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| London Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see The London Eye against a blue sky The London Eye against a blue sky Stephanie Butts London. Just about every London travel guide will tell you that there is nowhere else on earth quite like it. With so many unique London activities and incredible London sights, this city is all at once big and brash and bustling, cutting-edge yet traditional, historical yet modern -- it is the quintessential international metropolis -- a world city by all accounts. The world comes to London and it greets its guests with grand London hotels and exquisite London restaurants fit for a queen. What happens here affects every corner of the world. A global center of commerce, retail, finance, entertainment, fashion, transit and trends, London can very often feel like the capital of world. |
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| London is also one of the world's most identifiable and emblematic cities - the city of Big Ben, double-decker buses, the Queen and the Tube, it quite rightly asserts itself in global consciousness as one of the greatest cities on earth. It has a plethora of every conceivable activity, and contains something for everyone. |
| London Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Practical Information in London Bloomsbury Edit This Bloomsbury is an area of central London, in the London Borough of Camden. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] Cheap Hotel Rates in London by HotelChoyce Edit This Hotels in London are very busy with many people visiting London. Compare hotel rates for London with rooms available. Conveniently search multiple hotel reservation websites simultaneously to find the lowest prices - in one search and on the one website. Searches hotel websites directly and in real-time ensuring you receive the latest prices and availability. type: Tourist information World66 rating: [rate it] url: www.hotelchoyce.com address: http://www.hotelchoyce.com/City/London.htm ExCeL Exhibition Centre Edit This The ExCeL Exhibition Centre is a large purpose built exhibition centre situated in the Royal Docks area of London's redeveloped Docklands, at grid reference TQ408807. The centre opened in November 2000 and its name is formed from the words Exhibition, Centre and London. type: Convention Center World66 rating: [rate it] Earls Court Edit This Earls Court is a place in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, UK. It is an inner-city district located 3.1 miles (5 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. It is home to Earls Court Exhibition Centre. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Marylebone Edit This Marylebone (sometimes written St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone) is an area in the City of Westminster North of Oxford Street and South of Regents Park. Edgware Road forms the Western boundary. Great Portland Street forms the Eastern boundary with the area known as Fitzrovia. It is commonly pronounced Mar(i)-lee-bone, however according to the local Marylebone Association the correct pronunciation is Mar'l-e-b'n. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] London Heathrow Airport Edit This London Heathrow Airport (IATA: LHR, ICAO: EGLL), often referred to as Heathrow, is the United Kingdom's busiest and best-connected airport. It is the busiest airport in Europe and by international passenger traffic is the busiest international airport in the world. By total passenger traffic it is the world's third-busiest airport. Heathrow is located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, 15 miles (24 km) west of Charing Cross in Central London. type: Airport World66 rating: [rate it] Gatwick Airport Edit This Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK) is London's second airport and the second busiest airport in the UK after Heathrow in terms of passengers per year. It is located between Horley in Surrey and Crawley in West Sussex, approximately 40 km (25 miles) south of London, and an equal distance north of Brighton. type: Airport World66 rating: [rate it] Bayswater Edit This Bayswater is a place in the City of Westminster. It is a built-up district located 3 miles (4.8 km) west north-west of Charing Cross and borders the north of Hyde Park. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] City of London Edit This The City of London is a small area in Greater London. The modern conurbation of London developed from the City of London and the nearby City of Westminster, which was the centre of the royal government. The City of London is now London's main financial district. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Chelsea Edit This Chelsea is a district of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] London Luton Airport Edit This London Luton Airport (IATA: LTN, ICAO: EGGW) (previously called Luton International Airport) is an airport about 30 miles to the north-west of central London in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire. It is the fourth largest airport serving the London market after Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. type: Airport World66 rating: [rate it] Earls Court Exhibition Centre Edit This The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is located in West London on the boundary betw type: Convention Center World66 rating: [rate it] Clerkenwell Edit This Clerkenwell (pronounced "clarkenwell") is a locality in the southermost part of the London Borough of Islington. Clerkenwell is also known as London's Little Italy due to its once extensive Italian population from the 1850's to the 1960's. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Fulham Edit This Fulham is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham located 3.7 miles (5.9 km) south west of Charing Cross. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Golders Green Edit This Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. It is a suburban development and retail district situated 5.3 miles (8.5 km) north west of Charing Cross and centred on the cross roads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Notting Hill Edit This Notting Hill is a district of London located to the west of the centre and close to the north-western corner of Hyde Park. It lies within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Victoria Edit This Victoria station in London is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of Westminster. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. type: Train station World66 rating: [rate it] Westminster Edit This Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. It is the location of the Palace of Westminster and the Parliament of the United Kingdom. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Olympia exhibition centre Edit This Olympia an exhibition centre in London, United Kingdom. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall. It now features three exhibition halls known as Olympia Grand Hall, Olympia National Hall and Olympia 2. Together with Earl's Court these facilities are operated by "ECO"—Earls Court and Olympia. type: Convention Center World66 rating: [rate it] Camden Town Edit This Camden Town is a place in the London Borough of Camden. It is an inner-city district located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north north-west of Charing Cross, famous for its crowded market and as a centre for alternative lifestyles. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Acton Edit This Acton is a place in the London Borough of Ealing. It is located 6.4 miles (10.3 km) west of Charing Cross. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Belgravia Edit This Belgravia is a district in the City of Westminster, London, England, to the south-west of Buckingham Palace. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Haringey Edit This The London Borough of Haringey is a north London borough. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Holborn Edit This Holborn is a place in London, named after a tributary to the River Fleet that flowed through the area, the Hole-bourne (the stream in the hollow). type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Kensington Edit This Kensington is a district within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a built-up area located 2.8 miles west of Charing Cross. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Kings Cross Edit This Kings Cross is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Camden 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Charing Cross. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Knightsbridge Edit This Knightsbridge is a street and district in the City of Westminster, London notable for its expensive shops, including Harrods. It is also a prime residential area, with some of the highest property prices in London or anywhere in the world. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Lambeth Edit This Lambeth is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth, although the area is now more commonly known as Waterloo, after the railway station whose viaduct separates the former centre of the village from the River Thames. Lambeth is the site of St Thomas' Hospital, the London Eye, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, County Hall as well as Waterloo station. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Mayfair Edit This Mayfair is an area in the City of Westminster London, named after the fortnight-long May Fair that took place there from 1686 until it was banned in that location in 1764. Prior to 1686, the May Fair was held in The Haymarket, and after 1764, it moved to Fair Field in Bow. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Paddington Edit This Paddington is a place in the City of Westminster. It is a London district situated 2.2 miles (3.5 km) west north-west of Charing Cross. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Pimlico Edit This Pimlico is a district in London, England and part of the City of Westminster. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] South Kensington Edit This South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles (3.9 km) west south-west of Charing Cross. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] Southwark Edit This The Borough or Southwark is an area of the London Borough of Southwark situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east south-east of Charing Cross. