00 hours) or at weekends. Tickets usually go on sale 3 months before the day of travel and often the cheapest seats go quickly. The very cheapest seats are often sold as "singles" - one-way tickets that commit you to a specific time and day. They are prohibitively expensive to change with admin fees often exceeding the cost of the ticket. Long distance trains have "standard" and "first class" fares with first class generally being 50% more expensive but providing a larger and more comfortable seat and occasionally complimentary refreshments. There are also "rover" tickets which provide unlimited travel within an area. They are complex and are only likely to suit someone planning a lot of rail travel. London has one international high speed rail route (operated by Eurostar 08705 186 186 ) from Paris (2h 15min) and Brussels (1h 50 min) diving under the sea for 35 km (22 mi) via the Channel Tunnel to come out in England. It terminates at St. Pancras International Station. For domestic train services, there are no fewer than 12 main line National Rail terminals (although in conversation you may hear the brand National Rail infrequently if ever it differentiates main line and London Underground services; journey planner online or phone 08457 48 49 50). With the exception of Fenchurch St (tube: Tower Hill) these are on
London · Get in the London Underground. Most are on the circle line. Clockwise starting at Paddington, major National Rail stations are: London Paddington, serves South West England and Wales including Slough, Maidenhead, Reading, Oxford, Bath, Bristol, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Cardiff and Swansea. Also the downtown terminus of the Heathrow Airport Express (see above) and serves some suburban stations such as Acton Main Line and Ealing Broadway. London Marylebone, serves some north western suburban stations such as Amersham, Harrow on the Hill and Wembley Stadium. Also serves Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Banbury, Stratford-upon-Avon and the city of Birmingham. It is much cheaper but slightly slower to take a train from Marylebone to Birmingham instead of a train from London Euston. Recently a new service to Shrewsbury, Telford , and Wrexham has been launched by the Wrexham & Shropshire railway company . London Euston, serves the Midlands, north-west England and west Scotland: Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Oxenholme Lake District, Carlisle, Glasgow, and Holyhead for connecting ferries to/from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Sleeper trains to Scotland leave from Euston. St Pancras International, serves Paris, Brussels, Lille, as well as Luton Airport, several destinations in Kent and the East Midlands: Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. London King's Cross, serves East Anglia, north-east England and east Scotland: Cambridge, Doncaster, Leeds, York, Kingston upon Hull, Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Platform 9 3/4 from the Harry Potter books is marked with a special sign, although platform 9 itself is actually in the fairly unpleasant metallic extension used by Cambridge trains. London Moorgate, serves some northern suburbs. London Liverpool Street, serves East Anglia: Ipswich and Norwich. Also the downtown terminus of the Stansted Airport Express. London Fenchurch Street, serves commuter towns north of the Thames estuary to Southend. London Bridge, London Cannon Street, London Waterloo East and London Charing Cross, serve south and south east
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London · Get around
London and England: Brighton, Dover, Eastbourne, Hastings and Ramsgate.
London Waterloo, serves south west London and England: Portsmouth, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Salisbury and Exeter.
London is the hub of the UK's road network and is easy to reach by car, even if driving into the centre of the city is definitely not recommended. Greater London is encircled by the M25 orbital motorway, from which nearly all the major trunk routes to Scotland, Wales and the rest of England radiate.
London Victoria, serves south east London and England: Brighton, Dover, Eastbourne, Hastings and Ramsgate. Also the downtown terminus of the Gatwick Airport Express.
Get around
London Blackfriars, serves Gatwick Airport and Brighton.
In South London many areas have only National Rail services (no London Underground services but there are buses). London Bridge, Victoria, Cannon St and Charing Cross serve the South East. London Waterloo serves the South West. First Capital Connect (frequently referred to as Thameslink) is a cross London route between Bedford and Brighton via Luton Airport (Parkway), St. Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge and Gatwick Airport.
The city has one of the most comprehensive public transport systems in the world. Public transport is often the best option for getting anywhere for visitors and residents alike and is far more reliable than locals would have you believe. Indeed, nearly a third of households do not feel the need to own a car.
By bus
In central London use a combination of the transport options listed below - and check your map! In many cases you can easily walk from one place to another or use the busses. Be a Londoner and only use the tube as a way of travelling longer distances - you're here to see London - you can't see it underground!
Most international and domestic long distance bus (UK English: coach) services arrive at and depart from a complex of coach stations off Buckingham Palace Road in Westminster close to London Victoria rail station. All services operated by National Express or Eurolines (see below) serve Victoria Coach Station, which actually has separate arrival and departure buildings. Services by other operators may use this station, or the Green Line Coach Station across Buckingham Palace Road. The following are amongst the main coach operators:
Transport for London (TfL) is a government organisation responsible for all public transport. Their website contains maps plus an excellent journey planner . They also offer a 24-hour travel information line, charged at premium rate: tel +44-8432221234 (or text 60835) for suggestions on getting from A to B, and for up to the minute information on how services are running. Fortunately for visitors (and indeed residents) there is a single ticketing system, Oyster, which enables travellers to switch between modes of transport on one ticket.
National Express, ☎ +44 0870 580 8080, is by far the largest domestic coach operator and operates services to / from London from throughout England, Wales and Scotland. Advance ticketing is usually required and recommended practice in any case. Fares are low - especially when booked in advance via the web. A few journeys are fast but most are notably slower than using the train. Eurolines, ☎ +44 08705 143219, is an associate company of National Express, and runs coach services to / from London with various cities in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe. Advance ticketing is required. Megabus, ☎ +44 0900 160 0900, operates budget coach services from/to London (Victoria Coach Station) to/from several major regional cities, it is even possible to get to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Fares are demand responsive but can be very cheap ( about £1.50 if you book far enough in advance). Greyhound, ☎ +44 0900 096 0000, coach services with free wi-fi, newspapers and extra legroom. From/to London (Victoria Coach Station) to/from several cities. Fares can be very cheap.
By car
The main travel options in summary are: Central London By tube / underground 11 colour-coded lines cover the central area and suburbs mostly north of the River Thames, run by TfL. By Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Runs only in the east of the city, privately run but part of TfL's network. By boat Commuter boats and pleasure cruises along the River Thames, privately run but part of TfL's network. Airport Express Express rail services run to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton airports (tickets are generally sold at a premium), privately run and not part of the TfL network. Suburban London By tram (Tramlink) A tram service that operates only in southern suburbs around Wimbledon and Croydon. By Overground 3 orange-coloured lines circling the northern suburbs (including the former East London line) , part of TfL's network.
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London · Get around
By National Rail A complex network of suburban rail services, mostly running in the southern suburbs, privately run and not part of the TfL network, although many do accept Oyster payments.
Oyster Card
a credit card to do this if your credit card has a PIN number) with Oyster pay-as-you-go, also known as PrePay. This money is then deducted from your card each time you get on a service. The fare is calculated based on your start and end points. Payas-you-go is much cheaper than paying in cash for each journey. For instance, a cash tube one way in Zone 1 is £4, while with an Oyster Card it costs £1.90. Furthermore, a cash bus fare is £2.20 while with Oyster it is £1.30. The amount of PrePay deducted from your Oyster card in one day is capped at the cost of the appropriate paper day ticket (day Travelcard) for the zones you have travelled through. For zone 1-2 (central London including everywhere inside the Circle line and some places outside) this is £6.60 (£8 M-F before 9:30AM). On the tube, be sure to touch in and touch out again at the end of your journey. If you forget to touch your Oyster card at the start and finish you will be charged extra! Oyster also saves time getting onto buses. If you don't have an Oyster, tickets have to be bought at a machine by the bus stop in the central area, and from the driver outside the zone.
Travelcards Oyster Card in use
Oyster is a contactless electronic smartcard run by Transport for London. In general, Oyster is the more cost effective option than paper tickets if you plan to be in London for any more than a couple of days, or if you intend to make return visits to the city - the savings quickly recover the initial purchase cost. You can buy an Oyster Card from any Tube station for a deposit of £5. You can also get a Visitor Oyster card for a deposit of £3, although these cards can be used only to pay as you go and cannot be loaded with 7 Day Travelcards. You can "charge up" an Oyster card with electronic funds. This cash is then deducted according to where you travel. The cost of a single trip using the Oyster card is considerably less than buying a single paper ticket with cash. Prices vary depending on distance travelled, whether by bus or tube, and on the time of day. You can also add various electronic 1 week, 1 month and longer-period tickets onto the card, and the card is simply validated each time you use it. The deposit is fully refundable if you hand it in at the end of the trip. However, there is no expiry date on the Oyster Card or any pay-as-you-go credit on the card. If you have any pay-as-you-go credit left this will also be refunded. You will get refunds in cash only if you paid in cash. Be prepared to give your signature on receipts or even show ID for refunds over a few pounds.
A Travelcard may be loaded onto an Oyster card or may be purchased as a paper ticket. Day Travelcard - Zones 1-2 - Anytime: £8.00, Off-Peak £6.60 7 Day Travelcard Zones 1-2 - £27.60 Monthly Travelcard Zones 1-2 - £106.00 Annual Travelcard Zones 1-2 - £1,104.00 The above prices are Adult prices and only for Zones 1 & 2. For a more comprehensive list of the prices visit the TFL website: 1 Day Travelcards 7 Day, Monthly & Annual Travelcards
Travelcard season tickets Weekly, monthly and longer-period Travelcard season tickets can be purchased at all tube station ticket offices. These can be used on any tube, DLR, bus, London Overground, National Rail or tram service. You have to select a range of zones when you buy it, numbered 1-9. If you happen to travel outside the zone, you can use PrePay (see above) to make up the difference. Note that they can not be used on any Airport Express trains (Heathrow Express, Gatwick Express and Stansted Express). However, a Zone 1-6 Travelcard can be used on the London Underground (Piccadilly line) to/from Heathrow Airport.
Pay-as-you-go (PrePay) You can charge up your Oyster card with electronic cash at any tube station ticket machine or ticket desk (you can even use
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London · See
Tips Touch the card against a yellow disc, prominently displayed on the entry and exit gates for the Tube (do not try to insert it into the slot!) and on buses and trams. On the Docklands Light Railway, and on the Overground railway stations in the outlying parts of the city there are no entry or exit gates (except at interchanges with the Tube like Bank or Stratford), so you have to be sure to touch your Oyster card on the readers (which are clearly signposted) as you enter and leave. Failure to do this when you begin a journey is regarded as fare dodging (carrying a penalty fare or even a fine if you are caught). Equally, failing to touch out when you leave a station will result in you being overcharged for your journey, as the system will make a default deduction of £6.50 since it doesn't know which station you left at. Theoretically you don't need to remove your Oystercard from your wallet or bag to do touch in/out - the card reader can work through a bag, but in reality you may need to take the card out to get it to work - watch out for this especially if you have another smartcard in your wallet/purse (e.g. an an employers' identity badge or a contactless bank card) as this can confuse the barriers or ticket machines. Be careful standing near the readers on some bendy buses, they are often quite sensitive and may read your card from several centimetres away, even if you did not intend this. If you keep your Oystercard in your wallet try not to sit on it as sometimes they will crack and stop working.
Validity The following table summarises the validity of the different tickets you can use on Oyster. For most tourists, tubes and buses are the only transport you will use, but be aware that these tickets are not valid on Airport Express trains. Bus (and Tram) Passes are only available for periods of 7 days and longer. Travelcards are valid only within the zones you buy. Piccadilly line to Heathrow is a London Underground train, so PrePay and Travelcards are valid. Airport Express trains are Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Express. Travelcards are valid on Thameslink but if you are heading all the way to Luton airport, you will need a ticket between the edge of your travelcard zone and the airport.
A reminder on the streets of London to "Look Right" when you cross the road
By foot London is a surprisingly compact city, making it a walker's delight and often being the quickest method of transport. Because Britain drives on the left hand side of the road, for most foreign visitors it can be all too easy to forget that traffic will come at you from the opposite direction than you are used to when crossing a street - for this reason remember to look right when you cross the road. Particularly on Central London's busiest streets, it is easy to spot native Londoners as they are able to weave in and out of the large crowds at fast speed. Refrain from walking slowly in tight spaces to avoid annoying any fast walking people that may be trying to pass.
