London is a big, multicultural, expensive and vibrant city. It is one of the great tourist destinations of the world and an international centre of finance and culture.
Founded by the Romans, it’s a sprawling metropolis covering 1,500 sq.km. The River Thames splits the city in two – most attractions are on the north side, although the south bank has seen major regeneration in recent years.
Four world heritage sites - the Tower of London, Houses of Parliament, Greenwich and Kew Gardens – are key attractions. More recently, the London Eye, the huge wheel built for the Millennium, has become the most popular city attraction.
South Kensington in the west is home to main museums – the Victoria & Albert; the Natural History and the Science Museum. In the centre, Buckingham Palace, and the changing of the guard, is popular as are the main parks nearby - St James’s, Green Park and Hyde Park.
The Houses of Parliament, with Big Ben and nearby Westminster Abbey attract huge crowds, while Whitehall, going past Downing Street - the Prime Minister’s residence - leads to Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, theatreland and Covent Garden. Northwards is the British Museum, now with a covered courtyard.
Across the Thames, the London Eye, the Aquarium, South Bank Centre, Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre are major attractions. A walk back over the Millennium Bridge leads to St Paul’s Cathedral, the City of London, with the Tower of London and the iconic Tower Bridge to the east.
You can travel down the Thames to Greenwich by boat - or take the tube, or the occasional boats up river, to Kew Gardens with its magnificent collections of plants. To the north, Hampstead Heath and Highgate, are worthwhile excursions.
There’s a vibrant restaurant scene while London’s pubs are worth exploring. The distinctive black taxis and the Underground are the best ways around, apart from walking, although both are pricey. The capital is the centre of a huge road network with the M1, M3, M4, M20, M23 and M40 all converging on the M25 that circles the city.
London is served by five airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City, with many budget airlines from European destinations, while there are regular Eurostar trains from Paris and Brussels.