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] St Pancras Edit This St Pancras is the name of a place in London. However, it is no longer very much used as a name for the district, having been largely superseded by several other terms for overlapping places. type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] West End Edit This The West End of London is part of the city centre of London in England. The city centre also includes the City of London, which is the financial district, and by some definitions some other districts as well (see Central London). The West End contains the highest concentration of London's attractions, shops, administrative functions and business headquarters. It also includes most of its major theatres, so the term 'West End' is also used to refer to London's commercial theatre; (see West End theatre). type: Quarter World66 rating: [rate it] London City Airport Edit This London City Airport (IATA: LCY, ICAO: EGLC) is a single-runway airport, intended for use by STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) airliners, and principally serving the financial districts of London. It is located on a former Docklands site, in the London Borough of Newham in East London, and was developed by the private engineering company Mowlem in 1986/87. type: Airport World66 rating: [rate it] Stansted Airport Edit This Stansted Airport (IATA: STN, ICAO: EGSS) is a medium-sized passenger airport with a single runway, located in the English county of Essex about thirty miles north of London. The airport is owned and operated by BAA. It is the third-busiest airport in the London area after Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport. Several budget airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet maintain bases at Stansted, and Volga-Dnepr often station a large Antonov An-124 freighter to the northwest of the main runway ready to carry outsize cargoes. FedEx is a dominant operator of trans-Atlantic freighter services. type: Airport World66 rating: [rate it] Southend Airport Edit This Southend Airport (IATA: SEN, ICAO: EGMC) is a small airport in south east England, in the county of Essex. Now known as London Southend Airport because of its proximity to London, the airport is actually closer to Rochford than it is to Southend. The airport web site is at www.southendairport.net A frequent rail service runs from Rochford to London (Liverpool Street), via Stratford which will be convenient for the Olympics in 2012. Taxis are readily available outside the existing terminal, and buses from the road outside. type: Airport World66 rating: [rate it] Business Design Centre Edit This The Business Design Centre is an exhibition centre on Upper Street in the district of Islington in London, England. It occupies a Grade II listed building formerly known as the Royal Agricultural Hall, which opened in c.1861 (but the date on the clock is 1862) and was then one of the largest exhibition halls in the world. The main exhibition hall covers 65,000 square feet or 6,000 square metres. It hosted the Royal Tournament from its inauguration in 1880 until the event became too large for the venue and moved to Olympia in the early years of the 20th century. It also hosted the more.. type: Convention Center World66 rating: [rate it] London traveling tips Edit This Number 1 Travelers tip: Save lots o' money before you land at Heathrow Airport, cause merry ol' England will bankrupt you fast enough to make your head spin! Aside from that, it's a wonderful place to travel to. Where I found the best bargains in Great Britain were on the web, because you can get affordable "American" type prices before you arrive and have to deal with the oppressive exchange rate. And when I say oppressive, I'm not exaggerating. I found my hotel online, and got a great rate right next to Hyde more.. type: Tourist information World66 rating: [rate it] email: steve9631@comcast.net |
| Grazie a www.imondonauti.it |
| Gran Bretagna Itinerario 2 Londra: istruzioni per l'uso Testo e foto di Flavia Daneo Basta tenere d’occhio le offerte dei voli low cost e la vacanza a Londra non è più un sogno… Ma una volta atterrati in terra inglese che fare? Quali mezzi prendere per arrivare dall’aeroporto alla capitale britannica? Come spostarsi una volta arrivati in città? Qui di seguito vogliamo offrire alcune indicazioni pratiche di massima necessarie per arrivare velocemente a destinazione e muoversi in città. Dopo di che ognuno sarà libero di organizzare il proprio soggiorno londinese in base ai suoi interessi, desideri ed aspettative… e la capitale inglese ha talmente tanto da offrire che sicuramente tutti avranno di che impegnare le proprie giornate, serate e nottate. Come arrivare Londra è servita da ben 5 aeroporti: Heathrow e Gatwick sono i principali, Stansted è stato inaugurato nel 1991 e in una quindicina di anni si è enormemente sviluppato, a Luton arrivano i voli charter mentre per i voli di affari si predilige il London City Airport. L'aeroporto di Heathrow (tel. 08700 000123; www.baa.co.uk) dista 25 km da Londra. Treno: i convogli dell’Heathrow Express (www.heathrowexpress.com) partono ogni 15 min. e arrivano in un quarto d’ora alla stazione di Paddington. Il costo del biglietto parte da 13 £ (25 £ a/r) Metro: si impiegano circa 50 min. per arrivare dall’aeroporto a Londra centro con la linea Piccadilly. Le partenze avvengono ogni 5-10 min. e il biglietto costa 3.80 £. Cattedrale di Canterbury Il Big Ben Bus: la National Express Airport collega l’aeroporto a Victoria Coach Station in circa 1 ora e 45 min. di viaggio (costo del biglietto a partire da 8 £) e a Kings Cross (costo del biglietto a partire da 10 £). L'aeroporto di Gatwick (tel. 08700 002468; www.baa.co.uk) dista circa 45 km da Londra. Treno: i convogli del Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.com ) partono ogni 15 min. e arrivano in circa mezz’ora a Victoria Station. Il costo del biglietto parte da 13 £ (24 £ a/r). Interessante la formula Two for Four: se 4 adulti viaggiano insieme pagano per due solamente. Alle stesse modalità è possibile optare anche per il South Eastern (8.20 £) mentre il treno della Thameslink arriva a London Bridge in circa 30 min. Il biglietto costa 10 £. Bus: in circa 1 ora e 20 min. si arriva dall’aeroporto a Victoria Coach Station con i bus della National Express Airport che partono ogni mezz’ora. L'aeroporto di Stansted dista circa 55 km da Londra. Treno: i convogli dello Stansted Express (www.stanstedexpress.com ) partono ogni 15 min. e arrivano in circa 45 min. di viaggio a Liverpool Street. Il biglietto costa 14.50 £. Bus: i bus (www.terravision.it) partono dalla fermata n. 26 con intervalli di circa mezz’ora e arrivano alla fermata n. 2 della Greenline Coach Station, a Bulled Way (Victoria). Il tragitto dura teoricamente 1 ora e 15 min., ma calcolate anche 2 ore nelle ore di punta. Il costo del biglietto è di 9,50 £, 19 £ a/r. I bus della National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) costano 10 £ andata, 15 £ a/r. A differenza di quelli Terravision che sono diretti, fanno 5 fermate intermedie prima di arrivare a Victoria Coach Station. Low Cost Coach L'aeroporto di Luton (tel. 01582 405100; www.london-luton.com) dista circa 45 km da Londra. Treno:i convogli della Thameslink arrivano a King’s Cross in circa 40 min. facendo varie fermate intermedie. Tariffe a partire da 10.40 £. Bus: in circa 1 ora e 40 min. si arriva dall’aeroporto a Victoria Coach Station con i pullman della Greenline 757 (www.greenline.co.uk): fermate a Brent Cross, Baker st. e Marble Arch. I pullman partono ogni mezz’ora e il biglietto costa 9.50 £. Il London City Airport (tel. 020 76460088; www.londoncityairport.com) dista circa 9.5 km da Londra ed è frequentato soprattutto da chi viaggia per affari. Bus: ogni 20 min. l’autobus 473 collega l’aeroporto con la stazione della Docklands Light Railway. Più comodo lo Shuttlebus (tel. 020 76460088) che raggiunge il capolinea a Liverpool Steet in circa 25 min. Il biglietto costa 6 £. Metro: da Londra con la metropolitana Central Line fino a Stratford, poi con il treno fino a Silvertown. Generalmente il bus costa meno del treno ma impiega molto più tempo, soprattutto nelle ore di punta. Quindi, se optate per l’autobus per tornare in aeroporto, calcolate bene i tempi aumentandoli talvolta anche di 1 ora rispetto a quelli indicati. Cattedrale di Canterbury Bus a Oxford street Da tutti gli aeroporti si può naturalmente arrivare in centro a Londra prendendo un taxi. A seconda delle condizioni del traffico ci si impiega mediamente 1 ora - 1 ora e 30 min.; solo il London City Airport, vista la breve distanza, è raggiungibile in minor tempo. Le tariffe vanno dai 70 euro di Heathrow ai 110 euro di Gatwick e ai 140-150 euro di Luton e Stansted. Trasporti Pullman: la principale stazione londinese è la Victoria Coach Station (tel. 020 77303466). I pullman della Green Line Coaches (www.greenline.co.uk) fanno servizio tra Londra e le destinazioni a breve raggio mentre i pullman della National Express (www.nationalexpress.com) servono tutto il Paese. Treno: le principali stazioni ferroviarie londinesi sono nove. Da Paddington partono i treni diretti nell’Inghilterra occidentale, Galles e South Midlands; da Liverpool Street quelli diretti nell’Inghilterra dell’est e nell’Essex; da Euston, King Cross, Marylebone e St. Pancras quelli diretti nell’Inghilterra centrale, nel nord Inghilterra e Scozia; da Charing Cross, Waterloo e Victoria quelli diretti nel sud del Paese e con il continente. Waterloo International è anche la stazione d’arrivo dei treni Eurostar. Potete trovare info riguardanti orari, tratte, prezzi in www.nationalrail.co.uk Metropolitana: the Tube (www.tube.tfl.gov.uk), così chiamano la metropolitana i londinesi. Dodici linee e 275 stazioni fanno della metropolitana di Londra il mezzo più comodo e veloce per spostarsi e raggiungere praticamente tutti i punti di maggior interesse turistico della capitale. La metropolitana divide Londra in 6 zone per accedere alle quali vi sono biglietti a tariffe differenti, ma al turista interessano generalmente le zone 1 e 2, quelle in cui si concentra il maggior numero di monumenti. Acquistare il singolo biglietto, valido per 1 corsa, è il modo più costoso per muoversi (3 £; c'è anche la possibilità di acquistare un carnet di 10 biglietti). Conviene senz’altro optare per la Travel Card valida da 1 a 7 gg., per un numero illimitato di corse su tutta la rete metropolitana, sugli autobus e su alcuni tratti ferroviari. La Travel Card è acquistabile agli sportelli di ogni stazione della metro. Ve ne sono di diversi tipi: la One Day Family Travelcard conviene alle famiglie con bambini, la Weekend Travelcard è valida per tutto il fine settimana, la 7 Day Travelcard (22 £, zone 1-2) è valida per 7 giorni, la 3 Day Travelcard (15,40 £, zone 1-2) è valida per 3 giorni. La Day Travelcard è venduta in due versioni: quella valida in qualunque momento dal lunedì al venerdì (6,20 £, zone 1-2) e quella off peak valida dal lunedì al venerdì dopo le 9.30 e in qualunque momento durante il weekend (4.90 £, valida per le zone 1-2). Se pensate di fermarvi a Londra una settimana o più vi conviene senz'altro acquistare la Oyster Card. Si tratta di una carta ricaricabile con la quale potete pagare a scalare tutti i viaggi che intendete fare con i mezzi di trasporto pubblici londinesi. La modalità Pay as you go conviene a chi intende fermarsi 4-7 gg.: dovete recarvi presso la biglietteria di una qualsiasi stazione e dire di quanto volete caricare la vostra carta. All'atto del rilascio della carta pagherete una