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London

Photo: London's Thames River from Waterloo Bridge. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are in the centre background. The London Eye ferris wheel is on the left.

London—quaint and vibrant, historic and modern, a truly cosmopolitan city for the 21st-century. Few cities in Europe have as much to offer tourists as the English capital; few are as compact and easy to get around. From such world-famous historic sites as the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben to great art collections like the National Gallery and the Tate, from amazing sporting stadiums like Wembley to the lush green parks and squares that give parts of the city an almost rural feel, where better to spend your holiday than London?

Getting there

Photo: There are no shortages of famous red buses in London's Strand.

Getting to London is easy, whether you're travelling by plane, train, boat, or car. However, like most major cities, London's airports are some distance away on the periphery. Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted airport all take about an hour to reach from central London. Arriving in London by train is somewhat easier. There are six major rail stations connecting London to different parts of the country. King's Cross/St Pancras (effectively one station), and Euston serve towns and cities to the north; Liverpool Street connects London with East Anglia (the eastern part of England); Waterloo and Victoria are the major gateway to the south and southeast; and Paddington is the link to the south and southwest. Waterloo International offers a major connection to France, Belgium, and other parts of Europe through the Channel Tunnel. Once you're in London, the Transport for London (formerly known as London Transport) underground network, bus system, and local rail network provide a quick and convenient way of getting around. You can buy a ticket called a TravelCard that gives you unlimited travel on tubes, buses, and trains for a day, a week, or longer. Driving around London has become more expensive with the introduction of a congestion charge in the central part of the city, but walking is still cheap and environmentally friendly!

Where to stay

As you would expect, there are dozens of hotels in central London catering for all tastes and price brackets. From the five-star luxury of such world-famous hotels as the Savoy, Claridges, and the Waldorf to dozens of modest, family-run hotels and guest houses around Paddington, London has something for everyone. Tourist information centres are a good place to start if you're not quite sure how to find accommodation. Most hotels offer a choice of accommodation only (bed-and-breakfast rate), or accommodation plus meals (sometimes known as half-board or full-board, depending on what exactly is included in your rate), but with so many great restaurants and eating places all over the capital, finding something to eat that suits everyone is never a problem. If you don't want to take breakfast in your hotel, you'll find there are many small cafes in all parts of the city where you can eat in more relaxed and comfortable surroundings.

What to do

Photo: Big Ben viewed through the London Eye.

The best thing to do is buy yourself a travel guide! Because there are just so many things you'll want to do and so many things you'll not want to miss. Like most people, you will probably want to see the classic sites of London town, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, and Westminster Abbey; all these are concentrated in the very centre of the city. Then there are newer attractions like the London Eye (the giant ferris wheel by the river) to take in as well.

If culture is your thing, you won't want to miss London's great museums. The British Museum is full of historic treasures and artefacts. The Science Museum is the place to study wonderful inventions and amazing scientific discoveries. Not far away, the Natural History Museum is a place of dinosaurs and zoology. For a more artistic slant, the Design Museum is packed with great examples of modern design, while the Victoria and Albert Museum is home to a large collection of modern and traditional arts, design, and crafts. There are also dozens of smaller museums all over the capital. London's great art galleries include the National Gallery (home to such classic traditional English painters as Constable), the Tate Gallery (now split into two different buildings called Tate Britain and Tate Modern), and the Courtauld Insitute. Modern art is represented in places like the ICA and the Whitechapel.

London is a city that never sleeps, with most of the entertainment concentrated in the West End. This is the name given to the area to the west of the main financial district of London or "City". The West End includes London's big cinemas, concentrated around Leicester Square, and the Chinatown district (surely the best place to find an authentic Chinese meal in the capital?). Although the West End is home to most of London's theatres, one or two are dotted elsewhere: the Almeida is a short tube ride away in Islington, while the Globe Theatre, a recreation of Shakespeare's original theatre, and the National Theatre are on the South Bank of the river Thames. Covent Garden is home to the Royal Opera house and the Coliseum, London's premier opera and ballet venues; modern dance is a short hop away at the Sadler's Wells. Classical music is easy to find at the two major concert halls, the Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican Centre, as well as smaller, more intimate venues such as the Wigmore Hall and an old church called St John's, Smith Square. The West End is also home to clubs and pubs suiting all tastes, and a vibrant gay and lesbian "scene".


Photo: Two views of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. On the left, the spectacular glass atrium seen from Bow Street. On the right, the back of the building in the distance seen from Floral Street, a chic shopping street not far away.

Most people like to do some shopping while they're in London—and here the capital never disappoints. There are shopping zones to suit virtually every taste. Major department stores can be found in places like Oxford Street, Regent Street, and Piccadilly Circus. More interesting and quirky stores, especially for people with deeper pockets, can be found in Bond Street, Jermyn Street, Kensington High Street, Knightsbridge, and outer parts of Covent Garden. If you like a really personal shopping experience, you could try some of London's colourful street markets. Camden Market is trendy and alternative, Petticoat Lane is a good place to go for clothes and bric-a-brac, and Portobello Road offers a famous and quirky choice of antiques. Some of London's shops are tourist attractions in their own right. On Regent Street, there's the Aquascutum clothes shop, the world-famous Hamleys toy store, and Liberty's, offering classic clothes and arts and crafts design. In Knightsbridge, there's Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Piccadilly Circus has the wonderfully eccentric Fortnum & Mason department store, dating from 1707, the Lillywhites sports shop, and a huge branch of Tower Records selling almost every piece of recorded music you can think of!

Photo: Covent Garden has chic shops, a cosmopolitan selection of eating places, and lots of street theatre.

Shopping is all well and good, but London is much more than an urban metropolis. There are four superb parks in the very centre of the city, including the relaxed, sprawling Hyde Park, where you can see people swimming in a lake called The Serpentine and horses still ride regularly along a famous sand trail named Rotten Row. Another of London's great natural joys is the River Thames, criss-crossed by many famous bridges, including the new Millennium Bridge, the famous opening Tower Bridge, and Westminster Bridge leading to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.

People of all religions are welcome in London. Places of worship include Westminster Abbey and St Paul's (for Anglican Christians), Westminster Cathedral and Brompton Oratory (for Catholics), the Central Synagogue and the West London Synagogue, the East London Mosque, and the London Central Mosque.

Helpful websites

The essential London websites

More museums and galleries

Here are more great museums and galleries not already mentioned in the main text above.

Palaces and historic buildings

Theatres

Photo: London's Adelphi Theatre on The Strand.

Here are some more theatres not already mentioned in the main text above.

National Trust houses in London

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