London

Introduction

London sits in Southwestern Ontario along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor, positioned at the confluence of the Thames River and the North Thames River. It lies roughly 200 kilometres from both Toronto and Detroit, and about 230 kilometres from Buffalo, making it a natural stop for travellers moving through the region.

The city is politically separate from Middlesex County, though it remains the county seat. That mix of independence and administrative centrality shapes its role in the surrounding area.

Before you go

London is a two-centre city, and understanding that split will shape how you plan your trip. The commercial City of London grew up around its medieval walls, the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge, while Westminster, roughly an hour away on foot or by boat, became the government capital with Westminster Abbey and the royal palaces. The road linking the two is the Strand. London then spread west onto prime farming land such as Covent Garden and Soho, and east onto flat, marshy ground suited to cheap housing, industry and later docks. Because the prevailing wind and the Thames both run west to east, the West End became up-market and the East End became the working city, with the area between the two centres known as the West End today.

Pack for changeable weather rather than a single season. Rain falls on roughly one day in three, though often only briefly, and dry spells of several weeks do happen. Winters are mild by continental standards but daylight is very short, with darkness falling in mid-afternoon in December and sunrise not until after 8AM at the end of the month; snow is uncommon but, when it comes, it disrupts trains, airports and post, and streets stay slick until the sun clears them. Spring swings widely in temperature and can be wet, and early March can feel as cold as winter. Summer brings the longest days, mild to warm temperatures, occasional muggy spells and, at times, Saharan dust blowing across Europe that raises pollution. Autumn is often the wettest and windiest season, though September can still feel like summer and is a good time for the parks as the leaves turn.

Getting there

London is served by six airports, and all of them have direct public transport connections to the city centre. The quickest option is usually by train, tube or coach. Heathrow is the main airport, Gatwick is the second-busiest and has two terminals, while Stansted handles short-haul flights from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Luton sits around 30 miles from London, with onward travel by shuttle train to Luton Airport Parkway and then a train to London St Pancras, or by bus to London Victoria. London City lies in east London near Canary Wharf and is reached by Docklands Light Rail, local buses, taxi or minicab, and plane tickets there tend to be more expensive than at other airports. Southend has flights from a few European destinations, but journeys into central London can take more than an hour. If you must catch a connecting flight from a different airport, leave plenty of time, as crossing London can be time-consuming and may involve two or more trains.

By train, London is a major destination on the British rail network, with every major city having a regular connection to the capital. National Rail is the umbrella brand for the network, though it does not include London Underground, Tramlink or DLR. You can buy tickets at ticket offices, from individual train companies or online through National Rail Enquiries, Trainline or Trainsplit, which can find cheaper fares by splitting your route into portions. From destinations within London's sphere of influence you may be able to "touch in, touch out" with an Oyster or contactless payment card on the yellow readers at ticket gates or station entrances. Eurostar runs direct into London St Pancras International from Lille-Europe, Paris Nord, Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid, Rotterdam Centraal and Amsterdam Centraal, passing beneath the English Channel in a tunnel between Calais and Folkestone. Book in advance for the cheapest fares, and note that Interrail ticket holders need to book a seat at an additional cost. Passengers with standard or standard premier tickets should arrive around 90 minutes before departure, and you will need a passport for cross-channel travel, with luggage checked at the station before boarding; gates close 30 minutes before departure. St Pancras is close to Camden Town, known for its markets, pubs and music scene, and Bloomsbury, home to the British Museum, several universities, and independent bookshops and cafés.

Getting around

London's public transport is run by Transport for London (TfL), and the different modes connect into one network with a single ticketing system, so you can switch between them on one ticket. The quickest way to cover distance is the Tube, the world's oldest rapid transit system, with lines concentrated in the centre and serving the northern suburbs far more heavily than the south. The Docklands Light Railway is an automatic metro linking the City with the Docklands and East London, while the Overground and the Elizabeth Line are commuter rail services running between the centre and the suburbs. National Rail covers the southern suburbs with a complex network of privately run services, though operators accept Oyster payments within Greater London. Trams run only in the southern suburbs around Croydon, Wimbledon and Bromley, charging the same fares as buses.