cauzione di 3£ che vi verranno rese quando la restituirete. Il sistema è molto rapido e comodo: basterà che sfioriate con la parte scritta della tessera rivolta verso l'alto uno dei lettori gialli presenti nelle postazioni delle stazioni e vi verrà calcolato automaticamente l'importo massimo da pagare nella giornata (calcolate che con questa carta le singole tratte vi costeranno meno). Nello stesso modo, ossia sfiorando gli appositi lettori, potrete anche conoscere il vostro credito residuo. Esiste anche la Visitor Travel Card (www.tfl.gov.uk; www.ticket-on-line.com), non acquistabile a Londra ma direttamente in Italia. Consente di viaggiare senza limiti sulla metropolitana, bus, e treni del centro di Londra e di godere di uno sconto del 20% per accedere ad alcune attrazioni della città. La Docklands Light Railway (D.L.R.) è parte del sistema metropolitano; è infatti una metropolitana leggera automatica che collega i Docklands con la City. Bus: il tradizionale bus londinese rosso a due piani è ormai stato in gran parte sostituito da bus più moderni, piccoli e di colori diversi. Per usarli al meglio premunitevi (negli uffici turistici o scaricandola direttamente dal sito (www.tfl.gov.uk) della London bus Guide dove sono indicati percorsi e fermate. Alla fermata dell’autobus vedrete che i londinesi attendono rigorosamente in fila l’arrivo del mezzo: rispettate la fila e salite dalla porta anteriore. Il costo del biglietto (1.50 £) si paga direttamente al conducente (tranne che alle fermate che recano la scritta “Buy tickets before boarding on all routes”), ma conviene munirsi di un pass. C’è l’One Day Bus Pass, un abbonamento giornaliero valido per un numero illimitato di corse su tutti gli autobus (3 £; eccetto quelli notturni contraddistinti dalla lettera N; 2.50 £) e il Bus Pass settimanale (11 £). Il carnet di 6 biglietti costa 6 £. (www.tfl.gov.uk ; tel. 02072221234). Anche nei bus potrete usare la Oyster Card (vedi sopra: metropolitana) e di conseguenza pagare il biglietto del bus 80 pence. Cattedrale di Canterbury La sede del parlamento a Londra Taxi: comodi (possono ospitare fino a 5 persone) e numerosi i taxi londinesi sono una vera e propria istituzione. I black cabs sono i taxi tradizionali di colore nero: non è necessario prenotarli, basta mettersi sul ciglio della strada, individuarne uno con la scritta For Hire accesa (segno che è libero) e fermarlo alzando il braccio. Non fate come in Italia e non salite immediatamente in taxi, ma prima dite al taxista la vostra destinazione e salite solo quando vi dà la sua disponibilità. Sono sempre dotati di tassametro che indica il prezzo della corsa. I minicab sono invece taxi privati che necessitano di prenotazione, anche telefonica. Bisogna chiedere la tariffa al momento della prenotazione e farsela confermare dall’autista. I Taxi Bike sono invece motociclette taxi: se non piove sono senz’altro un mezzo rapido per muoversi nel traffico londinese. Alloggi Inutile dire che a Londra si trovano alloggi di tutti i tipi e per tutte le tasche: ostelli, hotel economici e di lusso, appartamenti. Pensiamo di fare cosa utile evidenziare alcuni hotel che ci sono stati segnalati per la loro posizione centrale, la categoria di medio livello (2-3 stelle), la pulizia delle camere (non sempre cosa scontata a Londra, purtroppo!) e il buon rapporto qualità-prezzo ( i prezzi variano naturalmente a seconda del periodo prescelto). Hotel Reem, Princes Square, metro Bayswater; Central Park Hotel, 49-67 Queensborough Terrace, metro Queensway; Hotel Swinton, 18-24 Swinton Street, metro King’s Cross; Rose Court Hotel, 1-3 Talbot Square, metro Paddington o Lancaster Gate. The Hoxton Hotel, 81 Great Eastern Street, Square Mile, tra Liverpool Station e Shoreditch (la particolarità di questo hotel è che, pur trovandosi nel cuore di Londra e godendo di un lusso discreto e di un elegante design, applica la formula inconsueta del "paga meno chi prima prenota": 1 sterlina - sì, avete letto bene - nei periodi di offerta per aumentare via via a 29, 59, 79 sterline a camera. Competitivi anche i prezzi di pranzo e di accesso a piscina e palestra). Come ostelli segnaliamo il centralissimo Piccadilly Hostel. I letti in camerata a 6 letti costano 12 £, in camerata a 4 letti 18 £, le camere doppie 50 £. Buono anche l'Hyde Park Inn Hostel, metro Bayswater (fermata della metro a una ventina di metri dall'ostello). Un letto in camerata costa a partire da 10 £ a notte. Links e numeri utili Info generali: www.visitlondon.com; www.londontown.com; www.visitbritain.com Ambulanza: tel. 999 Polizia: tel. 112 Servizio medico: tel. 08 706000870; www.medicentre.co.uk Prenotazioni hotel: tel. 020 72345800 |
| Questo articolo è rilasciato sotto i termini della
GNU Free Documentation License Esso utilizza materiale tratto da http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Londra Cronologia/Autori: http://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grande_Londra&action=history Grande LondraDa Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
L'area amministrativa della Grande Londra (Greater London in inglese) unisce le Città di Londra (City of London) e di Westminster (City of Westminster) ed altri 31 boroughs, e costituisce quella che è generalmente nota come Londra, capitale del Regno Unito. La superficie è di 1.579 km2 (609 sq. mi) e contava 7.172.036 abitanti al censimento del 2001. La Grande Londra è compresa tra l'Est dell'Inghilterra a nord ed il Sud Est a sud. Dal 2000 la Grande Londra è amministrata dalla Greater London Authority ed ha un sindaco direttamente eletto, Ken Livingstone, controllato dalla London Assembly, anch'essa elettiva. Lo status della Grande Londra è abbastanza inusuale. È classificata ufficialmente sia come una contea cerimoniale che come una delle nove regioni dell'Inghilterra. Stranamente non è classificata come contea amministrativa, nonostante abbia un comitato amministrativo.
[modifica] StoriaLa Grande Londra fu creata nel 1965, sostituendo le precedenti contee amministrative del Middlesex e di Londra, con l'aggiunta della City, che non era controllata dalla Contea di Londra ed assorbendo parti delle contee del Kent, dell'Hertfordshire, del Surrey e dell'Essex. La Grande Londra è circondata dalle Home Counties dell'Essex, dell'Hertfordshire, del Buckinghamshire, del Berkshire, del Surrey e del Kent. La Grande Londra aveva originariamente un doppio sistema di governo locale, con il Greater London Council (GLC) che divideva i poteri con la Corporation of London (governante la piccola City of London) e i 32 London borough councils. Il Greater London Council fu abolito nel 1986 sotto il governo di Margaret Thatcher, con alcune delle sue funzioni devolute alla Corporation ed ai boroughs, ed altre date al governo centrale. Nel 2000 il governo Laburista ha creato la Greater London Authority costituita dalla London Assembly e dal Sindaco di Londra per governare l'intera area. Le elezioni per il sindaco del 2000 e del 2004 sono state entrambe vinte da Ken Livingstone, ultimo leader del GLC. La popolazione della Grande Londra è cresciuta da 1,1 milioni nel 1801 a circa 8,5 milioni nel 1939, ma è scesa a 6,5 milioni negli anni 1980. La popolazione è attualmente in crescita e dovrebbe raggiungere 8,15 milioni entro il 2016. Definizioni più ampie dell'area metropolitana londinese (la London commuter belt) si estendono su una regione molto più grande che conta fino a quattordici milioni di abitanti, ma generalmente comprende distretti distinti dalla Londra vera e propria. Il termine 'Grande Londra' è stato usato prima del
1965, in
particolare riferito all'area coperta dal
Metropolitan Police Service (che non coincideva con la Grande Londra
fino al 2000),
oggi però si preferisce il termine 'Metropolitan Police District'. [modifica] Boroughs [modifica] Collegamenti esterni
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________________Grazie a www.travelpuppy.com Guida Di Corsa De Londra |
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Travel Guide London Travel Guide and London Travel Information - TravelPuppy.com 'England's Capital' Located in the southeast of England, on the River Thames, it is the capital of the United Kingdom (UK) and has been the centre of its political, cultural and business life for centuries. The now sprawling metropolis is a far cry from the few dwellings that first sprouted up to house river traders during their voyages towards the sea. It was the Romans who really jump started the city, by establishing ‘Londinium’ as an important fortress town, guarding the Thames and protecting against any Celtic tribes trying to invade the untamed island. The Romans brought with them forts, roads and the rule of law, prompting the historian Tacitus to boast of an AD60 city ‘filled with travellers and a celebrated centre of commerce.’ Over the centuries, London has expanded, despite the many dangers that might have defeated a lesser place – the Great Plague, the Great Fire, the English Civil War and even a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But most recently London and its citizens survived the German Luftwaffe attempts to bomb the city to oblivion during the World War II ‘Blitz’. Nowadays, the scale of Greater London can be daunting at first, as it sprawls 1500sq km or 580 square miles across a voluminous plain. However, it is a city that is easy to get around, with the comprehensive and easily navigated London Underground or ‘Tube’. The twin axis on which the city rests is the Houses of Parliament to the west and the City of London to the east. The seat of government (not far from the home of the royal family) is connected to the City (the financial centre of London and the whole of the UK) by the River Thames. In between lie most of the tourist attractions and the liveliest different entertainment areas, such as Knightsbridge and Soho. But London’s charm stretches far beyond the Circle Line – the Underground route that rings the inner city. Residential areas outside the city centre, such as leafy Richmond (southwest) or Hampstead (north), trendy Hoxton (east) or Notting Hill (west), each have their own character. And as the population of London pushes towards the ten million mark, the city continues to grow and thrive. Home to 37 immigrant groups, each consisting of more than 10,000 people where some 300 languages are spoken. This very real multiculturalism is evident on every street and many restaurants and is a key reason why people love the city. Tourists come for London’s history or London’s royal pageantry but they return for the charms of the modern London, not least the extraordinary cultural life, with world-class art galleries and theatres, nightlife, film, music, culinary and fashion scenes. The city skyline is the place where the London’s rapid change and optimism is most visible – the Docklands and the City (with its now famous ‘Gherkin’ tower) have shot up over the past few years. During the summer months , London’s many green spaces fill up with office workers and tourists enjoying the surprisingly balmy days as café