| |
London is the coolest city on earth, according to a big crowd of fans of the city, and there is quite some truth in that. The city on the Thames has an amazing lot of things to do. One can spend several weeks in the city alone, doing something different every day.
On the first day, one could enjoy his love for the fine arts in some of the world’s finest museums, such as the British Museum and the National Gallery. The second day is for fun and entertainment. There are streets filled with bars, pubs and theaters. And contrary to popular belief, not all pubs close at 11.00 PM (but most of them do). Then there is shopping for day four, and not just Harrods. London has the lot from trendy to traditional. Day five can be spent visiting historic buildings, such as the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London. You might want to throw in a boat trip in between. Day six is for visiting the different Palaces of London, the most famous ones being Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace. The seventh day one can relax, there are many big parks, where you can linger around and sit on the grass, one of the most famous being Hyde Park, with the Speakers Corner.
During your stay in London you can also enjoy some culinary pleasures. Even though England does not have a good reputation, when it comes to food, multi-ethnic London has more to offer than just fish and chips.
London - Sights
Since the 18th century England has been the cultural center of Europe. What they thought was lacking in their cultural heritage, the British imported through study travels abroad, the grand tour, or just by importing important artefacts. The London museums thus gathered an enormous wealth of artefacts both from their own history as of the shared history of the entire western civilization, plus a load of oriental treasures form their colonies.
Next to its museums, London has quite a collection of buildings that played an important role in the history of architecture. Not just classical buildings like the St Pauls cathedral or the Bank of England, but also the Neogothic House of Parliament and the High-Tech Lloyds building, but numerous other public and private buildings, houses and palaces have influenced architects around the world. Theres no other country were architectural style is a matter of Royal concern.
Those interested can catch a glimpse of most of the main sights within two hours from the top of one of those famous double-decker buses.
London - Getting Around
LONDON’s tube (underground) is legendary but mainly because it’s not that fun to use. Although the tube network is immense (13 lines) south London is not well covered. Tickets are bought from machines or from ticket booth in the station entrance hall. Minimum charge is 1.70 pound (zone 1) or you can buy a carnet of ten tickets for 15 pounds. Tube is quicker than buses, especially in summer time when central London becomes a logjam.
Buses in London are more pleasant and interesting. Network is comprehensive and from the double-decker buses you can watch the city’s architecture and life much better. A lot of bus stops are request stops, so if you do not stick your arm out the bus will drive past. Regular buses operate between about 6am and midnight, in the period in between night buses operate, with routes radiating out from Trafalgar Square. Travelcards can be used on all forms of transport. Several rail companies now run passenger trains in London most of which interchange with the tube. A bus journey will cost £1, but only 70p (per journey) if you buy a book of bus saver tickets. The new Oystercard (http://www.oystercard.com/) is available as pre-paid and offers bus tickets for 70p and cheaper Tube tickets. Top it up and touch the reader.
London’s famous black cabs are excellent but expensive. Minicabs are cheaper competitors with freelance drivers but you can’t flag these on the street. If you’d rather drive yourself you’re in for a parking nightmare -it’s almost impossible to get a park in the city centre and the punishments for parking illegally are cruel indeed.
Heathrow airport is accessible by bus underground (the cheaper more reliable method) and the new Heathrow Express which makes the journey from Paddington Station to Terminals 1-3 in 15 minutes and to Terminal 4 in 20. A cab to or from the airport will cost around US$35 to US$50. The Gatwick Express runs between the airport and Victoria station or you can get a cab for around US$60. There’s a direct train link between Stansted airport and Liverpool St or you can get a cab for US$100 or more.
London - Getting There
By Bus or Train:
Travelling from abroad, visitors will arrive at Victoria’s train station, which serves the English channel ports, or its coach station, some hundred yards south down Buckingham Place Road or at Waterloo, whose international rail terminal serves Eurostar trains using the Channel Tunnel. If you arrive by train from elsewhere in Great Britain, you will reach one of London’s numerous mainline stations, which are all connected directly with the city’s underground network.