See Landmarks
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London · See
Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace - The official London residence of the Queen, also in Westminster. Open for tours during the summer months only, but a must-see sight even if you don't go in. The London Eye - The world's third largest observation wheel, situated on the South Bank of the Thames with magnificent views over London. Marble Arch - It is a white Carrara marble monument designed by John Nash. It is located in the middle of a huge traffic island at one of the busiest intersections in central London where Oxford St meets Park Lane in Mayfair. Piccadilly Circus is one of the most photographed sights in London. The status of Eros stands proudly in the middle while the north eastern side is dominated by a huge, iconic neon hoarding. St Paul's Cathedral, also 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". 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.
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. Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster (including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament) in Westminster. The seat of the United Kingdom parliament and World Heritage site, as well as setting for royal coronations since 1066, most recently that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The Palace of Westminster is open to the public only for viewing parliamentary debates, tours of the building are available during July-August when Parliament is away on summer recess.
Museums and Galleries London hosts an outstanding collection of world-class museums. Even better, it is the only one of the traditional "alpha world cities" (London, Tokyo, New York City and Paris) in which the majority of the museums have no entrance charges, thus allowing visitors to make multiple visits with ease. Although London can be expensive, many of the best museums and galleries are free including: British Museum National Gallery National Portrait Gallery Victoria and Albert Museum Natural History Museum Tate Modern Tate Britain Aside from these world famous establishments, there is an almost unbelievable number of minor museums in London covering a very diverse range of subjects. The British government lists over 240 genuine museums in the city.
Parks
St Paul's Cathedral
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, guarded by Beefeaters, and is a World Heritage site. It is also considered by many to be the most haunted building in the world. If you are interested in that sort of thing its definitely somewhere worth visiting. Sometimes there are guided ghost walks of the building. Trafalgar Square - Home of Nelson's Column and the lions, and once a safe haven for London's pigeons until the recent
St James' Park
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London · Do
The 'green lungs' of London are the many parks, great and small, scattered throughout the city including Hyde Park, St James Park and Regent's Park. Most of the larger parks have their origins in royal estates and hunting grounds and are still owned by the Crown, despite their public access. Hyde Park and adjoining Kensington Gardens make up a huge open space in central London and are very popular for picnics. Regent's Park is wonderful open park in the northern part of central London. St James's Park has charming and romantic gardens ideal for picnics and for strolling around. St. James's Park is situated between Buckingham Palace on the west and Horse Guards Parade on the east. Hampstead Heath is a huge open green space in north central London. Not a tended park a such and is remarkably wild for a metropolitan city location. The views from the Parliament Hill area of the heath south over the city are quite stunning. Richmond Park also is a huge green space, but has a thriving deer population that is culled in the spring. Excellent place for cycling.
One of more than 800 Blue Plaques throughout London
Blue Plaques English Heritage runs the Blue Plaques programme in London. Blue Plaques celebrate great figures of the past and the buildings that they inhabited. These are among the most familiar features of the capital’s streetscape and adorn the façades of buildings across the city. Since the first plaque was erected in 1867, the number has grown steadily and there are now more than 800. Recipients are as diverse as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sigmund Freud, Charles de Gaulle, Jimi Hendrix and Karl Marx. Look out for these around the city.
Do London is a huge city, and there is a lot to do. To make the most of the city's tremendous cultural offerings (performing arts, museums, exhibitions, clubs, eateries and numerous others), visitors will do well to pick up a copy of a cultural magazine like Time Out London (available at most corner shops and newsagents) which gives detailed information and critiques on what's around town including show times and current attractions. The website (http://www.timeout.com/london/) also has major shows listed and there is also an iPhone/iPod app available though these tend to not be as detailed as the print version. Take a walk through London's Royal Parks. A good walk would start at Paddington station, and head through Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park (passing Buckingham Palace) and St James Park before crossing Trafalgar Square and the River Thames to the South Bank and Waterloo Station. At a strolling pace this walk would take half a day, with plenty of places to stop, sit, drink, eat en-route. A good pictorial description of this walk can be found online at Trips By Trains Royal Parks Walk . London is one of the best cities in the world for concerts, spanning from new musical trends to well known bands. Between huge concert facilities and small pubs, there are hundreds of venues that organise and promote live music every week. Many concerts, especially in smaller or less known places are free, so there is plenty of choice even for tourists on a budget. London has long been a launchpad for alternative movements, from the mods of the 60s, punks of the 70s, new romantics of the 80s, the britpop scene of the 90s and in recent years the indie rock movement spearheaded by The Libertines and their ilk. It has one of the world's most lively live music scenes: any band heading a British, European or World tour will play London, not to mention the local talent. London's Music Scene is incredibly diverse, covering all genres of music from electro-jazz to death-metal, and all sizes of bands, from the U2s and Rolling Stones of the world to one man bands who disband after their first gig. This diversity is reflected in prices. As a rough guide: £20+ for 'top 40' bands in arena sized venues, £10+ for established bands in mid sized venues, £6+ for up and coming bands and clubnights in smaller venues, £5- for upstarting bands in bars and pubs. London has hundreds of venues spread out over the city and the best way to know what's going on where is to browse online ticket agencies, music magazine's gig directories and bands' myspaces. However, there are a few areas which have higher concentrations of pubs and venues than others. Kilburn is situated in North West London. It's long been known as an Irish area, and though their numbers have somewhat declined any visit to a local pub will show their influence remains today. The center point of Kilburn's music scene is The Luminaire. The Luminaire is a fairly new establishment that started as a venue for unsigned bands but now mainly puts on alternative bands on the edge of a big break,
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London or older bands that never hit the mainstream. It has a wonderful energy, a well designed interior and very good DJs. Kilburn's second venue is The Good Ship. Due to its inclusive policies and fair payment system, The Good Ship is a favorite place for young aspiring bands to try to get a foot off the ground. Good for those who would like to see bands "before they were big", who appreciate £5 entrance fees, good beer and friendly staff. The theatre is a great way to spend some time in London. The West End, especially the areas concentrated around Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Shaftesbury Avenue and Haymarket, is one of the world's premier destinations for theatre, including musical theatre. Covent Garden has the only Actor sponsored school in the city called the Actors Centre which also gave way to the London Acting Network , a London acting community support group. In the centre of Leicester Square there is an official half-price TKTS booth. For up-to-date listings see the weekly magazine Time Out or check the official London theatreland site . The South Bank is another area well-known for serious theatre, and is home to both the National Theatre and the Globe Theatre. London's theatre scene outside of these two main districts is known as "the Fringe". Watch a movie. As well as the world-famous blockbuster cinemas in the West End, London has a large number of superb art house cinemas. In the summer months, there are often outdoor screenings at various venues, such as Somerset House and in some of the large parks. Watch football. Take in an at home match of one of the city's 15+ professional football clubs for a true experience of a lifetime as you see the passion of the "World's Game" in its mother country. London will have five clubs in the top Premier League in the upcoming 2011–12 season—Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and Tottenham Hotspur. A level down, in the Football League Championship, finds Crystal Palace, Millwall and West Ham United. Six other clubs are in lower levels of the professional league system—Brentford, Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient in Football League One; and AFC Wimbledon, Barnet and Dagenham & Redbridge in Football League Two. Many of the bigger clubs will require booking in advance, sometimes many months ahead, but smaller clubs allow you to simply turn up on match day and pay at the gate. You will be able to find a ticket to a quality football match on any Saturday during the season. Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered the most prestigious. Naturally it is a regular feature on the Tennis calendar. London goes "tennis crazy" for two weeks when the competition commences in late June and early July. Open House London Weekend is a way to explore many of the city's most interesting buildings during the London Open House Weekend - usually held on the third weekend of September. During this single weekend, several hundred
London · Do buildings which are not normally open to the public are opened up. See website for details of buildings opening in any given year - some buildings have to be pre-booked in advance - book early for the popular ones! The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road (tube: South Kensington), is one of the first of its kind in the world. The museum houses many permanent and temporary exhibitions covering plants, animals and geology from the worlds natural history. Of interest to most would be the permanent dinosaur exhibition. Although many displays feel dated this is an excellent museum and is always, deservedly, crowded. Free. Winter Skating. London has a number of outdoor ice rinks that open in the winter months. Considered by some to be somewhat overpriced and overcrowded, they nonetheless have multiplied in recent years, easing congestion and increasing competition. Most charge from £10-12 (adults) for an hour on the ice, including skate hire. See the district articles for the City of London, East End and Leicester Square. Summer Skating. In summer (and also in winter, for the more dedicated) there is also a thriving roller skating (on inline and traditional "quad" skates) scene in London, catering to many disciplines including street hockey, freestyle slalom, dance, general recreational skating (including three weekly marshalled group street skates) and speed skating. This mostly centres around Hyde Park (on the Serpentine Road) and Kensington Gardens (by the Albert Memorial). See the district articles for Mayfair-Marylebone and South West London. Shopping...If it's available, it can be bought in London. Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, all in the West End, are some of the most famous shopping destinations in the world, but they are also just the tip of the iceberg, and many London districts and town centres have unique shopping attractions of their own.Tours. If you don't feel like splashing out on one of the commercial bus tours, you can make your own bus tour by buying an Oyster card and spending some time riding around London on the top deck of standard London buses. Of course you don't get the open air or the commentary, but the views are very similar. You will likely get lost but that is half the fun; if it worries you go for a commercial tour. Tally Ho! Cycle Tours (Waterloo, nearest tube: Lambeth North), ☎ +44 (0) 7969 230 828, 10:30 and 2:30. Guided tours of London's famous landmarks atop a classic 1920's style handmade British bicycle. Stops include Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, meandering through backstreet's and cycle paths. An extended tour to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for those who are wanting a longer tour. Bicycle hire and private tours also available.
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London · Learn
Learn
Buy
London attracts more students from overseas than any other city in the world, and is home to a huge variety of academic institutions. Its universities include some of the oldest and most prestigious in the world. Many of the city's most prestigious colleges fall under the auspices of the University of London including: University College London (UCL). The first university established in London, offering a wide range of courses. UCL academic research is cited more than any other university in the UK, and its courses are regarded as amongst the best. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The only college in the UK focused exclusively on social sciences, whose courses are regarded as amongst the very best in the world. Often associated with neo-liberal political economic theory. School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Offers highly regarded courses in law, languages, social sciences and humanities, with a unique focus on Asia and Africa. Its glittering list of alumni include many foreign leaders. London Business School. Postgraduate business school offering one of the world's leading MBA programmes King's College London. Situated in the heart of London over 3 main campuses. Offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses for a range of subjects at a high academic level. Queen Mary, University of London. Queen Mary was formed from the merger of four historic colleges and since joining the University of London in 1915 has grown to become one of its largest colleges. Other institutions include Imperial College London, the UK's leading university specialising in sciences.
