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London hotels - view of the city skyline

Overview                    Prepare                    Get Around                    Highlights

Think London, and traditional attractions spring to mind. Places like the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and St Paul's are better than ever, but if you know where to look you'll find plenty of less well known spots just around the corner. Also picking the right spot for your stay in London will make for a more relaxing stay, try using our hotel comparison tool to select from a range of  London Hotels based on your price range, duration of stay and star ratings.

London never stands still and new icons are mushrooming up alongside the old...

There are so many sites worth visiting across London that it might be worthwhile focusing on one area. Take the South Bank for example. It's impossible to miss the all seeing London Eye which towers above the river and just below you can visit the silent sharks in the London Aquarium. Stroll along the walkway however and you might catch talented street artists, bookstalls and young lads doing impossible jumps on their stunt bikes. Off to the right lie the funky boutique London Hotels and cafés of Gabriel's Wharf. Further along the river, Shakespeare's reconstructed Globe Theatre is well and truly on the map, but did you know that nearby hides a new theatre tucked away in the converted Menier Chocolate Factory?

Hotels in London - Millenium bridge in London

Hotels in London offer literally hundreds of accommodation options and it is true to say that your budget may well influence the part of London you choose to stay in. Luxury London hotels at the very top of the range can cost thousands of pounds per night. Encouragingly, because the excellent Tube (London Underground) and bus network means that what you see will not be limited by the location in which you stay, you can base your hotel choices upon what you can afford. The west end is the most central area to stay from Covent Garden to Knightsbridge and through to the Oxford Street area.

Many London hotels do tend to have rooms that are much smaller than you would usually expect as hoteliers seek to maximise the number of guests. If cramped quarters are likely to be a problem, investigate room sizes before you book, however remember that you will most likely be out and about exploring the city for much of your stay. Pleasant places to find London hotels include Bloomsbury, which offers plenty of budget options, and Kensington, which has more mid range hotels and good dining options too. There are also good hotels near Paddington Station and near Victoria Station.

Of course, London can be expensive, but for those in the know you can keep the cost down. Instead of dining in pricey restaurants, why not head to Borough Market for a chorizo and rocket sandwich? Or pack a picnic and take the children to one of the many museums with free entrance - visit the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum or the Egyptian mummies at the British Museum, and the only cost will be your travel. Catch a bus instead of a taxi, and you can do your sightseeing from the top deck - did you know that you can check out your bus route online?

If you're planning a little shopping, Oxford and Regent Streets have flagship stores galore - take any teenagers to Topshop or Abercrombie and Fitch and your popularity rating will soar, whereas Knightsbridge and High Street Kensington might be  good places to spoil yourself. Worn out by shopping, you could head for one of London's many green and soothing parks. In Hyde Park, you'll discover the imaginative Princess of Wales playground, whilst in Regent's Park you can visit the new walk-through rainforest at London Zoo. 

London never stands still, and new icons are mushrooming up alongside the old. If you haven't visited for a while, prepare for a few surprises.

Related Links:
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Overview

Overview

Sassy, noisy and brash, Europe’s biggest city is an eccentric collection of villages, obsessed with celebrity, fame and fortune. London’s buildings, art and street culture have thrilled visitors for generations. Now it’s your turn...

See

The cavernous power station of modern art, the Tate Modern sits just across the Thames from Sir Christopher Wren’s domed St Paul’s Cathedral. Big Ben tolls out of tune while London’s posh ferris wheel, the London Eye keeps on turning. Traditional and tomorrow’s culture is what London is all about.

Spend

Find fashion funhouse Top Shop and trendy department store Selfridges on Oxford Street, designer wear on Bond Street, glamour in Knightsbridge and electronics on Tottenham Court Road. Create a vintage look with fashion finds from London’s best street markets – Spitalfields, Camden and Portobello Road in Notting Hill.

Get Out

When the sun shines, relax in London’s parks. The biggest and best are pristine Regent’s Park, where you can row on the lake or take the kids to London Zoo, centrally-located Hyde Park, hilly Hampstead Heath, which is perfect for kite-flying and mingling with the literati, and vast deer-dotted Richmond Park.

Culture

Evening lights up the theatres of the West End, home to long-running mega musicals and top quality drama. Enjoy ballet and great voices at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and dance at Sadler's Wells. The English National Ballet produces spectacular productions at the Royal Albert Hall .

