WE LCOM E TOLON DON

WI NTE R 2011/12I N F OR MATI ON TO START YOU R VI S IT

IncludesTube +

Bus maps

London has a huge variety of attractions. Historical or contemporary, paidfor or free, there is something to suit all tastes and budgets. Here are thetop ten visitor attractions (according to visitor numbers in 2010).* Indicates free entry to permanent exhibitions

1. British Museum*A fascinating range of objects from around the world from prehistoric tomodern times.

2. Tate Modern*Britain’s national museum of modern art in an iconic former power station.

3. National Gallery*One of the world’s greatest collections of European paintings from 1250 to 1900.

4. Natural History Museum*As well as the infamous dinosaurs, the museum has a collectionof the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world.

5. EDF Energy London EyeThe world’s highest observation wheel with spectacular views.

6. Science Museum*Over 40 galleries and 2,000 hands-on exhibits.

7. Victoria and Albert Museum*Celebrating art and design with collections on ceramics, furniture,fashion, sculpture and much more.

8. Madame TussaudsMeet famous faces from the worlds of showbiz, sport, politics and royalty.

9. National Maritime Museum/Royal Observatory*Discover seafaring and stargazing in Greenwich

10. Tower of LondonMore than 900 years of history andthe Crown Jewels.

1Top10 Attractions

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Seevisitlondon.comto book ticketsand foritinerariesaround London

British Museum Tate Modern

Top 10 AttractionsVisitor InformationGetting AroundLondon’s RegionsTube and Rail MapBus RoutesUseful Tips

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As Mayor of London I am delighted to welcomeyou to London – the best big city on earth.

This booklet has been designed to help first timevisitors get started in London with useful tips formaking the most of your trip and practical adviceon getting around town.

With unique heritage, fantastic culture and iconicattractions, there is always something to see and do whether you arehere for a day, a week or longer.

For more in-depth information look out for other free guideswhile you are here including London Planner which is available inTourist Information Centres. Or check out the many other specialistguides to London that you will find in bookshops across the capital.

London is always packed with events, festivals, activities, exhibitionsand entertainment. For inspiration and the latest tips, includinginformation on bars, restaurants, shops, attractions and more, goto London’s official website visitlondon.com

I wish you an enjoyable stay in our city.Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

Visitor information is also available by calling 0870 1 566366 (in the UK).This service is operated by London & Partners, London’s officialpromotional organisation.

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2Visitor Information 3Getting AroundTravel InformationCentres

Euston Railway StationOpposite platform 10Open: Mon-Fri 08.15-20.15Sat, Sun & Public Holidays08.15-19.15

Heathrow AirportHeathrow Terminals 1,2,3 Tube StationOpen: Daily 07.15-20.15

King’s Cross Tube StationWestern Ticket Hall nearSt. PancrasOpen: Mon-Sat 07.15-20.15Sun & Public Holidays08.15-19.15

Liverpool Street Tube StationOpen: Mon-Sat 08.15-20.15Sun & Public Holidays 08.15-19.15

Piccadilly Circus Tube StationOpen: Daily 09.15-19.00

Victoria Railway StationOpposite platform 8Open: Mon-Sat 07.15-20.15Sun & Public Holidays08.15-19.15

On street informationYou may also meet one of the city's300 London Ambassadors on thestreets who will be happy to provideyou with on-the-spot information.

Tourist & TravelInformation CentresWe know that face-to-face contactis always valued, especially whenyou are in a new city, so you will finda welcoming face, inspiring ideas,and tickets to many attractions atTourist and Travel InformationCentres. Travel Centres also selltickets for travel. The nearest Tube,DLR or National Rail station is shown.

Tourist InformationCentres (TICs)City of London TICSt Paul’s Churchyard,London EC4M 8BX

St. Paul’s/Mansion HouseOpen: Mon-Sat 09.30-17.30Sun 10.00-16.00

Greenwich TICPepys House,2 Cutty Sark Gardens,London SE10 9LWDLR Cutty Sark

DLR GreenwichOpen: Daily 10.00-17.00

Holborn Visitor Information KioskKingsway, London WC2B 6BG

HolbornOpen: Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00Sat & Sun closed

Richmond TICOld Town Hall, Whittaker Avenue,Richmond TW9 1TP

RichmondOpen: Mon-Sat 10.00-17.00Sun closed

Additional TICS in Bexley, Harrow,Lewisham, Swanley, Twickenham;see visitlondon.com/welcome

For all the information you needto plan your trip, go totfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner, whichprovides the tools to easily plan yourjourney on public transport in advance,and is available in 19 languages.You can also telephone+44 (0)843 222 1234* (24 hours)Alternatively visit one of the TravelInformation Centres or any Tube Station.*You pay no more than 5p per minute if callingfrom a BT landline. There may be a connectioncharge. Charges from mobiles or other landlineproviders may vary.