tables sprout across a multitude of pavements. During the winter, the grey skies and rain can be forgotten for a while in the cosy pubs. But spring or autumn are probably the best seasons to visit, when clear crisp sunny days often illuminate London and its landmarks. __________London Business Profile London Business Overview - TravelPuppy.com London Economy At over £162 billion, London's economy accounts for 17 per cent of the UK's GDP. Known as ‘the City’, the square mile located on the eastern part of central London, the City of London, is the epicentre of British financial life and one of the world’s leading international financial centres. It is home to an impressive concentration and variety of banks, insurance companies and other business services. Financial and business services throughout London employ around a third of the Greater London workforce. Over the past few years, the government has delegated greater responsibility to the Bank of England while the London Stock Exchange has floated itself. London accounts for about 50 per cent of all overseas visits to the UK. The tourism sector employs about 350,000 people, accounting for 10 per cent of all jobs in London. London is Europe's most successful city at attracting overseas companies, and there are 13,510 overseas owned companies from 92 countries in the capital. The list of companies based in London is almost endless as most major international companies have offices. For the more fashionable industries, such as media and design, a West End address is the most sought after, especially in Soho. To the east of the City, the Docklands has come of age and is now a popular business location with good public transport links and modern office complexes. The centrepiece is Canary Wharf, one of Britain’s tallest buildings, which has been joined recently by two neighbouring skyscrapers. A stone's throw away from Canary Wharf, the state of the art ExCel is increasingly giving traditional conference venues a run for their money, with the world’s largest travel exhibition, World Travel Market, now calls ExCel home. Business Etiquette Business hours are officially Monday to Friday 09:00 or 09:30 until 17:00 or 17:30 hours, although many companies have much longer hours. Business is intense and fast paced. Extended business lunches and post-work drinks were regarded as part of the modern working environment until recently. Today, the emphasis is increasingly on hard work and long hours. Some older establishments can be strictly formal, however, meetings are usually relatively relaxed and first names are often used after the initial introduction. British businesspeople are unlikely to be overtly demonstrative – hand gestures and the use of expressive body language will be minimal and apart from shaking hands, physical contact should be avoided. Standard dress code is a suit and tie for men and a suit (or equivalent) for women but this varies greatly depending on the company, with those in the new technologies sectors tending towards informality. See the London Business Contacts and Services section _____________ London Culture Guide London Culture Guide - TravelPuppy.com The sheer number of cultural activities on offer in the capital is breathtaking, with over 150 theatres and 300 art galleries. Contemporary figures like Tracy Emin and Zadie Smith complement the rich heritage of Shakespeare and Turner. The concrete mass of the South Bank Centre, South Bank, SE1 (telephone: (020) 7960 4242), is one of the city’s cultural Meccas. It houses the Hayward Gallery and three concert halls – the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room. Next door is the flagship Royal National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 (telephone: (020) 7452 3400 (information) or 7452 3000 (box office). Flying the flag north of the river, the labyrinthine Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2 (telephone: (020) 7638 8891 (box office) or 7638 4141 (information), is a performing and visual arts venue with a varied all-year programme of events. London Tourist Board’s Visitor Call service (telephone: (0906) 133 7799) and the weekly Time Out magazine) has details of the week’s entertainment. Ticket agencies include First Call Ticketing (telephone: (0870) 840 1111) and Ticketmaster UK (telephone: (0870) 534 4444). Music The world-famous Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2 (telephone: (020) 7304 4000), is home to the excellent Royal Opera. Despite some attempts to cut the price, ballet and opera tickets are still often fairly expensive. More accessible are performances by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2 (telephone: (020) 7632 8300). Large-scale concerts are staged at the Royal Festival Hall (see above), home of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (telephone: (020) 7840 4200 or 4242 (box office), or the Barbican (see above), home of the London Symphony Orchestra (telephone: (020) 7588 1116). The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 (telephone: (020) 7589 8212 (box office), can also stage huge concerts, including London’s annual musical highlight, the summer series of the Proms (see Cultural events below). Music lovers should head for the traditional but friendly surroundings of the Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, W1 (telephone: (020) 7935 2141) to hear chamber music and solo recitals. More informal concerts take place in halls and churches all over London, including St Martin-in-the-Fields, St John’s, Smith Square, SW1, and St James’s, Piccadilly, W1. Theatre Within the extraordinary diversity of London’s theatre scene (there are over 100 theatres in the capital, including 50 in the West End), the Royal National Theatre (see above) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (telephone: (01789) 403 404) compete for audiences with commercial West End theatres, repertory companies, ‘off-West End’ productions and fringe theatres. The National Theatre’s three auditoriums– The Olivier, The Cottesloe and The Lyttleton – allow productions of different scale, from classics to new writing. The Royal Shakespeare Company, performing primarily Shakespeare and based out of Stratford-upon-Avon, did use the Barbican as its London home but now performs in a range of venues including the Barbican. The Old Vic, The Cut, Waterloo, SE1 (telephone: (020) 7928 7616), offers inspired traditional drama. Meanwhile, down the road, at 66 The Cut, the Young Vic (telephone: (020) 7928 6363) presents modern productions of contemporary and classic plays. The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1 (telephone: (020) 7565 5000), continues to foster excellent new writing. Quality innovative productions can also be expected from ‘off-West End’ theatres, such as the Donmar Warehouse, Earlham Street, WC2 (telephone: (020) 7369 1732), and the Almeida, Almeida Street, N1 (telephone: (020) 7359 4404 (box office). Fringe theatre, ranging from the inspired to the insane, is performed in dozens of local venues, including the King’s Head, 115 Upper Street, N1 (telephone: (020) 7226 1916), which is the oldest pub-theatre in London. From May to September, the Globe Theatre, New Globe Walk, SE1 (telephone: (020) 7401 9919 (box office), stages open-air productions of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. There are also outdoor summer performances in Regents Park,at the Open-air Theatre, (telephone: (020) 7486 2431. Theatre tickets in the West End cost £15-50. They can be purchased in advance from the theatre box office. For purchases on the day of the performance, there is a booth on the south side of Leicester Square, formerly called the Half-Price Theatre Ticket Booth, now called tkts. This is the official Society of London Theatre’s booth; visitors should avoid touts and other outlets in the area. The booth sells mainly half-price tickets, some tickets at 25% discount and some full-price tickets. Because of the booking fee, when only full-price tickets are available for that night’s performance, visitors are advised to go to the theatre box office. Dance Touring dance companies perform mostly contemporary dance at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, EC1 (telephone: (020) 7863 8000 (box office). Ticket prices are usually more reasonable than at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2 (telephone: (020) 7304 4000), which is home to the Royal Ballet. Film Local cinemas are less expensive than those in the West End, where tickets cost upwards of £10. Two main cinema chains are Odeon (telephone: (0870) 505 0007) and Warner (telephone: (0870) 240 6020), with venues all over London, their biggest in Leicester Square, WC2. Barbican Screen, Silk Street, EC2 (telephone: (020) 7638 8891), is London’s leading independent cinema showing independent, arthouse and blockbuster movies, along with the National Film Theatre, on the South Bank, SE1 (telephone: (020) 7928 3232). IMAX magic can be experienced at the largest cinema screen in the UK, the newer BFI London IMAX Cinema, South Bank, SE1 (telephone: (020) 7902 1234). Cultural Events New Year revelry has long been a London tradition, with the focus on an overcrowded Trafalgar Square. A few weeks later, Lion Dancers welcome in the Chinese New Year in Chinatown, WC2. July begins with the fun and festivities of the Coin Street Festival at Gabriel’s Wharf, SE1, the arts extravaganza that is the Greenwich and Docklands Festival and a chance for the city’s gay and lesbian population to strut their stuff in the Mardi Gras parade and festival. The Notting Hill Carnival (a two-day celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture during the August Bank Holiday weekend) is Europe’s largest street carnival, attended by more than two million people. More sedate events include the Trooping the Colour, celebrating the Queen’s official birthday in June, and the impressive Lord Mayor’s Show in November, which is a colourful display of the long-standing independence of the City of London. November also has the two-week London Film Festival . Summer brings the very popular music festival known as the Proms, with concerts running from July to September. Tickets for these BBC Promenade Concerts start from £3 (non-seated) and the Last Night, led by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, is one of the few times when unabashed patriotism is the order of the day. Summer also brings many other music festivals, including the City of London Festival, outdoor performances running from June to July in the gardens of Kenwood House, on Hampstead Heath, NW3 (telephone: (020) 7973 3427), and outdoor opera at Holland Park theatre (telephone: (020) 7602 7856), from June to August. Literary Notes London has been home to writers for centuries. Bunhill Fields’ graveyard has monuments to John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. Bloomsbury gave its name to a literary set that included Virginia Woolf, while the suburb of Hampstead was home to John Keats, H G Wells and D H Lawrence. Some of the