Eat & Drink

The world in one city promises a huge choice of cuisines. Splash out on a top table at J Sheekey or Nobu, or enjoy a traditional pint of beer and Modern British cuisine in gastro pubs around Clerkenwell. Try Lebanese on Edgware Road, Chinese in Soho, Vietnamese around Old Street and Bangladeshi curries on Brick Lane.

New Perspective

Drink bubbly and slurp oysters in the Champagne Bar at the top of Tower 42, in the City. Look through the floor-to-ceiling windows for an aerial view of the whole of London.

Prepare

Prepare

Arm yourself with an empty suitcase to carry home bags of London style. Bring a brolly, an open mind and a comfortable pair of shoes.

London Year

See designer gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon in June, party in the streets at August’s Notting Hill Carnival and enjoy classical music at The Proms in the Royal Albert Hall from July to September. As the winter draws in, temporary ice-skating rinks pop up all over London. Try the ones at Hampstead Heath, Kew or Somerset House.

Public Holidays

New Year's Day, Good Friday (Mar/Apr), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), Early May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday (May), Summer Bank Holiday (August), Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec).

Weather

The months between November and February are the rainiest, but the temperature rarely dips below freezing even in January. April is known for its showers, while the summer months - May to August - are warm (16°C – 25°C). Unless London is experiencing a heatwave, there's no need for air-conditioned hotel rooms.

Electricity

240V AC, 50 Hz, three-pin plugs are standard.

Dialling Code

+44 (national), (0) 20 + 8-figure number (London).

Money

Pound sterling (£) is the currency.

GMT

GMT precisely (+1 in British summertime)

London Tourist Info

Visit London website

Fit In

It's hard to raise eyebrows in fashion-savvy London. Mingle in Kensington wearing a twin set and pearls or push the boundaries of taste with extreme fashion in Shoreditch. Accessorise all with a matching attitude.

Get Around

Get Around

Split in two by the snaking River Thames, London is a monster-sized metropolis. Explore its villages, each with its own flavour.

Most attractions cluster in the centre and the city's extensive public transport network makes getting around easy even for first-timers.

In the centre, find buzzing Soho, political Westminster, moneyed Mayfair, cultural Covent Garden and The City’s financial district. Travel west to affluent Kensington, Knightsbridge and Notting Hill, and east to arty Hoxton. Head north for green Hampstead and south for Brixton’s edgy nightlife.

Tube

London's underground network, or 'Tube', is often the quickest way to get around. Zones 1 and 2 cover Central London, while the suburbs stretch to zone 6. Travel outside of rush hour for cheaper fares and to avoid the crowds.

Taxi

Catch London’s black cabs at major stations or hail one from the street (an orange light shows it’s available for hire). Drivers have to pass "The Knowledge" exam and know every street in London. They also seem to think they know everything else - chat to them about any subject under the sun.

Bus

London’s red double-deckers and newer, 'bendy' buses are cheaper and often less crowded than the Tube. They may not be the quickest way to travel during rush hour, but top decks offer great views. Some run for 24 hours. There are two Heritage routes serviced by the iconic 1960s-style Routemaster buses – the 15 runs from Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill, the 9 from the Royal Albert Hall to Aldwych.

Foot

Walking is often the quickest way to get about for short trips, as well as being a great way to discover the unexpected. Wander along the pedestrianised South Bank for classic London views of the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and Tate Modern.

Boat

Relax. See London float by on a river bus. Popular routes include Westminster to Kew, Hampton Court, Waterloo and Greenwich.

Transport Tips

A Day Travelcard gives unlimited travel in Central London and savings on single fares. If you are here for longer, invest in an Oyster Card, available from any tube station and valid on the bus and tube network (pre-paid or pay as you go) and some overland trains. Driving in London is tricky for visitors - parking meters are hard to find and the Congestion Charge kicks in as you enter Central London.

London Transport Links

Transport for London website

London Journey Planner wesbite

Highlights

Highlights

London looks huge as you gracefully climb the sky in your London Eye pod but many of the best attractions cluster in the centre.

Head for South Kensington's cultural mile, home to dinosaur fossils at the Natural History Museum, technical wizardry at the Science Museum and samurai swords and centuries of style at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Along the silver Thames, you can find the Tate Modern and the turreted Tower of London. You can spend a whole day with the Elgin marbles, mummies and ancient treasures of the British Museum (near café-lined Covent Garden) or pick your favourite Old Master at the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square.

Sightseeing Tips

Permanent collections at the major museums are free – from the stylish Victoria & Albert Museum to the British Museum and National Gallery. Many museums open late on some nights, including the British Museum, Tate Modern and the National Gallery. Check their opening hours if you're a night owl.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.



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