London UndergroundThere are 11 colour-codedUnderground or ‘Tube’ lines. Servicesrun regularly from around 05.00 to00.30 (Sun 07.30 to 23.30) on mostroutes. The network is divided intonine zones, with Zone 1 being themost central area. See page 8 forthe Tube and Rail Map.

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TICKETS TO TRAVEL

London BusesBuses generally run from 05.00to 00.30. Night Buses operate onmany major routes from aroundmidnight to 05.00, and someroutes operate a 24-hour service.Cash fares are not available for buspassengers in Zone 1, thereforepassengers must obtain a validticket or Oyster card before boarding.Some routes are especially good forsightseeing including routes 9 and15 which use heritage Routemasterbuses during the day.

Oyster cardsThe Oyster card is London’s travel smartcard and is generally the easiest andcheapest way to pay to travel around London whether you are using Tube, bus, tram,DLR, London Overground or National Rail services.

Ticket TypesOyster can store season tickets (Travelcards) as well as credit for single journeys(pay as you go), and your card is fully re-usable. When your Travelcard expires oryour pay as you go credit is getting low, you can add another Travelcard or add morecredit at over 3,900 Oyster retailers, at station touchscreen ticket machines and atTravel Information Centres in London. With pay as you go, you can travel as manytimes as you like in a day and the daily price cap means that you will never pay morethan the price of an equivalent One Day Travelcard.

Where to BuyYou can save time by purchasing an Oyster card before you arrive in London attfl.gov.uk/visitorshop or get one when you arrive from Tube or selected NationalRail stations.

Using your OysterTo ensure you pay the correct fare on Tube, DLR, London Overground and NationalRail services you must always touch in on the yellow card reader at the start of yourjourney and touch out at the end. On buses and trams you only need to touch in at thestart of your journey.

For further information about Oyster including fares, travelling with children and usingOyster on River Services and National Rail, go to tfl.gov.uk/oyster

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TaxiHail one of London’s famousblack cabs (some are multicoloured!)when the yellow ‘Taxi’ sign is lit.Please note fares increase after20.00. Private hire or minicabs mustbe booked in advance. We adviseyou against getting into any vehiclethat approaches you in the streetpurporting to be a minicab. Seetfl.gov.uk/findaride for details oflocal licensed minicabs, or useCabwise - text CAB to 60835 toget one taxi and two local licensedminicab numbers sent to your mobilephone (cost may vary dependingon your mobile provider). Overseasnetworks can access this service bytexting the street name and partialpostcode eg Victoria St SW1 to+44 (0)7797 800 000. Texts willbe charged at your standardroaming rate per enquiry.

DocklandsLight RailwayDocklands Light Railway (DLR)runs from 05.30-00.30 Monday toSaturday and 06.30-23.30 on Sunday.There are trains every 4-10 minutesrunning on routes from Bank andTower Gateway to Docklands, Eastand South East London. Take the DLRto visit Canary Wharf, Cutty Sark forMaritime Greenwich, ExCeL Londonor London City Airport.

River ServicesTravelling on the river can be arelaxing way to travel whilst taking inthe sights, and Oyster cards can nowbe used on ThamesClippers services.Go to tfl.gov.uk/river or pick upthe River Services leaflet fromTube stations.

CyclingFor general information on cycling inLondon visit tfl.gov.uk/cyclingBarclays Cycle Hire is a public bicyclesharing scheme in central London.There are 400 docking stations and6,000 bicycles for hire.For further information go totfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire

WalkingWalking in London is a great wayto get around. For more informationon walking routes visittfl.gov.uk/walking

National Rail andLondon OvergroundThere are 13 National Rail terminiin London for connections to allparts of the UK, plus Eurostarservices from St. Pancras International.For further information go tonationalrail.co.uk or call08457 484950 (UK only) or+44 (0)20 7278 5240. For servicesto London destinations outsidethe central area, including LondonOverground services, visit tfl.gov.uk

TOP 5 TRAVEL TIPS

Walking can often be quicker in central London than taking the Tube between two adjacentstops. For example, the walk between Leicester Square andCovent Garden is just a few minutes.

