▲▲Tate Britain—One of Europe’s great art houses, Tate Britain specializes in British painting from the 16th century through modern times. This is people’s art, with realistic paintings rooted in the culture, landscape, and stories of the British Isles. But the museum will be under renovation through 2013, and much of the permanent collection is in storage. You may find a few important paintings in the room labeled “Key Works from the Historic Collection” (it’s about halfway down the main hallway, on the left), but they’re just as likely to show up in other areas.
Look for Hogarth’s sketches of gritty London life, Gainsborough’s twinkle-toe ladies, Blake’s glowing angels, Constable’s clouds, the swooning realism of the Pre-Raphaelites, and room after room of J. M. W. Turner’s proto-Impressionist tempests. In the modern art wing, there’s Francis Bacon’s screaming nightmares, Henry Moore statues, and the camera-eye portraits of Hockney and Freud.
If any of these names are new to you, don’t worry. You’ll likely see a few “famous” works you didn’t know were British and exit the Tate Britain with at least one new favorite artist.
Cost and Hours: Free but £4 donation requested, admission fee for (optional) temporary exhibits, map-£1 suggested donation, ask if audioguide is available; daily 10:00-18:00, first Fri of the month until 22:00 (or possibly every Fri—check online or call to confirm), last entry to special exhibitions at 17:15 (or 21:15 when open late), free tours on various topics offered throughout the day—ask at the information desk or call ahead; café and restaurant, tel. 020/7887-8888, www.tate.org.uk.
Getting There: It’s on the Thames River, south of Big Ben and north of Vauxhall Bridge. Take the Tube to Pimlico, then walk seven minutes. Or hop the Tate Boat museum ferry from the Tate Modern (£6 one-way, £13.60 day ticket, 33 percent discount with Travelcard, buy ticket at gallery desk or on board, departs every 40 minutes from 10:00 to 17:00, 18 minutes, www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-boat).
Victoria Station—From underneath this station’s iron-and-glass canopy, trains depart for the south of England and Gatwick Airport. While Victoria Station is famous and a major Tube stop, few tourists actually take trains from here—most just come to take in the exciting bustle. It’s a fun place to just be a “rock in a river” teeming with commuters and services. The station is surrounded by big red buses and taxis, travel agencies, and lousy eateries. It’s next to the main intercity bus station (Victoria Coach Station) and the best inexpensive lodgings in town.
Westminster Cathedral—This cathedral, the largest Catholic church in England and just a block from Victoria Station, is strikingly Neo-Byzantine, but not very historic or important to visit. Opened in 1903, the church has an unfinished interior, with a spooky, blackened ceiling waiting for the mosaics that are supposed to be placed there. While it’s definitely not Westminster Abbey, half the tourists wandering around inside seem to think it is. Take the lift to the top of the 273-foot bell tower for a view of the glassy office blocks of Victoria Station.
Cost and Hours: Free entry, £5 for the lift; church—daily 7:00-19:00; tower—daily 9:30-17:00, last trip at 16:30; 5-minute walk from bus terminus in front of Victoria Station, just off Victoria Street, Tube: Victoria, www.westminstercathedral.org.uk.
National Army Museum—This museum is not as awe-inspiring as the Imperial War Museum, but it’s still fun, especially for kids who are into soldiers, armor, and guns. And while the Imperial War Museum is limited to wars of the 20th century, the National Army Museum tells the story of the British army from 1415 through the Bosnian conflict and Iraq, with lots of Redcoat lore and a good look at Waterloo. Kids enjoy trying on a Cromwellian helmet, seeing the skeleton of Napoleon’s horse, and peering out from a World War I trench through a working periscope.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 10:00-17:30, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, Tube: Sloane Square, tel. 020/7730-0717, www.national-army-museum.ac.uk.
A number of worthwhile sights border this grand park, from Apsley House on the east to the newly renovated Kensington Palace on the west.
▲Apsley House (Wellington Museum)—Having beaten Napoleon at Waterloo, Arthur Wellesley, the First Duke of Wellington, was once the most famous man in Europe. He was given a huge fortune, with which he purchased London’s ultimate address, #1 London. His refurbished mansion offers a nice interior, a handful of world-class paintings, and a glimpse at the life of the great soldier and two-time prime minister. The highlight is the large ballroom, the Waterloo Gallery, decorated with Anthony van Dyck’s Charles I on Horseback (over the main fireplace), Diego Velázquez’s earthy The Water-Seller of Seville (to the left of Van Dyck), Jan Steen’s playful The Dissolute Household (to the right), and a large portrait of Wellington by Francisco Goya (farther right).
Those who know something about Wellington ahead of time will appreciate the place much more than those who don’t, as there’s scarce biographical background. The place is well-described by the included audioguide, which has sound bites from the current Duke of Wellington (who still lives at Apsley).
Cost and Hours: £6.50, free on June 18—Waterloo Day, April-Oct Wed-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon-Tue; Nov-March Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon-Fri; 20 yards from Hyde Park Corner Tube station, tel. 020/7499-5676, www.english-heritage.org.uk.
Nearby: Hyde Park’s pleasant rose garden is picnic-friendly. Wellington Arch, which stands just across the street, is open to the public but not worth the £4 charge (or £8 combo-ticket with Apsley House; elevator up, lousy views and boring exhibits).
▲Hyde Park and Speakers’ Corner—London’s “Central Park,” originally Henry VIII’s hunting grounds, has more than 600 acres of lush greenery, the huge man-made Serpentine Lake, the royal Kensington Palace and Orangery (described later), and the ornate Neo-Gothic Albert Memorial across from the Royal Albert Hall. The western half of the park is known as Kensington Gardens.
On Sundays, from just after noon until early evening, Speakers’ Corner offers soapbox oratory at its best (northeast corner of the park, Tube: Marble Arch). Characters climb their stepladders, wave their flags, pound emphatically on their sandwich boards, and share what they are convinced is their wisdom. Regulars have resident hecklers who know their lines and are always ready with a verbal jab or barb. “The grass roots of democracy” is actually a holdover from when the gallows stood here and the criminal was allowed to say just about anything he wanted to before he swung. I dare you to raise your voice and gather a crowd—it’s easy to do.
The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain honors the “People’s Princess,” who once lived in nearby Kensington Palace. The low-key circular stream, great for cooling off your feet on a hot day, is in the south-central part of the park, near the Albert Memorial and Serpentine Gallery. A similarly named but different sight, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, is in the northwest corner of the park.
▲▲▲Victoria and Albert Museum—The world’s top collection of decorative arts (vases, stained glass, fine furniture, clothing, jewelry, carpets, and more) is a surprisingly interesting assortment of crafts from the West, as well as Asian and Islamic cultures. The British Galleries are grand, but there’s much more to see, including Raphael’s tapestry cartoons and a cast of Trajan’s Column that depicts the emperor’s conquests.
You’ll also see one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, underwear through the ages, a Chihuly chandelier, a life-size David with detachable fig leaf, Henry VIII’s quill pen, and Mick Jagger’s sequined jumpsuit. From the worlds of Islam and India, there are stunning carpets, the ring of the man who built the Taj Mahal, and a mechanical tiger that eats Brits.
Best of all, the objects are all quite beautiful. You could spend days in the place. Pick up a museum map and wander at will.
Cost and Hours: Free, but £3 donation requested, sometimes pricey fees for (optional) special exhibits, £1 suggested donation for much-needed museum map, daily 10:00-17:45, some galleries open Fri until 22:00, free one-hour tours daily on the half-hour 10:30-15:30, on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, Tube: South Kensington, from the Tube station a long tunnel leads directly to museum, tel. 020/7942-2000, www.vam.ac.uk.
▲▲Natural History Museum—Across the street from Victoria and Albert, this mammoth museum is housed in a giant and wonderful Victorian, Neo-Romanesque building. In the main hall, above a big dinosaur skeleton and under a massive slice of sequoia tree, Charles Darwin sits as if upon a throne overseeing it all. Built in the 1870s specifically for the huge collection (50 million specimens), the building has several color-coded “zones” that cover everything from life (creepy-crawlies, human biology, “our place in evolution,” and awe-inspiring dinosaurs) to earth science (meteors, volcanoes, earthquakes, and so on). Use the helpful map (£1 suggested donation) to find your way through the collection.
Exhibits are wonderfully explained, with lots of creative, interactive displays. Pop in, if only for the wild collection of dinosaurs and to hear English children exclaim, “Oh my goodness!” Get oriented by talking with one of the many “visit planners” (helpful guides scattered throughout the museum), review the “What’s on Today” board for special events and tours, and note which sections are closed (according to the signs, these sections aren’t being “renovated,” but are “evolving”). While the dinosaur hall often has a long line, everything else is wide open. Don’t miss the vault in the mineralogy section (top floor of the green zone), with rare and precious stones, including a meteorite from Mars and the Aurora Pyramid of Hope, displaying 296 diamonds showing their full range of natural colors.
Cost and Hours: Free, fees for (optional) special exhibits, daily 10:00-17:50, until 22:30 last Fri of the month, last entry 20 minutes before closing, long tunnel leads directly from South Kensington Tube station to museum, tel. 020/7942-5000, exhibit info and reservations tel. 020/7942-5011, www.nhm.ac.uk.
▲Science Museum—Next door to the Natural History Museum, this sprawling wonderland for curious minds is kid-perfect, with themes such as measuring time, exploring space, climate change, and the evolution of modern medicine. It offers hands-on fun, from moonwalks to deep-sea exploration, with trendy technology exhibits and a state-of-the-art IMAX theater (£10, kids-£8).
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 10:00-18:00, until 19:00 during school holidays, Exhibition Road, Tube: South Kensington, tel. 0870-870-4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk.
▲▲Kensington Palace—Sitting primly on its pleasant parkside grounds, this newly renovated royal residence provides a glimpse into the courtly lives of several important residents: William and Mary, the Hanovers (the “Georges”), and Queen Victoria (born and raised in this palace). The spaces are immaculately restored and creatively presented, with engaging, user-friendly exhibits designed to appeal to adults and kids alike—making this a particularly entertaining royal sight. The Victoria exhibit is especially worthwhile (for more on Victoria’s life and times, see the sidebar on here).
Kensington was once the residence of King William and Queen Mary, who moved from Whitehall in central London in 1689 to the more pristine and peaceful village of Kensington (since engulfed by London). Sir Christopher Wren converted an existing house into the palace, which became the center of English court life until 1837, when Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace. Since then, lesser royals have bedded down in Kensington Palace. Princess Diana lived here from her 1981 marriage to Prince Charles until her death in 1997. Today it’s home to three of Charles’ cousins, and the official London home of Will and Kate.
After buying your ticket, you have three different color-coded routes to choose from: the Queen’s State Apartments (with highly conceptual exhibits focusing on the later Stuart dynasty—William and Mary, and Mary’s sister, Queen Anne); the King’s State Apartments (the grandest spaces, from Hanoverian times); and the “Victoria Revealed” exhibit (telling the story, through quotes and artifacts, of Britain’s longest-ruling monarch). If you’re short on time, choose “Victoria Revealed.” A fourth, temporary-exhibit route may also be offered during your visit.
Cost and Hours: £14.50 (includes 10 percent optional donation), save £1 by booking online, daily 10:00-18:00, until 17:00 Nov-Feb, last entry one hour before closing, a 10-minute hike through Kensington Gardens from either Queensway or High Street Kensington Tube station, tel. 0870-751-5170 or 0844-482-7777, www.hrp.org.uk.
Nearby: Garden enthusiasts enjoy popping into the secluded Sunken Garden, 50 yards from the exit. Consider afternoon tea at the nearby Orangery (see here), built as a greenhouse for Queen Anne in 1704.
Once the primary harbor for the Port of London, the Docklands has been transformed into a vibrant business center, with ultra-tall skyscrapers, subterranean supermalls, trendy pubs, and peaceful parks with pedestrian bridges looping over canals. While not full of the touristy sights that many are seeking in London, the Docklands offers a refreshing look at the British version of a 21st-century city. It’s best at the end of the workday, when it’s lively with office workers. It’s ideal to see on your way back from Greenwich, since both line up on the same train tracks. From the Docklands, it’s also a relatively straightforward detour to see the 2012 Olympics sights (described next).
Getting to the Docklands from the City Center: Take the Jubilee Line on the Tube to the Canary Wharf station (15 minutes from Westminster, frequent departures). Or catch the Thames Clippers boat to Canary Wharf Pier (£6 one-way, £13.60 all-day pass; boats leave every 20 minutes from Embankment, Waterloo/London Eye, Bankside, London Bridge, and Tower piers; 10-30-minute trip).
Combining the Docklands with Greenwich or Olympic Park: All three places lie along the north-south Docklands Light Rail train line, a few minutes apart. You could sightsee Greenwich in the morning and early afternoon, then make a brief stop at the Docklands (Canary Wharf station) on your way back to the city center. To reach Olympic Park, catch a DLR train north toward Stratford and get off at the Pudding Mill Lane DLR stop (about 10 minutes).
▲Museum of London Docklands—Illuminating the gritty and fascinating history of this site, this museum traces the story of what was London’s primary harbor. You’ll see fascinating models of Old London Bridge, crammed with little houses and shops (not unlike how Florence’s Ponte Vecchio still looks); a reconstruction of a “Legal Quay,” where cargo was processed; and a re-creation of the fuel pipeline that was laid under the English Channel to supply the Allies on the Continent. You’ll also walk through gritty “Sailortown,” listening to the salty voices of those who lived and worked in quarters like these.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 10:00-18:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, West India Quay, Tube: West India Quay or Canary Wharf, tel. 020/7001-9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands.
From July 27 to August 12, 2012, London hosted athletes from 205 nations in the 30th Olympiad. Festivities centered around Olympic Park, filling the Lea Valley, about seven miles northeast of downtown London. Lea Valley used to be the site of derelict factories, mountains of discarded tires, and Europe’s biggest refrigerator dump. But this area now glistens with gardens, greenery, and state-of-the-art construction.
Olympic Park is huge—bigger than Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens. It’s also quite beautiful, laced with canals and tributaries of the Lea River. Now that the games are over, the area is gradually being converted into a public park (and may be open in summer of 2013). The best overview of the whole area—with fine views of the stadium, the Orbit (a giant climbable statue), the grounds, the Aquatics Centre, and the other structures—is along a 500-yard-long berm called the Greenway, which sits at the park’s southern perimeter. The easiest landmark to head for is the View Tube, a covered shelter with a free lookout tower, café, WC, and maps.
The View from the View Tube: Anchoring the complex is the big Olympic Stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. It was built with modular parts, so after the games, it was partly dismantled and refitted to become a more intimate venue.
From the stadium, pan to the right to see the following:
On the far horizon, find the swooped wooden roofline of the bicycle track, or velodrome. To the right of that is the white ruffled exterior of the basketball arena. Immediately to the right of that are the Olympic Village apartments. After the 16,000 athletes moved out at the end of the games, contractors swooped in to install kitchens, turning these dorms into public housing.
In the near distance, see the red, 350-foot viewing tower called the Orbit, which was designed as an Eiffel-Tower like landmark for London and has been compared to a vertical roller coaster and a hubble bubble (a Middle-Eastern water pipe).
Pan to the right to see the Aquatics Centre, with its roofline meant to suggest a dolphin. Behind it are Stratford Station and the east entrance to the park.
From the View Tube, you can stroll along the Greenway’s 500-yard-long sidewalk, providing other viewpoints. At the far end of the stadium is the media center where 20,000 journalists (more than one per athlete) were stationed.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 9:00-17:00, café mobile 07834-275-687, www.theviewtube.co.uk.
Getting There: From downtown London, it’s about a 25-minute ride on the Tube and/or DLR to one of the stations that ring Olympic Park. The closest stop to the View Tube is the Pudding Mill Lane DLR Station, which sits on the southern edge of the park, only 200 yards from the viewpoint. Ride the Tube to any station that allows you to transfer to the DLR to Pudding Mill Lane. Good transfer points are Bow Road/Bow Church (convenient if coming from downtown London, but requires a dreary 300-yard aboveground walk to connect these two stations), Stratford (the big terminus in the heart of the Olympics zone), and Canary Wharf (at the Docklands).
▲▲Kew Gardens—For a fine riverside park and a palatial greenhouse jungle to swing through, take the Tube or the boat to every botanist’s favorite escape, Kew Gardens. While to most visitors the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew are simply a delightful opportunity to wander among 33,000 different types of plants, to the hardworking organization that runs the gardens, they are a way to promote the understanding and preservation of the botanical diversity of our planet. The Kew Tube station drops you in a little community of plant-and-herb shops, a two-block walk from Victoria Gate (the main garden entrance). Pick up a map brochure and check at the gate for a monthly listing of best blooms.
