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Airports | Climate | Currency | Dining | Getting Around | Language | Lodging |Passports & Visa | References | Scene | Shopping | Things to See | Time Zones | Tipping
London used to be the world's largest metropolis and although it has ceded that title to the sprawling cities of the southern hemisphere, it's still a huge bewildering place if it's your first visit. Even if you speak English fluently you can only learn how to pronounce place names like' Greenwich' 'Leicester Square' and 'Chomondeley Place' by example. Many visitors waste large amounts of money simply because they don't know the tips and wrinkles that Londoners have picked up intuitively. So in this section, we assume that it's your first visit to their shores - some of the information here you'll probably already know, but it's worth reading it all at your leisure (print off this page and read it at your leisure with a cup of tea) - you'll certainly save time and money if you do.
After a two year absence, we just went to the capital of the British empire and were surprised by how much it had changed. Lots of restaurants had closed and new bars opened. Here is an updated version of the city.
London is on Greenwich time 5 hours ahead of New York and six hours ahead of Chicago. In 1996, members of the European Union agreed to observe a "summertime period" from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. Check the "Time Ticker" for current time in London.
Heathrow Airport, (LHR) situated twelve miles west of the city, has frequent connections with the center of London. The BAA run high speed Heathrow Express travels from Paddington to the Heathrow terminals. The Piccadilly line trains on the Underground also offers a direct route into the city, as do Airbuses.
Heathrow is the busiest airport in the world, receiving nearly 180 million passengers a year, worldwide, as well as domestic flights.
Gatwick, (LGW) thirty miles South of the city, has connections with the Gatwick Express, which runs from Victoria. Gatwick receives flights from America, Europe, and the rest of the world, as well as domestic flights.
A passport is required. Tourists are not obliged to obtain a visa for stays of up to six months in the United Kingdom or to enter Gibraltar. Those wishing to remain longer than one month in Gibraltar should regularize their stay with Gibraltar immigration authorities. In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child’s travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian if not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure. Further information on entry requirements may be obtained from the British Embassy at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008; tel: (202) 588-7800. Inquiries may also be directed to British consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
Forget traveler’s checks, cash, or personal checks. All you really need is a valid ATM and credit card. Charge as much as you can, thus ensuring the best exchange rate at all times and only take out cash from an ATM machine as needed. Avoid exchanging back to US currency by paying your hotel bill with excess cash and charging the rest. All major credit cards are accepted everywhere. Keep enough cash to get you to the airport. Remember your fare on the way down and keep that much for the return. At printing you could get 0.52 British pounds per USD (1.901 USD per £)
Currency: Pounds Sterling - issued by the bank of Scotland or England only (Irish Pounds not valid) they are different sizes and colors to help the partially sighted. Notes: £50, 20, £10, £5 Coins: £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 20p, 5p and 1p.
Cash points (ATMs) are widely available and provide the best rate for cash withdrawals - better than bureau de change. Visa and Access (MasterCard) widely accepted, other cards often accepted. Banking hours officially 09:30-15:30, but most banks open usually till about 17:00. For cash withdrawals on a visa card, you will need to produce your passport. Checks accepted everywhere - though a valid check card must be produced. Foreign checks can be paid into British banks, but will be subject to a fee.
Weather: England's weather remains the most frequent topic of conversation - it's not as bad as it's painted (in fact it rains less in London than it does in Paris), it's just so unpredictable. We don't have clearly defined seasons - like in central Europe - at any moment, trouble can brew up in the Atlantic and lead to cold or wet weather. Never buy tickets for an outdoor event in advance. However don't take our word for it, here's what the Meteorological office have to say about: The British Climate. For a five-day forecast click go to the BBC weather site.
English. English everywhere. Welsh spoken only in Wales. Cockney Rhyming slang is NOT common. Beware; American English differs from English in several key points. This can cause amusement when, for example, someone asks you if they can borrow your rubber, promising to return it when they have finished. They are talking about an eraser.
Breakfast is usually at about 08:00 and is either continental (bread, cereal, coffee, juice) or Full British, which in addition to the continental breakfast brings a coronary-inducing mixture of bacon, fried or scrambled eggs, fried bread, sausages (which are mostly bread, and under EU law can't be called sausages, so the euphemism 'banger' is often used), toast, marmalade (sour orange jam/jelly), with strong, white tea. Sometimes black pudding (effectively blood sausage) or porridge (oatmeal, traditionally with salt and water, though more likely with milk, cream and sugar) or kippers (smoked herrings, Scottish style - delicious) are added.
If you still have room, coffee is served at about 11:00, possibly with a snack, and lunch is 13:00 - most workers eat sandwiches, unless someone else is paying when a long boozy lunch may stretch on till 15:00.
Tea (southern England) is at 16:00-17:00 and consists of fine sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and cakes, with a pot of weak tea. In the North of England tea is usually the main evening meal, served at 17:00-18:00.