Harrods
London is also one of the world's most fashion conscious cities, which explains the abundance of clothing shops from the flagship shops of Oxford Street to the tiny boutiques of Brick Lane. Though not particularly known for bargain shopping, nearly anything you could possibly want to buy is available in London. In Central London, the main shopping district is the West End (Bond St, Covent Garden, Oxford St and Regent St). On Thursdays many West End stores close later than normal (7PM-8PM). Oxford Street. Main shopping street home to flagship branches of all the major British high street retailers in one go including Selfridges , John Lewis (includes a food hall), Marks & Spencer and other department stores. This part is usually overcrowded and has pretty ordinary shops. Regent Street (between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus). Includes such gems as Hamleys, considered to be London's flagship toy store, on seven levels, and the London Apple Store. Bond Street. Some of the world's most luxurious designer stores such as Cartier, D&G, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton and Versace. Tottenham Court Road. Contains some of the world's most luxurious designer interior stores such as Heals. The south-
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London · Eat
ern end is famous for its large concentration of hi-fi, computer and electronics stores. Covent Garden. This is a fashionable area, home to quaint outlets and relatively expensive designer stores. Around Seven Dials chains include Adidas Originals, All Saints, Carhartt, Fred Perry, G Star Raw and Stussy. For shoes head for Neal St. Also the London Transport Museum whose gift shop has some of the best souvenirs in the city (old maps, vintage Tube posters, etc). Charing Cross Road (near Covent Garden). A book lovers haven! New, second-hand, antiquarian and specialist. Soho. Offers alternative music and clothes. Now home to Chappell of Bond St's historic music shop. Camden Town. Alternative clothing and other alternative shopping, popular with teenagers and young adults. Also nearby Camden Lock market. Has lots of really cool and affordable stuff. Chelsea. The King's Road is noted for fashion, homeware and kids. On Wednesday many stores close late. Knightsbridge. Department stores include the world famous Harrods (includes a food hall) and Harvey Nichols. On Wednesday many stores close late. Beauchamp Place. Shop where royalty and celebrities shop. One of the world's most unique and famous streets. Over the years it has developed its strong reputation as one of London’s most fashionable and distinctive streets, housing some of the best known names in London fashion, interspersed with trendy restaurants, jewellers and speciality shops including the world famous trademark Fortuny. Westminster. Some of the world's most famous shirts are made on Jermyn St. Savile Row is home to some of the world's best men's bespoke tailors including Henry Poole, Gieves & Hawkes, H. Huntsman & Sons, Dege & Skinner and many other. Westfields: In Shepards Bush. Hard to miss. Has designer shops in with the more affordable chain shops. It's the biggest shopping centre in Europe. Has lots of good places to eat. It can get very busy on weekends though. Has it's own train station.
Airports Tax-free shops in airports are not strong in variety, prices are equal to London, and they close rather early as well. Shop listings at airport web sites can help to plan your tax-free (vs traditional) shopping. In the evening allow extra half an hour as closing hours are not always strictly respected.
Eat 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, ranging from fast food joints, pubs, and mainstream chains all the way up to some of the most exclusive restaurants in the world which attract the kind of clientele that don't need to ask the price. Sorting the good from the bad isn't easy, but London has something to accommodate all budgets and tastes. Following is a rough guide to what you might get, should you fancy eating out: Up to £5 - you can get a good English pub or cafeteria breakfast with a rack of bacon, beans in tomato sauce, egg, sausage, orange juice and coffee or tea. Most pubs stop this offer at 11AM, but there are literally hundreds of backstreet cafes (collquially known as "greasy spoons") which will serve this sort of food all day. £7 - will buy you a couple of sandwiches and a soft drink, some takeaway fish and chips, or a fast food meal. There are also a number of mostly Chinese restaurants which serve an all you can eat buffet for around this price. These are dotted about the West End and it is well worth asking a member of public or a shopkeeper where the nearest one is. These restaurants make much of their revenue on drinks although these are usually still moderately priced. The food whilst not being of the finest standard is usually very tasty and the range of dishes available is excellent. There are literally thousands of so called takeaways in London and a cheap alternative to a restaurant meal. Check with your hotel management if they allow food deliveries before ordering in. Most takeaways will offer some form of seating, but not all do. £6-10 - will get you a good pub meal and drink or a good Chinese/Indian/Italian/Thai/Vietnamese buffet. Be aware that
Markets Borough (tube: London Bridge) is a great (expensive) food market, offering fruit, veg, cheese, bread, meat, fish, and so on, much of it organic. It's open Th-Sa, and it's best to go in the morning, since it gets crowded by around 11AM. Old Spitalfields Market is an excellent market for clothes from up-and-coming designers, records, housewares, food, and all things trendy. Also Brick Lane, Greenwich and Portobello.
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many pubs have a buy-one-get-one-free offer, and you can either order two main dishes for yourself or bring a friend. £15 - some more expensive French, Mediterranean and international restaurants do cheaper two or three course lunch menus. £25 - offers you a lot more choice. You can have a good meal, half a bottle of wine and change for the tube home. There are plenty of modest restaurants that cater for this bracket. £50 (to almost any amount!) - with more money to spend you can pick some of the city's finer restaurants. It may be a famous chef (like Michel Roux, Jr or Gordon Ramsay) or simply a place that prides itself on using the finest ingredients. Worth the splurge to impress a special someone. Note that these establishments often need to be booked well in advance, and most will enforce a dress code of some sort. Prices inevitably become inflated at venues closest to major tourist attractions - beware the so-called tourist traps. The worst tourist trap food is, in the opinion of many Londoners, is served at the various steak houses (Angus Steak House, Aberdeen Steak House etc - they are all dotted around the West End and near to the main train stations). Londoners wouldn't dream of eating here - you shouldn't either! Notorious areas for inflated menu prices trading on travellers' gullibility and lack of knowledge are the streets around the British Museum, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. Even the major fast food chains charge a premium in their West End outlets - so watch out. Pubs within the touristy areas of London are usually a poor choice for food although there are some brilliant 'gastro-pubs' hidden away - use the internet or a good guide (such as Time Out) to find them. In general avoid all pubs that have graphic-designed and printed menus - it's peoples experiences in these kind of places that gives Britain a bad name for food! Look around you - see any locals tucking in? No? - then you shouldn't either. The other rule to follow when avoiding poor food is the same as in any other part of Europe - is the menu available in multiple languages? If yes then start running!! In the suburbs, the cost of eating out is reduced drastically. Particularly in large ethnic communities, there is a competitive market which stands to benefit the consumer. In East London for example, the vast number of chicken shops means that a deal for 2 pieces of chicken, chips (fries) and a drink shouldn't cost you more than £3, and will satisfy even the largest of appetites. Another good (and cheap) lunch option is a chicken or lamb doner (gyro) at many outlets throughout the city.
many would consider it polite to tip this amount. Tipping for counter service, or any other form of service, is unusual - but some choose to do so if a tips container is provided.
Restaurant streets Whilst central London is full of restaurants and cafes it is useful for the visitor to be aware that there are some areas where the majority of diners are Londoners, rather than tourists, and in general you will get a much more pleasant, better value, and less crowded eating experience than you will find in the West End. These places are best visited in the evenings. Upper Street Head to Highbury & Islington (Victoria line) or Angel (Northern line). Dozens of excellent restaurants, popular with young professionals. Drummond Street in the Euston area has a fine mix of Indian restaurants - a short walk from Euston railway station. Clapham Junction is not just a train station - but also home to many good restaurants and bars, in particular on Lavender Hill and Battersea Rise Lordship Lane in the southern suburbs - head to East Dulwich station - a good selection of european restaurants and a few award winning gastropubs High Street Croydon Croydon is derided by most Londoners as the end of the earth, however this suburban gem of a road has at least 30 decent restaurants, including three Argentinians, a South African curryhouse, a couple of fancy modern European brassieres, and just about every over type of cuisine you can think of. Sadly chain restaurants are moving in (Zizzi's, Pizza Express) but most of the places are still independent. Get a quick train to East Croydon station from Victoria or London Bridge.
Restaurants As one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, you can find restaurants serving food cuisine from nearly every country, some of it as good as, if not better than in the countries of origin. Indian food in London is especially famous and there is hardly a district without at least one notable Indian restaurant.
Tipping may also be different than what you're used to. All meals include the 20% VAT tax and some places include a service fee (10-12%). The general rule is to leave a tip for table service, unless there's already a service charge added or unless the service has been notably poor. The amount tipped is generally in the region of 10%, but if there's a figure between 10 and 15% which would leave the bill at a conveniently round total,
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If you are looking for other particular regional foods these tend to be clustered in certain areas and some examples are: Brick Lane in the East End is famous for Bangladeshi curries. Brixton for African/Caribbean. Chinatown just off Leicester Square for Chinese. Edgware Road in Marylebone and Paddington is popular for Middle Eastern cuisine. Drummond Street (just behind Euston railway station in the London/Camden district) has lots of vegetarian restaurants - mostly Indian. Golders Green for Jewish fare. Kingsland Road for good cheap Vietnamese. Finsbury Park and nearby areas for Greek and Turkish. Tooting, East Ham, Wembley and Southall for authentic & cheap Indian eateries including authentic South Indian restaurants serving hot pongal, dosas, idlis and other South Indian "tiffin" items. Other nationalities are equally represented and randomly dotted all over London. It is usually wisest to eat in restaurants on main thoroughfares rather than on quiet backstreets.
Chains Like other capitals in the world, London has the usual array of fast food outlets. Sandwich shops are the most popular places to buy lunch, and there are a lot of places to choose from including Eat and Pret a Manger. Some Italian-style sandwich shops have a very good reputation and you can identify them easily by looking at the long queues at lunchtime. If all else fails, Central London has lots of mini-supermarkets operated by the big British supermarket chains (e.g. , Sainsbury's, Tesco) where you can pick up a pre-packed sandwich. Fast food with an Asian flair is easy to find throughout the city, with lots of Busaba Eathai, Wagamama, and Yo! Sushi locations throughout the city. Nando's has spicy peri peri style grilled chicken.
Vegetarian London has plenty of vegetarian-only restaurants many of them championing organic foodstuffs, and a quick search in Google or in the restaurant section of this guide will produce plenty of ideas, so you never have to see a piece of cooked meat all week. If you are dining with carnivorous friends most restaurants will cater for vegetarians and will have at least a couple of dishes on the menu. Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants are generally fruitful, as they have plenty of traditional dishes (good Indian/Bangladeshi options can be found in East Ham, Tooting
Broadway as well as Southall - these also tend to be very cheap eats with authentically prepared dishes with a true local ambience). There are also many vegetarian Thai buffet places where you can eat fake meat in tooth-achingly sweet sauces for under £5. These can be found on Greek and Old Compton Sts in Soho and Islington High Street.
Religious Due to the mix of cultures and religions, many London restaurants cater well for religious dietary requirements. The most common signs are for Halal and Kosher meat, from burger joints to nice restaurants. There are lots of Halal restaurants and shops all over London including Whitechapel Rd and Brick Lane in the East End, Bayswater, Edgware Rd and Paddington and in many parts of north London. There are plenty of Kosher restaurants in Golders Green, Edgware and Stamford Hill.
Convenience stores and supermarkets Convenience stores such as Tesco Metro, Sainsbury Central/Local, Budgens, Costcutter, SPAR, Somerfield as well as privately-run 'corner shops' sell pre-made sandwiches, snacks, alcohol, cigarettes, drinks etc. Most are open from 5AM-11PM although some such as Tesco Metro or convenience stores located at petrol stations may open 24 hours although they will stop selling alcohol after 11PM. Be aware that Whistlestop convenience stores (located in or around train stations) are notoriously overpriced and should be avoided. If using a petrol-station convenience store late at night (i.e. after 11PM) the store will be locked and you should order and pay through the external service window.
Drink London is home to a great many pubs, bars and nightclubs. The online city guide View London and the weekly magazine Time Out can inform you of what's going in London's night life, as well as with cultural events in general.
Pubs & bars London is an expensive place and your drink is likely to cost more than its equivalent elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Expect to pay around £4 for a pint of lager or Guinness (or around £3.50 for a pint of ale) in an average pub, but be aware that as with restuarants, pubs close to major tourist attractions cash in on travellers' gullibility so be on your guard for the tourist traps where higher prices are not unheard of. Despite this however it is still possible to find a sub-£3 pint in central London it takes some determination - but many local pubs, especially those run by chains like Wetherspoons and Scream tend to be more reasonably priced with good drink promotions on weekday nights and during the day. As with the rest of the UK, chain
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pubs abound which Londoners tend to avoid like the plague. A good place to get cheap beer is at any one of the Sam Smith's run pubs that are dotted around Soho and north of Oxford Street. These pubs are good traditional boozers which are frequented by the local working population.
Big hotels, such as The Dorchester and The Ritz, and upmarket clubs around Leicester Square and Soho are reliable bets for a date at the bar. The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair-Marylebone boasts its house bar, plus the Time Out favourite, The Coburg. Still in Mayfair, The Polo Bar at The Westbury is very intimate.
