TRAVEL TIPS
LONDON
OVERVIEW VISÃO GERAL TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTE ATTRACTIONS ATRAÇÕES WHERE COMPRAS TO STAY ONDE WHERE FICAR TO EAT ONDE SHOPPING COMER
OVERVIEW With so many unique activities and incredible sights, London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is all at once: big and bustling, cutting-edge and traditional, historical and modern, a true international metropolis. It is a global centre of commerce, retail, finance, entertainment, fashion, transit and trends. What happens here affects every corner of the world. London is a multicultural city, and it is evident on every street. This is one reason why people love the city. Tourists come to London for the history or royal pageantry, but they return for all the charms of the modern city, not least London’s varied culturallife. The city has a temperate marine climate, like much of the British Isles, so the city rarely sees extremely high or low temperatures. Summers are warm with August normally being the hottest month of the year. The peak temperature in August can be 90°F (30°C), but the average the temperature in the summer is about 70°F (22°C). Winters in London are chilly, but rarely below freezing, while spring has mild days and cool evenings. London has regular but generally light rain throughout the year. Snow is relatively uncommon, particularly because heat from the urban area can make London warmer than the surrounding areas in winter.
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS LONDON
TRANSPORT The good news for travellers and tourists coming to London is that an extensive public transport system makes any attraction easily accessible. The city has one of the most comprehensive public transport systems in the world which is often the best option for getting around the city for visitors and residents alike. The Underground, or the ‘Tube’, is the quickest and easiest way to get around the city. There are 12 Underground lines, and they are colour coded on maps. It’s pretty straight forward to navigate your way around the city and change lines on the Underground. Many stations also connect with National Rail services which cover suburban areas. The Underground, which opens around 5.30 a.m. and runs until midnight, operates every day of the year except Christmas Day. Buses are a quick and convenient way to travel around London, providing plenty of sightseeing opportunities en route. Bus stops have the London Bus symbol, and all buses will stop at these stops. If the symbol has the word ‘Request’ written in red on the horizontal line you’ll have to signal to the driver that you want him to stop. Not all services are 24 hour, but most of the main routes have night services. The London Taxi — There are over 20,000 licensed taxies in London and they have a minimum starting fare at all times and metered tariffs that change depending on the time of day and day of the week.
ATTRACTIONS London has an endless supply of attractions for the visitor from the ancient and historical to the thoroughly modern. From world famous cathedrals and churches, royal palaces, excellent parks to unique modern buildings and landmarks, London has enough to keep any visitor’s schedule full.
OPEN-TOP BUS TOURS Offer a good introduction to the sights of London. The tours provide hop-on-hopoff services where you can get off at any attraction and, after having visited it, catch the next bus and continue your tour. The tours provide live commentaries in English and recorded commentaries in other languages.
BIG BEN AND THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT The Palace of Westminster is the home of Britain’s House of Commons and House of Lords where Members of Parliament debate and pass laws. Big Ben, the famous clock tower on the north end of the palace, chimes every hour.
ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL The dome of St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the instantly recognizable symbols of London. The current building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, stands on what has been the site of a cathedral since 604 AD. The present cathedral has been used for many state occasions and is open to visitors all year round.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE It’s the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal Family, and has been since 1837
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS LONDON
when Queen Victoria came to the throne. It’s
LONDON EYE
located right in the heart of London about half
London Eye is a 135 metre high observation
a mile from Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament
wheel on the banks of the River Thames
and Westminster Abbey. Buckingham Palace
opposite the Houses of Parliament. From one
is one of the biggest tourist draws in the city
of the 32 capsules on the outside of the wheel,
and crowds gather outside it throughout the
users get a privileged view of the city. London
year. Many come to see the daily changing of
Eye so successful that many other large cities
the guard ceremony.
around the world are now building their own.
TOWER BRIDGE
THEATRE
Another one of London’s recognizable
See a musical, play or comedy in the West End.
landmarks, but a lot people get the name
For Broadway-like musicals the Leicester Square
wrong, calling it London Bridge. London
area is highly recommended. In the centre of the
Bridge is the next bridge west along the River
square there is an official half-price ticket booth.
Thames. Tower Bridge opened in 1894 after taking eight years to build. The two towers
FOOTBALL
are 213ft (65m) high. There are 300 steps to
While in London, take in a home match of one
the top of the towers and they’re open to the
of the city’s professional football clubs. Many
public all year round.
of the bigger clubs will require booking in
MUSEUMS In London, there are over 200 museums of varying size and covering a wide range of topics, disciplines and human activity over the last few thousand years. Admission to the majority is free and most are open seven days a week so, if you’re stuck for somewhere to go or the weather turns bad outside, there are plenty of terrific museums to visit.
PARKS Over the centuries many British monarchs retained hunting estates in or around London. Many of these have been handed over to the nation to become the Royal Parks which help to make London one of the greenest of the world’s major cities.
advance, sometimes many months ahead, but
unearth several top boutiques, unknown art
smaller clubs allow you to simply turn up on
spaces and hip cafes. Customized tours range
match day and pay at the gate.
from Fashion, Art, Design, Markets, Shopping and
LIVE MUSIC
Architecture and groups are kept small, to ensure a unique and personalized tour experience.
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 organize and promote live music
WHERE TO STAY
every week. Many concerts, especially in smaller or less known places are free, so there
London has hundreds of options for
is plenty of choice.
accommodation from hostels through historic
SPECIALIZED TOURS
bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), mainstream chain hotels and apartments all the way through to
For the sophisticated traveller and those that
some of the most exclusive establishments in
want to explore London’s dynamic contemporary
the world. Your budget will have a lot to do with
edge, take na Urban Gentry Tour around London.
what part of London you will want to stay in.