Garden-lovers could spend days exploring Kew’s 300 acres. For a quick visit, spend a fragrant hour wandering through three buildings: the Palm House, a humid Victorian world of iron, glass, and tropical plants that was built in 1844; a Waterlily House that Monet would swim for; and the Princess of Wales Conservatory, a modern greenhouse with many different climate zones growing countless cacti, bug-munching carnivorous plants, and more. With extra time, check out the Xstrata Treetop Walkway, a 200-yard-long scenic steel walkway that puts you high in the canopy 60 feet above the ground. Young kids will love the Climbers and Creepers indoor/outdoor playground and little zip line, as well as a slow and easy ride on the hop-on, hop-off Kew Explorer tram (£4 for narrated 40-minute ride, departs on the hour from 11:00 from near Victoria Gate).
Cost: £14, discounted to £12 45 minutes before greenhouses close, kids under 17 free, £5.50 for Kew Palace only.
Hours: April-Aug Mon-Fri 9:30-18:30, Sat-Sun 9:30-19:30, closes earlier Sept-March—check schedule online, palace closed Nov-March, last entry to gardens 30 minutes before closing, galleries and conservatories close at 17:30 in high season—earlier off-season, free one-hour walking tours daily at 11:00 and 13:30, Tube: Kew Gardens, boats run April-Oct between Kew Gardens and Westminster Pier—see here, switchboard tel. 020/8332-5000, recorded info tel. 020/8332-5655, www.kew.org.
Eating: For a sun-dappled lunch or snack, walk 10 minutes from the Palm House to the Orangery Cafeteria (£4 sandwiches, £8-12 lunches, daily 10:00-17:30, until 15:15 in winter, closes early for events, tel. 0844-482-7777, www.hrp.org.uk).
▲Hampton Court Palace—Fifteen miles up the Thames from downtown, the 500-year-old palace of Henry VIII is worth ▲▲ for palace aficionados. Actually, it was originally the palace of his minister, Cardinal Wolsey. When Wolsey, a clever man, realized Henry VIII was experiencing a little palace envy, he gave the mansion to his king. The Tudor palace was also home to Elizabeth I and Charles I. Sections were updated by Christopher Wren for William and Mary. The stately palace stands overlooking the Thames and includes some impressive Tudor rooms, including a Great Hall with a magnificent hammer-beam ceiling. The industrial-strength Tudor kitchen was capable of keeping 600 schmoozing courtiers thoroughly—if not well—fed. The sculpted garden features a rare Tudor tennis court and a popular maze.
The palace tries hard to please, but it doesn’t quite sparkle. From the information center in the main courtyard, you can pick up audioguides for self-guided tours of various wings of the palace (free but slow, aimed mostly at school-age children). For more in-depth information, strike up a conversation with the costumed characters or docents posted in each room. The Tudor portions of the castle, including the rooms dedicated to the young Henry, are most interesting; the Georgian rooms are pretty dull. The maze in the nearby garden is a curiosity some find fun (maze free with palace ticket, otherwise £3.85).
Cost and Hours: £17, family-£43.50 (both prices include a 10 percent optional donation); online discounts, daily April-Oct 10:00-18:00, Nov-March 10:00-16:30, last entry one hour before closing, café, tel. 0844-482-7777, www.hrp.org.uk.
Getting There: The train (2/hour, 35 minutes, Oyster cards OK) from London’s Waterloo Station drops you across the river from the palace (just walk across the bridge). Consider arriving at or departing from the palace by boat (connections with London’s Westminster Pier, see here); it’s a relaxing and scenic three- to four-hour cruise past two locks and a fun new/old riverside mix.
Kew Gardens/Hampton Court Blitz: Because these two sights are in the same general direction (about £20 for a taxi between the two), you can visit both in one day. Here’s a game plan: Start your morning at Hampton Court, tour the palace and garden, and have a Tudor-style lunch in the atmospheric dining hall. After lunch, take bus #R68 from Hampton Court Station to Richmond (40 minutes), then transfer to bus #65, which will drop you off at the Kew Gardens gate (5 minutes). After touring the gardens, have tea in the Orangery, then Tube or boat back to London.
Royal Air Force Museum London—A hit with aviation enthusiasts, this huge aerodrome and airfield contain planes from World War II’s Battle of Britain up through the Gulf War. You can climb inside some of the planes, try your luck in a cockpit, and fly with the Red Arrows in a flight simulator.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 10:00-18:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, café, shop, parking-£2.50 for up to 3 hours, Grahame Park Way, 30-minute ride from downtown London, Tube: Colindale—top of Northern Line Edgware branch, tel. 020/8205-2266, www.rafmuseum.org.uk.
Hampstead Heath—This surprisingly vast expanse of greenery sprawls over a square mile and a quarter at the northern edge of downtown London. It features rolling, scrubby pastures (“heath”) as well as tranquil wooded areas. Its most popular viewpoint, Parliament Hill, offers distant views of London’s fast-growing skyline. At the northeast corner of the park is a chunk of land owned by English Heritage, where a stately palace called Kenwood House overlooks a pasture, pond, and gentle wood; inside is a fine art collection, plus an inviting café (and WCs). Maps posted at each entrance to the park help get you oriented. On a sunny day, the park is crammed with Londoners communing with nature—relieved to escape from their bustling burg. The adjoining village of Hampstead is quaint and cute; a stroll through here is almost as pleasant as the park itself.
Getting There: Hampstead Heath is just a 20-minute Tube ride from downtown London. The handiest Tube stop is the one called Hampstead (on the convenient Northern line/Edgware branch, which runs north to south through London’s city center). This stop is in the middle of the charming village of Hampstead, from which it’s about a 10-minute, gently uphill walk—passing pubs and homes—to the park. The station called Hampstead Heath, directly at the southern tip of the park, is on the less convenient Overground line; however, bus #24 easily (though slowly) connects Victoria Station and downtown London (including Trafalgar Square) with the Hampstead Heath stop.
Hampstead Heath combines well with a visit to the fun and funky Camden Lock Market (see here), which is on both the Northern Tube line and the bus #24 route.
Highgate Cemetery—Located in the tea-cozy-cute village of Highgate, north of the city, this Victorian cemetery represents a fascinating, offbeat piece of London history. Built as a private cemetery, this was the fashionable place to bury the wealthy dead in the late 1800s. It has themed mausoleums, professional mourners, and several high-profile residents in its East Cemetery, including Karl Marx, George Eliot, and Douglas Adams. The tomb of “Godfather of Punk” Malcolm McLaren (former manager of the Sex Pistols) is often covered with rotten veggies.
Cost and Hours: East Cemetery—£3, Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00, closes one hour earlier in winter, last entry 30 minutes before closing; older, creepier West Cemetery—viewable by £7 guided tour only, Mon-Fri at 14:00—arrive by 13:45, Sat-Sun hourly 11:00-15:00, call ahead to reserve; Tube: Archway (Northern Line/High Barnet branch) or—slower—bus #C2 from Victoria Station or Oxford Circus, tel. 020/8340-1834, www.highgate-cemetery.org.
The Making of Harry Potter: Warner Bros. Studio Tour—A nirvana for Potterphiles, this attraction lets fans young and old see the actual sets and props that were used in the films, watch video interviews with the actors and filmmakers, and view exhibits about how the films’ special effects were created. Visitors must book a time slot in advance—it’s essential to reserve your visit online as far ahead as possible. Since it’s located in Leavesden, a 20-minute train ride from London, and takes about three hours to experience, a visit here will eat up the better part of a day. (For a run-down of real-life places featured in the movies, see here.)
Cost and Hours: £28, kids ages 5 to 15-£21, family ticket for 2 adults and 2 kids-£83, audio/videoguide-£5, tours depart daily 10:00-18:00, café, still photography allowed, tel. 08450-840-900, www.wbstudiotour.co.uk.
Getting There: Reaching the studio requires a train and shuttle bus connection. First, take the train from London Euston to Watford Junction (about 5/hour, 15-20 minutes). From there, you can take a Mullany’s Coaches shuttle bus to the studio tour (2/hour, 15 minutes, arrive at Watford Junction at least 45 minutes before your tour entrance time, £1.50 one-way, £2 round-trip). Golden Tours runs three more direct (and more expensive) buses per day between their office near Victoria Station in central London and the studio (price includes round-trip bus and entrance: adults-£55, kids-£50; leaves London at 8:00, 11:00, and 14:00, tour begins 2 hours after bus departs, reserve ahead at www.goldentours.com).
Most stores are open Monday through Saturday from roughly 10:00 to 18:00, and many close Sundays. Large department stores stay open later during the week (until 20:00 or 21:00) and are open shorter hours on Sundays. If you’re looking for bargains, you can visit one of the city’s many street markets.
London is famous for its shopping. The best and most convenient shopping streets are in the West End and West London (roughly between Soho and Hyde Park). You’ll find mid-range shops along Oxford Street (running east from Tube: Marble Arch), and fancier shops along Regent Street (stretching south from Tube: Oxford Circus to Piccadilly Circus) and Knightsbridge (where you’ll find Harrods and Harvey Nichols, described later; Tube: Knightsbridge). Other streets are more specialized, such as Jermyn Street for old-fashioned men’s clothing (just south of Piccadilly Street) and Charing Cross Road for books. Floral Street, connecting Leicester Square to Covent Garden, is lined with fashion boutiques.
Harrods—Harrods is London’s most famous and touristy department store. With more than four acres of retail space covering seven floors, it’s a place where some shoppers could spend all day. (To me, it’s still just a department store.) Big yet classy, Harrods has everything from elephants to toothbrushes (Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 11:30-18:00, mandatory storage for big backpacks-£3, on Brompton Road, Tube: Knightsbridge, tel. 020/7730-1234, www.harrods.com).
Sightseers should pick up the free Store Guide at any info post. Here’s what I enjoy: On the ground floor, find the Food Halls, with their Edwardian tiled walls, creative and exuberant displays, and staff in period costumes—not quite like your local supermarket back home.
Descend to the lower ground floor and follow signs to the Egyptian Escalator (in the center of the store). Here you’ll find a memorial to Princess Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, who both died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 (Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed, was the store’s former owner). Photos and flowers honor the late Princess and her lover. Inside a small, clear pyramid, you can see a wine glass still dirty from their last dinner and the engagement ring that Dodi purchased the day before they died. True Di-hards can go back up one level to the ground floor and follow signs to Door #3 in Menswear (near Men’s Designer and Men’s Tailoring, at the escalator). A huge (and more than a little creepy) bronze statue shows Di and Dodi releasing a symbolic albatross.
Back in the center of the store, ride the Egyptian Escalator—lined with pharaoh-headed sconces, papyrus-plant lamps, and hieroglyphic balconies—to the fourth floor. From the escalator, make a U-turn left and head to the far corner of the store (toys) to find child-size luxury pedal cars. If you have £10,000 to spare, these are the perfect gift for the child who has everything.
More than two dozen eateries are scattered throughout the store, including a sushi bar, kosher deli, pizzeria, classic pub, and—for the truly homesick—Krispy Kreme.
Many of my readers report that Harrods is overpriced, snooty, and teeming with American and Japanese tourists. It’s the only shopping mall I’ve seen with its own gift store. Still, it’s the palace of department stores. The nearby Beauchamp Place is lined with classy and fascinating shops.
Harvey Nichols—Once Princess Diana’s favorite, “Harvey Nick’s” remains the department store du jour (Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 11:30-18:00, near Harrods, 109-125 Knightsbridge, Tube: Knightsbridge, tel. 020/7235-5000, www.harveynichols.com). Want to pick up a little £20 scarf for the wife? You won’t do it here, where they’re more like £200. The store’s fifth floor is a veritable food fest, with a gourmet grocery store, a fancy restaurant, a Yo! Sushi bar, and a lively café. Consider a take-away tray of sushi to eat on a bench in the Hyde Park rose garden two blocks away.
Fortnum & Mason—The official department store of the Queen, Fortnum & Mason embodies old-fashioned, British upper-class taste. While some may find it too stuffy, you won’t find another store with the same storybook atmosphere (Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, elegant tea served in their Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon—see here, 181 Piccadilly, Tube: Green Park, tel. 020/7734-8040, www.fortnumandmason.com).
Liberty—Known for its gorgeous floral fabrics and well-stocked crafts department, Liberty is fun to stroll through just for a look at its hip, artful displays and castle-like interior (Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, Great Marlborough St, Tube: Oxford Circus, tel. 020/7734-1234, www.liberty.co.uk).
Antiques buffs, people-watchers, and folks who brake for garage sales love London’s street markets. There’s good early-morning market activity somewhere any day of the week. The best markets—which combine lively stalls and a colorful neighborhood with cute and characteristic shops of their own—are Portobello Road and Camden Lock Market. Any London TI has a complete, up-to-date list. If you like to haggle, there are no holds barred in London’s street markets.
Warning: Markets attract two kinds of people—tourists and pickpockets.
Portobello Road Market—Arguably London’s best street market, Portobello Road stretches for several blocks through the delightful, colorful, funky-yet-quaint Notting Hill neighborhood (immortalized by the Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts film of the same name). Already charming streets lined with pastel-painted houses and offbeat antiques shops are enlivened on Saturdays with 2,000 additional stalls (5:30-17:00), plus food, live music, and more. (It’s also extremely crowded.) If you start at Notting Hill Gate and work your way north, you’ll find these general sections: antiques, new goods, produce, more new goods, and a flea market. While Portobello Road is best on Saturdays, it’s enjoyable to stroll this street on most other days as well, since the characteristic shops are fun to explore—but skip it on Sundays, when virtually everything is closed (Tube: Notting Hill Gate, near recommended accommodations, tel. 020/7229-8354, www.portobelloroad.co.uk).
Camden Lock Market—This huge, trendy arts-and-crafts festival is divided into three areas, each with its own vibe. The main market, set alongside the picturesque canal, features a mix of shops and stalls selling boutique crafts and artisanal foods. The market on the opposite side of Chalk Farm Road is edgier, with cheap ethnic food stalls, lots of canalside seating, and punk crafts. The Stables, a sprawling, incense-scented complex, is decorated with fun statues of horses and squeezed into tunnels under the old rail bridge just behind the main market. It’s a little lowbrow and wildly creative, with cheap clothes, junk jewelry, and loud music (daily 10:00-18:00, busiest on weekends, Tube: Chalk Farm, bus #24 heads from Pimlico to Victoria Station to Trafalgar Square and then straight up to Camden—before continuing on to Hampstead Heath, tel. 020/7485-7963, www.camdenlockmarket.com). Avoid the tacky, crowded area between the market and the Camden Town Tube station (which bills itself as “The Camden Market,” but lacks the real one’s canalside charm) by getting off at the Chalk Farm stop; better yet, consider arriving via a scenic waterbus ride from Little Venice (tel. 020/7482-2660, www.londonwaterbus.com).
All three of these East End markets are busiest and most interesting on Sundays.
Spitalfields Market—This huge, mod-feeling market hall (pronounced “spittle-fields”) combines a shopping mall with old brick buildings and sleek modern ones, all covered by a giant glass roof. While the shops and a rainbow of restaurant options are open every day, the open space between them is filled with stalls Tuesdays through Fridays. It’s best on Sundays (9:00-17:00), when all stalls and shops are open; you’ll find a lively organic food market, many ethnic eateries, crafts, trendy clothes, bags, and an antique-and-junk market. It’s quietest on Saturdays and Mondays, when only the shops are open—no stalls (shops open daily 11:00-19:00, Tube: Liverpool Street; from the Tube stop, take Bishopsgate East exit, turn left, walk to Brushfield Street, and turn right; tel. 020/7375-2963, www.visitspitalfields.com).
Petticoat Lane Market—Just a block from Spitalfields Market, this line of stalls sits on the otherwise dull, glass-skyscraper-filled Middlesex Street; adjoining Wentworth Street is grungier and more characteristic. Expect budget clothing, leather, shoes, watches, jewelry, and crowds (Sun 9:00-14:00, sometimes later; smaller market Mon-Fri 10:00-16:30 on Wentworth Street only; closed Sat; Middlesex Street and Wentworth Street, Tube: Liverpool Street). The Columbia Road flower market is nearby (Sun 8:00-15:00, http://columbiaroad.info).
Backyard Market—Housed in the former Truman Brewery, this market is in the heart of the “Banglatown” Bangladeshi community. Of the three East End markets, Backyard is the grittiest and most avant-garde, selling handmade clothes and home decor, as well as ethnic street food (Sat 11:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-17:00, 91 Brick Lane, Tube: Liverpool Street or Aldgate East, tel. 020/7770-6028, www.backyardmarket.co.uk).
Covent Garden Market—Originally the convent garden for Westminster Abbey, the iron-and-glass market hall hosted a produce market until the 1970s (earning it the name “Apple Market”). Now it’s a mix of fun shops, eateries, and markets. Mondays are for antiques, while arts and crafts dominate the rest of the week. Yesteryear’s produce stalls are open daily (10:30-18:30), and on Thursdays, a food market brightens up the square (Tube: Covent Garden, tel. 0870-780-5001, www.coventgardenlondonuk.com). The Jubilee Hall Market to the south follows a similar schedule (antiques Mon 5:00-16:00, general market Tue-Fri 9:30-18:30, handcrafts Sat-Sun 9:30-17:30, tel. 020/7836-2139, www.jubileemarket.co.uk).