Always check before you travel at weekends when planned engineering works take place.

As in any city, If walking late atnight, try to keep to brightly litareas with other people nearbyand be aware of your surround-ings – listening to music orusing a phone can be distractingand dangerous.

CoachesLondon’s main coach services use Victoria Coach Station, SW1+44 (0)20 7730 3466tfl.gov.uk/coaches

Operators include:National Express +44 (0)871 818 181nationalexpress.com

Green Line Coaches+44 (0)844 801 7261greenline.co.uk

Megabus +44 (0)9001 600 900megabus.com

4London’s Regions

Central LondonLondon’s heart is made up of many districts from the iconic City of Westminster to the City of London, the main financial area ofthe capital. This central area has adense concentration of landmarks,theatres, museums, nightspots andfamous shopping areas like CoventGarden, Carnaby Street and Oxford Street.

North LondonOver 120 languages are spoken inthis multicultural and vibrant region,which is steeped in history andrenowned for its culture. Areas of interest include Hampstead Heathand Primrose Hill with their hugegreen spaces, fabulous views andvillage feel, characterful Camdenwith its eclectic market and livemusic scene, and Green Lanes,where you can enjoy Turkish, Greek and Kurdish food.

South LondonThe South is appreciated for its array of open spaces such as Clapham Common, the World Heritage Site at Greenwich and

riverside Richmond. It’s popular forsporting attractions such as theWimbledon Lawn Tennis Museumand cricket at The Kia Oval. It offerswonderful opportunities to escapefrom the hustle and bustle, from thevillage atmosphere of Barnes to historicstately homes and palaces such asHam House and Hampton Court.

East LondonThe East now claims its place in the limelight and is set to play a huge part in the London 2012Olympic Games and ParalympicGames. The area is home to aunique arts scene and popular markets like Spitalfields, while thenightlife here in Hoxton and Shoreditch rivals that of the WestEnd. Further east, Lee Valley Regional Park is one of London’s biggest open space.

West LondonWest London is remarkable for itsleafy squares, fascinating museumsand vibrant street markets. Here youwill find upmarket Kensington andChelsea, the peaceful streets andcanals of Maida Vale, Hammersmith,which is home to some great riversidepubs, and the vibrant, multiculturalcommunities of Shepherd’s Bushand Southall.

London buzzes night and day with an unforgettable energy, andeach area of the city has its owndistinct atmosphere. Here is a quick introduction to the points of our compass:

Richmond

LOCAL TIP

“Research the several different ways to get into town from London’s airports,there are lots of different options soyou’re sure to find something to suit,whether you’re on a budget or just need to get there swiftly” Chris, from Wimbledonvisitlondon.com/travel/airport

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Use the Tube outside the morning and afternoon rushhours to avoid crowded trainsand platforms. Or perhaps takeadvantage of the River Services!

Always stand on the right and walk on the left onescalators at stations.

