London
England, United Kingdom
CITY GUIDE
The United Kingdom (U.K) comprises of four nations; Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. The U.K may look small on a map but it certainly is big in personality.
London, England's capital with a population of 8.9 million people, is where we currently call home and have done so for the past five years. With buildings dating back to 190-225 BC, London is full of culture, diversity and some damn interesting history. The city is scattered with green parks, beautiful trees and the famous snaking river Thames dividing the city into two.
England is popular for many things; drinking tea, rainy weather, football (soccer), the Royal family, theaters, bridges, Big Ben, Harry Potter and is the home to many iconic music legends.
This city guide will direct you to all the best places to explore throughout London as well as breaching into other wonderful places throughout the United Kingdom.
Tips for visiting London
MONEY (£)
British money is called Pound (£). £1 roughly equals:
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European Euro: €1.13
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Australian Dollar: $1.75
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USA Dollar: $1.37
(last updated 2nd January 2020)
BEER
Brits love nothing more than a pub and a beer. There are many distilleries around Greater London and the UK or you can try many locally brewed beers in the pubs. A pint of beer will set you back between £4.50-6.50 in London. Outside of London in other cities, you will notice beer is considerably cheaper in local pubs, £2.50-4.50.
WEATHER
London experiences all seasons throughout the year. Being part of the Northern hemisphere, the summer months sit between June-August with 14-18 hours of sunlight and in the winter months of December - February where daylight is as little as 6-8 hours per day.
The best time to travel to London is of course in the warmer periods between April - October with weather ranging between 12-28+ degrees. In winter, temperatures can drop to the minus' during the day and generally fluctuates to no more than 10 degrees.
PICTURESQUE
London is full of wonderful masterpieces ready to be snapped. From parks to buildings to people and art, London truly has everything a city should offer plus so much more. Enjoy exploring because with every corner there is something different around the other side.
SAFETY
London is a safe place to visit but like any European cities, you will need to aid caution of pick-pocket and theft. Ensure you always check your Government's travel advice before traveling.
Top 6 things to do in London
1. Visit the Markets
There are many popular markets in London scattered from North, East, South to West. Some markets are notorious for their street food whilst others are for their flowers, antiques, books or thrift clothing. There are plenty of farmer's markets scattered throughout the City on Saturday's and some Sunday's too if you fancy something a little closer to home.
To find out which markets you should visit and where to find them, read Ultimate guide to London's markets.
3. Visit London's free museums
One thing that London have absolutely nailed is all the free museums. When I say all, I mean there are loads.
5. Soak in all the history and buildings
There are so many beautiful building's throughout London that it can be somewhat confusing to know what they all are, and how to locate them. Most of London's most famous historical buildings are actually not that far from each other and easy to reach on foot.
For our guide which will take you to all the historical landmarks by foot and a few of our favorite 'not to miss' places - see our blog: London's Historical Landmark Guide.
2. Wander the Parks
London has some truly wonderful green spaces which are deceptively big. Most are within close proximity and worth walking between by foot. If you want to get a great free view of London, visit Primrose hill in Green park. Once at the top you will realize how flat London is, as well as how spectacular.
If you are lucky with a summers day and you want to be particularly British, buy some beers or a bottle of wine, some food and have a picnic in the park. Just remember to take your rubbish with you when you leave.
4. Book a ticket for the Theater
Ahhh...London's Theater's. If you need any excuse to watch a theater show then being in London could not make for a better reason.
6. Enjoy a beer in a local pub
It is no secret that London, or England for that matter, is packed full of pubs. After years of living in London it continues to surprise us how uniquely different each pub that you step foot into is from the last.
To think that a quarter pubs have closed their doors since 2000 due to financial pressures is baffling when you consider how many you will walk past in a space of a mile. Support the local pubs by enjoying a meal and a beer during your visit to London.
Transport in London
London's airports
Astonishingly London has five airports.
Five.
This understandably causes more confusion than it probably should. Despite four of the five airports being titled as 'London', only one of these airports is actually IN London. Confusing? Well I hate to think how many tourists have been caught off guard.
Heathrow Airport - The main International Airport of London. Heathrow is where most large aviation companies will fly into and is located in zone 6 of London.
London Gatwick -
London Stanstead
London City
London Luton