Brixton Market—This seedy neighborhood south of the Thames features yet another thriving market. Here the food, clothing, records, and hair-braiding throb with an Afro-Caribbean beat (stalls open Mon-Sat 8:00-18:00, Wed until 15:00, farmer’s market Sun 10:00-14:00 but otherwise dead on Sun; Tube: Brixton, www.brixtonmarket.net).
Borough Market—The Southwark neighborhood hosts a carnival of food under the Borough Bridge, with stalls selling produce, baked goods, cheeses, and other delicacies (Thu 11:00-17:00, Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun-Wed except open daily the week before Christmas, Tube: London Bridge, tel. 020/7407-1002, www.boroughmarket.org.uk).
With several sightseeing treats just a quick DLR ride from central London, Greenwich has its share of great markets, especially lively on weekends. For details, see here.
London’s famous auctioneers welcome the curious public for viewing and bidding. You can preview estate catalogs or browse auction calendars online. To ask questions or set up an appointment, contact Sotheby’s (Mon-Fri 9:00-16:30, closed Sat-Sun, recommended “The Café at Sotheby’s” on site, 34-35 New Bond Street—see map on here, Tube: Oxford Circus, tel. 020/7293-5000, www.sothebys.com) or Christie’s (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat-Sun usually 12:00-17:00 but weekend hours vary—call ahead, 8 King Street, Tube: Green Park, tel. 020/7839-9060, www.christies.com).
For the best list of what’s happening and a look at the latest London scene, pick up a current copy of Time Out (£3 at newsstands, www.timeout.com). The TI’s free monthly London Planner covers sights, events, and plays at least as well as Time Out does.
London’s theater rivals Broadway’s in quality and usually beats it in price. Choose from 200 offerings—Shakespeare, musicals, comedies, thrillers, sex farces, cutting-edge fringe, revivals starring movie celebs, and more. London does it all well. I prefer big, glitzy—even bombastic—musicals over serious chamber dramas, simply because London can deliver the lights, booming voices, dancers, and multimedia spectacle I rarely get back home. (If you’re a regular visitor to Broadway or Las Vegas—where you have access to similar spectacles—you might prefer some of London’s more low-key offerings.) For a rundown of what’s hot right now, see the “What’s On in the West End” sidebar.
There are also plenty of enticing plays to choose from, ranging from revivals of classics to cutting-edge works by the hottest young playwrights. Many star huge-name celebrities (you’ll see the latest offerings advertised all over the Tube and elsewhere). London is a magnet for movie stars who want to stretch their acting chops.
Most theaters, marked on tourist maps, are found in the West End between Piccadilly and Covent Garden. Box offices, hotels, and TIs offer a handy, free, and weekly Official London Theatre Guide. From home, you can look online at www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk for the latest on what’s currently playing in London.
Most performances are nightly except Sunday, usually with one or two matinees a week. The few shows that run on Sundays are mostly family fare (Matilda, The Lion King, and so on) and, in summer, Shakespeare at the Globe (late April-early Oct—and possibly year-round once their new indoor Jacobean Theatre opens, likely in late 2013). Tickets range from about £15 to £65. Matinees are generally cheaper and rarely sell out.
Theater Lingo: It’s helpful to know these terms when booking tickets—stalls (ground floor), dress circle (first balcony), upper circle (second balcony), balcony (sky-high third balcony), slips (cheap seats on the fringes). Many cheap seats have a restricted view (behind a pillar). For floor plans of the various theaters, see www.theatremonkey.com.
Choose between waiting to buy your tickets in London (offering you flexibility and the possibility of getting a deal that’s available only locally), or prebooking from home (a safer bet if you have your heart set on a particular show that’s likely to sell out).
Getting Tickets in London: Many tickets are available on short notice—likely at a discount. While very popular shows sell out early (especially for weekend performances), nearly-as-popular shows may offer discounted tickets to fill seats. Seeing all those glitzy ads in the Tube may make you curious as to what’s on: Drop by the discount tkts booth on Leicester Square to find out (explained in next section). If you’re interested in a particular show, call or check the theater’s website carefully to see if they’re offering any deals; if not, you might as well book through tkts.
Booking Tickets Before You Go: To book in advance online or by phone, do your homework to figure out what you want; browse your options at www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Booking ahead is smart if there’s a show you must see, it’s very popular, and your time in London is quite limited (e.g., a couple of days—and remember that on weekends, plays are more likely to get booked up). It’s also worth checking to see if the tickets for your preferred show are sold at full price even by the discount tkts booth in London (check their website at www.tkts.co.uk to determine this); in this case, it’s less likely that you’ll score a deal by waiting until you get to London (and more risky that the show will sell out before you arrive).
The easiest way to book seats online is by going through the theater’s website; punch in possible dates, check their seating chart for availability, and select your seats. Most theater websites link you to a preferred vendor such as www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.seetickets.com.
Another option is calling the theater box office (which may ring through to a central ticketing office); ask about seats and available dates. You can call from the US as easily as from England.
Whether you book online or over the phone, you pay with your credit card. A service charge of £3 per ticket is typical if you book direct with the theater. You may be offered the option of having your tickets emailed to you (you print them out); otherwise, you arrive about 30 minutes before the show starts to pick up your tickets at “Will Call.”
Avoid buying tickets through third-party, middleman agencies, which mark up their prices dramatically (explained further in “Booking Through Other Agencies,” below).
You have three basic options for booking tickets: Using the discount tkts booth at Leicester Square (ideal for discounted same-day tickets, and sometimes for tickets up to a week ahead); booking direct at the theater’s box office (best if you can get a special deal, such as a last-minute return or a same-day deal); or buying through an agency (expensive and worthwhile only if you’re desperate for a sold-out show). Here are sample prices: A top-notch seat to Chicago costs £66 if you buy directly from the theater; the same seat costs £36.75 through tkts at Leicester Square. The cheapest (restricted view) seat is £26 through the theater. If you get tickets from a third-party agency for a popular date that’s sold out, you could pay much more than face value.
Discount “tkts” Booth: This famous ticket booth at Leicester (LESS-ter) Square, run by the Society of London Theatre, sells discounted tickets for top-price seats to shows on the push list. Even big-name shows can turn up on this list. Most tickets are half-price; other shows are discounted 25 percent (in either case, you’ll pay a £3 service charge per ticket). For some extremely popular shows, they sell full-price tickets without the service charge (so it costs the same as at the box office). For about half of the shows, discounted tickets are available only on the day of the performance, although more theaters are selling discounted tickets through tkts up to a week ahead. Their website (www.tkts.co.uk) lists ticket availability and prices, but you must buy in person at their kiosk. A similar list is posted next to the kiosk—survey your options before you queue (or if the line is long, while you’re in the queue). It’s smart to have two or three options in mind, just in case your first choice is sold out when you reach the counter. While the line forms early, it tends to move fast. Unless you have your heart set on a particular show that has only same-day tickets, consider dropping by later in the day, when it’s a bit less crowded—many tickets will still be available (open Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 11:00-16:00). Warning: Note that the real booth (with its “tkts” name) is a freestanding kiosk at the edge of the garden in Leicester Square. Several dishonest outfits nearby advertise “official half-price tickets”—avoid these, where you’ll rarely pay anything close to half-price.
Booking Direct (at the Theater’s Box Office): While tkts generally has seats that are as cheap or cheaper than at the theater itself, the advantage of buying direct is that you may have access to deals that you can’t get anywhere else. Most theaters offer cheap returned tickets, standing-room, matinee, senior or student standby deals, and more. (Discounted tickets, called “concessions,” are indicated with a “conc” or “s” in the listings.) Picking up a late return can get you a great seat at a cheap-seat price. Great seats can sell for low prices—if you know the right time to show up. A good plan for same-day deals is to arrive at the box office right when it opens. For example, the popular show Wicked saves its front-row tickets to sell at half-price at 10:00 on the day of the show, but you must buy them in person at the box office...and on busy days, people line up early. (Restrictions may apply: You may be limited to two half-price tickets; if you can buy multiple cheap tickets, the seats may not be together; and with front-row seats, be warned you may not be able to see the stage floor or actors’ feet.) To find out about deals, look at the show’s website, call the box office, or simply drop in to find out the drill (the theaters are mostly in highly trafficked tourist areas, so you’re likely to wander past your chosen theater at some point during your visit). Even if a show is “sold out,” there’s usually a way to get a seat. Call the theater box office and ask how.
If you don’t care where you sit, you can often buy the absolute cheapest seats—those with an obstructed view or in the nosebleed section—at the box office; these tickets often cost less than £20. Some theaters are so small that there’s hardly a bad seat. After the lights go down, scooting up is less than a capital offense. Shakespeare did it.
Booking Through Other Agencies: Although booking through a middleman (such as the TI, your hotel, or ticket agency) is quick and easy, prices are inflated by a standard 25 percent fee. Ticket agencies (whether in the US or in London) are just scalpers with an address. If you’re buying from an agency, look at the ticket carefully (your price should be no more than 30 percent over the printed face value; the 20 percent VAT is already included in the face value) and understand where you’re sitting according to the floor plan (if your view is restricted, it will state this on the ticket).
Agencies are worthwhile only if a show you’ve just got to see is sold out at the box office. They scarf up hot tickets, planning to make a killing after the show is sold out. US booking agencies get their tickets from another agency, adding to your expense by involving yet another middleman. Many tickets sold on the street are forgeries. Although some theaters use booking agencies to handle their advance sales, you’ll likely save money by avoiding the middleman.
West End Theaters: The commercial (nonsubsidized) theaters cluster around Soho (especially along Shaftesbury Avenue) and Covent Garden. With a centuries-old tradition of pleasing the masses, these present London theater at its glitziest (see the sidebar for a sampling of what’s playing here).
Plays: If you’re interested in straight-up plays rather than bombastic West-End musicals or Shakespeare (explained next), you’ll have many choices. A few recent cinematic blockbusters (including The King’s Speech and War Horse) started out as London plays. Straight plays tend to have shorter runs than famous musicals: Check out the latest at www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk, ask at the tkts booth, or just watch for ads on the Tube. One particularly good venue is the Royal National Theatre, which has a range of impressive options, often starring recognizable names; while ugly on the outside, the acts that play out upon its stage are beautiful (looming on the South Bank by Waterloo Bridge, www.nationaltheatre.org.uk). Since 2003, Kevin Spacey has been the artistic director of The Old Vic theater. He has directed and appeared in several productions, and has enlisted many big-name film directors and actors for others (tucked behind Waterloo Station, www.oldvictheatre.com).
Royal Shakespeare Company: If you’ll ever enjoy Shakespeare, it’ll be in Britain. The RSC performs at various theaters around London and in Stratford-upon-Avon year-round. To get a schedule, contact the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, tel. 0844-800-1110, www.rsc.org.uk).
Shakespeare’s Globe: To see Shakespeare in a replica of the theater for which he wrote his plays, attend a play at the Globe. In this round, thatch-roofed, open-air theater, the plays are performed much as Shakespeare intended—under the sky, with no amplification.
The play’s the thing from late April through early October (usually Mon 19:30, Tue-Sat 14:00 and 19:30, Sun either 13:00 and/or 18:30, tickets can be sold out months in advance). You’ll pay £5 to stand and £15-39 to sit, usually on a backless bench. Because only a few rows and the pricier Gentlemen’s Rooms have seats with backs, £1 cushions and £3 add-on back rests are considered a good investment by many. Dress for the weather.
The £5 “groundling” tickets—which are open to rain—are most fun. Scurry in early to stake out a spot on the stage’s edge, where the most interaction with the actors occurs. You’re a crude peasant. You can lean your elbows on the stage, munch a picnic dinner (yes, you can bring in food), or walk around. I’ve never enjoyed Shakespeare as much as here, performed as it was meant to be in the “wooden O.” If you can’t get a ticket, consider waiting around. Plays can be long, and many groundlings leave before the end. Hang around outside and beg or buy a ticket from someone leaving early (groundlings are allowed to come and go). A few non-Shakespeare plays are also presented each year. If you can’t attend a show, you can take a guided tour of the theater and museum by day (see here).
By the fall of 2013, the Globe is hoping to open a new, indoor Jacobean Theatre within the Globe complex. This will allow top-quality Shakespearean and other plays to be performed through the winter. Check online or call the Globe box office for details.
To reserve tickets for plays at the Globe, call or drop by the box office (Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-17:00, open one hour later on performance days, New Globe Walk entrance, no extra charge to book by phone, tel. 020/7401-9919). You can also reserve online (www.shakespearesglobe.com, £2.50 booking fee). If the tickets are sold out, don’t despair; a few often free up at the last minute. Try calling around noon the day of the performance to see if the box office expects any returned tickets. If so, they’ll advise you to show up a little more than an hour before the show, when these tickets are sold (first-come, first-served).
The theater is on the South Bank, directly across the Thames over the Millennium Bridge from St. Paul’s Cathedral (Tube: Mansion House or London Bridge). The Globe is inconvenient for public transport, but the courtesy phone in the lobby lets you get a minicab in minutes. (These minicabs have set fees—e.g., £8 to South Kensington—but generally cost less than a metered cab and provide fine and honest service.) During theater season, there’s a regular supply of black cabs outside the main foyer on New Globe Walk.
Outdoor Theater in Summer: Enjoy Shakespearean drama and other plays under the stars at the Open Air Theatre, in leafy Regent’s Park in north London. Food is allowed: You can bring your own picnic; order à la carte from the theater menu; or pre-order a £25 picnic supper from the theater at least 48 hours in advance (tickets £12-50; season runs late May-mid-Sept, order tickets online after mid-Jan or by phone Mon-Sun 9:00-21:00—£1 booking fee by phone, no fee if ordering online or in person; tel. 0844-826-4242, www.openairtheatre.org; grounds open 1.5 hours prior to evening performances, one hour prior to matinees; 10-minute walk north of Baker Street Tube, near Queen Mary’s Gardens within Regent’s Park; detailed directions and more info at www.openairtheatre.org).
Fringe Theater: London’s rougher evening-entertainment scene is thriving, filling pages in Time Out. Choose from a wide range of fringe theater and comedy acts (generally £5).
For easy, cheap, or free concerts in historic churches, ask the TI (or check Time Out) about lunch concerts, especially:
St. Martin-in-the-Fields also hosts fine evening concerts by candlelight (£8-28, several nights a week at 19:30) and live jazz in its underground Café in the Crypt (£5.50 or £9, Wed at 20:00).
Evensong services are held at several churches, including:
Free organ recitals are usually held on Sunday at 17:45 in Westminster Abbey (30 minutes, tel. 020/7222-5152). Many other churches have free concerts; ask for the London Organ Concerts Guide at the TI.
Prom Concerts: For a fun classical event (mid-July-mid-Sept), attend a Prom Concert (shortened from “Promenade Concert”) during the annual festival at the Royal Albert Hall. Nightly concerts are offered at give-a-peasant-some-culture prices (£5 “Promming”—standing-room spots—sold at the door, £7 restricted-view seats, most £20-54 but depends on performance, Tube: South Kensington, tel. 0845-401-5045, www.bbc.co.uk/proms).
Opera: Some of the world’s best opera is belted out at the prestigious Royal Opera House, near Covent Garden (box office tel. 020/7304-4000, www.roh.org.uk), and at the London Coliseum (English National Opera, St. Martin’s Lane, Tube: Leicester Square, box office tel. 0871-911-0200, www.eno.org). Or consider taking in an unusual opera at the King’s Head pub in Islington, home of London’s Little Opera House (11 Upper Street, Tube: Angel, tel. 020/7478-0160, www.kingsheadtheatre.com).
Dance: Sadler’s Wells Theatre features both international and UK-based dance troupes (Rosebery Avenue, Islington, Tube: Angel, info tel. 020/7863-8198, box office tel. 0844-412-4300, www.sadlerswells.com).
Evening Museum Visits: Many museums are open an evening or two during the week, offering fewer crowds. See the list on here.
Tours: Guided walks are offered several times a day and vary by theme: ancient London, museums, legal London, Dickens, Beatles, Jewish quarter, Christopher Wren, and so on. In the evening, expect a more limited choice: ghosts, Jack the Ripper, pubs, or literature. See a list of walking-tour companies on here.
To see the city illuminated at night, consider a bus tour. A two-hour London by Night Sightseeing Tour leaves several times an evening from Victoria Station and other points (see here).
Cruises: In summer, boats sail as late as 19:00 between Westminster Pier (near Big Ben) and the Tower of London. (For details, see here.)
A handful of outfits run Thames River evening cruises with four-course meals and dancing. London Showboat offers the best value (£75, May-Sept Wed-Sun, April and Oct Thu-Sun, March and Nov Thu-Sat, Jan-Feb Fri-Sat, 3.5 hours, departs at 19:30 from Westminster Pier and returns by 23:00, reservations necessary, tel. 020/7740-0400, www.citycruises.com). Dinner cruises are also offered by Bateaux London (£76-143, tel. 020/7695-1800, www.bateauxlondon.com). For more on cruising, get the River Thames Boat Services brochure from a London TI.