Dinner is usually at about 20:00 - though it may be much later, in which case it's called supper, except on Sundays when dinner is the main lunchtime meal. Lively Londoners can eat quite late, though it's often difficult to find a restaurant that serves past 22:00 - 23:00. If they've been out drinking, most Londoners will go for a curry after the pubs shut at 23:00 - Indian restaurants stay open till late, but check for drunks before you settle down.
Service and tip are included in the prices at hotels, in restaurants, and for taxi fares. For good service you may leave a few coins extra at your discretion. Tips are not standard for taxis or restaurants - though for restaurants look for a service charge at the bottom of the check (the
bill, in UK English), in which case you needn't leave anything extra. >If service is not included, and in taxis, it's usual to leave 10%, thought don't feel obliged for poor service.
| Bank & Public Holidays Bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the years 2006-2009
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We think London's hotels overcharge by an insulting margin - but this reflects London's high property prices - there is no shortage of luxury hotels charging upwards of £200 per person per night, though if you shop around a hotel in the center can be had for £50-70 per night - it's often worth bargaining. Service varies from the snidely obsequious to the genuinely friendly, but this is not calculable from the price.
You can book accommodation at this Hotel Reservation Service which is a centralized service taking a small cut from the hotels featured - which works out cheaper to the hotels than offering a web-based shopping cart secure service. Our editor always books his hotels worldwide on the web and hasn't been let down yet. But he always cross-references with another site or with a guidebook.
The 'Official' London Tourist Board, (0207 924 7226/7229) can also book a room for you. If you don't mind waiting until you arrive, there are hotel booking booths at all the major airports and stations - you can often get a very good deal there - a kind of clearing house with often-good discounts on the standard 'tourist' rates. There are also many hotel-booking sites on the web. Few of these will present a truly objective picture of a hotel, as they're trying to make a living, but it's not in their interests to send you somewhere terrible.
Our Hotel Booking link has been chosen because they offer booking for many of the hotels we personally recommend - but we feel we can only honestly recommend the hotels that feature on this page - though there are undoubtedly many others which offer a good service - we just haven't either visited them ourselves or received enough reports to give their details here. (Reports on hotels always welcome - by Email, please).
Most of the commercial hotel guidebooks (even those published by the AA and RAC) actually charge hotels for entries and (Johansen's guides charge hotels up to £2,500 for entries) - they are never objective and we wouldn't trust them as far as we could throw them. The only guidebook we can wholeheartedly recommend is 'The Good Hotel Guide' (but beware of imitations) which, like Harden’s Food Guide, and the ‘Good Food Guide’ as well as ourselves remains fiercely objective. The Good Hotel Guide can pay for it's cover price in discounts in a small number of London Hotels.
You should also be aware that the English idea of comfort can be quite Spartan, as befits our stoic nature. Character is often more important than comfort, and if you're likely to get upset over little things (separate hot and cold, not mixer taps) then you should pay more for your hotel than is necessary to enjoy your stay.
Smooth Hound is a very good alternative to hotel booking. It comes highly recommended by our sources.
London's public transport system is fast and efficient at its best; infuriating, confusing and crowded at its worst. Travel through the rush hours (7 - 9 am, 5 - 6 pm) to see an example of the latter.
Most Londoners use the Underground ('tube') as a means of getting around inside the city. However the bus services that operate are also excellent, for that difficult to reach location. black cabs can be hailed in the street. When their light above the front window is on. They are a fairly safe bet, and not too hard to find, but their legally set rates can be expensive. Alternatively, mini cabs are standard cars which you can order by phone or at their office, at least one of which can be found on virtually every high street. They will also tout for trade, by driving slowly past you, and toot their horn. If you display an interest, they will stop for you. This isn't legal, but it happens. If you do get one, arrange the price beforehand for where you want to go before you drive anywhere, and leave it if the price isn't what you think you should be paying. They can be cheaper than black cabs, however, especially for long journeys across London. They don't always know their way, while black cabs do (they have to pass an exam, called the Knowledge). If you're heading out of town, you will be traveling by Rail, car or coach. Either turn to the 'Maps' section for a full Underground map, or get a map and timetable from any Underground station. The various different 'lines' are color-coded and there are eleven in total. Trains run in a 'Northbound', 'Southbound', 'Westbound' or 'Eastbound' fashion and you need to establish which direction you are heading before boarding a train. If you have loose change, you can purchase your ticket from a machine, or from the ticket booth in most stations. Most stations are now automated, and you put your ticket in the slot, take it out, and walk through the open barrier. Keep hold of the ticket, you will use it at the other end. Word of warning: Compared to other major cities, the Underground is a relatively safe place to be, when traveling sensibly. Avoid traveling alone at night, do not keep valuables on display. Be aware of pickpockets.
24 Hour, seven days a week information: 0171 222 1234 Recorded information: 0171 222 1200. The best way of getting round London is by public transport. Transport information . The codes for the information lines have changed from 0171 to 0207. Tube ticket machines take notes and credit cards - the latter of which can be used for any value ticket and can be very useful, because quite often the machines have run out of change. Weekend travel cards are also available for 50% more than a single day (about £6.60 for two days against about £4.40) - you can use these on both days of the weekend,or a Sunday and following public holiday Monday.