The tour takes you off the tourist paths to 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 around £80-£100 per night for a big-name 3-star chain hotel in the central area of the city. Of course you can save on accommodation by staying further out from the city centre. With the excellent Tube available where you stay won’t limit what you see but be sure to check where the closest metro 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 5min per line change. This can easily total up to a one-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 by train.
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS LONDON
BLOOMSBURY
priciest cities to eat in. Having said that, there are
A relatively quiet district with a wide range of
also many good-value, even cheap, places to eat.
accommodation. Cartwright Gardens features
You just have to know where to look.
a dozen small B&Bs in historic houses. Many budget options are located on Argyle Street.
ENGLISH BREAKFAST In English cafeterias and pubs, breakfast
EARL’S COURT
comes with a slice of bacon, beans in tomato
In West Central London, offers budget and
sauce, egg, sausage, orange juice and coffee
modest accommodation options as well as
or tea. In most pubs and cafés, breakfast is
good 4-star hotels.
available until 11 a.m.
PADDINGTON
RESTAURANTS
Also in West Central London, has undergone a
The highest concentration of restaurants can
lot of change the Heathrow Express train started
be found around the city centre, with Soho
coming into Paddington station. Good hotels can
containing a sizable collection of tasty eateries.
be found in the immediate area of the station
Chinatown is the best place for Chinese, of
and in quieter spots a short walk away.
course, with similar concentrations around parts of East and West London, notably
PIMLICO
Bayswater (around Queensway) - an area
There are lots of small B&Bs around the back
also renowned, along with Edgware Road, for
of Victoria railway station, in the area.
Middle Eastern cuisine.
HOSTELS
For Indian cuisine, you need look no further
As long as you don’t mind sharing with others,
than the nearest High Street, but two areas
hostels can be the most cost effective option in
worth considering are Brick Lane in East
London. Hostels also offer breakfast as well as
London or Southall in West London where in
kitchens for self-catering.
some shops you can pay in rupees! Italian and French restaurants are everywhere
DINING OUT
as well, not to mention the many gastro pubs where you can find traditional and modern British or fusion cuisine.
There are literally thousands of places to eat in
TIPPING
London, and the city is home to some of the best
All meals include the 15% VAT (Value Added
restaurants in the world. London offers cuisine
Tax) and some places include a service charge
drawn from every corner of the world. From
of 10-12%.
Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, you are sure to find a venue in London that specializes in cuisine from
Fish and Chips are a traditional English dish
every country. London is also one of the world’s
so you want to try it at least once while in
DUFRY TRAVEL TIPS LONDON
London. Whether it’s served on newspaper or
CAMDEN TOWN
with expensive cutlery, you can’t leave London
In North London, offers alternative clothing
without sampling those piping hot chips and
and other alternative shopping popular with
crispy battered fish.
teenagers and young adults.
Another good and cheap lunch option is a
CHELSEA
chicken or lamb doner(a gyro) at many stalls
The King’s Road in Chelsea in West London is
and restaurants throughout the city.
noted for fashion, home ware and kids’ ware. On Wednesday many stores here close late.
Remember, smoking is banned in all U.K. pubs and restaurants.
STREET MARKETS London offers markets for almost all types of products. Antiques and craft markets always
SHOPPING Anything and everything you could possibly want to buy is available in London.
THE WEST END In Central London, the main shopping district is the West End. On Bond Street you will find some of the world’s most luxurious designer stores. Oxford Street is home to flagship branches of all the major British high street retailers including department stores. In fashionable Covent Garden there are quaint outlets and relatively expensive designer stores. Charing Cross Road (near Covent Garden) is a book lover’s heaven. New, secondhand, antiquarian and specialist books can all be bought here. Soho offers alternative music and clothes, while Tottenham Court Road is home to luxurious designer interior stores and many stores selling electronic items. West End stores usually close around 6 p.m., but on Thursdays they stay open until 7 or 8 p.m.
attract crowds. In recent years, farmers markets have sprung up and become very popular. Petticoat Lane Market, on Middlesex Street and Wentworth Street, Aldgate, in London’s East End is 400 hundred years old. The market, consisting of well-over a thousand stalls, is one of the city’s biggest and most famous markets. Although the market is also open from Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Sunday is the best day for bargains on fashions, Asian fabrics, textiles and jewellery. Haggling is a pre-requisite though, so just make sure you’re up to it! Borough Market on Southwark Street, in South London is one of the city’s oldest wholesale fruit and vegetable markets. With a history dating back to medieval times when the market was situated on London Bridge, there’s evidence that fruit and vegetables were sold even then, along with goods such as grain and fish. At Borough Market, weekends see the emphasis change from fruit and vegetables to
food, including European specialties, cheeses, meats and more exotic delights.
CURRENCY Although Britain is a member of the European Union, it has not adopted the Euro. Britain continues to use the Pound Sterling (£). The Pound is divided into one hundred pence. There are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins. The notes are the £5, £10, £20 and £50, the five being the smallest and the fifty the
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
44 171
COUNTRY CODE CITY CODE
OU
181 999 999 999
EMERGENCIES POLICE FIRE STATION
largest in size. TOURIST INFORMATION
0870-588 7711 INTERNACIONAL AIRPORT
0870-0000123