If you’re visiting London in summer, consider hitting the South Bank neighborhood after hours.
Take a trip around the London Eye while the sun sets over the city (the wheel spins until late—last ascent at 21:30 July-Aug, 21:00 April-June, 20:00 Sept-March). Then cap your night with an evening walk along the pedestrian-only Jubilee Walkway, which runs east-west along the river. It’s where Londoners go to escape the heat. This pleasant stretch of the walkway—lined with pubs and casual eateries—goes from the London Eye past Shakespeare’s Globe to Tower Bridge (you can walk in either direction).
If you’re in the mood for a movie, take in a flick at the BFI Southbank, located just across the river, alongside Waterloo Bridge. Run by the British Film Institute, the state-of-the-art theater shows mostly classic films, as well as art cinema (£10, £5 on Tue and weekday matinees, Tube: Waterloo or Embankment, box office tel. 020/7928-3232, check www.bfi.org.uk for schedules).
Farther east along the South Bank is The Scoop—an outdoor amphitheater next to City Hall. It’s a good spot for movies, concerts, dance, and theater productions throughout the summer—with Tower Bridge as a scenic backdrop. These events are free, nearly nightly, and family-friendly. For the latest event schedule, see www.morelondon.com and click on “The Scoop at More London” (next to City Hall, Riverside, The Queen’s Walkway, Tube: London Bridge).
London is an expensive city for lodging. Cheaper rooms are relatively dumpy. Don’t expect £130 cheeriness in an £80 room. For £70, you’ll get a double with breakfast in a safe, cramped, and dreary place with minimal service and the bathroom down the hall. For £90, you’ll get a basic, clean, reasonably cheery double with a private bath in a usually cramped, cracked-plaster building, or a soulless but comfortable room without breakfast in a huge Motel 6-type place. My London splurges, at £160-290, are spacious, thoughtfully appointed places good for entertaining or romancing.
Looking for Hotel Deals Online: Given London’s high hotel prices, using the Internet can help you score a deal. Various websites list rooms in high-rise, three- and four-star business hotels. You’ll give up the charm and warmth of a family-run establishment, and breakfast probably won’t be included, but you might find that the price is right.
Start by browsing the websites of several chains to get a sense of typical rates and online deals. For listings of no-frills, Motel 6-type places, see “Big, Good-Value, Modern Hotels,” later.
Pricier London hotel chains include Millennium/Copthorne (www.millenniumhotels.com), Thistle (www.thistle.com), Intercontinental/Holiday Inn (www.ichotelsgroup.com), Radisson (www.radisson.com), Hilton (www.hilton.com), and Red Carnation (www.redcarnationhotels.com).
Auction-type sites (such as www.priceline.com or www.hotwire.com) match flexible travelers with empty hotel rooms, often at prices well below the hotel’s normal rates.
My readers report good experiences with these accommodation discount sites: www.londontown.com (an informative site with a discount booking service), http://athomeinlondon.co.uk and www.londonbb.com (both list central B&Bs), www.lastminute.com, www.visitlondon.com, http://roomsnet.com, and www.eurocheapo.com.
Using a Booking Agency: Cross-Pollinate is an online agency representing B&Bs and apartments in a handful of European cities, including London. They handpick their listings, presenting each one as if recommending it to a friend. Search their website for a listing you like, then submit your reservation online. If the place is available, you’ll be charged a small deposit and emailed the location and check-in details. Policies vary from owner to owner, but in most cases you’ll pay the balance on arrival in cash. Minimum stays vary from one to five nights (US tel. 800-270-1190, UK tel. 020/3514-0083, www.cross-pollinate.com, info@cross-pollinate.com).
The streets behind Victoria Station teem with little, moderately priced-for-London B&Bs. It’s a safe, surprisingly tidy, and decent area without a hint of the trashy, touristy glitz of the streets in front of the station. I’ve divided these accommodations into two broad categories: Belgravia, west of the station, feels particularly posh, while Pimlico, to the east, is still upscale and dotted with colorful eateries. While I wouldn’t go out of my way just to dine here, each area has plenty of good restaurants (see here). All of the recommended hotels are within a five-minute walk of the Victoria Tube, bus, and train stations. On hot summer nights, request a quiet back room; most of these B&Bs lack air-conditioning and may front busy streets.
The best laundry options are on the east side (Pimlico): Launderette Centre is particularly central, a block northeast of Warwick Square (same-day full-service for less than £10, about £7 self-service, Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00, Sat 8:00-19:00, Sun 9:00-20:00, last wash 2 hours before closing, 31 Churton Street, tel. 020/7828-6039). Pimlico Launderette is a bit farther out—about five blocks southwest of Warwick Square—but the low prices and friendly George make it worth the effort (£7.20 same-day full service, £5-6 self-service, daily 8:00-19:00; 3 Westmoreland Terrace—go down Clarendon Street, turn right on Sutherland, and look for the launderette on the left at the end of the street; tel. 020/7821-8692).
Drivers like the 400-space Semley Place NCP parking garage, near the hotels on the west—Belgravia—side (£36/day, possible discounts with hotel voucher, just west of the Victoria Coach Station at Buckingham Palace Road and Semley Place, tel. 0845-050-7080, www.ncp.co.uk).
Here in Belgravia, the prices are a bit higher and your neighbors include Andrew Lloyd Webber and Margaret Thatcher (her policeman stands outside 73 Chester Square). All of these places line up along tranquil Ebury Street, two blocks over from Victoria Station.
$$$ Lime Tree Hotel, enthusiastically run by Charlotte and Matt, comes with 25 spacious, stylish, comfortable, thoughtfully decorated rooms and a fun-loving breakfast room (Sb-£99, Db-£150, larger superior Db-£175, Tb-£195, family room-£210, usually cheaper Jan-Feb, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, small lounge opens onto quiet garden, 135 Ebury Street, tel. 020/7730-8191, www.limetreehotel.co.uk, info@limetreehotel.co.uk, Ariane manages the office, trusty Alan covers the night shift).
$$ Cartref House B&B offers rare charm on Ebury Street, with 10 delightful rooms and a warm welcome (Sb-£82, Db-£115, Tb-£151, Qb-£185, fans, free Wi-Fi, 129 Ebury Street, tel. 020/7730-6176, www.cartrefhouse.co.uk, info@cartrefhouse.co.uk, Sharon and Derek).
$$ Morgan House, a great budget choice in this neighborhood, has 11 rooms and is entertainingly run, with lots of travel tips and friendly chat from owner Rachel Joplin and her staff (S-£58, D-£84, Db-£108, T-£108, family suites: Tb-£148, Qb-£158, free Wi-Fi, 120 Ebury Street, tel. 020/7730-2384, www.morganhouse.co.uk, morganhouse@btclick.com).
This area is a bit less genteel-feeling than Belgravia, but still plenty inviting, with eateries and grocery stores. Most of these hotels are on or near Warwick Way, the main drag through this area. Generally the best Tube stop for this neighborhood is Victoria (though the Pimlico stop works equally well for the Luna Simone Hotel). Bus #24 runs right through the middle of Pimlico, connecting Tate Britain to the south with Victoria Station, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, and much more to the north.
$$ Luna Simone Hotel rents 36 fresh, spacious, nicely remodeled rooms with modern bathrooms. It’s a smartly managed place, run for more than 40 years by twins Peter and Bernard—and Bernard’s son Mark—and they still seem to enjoy their work (Sb-£75, Db-£110, Tb-£135, Qb-£165, these prices with cash and this book in 2013, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, near the corner of Charlwood Street and Belgrave Road at 47 Belgrave Road, handy bus #24 to Victoria Station and Trafalgar Square stops out front, tel. 020/7834-5897, www.lunasimonehotel.com, stay@lunasimonehotel.com).
$$ New England Hotel, run by Jay and the Patel family, has slightly worn public spaces and somewhat faded but well-priced rooms in a tight old corner building (small Sb-£59, Db-£89, Tb-£119, Qb-£129, prices soft during slow times, pay Wi-Fi, 20 Saint George’s Drive, tel. 020/7834-8351, fax 020/7834-9000, www.newenglandhotel.com, mystay@newenglandhotel.com).
$$ Best Western Victoria Palace offers modern business-class comfort compared to the other creaky old hotels listed here. Choose between the 43 rooms in the main building (Db-£120, includes breakfast, elevator, 60-64 Warwick Way), or pay a quarter less by booking a nearly identical room in one of the two annexes, each a half-block away—an excellent value for this neighborhood if you skip breakfast. All three buildings have been recently renovated (annex Db-£89, breakfast-£12.50, air-con, no elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, 17 Belgrave Road and 1 Warwick Way, reception at main building, tel. 020/7821-7113, fax 020/7630-0806, www.bestwesternvictoriapalace.co.uk, info@bestwesternvictoriapalace.co.uk).
$$ Jubilee Hotel is a well-run, colorful slumbermill with 24 tiny, simple rooms and many tiny, neat beds (S-£39-45, Sb-£59-65, tiny D-£55-65, Db-£79-89, Tb-£89-95, Qb-£99-109, rates depend on season and length of stay, 5 percent Rick Steves discount if you book direct and pay cash, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, 31 Eccleston Square, tel. 020/7834-0845, www.jubileehotel.co.uk, stay@jubileehotel.co.uk, Bob Patel).
$$ Bakers Hotel shoehorns 11 brightly painted rooms into a small building, but it’s conveniently located and offers modest prices and a small breakfast (S-£50, D-£65, Db-£85, T-£85, Tb-£105, family room-£120, less for longer stays and on weeknights, ask for Rick Steves discount when booking direct, free Wi-Fi, 126 Warwick Way, tel. 020/7834-0729, www.bakershotel.co.uk, reservations@bakershotel.co.uk, Amin Jamani).
$ Cherry Court Hotel, run by the friendly and industrious Patel family, rents 12 very small but bright and well-designed rooms in a central location. Considering London’s sky-high prices, this is a fine budget choice (Sb-£55, Db-£65, Tb-£105, Qb-£120, Quint/b-£130, these prices with this book in 2013, 5 percent fee to pay with credit card, fruit-basket breakfast in room, air-con, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, laundry, peaceful garden patio, 23 Hugh Street, tel. 020/7828-2840, fax 020/7828-0393, www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk, info@cherrycourthotel.co.uk).
$ easyHotel Victoria, at 36 Belgrave Road, is part of the budget chain described on here.
To stay on a quiet street so classy it doesn’t allow hotel signs, surrounded by trendy shops and colorful restaurants, call “South Ken” your London home. Shoppers like being a short walk from Harrods and the designer shops of King’s Road and Chelsea. When I splurge, I splurge here. Sumner Place is just off Old Brompton Road, 200 yards from the handy South Kensington Tube station (on Circle Line, two stops from Victoria Station; and on Piccadilly Line, direct from Heathrow). A handy launderette is on the corner of Queensberry Place and Harrington Road (Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-18:00, last wash one hour before closing, bring 50p and £1 coins).
$$$ Aster House, well-run by friendly and accommodating Simon and Leonie Tan, has a cheerful lobby, lounge, and breakfast room. Its 13 rooms are comfy and quiet, with TV, phone, and air-conditioning. Enjoy breakfast or just lounging in the whisper-elegant Orangery, a glassy greenhouse. Simon and Leonie offer free loaner mobile phones to their guests (Sb-£125, Db-£190, bigger Db-£235 or £270, does not include 20 percent VAT; significant discount offered to readers of this book in 2013—up to 20 percent discount if you book three or more nights, up to 25 percent discount for five or more nights; additional 5 percent off with cash, check website for specials, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi, 3 Sumner Place, tel. 020/7581-5888, fax 020/7584-4925, www.asterhouse.com, asterhouse@btinternet.com).
$$$ Number Sixteen, for well-heeled travelers, packs over-the-top formality and class into its 41 rooms, plush lounges, and tranquil garden. It’s in a labyrinthine building, with boldly modern decor—perfect for an urban honeymoon (Sb-from £140, Db-from £225—but soft, ask for discounted “seasonal rates,” especially on weekends and in Aug—subject to availability, does not include 20 percent VAT, breakfast buffet in the garden-£18 continental or £19 full English, elevator, free Internet access, pay Wi-Fi, 16 Sumner Place, tel. 020/7589-5232, fax 020/7584-8615, US tel. 800-553-6674, www.firmdalehotels.com, sixteen@firmdale.com).
$$$ The Pelham Hotel, a 52-room business-class hotel with crisp service and a pricey mix of pretense and style, is not quite sure which investment company owns it. It’s genteel, with low lighting and a pleasant drawing room among the many perks (Db-£190-290, rate depends on room size and season, breakfast-£15 continental or £18 full English, does not include 20 percent VAT, lower prices on weekends and in Aug, Web specials can include free breakfast, air-con, elevator, free Internet access, pay Wi-Fi, fitness room, 15 Cromwell Place, tel. 020/7589-8288, fax 020/7584-8444, US tel. 1-888-757-5587, www.pelhamhotel.co.uk, reservations@pelhamhotel.co.uk).
$$ Brompton Hotel is a humble, borderline-dreary, last-resort place with 24 rooms above a jumble of cafés and clubs. There’s a noisy bar and some street noise, so ask for a room in the back if you want quiet. It has old carpet and no public spaces, and they serve breakfast in your room. In spite of all this, its rates are reasonable for this upscale neighborhood (Sb-£100, Db-£110, Tb-£160, “deluxe” rooms are just like the others but with a tub, save a little by booking via their website, includes continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, across from the South Kensington Tube station at 30 Brompton Road, tel. 020/7584-4517, fax 020/7823-9936, www.bromhotel.com, book@bromhotel.com).
Residential Notting Hill has quick bus and Tube access to downtown, and, for London, is very “homely” (Brit-speak for cozy). It’s also peppered with trendy bars and restaurants, and is home to the famous Portobello Road Market (see here).
Popular with young international travelers, the Bayswater street called Queensway is a multicultural festival of commerce and eateries. The neighborhood does its dirty clothes at Galaxy Launderette (£6-8 self-service, £10-12 full-service, Mon-Sat 8:00-20:00, Sun 9:00-20:00, staff on hand with soap and coins, 65 Moscow Road, at corner of St. Petersburgh Place and Moscow Road, tel. 020/7229-7771). For Internet access, you’ll find several stops along busy Queensway, and a self-serve bank of computer terminals on the food-circus level—third floor—of Whiteleys Shopping Centre (daily 8:30-24:00, corner of Queensway and Porchester Gardens—see here).