For sightseeing, the red double-decker buses are usually the best option, since you see the city rather than travelling underneath it. In central London, walking between Tube stations often takes around ten minutes and is more scenic than going underground, but the street layout can be confusing, so carry a street map or use a map app. You can also travel by boat along the Thames, on commuter ferries or pleasure cruises, though special fares apply on some services, so check before you travel. Hire bicycles, known locally as "Boris Bikes", are available for pick-up in inner London and require a credit or debit card with a PIN.

You must hold a valid ticket at all times on buses, trams and trains, and you should buy your ticket before boarding a train. Contactless debit or credit cards are charged the same fares as an Oyster card and are the simplest option for most travellers; paper tickets cost significantly more. If you use Oyster or contactless, touch in and out on the yellow readers at the start and end of every Tube or train journey, even where there are no barriers or they are left open, or you will be charged a maximum fare. At stations with pink route validators, touch your card on the pink reader when changing trains so the system charges the correct fare. Oyster is valid on red buses and almost all trains in London, but not on services beyond the mapped stations, including the western end of the Elizabeth Line between Iver and Reading, nor on long-distance coaches, tour buses or charter buses. Public transport shuts down early on Christmas Eve and all day on Christmas Day.

Where to stay

Most visitors stay within Zone 1 of the underground, but staying further out near an Underground or railway station can save money, with the extra travel cost usually insignificant compared to the savings. Allow roughly a minute or two per Tube stop near the centre and longer further out, plus time for line changes and walking at each end. The West End is the most expensive area, dominated by four- and five-star hotels at a hefty premium. The City and Canary Wharf are expensive during the week but often drop dramatically at weekends when business travel dries up, though much of the City becomes a ghost town then, with few bars and restaurants open away from the main attractions. Better-value central options include Bloomsbury, with a wide range of accommodation, small B&Bs in historic houses on Cartwright Gardens and budget options on Argyle Square, though it gets seedier towards King's Cross; Earl's Court and West Kensington, with budget and modest accommodation plus good four-star hotels, though the cheapest places can be very seedy; Paddington and Bayswater, with good hotels near the station and mid-range options further south in Bayswater; and Westminster, with small B&Bs around the back of Victoria station in the Pimlico area. Hotels also cluster near transport hubs such as Stratford, Greenwich, Ealing Broadway, Wimbledon and East Croydon, and you could base yourself in a nearby town with quick train links, such as Brighton an hour away, where your budget goes much further.

• Hostels are the most cost-effective option, often with breakfast and self-catering kitchens; independent hostels are listed in the relevant district articles.
• In summer, many Central London colleges and universities open their student halls as basic accommodation at low rates, with communal bathrooms and no catering but more privacy than a hostel.
• Apartment-hotels suit groups, often better quality than many hotels at a cheaper rate per person; capsule-style crash spaces exist but only centrally.
• Short-term flat rentals suit large groups and families, but deal only with agencies recommended by independent sources you trust and that accept credit card confirmations.
• Serviced apartments, a hybrid of hotel and apartment with cleaning and desk services, work for stays longer than two weeks.
• Homestays range from home-swapping and temporarily vacated rooms to high-end versions with full hotel services; take precautions to safeguard valuables.

Food & drink

Finding the right place to eat in London is a challenge largely because there are thousands of venues to choose from, ranging from fast food joints and pubs to some of the most exclusive restaurants in the world. The city is one of the most multicultural anywhere, so you can find virtually every cuisine from around the world if you look hard enough, and there is something to accommodate all budgets and tastes. Be wary of inflated prices at venues closest to major tourist attractions: the steak houses dotted around the West End and near the main train stations are considered by many Londoners to be the worst tourist traps, and the streets around the British Museum, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus are notorious for inflated menu prices. Even the major fast food chains charge a premium in their West End outlets. Pubs in touristy areas are usually a poor choice for food, though brilliant gastro-pubs exist; as a rule, avoid pubs with graphic-designed printed menus, and if the menu is available in multiple languages, start running.