By air:
London has four international airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. All of them are less than an hour from the city centre.
Heathrow: Twelve miles west of the city. Here you have various possibilities to reach the city centre: the Picadilly underground line (takes about 50 min to the centre), either the smart, fast but expensive Heathrow Express rail - which connects the airport to Paddington station - or one of the two Airbus services. No. 1 runs south of Hyde Park to Victoria station, No. 2 follows a more northern line to terminate at King’s Cross Station. After midnight you should take night bus No. 97.
Gatwick: Thirty miles south of the city, has a nonstop Express rail service from and to Victoria Train Station (journey time 30 min, runs every 15 min). Other trains operated by South Central, usually making two stops before Victoria, are slower but cheaper. Flightline buses depart for Victoria Coach Station from Gatwick’s North and South terminals.
Stansted: Smaller airport, 34 miles northeast of the capital. It is served by Skytrain trains to Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale, where you can connect with London’s underground services. Flightline coaches also run a daily service.
Luton: This is the smallest airport and the furthest away from London city. Minibuses link the airport and Luton Parkway station, from where trains run to King’s Cross Thameslink. Bus No. 757 runs directly to Marble arch and Victoria (journey time about 85 min)
London - Shopping
Shopping is one of the main reasons people flock to London all year round. It is one of the centres of fashion, style and music of the world. A wide variety of shops are allover London, from high priced exclusive clothing and goods, to some amazing deals.
Oxford and regent streets
This is the main area in which to find High Street stores. All the main ones are here from Marks and Spencer, Debenhams,John Lewis, Hamley’s Toy Shop, Boots, W.H. Smith, Bhs.C&A, and many more specialty shops. Piccadilly or Oxford Circus Tubes.
Charing cross road
Lots of book stores, rare and speciality, antique editions and more. Tottenham Court Road tube
Carnaby street:
This street was enormously popular in the sixties for fashion, but still has some shops worth investigating. Mostly rock shops with t-shirts and accessories, but Shelley’s shoes is one of the best shops in London for shoes. Oxford Circus Tube.
(more…)
London - Nightlife and Entertainment
Traditional old London taverns can be found allover the city, the seventeenth-century George Inn at Borough High Street or The Crown at New Oxford Street are among the most noticeable, but in the bar section there are a lot of alternatives. Londons nightlife is concentrated in West End, especially around Soho, which is still the main hangout for the hip and famous. Its also the center of the gay scene. London is on a real high right now, especially in terms of music and dance–much of the currently popular techno and electronica originated in London clubs. Youth culture prevails here, as downtown denizens flock to the clubs where pop-culture superstars are routinely spotted
Nightclubs, Restuarants, Pubs, Theatre, Hotels, Escort Services, Massage Services Clubs, Bars, Discos, Cinemas, Restaurants, Cafes, Gentlemen’s Clubs, Business Venues and more, more, more.
So if you are looking for these services for London, Go no further, you have come to the right place. Just choose section of your interest and find out who and where in London provides these services.
(more…)
London - Eating Out
England may not be famous for its food, but London sure does have a range of very good restaurants catering for every appetite. London has a vibrant bar and pub scene. With over 5,000 pubs and bars, the capital has everything from traditional British public houses to cutting-edge and modern venues. You can opt for the tradition pub experience or hang out in the more luxurious home of the first British Martini. Eating out in London can be a real hit-or-miss affair. What we’ve done here is separate the wheat from the chaff. The restaurants, pubs and cafes appearing in this section range from pretty good (convenient location, cheap price, unusual cuisine) to fantabulous (worth a big splurge or a lengthy journey). Hopefully this list will lead you in the right direction and you won’t walk out wondering why you bothered. Bon appetit!
Restaurants and other eateries in London have extremely varied opening hours. Many in Soho are closed on Sunday, for example, and in the City for the entire weekend. We have tried to note when restaurants stray from the standard ‘open daily for lunch and dinner’, but it’s always safest to call and check first.
|
|
|
|