Several big, old hotels line quiet Kensington Gardens Square (not to be confused with the much bigger Kensington Gardens adjacent to Hyde Park), a block west of bustling Queensway, north of Bayswater Tube station. These hotels are quiet for central London, but the area feels a bit sterile, and the hotels here tend to be impersonal.
$$$ Vancouver Studios offers 45 modern, tastefully furnished rooms with fully equipped kitchenettes (utensils, stove, microwave, and fridge) rather than breakfast. It faces Kensington Gardens Square in front and its own tranquil garden patio out back (Sb-£92, Db-£135, Tb-£175, extra bed-£20, 10 percent discount for seven or more nights, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi, welcoming lounge, 30 Prince’s Square, tel. 020/7243-1270, fax 020/7221-8678, www.vancouverstudios.co.uk, info@vancouverstudios.co.uk).
$$$ Garden Court Hotel is homey and understated, with 32 simple, slightly dated rooms and a peaceful garden in back. Edward takes pride in the hotel his family has run for more than 50 years (S-£50, Sb-£80, D-£80, Db-£130, Tb-£160, Qb-£180, these prices when booked direct with this book in 2013, elevator, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi, 30-31 Kensington Gardens Square, tel. 020/7229-2553, fax 020/7727-2749, www.gardencourthotel.co.uk, info@gardencourthotel.co.uk).
$$$ London House Hotel has 103 cookie-cutter rooms right on Kensington Gardens Square. While the place lacks personality, the rates are decent considering the fine location (rates fluctuate, but generally Db-£105 weekdays and £130 on weekends, smaller rooms not facing the square are about £10 cheaper, basement family rooms-£140, check online for specific rates and last-minute deals, continental breakfast-£6, free Wi-Fi in lobby, pay Wi-Fi in rooms, 81 Kensington Gardens Square, tel. 020/7243-1810, www.londonhousehotels.com, reservations@londonhousehotels.com).
$$ Phoenix Hotel, a Best Western modernization of a 125-room hotel, offers American business-class comforts; spacious, plush public spaces; and big, modern-feeling rooms. Its prices—which range from fine value to rip-off—are determined by a greedy computer program, with huge variations according to expected demand. Book online to save money (flexible prices, but usually Sb-£65, Db-£100, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, 1-8 Kensington Gardens Square, tel. 020/7229-2494, fax 020/7727-1419, US tel. 800-528-1234, www.phoenixhotel.co.uk, info@phoenixhotel.co.uk).
$$ Kensington Gardens Hotel, which has the same owners as the Phoenix Hotel down the street (see above), laces 17 pleasant, slightly scuffed rooms together in a tall, skinny building with lots of stairs and no elevator (Ss-£59, Sb-£66, Db-£89, Tb-£112; book by phone or email for these special Rick Steves prices—and if booking on their website be sure to ask for the Rick Steves discount under “Additional Information”; continental breakfast served at Phoenix Hotel, free Wi-Fi, 9 Kensington Gardens Square, tel. 020/7243-7600, fax 020/7792-8612, www.kensingtongardenshotel.co.uk, info@kensingtongardenshotel.co.uk, Rowshanak).
$$ Princes Square Guest Accommodation is a big, soulless place renting 50 businesslike rooms with modern decor. It’s well-located, practical, and a good value, especially if you can score a good rate (prices fluctuate with demand, but generally Sb-£65-70, Db-£80-90, Tb-£100-120, email to ask for best price, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, 23-25 Princes Square, tel. 020/7229-9876, www.princessquarehotel.co.uk, info@princessquarehotel.co.uk).
$$$ Westland Hotel, conveniently located on a busy street a five-minute walk from the Notting Hill neighborhood, feels like a wood-paneled hunting lodge with a fine lounge. The 32 spacious rooms are comfortable, with old-fashioned charm. Their £173 doubles are the best value, but check their website for specials. It’s been run by the Isseyegh family for three generations (Sb-£145, deluxe Sb-£165, Db-£173, deluxe Db-£202, cavernous premier Db-£229, sprawling Tb-£220-256, gargantuan Qb-£247-293, Quint/b-£311, 15 percent discount if you book at least three weeks in advance, elevator, free Wi-Fi, garage-£20/day, between Notting Hill Gate and Queensway Tube stations at 154 Bayswater Road, tel. 020/7229-9191, fax 020/7727-1054, www.westlandhotel.co.uk, reservations@westlandhotel.co.uk, Shirley and Bertie).
$$$ London Vicarage Hotel is family-run, understandably popular, and elegantly British in a quiet, classy neighborhood. It has 17 rooms furnished with taste and quality, a TV lounge, a grand staircase, and facilities on each floor. Mandy and Monika maintain a homey atmosphere (S-£63, Sb-£107, D-£107, Db-£136, T-£136, Tb-£178, Q-£152, Qb-£200, 20 percent less in winter—check website, free Wi-Fi; 8-minute walk from Notting Hill Gate and High Street Kensington Tube stations, near Kensington Palace at 10 Vicarage Gate; tel. 020/7229-4030, fax 020/7792-5989, www.londonvicaragehotel.com, vicaragehotel@btconnect.com).
$$ The Gate Hotel has seven cramped but decent rooms on a delightful curved street near the start of the Portobello Road Market, in the heart of the characteristic Notting Hill neighborhood. While the lodgings are basic and could be cleaner, the prices are low for this area and the romantic setting might be worth it for some (Sb-£60, Db-£85, bigger “luxury” Db-£95, Tb-£115; higher prices Fri-Sat; 5 percent fee to pay with credit card, continental breakfast in room, no elevator, pay Wi-Fi, 6 Portobello Road, Tube: Notting Hill Gate, tel. 020/7221-0707, fax 020/7221-9128, www.gatehotel.co.uk, bookings@gatehotel.co.uk, Jasmine).
$ Norwegian YWCA (Norsk K.F.U.K.)—where English is definitely a second language—is open to any Norwegian woman, and to non-Norwegian women under 30. (Men must be under 30 with a Norwegian passport.) Located on a quiet, stately street, it offers a study, TV room, piano lounge, and an open-face Norwegian ambience (goat cheese on Sundays!). They have mostly quads, so those willing to share a room with strangers are most likely to get a bed (July-Aug: Ss-£45, shared double-£44/bed, shared triple-£39/bed, shared quad-£35.50/bed, includes breakfast year-round plus sack lunch and dinner Sept-June, £20 key deposit and £3 membership fee required, pay Wi-Fi, 52 Holland Park, Tube: Holland Park, tel. 020/7727-9346 or 020/7727-9897, www.kfukhjemmet.org.uk, kontor@kfukhjemmet.org.uk). With each visit, I wonder which is easier to get—a sex change or a Norwegian passport?
At the far-east end of Bayswater, the neighborhood around Paddington Station—while much less charming than the other areas I’ve recommended—is pleasant enough, and very convenient to the Heathrow Express airport train. The area is flanked by the Paddington and Lancaster Gate Tube stops. Most of my recommendations circle Norfolk Square, just two blocks in front of Paddington Station, yet are still quiet and comfortable. The main drag, London Street, is lined with handy eateries—pubs, Indian, Italian, Greek, Lebanese, and more—plus convenience stores and an Internet café. (Better restaurants are a short stroll to the west, near Queensway and Notting Hill—see here.) To reach this area, exit the station toward Praed Street (with your back to the tracks, it’s to the left). Once outside, continue straight across Praed Street and down London Street; Norfolk Square is a block ahead on the left.
These places (and many more on the same street) are similar; all offer small rooms at a reasonable price, in tall buildings with lots of stairs and no elevator. I’ve chosen the ones that offer the most reasonable prices and the warmest welcome.
$$ St. David’s Hotels, run by the Neokleous family, has 60 rooms in several adjacent buildings. The rooms are small—as is typical for less expensive hotels in London—and basic, with minimal amenities, but the staff is friendly (S-£50-60, Sb-£70-85, D-£70-85, Db-£90-120, Tb-£100-130, free Wi-Fi, 14-20 Norfolk Square, tel. 020/7723-3856, fax 020/7402-9061, www.stdavidshotels.com, info@stdavidshotels.com).
$$ Tudor Court Hotel has 38 colorful rooms conscientiously run by Connan and the Gupta family. While the tiny rooms are tight (with prefab plastic bathrooms) and the rates are a bit high, this place distinguishes itself with its warm welcome and attention to detail. If you smell them cooking up a big batch of curry rice, the Guptas are getting ready to take it to the homeless shelter, where they volunteer each week (S-£54-63, Sb-£95-108, “compact” Db-£99-120, larger “standard” Db-£135-165, “compact” Tb-£144-180, larger “standard” Tb-£162-198, family room-£180-225, higher rates are for Fri-Sat and other busy times, free Wi-Fi, 10-12 Norfolk Square, tel. 020/7723-5157, fax 020/7723-0727, www.tudorcourtpaddington.co.uk, reservations@tudorcourtpaddington.co.uk).
$$ Falcon Hotel, a lesser value, has less personality and 19 simple, old-school, slightly musty rooms (S-£59, Sb-£69, D-£85, Db-£95, twin Db-£99, Tb-£139, Qb-£149, rates flex with demand, free Internet access, pay Wi-Fi, 11 Norfolk Square, tel. 020/7723-8603, www.falcon-hotel.com, info@falcon-hotel.com).
$ easyHotel, the budget chain described on here, has a branch at 10 Norfolk Place.
To reach these hotels, follow the directions on the previous page, but continue past Norfolk Square to the big intersection with Sussex Gardens; the Royal Park is a couple of blocks to the right, and the others are immediately to the left.
$$$ The Royal Park is the neighborhood’s classy splurge, with 48 plush rooms, polished service, a genteel lounge (free champagne for guests nightly 19:00-20:00), and all the little extras (“classic” Db-official rates-£189-279, but prepaid/nonrefundable offers are as low as £139-189, bigger “executive” Db for £20 more, prices vary with demand, does not include 20 percent VAT, breakfast-£10-18, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, 3 Westbourne Terrace, tel. 020/7479-6600, fax 020/7479-6601, www.theroyalpark.com, info@theroyalpark.com).
$$ Stylotel feels like the stylish, super-modern, aluminum-clad big sister of the easyHotel chain (described on here). Instead of peeling wallpaper and ancient carpets held together with duct tape, they’ve opted for sleek styling in their 39 rooms, all with clean, hard surfaces—hardwood floors, prefab plastic bathrooms, and metallic walls. You may feel like an astronaut in a science-fiction film, but if you don’t need ye olde doilies, this place offers a good value (Sb-£69, Db-£99, Tb-£119, Qb-£139, can vary with demand—book early and direct for best rates, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, 160-162 Sussex Gardens, tel. 020/7723-1026, www.stylotel.com, info@stylotel.com, well-run by Andreas). They also have eight fancier, pricier, air-conditioned suites across the street.
$$ Olympic House Hotel has stark public spaces and a stern welcome, but its 39 business-class rooms offer predictable comfort and fewer old-timey quirks than many hotels in this price range (Sb-£75, Db-£105, rates vary with demand, air-con in most rooms costs extra, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, 138-140 Sussex Gardens, tel. 020/7723-5935, www.olympichousehotel.co.uk, olympichousehotel@btinternet.com).
Between Paddington and Bayswater: About halfway between these two hotel neighborhoods, $$ Caring Hotel, plain but affordable, has 25 tidy, nondescript rooms in a nice, quiet location just off of Hyde Park (basic D-£70, Ds-80, small Db-£90, standard Db-£100, superior Db-£120, free Wi-Fi, cheaper rooms are higher up—more stairs, 24 Craven Hill Gardens—it’s the second road with this name as you come from the park, Tube: Queensway, tel. 020/7262-8708, www.caringhotel.com, caring-hotel@tiscali.co.uk).
This neighborhood is located north of Hyde Park and near Oxford Street, a busy shopping destination. There’s a convenient Marks & Spencer department store within walking distance.
$$$ The 22 York Street B&B offers a casual alternative in the city center, renting 10 traditional, hardwood, comfortable rooms, each named for a notable London landmark (Sb-£95, Db-£129, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, inviting lounge; from Baker Street Tube station, walk 2 blocks down Baker Street and take a right to 22 York Street—since there’s no sign, just look for #22; tel. 020/7224-2990, www.22yorkstreet.co.uk, mc@22yorkstreet.co.uk, energetically run by Liz and Michael Callis).
$$$ The Sumner Hotel rents 19 rooms in a 19th-century Georgian townhouse. Decorated with fancy modern Italian furniture, this swanky place packs in all the extras (Db-£170-220 depending on size, 20 percent discount with this book in 2013, cheaper off-season, extra bed-£60, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi, 54 Upper Berkeley Street, a block and a half off Edgware Road, Tube: Marble Arch, tel. 020/7723-2244, fax 0870-705-8767, www.thesumner.com, hotel@thesumner.com).
London has an abundance of modern, impersonal, American-style chain hotels. While they lack the friendliness and funkiness of a memorable B&B, the value they provide is undeniable; doubles generally go for around £90—100 (or less–often possible with promotional rates). For a more complete description of this type of accommodation—including amenities, caveats, and tips for getting the best rates—see here. As these hotels are often located on busy streets in dreary train-station neighborhoods, use common sense after dark and wear your money belt.
For any of these, your best option is to book online at www.premierinn.com. You can also call their reservations line at 0871-527-8000 (UK toll call) or, from North America, 011-44-1582-567-890.
$$ Premier Inn London County Hall, literally down the hall from a $400-a-night Marriott Hotel, fills one end of London’s massive former County Hall building. This family-friendly place is wonderfully located near the base of the London Eye and across the Thames from Big Ben. Its 313 efficient rooms come with all the necessary comforts, though it’s quite impersonal—rather than a real reception desk, you’ll find self-service check-in kiosks with a couple of clerks standing by to help (Db-£99-199 for 2 adults and up to 2 kids under age 16, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, some accessible rooms, 500 yards from Westminster Tube stop and Waterloo Station, Belvedere Road, tel. 0871-527-8648, easiest to book online at www.premierinn.com).
$$ Premier Inn London Southwark/Borough Market, with 59 rooms, is near Shakespeare’s Globe on the South Bank (Db for up to 2 adults and 2 kids-£99-189, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, Bankside, 34 Park Street, Tube: London Bridge, tel. 0871-527-8676, www.premierinn.com). Another location is nearby, on Great Suffolk Street, called Premier Inn London Southwark/Tate Modern.
$$ Premier Inn London Kings Cross St. Pancras, with 276 rooms, is across the street from the east end of King’s Cross Station and near the Eurostar terminus at St. Pancras Station (Db-£89-189, air-con, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, 26-30 York Way, Tube: King’s Cross St. Pancras, tel. 0871-527-8672, www.premierinn.com).
Other $$ Premier Inns charging £89-189 per room include London Euston (big, blue Lego-type building packed with vacationing families, on handy but noisy street at corner of Euston Road and Dukes Road, Tube: Euston, tel. 0871-527-8656), London Kensington Earl’s Court (11 Knaresborough Place, Tube: Earl’s Court or Gloucester Road, tel. 0871-527-8666), London Victoria (82-83 Eccleston Square, Tube: Victoria, tel. 0871-527-8680), and London Putney Bridge (farther out, 3 Putney Bridge Approach, Tube: Putney Bridge, tel. 0871-527-8674). Avoid the Tower Bridge location, which is an inconvenient 15-minute walk from the nearest Tube stop.
Travelodge: $$ Travelodge London Kings Cross is another typical chain hotel with 140 cookie-cutter rooms, just 200 yards south (in front) of King’s Cross Station (Db-usually £60-90, family rooms, can be noisy, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, Grays Inn Road, Tube: King’s Cross St. Pancras, tel. 0871-984-6256). Other convenient Travelodge London locations are nearby Kings Cross Royal Scot, Euston, Marylebone, Covent Garden, Liverpool Street, and Farringdon. For details on all Travelodge hotels, see www.travelodge.co.uk.
Ibis: $$$ Hotel Ibis London Euston St. Pancras rents 380 rooms on a quiet street a block west of Euston Station (Db-£117-149, usually £139, no family rooms, elevator, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, 3 Cardington Street, Tube: Euston, tel. 020/7388-7777, fax 020/7388-0001, www.ibishotel.com, h0921@accor.com). There’s also an Ibis London City (5 Commercial Street, Tube: Aldgate East, tel. 020/7422-8400), but the other Ibis locations are far from the center.
Jurys Inn: $$$ Jurys Inn Islington rents 200-plus compact, comfy rooms near King’s Cross Station (Db/Tb-£209-230, some discounted rooms available online, 2 adults and 2 kids under age 12 can share one room, 60 Pentonville Road, Tube: Angel, tel. 020/7282-5500, fax 020/7282-5511, www.jurysinns.com). You’ll also find Jurys Inns at Chelsea (Imperial Road, Tube: Imperial Wharf, tel. 020/7411-2200) and near Heathrow Airport (see “Heathrow and Gatwick Airports,” later).
With several hotels in good neighborhoods around London, easyHotel is a radical concept—offering what you need to sleep well and safely, and nothing more. Most of them are fitted into old buildings, so the rooms are all odd shapes, from tiny windowless closets to others that are quite spacious. All rooms are well-ventilated and come with an efficient “bathroom pod” that looks like it was popped out of a plastic mold—just big enough to take care of business. While they do have a 24-hour reception, everything else is spartan: You get two towels, liquid soap, and a clean bed—no breakfast, no fresh towels, and no daily cleaning. The base rate ranges from £21 to 85, depending on the room size and when you book—“The earlier you book, the less you pay.” Prices are the same for one person or two, but then you’re nickel-and-dimed with optional charges for the TV, Wi-Fi, luggage storage, and so on.
If you go with the basic package, it’s like hosteling with privacy—a hard-to-beat value. But you get what you pay for; in my experience, easyHotels are cheap in every sense of the word (no elevator, thin walls, noisy halls filled with loud travelers seeking bargain beds, flimsy construction that often results in broken things in the room). And they’re only a good deal if you book far enough ahead to get a good price, and skip the many extras...which can add up fast.
Regardless of the location, you must reserve through their website (www.easyhotel.com).
$ easyHotel Victoria is well-located in an old building near Victoria Station (77 rooms, 34-40 Belgrave Road—for location, see map on here, Tube: Victoria, enquiries@victoria.easyhotel.com). They also have branches at South Kensington (34 rooms, 14 Lexham Gardens, Tube: Earl’s Court or Gloucester Road, tel. 020/7136-2870, enquiries@southken.easyhotel.com), Earl’s Court (80 rooms, 44-48 West Cromwell Road, Tube: Earl’s Court, enquiries@earlscourt.easyhotel.com), Paddington (47 rooms, 10 Norfolk Place, Tube: Paddington, enquiries@paddington.easyhotel.com), and Heathrow and Luton airports (Heathrow location described on here).
For more London hostel listings, try www.hostellondon.com.