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5 Tube and Rail Map

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Regent Street

PiccadillyCircus

OxfordStreet

WardourStreet

Victoria StreetNew Scotland Yard WestminsterVictoria

Belgrave Road

Pimlico Grosvenor Road

VictoriaCoach Station

Sloane Square

Waterloo

Elephant & Castle

Kennington Road

to Streatham

FleetStreet

toCamberwell

Walworth RoadCuming Museum and Library

Aldwych

Berkeley SquareKingsway

Templeof Mithras

Ludgate Circusfor City Thameslink

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Mansion House

MonumentTower

Hill

Green Park

BondStreet

MarbleArch

LancasterGate

Queensway

Notting HillGate

Edgware Road

KnightsbridgeRoyal

Albert Hall

toHammersmith

Paddington

Ladbroke Grove

Westbourne Park

to Golders Green

Baker Street andGloucester Place

to West Hampstead

Lord’s CricketGround

Lisson Grove

Hyde ParkCorner

LeicesterSquare

RussellSquare

to Hampstead Heath

Goodge Streetand Gower Street

Warren Streetand Euston Square

EustonKing’sCross

Islington AngelMorningtonCrescent

Camden Town

Holborn ChanceryLane

Holborn Viaductfor City Thameslink

Bank

York WayAgar Grove

to Seven Sisters

Essex Road

Liverpool Street

to Bow

to Blackwall

TottenhamCourt Road/

CambridgeCircus

to NorthGreenwich

ShoreditchHigh Street

Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury’s

Westminster

Festival

St. JohnStreet

Moorgate

toFriernBarnet

CamdenRoad

CaledonianRoad

ShaftesburyAvenue

The Zoo

Trafalgar Squarefor Charing Cross

ChelseaKing’s Road

to Fulham Broadway

to Putney Heath

SouthKensington

to Putney

Park Lane

WestminsterCathedral

UpperGround

Tower Gateway

Tate Modern

London BridgeBlackfriars

Bankside

Tower

LondonBridge City

Great Portland Street

Marylebone

toDeptford

Tower BridgeRoad

to Archway

to ClaptonPond

Embankment

PaddingtonBasin

St. PancrasInternational

Old Street

London Eye

St.Katharine’s

to Streatham Hill

Albany Streetfor The Zoo

to ParliamentHill Fields

toWhiteCity

to IlfordAldgate

Conduit Street

Abbey Road

High StreetKensington

Bricklayer’s Arms

BermondseyMarket

OxfordCircus

Routes , and alsoserve Tottenham Court Roadstation westbound only

Bloomsbury Way

24

139

390

23

73

8

274

910

188 2311

11

453

14

139

74

14

74

274

RV1

RV1

139 13

24

10

4373

8

15

188

148159 453

390

38

38

43

59

59

C2

C2

148 2525

10 73 39015

159

HorseGuards

AdmiraltyArch

Eros

ImperialWar Museum

RoyalFestival Hall

Nelson’sColumn

Harrods

AlbertMemorial

RoyalMews Buckingham

Palace

LondonZoo

Madame Tussaud’s

Royal NationalTheatre

WestminsterAbbey

Houses ofParliament

BritishMuseum

Sadler’s WellsTheatre

TelecomTower

St. Paul’sCathedral

Royal Courts of Justice

TowerBridgeHMS Belfast

Tower ofLondon

Cleopatra’s Needle

St. James’sPalace

WellingtonArch

RoyalAcademy

NationalGallery

Victoria &Albert Museum

ScienceMuseum

NaturalHistory

Museum

BarbicanCentre

MarbleArch

CoventGarden

London Eye

GlobeTheatre

River Tham

es

Camden LockMarket

LondonCanal Museum

Pollock’sToy Museum

Museumof London

TateModern

SherlockHolmesMuseum

CharlesDickens

Museum

Covent GardenMarket

LondonTransportMuseum

SaatchiGallery

GreenPark

St. James’sPark

HydePark

Regent’s Park

KensingtonGardens

Route 8Route 9Route 10Route 11Route 13Route 14Route 15Route 23Route 24Route 25Route 38Route 43Route 59Route 73Route 74Route 139Route 148Route 159Route 188Route 274Route 390Route 453Route C2Route RV1

London Underground interchange

London Overground interchange

National Rail interchange

Docklands Light Railwayinterchange

London River Services pier

London TravelInformation Centre

Key

Key bus routes in central London

© Transport for London TFL18590.07.10

6 Bus Routes

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Green Tourism forLondon scheme

If you want to tryand make yourtrip to London aneco-friendly one,look out for theofficial GreenTourism forLondon logo when

booking your accommodation andchoosing attractions to visit. Seevisitlondon.com/green for a fulllist of hotels and attractions thathave achieved the award, and ahost of other tips on how tomakeyour trip to London environmentally-friendly.

7Useful TipsTo help you book Londonaccommodation with confidencein the standard of service andcomfort you can expect to receive,look out for a quality rating logo.When accommodation displaysone of the logos, it means aQuality Assessor has visited andgiven it an independent andtrustworthy assessment.

Official Star Ratings

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MoneyThe unit of currency in Britainis the pound sterling (£), and allLondon areas are served by ATMs,which accept Visa, MasterCard,Cirrus or Maestro cards. If youhave travellers cheques, these canbe exchanged at banks, bureaux dechange, hotels and post offices;there are a wide range across town.

Lost propertyLost property left on publictransport, including taxis, is dealtwith at the Transport for London(TfL) Lost Property office at200 Baker Street.+44 (0)845 330 9882

Opening hoursShops are generally open Mondaysto Saturdays, from 10.00-18.00,although some central stores stayopen until 20.00-21.00 and laterstill on Thursdays. On Sundays manyshops open from midday to 16.00.Visitor attractions and museumstypically open daily from 10.00-18.00,although most close for a couple ofdays during the Christmas holidays.

Regent’s Park

TippingIf you’ve received good service,whether in a restaurant, café orhotel, it is quite normal to leave atip of 10% of the total bill.