In the Bloomsbury area, check out The Court (near the north end of Tottenham Court Road) and The Rocket (Euston Road). Both are fairly cheap to drink at, given that they cater for students of the adjacent University College London. Directly opposite the British Library is The Euston Flyer, popular with locals and commuters alike given its close proximity to St Pancras International railway station.
You can rely on most up-and-running bars to offer a short cocktail menu and there are also bars that position themselves as cocktail specialists.
Classier bars and pubs can be much more expensive. However, the cost of alcohol drops significantly the further away you go from the centre (though be aware that West London tends to be an exception, with prices pretty much the same as the centre). Two important London breweries are Young's and and Fullers. Young's was founded in Wandsworth in 1831 and nowadays it boasts 123 pubs in central London alone. The Founder's Arms on the South Bank is one of the brewery's most well known establishments. Fullers was founded a bit later in 1845 and the jewel in its crown is probably the Grade I listed Old Bank Of England on Fleet Street, thanks to its breath-taking interiors. It's hard to say which pub in London is truly the oldest but it's easy to find contenders for the title. Many pubs were destroyed in the Great Fire of London – indeed, Samuel Pepys supposedly watched the disaster from the comfort of the Anchor in Borough. Pubs were rebuilt on sites that claimed to have been working pubs since the 13th century. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street is on the site of an old monastery and its cellar dates back to the 13th century. Those interested in London's historic and literary connections can't miss The Spaniard's Inn in Hampstead. Dick Turpin is said to have been born here; John Keats and Charles Dickens both drank here; it's mentioned in Dickens' The Pickwick Papers and Bram Stoker's Dracula. For the best view in the city, try pubs on the banks of the Thames. The South Bank has lots of good bars with plenty of iconic bridges and buildings in sight the cocktail bar in the OXO tower is a secret that most tourists walk by everyday. Heading towards Bermondsey, pub crowds become a little less touristy. If you're after gastropubs, you may like to visit London's first, The Eagle, in Clerkenwell, established in 1991. You can also try Time Out's favourite newcomer, The Princess Victoria on Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush. Wine buffs can enjoy the famous Davys wine bars that dot the city. The company, established in 1870, import wines and own over thirty bars in the centre. Other big names in wine include the Michelin-starred Cellar Gascon and Vinoteca, both in Smithfield.
Nightclubs Nightlife is an integral part of London life and there are countless nightclubs in and around Central London with music to suit even the most eclectic of tastes. Districts in London tend to specialize to different types of music. The Farringdon/Hoxton/Shoreditch area has many clubs playing drum and bass, house and trance music and is home to the superclub Fabric. The clubs in this area are often home to the world's top DJ's and attracts a lively, hip and friendly crowd. The area around Mayfair is home to the more upmarket clubs in London. This area attracts a rather more showy crowd who love to flaunt what they have and is a must go to celebrity spot. Beware that drinks are ridiculously expensive and many clubs operate a guestlist-only policy. Music played here is often of the commercial chart, funky house, hip hop and R&B genre. Notable clubs include China White, Luxx, Maddox, Jalouse, Funky Buddha, Whisky Mist, Mahiki, No 5 Cavendish Square, Embassy, Vendome and Maya. Nightclubs around the Leicester Square area hold the same music policy, but are rather more accessible, with numerous club promoters scattered around the area on a Friday or Saturday night offering deals on entry. Notable clubs are Cafe De Paris, Number One Leicester Square, Sound, Tiger Tiger, Zoo, Ruby Blue. The Camden area is home to lots of clubs which play Indie, metal and rock music and notably the Electric Ballroom, the world famous Koko and Underworld.
Gay and lesbian London has a vibrant gay scene with countless bars, clubs and events in just about every district of the city.
Sleep London has hundreds of options for accommodation to suit all budgets from hostels through historic bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), mainstream chain hotels and apartments all the way to some of the most exclusive luxury hotels in the world such as The Savoy, The Ritz and Claridges where a stay in a top suite will cost upwards of £1,000 per night. The average cost of hotel accommodation in London is higher than in any other ma-
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jor British city. Prices invariably become inflated close to major sporting tournaments (such as the London Marathon, Wimbledon or major England football/rugby fixtures), or other important events taking place in the city - so it pays to plan your trip around such occasions or book your accommodation well in advance. In general, most people tend to stay within "Zone 1" of the underground, however do your research carefully - sometimes being that extra five minutes away from a station can make the difference in cost and quality and local food and drinking options. In any case, you can always catch a bus anyway - by the far the best way to see the city and get about generally.
Hotels Your budget will have a lot to do with what part of London you will want to stay in. Tourist-standard prices range from £20-200 per person per night. Expect smaller than average rooms especially at the low end of this range. As a general rule, expect to pay between £75-150 per night for a 2 or 3 star hotel in the central area of the city. Many of the big name chain hotels now offer substantial discounts (with rates often down as low as £30£50 per room per night) if you book well in advance, but the drawback is that you have to pay the full amount upfront at the time of booking and there are no refunds if you cancel. The heart of the West End is the most expensive place to stay and most hotels are either 4 or 5 star and most will command a hefty price premium. The City can also be very expensive during the week, as it relies heavily on the business market but prices often drop over the weekend and it can be a good way of getting into a higher standard of accommodation than you could otherwise afford. Bear in mind though that this part of central London becomes a ghost town over the weekend, and you will find that few (if any) bars and restaurants will be open. The extra cost of getting around is probably not significant compared to savings made by staying in a hotel further out. With the excellent Tube system where you stay won't limit what you see. Always be sure though to check where the closest tube station is to your hotel. Staying further out will be cheaper but when travelling in allow 1-2 min per tube stop (near the centre), around 2-3 min per stop (further out) and 5-10 min per line change. This can easily total up to a 1 hour journey if there is a walk at each end. A more imaginative alternative could be to stay in a nearby town with quick and easy train travel to London. For example, lively Brighton (otherwise known as 'London by Sea') is only an hour away, but your budget will go much further and there are excellent accommodation options. Some of the better value options are to be found in the following central districts: Bloomsbury. Relatively quiet district with a wide range of accommodation, and has enjoyed a surge in popularity fol-
lowing Eurostar's move to St Pancras International station. Cartwright Gardens features a dozen small B&Bs in historic houses. Many budget options are located on Argyle Square (just off the Euston Road). Gets a little seedy towards and beyond King's Cross railway station. Earl's Court and West Kensington in west central London. Budget and modest accommodation as well as good 4-star hotels. Be careful with the cheapest accommodation in this area though as it will likely be very seedy indeed. Paddington and Bayswater in north west central London. Has undergone a lot of change recently largely resulting from the Heathrow Express train coming into Paddington station. Good hotels can be found in the immediate area of the station and in quieter spots a short walk away as well as in the traditional mid-range accommodation area further south in Bayswater. Westminster. Lots of small B&Bs around the back of Victoria railway station in the Pimlico area. A slightly left-field option is to check the Landmark Trust , a building preservation charity who purchase notable old buildings in the UK, renovate and run them as holiday lettings. An interesting approach to saving old buildings for sure.
Hostels Not necessarily as unpleasant as you may think, and as long as you don't mind sharing with others, they are the most cost-effective option and also offer breakfast as well as kitchens for self catering. The "official" Youth Hostel Association of England and Wales (YHA) operates five hostels in Central London. Like everything else, you should book online well in advance the hostels usually fill up on Friday and Saturday nights about 14 days before. A top tip is don't be put off if there is no availability left online, phone the hostel in question to see if there are still beds available or if there has been a cancellation. Some of the YHA's properties also offer a limited number of private family rooms - expect to pay around £60 per night. Keep in mind that for foreign visitors, the YHA hostels will require to see a form of ID (a passport or national identity card) and a valid membership card from a local YHI (Youth Hostelling International)-recognised Youth Hostel association. For British visitors, a valid YHA (SYHA for Scotland) membership card is all that's required. For all non-YHI members, the YHA will levy a £3 welcome stamp per day. There are a number of other, independent hostels throughout the city and these are listed in the relevant district articles. In the summer season, many of the colleges and universities in Central London open up their student halls of residence as hotels during vacations, at usually much lower rates than proper hotels, but expect very basic facilities (e.g. communal bathrooms, no catering facilities), but you will get the personal privacy that you don't get in hostels for not very much more
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cost. London University vacation accommodation providers include; UCL Residences LSEVactions and TravelStay.com.
Apartments Some apartment-hotels offer good value accommodation for those travelling in a group - often better quality than many hotels but at a cheaper individual rate per person.
Stay safe In an emergency, telephone "999" (or "112"). This number connects to Police, Ambulance and Fire/Rescue services. You will be asked which of these three services you require before being connected to the relevant operator.
Crime Like many big cities, London has a variety of social problems, especially begging, drug abuse and theft (mobile phones are a favorite, often snatched by fast-moving cyclists). London has the oldest police force in the world, The Metropolitan Police Service , and on the whole, London is a safe place to visit and explore. Alongside the regular Police, there are over 4,000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) that provide a highly visible presence on the streets and are able to deal with low-level crime. Normal precautions for the safe keeping of your personal possessions, as you would in any other city, are suggested. Crime mapping has been launched in London allowing residents and visitors to see the level of recorded crime for different areas . If you're planning to go out late at night and are worried about safety, frequent crowded areas such as the West End. There are always plenty of people on the street, even at 4AM. Generally, outside central London, the South, and East suburban areas are considered more dangerous, notably Brixton and Hackney, although some parts of North-West London such as Harlesden and northern Camden are also known trouble spots. The main problem right throughout London to various degrees is drunken behaviour, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights and after football matches. Loud and rowdy behaviour is to be expected and fights and acts of aggression also occur. If you are harassed, it is best to simply ignore and walk away from those concerned. Trouble spots can be expected around popular drinking locations such as Soho and in various suburban centres. Every night, Soho presents a particular danger: the "clip joint". The usual targets of these establishments are lone male tourists. Usually, an attractive woman will casually befriend the victim and recommend a local bar or even a club that has a "show". The establishment will be near-desolate, and, even if
the victim has only a drink or two, the bill will run to hundreds of pounds. If payment is not immediately provided, the bouncers will lock the "patrons" inside and take it by force or take them to an ATM and stand over them while they extract the cash. To be safe, if a woman you just met suggests you a place, try to recommend a different bar, and if she insits on hers walk away and do not listen to her suggestions. Sometimes this con trick takes place when someone is lured into a private club with the promise of something perhaps more than a drink (like a 'private show' or sex for a small amount of money). A 'hostess fee' will appear on the bill for several hundred pounds, even though there has been nothing more than polite conversation. The Metropolitan Police have placed significant resources in combating street level crime. Working in conjunction with borough councils, they have been able to bring the level of theft and pickpocketing in major retail areas in London to a level that is manageable. Street gang culture is a growing problem in London as with many other cities in England. While most groups of youngsters are not likely to present any danger to tourists, some people feel the need to be slightly more vigilant in certain areas, especially certain outer suburbs. If anyone offers you a free "stress test", they are likely trying to recruit you into the Church of Scientology. The best option is to walk away, as people are commonly harassed into giving personal details. Scams/Con Artists London has a large number of con artists around, all trying to convince you to hand over your money one way or another. In a well-known scam, an older gentleman will ask you for directions, convincing you that he thought you were English. This scam has been used for over ten years.