$ London Central Youth Hostel is the flagship of London’s hostels, with 300 beds and all the latest in security and comfortable efficiency. Families and travelers of any age will feel welcome in this wonderful facility. You’ll pay the same price for any bed in a 4- to 8-bed single-sex dorm—with or without private bathroom—so try to grab one with a bathroom (£20-30 per bunk bed—fluctuates with demand, £3/night extra for nonmembers, breakfast-£4, includes sheets, rental towels, lockers—BYO lock, families welcome to book an entire room, pay Wi-Fi, members’ kitchen, laundry, book long in advance, between Oxford Circus and Great Portland Street Tube stations at 104 Bolsover Street—see map on here, tel. 0845-371-9154, www.yha.org.uk, londoncentral@yha.org.uk).
$ Oxford Street Youth Hostel is right in the shopping and clubbing zone in Soho (£17-30 per bunk, 14 Noel Street, Tube: Oxford Street, tel. 0845-371-9133, www.yha.org.uk, oxfordst@yha.org.uk).
$ St. Paul’s Youth Hostel, near St. Paul’s Cathedral, is modern, friendly, well-run, and a bit scruffy. Most of the 215 beds are in shared, single-sex 3- to 11-bunk rooms (bed-around £20 depending on demand, twin D-£60, includes locker and sheets but not breakfast, nonmembers pay £3 extra, laundry, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, cheap meals, open 24 hours, 36 Carter Lane, Tube: St. Paul’s, tel. 020/7236-4965 or 0845-371-9012, www.yha.org.uk, stpauls@yha.org.uk).
$ A cluster of three St. Christopher’s Inn hostels, south of the Thames near London Bridge, have cheap dorm beds; one branch (the Oasis) is for women only. All have loud and friendly bars attached (£22-32, must be over 18 years old, 161-165 Borough High Street, Tube: Borough or London Bridge, reservations tel. 020/8600-7500, www.st-christophers.co.uk).
$$ The University of Westminster opens its dorm rooms to travelers during summer break, from June through mid-September. Located in several high-rise buildings scattered around central London, the rooms—some with private bathrooms, others with shared bathrooms nearby—come with access to well-equipped kitchens and big lounges (S-£39, Sb-£60, D-£54, Db-£106, tel. 020/7911-5181, www.westminster.ac.uk/business/summeraccommodation, summeraccommodation@westminster.ac.uk).
$$ The London School of Economics has openings in its dorms from July through September (S-£28-34, Sb-£56-65, D-£52-60, Db-£76-95, tel. 020/7955-7676, www.lsevacations.co.uk, vacations@lse.ac.uk).
$ University College London also has rooms for travelers, from late June until mid-September (S-£35-45, pay Internet access, tel. 020/7278-3895, www.ucl.ac.uk/residences, accommodation@ucl.ac.uk).
It’s so easy to get to Heathrow from central London, I see no reason to sleep there. But if you do, here are some options. The Yotel is actually inside the airport, while the rest are a short bus or taxi ride away. In addition to public buses, the cleverly named £4.50 “Hotel Hoppa” shuttle buses connect the airport to many nearby hotels (different routes serve the various hotels and terminals—may take a while to spot your particular bus at the airport).
$$ Yotel, at the airport inside Terminal 4, has small sleep dens that offer a popular place to catch a quick nap (four hours-£37-64), or to stay overnight (tiny “standard cabin”—£65/8 hours, “premium cabin”—£87/8 hours; cabins sleep 1-2 people; price is per cabin—not person, reserve online for free or by phone for small fee). Prices vary by day, week, and time of year, so check their website. All rooms are only slightly larger than a double bed, and have private bathrooms and free Internet access and Wi-Fi. These windowless rooms have oddly purplish lighting (tel. 020/7100-1100, www.yotel.com, customer@yotel.com).
$$ Jurys Inn, another hotel chain, tempts tired travelers with 300-plus cookie-cutter rooms (Db-£89-106, check website for deals, breakfast extra; on Eastern Perimeter Road, Tube: Hatton Cross plus 5-minute walk; take the Tube one stop from Terminals 1 or 3; or two stops from Terminals 4 or 5; or the “Hotel Hoppa” #H9 from Terminals 1 or 3, or #H53 or #H56 from Terminals 4 or 5; or buses #285, #482, #490, or #555; tel. 020/8266-4664, fax 020/8266-4665, www.jurysinns.com).
$ easyHotel, your cheapest bet, is in a low-rent residential neighborhood a £5 taxi ride from the airport. Its 53 no-frills, pod-like rooms are on two floors. Before booking at this very basic place, read the explanation on here (Db-£35-53, no breakfast, no elevator, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, Brick Field Lane; take local bus #140 from airport’s Central Bus Station or the “Hotel Hoppa” #H8 from Terminals 1 or 3, or the hotel can arrange a taxi to the airport; tel. 020/8897-9237, www.easyhotel.com, enquiries@heathrow.easyhotel.com).
$ Hotel Ibis London Heathrow is a chain hotel offering predictable value (Db-£40-55, check website for specials as low as £35, breakfast-£7, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi; 112-114 Bath Road, take local bus #105, #111, #140, #285, #423, or #555 from airport’s Central Bus Station or Terminal 4, or the “Hotel Hoppa” #H6 from Terminals 1 or 3, or #H56 from Terminals 4 or 5; tel. 020/8759-4888, fax 020/8564-7894, www.ibishotel.com, h0794@accor.com).
$$ Yotel, with small rooms, has a branch right at the airport (Gatwick South Terminal; see prices and contact info in Heathrow listing, previous page).
$$ Barn Cottage, a converted 16th-century barn flanked by a tennis court and swimming pool, sits in the peaceful countryside, with a good pub just two blocks away. Its two wood-beamed rooms, antique furniture, and large garden makes you forget Gatwick is 10 minutes away (S-£60, D-£80, cash only, Church Road, Leigh, Reigate, Surrey, tel. 01306/611-347, patcomer31@gmail.com, warmly run by Pat and Mike Comer). Don’t confuse this place with others of the same name. A taxi from Gatwick to here runs about £15; the Comers can take you back to the airport or train station for about £12.
$ Gatwick Airport Central Premier Inn rents cheap rooms 350 yards from the airport (Db-£45-90, breakfast-£5-8, £2.50 shuttle bus from airport—must reserve in advance, Longbridge Way, North Terminal, tel. 0871-527-8406, frustrating phone tree, www.premierinn.com). Five more Premier Inns are within a five-mile radius of the airport.
$ Gatwick Airport Travelodge has budget rooms about two miles from the airport (Db-£30-60, breakfast extra, pay Wi-Fi, Church Road, Lowfield Heath, Crawley, £3.20 shuttle bus to/from airport, tel. 0871-984-6031, www.travelodge.co.uk).
With “modern English” cuisine on the rise, you could try a different cuisine for each meal in London and never eat “local” English food, even during a lengthy stay. The sheer variety of foods—from every corner of its former empire and beyond—is astonishing. You’ll be amazed at the number of hopping, happening new restaurants of all kinds.
If you want to dine (as opposed to eat), drop by a London newsstand to get a weekly entertainment guide or an annual restaurant guide (both have extensive restaurant listings). Visit www.london-eating.co.uk or www.squaremeal.co.uk for more options.
The thought of a £50 meal in Britain generally ruins my appetite, so my London dining is limited mostly to easygoing, fun, moderately priced alternatives. I’ve listed places by neighborhood—handy to your sightseeing or hotel. Considering how expensive London can be, if there’s any good place to cut corners to stretch your budget, it’s by eating cheaply. Pub grub (at one of London’s 7,000 pubs) and ethnic restaurants (especially Indian and Chinese) are good low-cost options. Of course, picnicking is the fastest and cheapest way to go. Good grocery stores and sandwich shops, fine park benches, and polite pigeons abound in Britain’s most expensive city.
London (and all of Britain) is smoke-free. Expect restaurants and pubs that sell food to be non-smoking indoors, with smokers occupying patios and doorways outside. When ready to pay, Brits generally ask for the “bill” rather than the “check.”
I’ve arranged these options by neighborhood, but they’re all within about a 15-minute walk of each other. Survey your options before settling on a place.
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
London has a trendy scene that most Beefeater-seekers miss entirely. Foodies who want to eat well skip the more staid and touristy zones near Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square, and head to Soho instead. Make it a point to dine in Soho at least once, to feel the pulse of London’s eclectic urban melting pot of international flavors. These restaurants are scattered throughout a chic, creative, and borderline-seedy zone that teems with hipsters, theatergoers, and London’s gay community. Even if you plan to have dinner elsewhere, it’s a treat just to wander around Soho.
Note: While gentrification has mostly stripped this area (no pun intended) of its former “red light district” vibe, a few pockets of sex for sale survive. Beware of the extremely welcoming women standing outside the strip clubs (especially on Great Windmill Street). Enjoy the sales pitch—but know that only fools fall for the “£5 drink and show” lure.
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
Running through the middle of Soho, rumbling past what’s left of the strip-club zone, Wardour Street is ground zero for creative restaurateurs hoping to break into the big leagues. Strolling up this street—particularly from Brewer Street northward—you can take your pick from a world of options: Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Italian, French...and English. Not yet tarnished by the corporatization creeping in from areas to the south, this drag still seems to hit the right balance between trendy and accessible. While I’ve listed several choices below (including some that are a block or two off of Wardour Street), simply strolling the length of the street and following your appetite to the place that looks best is a great plan.
The Busaba Eathai Thai restaurant is a hit with locals for its snappy (sometimes rushed) service, casual-yet-high-energy ambience, and good, inexpensive Thai cuisine. Be prepared to be wedged communally around big, square 16-person hardwood tables or in two-person tables by the window—with everyone in the queue staring at your noodles. On a busy night, the place really gets rollicking—not ideal for quiet conversation. They don’t take reservations, so arrive by 19:00 or line up (£7-12 meals, Mon-Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-23:30, Sun 12:00-22:30, 106 Wardour Street, tel. 020/7255-8686). They’re adding new locations all the time; convenient outlets include nearby Panton Street (at #35), just below Piccadilly Circus; at 44 Floral Street, near Covent Garden; at 22 Store Street, near the British Museum and Goodge Street Tube; and at 8-13 Bird Street, just off Oxford Street and across from the Bond Street Tube.
Princi is a vast, bright, efficient, wildly popular Italian deli/bakery with Milanese flair. Along one wall is a long counter with display cases offering a tempting array of pizza rustica, panini sandwiches, focaccia, a few pasta dishes, and desserts (look in the window from the street to see their wood-fired oven in action). Order your food at the counter, then find a space at a long shared table; or get it “to go” for an affordable and fast meal (£3-5 light meals, £7-8 pastas, Mon-Sat 8:00-24:00, Sun 8:30-22:00, 135 Wardour Street, tel. 020/7478-8888).
Bi Bim Bap is named for what it sells: bibimbap (literally “mixed rice”), a scalding stone bowl filled with rice, thinly sliced veggies, and topped with a fried egg. Mix it all up with your spoon, flavor it to taste with the two sauces, then dig in with your chopsticks. While purists go with the straightforward rice bowl, you can pay a few pounds extra to add other toppings—including chicken, bulgogi (marinated beef strips), and mushrooms. Though the food is traditional Korean, the stylish, colorful interior lets you know you’re in Soho (£7-10 meals, Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, Sat 12:00-23:00, closed Sun, 11 Greek Street, tel. 020/7287-3434).
Mooli’s is made-to-order for a quick, affordable, flavorful jolt of Indian street food. Their £5-6 mooli wraps, sort of like an Indian burrito, are filled with pork, chicken, beef, paneer (cheese), chickpea, or spicy goat. Top it with your choice of chutneys and Indian salsas. Eat in or grab one to go; their “mini” version makes a good £3 snack (Mon-Sat 10:00-23:30, closed Sun, 50 Frith Street, tel. 020/7494-9075).
Bocca di Lupo, a pricey and popular splurge, serves small portions of classic regional Italian food. Dressy and a bit snooty, it’s a place where you’re glad you made a reservation. The counter seating, on cushy stools with a view into the open kitchen, is particularly memorable. Most diners assemble a sampler meal with a series of £7-10 small plates—but be careful, because at these prices, your bill can add up. A short selection of more affordable £9-15 “one-dish meals” are available for lunch and until 19:00 (Mon-Sat 12:15-15:00 & 17:15-22:45, Sun 12:45-16:00 & 17:00-21:00, 12 Archer Street, tel. 020/7734-2223).
Gelupo, Bocca di Lupo’s sister gelateria across the street, has a wide array of ever-changing but always creative and delicious dessert favorites—ranging from popular standbys like the incredibly rich chocolate sorbet to fresh-mint stracciatella to hay (yes, hay). A £3 sampler cup or cone gets you two flavors (and little taster spoons are generously offered to help you choose). Everything is homemade, and the white subway-tile interior feels clean and bright. They also have espresso drinks and—at lunchtime—£4-5 deli sandwiches (Mon-Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-1:00 in the morning, Sun 12:00-22:00, 7 Archer Street, tel. 020/7287-5555).
Yalla Yalla is a hole-in-the-wall serving up high-quality Beirut street food—hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, and shawarmas. Stylish as you’d expect for Soho, it’s tucked down a seedy alley between a sex shop and a tattoo parlor. Eat in the cramped and cozy interior or one of the few outdoor tables, or get your food to go (£3-4 sandwiches, £4-6 mezes, £7 mezes platter available until 17:00, £10-12 bigger dishes, daily 10:00-22:00, 1 Green’s Court—just north of Brewer Street, tel. 020/7287-7663).
Byron, an upscale-hamburger chain, has a particularly appealing industrial-mod branch along the liveliest stretch of Wardour Street. In this high-energy place, the open kitchen sizzles in the corner while old cartoons are projected on the wall. British burgers aren’t exactly like American ones—they tend to be a bit overcooked by our standards—but this is your best option if you need a burger fix (£7-10 burgers, daily 12:00-23:00, 97-99 Wardour Street, tel. 020/7297-9390).
Ducksoup, a short block over from Wardour Street, is an upscale-feeling yet cool and relaxed little bar, with a small but thoughtful menu of well-executed international and modern British dishes (£7 small plates, £14 big plates—sharing several items can add up). The menu is handwritten, the music is on vinyl, and the rough woodwork and cramped-but-convivial atmosphere give it the feeling of a well-loved wine bar. While a bit overpriced, the atmosphere is memorable (Mon-Sat 12:00-17:00 & 18:00-24:00, Sun 13:00-17:30, 41 Dean Street, tel. 020/7287-4599).
And for Dessert: In addition to the outstanding gelato at Gelupo and the treats at Princi (both described above), several other places along Wardour Street boast window displays that tickle the sweet tooth. In just a couple of blocks, you’ll see pastry shops, a crêperie, and a Hummingbird cupcake shop.
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
The main drag of Chinatown (Gerrard Street, with the ornamental archways) is lined with touristy, interchangeable Chinese joints. But these places seem to have an edge.
Y Ming Chinese Restaurant—across Shaftesbury Avenue from the ornate gates, clatter, and dim sum of Chinatown—has dressy European decor, serious but helpful service, and authentic Northern Chinese cooking. London’s food critics consider this well worth the short walk from the heart of Chinatown for food that’s a notch above (good £11 meal deal offered 12:00-18:00, £8-12 plates, open Mon-Sat 12:00-23:45, closed Sun, turquoise corner shop at 35-36 Greek Street, tel. 020/7734-2721).
New World Chinese Restaurant is a sprawling, old-fashioned Chinese diner that just feels real. It’s a fixture in Chinatown, serving cheap Cantonese food, including dim sum and a similar dinner menu with an array of little £3 dishes, as well as main courses and fixed-price meals (daily 12:00-24:00, dim sum daily 12:00-18:00, 1 Gerrard Place, tel. 020/7734-0677).
Jen Café, across the little square called Newport Place, is a humble Chinese corner eatery much loved for its homemade dumplings. It’s just stools and simple seating, with fast service, a fun, inexpensive menu, and a devoted following (£3-6 plates, Mon-Wed 10:30-20:30, Thu-Sun 10:30-21:30, cash only, 4 Newport Place, tel. 020/7287-9708).
Wong Kei Chinese restaurant, at the Wardour Street (west) end of the Chinatown drag, offers a bewildering variety of dishes served by notoriously brusque waiters in a setting that feels like a hospital cafeteria. Londoners put up with the abuse to enjoy one of the satisfying BBQ rice dishes or hot pots. Individuals and couples are usually seated at communal tables, while larger parties are briskly shuffled up or down stairs (£7-12 main dishes, cash only, Mon-Sat 12:00-23:30, Sun 12:00-22:30, 41-43 Wardour Street, tel. 020/7437-8408).
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
Andrew Edmunds Restaurant is a tiny, candlelit place where you’ll want to hide your camera and guidebook and not act like a tourist. This little place—with a jealous and loyal clientele—is the closest I’ve found to Parisian quality in a cozy restaurant in London. The modern European cooking and creative seasonal menu are worth the splurge (£5-7 starters, £12-20 main dishes, Mon-Sat 12:30-15:00 & 18:00-22:45, Sun 13:00-15:30 & 18:00-22:30, come early or call ahead, request ground floor rather than basement, 46 Lexington Street, tel. 020/7437-5708).