MapsA wide variety of maps are availablefrom TICs and all bookstores.See visitlondon.com/maps or tryout the interactive maps online atvisitlondon.com/explorer

Post and emailStamps can be bought at PostOffices or newsagents. Postcardsto Europe within the UK cost from68p or 76p to the rest of the world.Many hotels have internet accessand there are internet cafésthroughout the city.

LLOOCCAALL TTIIPP

“Many of London's big museums are free, so it won't cost you a penny tosee all that they have to offer” Katherina, from Wembleyvisitlondon.com/value

Stars are awarded following annualassessments by trained, impartialassessors. Annual visits are madeand, in the case of hotels and guestaccommodation, this involves a‘mystery shop’ overnight stay at leastevery other year to thoroughly checkout the service, hospitality, food andcleanliness, as well as the standardand comfort of the accommodation.All participating establishments areawarded between one and five stars.The more stars, the higher the qualityand range of services and facilitiesprovided. For full details of criteria,please refer to enjoyengland.com

Travellers with access needsAccess for disabled visitors in Londonhas greatly improved in recent years.All of London’s 8,000 buses (exceptheritage Routemasters) are low-floor,wheelchair accessible vehicles. Fordetails of hotels with accessible facilities, maps showing step freeroutes around the city, and informationon accessible Tube stations andblack cabs, go tovisitlondon.com/access

Walk this wayLook out for Legible London signs throughout central Londonwhich feature maps and informationfor pedestrians. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to walk between many London landmarks.

Italy T: +44 (0)20 7312 2200

NetherlandsT: +44 (0)20 7590 3200

New ZealandT: +44 (0)20 7930 8422

PolandT: +44 (0)20 7580 4324

SpainT: +44 (0)20 7589 8989

SwedenT: +44 (0)20 7917 6400

USAT: +44 (0)20 7499 9000

AustraliaT: +44 (0)20 7379 4334

CanadaT: +44 (0)20 7258 6600

ChinaT: +44 (0)20 7299 4049

FranceT: +44 (0)20 7073 1000

GermanyT: +44 (0)20 7824 1300

IndiaT: +44 (0)20 7836 8484

IrelandT: +44 (0)20 7235 2171

Embassies and Consulates

Legible London sign

LLOOCCAALL TTIIPP

“London has more parks and green space than most major capital cities – great for relaxing away from the busy streets” Hannah, from Notting Hillvisitlondon.com/outdoors

GOING GREEN

The most environmentally-friendlyway of getting around the city is onfoot or by bike. Walking is one of thebest ways of getting a feel for the city and most major landmarks arewithin easy reach of each other. It’s also a great idea to offset thecarbon emissions generated by anyflights here. For walking and cyclingtours and more tips on how to be agreen traveller, check out visitlondon.com/green Also be sure to recycle this guide,either literally or by passing it on toanother traveller for their trip.

Medical helpNHS DirectT: 0845 4647(24-hour advice within UK)nhsdirect.nhs.ukAmbulance 999 or 112 (24 hours)

For minor ailments, pharmacists candispense certain drugs. The largestchain is Boots, see boots.comfor locations. To find a 24-hour pharmacy see nhs.uk

ToiletsPublic toilets are provided at coach and mainline rail stations.Most charge 30p, and there arefacilities for people with disabilitiesand for those with babies.‘Superloos’ are also available across London.

Public holidaysYou can expect to find most businesses closed on thesepublic holidays, but some shops,bars and restaurants will remainopen as usual or operate to their Sunday hours. On 25 December,most shops will shut.

2011/1225–27 December2 January

Telephones+44 is the international dialling code for the UK. Public telephonestake coins, telephone cards(available in newsagents, post offices and bureaux de change) orcredit cards. The minimum cost for a call is 60p. The operator is on 100(calls within UK and Eire) or 155(calls abroad or to a ship).

Drinking age restrictionsThe legal age for buying alcohol in the UK is 18 years old, althoughsome bars and restaurants will onlyserve customers over the age of 21.If you are lucky enough to lookunder 21 it is a good idea to carrysome identification with you.

SmokingSmoking is banned in all enclosedpublic places, including publictransport, restaurants, bars and clubs.

Emergency services999 or 112 (24 hours) for

ambulance, fire or police services.

LLOOCCAALL TTIIPP

London Eye

Notting Hill

“Walk! Taking the Tube can be addictive, but by walking around you’ll gain a different appreciationfor the city, and often it’s muchquicker too. For starters try wandering around KensingtonMews, Soho, and the old City”Stefan, from Hoxton

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