country’s most famous writers are remembered in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. The mass of 19th-century London life and its legendary fog is vividly recreated in the novels of Charles Dickens. Sinister goings-on in the city surface in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stephenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and The Secret Agent (1923) by Joseph Conrad. Graham Greene captured the atmosphere of wartime London in The Ministry of Fear (1943). ____________London Festival - Events London Festivals and Events Guide - TravelPuppy.com The following is a selection of festival - events occurring in London in 2006: New Year’s Day Parade (website: www.londonparade.co.uk), 1 Jan, Parliament Square, SW1, to Berkeley Square, W1 London International Boat Show (website: www.londonboatshow.com), January Chinese New Year Celebrations (website: www.chinatownchinese.com), late Jan-early Feb, Gerrard Street, Chinatown, WC2 Daily Mail Ideal Home Show (website: www.idealhomeshow.co.uk), mid Mar-early Apr, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, SW5 The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race (website: www.theboatrace.org), late Mar-early Apr, River Thames from Mortlake, SW14, to Putney, SW15 Flora London Marathon (website: www.london-marathon.co.uk), mid Apr, Blackheath, SE3, to the Mall, SW1 Chelsea Flower Show (website: www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea), one week late May, Royal Hospital Chelsea, SW1 Meltdown music festival with a different famous curator choosing the line-up each year (website: www.rfh.org.uk/meltdown), mid-late Jun, Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, SE1 Trooping the Colour Queen’s Birthday parade (website: www.royal.gov.uk), Sat mid Jun, Buckingham Palace, the Mall and Horse Guards’ Parade, SW1 Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships (website: www.wimbledon.org), two weeks late Jun-early Jul, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, SW19 City of London Festival outdoor performances (website: http://www.colf.org), Jun-Jul, gardens of Kenwood House, on Hampstead Heath, NW3 Cadogan Opera Holland Park outdoor opera (web site: www.operahollandpark.com), Jun-Aug, Holland Park theatre Coin Street Festival (web site: www.coinstreetfestival.org), Jul, Gabriel’s Wharf, SE1 Greenwich and Docklands Festival (website: www.festival.org), Jul, various venues Mardi Gras gay and lesbian Pride Parade and festival, Jul, Hyde Park and central London Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (web site: www.rhs.org.uk), one week early Jul, Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey BBC Promenade Concerts (web site: www.bbc.co.uk/proms), mid Jul-mid Sep, Royal Albert Hall, SW7 Notting Hill Carnival August Bank Holiday Weekend, last weekend Aug, Notting Hill, W8 Regent Street Festival food from around the world, international fashion and entertainement, plus special children's activities (www.regentstreetonline.com), Sep, Regent Street Thames Festival arts, sport and river events (web site: www.thamesfestival.org), mid Sep, Westminster Bridge, SE1, to Southwark Cathedral, SE1 London Open House London’s architectural gems open to public (web site: www.londonopenhouse.org), Sep, throughout the city London Fashion Week Sep (www.londonfashionweek.co.uk) Pearly Harvest Festival Service service for cockney Pearly Kings and Queens, first Sun Oct, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2 Bonfire Night firework displays commemorating the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot and the arrest of Guy Fawkes in 1605, 5 Nov and nearest Sat night, throughout the city Remembrance Sunday procession in honour of British service men and women, nearest Sunday to 11 Nov, Whitehall, SW1 Lord Mayor’s Show celebratory parade (website: www.lordmayorsshow.org), Nov, City of London, EC1 London Film Festival (web site: www.lff.org.uk), two weeks Nov, National Film Theatre, South Bank, SE1, and other cinemas around London Christmas Lights mid Nov-6 Jan, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street Somerset House Ice Rink annual temporary outdoor ice rink, Nov-Jan, Somerset House, Strand, WC2 New Year’s Eve Celebrationss 31 Dec, Trafalgar Square, WC2, and all over the city ____________ London Getting Around Getting Around London - TravelPuppy.com Public Transport Transport for London (telephone: (020) 7222 1234 (24-hour enquiries) provides comprehensive information on all forms of transport within London, as well as operating the buses. Buses London’s famous red ‘Routemaster’ double-decker buses have bee replaced by more modern single and double deckers. There is now only one fare zone for all buses. Flat fare of £1 applies for adults on all buses and trams. Tickets have to be bought prior to boarding and there is a £5 fine for travelling without a valid ticket. Services operate 24 hours a day, with night buses, prefixed by the letter ‘N’, replacing the standard services on most routes after midnight. Fares on night buses are the same as regular buses. There are also three tram routes in the Croydon area; it is unlikely that visitors will use these, however, a Cross-River tram from Camden to Brixton via central London is planned for completion in 2011. London Underground The London Underground (telephone: (0845) 330 9880 or (020) 7222 1234) commonly referred to as the ‘Tube’, is the oldest and most extensive underground system in the world and pervades both the life and layout of London. The network consists of 12 underground lines, each with a different name and colour, supplemented by the Docklands Light Railway, connecting the City of London and the Docklands. The entire network is divided into six concentric zones, which determine the price of tickets. Tickets should be purchased at the station and must be passed through the barrier ticket gates in order for the passenger to enter and leave the system (and avoid a £10 penalty fare). The London Underground operates daily approximately 05:30-24:30 but should be avoided during rush hour (Monday to Friday 08:00-09:30 and 17:00-18:30) when it is extremely crowded. Rail Services Various regional and commuter rail services, such as Silverlink Metro (telephone: (0845) 601 4867) and Thameslink (telephone: (0845) 748 4950), operate between numerous stations in the capital and often cover routes not served by the London Underground. All passes, and carnets for bus or London Underground, are available for purchase at Tube stations and participating newsagents. Transport on the Thames There are many transport services operating on the River Thames. Thames Clippers, commuter ferries running between Savoy Pier (central at Embankment) and Masthouse Terrace (east of Greenwich) are operated by Collins River Enterprises (telephone: (020) 7977 6892). The River Taxi Service, operated by Connoisseur Charters (telephone: (020) 7352 5888), is a high-speed commuter service from Chelsea Harbour in the west to Blackfriars; a separate river bus also continues on to Greenland Pier (Greenwich). Tickets for the various services available are available for purchase on board. Interested visitors can view the history and development of the city’s transport system at the London Transport Museum in The Piazza, at Covent Garden (telephone: (020) 7379 6344 or 7565 7299). Taxis London’s distinctive black taxi cabs are a pleasant and a pricey way of getting around the city, as well as meeting the legendary ‘cabbies’. Fares always start at £2 and go up in increments of £0.20. The lowest tariff is in effect Monday to Friday 06:00-20:00 (except public holidays). Tariffs are higher 20:00-22:00 weekdays and up to 22:00 on Saturdays and Sundays and then even higher 22:00-06:00 every day. Visit www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/pco/taxi_fares.shtml for more fares information. A tip of 10-15% to ‘round up’ the bill is customary. Each taxi has a licence number and badged drivers must comply with official regulations. Black cabs can be booked through Dial-a-Cab (telephone: (020) 7251 0581) and Radio Taxis (telephone: (020) 7272 0272). London taxi drivers’ unsurpassed understanding of the city has been tapped by Black Taxi Tours (telephone: (020) 7935 9363), London sightseeing tours in a black cab. Any complaints about black cabs should be directed to the Public Carriage Office, 15 Penton Street, London N1 9PU (telephone: (020) 7941 7800). Minicabs can be booked over the telephone or direct from local offices throughout London. One particularly efficient and reputable city-wide firm is Addison Lee (telephone: (020) 7387 8888). Although generally cheaper than black cabs, there are numerous illegal and unscrupulous operators, so it is always wise for travellers to check that the company is registered. In particular, offers of lifts by unlicensed drivers off the street, late at night in the West End or anywhere else for that matter, should not be accepted. Transport for London (telephone: (020) 7222 1234) can provide a list of licensed Private Hire companies, as well as information on black taxis. Limousines Chauffeur-driven luxury cars can be hired from several companies, including Carey Worldwide Chauffeur Services (telephone: (020) 7235 0234) and London Chauffeur Drive (telephone: (020) 7633 9410). Driving in the City London infamous congestion charge (telephone: (0845) 900 1234) came into force in February 2003. There is now a daily charge of £5 for all vehicles entering the central London congestion charging zone Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 18:30. The attempt to reduce congestion has been successful and there are plans to extend the congestion charging zone. However, the M25 ring motorway and major routes into and out of the city are often at a standstill, particularly on Friday and Sunday evenings. Car Parking Off-road parking is available 24 hours at NCP garages (telephone: (0870) 606 7050) situated around the city. The tariffs vary from garage to garage. The cheapest NCP garage in London can be found at the Brunswick Centre, Marchmont Street, WC1, with prices here ranging between £4 for up to two hours and rising to £14 for nine to 24 hours. Street parking in central London can be extremely expensive. Meters, pay-and-display bays or resident’s parking bays operate throughout central London. Cheap and improved bus services combined with the congestion charge and high parking charges mean that visitors are much better off using public transport than they are driving in central London. Car Hire All major car firms have locations all over the city, such as Avis (telephone: (0870) 606 0100), Budget (telephone: (0800) 181 181) and Hertz (telephone: (0870) 599 6699). The London congestion charge does apply to all hire cars and drivers will usually be liable for this, in addition to the price quoted for hiring a car. There has been a recent growth in budget/Internet car hire companies, spearheaded by easyCar (telephone: (0906) 333 3333), the first Internet-only car hire company. The easyCar