Stay healthy The UK's National Health Service (NHS) will provide emergency treatment for anyone in the UK, irrespective of whether they reside in the UK. In a medical emergency, dial 999 or 112. These numbers are free of charge from any telephone. For advice on non-emergency medical problems, you can ring the 24 hour NHS Direct service on 0845 4647. Emergencies can be dealt with under the NHS system at any hospital with an A & E (Accident & Emergency) department. At A & E departments, be prepared to wait for up to 2-3 hours during busy periods before being given treatment if your medical complaint is not too serious. Major A & E hospitals in London are: Central Middlesex Hospital, Acton Ln, Park Royal, NW10 7NS
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Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Rd, Hammersmith, W6 8RF Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, SW10 9TR Greenwich District Hospital, Vanbrugh Hill, SE10 9HE Guy's Hospital, St. Thomas St, Bankside, SE1 9RT Homerton University Hospital, Homerton Row, Homerton, E9 6SR King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, SE5 9RS Lewisham Hospital, High St, SE13 6LH Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton Ln, SW15 5PN Royal Free Hospital, 23 East Heath Rd, Hampstead, NW3 1DU The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, E1 1BB St. Marys NHS Trust, Praed St, Paddington, W2 1NY St. Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Rd, South Bank, SE1 7EH University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, 25 Grafton Way, Bloomsbury, WC1E 6DB Whittington Hospital, Highgate Hill, Archway, N19 5NF
train from London Waterloo. Some of the best night life outside of London in the UK.
For advice on minor ailments and non-prescription drugs, consult a high street pharmacist.
Portsmouth. Home of the British Navy and of real interest to nautical enthusiasts.
London is also home to some of the most renowned (and most expensive) private medical treatment facilities. Most notable of all are probably the host of private consultants and surgeons on Harley St in Marylebone.
Shrewsbury. A very traditional town full of medieval black and white timber-framed buildings along winding, steep, narrow streets set on the River Severn easily reached by using the train from London Marylebone station.
Day Trips Bath. Roman relics, rich in Georgian architecture and makes an easy day trip from Paddington Station. Birmingham. Trains can take as little as 85 min from Euston or Marylebone or a coach from Victoria takes 3 hours. Boasts many events, pubs and clubs and shopping opportunities. Bournemouth. Large beach resort on the edge of the New Forest, with seven miles of golden sand, a short ride on the
Brighton. Fashionable beach town about 90 km (55 mi) south, less than an hour by train from Victoria Station. Brussels (Belgium) and Paris (France). Both are easily reached via Eurostar from King's Cross St. Pancras Station. Canterbury. Site of the foremost cathedral in England, constructed during the 12th-15th centuries. Henley on Thames. About 55 km (35 mi) west of London, a quaint and typical English town, great for walks by the Thames. Manchester. If you have time it is worth visiting Britain's other great cities and Manchester has very much to offer. Manchester can be reached in around 2 hours by train and is about 320 km (200 mi) to the north. It is the 2nd most visited city in England (after London). Oxford and Cambridge. The university cities make for ideal days out of London.
Stonehenge. Among the most famous landmarks in England. The mysterious stone ring was built thousands of years ago, today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can get there by a guided bus tour or by train (1,5 h) to the nearby city Salisbury, where you also can visit the 13th-century cathedral with the highest spire in the country. Winchester. Former capital of England and attractive cathedral city with lots to see, about an hour away by train from Waterloo. Windsor. Nearby Thames-side town with magnificent castle and Royal residence.
History Toponymy
The name London may derive from the River Thames
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The etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name and can be found in sources from the 2nd century. It is recorded c. 121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae. This had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1899 it was commonly accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos; this explanation has since been rejected. Richard Coates put forward an explanation in 1998 that it is derived from the pre-Celtic Old European *(p)lowonida, meaning 'river too wide to ford', and suggested that this was a name given to the part of the River Thames which flows through London; from this, the settlement gained the Celtic form of its name, *Lowonidonjon. Until 1889 the name "London" officially only applied to the City of London but since then it has also referred to the County of London and now Greater London.
Prehistory and antiquity
peace with the Danish leader, Guthrum. The original Saxon city of Lundenwic became Ealdwic ("old city"), a name surviving to the present day as Aldwych, which is in the modern City of Westminster. Two recent discoveries indicate that London could be much older than previously thought. In 1999, the remains of a Bronze Age bridge were found on the foreshore north of Vauxhall Bridge.This bridge either crossed the Thames, or went to a (lost) island in the river. Dendrology dated the timbers to 1500BC. In 2010, the foundations of a large timber structure, dated to 4500BC, were found on the Thames foreshore, South of Vauxhall Bridge.The function of the mesolithic structure is not known, but it covers at least 50m x 10m, and numerous 30 cm posts are visible at low tides. Both structures are on South Bank, at a natural crossing point where the River Effra flows into the River Thames, and 4 km upstream from the Roman City of London. The effort required to construct these structures implies trade, stability, and a community size of several hundred people at least.
Middle Ages
In 1300 the City was still confined within the Roman walls.
Although there is evidence of scattered Brythonic settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Romans in 43 AD.This lasted for just seventeen years and around 61, the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed it, burning it to the ground.The next, heavily planned incarnation of the city prospered and superseded Colchester as the capital of the Roman province of Britannia in 100. At its height during the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of around 60,000. By the 7th century, the Anglo-Saxons had created a new settlement called Lundenwic over a mile (2 km) upstream from the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden. It is likely that there was a harbour at the mouth of the River Fleet for fishing and trading, and this trading grew, until the city was overcome by the Vikings and forced to move east, back to the location of the Roman Londinium, in order to use its walls for protection. Viking attacks continued to increase, until 886 when Alfred the Great recaptured London and made
The Lancastrian siege of London in 1471 is attacked by a Yorkist sally.
23
London
London · History
With the collapse of Roman rule in the early 5th century, London was effectively abandoned. However, from the 6th century an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as Lundenwic developed slightly to the west of the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden and the Strand, rising to a likely population of 10–12,000.In the 9th century London was repeatedly attacked by Vikings, leading to a relocation of the city back to the location of Roman Londinium, in order to use its walls for protection. Following the unification of England in the 10th century London, already the country's largest city and most important trading centre, became increasingly important as a political centre, although it still faced competition from Winchester, the traditional centre of the kingdom of Wessex.
moved from Winchester, came to rest in the Tower. While the City of Westminster developed into a true capital in governmental terms, its distinct neighbour, the City of London, remained England's largest city and principal commercial centre and flourished under its own unique administration, the Corporation of London. In 1100 its population was around 18,000; by 1300 it had grown to nearly 100,000. Disaster struck during the Black Death in the mid-14th century, when London lost nearly a third of its population.London was the focus of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381.
Early modern
In the 11th century King Edward the Confessor re-founded and rebuilt Westminster Abbey and Westminster, a short distance upstream from London became a favoured royal residence. From this point onward Westminster steadily supplanted the City of London itself as a venue for the business of national government.
The Great Fire of London destroyed many parts of the city in 1666.
Westminster Abbey is a World Heritage Site and one of London's oldest and most important buildings as seen in this painting (Canaletto, 1749 A.D.)
Following his victory in the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England in the newly finished Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066.William constructed the Tower of London, the first of the many Norman castles in England to be rebuilt in stone, in the southeastern corner of the city to intimidate the native inhabitants.In 1097, William II began the building of Westminster Hall, close by the abbey of the same name. The hall became the basis of a new Palace of Westminster. During the 12th century the institutions of central government, which had hitherto accompanied the royal court as it moved around the country, grew in size and sophistication and became increasingly fixed in one place. In most cases this was Westminster, although the royal treasury, having been
London in 1806
During the Tudor period the Reformation produced a gradual shift to Protestantism, with much of London passing from church to private ownership.Mercantilism grew and monopoly trading companies such as the East India Company were established, with trade expanding to the New World. London became the principal North Sea port, with migrants arriving from England and abroad. The population rose from an estimated 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605. In the 16th century William Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived in London at a time of hostility to the development of the theatre. By the end of the Tudor period in 1603, London was still very compact. There was an assassination attempt on James I in Westminster, through the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605.London was plagued by disease in the early 17th
24
London
London · Culture
century,culminating in the Great Plague of 1665–1666, which killed up to 100,000 people, or a fifth of the population.
Culture
The Great Fire of London broke out in 1666 in Pudding Lane in the city and quickly swept through the wooden buildings.Rebuilding took over ten years and was supervised by Robert Hookeas Surveyor of London.In 1708 Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral was completed. During the Georgian era new districts such as Mayfair were formed in the west; and new bridges over the Thames encouraged development in South London. In the east, the Port of London expanded downstream.
Accent
In 1762 George III acquired Buckingham House and it was enlarged over the next 75 years. During the 18th century, London was dogged by crime and the Bow Street Runners were established in 1750 as a professional police force.In total, more than 200 offenses were punishable by death,and women and children were hanged for petty theft.Over 74 per cent of children born in London died before they were five.The coffeehouse became a popular place to debate ideas, with growing literacy and the development of the printing press making news widely available; and Fleet Street became the centre of the British press.
The London accent long ago acquired the Cockney label, and was similar to many accents of the South East of England. The accent of a 21st century 'Londoner' varies widely; what is becoming more and more common amongst the under 30s however is some fusion of Cockney, Received Pronunciation, and a whole array of 'ethnic' accents, in particular Caribbean, which form an accent labelled Multicultural London English (MLE).
Leisure and entertainment
Late modern and contemporary
Piccadilly Circus
A London street hit during the Blitz of World War II
London was the world's largest city from about 1831 to 1925.London's overcrowded conditions led to cholera epidemics,claiming 14,000 lives in 1848, and 6,000 in 1866.Rising traffic congestion led to the creation of the world's first local urban rail network. The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion. It was replaced in 1889 by the London County Council, London's first elected city-wide administration. The Blitz and other bombing by the German Luftwaffe during World War II killed over 30,000 Londoners and destroyed large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. Immediately after the war, the 1948 Summer Olympics were held at the original Wembley Stadium, at a time when the city had barely recovered from the war.
Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London and world film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements.London's theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district (in Soho), and just to the east is Covent Garden, an area housing speciality shops. The United Kingdom's Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Opera and English National Opera are based in London and perform at the Royal Opera House, the London Coliseum, Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Royal Albert Hall as well as touring the country.
25
London
London · Culture Literature, film and television
Keats House, where Keats wrote his Ode to a Nightingale.
Harrods in Knightsbridge
Islington's 1 mile (1.6 km) long Upper Street, extending northwards from the Angel, has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK. Europe's busiest shopping area is Oxford Street, a shopping street nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) long— which makes it the longest shopping street in the UK and home to many shops and department stores including Selfridges. Knightsbridge—home to the Harrods department store—lies just to the southwest. London is home to designers Vivienne Westwood, Galliano, Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo among others; its renowned art and fashion schools make it an international centre of fashion alongside Paris, Milan and New York. London offers a great variety of cuisine as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of Brick Lane and the Chinese food restaurants of Chinatown. There are a variety of regular annual events in the city. The beginning of the year is celebrated with the relatively new New Year's Day Parade, fireworks display at the London Eye, and the world's second largest street party, the Notting Hill Carnival is held during the late August Bank holiday each year. Traditional parades include November's Lord Mayor's Show, a centuries-old event celebrating the annual appointment of a new Lord Mayor of the City of London with a procession along the streets of the City, and June's Trooping the Colour, a formal military pageant performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and British armies to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday.
London has been the setting for many works of literature. The literary centres of London have traditionally been hilly Hampstead and (since the early 20th century) Bloomsbury. Writers closely associated with the city are the diarist Samuel Pepys, noted for his eyewitness account of the Great Fire, Charles Dickens, whose representation of a foggy, snowy, grimy London of street sweepers and pickpockets has been a major influence on people's vision of early Victorian London, and Virginia Woolf, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the 20th century. The pilgrims in Geoffrey Chaucer's late 14th-century Canterbury Tales set out for Canterbury from London - specifically, from the Tabard inn, Southwark. William Shakespeare spent a large part of his life living and working in London; his contemporary Ben Jonson was also based there, and some of his work —most notably his play The Alchemist—was set in the city. A Journal of the Plague Year (1722) by Daniel Defoe is a fictionalisation of the events of the 1665 Great Plague. Later important depictions of London from the 19th and early 20th centuries are Dickens' novels, and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. Modern writers pervasively influenced by the city include Peter Ackroyd, author of a "biography" of London, and Iain Sinclair, who writes in the genre of psychogeography. London was the setting for the films Oliver Twist (1948), Peter Pan (1953), The Ladykillers (1955), The 101 Dalmatians (1961), Mary Poppins (1964), Blowup (1966), The Long Good Friday (1980), Secrets & Lies (1996), Notting Hill (1999), Match Point (2005), V For Vendetta (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2008). The television soap opera EastEnders, first broadcast in 1985, is also set in the city. London has played a significant role in the film industry, and has major studios at Ealing and a special effects and post-production community centred in Soho. Working Title Films has its headquarters in London.