Head to the suburbs and the cost of eating out drops drastically, particularly in large ethnic communities where competition benefits you. In East London, chicken shops are plentiful and Brick Lane is home to London's version of the beigel, with Brick Lane Beigel Bake and Britain's First & Best Beigel Shop among the sole remnants of the neighbourhood's once-thriving Jewish community; both are known for salt beef. For authentic Cockney food, try pie and mash — minced beef and cold water pastry pie with mashed potato, mushy peas and "liquor" gravy — at places like M. Manze in Peckham or F. Cooke in Hackney Broadway Market. Water Souchet and London Particular are classic Cockney soups, though hard to find, and jellied eels, pickled cockles and whelks are traditional London seafood. Borough Market on the South Bank offers wholesale produce plus stalls selling small bites and drinks, including Kappacasein Dairy's popular grilled cheese stand. Fish and chips is widely available, but the best-rated shops are generally in the suburbs away from central London's tourist fare, and Burger & Lobster is an excellent choice for gourmet burgers. Tipping differs from what you may be used to: all meals include 20% VAT and some places add a 10–12% service fee, so leave a tip for table service only unless a service charge is already added or the service has been notably poor, generally around 10%. Tipping for counter service is unusual.

Certain areas cluster particular cuisines. Brick Lane in the East End is famous for Bangladeshi curries; Brixton for African and Caribbean; Chinatown just off Leicester Square for Chinese; Edgware Road in Marylebone and Paddington for Middle Eastern; Drummond Street behind Euston for mostly Indian vegetarian restaurants; Finsbury Park and Green Lanes for Greek, Turkish and Cypriot; Golders Green for Jewish fare; Kingsland Road for cheap Vietnamese; Tooting, East Ham, Wembley and Southall for authentic, cheap Indian eateries including South Indian tiffin items like hot pongal, dosas and idlis; Bayswater for Chinese, including the famous Four Seasons roast duck; and Lambeth between the South Bank and Brixton for Portuguese, Brazilian and diverse Latin American restaurants. Indian food is especially famous, and there is hardly a district without at least one notable Indian restaurant, while Royal China is an excellent option for high-end Cantonese dim sum. For restaurant streets where most diners are Londoners rather than tourists, try Clapham Junction's Lavender Hill and Battersea Rise; Drummond Street in Euston; High Street Croydon; King Street extending onto Chiswick High Road from Hammersmith; Lordship Lane in East Dulwich; Upper Street in Islington; and Wardour Street in Soho. These are best visited in the evenings. Sandwich shops are the most popular places to buy lunch, including the ubiquitous Pret a Manger, and some Italian-style sandwich shops can be identified by the long queues at lunchtime.

What to see and do

London is vast, so treat the sights below as an overview and look to the individual district articles for the detail. In Westminster you'll find Buckingham Palace, the King's London residence, open for tours during the summer months only, and worth seeing from the outside even if you don't go in. The Changing of the Guard spans Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and Wellington Barracks. Nearby stand Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster, including the Elizabeth Tower and its famous bell, Big Ben; the seat of Parliament and a World Heritage site, and the setting for royal coronations since 1066. The palace opens to the public for tours in July and August when Parliament is away, while the abbey has a restaurant and café. Trafalgar Square, home of Nelson's Column and the lions, is overlooked by the National Gallery and has been pedestrianised, with the "Fourth Plinth" hosting a succession of artworks since 1999. In the City, St Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's great accomplishment, built after the 1666 Great Fire; part of the dome forms a "Whispering Gallery", and a viewing area looks out over the Millennium Bridge nearby. The Tower of London, London's original royal fortress by the Thames, holds the Crown Jewels, is guarded by Beefeaters, and is a World Heritage site. Tower Bridge, the 19th-century bridge with high towers and a drawbridge, allows access to its interior via the Tower Bridge Exhibition. Other landmarks include the London Eye on the South Bank, Marble Arch in Mayfair, Piccadilly Circus with the Shaftesbury Memorial and its neon hoarding, the peculiarly shaped 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin), the Shard with its public viewing deck, and the Walkie-Talkie, whose rooftop garden offers views over the Thames.

