About London
Samuel Johnson famously once said “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. The Capital has always been a compelling city but right now it’s also one of the most dynamic hubs on earth leading the way in music, visual arts, fashion, film and now food.
This mammoth metropolis is a world in one city; at once exhilarating, irrepressible, intimidating, stimulating and pulsating with spectacle and possibilities. London can be different things to different people, but will have a deep effect on you without you realising.
London is of course home to world-famous landmarks like Big Ben, Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral, but it’s also a city of wonderful hidden gems that reveal themselves to travellers prepared to look a little harder. You’ll find tiny riverside pubs, historic houses of eccentric characters, bustling weekend markets and beautiful open spaces where Londoners go to recharge. However long you’re planning to be here, it won’t be long enough.
Check out
VisitLondon for more information or visit our
London city guide.
Getting around London
London’s Underground system, known as the Tube, is the quickest way to get around and certainly the best way to get from the suburbs to the centre. However, if you have the time, travelling by an iconic red double-decker bus is more relaxed and cheaper. Sit at the front of the top deck for great views. Black taxis are plentiful but expensive. If you’re thinking of taking the Tube in the centre, compare the Tube map with a street map – often it’s just as easy, and a lot more pleasant, to walk.