26
London
Museums and art galleries
London · Culture London is one of the major classical and popular music capitals of the world and is home to major music corporations, such as EMI, as well as countless bands, musicians and industry professionals. The city is also home to many orchestras and concert halls, such as the Barbican Arts Centre (principal base of the London Symphony Orchestra), Cadogan Hall (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) and the Royal Albert Hall (The Proms). London's two main opera houses are the Royal Opera House and the Coliseum Theatre. The UK's largest pipe organ can be found at the Royal Albert Hall. Other significant instruments are found at the cathedrals and major churches. Several conservatoires are located within the city: Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Trinity College of Music.
The British Museum.
London is home to many museums, galleries, and other institutions, many of which are free of admission charges and are major tourist attractions as well as playing a research role. The first of these to be established was the British Museum in Bloomsbury, in 1753. Originally containing antiquities, natural history specimens and the national library, the museum now has 7 million artefacts from around the globe. In 1824 the National Gallery was founded to house the British national collection of Western paintings; this now occupies a prominent position in Trafalgar Square. In the latter half of the nineteenth century the locale of South Kensington was developed as "Albertopolis", a cultural and scientific quarter. Three major national museums are located there: the Victoria and Albert Museum (for the applied arts), the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. The national gallery of British art is at Tate Britain, originally established as an annexe of the National Gallery in 1897. The Tate Gallery, as it was formerly known, also became a major centre for modern art; in 2000 this collection moved to Tate Modern, a new gallery housed in the former Bankside Power Station.
Music
The Royal Albert Hall hosts concerts and musical events
27
Events
Events · Monday March 3
Christopher Marney and Martin Lawrance. Running time. About 1 hour 40 minutes | Including one interval
Events
event url www.trvl.es/e/37wc
Tell Me On A Sunday
Events
Monday March 3 Rootstein Hopkins Drawing Exhibition place Morley College. 61 Westminster Bridge Rd Vauxhall, Lambeth start Monday March 3, 11:00h end Monday March 3, 16:00h description 11 May - 11 June Rootstein Hopkins Foundation Drawing Exhibition celebrates the important role that drawing plays in a wide range of visual arts in Adult Education in London. £2000 of prizes will be awarded by a panel of independent judges and another prize will be given for the favourite drawing chosen by the visitors. Opening Hours During Exhibitions* Monday - Friday: 11am - 6pm Late night ...
event url www.trvl.es/e/3hjq
Kelis place Metropolis Studios. 70 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick start Monday March 3, 18:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wd
Emil And The Detectives place Olivier Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Monday March 3, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2YnK
Cauldron place Sebright Arms. 31-35 Coate Street, Bethnal Green start Monday March 3, 19:00h
event url www.trvl.es/e/24gN
event url www.trvl.es/e/37we
Damien Jurado
Richard Herring Podcast
place The Village Underground. 54 Holywell Lane, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:30h description LONDON: Village Underground . MON 3RD MAR, 2014 7:30PM . We are very proud to announce that Damien Jurado will be playing at Village Underground London on March 3. His new album "Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Sun" will be out on January 21st via ...
place Leicester Square Theatre. 6 Leicester Place, Covent Garden start Monday March 3, 19:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/24gX
event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bm9
We Will Rock You
A Taste Of Honey
place Dominion Theatre. 268 - 269 Tottenham Court Road, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:30h description 2011-04-18 , 19:30:00 at 188571 event url www.trvl.es/e/24gF
The Phantom of the Opera place Her Majesty's Theatre. 57 Haymarket, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:30h description Event Details: The Phantom of the Opera Far beneath the majesty and splendour of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist. The musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24gI
Ballet Black place Royal Opera House. Bow Street, Covent Garden start Monday March 3, 20:00h description A dynamic mixed programme of new work from Ballet Black, including pieces by Arthur Pita,
place Duchess Theatre. 3 - 5 Catherine Street, Covent Garden start Monday March 3, 14:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/2YnP
The Weir place Wyndhams Theatre. 32-33 Charing Cross Rd, Charing Cross start Monday March 3, 19:30h
place Lyttelton Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Monday March 3, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2YnN
Urinetown place St James Theatre. 12 Palace Street, London start Monday March 3, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAI
From Here To Eternity place Shaftesbury Theatre. 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24gK
The Duck House place Vaudeville Theatre. 404 The Strand, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24gU
Les Miserables place Queen's Theatre. 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster start Monday March 3, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24gG
Ghosts
28
Events
Events · Tuesday March 4
place Banqueting House. Whitehall Palace Whitehall, Westminster start Monday March 3, 19:30h
opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford ...
event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bm8
We Will Rock You
The Book of Mormon
event url www.trvl.es/e/24gE
place Dominion Theatre. 268 - 269 Tottenham Court Road, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h description 2011-04-18 , 19:30:00 at 188571
The Bodyguard
event url www.trvl.es/e/24h2
place Prince of Wales Theatre. Coventry Street, Soho start Monday March 3, 19:30h
place Adelphi Theatre. 409-412 Strand, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/24h6
Stephen Ward London
event url www.trvl.es/e/24gH
place Aldwych Theatre. Aldwych, London start Tuesday March 4, 14:30h
Stephen Ward London
event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAL
place Aldwych Theatre. Aldwych, London start Monday March 3, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2YnL
The Fray place Scala. 275 Pentonville Road, Islington start Monday March 3, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2YnM
Mamma Mia place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:45h event url www.trvl.es/e/24gD
Mamma Mia London place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Monday March 3, 19:45h event url www.trvl.es/e/24gJ
Tom Prior place Old Blue Last. 38 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3ES, City of London start Monday March 3, 20:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wb
Jersey Boys place Prince Edward Theatre. 28 Old Compton Street, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24h7
Beyoncé - Seated place The O2. Peninsula Square, Greenwich start Tuesday March 4, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wf
The Preatures place The 100 Club. 100 Oxford Street, The West End start Tuesday March 4, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wi
Birdy place The Forum. 9-17 Highgate Road, Kentish Town start Tuesday March 4, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hb
Lolo place Shacklewell Arms. 71 Shacklewell Lane, Hackney start Tuesday March 4, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/3hjs
Tuesday March 4 Matilda The Musical place Cambridge Theatre The. Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU, Charing Cross start Tuesday March 4, 19:00h description ORDER event url www.trvl.es/e/24h4
The Phantom of the Opera place Her Majesty's Theatre. 57 Haymarket, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h description Event Details: The Phantom of the Opera Far beneath the majesty and splendour of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist. The musical
Emil And The Detectives place Olivier Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Tuesday March 4, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bma
The Beards place The Borderline. 16 Manette Street, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hc
The Duck House place Vaudeville Theatre. 404 The Strand, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bmb
Disney presents the Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. Wellington Street, London start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2kf8
Thriller - Live place Lyric Theatre. 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24h8
29
Events
Events · Wednesday March 5
place Banqueting House. Whitehall Palace Whitehall, Westminster start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h
place Cambridge Theatre The. Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU, Charing Cross start Wednesday March 5, 14:30h description ORDER
event url www.trvl.es/e/2kfa
event url www.trvl.es/e/24ht
From Here To Eternity
We Will Rock You
Ghosts
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hd
place Dominion Theatre. 268 - 269 Tottenham Court Road, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h description 2011-04-18 , 19:30:00 at 188571
The Book of Mormon
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hr
place Shaftesbury Theatre. 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h
place Prince of Wales Theatre. Coventry Street, Soho start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24h0
George Ezra place Dingwalls. Middle Yard, Camden Town start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wg
The Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. 21 Wellington Street, Covent Garden start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24h1
Foxes place Scala. 275 Pentonville Road, Islington start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24ha
Les Miserables place Queen's Theatre. 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24h3
The Bodyguard place Adelphi Theatre. 409-412 Strand, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24h5
Mamma Mia place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Tuesday March 4, 19:45h event url www.trvl.es/e/24gZ
Ghost Stories place Arts Theatre. 6-7 Great Newport St, Covent Garden start Tuesday March 4, 20:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/3hjr
R5 - Louder World Tour place IndigO2. Millenium Way, Greenwich start Tuesday March 4, 20:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wh
The Phantom of the Opera place Her Majesty's Theatre. 57 Haymarket, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h description Event Details: The Phantom of the Opera Far beneath the majesty and splendour of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist. The musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24hv
Emil And The Detectives place Olivier Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Wednesday March 5, 14:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bme
The Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. 21 Wellington Street, Covent Garden start Wednesday March 5, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hq
Disney presents the Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. Wellington Street, London start Wednesday March 5, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2kfc
Stephen Ward London place Aldwych Theatre. Aldwych, London start Wednesday March 5, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wm
The Book of Mormon place Prince of Wales Theatre. Coventry Street, Soho start Wednesday March 5, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hp
Les Miserables place Queen's Theatre. 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster start Wednesday March 5, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hs
Wednesday March 5 Matilda The Musical
The Bodyguard place Adelphi Theatre. 409-412 Strand, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hu
Beyoncé - Seated
30
Events
Events · Thursday March 6
place The O2. Peninsula Square, Greenwich start Wednesday March 5, 18:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wl
Eagulls
place Prince Edward Theatre. 28 Old Compton Street, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h
place Electrowerkz. 7 Torrens Street, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:00h
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hw
event url www.trvl.es/e/37wn
place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:45h
The Beards - EXTRA DATE ADDED place The Borderline. 16 Manette Street, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wq
Skaters place Dingwalls. Middle Yard, Camden Town start Wednesday March 5, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hB
Radkey place The 100 Club. 100 Oxford Street, The West End start Wednesday March 5, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wo
Get the Blessing place Jazz Cafe. 5 Parkway, Camden Town start Wednesday March 5, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/3hjt
Newton Faulkner place Roundhouse. Chalk Farm Road, Camden Town start Wednesday March 5, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hA
Mamma Mia
event url www.trvl.es/e/24ho
Thursday March 6 The Phantom of the Opera place Her Majesty's Theatre. 57 Haymarket, City of London start Thursday March 6, 14:30h description Event Details: The Phantom of the Opera Far beneath the majesty and splendour of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist. The musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24hU
We Will Rock You
place Royal Vauxhall Tavern. 372 Kennington Lane, Kennington start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h
place Dominion Theatre. 268 - 269 Tottenham Court Road, City of London start Thursday March 6, 19:30h description 2011-04-18 , 19:30:00 at 188571
event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAO
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hQ
I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical
The Duck House place Vaudeville Theatre. 404 The Strand, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bmg
Breton place The Village Underground. 54 Holywell Lane, City of London start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h
Matilda The Musical place Cambridge Theatre The. Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU, Charing Cross start Thursday March 6, 19:30h description ORDER event url www.trvl.es/e/24hS
Ghosts
Thriller - Live
place Banqueting House. Whitehall Palace Whitehall, Westminster start Thursday March 6, 14:30h
place Lyric Theatre. 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h
Stephen Ward London
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hz
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hx
Ghosts place Banqueting House. Whitehall Palace Whitehall, Westminster start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bmf
Nina Persson place Scala. 275 Pentonville Road, Islington start Wednesday March 5, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wp
Jersey Boys
event url www.trvl.es/e/2kfj
place Aldwych Theatre. Aldwych, London start Thursday March 6, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAQ
Mamma Mia place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Thursday March 6, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hN
The Duck House place Vaudeville Theatre. 404 The Strand, City of London start Thursday March 6, 15:00h
31
Events
Events · Friday March 7
event url www.trvl.es/e/2z8f
Emil And The Detectives
place Scala. 275 Pentonville Road, Islington start Thursday March 6, 19:30h
place Olivier Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Thursday March 6, 18:00h
event url www.trvl.es/e/37ws
event url www.trvl.es/e/2z8e
place Adelphi Theatre. 409-412 Strand, City of London start Thursday March 6, 19:30h
Beyoncé - Seated
The Bodyguard
place The O2. Peninsula Square, Greenwich start Thursday March 6, 18:00h
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hT
event url www.trvl.es/e/37wr
place Prince Edward Theatre. 28 Old Compton Street, City of London start Thursday March 6, 19:30h
Tinariwen place The Village Underground. 54 Holywell Lane, City of London start Thursday March 6, 18:45h event url www.trvl.es/e/3hjv
Bastille place Alexandra Palace and Park. The Grove, Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green start Thursday March 6, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hY