Mildred’s Vegetarian Restaurant, across from Andrew Edmunds, has cheap prices, an enjoyable menu, and a pleasant interior filled with happy eaters (£8-11 meals, Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00, closed Sun, vegan options, 45 Lexington Street, tel. 020/7494-1634).
Fernandez & Wells is a cozy, convivial, delightfully simple little wine, cheese, and ham bar. Drop in and grab a stool as you belly up to the big wooden bar. Share a plate of top-quality cheeses and/or Spanish, Italian, or French hams with fine bread and oil, while sipping a nice glass of wine (daily 11:00-22:00, quality sandwiches at lunch, wine/cheese/ham bar after 16:00, 43 Lexington Street, tel. 020/7734-1546).
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
Union Jacks, the latest venture of British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, takes a classic dish—pizza—and turns it on its ear by fusing it with British ingredients. Jamie’s wood-fired “flats” (flatbreads) are topped not with cheese and tomatoes, but roast pig shoulder or oxtail and brisket. While this sounds risky, he pulls it off with great flavors, plus tasty salads and fun “fizzy drinks.” It’s improbably located in a sterile-feeling glass office park just a couple of blocks east of central Soho (across from St. Giles Church), but—predictably—plans to expand all over London are underway (£5 small plates and salads, £10-13 “flats,” daily 12:00-23:00, Sun until 22:00, 4 Central St. Giles Piazza, tel. 020/3597-7888).
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
Some of Britain’s most popular chain restaurants for ethnic eats started out here in Soho. In this fast-evolving neighborhood, the restaurants listed below are a little like stale sushi. While I wouldn’t waste a Soho meal on one of these places (since you can find an identical menu at branches all over town—and all over the UK), they’re a convenient fallback if some of the other places I recommend are full. Two places I recommend above, Busaba Eathai and Byron, have quickly expanded and may soon join the global-domination ranks of Wagamama and Yo! Sushi. Princi, Bi Bim Bap, Mooli’s, and Union Jacks seem poised to explode next.
Wagamama Noodle Bar is a noisy, pan-Asian, organic slurp-athon. As you enter, check out the kitchen and listen to the roar of the basement, where benches rock with happy eaters. Everybody sucks. Portions are huge and splitting is allowed. While the quality has gone downhill a bit as they’ve expanded, this remains a reliable choice for variety at reasonable prices (£8-11 meals, Mon-Sat 11:30-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:00, 10A Lexington Street, tel. 020/7292-0990 but no reservations taken). Other handy branches are all over town, including near the British Museum (4 Streatham Street), Kensington (26 High Street), in the Harvey Nichols department store (109 Knightsbridge), Covent Garden (1 Tavistock Street), Leicester Square (14 Irving Street), Piccadilly Circus (8 Norris Street), Fleet Street (#109), and next to the Tower of London (Tower Place).
Yo! Sushi is a Japanese-food-extravaganza experience, complete with thumping rock, Japanese cable TV, and a 195-foot-long conveyor belt. For £1.50, you get unlimited green tea (water for £1.05). Snag a bar stool and grab dishes as they rattle by (priced by color of dish; check the chart: £1.70-5 per dish, daily 12:00-23:00, 2 blocks south of Oxford Street, where Lexington Street becomes Poland Street, 52 Poland Street, tel. 020/7287-0443). If you like Yo!, you’re in the right city: There are about 40 other locations around town, including a handy branch a block from the London Eye on Belvedere Road, as well as outlets on Rupert Street a block from Piccadilly Circus, within Selfridges and Harvey Nichols department stores, and in the Whiteleys Shopping Centre on Queensway.
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
These places, all of which provide a more “jolly olde” experience than high cuisine, are within about 100 yards of Trafalgar Square.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Café in the Crypt is just right for a tasty meal on a monk’s budget—maybe even on a monk’s tomb. You’ll dine sitting on somebody’s gravestone in an ancient crypt. Their enticing buffet line is kept stocked all day, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner (£6-10 cafeteria plates, hearty traditional desserts, free jugs of water). They also serve a restful cream tea (£6, daily 14:00-18:00). You’ll find the café directly under the St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church, facing Trafalgar Square—enter through the glass pavilion next to the church (Mon-Tue 8:00-20:00, Wed 8:00-22:30, Thu-Sat 8:00-21:00, Sun 11:00-18:00, profits go to the church, Tube: Charing Cross, tel. 020/7766-1158 or 020/7766-1100). Wednesday evenings at 20:00 come with a live jazz band (£6-9 tickets). While here, check out the concert schedule for the busy church upstairs (or visit www.smitf.org).
The Chandos Pub’s Opera Room floats amazingly apart from the tacky crush of tourism around Trafalgar Square. Look for it opposite the National Portrait Gallery (corner of William IV Street and St. Martin’s Lane) and climb the stairs (to the right of the pub entrance) to the Opera Room. This is a fine Trafalgar rendezvous point and wonderfully local pub. They serve traditional, plain-tasting £5-8 pub meals—meat pies and fish-and-chips are their specialty. The ground-floor pub is stuffed with regulars and offers snugs (private booths), the same menu, and more serious beer drinking. Chandos proudly serves the local Samuel Smith beer at £4 a pint (kitchen open daily 11:00-19:00, Fri and Sun until 18:00, order and pay at the bar, 29 St. Martin’s Lane, Tube: Leicester Square, tel. 020/7836-1401).
Gordon’s Wine Bar, with a simple, steep staircase leading into a candlelit 15th-century wine cellar, is filled with dusty old bottles, faded British memorabilia, and nine-to-fivers. At the “English rustic” buffet, choose a hot meal or cold meat dish with a salad (figure around £7-8/dish); the £8.20 cheese plate comes with two cheeses, bread, and a pickle. Then step up to the wine bar and consider the many varieties of wine and port available by the glass (this place is passionate about port). The low, carbon-crusted vaulting deeper in the back seems to intensify the Hogarth-painting atmosphere. Although it’s crowded, you can normally corral two chairs and grab the corner of a table. On hot days, the crowd spills out onto a leafy back patio, where a barbecue cooks for a long line of tables (arrive before 17:00 to get a seat, Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:00, 2 blocks from Trafalgar Square, bottom of Villiers Street at #47, Tube: Embankment, tel. 020/7930-1408, manager Gerard Menan).
Ales: The Harp, clearly a local favorite, is a crowded and cluttered little pub just a block above Trafalgar Square. While they serve no food, this is a good, central spot to nurse a fine ale and make a new friend with one of the Londoners crowded around the coaster-coated bar. This is a top choice for an après-work pint among nine-to-fivers, who stand in the dozens out front after the workday, sipping their beers (daily 11:30-24:00, 47 Chandos Place, tel. 020/7836-0291).
The first two places are upscale and snooty—but if you want something cheaper in this same area, you’ll find plenty of other options.
The Wolseley is the grand 1920s showroom of a long-defunct British car. The last Wolseley drove out with the Great Depression, but today this old-time bistro bustles with formal waiters serving traditional Austrian and French dishes in an elegant black-marble-and-chandeliers setting fit for its location next to the Ritz. Although the food can be unexceptional, prices are reasonable, and the presentation and setting are grand. Reservations are a must (£14-22 main courses; cheaper soup, salad, and sandwich “café menu” available; both menus available in all areas of restaurant, Mon-Fri 7:00-24:00, Sat 8:00-24:00, Sun 8:00-23:00, 160 Piccadilly—see map on here, tel. 020/7499-6996). They’re popular for their fancy cream or afternoon tea (for details, see here).
The palatial Criterion offers grand-piano ambience beneath gilded tiles and chandeliers in a dreamy Byzantine church setting from 1880. It’s right on Piccadilly Circus but a world away from the punk junk. It’s a deal for the visual experience during lunch and before 19:00 (when you can get a £19-23 fixed-price meal)—but after 19:00, you must order from the expensive à la carte menu (£20-30 main dishes)...and, at any hour, the service couldn’t care less. Anyone can drop in for coffee or a drink (daily 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-23:30, 224 Piccadilly, tel. 020/7930-0488).
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
Hungry and broke in the theater district? Head for Panton Street (off Haymarket, two blocks southeast of Piccadilly Circus), where several hardworking little places compete, all seeming to offer a three-course meal for about £9. Peruse the entire block (vegetarian, Pizza Express, Moroccan, Thai, Chinese, and two famous diners) before making your choice.
Stockpot is a meat, potatoes, gravy, and mushy-peas kind of place, famous and rightly popular for its edible, cheap English meals (£6-11, Mon-Sat 7:00-23:00, Sun 7:00-22:00, cash only, 38-40 Panton Street, tel. 020/7839-5142). The West End Kitchen (across the street at #5, same hours and menu) is a direct competitor that’s also well-known and just as good (£5-10 meals). Vegetarians may prefer the Woodlands South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant, which serves an impressive £19 thali (otherwise £7-9 main courses, 37 Panton Street).
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here)
Covent Garden bustles with people and touristy eateries. The area feels overrun, but if you must eat around here, you have some good choices.
Joe Allen, tucked in a brick cellar a block away from the market, serves modern international and American cuisine with both style and hubbub. Downstairs off a quiet street with candles and white tablecloths, it’s comfortably spacious and popular with the theater crowd. It feels a bit old-fashioned and cluttered, but in a welcoming way (£6-14 starters and small plates, £14-22 main courses, meals for about £30, £16 two-course specials and £18 three-course specials available at lunch and from 17:00-18:45, open daily 11:30-24:30, piano music after 21:00, 13 Exeter Street, tel. 020/7836-0651).
Loch Fyne Fish Restaurant is part of a Scottish chain that grows its own oysters and mussels. It offers an inviting atmosphere with a fine fishy energy and no pretense (£10-17 main dishes, £10 two-course special served 12:00-19:00, open daily, a couple of blocks behind Covent Garden at 2 Catherine Street, tel. 020/7240-4999).
Côte Restaurant is a contemporary French bistro chain serving good-value French cuisine at the right prices (£9-14 mains, £14 three-course early dinner specials if you order by 19:00, open Mon-Tue 8:00-23:00, Wed-Fri 8:00-24:00, Sat 9:00-24:00, Sun 9:00-22:30, 17-21 Tavistock Street, tel. 020/7379-9991). Côte also has locations in Soho (124-126 Wardour Street) and near St. Martin-in-the-Fields (50-51 St. Martin’s Lane).
Sofra Turkish Restaurant is good for quality Turkish with a touch of class. They have several menus: meze (Turkish tapas, £4-7), vegetarian, and £10 fixed-price meals (also £10-15 main dishes, daily 9:00-24:00, 36 Tavistock Street, tel. 020/7240-3773).
Sitar Indian Restaurant is a well-respected Indian/Bangladeshi place serving dishes from many regions, fine fish, and a tasty £17 vegetarian thali. It’s small and dressy, with snappy service (£10-17 main dishes, Mon-Fri 12:00-24:00, Sat-Sun 14:30-24:00, next to Somerset House at 149 Strand, tel. 020/7836-3730).
Belgo Centraal serves hearty Belgian specialties in a vast 400-seat underground lair. It’s a mussels, chips, and beer emporium dressed up as a mod-monastic refectory—with noisy acoustics and waiters garbed as Trappist monks. The classy restaurant section is more comfortable and less rowdy, but usually requires reservations. It’s often more fun just to grab a spot in the boisterous beer hall, with its tight, communal benches (no reservations accepted). Both sides have the same menu and specials. Belgians claim they eat as well as the French and as heartily as the Germans. This place, which offers a stunning array of dark, blonde, and fruity Belgian beers, actually makes Belgian things trendy—a formidable feat (£10-14 meals, open daily 12:00-23:00; Mon-Fri £5-6.30 “beat the clock” meal specials 17:00-18:30—the time you order is the price you pay—including main dishes and fries; no meal-splitting after 18:30, and you must buy food with beer; daily £8 lunch special 12:00-17:00; 1 kid eats free for each parent ordering a regular entrée; 1 block north of Covent Garden Tube station at 50 Earlham Street, tel. 020/7813-2233).
Neal’s Yard is the place for cheap, hip, and healthy eateries near Covent Garden. The neighborhood is a tabouli of fun, hippie-type cafés. One of the best—nearby—is the venerable and ferociously vegetarian Food for Thought, packed with local health nuts (good £5 vegetarian meals, £8 dinner plates, Mon-Sat 12:00-20:30, Sun 12:00-17:30, 2 blocks north of Covent Garden Tube station at 31 Neal Street, tel. 020/7836-0239).
Masala Zone is a colorful London chain serving up accessible and reliably good Indian food. You can order a curry-and-rice dish, a thali (metal platter with several small dishes), or their street food specials. Each branch has its own personality; the one at Covent Garden has giant, colorful marionettes suspended from the ceiling (£8-12 meals, daily 12:00-23:00, just off the top end of Covent Garden at 48 Floral Street, tel. 020/7379-0101). Other locations include Soho (9 Marshall Street) and Bayswater (75 Bishops Bridge Road).
To avoid the touristy crush right around the museum (and just southwest, in Soho), Londoners head a few blocks west, to the Fitzrovia area. Here, tiny Charlotte Place is lined with small eateries (including the two listed below); nearby, the much bigger Charlotte Street has several more good options. The higher street signs you’ll notice on Charlotte Street are a holdover from a time when they needed to be visible to carriage drivers. This area is a short walk from the Goodge Street Tube station—convenient to the British Museum, and right next to Pollock’s Toy Museum (see map on here).
Salumeria Dino serves up hearty sandwiches, pasta, and Italian coffee. Dino, a native of Naples, has run his little shop for more than 30 years and has managed to create a classic Italian deli that’s so authentic, you’ll walk out singing “O Sole Mio” (£3-5 sandwiches, £1 take-away cappuccinos, Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, closed Sat-Sun, 15 Charlotte Place, tel. 020/7580-3938).
Lantana OUT, next door to Salumeria Dino, is an Australian coffee shop that sells modern soups, sandwiches, and salads at their take-away window. Their changing menu features a soup-salad-sweet combo deal for £5.50 (£3-7 meals, pricier sit-down café next door, Mon-Fri 7:30-15:00, café open Sat-Sun 9:00-17:00, 13 Charlotte Place, tel. 020/7637-3347).
Note that Jamie Oliver’s Union Jacks is also handy to the British Museum (see here).
These restaurants are within a few blocks of Victoria Station—and all are places where I’ve enjoyed eating. As with the accommodations in this area, I’ve grouped them by location: east or west of the station (see the map on here).
Cheap Eats: For groceries, a handy M&S Simply Food is inside Victoria Station (Mon-Sat 7:00-24:00, Sun 8:00-22:00, near the front, by the bus terminus), along with a Sainsbury’s Local (daily 6:00-23:00, at rear entrance, on Eccleston Street). A second Sainsbury’s is just north of the station on Victoria Street, and a larger Sainsbury’s is on Wilton Road near Warwick Way, a couple of blocks southeast of the station (Mon-Fri 7:00-23:00, Sat 7:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-17:00). A string of good ethnic restaurants lines Wilton Road (near the recommended Seafresh Fish Restaurant). For affordable if forgettable meals, try the row of cheap little eateries on Elizabeth Street.
Ebury Wine Bar, filled with young professionals, provides a cut-above atmosphere. In the delightful back room, the fancy menu features modern European cuisine with a French accent, including delicious £15-20 main dishes and a £19 two-course and £25 three-course special (available Mon-Fri at lunch and daily 18:00-20:00; three-course meal includes a glass of champagne that you’re welcome to swap for house wine). At the wine bar, find a cheaper bar menu that’s better than your average pub grub (£8-11 meals). This is emphatically a “traditional wine bar,” with no beers on tap (restaurant open daily 12:00-14:45 & 18:00-22:15, wine bar open all day long, reservations smart, at intersection of Ebury and Elizabeth Streets, 139 Ebury Street, tel. 020/7730-5447).
Jenny Lo’s Tea House is a simple budget place serving up a short menu of £8-9 eclectic Chinese-style meals to locals in the know. Jenny clearly learned from her father, Ken Lo, one of the most famous Cantonese chefs in Britain, whose fancy place is just around the corner (also £5.50 take-out lunches, Mon-Fri 12:00-14:45 & 18:00-22:00, closed Sat-Sun, cash only, 14 Eccleston Street, tel. 020/7259-0399).
La Bottega is an Italian delicatessen that fits its upscale Belgravia neighborhood. It offers tasty, freshly cooked pastas (£6), lasagnas, and salads (£9 lasagna and salad meal), along with great sandwiches (£3) and a good coffee bar with pastries. While not cheap, it’s fast (order at the counter), and the ingredients would please an Italian chef. Grab your meal to go, or enjoy the Belgravia good life with locals, either sitting inside or on the sidewalk (Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00, Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 9:00-17:00, on corner of Ebury and Eccleston Streets, tel. 020/7730-2730).