Admission charge: £1.50 will buy you a ticket for traveling in Zone 1 (one journey only), £1.80 for Zones 1 and 2 and £3.20 for an all Zone journey. Most tourists and those using the network a lot will purchase a travel card (see above). Rates are going up on January 4, 2004.
You can purchase these cards in one day or one week denominations and they are available from tube and rail stations, as well as some newsagents. Travel cards usually allow travel on both the buses and tubes.
24 Hour, seven days a week information: 0171 222 1234 Recorded information: 0171 222 1200.
Now re-christened as the Go-See pass gets you into 15 or so fee-paying attractions (such as Tower Bridge, the BBC Experience, The Royal Academy, The Maritime museum, Shakespeare's Globe, etc.) for free and is good value. Their website has full details.
Strolling the city streets allows you to explore London's rich history and culture. There are several self guided walking tours.
If you are going to stay away from SOHO, I would recommend you try the London Restaurant Review. Started by Pierre La Chaise, he has collected together a selection of restaurant reviews from around London and put them online.
Readers rate everything from toilet cleanliness to staff friendliness. It's 20 worst list is a must.
London has a wealth of gay pubs and bars, and Soho in central London is known the world over. The days of gay bars with blacked out windows are long gone, and a stroll (or troll) down Old Compton Street in Soho is like being in gay heaven. Old Compton Street is also popular for its coffee bars as well as those serving stronger drinks. If you’re gay and visiting London, you really should pay this street a visit.
10 years ago, Soho use to be basically the red light district of London. It still is really, but there's not as much as there was (the main area is around Raymond's Revue Bar on Brewer Street). However, nowadays, Soho has become the gay Mecca of London, leaving Earl's Court as, well a place for the old hangers-on. In the last few years, Soho has had an explosion of new gay venues. The main street, Old Compton's street, started with Compton's pub and now the whole street is gay. We are limiting ourselves to Central London. We recognize there are other venues, but with so much to choose from we have limited our comments to the part that most tourists will ever see.
Note: We can't keep up to date the the changing Gay scene in London. Being the UK’s capital you wouldn't expect anything less than the best. It's a fantastic place to visit with so much to see and do. London's gay scene is said to be amongst the best in the world. Large clubs and a whole array of pubs, cafes and shops all make gay life into a massive non-stop arcade and adventure. London is totally different to the rest of the UK, the atmosphere, the attitude, the lifestyle, the cost of things and the type of people. If you’re buying a property you can expect to spend at least 3 times more than the rest of the country. However it’s a great place to live if you like being in the center of the action. For all the latest gay scene info and weekly club listings log onto QX Magazine or Boyz
design. Located in the Terrence Conran 'gastrodome' (he has a number of excellent restaurants in the locale), it was Conran who engineered the construction of the museum. A study of design, old and new, the Design Museum, located overlooking the Thames and the Tower of London, makes an interesting diversion before popping down to Cantina for lunch.
the palace of Westminster, center of Royal London and all things political. The government has resided here for nearly 1000 years. The Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street halfway between Trafalgar and Westminster, although you won't get near the house, as the road is blocked off. The Houses of Parliament (0171 219 4272) stand beneath the shadow of Big Ben , and if you want a tour of the House of Lords or the House of Commons join the queue leading back from the visitor’s gallery. Opening times can vary, so call the above number to avoid disappointment. Don't leave the area before witnessing Westminster Abbey (Every King and Queen has been crowned here since William the Conqueror in 1066) and the Cathedral (the principal Roman Catholic church in England).There are three terms for describing theater in London. They are 'West End', 'Off West End' and 'Fringe'.
'West End' refers to the larger theaters littered not just around the West End but also further a field. The South Bank's theaters, for example, would fall under the banner 'West End' as would the Apollo (Starlight Express) in Victoria. Some of the plays and musicals on in the 'West End' have been running for years and years - The Mousetrap has been going for 50 years (and we wish it would just go!), Les Miserables has been on since the eighties.
"Off West End" refers to the smaller, lower budget venues. These are venues that somehow just manage to get by, produce some of London's most original theaters. Actors will often go unpaid, or will put up the budget themselves just to get the play aired. Good "Off West End" theaters are the Donmar Warehouse in the West End or the Almeida in Islington.
"The Fringe" represents the rest of the theaters scattered all over London. Big or (more often than not) small plays are often tested in the Fringe prior to a West End debut.
Theaters. Monkey A quirky guide run by a smart-alecky London Theater buff. Offers reader reviews plus broad rundown of the best and worst seats in the house.
You can buy discounted tickets at Leicester Square. The best bet is to use the City of London booth in the middle of the square. If you do not wish to stand in line, you can use any of the multiple agencies around the square. Usually you can get 1/2 price tickets just about anywhere. Beware - if you are going to see a new play that is not discounted, they will charge you a stiff premium. You would be better served if you just spent the time to go to the theater in question directly. It will be worth your while (savings of up to £10/ticket).
London's most celebrated shopping districts can helpfully be divided up into five more manageable zones.
London is home to several of the best Department Stores in the World.
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