The Dear Hunter & Anthony Green place The Garage. 20 - 22 Highbury Corner, Highbury start Thursday March 6, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hZ
Fitz and The Tantrums place The Lexington. 98 Pentonville Road, Islington start Thursday March 6, 19:00h
Jersey Boys
event url www.trvl.es/e/24hV
Les Miserables place Queen's Theatre. 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hR
The Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. 21 Wellington Street, Covent Garden start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hP
Ghost Stories place Arts Theatre. 6-7 Great Newport St, Covent Garden start Thursday March 6, 20:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/37wu
event url www.trvl.es/e/3hjw
Disney presents the Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. Wellington Street, London start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2kfh
From Here To Eternity place Shaftesbury Theatre. 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, City of London start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24i0
Lamb of God: As the Palaces Burn place Vue Cinema Islington. London start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/3hju
I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical place Royal Vauxhall Tavern. 372 Kennington Lane, Kennington start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAR
Thriller - Live place Lyric Theatre. 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hW
The Book of Mormon place Prince of Wales Theatre. Coventry Street, Soho start Thursday March 6, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24hO
The Head And The Heart
Friday March 7 The Phantom of the Opera place Her Majesty's Theatre. 57 Haymarket, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:30h description Event Details: The Phantom of the Opera Far beneath the majesty and splendour of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist. The musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24ij
We Will Rock You place Dominion Theatre. 268 - 269 Tottenham Court Road, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:30h description 2011-04-18 , 19:30:00 at 188571 event url www.trvl.es/e/24if
Matilda The Musical place Cambridge Theatre The. Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU, Charing Cross start Friday March 7, 19:30h description ORDER event url www.trvl.es/e/24ih
32
Events
Events · Saturday March 8
place Olivier Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Friday March 7, 19:00h
place Queen's Theatre. 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster start Friday March 7, 19:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/2z8h
event url www.trvl.es/e/24ig
Emil And The Detectives
The Dualers place O2 Academy Islington. N1 Centre, 16 Parkfield Street, Islington start Friday March 7, 19:00h
place Lyceum Theatre. 21 Wellington Street, Covent Garden start Friday March 7, 19:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvD
event url www.trvl.es/e/24ie
Room 94
The Bodyguard
place KOKO. 1a Camden High Street, Camden Town start Friday March 7, 19:00h
place Adelphi Theatre. 409-412 Strand, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/24in
event url www.trvl.es/e/24ii
Stephen Ward London place Aldwych Theatre. Aldwych, London start Friday March 7, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAV
I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical
Jersey Boys place Prince Edward Theatre. 28 Old Compton Street, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24ik
place Royal Vauxhall Tavern. 372 Kennington Lane, Kennington start Friday March 7, 19:30h
The Book of Mormon
event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAW
event url www.trvl.es/e/24id
Disney presents the Lion King
place Prince of Wales Theatre. Coventry Street, Soho start Friday March 7, 19:30h
Mamma Mia
place Lyceum Theatre. Wellington Street, London start Friday March 7, 19:30h
place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:45h
event url www.trvl.es/e/2kfn
event url www.trvl.es/e/24ic
The Duck House
Mamma Mia London
place Vaudeville Theatre. 404 The Strand, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:30h
place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:45h
event url www.trvl.es/e/2z8i
event url www.trvl.es/e/24im
The Weir
Ghost Stories
place Wyndhams Theatre. 32-33 Charing Cross Rd, Charing Cross start Friday March 7, 19:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/35JH
event url www.trvl.es/e/2z8j
From Here To Eternity place Shaftesbury Theatre. 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, City of London start Friday March 7, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24io
Thriller - Live place Lyric Theatre. 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho start Friday March 7, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24il
A Taste Of Honey place Lyttelton Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Friday March 7, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/35JI
Ghosts place Banqueting House. Whitehall Palace Whitehall, Westminster start Friday March 7, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2kfp
Les Miserables
The Lion King
place Arts Theatre. 6-7 Great Newport St, Covent Garden start Friday March 7, 20:00h
Daniel Kitson place National Theatre. Upper Ground, Bankside start Friday March 7, 20:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvC
Trevor Nelson Presents place Jazz Cafe. 5 Parkway, Camden Town start Friday March 7, 22:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAU
Saturday March 8 Matilda The Musical place Cambridge Theatre The. Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU, Charing Cross start Saturday March 8, 14:30h description ORDER event url www.trvl.es/e/24iG
The Phantom of the Opera
33
Events
Events · Saturday March 8
place Her Majesty's Theatre. 57 Haymarket, City of London start Saturday March 8, 14:30h description Event Details: The Phantom of the Opera Far beneath the majesty and splendour of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist. The musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24iI
We Will Rock You place Dominion Theatre. 268 - 269 Tottenham Court Road, City of London start Saturday March 8, 14:30h description 2011-04-18 , 19:30:00 at 188571 event url www.trvl.es/e/24iE
West Ham United - Hull City place Upton Park - West Ham FC. Boleyn Ground, Green Street, Plaistow start Saturday March 8, 15:00h description Upton Park, London, United Kingdom event url www.trvl.es/e/35JJ
Norouz Special place Upper West. 107 King's Rd, Chelsea start Saturday March 8, 19:30h end Sunday March 9, 03:00h description Join us for a spectacular night of endless entertainment at the one and only Upper West Chelsea on King's Road. Enjoy an assortment of exquisite Persian hors d'oeuvres and desserts together with a powerhouse entertainment line-up featuring classical piano recital, live music performances, Norouz-inspired dance show, art exhibition and more surprises. Followed by DJ sets and dance till ... event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvI
Daniel Kitson place National Theatre. Upper Ground, Bankside start Saturday March 8, 11:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvE
Emil And The Detectives place Olivier Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Saturday March 8, 14:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bmj
Stephen Ward London place Aldwych Theatre. Aldwych, London start Saturday March 8, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAY
Ghosts place Banqueting House. Whitehall Palace Whitehall, Westminster start Saturday March 8, 14:30h
place Shaftesbury Theatre. 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, City of London start Saturday March 8, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iP
Disney presents the Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. Wellington Street, London start Saturday March 8, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NAZ
Les Miserables place Queen's Theatre. 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster start Saturday March 8, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iF
The Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. 21 Wellington Street, Covent Garden start Saturday March 8, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iD
The Book of Mormon place Prince of Wales Theatre. Coventry Street, Soho start Saturday March 8, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iC
The Duck House place Vaudeville Theatre. 404 The Strand, City of London start Saturday March 8, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bml
Mamma Mia London place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Saturday March 8, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iL
Mamma Mia place Novello Theatre. 5 Aldwych, City of London start Saturday March 8, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iB
The Bodyguard place Adelphi Theatre. 409-412 Strand, City of London start Saturday March 8, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iH
Jersey Boys place Prince Edward Theatre. 28 Old Compton Street, City of London start Saturday March 8, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iJ
Thriller - Live place Lyric Theatre. 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho start Saturday March 8, 16:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iK
Ghost Stories place Arts Theatre. 6-7 Great Newport St, Covent Garden start Saturday March 8, 17:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvF
event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bmk
A Night of Championship Professional Boxing
From Here To Eternity
place York Hall. Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green
34
Events
Events · Sunday March 9
start Saturday March 8, 17:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/35JK
start Sunday March 9, 15:00h description ORDER
De Staat
event url www.trvl.es/e/24j1
place The Garage. 20 - 22 Highbury Corner, Highbury start Saturday March 8, 18:30h
Thriller Live in Concert
event url www.trvl.es/e/24iO
Disclosure place Alexandra Palace and Park. The Grove, Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green start Saturday March 8, 18:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iN
I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical place Royal Vauxhall Tavern. 372 Kennington Lane, Kennington start Saturday March 8, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NB0
The Stranglers place Eventim Hammersmith Apollo. 45 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith start Saturday March 8, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24iM
Sunday March 9 Rootstein Hopkins Drawing Exhibition place Morley College. 61 Westminster Bridge Rd Vauxhall, Lambeth start Sunday March 9, 11:00h end Sunday March 9, 16:00h description 11 May - 11 June Rootstein Hopkins Foundation Drawing Exhibition celebrates the important role that drawing plays in a wide range of visual arts in Adult Education in London. £2000 of prizes will be awarded by a panel of independent judges and another prize will be given for the favourite drawing chosen by the visitors. Opening Hours During Exhibitions* Monday - Friday: 11am - 6pm Late night ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24j5
Da Vinci Code London Tour place Temple Tube Station. Temple Place, City of London start Sunday March 9, 14:00h end Sunday March 9, 16:30h description “In London lies a knight a Pope interred. His labour’s fruit a Holy wrath incurred. You seek the orb that ought to be on his tomb. It speaks of Rosy flesh and seeded womb.” This clue will take you on a 2 ½ hour walking tour to unravel the mystery of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. Learn fascinating facts about the novel and its subsequent release as a movie. Using stills from the film ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24j4
Matilda The Musical place Cambridge Theatre The. Earlham Street, London, WC2 9HU, Charing Cross
place Lyric Theatre. 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho start Sunday March 9, 15:30h description Event Details: Thriller Live in Concert Flying Music in association with Adrian Grant are proud to present Thriller Live, a spectacular concert created to celebrate the career of the world’s greatest entertainer and undisputed King of Pop Established in 2006, Thriller Live moonwalked into the West End after three acclaimed UK tours and standing ovations across Europe. Currently playing at ... event url www.trvl.es/e/24j7
We Play Music Live: 2nd Year Anniversary place Jazz Cafe. 5 Parkway, Camden Town start Sunday March 9, 19:00h description London’s Premier Live music show, WE PLAY MUSIC LIVE© Return’s for its 2nd year anniversary show, at its new home, The world famous Jazz Cafe London on Sunday 9TH March. WPML is a unique concept capturing the intimacy of live stage performances and presenting it interactively via online radio to audiences and around the world on event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvJ
Fiesta a la Mexicana at The Golden Horseshoe Casino Mexican Party place The Golden Horseshoe Casino. 79-81 Queensway, Bayswater start Sunday March 9, 21:00h end Monday March 10, 03:00h description Main event will be held on Sunday March 9th with a themed Mexican Menu of nachos with guacamole, sour cream, salsa. Choice of chicken or vegetarian enchilada, burrito, or chimichanga, served with Mexican rice and refried beans. Traditional Mexican beer and a cocktail will be available Our staff will be dressed up Mexican style. PLUS Live entertainment! From the 10th of feb when you visit the ... event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvH
Daniel Kitson place National Theatre. Upper Ground, Bankside start Sunday March 9, 14:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/35JO
Emil And The Detectives place Olivier Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Sunday March 9, 14:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2Bmn
The Lion King place Lyceum Theatre. 21 Wellington Street, Covent Garden start Sunday March 9, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24j0
Disney presents the Lion King
35
Events
Events · Sunday March 9
place Lyceum Theatre. Wellington Street, London start Sunday March 9, 14:30h
Flamenco Festival London: Angel Munoz From White to Black
event url www.trvl.es/e/2kfw
place Lilian Baylis Theatre. Sadler's Wells, City of London start Sunday March 9, 19:30h
La Bohème place Royal Albert Hall. Kensington Gore, Kensington start Sunday March 9, 14:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NB3
A Taste Of Honey place Lyttelton Theatre. Southbank, Bankside start Sunday March 9, 14:30h
event url www.trvl.es/e/35JR
WORK IN PROGRESS - Simon Amstell place Invisible Dot. 099F CAMDEN STABLES MARKET, City of London start Sunday March 9, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/3dvG
event url www.trvl.es/e/35JN
Wale place Twickenham Stadium. Rugby Road, Twickenham start Sunday March 9, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24jd distance 16.1 km. approximate from city center
RBS Six Nations - England v Wales place Twickenham Stadium. Rugby Road, Twickenham start Sunday March 9, 15:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24jc distance 16.1 km. approximate from city center
Thriller - Live place Lyric Theatre. 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho start Sunday March 9, 15:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/24j3
Two Into One place Menier Chocolate Factory. 51 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1RU, City of London start Sunday March 9, 15:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/35JS
Ghost Stories place Arts Theatre. 6-7 Great Newport St, Covent Garden start Sunday March 9, 16:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NB2
Jersey Boys place Prince Edward Theatre. 28 Old Compton Street, City of London start Sunday March 9, 17:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24j2
Ellie Goulding place The O2. Peninsula Square, Greenwich start Sunday March 9, 18:30h end Sunday March 9, 23:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/24je
Ryan Leslie & August Alsina - Reserved Seats place IndigO2. Millenium Way, Greenwich start Sunday March 9, 19:00h event url www.trvl.es/e/2NB5
Flamenco Festival London: Sara Baras - La Pepa place Lilian Baylis Theatre. Sadler's Wells, City of London start Sunday March 9, 19:30h event url www.trvl.es/e/35JP
36
Restaurants
Chez Bruce
Restaurants
Restaurants
Top Best Restaurants The Ledbury
cuisine European, French price $71 - $93 place 127 Ledbury Rd, London W11 2AQ, England
cuisine British price $24 - $101 place 2 Bellevue Road, London SW17 7EG, England
Top Italian
Petrus
Soho Joe
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Zucca - Bermondsey St.