depot at the Barbican is one of the only places in central London where the congestion charge is included in the price of hiring a car. Bicycle Hire Both bicycles and motorcycles avoid the congestion charge, so they are sensible modes of transport in London. The London Bicycle Tour Company, 1A Gabriel’s Wharf, 56 Upper Ground SE1 (telephone: (020) 7928 6838). Although About Town Motorcycle and Scooter Hire (telephone: (020) 8871 1112; fax: (020) 8875 9192) is based in Wandsworth, in the southwest of the city, motorcycles or scooters will be delivered to all London hotels. _____________ London International Airport London International Airport - TravelPuppy.com London international airports links are below: London Heathrow International Airport (LHR) Located 24km or 15 miles west of central London. Airport information: telephone: (0870) 000 0123 London Gatwick Airport (LGW) Located 46km or 28 miles south of central London. Airport information: telephone: (0870) 000 2468 London City Airport (LCY) Located 10km or 6 miles east of the City of London. Airport information: telephone: (020) 7646 0088 Stansted Airport (STN) Located 48km or 30 miles northeast of central London. Airport information: telephone: (08700) 000 303 Luton (LTN) Located 51km or 32 miles northwest of London. Airport information: telephone: (01582) 405 100 _______________ London Nightlife London Nightlife - TravelPuppy.com Night-time hotspots can be found across the city, although there is a concentration in the West End, where Soho is still the coolest place to drink, although it remains seedy along the edges. Soho is also the best place for gay bars and clubs. Two hip areas in which to drink are the perennially cool Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove area in the west and the now very up-and-coming Old Street/Shoreditch area in the east. Many local areas, such as Camden and Angel in the north, Brixton and Clapham in the south, have great local pubs and bars and remain the areas where the best of the established gastropubs can be found. The legal drinking age is 18 years and almost all of the clubs exact an admission price (often increasing after 23:00 or 24:00), which can be pricey, particularly in the West End. Dress codes vary depending on the calibre of the club but it may be wise to leave the trainers at home. Drink prices are exorbitant in London and can vary from pub to pub and club to club. A pint will cost anything from £2.50 upwards and will be much more like £3 in the West End. The best way to keep abreast of goings-on is to check out the listings in the weekly Time Out magazine. Bars If a traditional English pub is what you are after, try the 17th-century George Inn, 77 Borough High Street, SE1 – the only surviving example of a galleried coaching inn in London. Nearby, a popular watering hole for patrons of the Globe Theatre, tourists and locals is The Anchor, Bankside, SE1. This 17th-century haunt is quaint and quirky, while its Thames-side terrace is a delight on sunny days. Alternatively, the Nell Gwynne, 1-2 Bull Inn Court, just off the Strand, WC2, is one of the smallest and most endearing of the central, old-fashioned pubs, while the hugely popular 17th-century Lamb and Flag, 33 Rose Street, WC2, offers two floors connected by a rickety staircase and an outdoor area in summer. For ornate Victorian interiors, The Salisbury, 90 St Martins Lane, WC2, with its gin palace atmosphere, is unbeatable. No less popular is the Lamb, 94 Lamb’s Conduit Street, WC1. As for bars, many of the best in Soho are members only but Yo!Below, in the basement of Yo!Sushi, 52 Poland Street, W1, is far more egalitarian, featuring Japanese cartoons, Karaoke-singing staff, self-service beer dispensers and masseuses. For a chilled scruffy kind of Soho cool, try Two Floors, Kingly Street, W1; it doesn’t have the name above the door but you can tell it by the sofas in the window and the green walls. For stylish trendy bars that stay open past 2300 and do not require a membership card, Amber, 6 Poland Street, W1, is one of the nicest, while Akbar, 77 Dean Street, has exotic decor. The beautiful people go to The West Bar at Sketch, 9 Conduit Street, W1 (see Restaurants). Point 101, 101 New Oxford Street, WC1, is a late-night West End bar that defies the archaic drinking laws with DJs and an up-for-it clientele. Almost all of the Old Compton Street pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants are gay or very gay-friendly. A popular one is G.A.Y. Bar, 30 Old Compton Street, W1, run by the unstoppable club night, G.A.Y. (see Clubs below). Off Old Compton Street, two well-established male favourites are The Edge, 11 Soho Square, W1, and The Yard, 57 Rupert Street, W1. For women, the choice is much more limited; the best by far is The Candy Bar, 4 Carlisle Street, W1. Further west, in Notting Hill, one of the best bars in the area is Under the Westway Bar and Restaurant, Westbourne Studios, 242 Acklam Road, W10. Portobello Gold, 95-97 Portobello Road, W11, and one of the trendiest pubs in the area The Westbourne, 101 Westbourne Park Villas, W2. Heading east, Vertigo, Level 42, Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, EC2, at 180m or 590ft above the ground, is one of the UK’s highest bars and boasts stunning views across the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows, although it is only open on weeknights, as it is in the business-orientated City of London. For pubs in the Old Street area, The Bricklayers, 63 Charlotte Road, EC2, is as reliable for a pint and a possible glimpse of a famous artist, while for kitsch cool, the George and Dragon, 2 Hackney Road, E1, is your best bet. Table football is the focus of the Brazilian-style Kick Bar, 127 Shoreditch High Street, E1. For a more of a designer bar, the place to go for DJs is the Medicine Bar, 89 Great Eastern Street, EC2, or for food is Grand Central, 91-93 Great Eastern Street, EC2, possibly the most beautiful bar-restaurant in London. Casinos There are over 20 casinos in London. For details and other information, refer to the British Casino Association, 38 Grosvenor Gardens, SW1 (telephone: (020) 7730 1055; fax: (020) 7730 1050). By law, only members and their guests over the age of 18 years can enter a British casino; membership takes 24 hours. Clubs The world-famous super-club Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1, is still going a decade on, with its stunning sound system pumping out popular house and garage. Its big rivals are the more underground Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1, Pacha, Terminus Place, Victoria, SW1 , which has brought a touch of Balearic glamour to Victoria, and The End, a stylish club at 18A West Central Street, WC1. Although the east is running away with things at the moment, the west’s Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, W11, is always worth checking out, for its eclectic nights famous for Latin nights. South of the river, Brixton’s reputation for nightlife remains unscathed with The Fridge, Town Hall Parade, SW2, a long-time favourite, and Substation South, 9 Brighton Terrace, SW9, the original and still the best cruisey gay nightclub. The most popular gay night is back in Soho, G.A.Y. at The Astoria, 157 Charing Cross Road, WC2. Comedy The Comedy Store, Haymarket House, 1A Oxendon Street, SW1 (telephone: (020) 7344 0234), still offers the best comedy in town. Jongleurs comedy and cabaret clubs are based in Battersea, Camden and Bow. Live music International acts play at Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, Earl’s Court, SW5 (telephone: 0871 871 9809 for bookings), and Wembley Arena, Lakeside Way, Wembley, HA9 (telephone: 0870 060 0870). Mainstream pop stars can be heard at the London Arena, Limeharbour, E14 (telephone: 020 7538 1212 or 08705 12 12 12). For a more unique atmosphere, try The Astoria (LA1), 157 Charing Cross Road, WC2 (telephone: 020 7434 0403), or the Brixton Academy, 211 Stockwell Road, SW9 (telephone: 020 7771 3000). The Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush Green, W12 (telephone: 020 8354 3300), and the Forum, 9-17 Highgate Road, NW5 (telephone: 020 7284 1001 or 020 7344 0044 for bookings), draw medium-sized acts. New and exciting indie acts usually play the Barfly Camden, 49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 (telephone: 020 7691 4244), on their way up, while pubs with regular, often unsigned live music include the Hope and Anchor, 207 Upper Street, N1 (telephone: 020 7354 1312), Camden’s famous Dublin Castle, 94 Parkway, NW1, (telephone: 020 7485 1773) and the Swan, 215 Clapham Road, SW9 (telephone: 020 7978 9778). For jazz, head to the Jazz Café (telephone: 0870 150 0044 for bookings), 5 Parkway, NW1, or to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, 47 Frith Street, W1 (telephone: 020 7439 0747) a legendary venue in the heart of Soho. Tickets for most gigs and concerts are available from ticketmaster (telephone: 0870 534 4444), or contact the venues direct. ____________ London Shopping London Shopping Guide - TravelPuppy.com London is one of the great shopping cities, with over 30,000 retail outlets dotted across the capital (3,000 of which in Central London alone). Typically for London, areas of the city have their own shopping characters. In the west, The King’s Road in Chelsea, SW1, has a long-standing reputation for fashion, although is now mainly high-street chains, while the Notting Hill area is now also very popular for fashion boutiques, in particular along Westbourne Grove and Ledbury Road, W11. In the east, the Brick Lane area, E1 and E2, has long been home to up-and-coming fashion designers’ studios but area is really taking off, with many designers opening shops alongside shops selling vintage furniture, second-hand clothes, design objects and other quirky finds (Cheshire Street is especially good for this). More centrally, Oxford Street (the busiest shopping street in Europe, with over 200 million visitors a year and a turnover of £5 billion) and Regent Street, W1, attract of shoppers to well-known high-street clothing shops and megastores, including Hamley’s toy emporium, 188-196 Regent Street. Department stores (such as the enormous and trendy Selfridges, the reliable Marks & Spencer, and the back-to-basics John Lewis) are mostly located along Oxford Street, although the high-fashion Liberty is just down Regent Street. Tottenham Court Road, WC1, is lined with electrical shops, while south, Charing Cross Road, WC2, has long been the centre for bookshops in London, with second-hand shops and bigger chains. London’s largest bookshop, Waterstones, is situated on Piccadilly, W1. Covent Garden, WC2, is one of the more popular shopping areas. Its Piazza, once the site of the fruit and vegetable market, is now filled with specialist shops, cafés and street performers, while Floral Street is home to clothes shops and Neal Street trendy shoe shops. Old and New Bond Streets, W1, are home to the flagship stores for international designers, such as Prada and Gucci, with nearby Conduit