Stay in London and meet the world every day

London is the capital of England, and of the United Kingdom. However, according to Wikipedia, London’s status as the capital of the UK has never been granted or confirmed officially.

Over 70% of all train journeys in the UK start or finish in London. Twelve main train stations form a ring around central London and serve different parts of the country. Trains are operated by a multitude of privately owned companies, all coordinated by National Rail.

For visitors from abroad, the Britrail pass offers unlimited train travel in England, Wales and Scotland. The London Plus pass takes you to southeast England, including the white cliffs of Dover. This pass is great if you mainly intend to stay in London but look forward to day excursions to famous cities like Canterbury and Brighton.

London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. 30% of the residents of London were born outside England.

London has a six international airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City and London Southend. Most of the airports have high-speed train connections into central London.

London-Paris is the world’s busiest international short haul route. There are 32 daily flights; on average a flight every 20 minutes.

Traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road in all of Great Britain and Ireland. The tunnel under the English Channel (the “Chunnel") is used both by cars and trains between England and France.

The famous Eurostar high-speed train links England to mainland Europe. Trains run from Waterloo Station in London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel.

Most public transport in London uses a contactless prepaid smartcard called Oyster. To pay the fare, you simply press the Oyster card against a yellow disc, prominently displayed on buses and trams and on the gates for the Tube (the underground trains). For visitors, it is most convenient to charge the Oyster with one of the whole day or whole week package offerings.

Getting around by bus in London is normally cheaper than taking the Tube, and for shorter distances also faster. However, be aware that the traditional double-decker buses have been largely phased out. The buses in London are modern and comfortable. A “bendy” bus is long and folds in the middle to get around street corners.

The official currency in London is the pound sterling. Be aware that bank notes from Northern Irish and Scottish banks are sometimes not accepted in London shops, even though they should be.

London is one of the “command centers” for the global economy along with New York City and Tokyo. Over 100 of Europe’s 500 largest corporations are based in London.

Contrary to popular belief, eight in ten visitors find Londoners friendly or very friendly.

Recommended sights and events in London

All events are described in greater detail in the tourist guides linked to at the end of this section.

• The London Eye is the world’s largest observation wheel, situated on the South Bank of the Thames with magnificent views over London. It was recently voted the world’s best tourist attraction.
• The Museum of London is located near the Barbican to the north.
• Schroders London Boat Show, the largest boat show in Europe, is held in early January in the Docklands area.
• The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden has a gift shop with some of the best souvenirs (vintage Tube posters, old maps, etc).
• An Easter parade of brightly colored floats and marching bands occurs around Battersea Park on Easter Monday.
• The RAF Museum in Hendon is a must for any war buffs.
• Literally in the shadow of London Bridge, the Southwark Cathedral is a shelter from the noise of the city.
• Join a free organized Street Skate ride (Wednesday/Friday/Sunday).
• Portobello road in Notting Hill is said to be the world’s largest antiques market. As a side note, in the famous Notting Hill movie, starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, a customer enters Grant’s travel bookstore and asks for books by Charles Dickens. Grant sends him away saying “This is a travel bookstore”. In fact, Dickens wrote several notable travel books, including American Notes and Pictures from Italy.
• Holland Park near Notting Hill is one of the best kept secrets in London. It features a traditional Japanese (Koi) water garden, sports facilities, children’s play areas, nature reserve, and even a nice cafeteria and restaurant right in the center of the park.
• Maritime Greenwich, home of Greenwich Mean Time, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Some of the world’s most famous records have been produced in London. This includes Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in St John’s Wood (as were all the twelve original Beatles albums).
• In the centre of Leicester square is a TKTS booth where you can get cheap tickets to theaters, musicals and other events. On average, there are 76 plays, 33 musicals, 19 operas and 16 dance performances showing in London every day.
• Some of the best Indian food is served in the Tooting area of southwest London. For a selection of good value Indian vegetarian restaurants, go to Drummond Street (just behind Euston railway station).
• The Cullinan diamond (the largest diamond ever found) had 96 brilliants cut from it. Most of these brilliants make up part of the Crown Jewels, which are on display at the Tower of London.
• The London Marathon takes place in late April or early May.
• The London Wetland Centre offers visitors the chance to see rare wetland wildlife just outside central London.
• The Gay Pride festival is held every year in June with a parade and street parties.
• On Shrove Tuesday pancake races are held every year in Covent Garden.
• A night at The Proms attracts music aficionados from around the world in July-September at the Royal Albert Hall.
• The Notting Hill Carnival takes over the West End in August. It is one of the largest annual street festivals in Europe and attracts more than half a million people every year.
• For African/Caribbean food, visit Brixton.
• The Chelsea Flower Show is held in the last week of May. The best of British gardening, with plants and flowers of the season, is displayed at the Chelsea Royal Hospital.
• The London Fashion Week takes place in February and September and features many of the leading designers in the world.
• Huge organized bonfires are lit throughout London on Guy Fawkes Night the 5th of November. This British celebration commemorates the anniversary of the “Gunpowder Plot,” an attempt to blow up King James I and Parliament.

London rail passes

The Britrail pass offers unlimited train travel in England, Wales and Scotland. The London Plus pass covers a large part of southeast England, known for its beautiful countryside.

Tourist information

Visit London, the official London tourist board
Lonely Planet destination guide for London
Wiki Travel guide for London