place 1 Kinnerton Street | Knightsbridge, London SW1X 8EA, England cuisine French price $40 - $158 place 68 - 69 Royal Hospital Road | Chelsea, London SW3 4HP, England
Laughing Gravy Bar & Restaurant
cuisine British price $3 - $48 place 154-156 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8EN, England
Goodman
cuisine British price $40 - $63 place 26 Maddox Street, London W1S 1HQ, England
The Harwood Arms
cuisine British price $25 - $41 place Walham Grove, Fulham, London, England
Whits
price $6 - $12 place 22 - 25 Dean Street, London W1D 3RY, England price $38 place 184 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ, England
Latium Restaurant
price $56 - $71 place 21 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3LP, England
Pizzeria Oregano
price $60 place 19 St Alban's Place, London N1 0NX, England
Pizzeria Pappagone
place 131 Stroud Green Road, London N4 3PX, England
Giovannis
place 10 Goodwins Ct, London WC2N 4LL, England
Sartori
place 15-18 Great Newport Street | Near Covent Garden, London WC2H 7JE, England
Santa Maria Pizzeria
place 15 St. Mary's Road, London W5 5RA, England
cuisine French price $26 - $84 place 21 Abingdon Road, London W8 6AH, England
2 Veneti
Le Gavroche
place 31 Balham High Rd, London SW12 9AL, England
price $26 - $41 place 43 Upper Brook St. | Marble Arch, London W1K 7QR, England
Monmouth Coffee Company
place 27 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9EP, England
Zucca - Bermondsey St.
cuisine Italian price $38 place 184 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ, England
Zeret Kitchen
cuisine Ethiopian place 216-218 Camberwell Road, London SE5 0ED, England
price $101 place 10 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2RD, England
Ciullo's
Top Asian Atari-Ya Sushi Bar
cuisine Japanese price $21 - $29 place 20 James Street, London W1U 1EH, England
Yauatcha
cuisine Chinese price $101 place 15 Broadwick Street, London W1F 0DL, England
Hakkasan Hanway Place Restaurant
Soho Joe
cuisine Chinese price $32 - $238 place 8 Hanway Place, Off Tottenham Court Road, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1HB, England
Murano
cuisine Vietnamese place 100 Redriff Road | Surrey Quays Leisure Centre, London SE16 7LH, England
Jose
cuisine Spanish place 104 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB, England cuisine Dessert, Mediterranean, Pizza price $8 - $12 place 22 - 25 Dean Street, London W1D 3RY, England place 20-22 Queen Street, London W1J 5PP, England
Restaurants · Top Best Restaurants
Cafe East
Hashi
37
Restaurants
Restaurants · Top Vegetarian
cuisine Japanese place 54 Durham Road | Raynes Park, London SW20 0TW, England
Mien Tay
cuisine Vietnamese place 122 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DP, England
Grand Imperial London
cuisine Chinese price $32 - $63 place 101 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0SJ, England
Asakusa
cuisine Japanese place 265 Eversholt Street | Camden, London NW1 1BA, England
Abeno
cuisine Japanese price $72 place 47 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY, England
Mai Sushi
cuisine Japanese, Sushi price $11 - $32 place 36-38 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JB, England
Top Vegetarian Tibits
price $16 - $34 place 12-14 Heddon Street, London W1B 4DA, England
222 Veggie Vegan
price $11 - $20 place North End Road, London W14 9NU, England
Gaby's Deli
price $50 place 30 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DE, England
Mildred's
place 45 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AN, England
Vanilla Black
price $37 - $153 place 17- 18 Tooks Court, London EC4A 1LB, England
Food For Thought
price $7 - $17 place 31 Neal Street, London WC2H 9PR, England
Sagar Vegetarian Restaurant
price $6 - $21 place 157 King Street | Hammersmith, London W6 9JT, England
Green Cottage
price $117 place 9 New College Parade, London NW3 5EP, England
Gate, The
price $25 - $41 place 51 Queen Caroline St., London, England
38
Useful info
Useful info · Weather
Useful info
Useful info
Weather Rain
03.03.2014
04.03.2014
05.03.2014
06.03.2014
07.03.2014
08.03.2014
09.03.2014
Wind
10–12 h
5°
<1 mm
3 m/s Light Breeze to South-southeast
12–18 h
9°
1 mm
4 m/s Gentle Breeze to South-southeast
18–24 h
7°
0 mm
2 m/s Light Breeze to East
00–06 h
2°
0 mm
2 m/s Light Breeze to North
06–12 h
2°
0 mm
2 m/s Light Breeze to West
12–18 h
7°
0 mm
3 m/s Light Breeze to West-southwest
18–24 h
8°
0 mm
4 m/s Gentle Breeze to South-southwest
00–06 h
5°
0 mm
2 m/s Light Breeze to South
06–12 h
4°
0 mm
1 m/s Light Air to South-southeast
12–18 h
9°
0 mm
1 m/s Light Air to South-southeast
18–24 h
10°
0 mm
4 m/s Gentle Breeze to South-southwest
00–06 h
3°
0 mm
2 m/s Light Breeze to South
06–12 h
7°
<1 mm
3 m/s Light Breeze to South
12–18 h
12°
<1 mm
6 m/s Moderate Breeze to South-southwest
18–24 h
9°
0 mm
5 m/s Gentle Breeze to South-southwest
00–06 h
8°
0 mm
4 m/s Gentle Breeze to South-southwest
06–12 h
6°
0 mm
3 m/s Light Breeze to South-southwest
12–18 h
12°
0 mm
5 m/s Gentle Breeze to Southwest
18–24 h
10°
0 mm
3 m/s Light Breeze to South-southwest
00–06 h
8°
0 mm
3 m/s Light Breeze to South
06–12 h
7°
0 mm
2 m/s Light Breeze to South-southeast
12–18 h
13°
<1 mm
7 m/s Moderate Breeze to Southwest
18–24 h
10°
<1 mm
4 m/s Gentle Breeze to West-southwest
00–06 h
6°
0 mm
4 m/s Gentle Breeze to West-northwest
06–12 h
1°
0 mm
2 m/s Light Breeze to West-southwest
12–18 h
9°
0 mm
5 m/s Gentle Breeze to Southwest
39
Useful info
Useful info · Sunrise/Sunset
Rain
18–24 h
7°
<1 mm
Wind 6 m/s Moderate Breeze to South-southwest
Sunrise/Sunset Sun will rise at 06:41:40 and will set at 17:44:05 in local time.
Currency The currency from United Kingdom is the Pound Sterling (GBP). 1 GBP costs: Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.21 EUR United States Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.67 USD Yen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170.20 JPY Pound Sterling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00 GBP Czech Koruna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.09 CZK Danish Krone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.03 DKK Forint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375.73 HUF Litas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.18 LTL New Zloty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.04 PLN Swedish Krona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.71 SEK Swiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.47 CHF Norwegian Krone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.02 NOK Croatian Kuna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.26 HRK Australian Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.87 AUD Canadian Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.86 CAD Yuan Renminbi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.27 CNY Hong Kong Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.97 HKD Rupiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,411.62 IDR Republic of Korean Won . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,783.08 KRW Ringgit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.48 MYR New Zealand Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.98 NZD Philippines Peso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.64 PHP Singapore Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.12 SGD Baht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.55 THB Rand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.86 ZAR
Passport and Visa
Passport required
Return ticket required
Visa required
Australian British Canadian Other EU USA
Yes N/A Yes 1 Yes
No N/A No No No
No N/A No No No
Passports:
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Useful info
Useful info · Emergency numbers
To enter the United Kingdom, a passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above, except EU nationals (1) holding a valid national ID card. Note: EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed. (a) A passport is not required for travel between Great Britain and Ireland (an official form of identification, such as a driver's licence, is required), Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. (b) Passengers transiting the UK destined for the Republic of Ireland are advised to hold return tickets to avoid delay and interrogation. Visas: Visas for the United Kingdom are not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to six months. Visa note: (a) Nationals not requiring visas are advised to be in possession of either a return ticket or, if arriving on a one-way ticket, proof of sufficient funds to accommodate and support themselves for the duration of stay. (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements for the United Kingdom.
Emergency numbers Police: 999 or 112 Medical: 999 or 112 Fire: 999 or 112 Notes: In 2006 101 was made available as a non-emergency, non-free number for police and local authorities in a small number of areas in England and Wales. 999 and 112 can be used from any phone. When dialing 999 or 112, the caller is connected with a telecoms operator such as BT, Cable & Wireless, Railnet, or Kingston Communications, and the operator will ask what service is required. Operators have access to interpretation services covering 170 languages. Deaf people can text 18000 for the emergency services (after registration). 999 was first introduced on the 30th June 1937 in London.
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Maps
Maps · City center
Maps
Maps
City center City center west
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Maps
Maps · City center east
City center east
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Maps
Maps · Bus routes
Bus routes Bus routes
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Maps
Maps · Underground
Underground Underground
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References
References ·
Reasonable care has been taken in creating this personalized travel guide by combining information from the sources identified under the section 'references'. However, the information is provided 'as is' and there is no warranty about the information in the guide being accurate, complete or up to date. To the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, all liability arising from the use of this guide will be denied. Verifying critical information (like visas, health and safety) before you travel is recommended. References
References
London data is from Wikitravel, urls: – http://www.wikitravel.com This page was last edited at 13:51, on 8 July 2011 by Wikitravel user Burmesedays. Based on work by Dale Arnett, Wikitravel user(s) Joactman and Globe-trotter, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. City info data is from Wikipedia, urls: – http://www.wikipedia.com Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Events data is from Eventful, urls: – www.eventful.com Weather data is from Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation yr.no, urls: – http://www.yr.no/place/Storbritannia/England/London/ Sunset data is from Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation yr.no, urls: – http://www.yr.no/place/Storbritannia/England/London/ Currency data is from Xavier Finance Api, urls: – http://finance.xaviermedia.com/ Maps data is from Yahoo Local Maps, OpenStreetMap, Qype, urls: – http://maps.yahoo.com – http://www.openstreetmap.org – http://www.qype.com
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Notes
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Notes
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