Central London hosts an outstanding collection of world-class museums and galleries, and uniquely among global capitals, most charge no entrance fee, though special or temporary exhibitions usually do. Free entry includes the British Museum, a treasure trove of world cultures; the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery; the Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum and Science Museum in South Kensington; Tate Modern and Tate Britain; and the Wallace Collection. Beyond these, an almost unbelievable number of minor museums cover a diverse range of subjects, among them the London Transport Museum, the Museum of London, the Museum of London Docklands, and the Royal Museums Greenwich, which include the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark. For open space, head to the "green lungs" of the city: Hyde Park and adjoining Kensington Gardens, popular for picnics, with the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Playground and its huge wooden pirate ship; Regent's Park, with London Zoo on its northern edge; and St James's Park, whose charming gardens sit between Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade. Hampstead Heath is remarkably wild for a city park, with stunning views from Parliament Hill. Battersea Park contains a Japanese pagoda, Richmond Park has a thriving deer population and is excellent for cycling, and Bushy Park, near Hampton Court Palace, is more low-key with deer, ponds and bridleways. Holland Park in west London contains two Japanese gardens, the Kyoto Garden and the Fukushima Memorial Garden.

When to go

London's climate is mild but unsettled, and rain is possible in any season, so pack layers and waterproofs whenever you visit. Extreme weather is rare, but each season brings its own trade-offs.

• Winter: Mild by continental standards, with very short daylight — dark by mid-afternoon in December. Snow falls a few times a year and is usually light, but even a few centimetres can halt trains, delay flights and leave streets slick and uncleared. Cold snaps and heavier snow are rare exceptions.
• Spring: A weather rollercoaster, with big day-to-day temperature swings and frequent wet spells; early March can still feel as cold as winter. Daylight lengthens steadily and temperatures climb through the season, making later spring pleasant, though nights stay chilly.
• Summer: The best season for tourists, with long daylight from early morning to well into the evening and mild to warm daytime temperatures. Humidity can build into muggy spells, Saharan dust occasionally raises pollution, and rain and cool dips still occur.
• Autumn: Varies year to year — September and October can stay summer-like in an Indian summer, or temperatures can drop quickly to winter levels. It tends to be the wettest and windiest season, but early autumn still has plenty of daylight, and September brings quieter attractions once children return to school.

Festivals & events

London's event calendar is anchored by Wimbledon, held in June. If your visit coincides with it, plan well ahead, as this is one of the city's signature occasions.

Three days in London

Day one: Start in Westminster, where you can see Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, then walk to nearby St Paul's Cathedral. Cross London Bridge and follow the Strand toward Covent Garden and Soho, both part of the West End. Because London sits on the Thames, the river is never far away, and the South Bank makes an easy place to end the day.

Day two: Head east into the East End to see a different side of the city, then return west through the West End for its theatres and shops. The Tower of London and London Bridge sit close together on the north bank of the Thames, so you can pair them in a single morning. In the evening, Covent Garden and Soho offer plenty of places to eat and wander.

Day three: Use the day for a slower look at the centre, revisiting Westminster or the Strand at your own pace. London's weather is changeable: winters are cold and damp, rain falls in every season, and summers can be warm and humid, with occasional Saharan air pushing temperatures up. Spring from March and autumn into September are often the most comfortable times to walk the city. If you are flying in or out, Heathrow and Gatwick are the main airports serving London.