Street providing a home to off-the-wall designers, such as Issey Miyake and Vivien Westwood. Visitors looking for a gift that is representative of London need look no further than the tacky shops and souvenir stalls that line Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and other tourist-attracting areas. Passers-by are assaulted with all manner of kitsch, cute and colourful souvenirs, toys and clothes (mostly sporting a Union Jack or member of the royal family). Harrods, Knightsbridge, SW1, sells more upmarket souvenirs and attracts huge numbers of tourists and locals every year, with its legendary sales and food hall. Another place for typical British food stuffs as gifts is Fortnum and Mason, on Piccadilly, W1, a classic from the early 20th century. The vast market at Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road, NW1, is one of the city’s top attractions, open daily but primarily Saturday and Sunday. Visitors also flock to the antiques and flea market on the Portobello Road, W10, on Friday and Saturday. In the East End, Sunday markets sell everything from fruit and vegetables to jewellery and junk, such as Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane, E1, open 09:00-14:00 and 06:00-13:00 respectively, as well as the Sunday morning flower market at Columbia Road, E2. Antiques are available on Camden Passage, Islington, N1, on Wednesday and Saturday, and Greenwich Market, SE10, on Saturday and Sunday. One of the most wonderful places for shoppers to explore for mainly 20th-century antiques is the massive maze of Alfie’s Antique Market, 13-25 Church Street, NW8, open Tuesday to Saturday. For foodies, Borough Market, SE1, is still the best, open Friday and Saturday, while, Brixton Market, Electric Avenue, SW9, offers the biggest selection of Caribbean food in Europe, open every day except Friday. Standard shopping hours are Monday to Saturday 09:30-18:00, although some shops stay open as late as 20:00. Shops rarely close for lunch and many are now also open 12:00-18:00 on Sunday. Late-night opening (usually until 20:00) is on Thursday in the West End and Wednesday in the Knightsbridge area. ____________ London Sightseeing London Sightseeing Guide - TravelPuppy.com Sightseeing Overview Walking the streets of London, or strolling through its parks, one realises that the past is, however, never far away: there are four world heritage sites in London (the Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwhich and Kew Gardens) and some 40,000 listed buildings and structures. Three of Britain's top 10 paying attractions and six of the top ten free ones can be found in London. The London Eye, since it made its appearance has become the most popular attraction for visitors to the capital. Tourist Information London Tourist Board Tourist Information Centre Victoria station forecourt, SW1 Telephone: (0906) 133 7799 (24-hour general tourist information). Email: enquiries@londontouristboard.co.uk Web site: www.visitlondon.com Opening hours: Mon-Sat 08:00-19:00, Sun 08:00-18:00. There is one other major London Visitor Centre at Waterloo International Terminal, SE1 (open daily 08:30-22:30), as well as various London Tourist Information Centres (TIC) situated throughout the city, including one at Pepys House, 2 Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich, SE10 (open 10:00-17:00) and one at Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, SE1 (telephone: (0)20 7357 9168) Passes The London Pass allows free access for one child or adult to more than 50 attractions (including the London Aquarium, London Zoo, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Buckingham Palace in summer). The ‘with transport’ option also includes free transport on all London buses, Tubes and trains. The price varies depending on whether or not you take the ‘with transport’ option. Key Attractions British Airways London Eye and County Hall Towering 135m or 444ft into the heavens, right in the heart of London, the BA London Eye is an unmissable attraction. The world’s tallest observation wheel has become one of London’s most popular attractions, which usually means a ‘flight’ requires booking in advance and often queuing as well. However, the experience (one revolution of the wheel, lasting approximately 30 minutes) is absolutely worth it – the unparalleled views of the city reach as far away as 40km or 25 miles. Although the London Eye is the focus of the area, sitting right next door and directly across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament, County Hall, the former home of the Greater London Council (abolished by Margaret Thatcher in 1986), comes a close second. The enormous building is home to the London Aquarium, the Dalí Universe and, most recently, The Saatchi Gallery, situated on the first floor above the rabble. Here, Charles Saatchi’s extensive collection of modern British art is displayed, with a permanent exhibition and a changing temporary exhibition. For sharks in tanks, visitors should go to the London Aquarium, home to over 350 different aquatic species from around the world, including a touch area where visitors can stroke the friendly rays. The Dalí Universe meanwhile contains over 500 works of art by the famous surrealist, including the painting, Spellbound, which was created specially for the set of the 1945 Hitchcock thriller, and the sofa in the shape of Mae West’s lips. South Bank, SE1 Transport: London Underground Waterloo, Westminster or Embankment. BA London Eye Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, SE1 Telephone: (0870) 500 0600 (booking line). Web site: www.ba-londoneye.com London Aquarium County Hall, Riverside Building, SE1 Telephone: (020) 7967 8000. Fax: (020) 7967 8029. Email: info@londonaquarium.co.uk Web site: www.londonaquarium.co.uk Dalí Universe County Hall, Riverside Building, SE1 Telephone: (020) 7620 2720 or (0870) 060 2319 (tickets). Fax: (020) 7620 3120. The Saatchi Gallery County Hall, Riverside Building, SE1 Telephone: (020) 7823 2363 or (0870) 1160 278 (advance tickets). Web site: www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk Namco Station County Hall, Riverside Building, SE1 Telephone: (020) 7967 1067. Fax: (020) 7967 1060. Email: countyhall@namco.co.uk Web site: www.namcostation.co.uk Tate Gallery of Modern Art and Bankside Tate Modern Bankside, SE1 Telephone: (020) 7887 8000 or 8008 (recorded information line). Email: boxoffice@tate.org.uk Web site: www.tate.org.uk Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & Exhibition 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1 Telephone: (020) 7902 1400. Web site: www.shakespeares-globe.org Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster contains the Houses of Parliament, part of which is one of the city’s most famous landmarks- Big Ben. Big Ben is actually the name of the huge bell, whose tune is instantly recognisable, while the clock tower itself, which rises above the seat of British government, is called St Stephen’s. The most ancient part of the Palace, Westminster Hall, is 900 years old. After almost total destruction by fire, the rest of the palace was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style, during the 19th century, to designs by Charles Barry. All year round, free tours of the Palace of Westminster are available to UK residents, if they contact their MP who can arrange them. It is no longer possible to provide overseas visitors with small group tours. Parliament Square, SW1 Telephone: (020) 7219 4272. Fax: (020) 7219 5839. Web site: www.parliament.uk Transport: London Underground Westminster. Summer Opening of the Palace of Westminster Telephone: (0870) 906 3773 (Firstcall). Web site: www.firstcalltickets.com Westminster Abbey Across Parliament Square is Westminster Abbey – a magnificent Gothic structure where innumerable members of the British royal family have been christened, married, crowned and interred. Consecrated under Edward the Confessor, in the 11th century, it was rebuilt over the next four centuries in Gothic style. Highlights include Henry VII’s Chapel, Poet’s Corner and the Coronation Chair. Parliament Square, SW1 Telephone: (020) 7654 4900. Fax: (020) 7654 4894. Web site: www.westminster-abbey.org Transport: London Underground Westminster. Trafalgar Square The pedestrianisation links Nelson's Column in the centre with the north side of the square, where one of the world’s greatest galleries, the National Gallery, is to be found. It houses an incredible collection of Western paintings from the 13th to the early 20th century, as well as frequent special exhibitions. Trafalgar Square, WC2 Transport: London Underground Charing Cross or Leicester Square National Gallery Trafalgar Square, WC2 Telephone: (020) 7747 2885. Web site: www.nationalgallery.org.uk National Portrait Gallery 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2 Telephone: (020) 7312 2463 (recorded information) or 7306 0055. Web site: www.npg.org.uk St Martin-in-the-Fields Trafalgar Square, WC2 Telephone: (020) 7766 1100. Web site: www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace, the London home of the Queen, is hugely popular with tourists. They come to the palace, to witness royal pageantry dating back centuries at the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which takes place daily at 11:30 from April to July and on alternate days at other times of the year. There is also the rare chance of seeing inside a royal residence (summer only). The building, by John Nash and Edward Blore, was built around the shell of the older of the older Buckingham House, in the 19th century. The rather drab façade was added in 1913. The 19 State Rooms of the Palace, including the Throne Room and the Picture Gallery, are only open to the public during August and September, when the Queen moves to her Scottish residence. The recently refurbished and expanded Queen's Gallery is open to the public throughout the year. It displays a changing exhibition of selected works from the Royal Collection, which covers five centuries' worth of art collecting and treasures, now held in trust by the Queen for the nation. The 17-hectare or 42-acre garden, long hidden from view, is also now open to visitors touring the palace. Buckingham Palace Road, SW1 Telephone: (020) 7321 2233 or (020) 7766 7300 (credit card booking line). Fax: (020) 7930 9625. Web site: www.royal.gov.uk Transport: London Underground Green Park, Victoria or Hyde Park Corner. Tower Hill The royal fortress on Tower Hill, the Tower of London, was begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 and remained a royal residence until the mid-16th century. Today, it houses the priceless Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries collection. The history of the tower is a catalogue of intrigue and bloodshed – key historical figures, including members of the royal family, were imprisoned, tortured and/or executed here. Tower Hill, EC3 Transport: London Underground Tower Hill or London Bridge. Tower of London Telephone: (0870) 756 6060 (information) or (0870) 756 7070 (tickets). Web site: www.tower-of-london.org.uk Tower Bridge Experience Tower Hill, EC3 Telephone: (020) 7403 3761. Fax: (020) 7357 7935. Web site: www.towerbridge.org.uk Design Museum 28 Shad Thames Telephone: (020) 7940 8790. Web site: www.designmuseum.org St Paul’s Cathedral The dome of St Paul’s Cathedral is the third largest in the world and one of the most distinctive features of the London skyline. The present building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1710, on the site of the original cathedral that was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. On the inside of the dome, the Whispering Gallery, named for its incredible acoustics, offers a close-up of the frescoes of the life of St Paul that decorate the interior of the dome. From there, visitors can climb higher, up to two further galleries, which are outdoors and which offer magnificent views across the whole of London. Paternoster Square, EC4 Telephone: (020) 7246 8348 (information line). Web site: www.stpauls.co.uk Transport: London Underground St Paul’s. British Museum The British Museum, the centrepiece of which is the construction of Lord Foster’s glass-roofed Great Court, is one of the world’s finest museums. Visitors must contend with a mind-boggling six million artefacts from all corners of the globe, plucked (or plundered) by collectors. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, a copy of the Magna Carta and the controversial Parthenon Sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, taken from the Parthenon in Athens, which Greece want back before the 2004 Olympic Games. Great Russell Street, WC1 Telephone: (020) 7323 8299. Web site: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk Transport: London Underground Russell Square. South Kensington Museums The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is one of three major museums in South Kensington – the others being the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Founded in the 19th century as a museum of the decorative arts, the V&A’s 11km (seven miles) of corridors trace a path through paintings, jewellery, furniture and textiles dating from 3000BC to the present day. The Science Museum has been voted London Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2001 and 2002. It offers interactive exhibits on all kinds of scientific topics. The incredible Victorian building that is the Natural History Museum is divided into Earth Galleries and Life Galleries. The Earth Galleries explore our planet, while the Life Galleries explore the creatures that have inhabited it, from the dinosaurs to creepy crawlies. V&A Museum Cromwell Road, SW7 Telephone: (020) 7942 2000 or (0870) 442 0808. Web site: www.vam.ac.uk Science Museum Exhibition Road, SW7 Telephone: (020) 7942 4000 or (0870) 870 4868. Web site: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Natural History Museum Telephone: (020) 7942 5000 or 7942 5011. Web site: www.nhm.ac.uk Tate Britain The Gallery of Modern British Art opened in 1897, around the collection of sugar merchant Henry Tate. It now holds an unrivalled collection of English paintings from 1500 to the present day. Much 20th-century art has moved to the Tate Modern (see above), however, some remains on rotation here, from Gaudier Brzeska to Gilbert and George. Millbank, SW1 Telephone: (020) 7887 8000 or 8008. Web site: www.tate.org.uk Transport: London Underground Pimlico. __________London Sports London Sports Guide - TravelPuppy.com The most famous events in the capital are the London Marathon in April and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, SW19 (telephone: (020) 8944 1066) in June and July. Just outside London, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire (telephone: (01344) 876 876 (tickets) and Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom Downs, Surrey (telephone: (01372) 470 047) host Royal Ascot and The Derby, both held in June. Tickets to major sporting events can be purchased through Ticketmaster UK (telephone: (0870) 534 4444). Athletics Major athletic events take place at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Ledrington Road, SE19 (telephone: (020) 8778 0131). Cricket The home of cricket’s governing body, the Marylebone Cricket Club – MCC (telephone: (020) 7289 1611), founded in 1787, is Lord’s, St John’s Wood Road, NW8 (tel: (020) 7432 1066 (ticket office), which also hosts league, cup and International Test matches. Major athletic events in London take place at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, Ledrington Road, SE19 (telephone: (020) 8778 0131; web site: www.crystalpalace.co.uk). Fitness centers Public fitness centres where it is not necessary for one to be a member include Chelsea Sports Centre, Chelsea Manor Street, SW3 (telephone: (020) 7352 6985), and the massive Oasis Centre, 32 Endell Street, WC2 (telephone: (020) 7831 1804), situated right in the heart of the West End. Football Most Londoners are fanatical about football and the FA Cup Final in May was always held at Wembley Stadium. The FA Cup Final will be held in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff until Wembley re-opens (at the earliest 2006). Support for one of London’s several Premiership football clubs divides the city. Arsenal (telephone: (020) 7704 4000) and Tottenham Hotspur (telephone: (020) 8365 5000) are based in north London and are keen rivals, while Chelsea (telephone: (020) 7385 5545) and Fulham (telephone: (0870) 442 1234) are based in the southwest of the city. West Ham United (telephone: (020) 8548 2748) has a loyal following in the east, while Charlton Athletic (telephone: (020) 8333 4000) represents the Premiership in the southeast of the city. Golf Regent’s Park Golf and Tennis School, Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, NW1 (telephone: (020) 7724 0643), offers professional lessons. The English Golf Union (telephone: (01526) 354 500) have information on many of the capital’s golf courses. Rugby National and international Rugby Union is based at Twickenham. Local clubs include Harlequins, Wasps, Saracens and London Irish . Rugby has been growing in popularity since England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, beating Autralia 20-17 with a breathtaking drop goal by Jonny Wilkinson just 26 seconds from the end of a thrilling final in Sydney. Swimming Seasonal open-air swimming pools include Brockwell Lido, SW9 (telephone: (020) 7274 3088), and Parliament Hill Lido, Hampstead Heath, NW3 (telephone: (020) 7485 5757). The Oasis Centre (see Fitness Centres above) has an indoor as well as an outdoor pool and is open year round. Tennis Outdoor public courts are available at Regent’s Park, NW1 (telephone: (020) 7486 4216), and at Islington Tennis Centre, Market Road, N7 (telephone: (020) 7700 1370), also has indoor courts. _____________ London Tours - Excursions London Tours Guide - TravelPuppy.com Walking tours A variety of guided walks are available from several operators, although the most comprehensive tours are offered by The Original London Walks (telephone: (020) 7624 3978 or 7624 9255 (recorded information). London Mystery Walks (telephone: (020) 8526 7755) also offer ‘Jack the Ripper’ tours, as well as ‘Haunted London’. For self-guided walks, the Silver Jubilee Walkway has been extended from the original 3km (2miles) along the South Bank of the River Thames (between Lambeth and Tower bridges) to include much of the City and the West End. Boat Tours Westminster Pier is the main embarkation point for river trips. From here, there are services east (downstream) or west (upstream). City Cruises (telephone: (020) 7740 0400) operates sightseeing cruises east to Tower Pier. Going west, summer services by WPSA (telephone: (020) 7930 2062 or 4721) depart from Westminster Pier upriver to Kew Gardens, Richmond and Hampton Court. Tickets must be purchased before boarding.. Catamaran Cruises (telephone: (020) 7987 1185) provides multi-lingual cruises from Waterloo, Westminster and Embankment Piers. Bus Tours Various companies offer similar bus tours of London’s sights. Tickets are usually valid for 24 hours and passengers can hop on and off at various attractions en route. The Big Bus Company (telephone: (020) 7233 9533) offers three different 90-minute sightseeing routes with departure points close to many of London’s attractions. Original London Sightseeing Tours (telephone: (020) 8877 1722) also offers various sightseeing bus tours. Other Tours London Duck Tours (telephone: (020) 7928 3132) runs unconventional tours on an amphibious craft, which depart from County Hall and rumble through London’s streets, taking in Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, before plunging into the River Thames for a 30-minute cruise. Excursions for half day Kew Gardens Situated on the western edge of the city, beside the River Thames, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 (telephone: (020) 8940 1171) is a 121-hectare (300-acre) site, first planted in the 17th century and now a horticulturist’s heaven. The glasshouses, including the beautiful Palm House, shelter rare orchids and palms. Hampton Court Palace Just outside London, on the banks of the River Thames, is Hampton Court Palace, East Moseley, Surrey KT8 9AU (telephone: 0870 752 7777), once the residence of Henry VIII. As well as the magnificent State Apartments used by the Tudor court, there are 60 acres of immaculate riverside gardens to explore, and a world-famous maze that will delight children and grown-ups alike. London Wetland Centre London Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes, SW13 (telephone: (020) 8409 4400), is the first wetland environment ever to be created in a capital city. The former 42-hectare (105-acre) disused reservoir has been transformed into an oasis for a multitude of watery wildlife, with the addition of 30 reformed lakes, ponds and marshland. Excursions for a whole day Brighton Known as ‘London on Sea’, Brighton is located 97km or 60 miles from London, on the south coast. Easily and relatively cheaply accessible from Victoria station or King's Cross Thameslink, Britain’s young demographic (including residents of the calibre of Fat Boy Slim), vibrant nightlife, top-class restaurants and relaxed vibe certainly make it the trendy coastal retreat of choice. The Brighton Tourist Information Office, 10 Bartholomew Square (telephone: (0906) 711 2255), can provide more information. Oxford The ‘dreaming spires’ are located 97km or 60 miles northwest of central London. Harbouring one of the oldest universities in Europe, Oxford is not only steeped in history, architecture and traditions but is also a bustling commercial city with good shops and excellent pubs. Trains to Oxford depart from Paddington station, while frequent 24-hour coaches leave from Victoria- the Oxford Express X90 from Victoria Coach Station and the Oxford Tube from Grosvenor Gardens outside Victoria train station. The Oxford Tourist Information Office, The Old School (telephone: (01865) 726 871), can provide more information. |