The Thomas Cubitt pub, named for the urban planner who designed much of Belgravia, is a trendy neighborhood gastropub packed with young professionals. It’s pricey and a pinch pretentious, and prides itself on using sustainable ingredients in its modern English cooking. With a bright but slightly cramped interior and fine sidewalk seating, it’s great for a drink or meal (£7-12 small plates, £12-18 main dishes, 44 Elizabeth Street, tel. 020/7730-6060). Upstairs is a more refined restaurant with the same kitchen, but an emphasis on finer technique and presentation (£8-11 starters, £17-20 main courses, reservations recommended, Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-15:00 only).
The Duke of Wellington pub is a classic neighborhood place with forgettable grub, sidewalk seating, and an inviting interior. A bit more lowbrow than my other Belgravia listings, this may be your best shot at meeting a local (£5 sandwiches, £8-10 meals, food served Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-21:00, Sun lunch only, 63 Eaton Terrace, tel. 020/7730-1782).
South End of Ebury Street: A five-minute walk down Ebury Street, where it intersects with Pimlico Road, you’ll find a pretty square with a few more eateries to consider—including The Orange, a high-priced gastropub with the same owners and a similar menu to the Thomas Cubitt (described earlier); and Daylesford, the deli and café of an organic farm (£3-5 light meals to go—a good picnic option).
Grumbles brags it’s been serving “good food and wine at nonscary prices since 1964.” Offering a delicious mix of “modern eclectic French and traditional English,” this unpretentious little place with cozy booths inside (on two levels, including a cellar) and four nice sidewalk tables is the spot to eat well in this otherwise workaday neighborhood. Their traditional dishes are their forte (£10-16 plates, £11 early-bird specials 18:00-19:00, open Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:30, reservations wise, half a block north of Belgrave Road at 35 Churton Street, tel. 020/7834-0149, Alex).
Seafresh Fish Restaurant is the neighborhood place for plaice—and classic and creative fish-and-chips cuisine. You can either take out on the cheap or eat in, enjoying a white fish ambience. Though Mario’s father started this place in 1965, it feels like the chippie of the 21st century (meals-£5-7 to go, £12-17 to sit, Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 17:00-22:30, closed Sun, 80-81 Wilton Road, tel. 020/7828-0747).
The Jugged Hare pub, a 10-minute walk from Victoria Station, sits in a lavish old bank building, with vaults replaced by tankards of beer and a fine kitchen. They have a fun, traditional menu with more fresh veggies than fries, and a plush, vivid pub scene good for a meal or just a drink (£6.25 sandwiches, £10 meals, food served daily 12:00-22:00, Sun until 21:30, quiz night Wed at 19:00, 172 Vauxhall Bridge Road, tel. 020/7828-1543).
St. George’s Tavern is the pub for a meal in this neighborhood. They serve dinner from the same fun menu in three zones: on the sidewalk to catch the sun and enjoy some people-watching, in the sloppy pub, and in a classier back dining room. They’re proud of their sausages and “toad in the hole.” The scene is inviting for just a beer, too (£8-14 meals, Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun until 21:30, corner of Hugh Street and Belgrave Road, tel. 020/7630-1116).
For locations, see the map on here.
Maggie Jones’s, a Charles Dickens-meets-Ella Fitzgerald splurge, is exuberantly rustic and very English, with a 1940s-jazz soundtrack. It’s a longer walk than most of my recommendations, but worth the hike. You’ll get solid English cuisine, including huge plates of crunchy vegetables, served by a young and casual staff. It’s pricey, but the portions are huge (especially the meat-and-fish pies, their specialty). You’re welcome to save lots by splitting your main course. The candlelit upstairs is the most romantic, while the basement is kept lively with the kitchen, tight seating, and lots of action. If you eat well once in London, eat here—and do it quick, before it burns down (lunch—£5 starters, £7 main dishes; dinner—£6-9 starters, £15-24 main dishes; Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:30, reservations recommended, 6 Old Court Place, just east of Kensington Church Street, near High Street Kensington Tube stop, tel. 020/7937-6462).
The Churchill Arms pub and Thai Kitchen (same location) are local hangouts, with good beer and a thriving old-English ambience in front, and hearty £8 Thai plates in an enclosed patio in the back. You can eat the Thai food in the tropical hideaway (table service) or in the atmospheric pub section (order at the counter and they’ll bring it to you). They also serve basic English pub food at lunch (£3 sandwiches, £5-7 meals). The place is festooned with Churchill memorabilia and chamber pots (including one with Hitler’s mug on it—hanging from the ceiling farthest from Thai Kitchen—sure to cure the constipation of any Brit during World War II). Arrive by 18:00 or after 21:00 to avoid a line. During busy times, diners are limited to an hour at the table (daily 12:00-22:00, 119 Kensington Church Street, tel. 020/7792-1246).
Hereford Road is a cozy, mod eatery tucked at the far end of Prince’s Square. It’s stylish but not pretentious, serving heavy, meaty English cuisine executed with modern panache. Cozy two-person booths face the open kitchen up top; the main dining room is down below. There are also a few sidewalk tables (£6-8 starters, £14-16 main courses, reservations smart, Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-16:00 & 18:00-22:00, 3 Hereford Road, tel. 020/7727-1144).
The Prince Edward serves good grub in a quintessential pub setting (£7-12 meals, Mon-Wed 10:00-23:00, Thu-Sat 10:00-23:30, Sun 10:00-22:30, plush-pubby indoor seating or sidewalk tables, family-friendly, pay Wi-Fi, 2 blocks north of Bayswater Road at the corner of Dawson Place and Hereford Road, 73 Prince’s Square, tel. 020/7727-2221).
Café Diana is a healthy little eatery serving sandwiches, salads, and Middle Eastern food. It’s decorated—almost shrine-like—with photos of Princess Diana, who used to drop by for pita sandwiches. You can dine in the simple interior, or order some food from the counter to go (£3-5 sandwiches, £6-8 meat dishes, daily 8:00-23:00, 5 Wellington Terrace, on Bayswater Road, opposite Kensington Palace Garden Gates, where Di once lived, tel. 020/7792-9606, Abdul).
On Queensway: The road called Queensway is a multiethnic food circus, lined with lively and inexpensive eateries—browse the options along here and choose your favorite. For a cut above, head for Royal China Restaurant—filled with London’s Chinese, who consider this one of the city’s best eateries. It’s dressed up in black, white, and gold, with candles and brisk waiters. While it’s pricier than most neighborhood Chinese restaurants, the food is noticeably better (£9-13 dishes, Mon-Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-23:30, Sun 11:00-22:00, dim sum until 17:00, 13 Queensway, tel. 020/7221-2535). For a lowbrow alternative, Whiteleys Shopping Centre Food Court—at the top end of Queensway—offers a fun selection of ethnic and fast-food chain eateries among Corinthian columns, and a multiscreen theater in a delightful mall (daily 8:30-24:00, some eateries open shorter hours; options include Yo! Sushi, good salads at Café Rouge, pizza, Starbucks, and a coin-op Internet place; third floor, corner of Porchester Gardens and Queensway).
Supermarkets: Tesco is a half-block from the Notting Hill Gate Tube stop (Mon-Sat 7:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, near intersection with Pembridge Road, 114-120 Notting Hill Gate). Queensway is home to several supermarkets, including the smaller Spar Market at #18 (Mon-Sat 7:00-24:00, Sun 9:00-24:00). Nearby, Marks & Spencer can be found in Whiteleys Shopping Centre (Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-18:00).
Popular eateries line Old Brompton Road and Thurloe Street (Tube: South Kensington), and a good selection of cheap eateries are clumped around the Tube station. For locations, see the map on here.
La Bouchée Bistro Café is a classy hole-in-the-wall touch of France. This candlelit and woody bistro, with very tight seating, serves a special fixed-price meal (£14.50/2 courses, £16.50/3 courses) on weekdays during lunch and from 17:00-19:00, and £15 plats du jour all jour (also £15-20 à la carte main courses). Reservations are smart in the evening (daily 12:00-15:00 & 17:00-23:00, 56 Old Brompton Road, tel. 020/7589-1929).
Moti Mahal Indian Restaurant, with minimalist-yet-classy mod ambience and attentive service, serves mostly Bangladeshi cuisine that’s delicious. Consider chicken jalfrezi if you like spicy food, and buttery chicken if you don’t (£8-12 main courses, daily 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-23:00, 3 Glendower Place, tel. 020/7584-8428).
Bosphorus Kebabs is the student favorite for a quick, fast, and hearty Turkish dinner. While mostly for take-away, they have a few tight tables indoors and on the sidewalk (£5-6 meals, Turkish kebabs, daily 10:30-24:00, 59 Old Brompton Road, tel. 020/7584-4048).
Beirut Express has fresh, well-prepared Lebanese cuisine. In the front, you’ll find take-away service as well as barstools for quick service (£5 sandwiches). In the back is a sit-down restaurant with £14-16 plates and £6-8 mezes (daily 12:00-23:00, 65 Old Brompton Road, tel. 020/7591-0123).
The Anglesea Arms, with a great terrace surrounded by classy South Kensington buildings, is a destination pub that feels like the classic neighborhood favorite. It’s a thriving and happy place, with a woody ambience and a mellow step-down back dining room a world away from any tourism. Chef Julian Legge freshens up traditional English cuisine and prints up a daily menu listing his creative meals. While it’d be a shame to miss his cooking, this is also a fine place to just have a beer (£6-7 starters, £12-17 main dishes, meals served daily 12:00-15:00 & 18:30-22:00; from Old Brompton Road, turn left at Onslow Gardens and go down a few blocks to 15 Selwood Terrace; tel. 020/7373-7960).
Rocca di Papa is a bright and dressy Italian place with a heated terrace (£6-8 pizza, pasta, and salads; daily 11:30-23:30, 73 Old Brompton Road, tel. 020/7225-3413).
Supermarket: Tesco Express is handy for picnics (daily 7:00-24:00, 50-52 Old Brompton Road).
Between St. Paul’s and the Tower: The Counting House, formerly an elegant old bank, offers great £7-11 meals, nice homemade £10-11 meat pies, fish, and fresh vegetables. The fun “nibbles menu,” with £3-6 snacks, is available starting in the early evening until 22:00 (or until 21:00 on Mon-Tue; open Mon-Fri 9:00-23:00, gets really busy with the buttoned-down 9-to-5 crowd after 12:15 especially Thu-Fri, closed Sat-Sun, near Mansion House in The City, 50 Cornhill—see map on here, tel. 020/7283-7123).
Near St. Paul’s: De Gustibus Sandwiches is where an artisan bakery meets the public, offering fresh, you-design-it sandwiches, salads, and soups. Communication can be difficult, but it’s worth the effort. Just one block below St. Paul’s, it has simple seating or take-out picnic sacks for lugging to one of the great nearby parks (£4-8 sandwiches, £6 hot dishes, Mon-Fri 7:00-17:00, closed Sat-Sun, from church steps follow signs to youth hostel a block downhill—see map on here, 53-55 Carter Lane, tel. 020/7236-0056; another outlet is inside the Borough Market in Southwark).
Near the British Library: Drummond Street (running just west of Euston Station—see map on here) is famous for cheap and good Indian vegetarian food (£5-10 dishes, £7 lunch buffets). Consider Chutneys (124 Drummond, tel. 020/7388-0604) and Ravi Shankar (133-135 Drummond, tel. 020/7388-6458) for a good thali (both open long hours daily).
Medieval Banquet near the Tower of London: In an underground, brick-arched room, costumed wenches bring you a tasty four-course medieval-themed meal (includes ale and red wine) while minstrels, knights, jesters, and contortionists perform. If you enjoy one of the acts, pound on the table. Reserve in advance online or by phone (adult-£50, child-£30, family deal for 2 adults and 2 kids-£110—Sun-Thu only, 15 percent discount for Rick Steves readers, Mon-Sat around 20:00, Sun around 18:00, veggie option possible, rentable medieval garb, The Medieval Banquet Ivory House, St. Katharine Docks, enter docks off East Smithfield Street, Tube: Tower Hill, tel. 020/7480-5353, www.medievalbanquet.com).
Once the sole province of genteel ladies in fancy hats, afternoon tea has become more democratic in the 21st century. While some tearooms—such as the wallet-draining £42-a-head tea service at the Ritz and the finicky Fortnum & Mason—still require a jacket and tie (and a bigger bank account), most happily welcome tourists in jeans and sneakers.
The cheapest “tea” on the menu is generally a “cream tea”; the most expensive is the “champagne tea.” Cream tea is simply a pot of tea and a homemade scone or two with jam and thick clotted cream. (For maximum pinkie-waving taste per calorie, slice your scone thin like a miniature loaf of bread.) Afternoon tea—what Americans usually call “high tea”—generally is a cream tea plus a tier of three plates holding small finger foods (such as cucumber sandwiches) and an assortment of small pastries. Champagne tea includes all of the goodies, plus a glass of champagne. High tea to the British generally means a more substantial late-afternoon or early-evening meal, often served with meat or eggs.
Tearooms, which often also serve appealing light meals, are usually open for lunch and close about 17:00, just before dinner. At all the places listed below, it’s perfectly acceptable for two people to order one afternoon tea and one cream tea (at about £5) and share the afternoon tea’s goodies.
The Wolseley serves a good afternoon tea in between their meal service. Split one with your companion and enjoy two light meals at a great price in classic elegance (£10 cream tea, £22 afternoon tea—can be split between two people, served Mon-Fri 15:00-18:30, Sat 15:30-17:30, Sun 15:30-18:30, see full listing on here).
The Orangery at Kensington Palace serves a £17 “Orangery tea” and a £25 champagne tea in its bright white hall near Princess Di’s former residence. You can also order treats à la carte. The portions aren’t huge, but who can argue with eating at a princess’ orangery or on the terrace? (Tea served 15:00-18:00, no reservations taken; a 10-minute walk through Kensington Gardens from either Queensway or High Street Kensington Tube stations to the orange brick building, about 100 yards from Kensington Palace—see map on here; tel. 020/3166-6113, www.hrp.org.uk.)
The Capital Hotel, a luxury hotel a half-block from Harrods, caters to weary shoppers with its intimate five-table, linen-tablecloth tearoom. It’s where the ladies-who-lunch meet to decide whether to buy that Versace gown they’ve had their eye on. Even so, casual clothes, kids, and sharing plates are all OK (£25 afternoon tea, daily 14:30-17:30, call to book ahead—especially on weekends, 22 Basil Street—see map on here, Tube: Knightsbridge, tel. 020/7589-5171, www.capitalhotel.co.uk).
The Fortnum & Mason department store offers tea at several different restaurants within its walls. You can “Take Tea in the Parlour” for £18 (including ice-cream cakes; Mon-Sat 10:00-18:45, Sun 12:00-16:45), or try the all-out “Gallery Tea” for £26 (daily 15:00-17:00). But the pièce de resistance is their brand-new Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, named in honor of the Queen’s 60th year on the throne (and, no doubt, to remind visitors of Her Majesty’s visit for tea here in 2012 with Camilla and Kate). At these royal prices, consider it dinner (£40-44, Mon-Sat 12:00-19:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, dress up a bit—no shorts, “children must be behaved,” 181 Piccadilly—see map on here, smart to reserve online or by phone at least a week in advance, tel. 0845-602-5694, www.fortnumandmason.com).
Other Places Serving Good Tea: The National Dining Rooms, within the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, offers a £17 afternoon tea (served 15:00-17:00, in Sainsbury Wing of National Gallery, Tube: Charing Cross or Leicester Square, tel. 020/7747-2525, www.peytonandbyrne.co.uk). The National Café, at the other end of the building, is a bit cheaper (£15 afternoon tea served 15:00-17:30). The Café at Sotheby’s, on the ground floor of the auction giant’s headquarters, gives shoppers a break from fashionable New Bond Street (£12-£19, tea served Mon-Fri only 15:00-16:45, reservations smart, 34-35 New Bond Street—see map on here, Tube: Bond Street or Oxford Circus, tel. 020/7293-5077, www.sothebys.com/cafe).
Cheaper Options: Taking tea is not just for tourists and the wealthy—it’s a true English tradition. If you want the teatime experience but are put off by the price, most department stores on Oxford Street (including those between Oxford Circus and Bond Street Tube stations) offer an afternoon tea. John Lewis’ mod third-floor brasserie serves a nice afternoon tea platter from 15:00 (£10, on Oxford Street one block west of the Bond Street Tube station, tel. 020/3073-0626, www.johnlewis.com). Many museums and bookstores have cafés serving afternoon tea goodies à la carte, where you can put together a spread for less than £10—Waterstone’s fifth-floor café and the Victoria and Albert Museum café are two of the best. Teapod, a modern place near the Tower Bridge, serves cream tea for £5.50 and afternoon tea for £14 (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-19:00, 31 Shad Thames, tel. 020/7407-0000; also at 22 Wellington Street in Covent Garden).
In Bath: The Pump Room is reason enough to put off tea in London—assuming you’ll be visiting the city of Bath. This historic, elegant Georgian hall with live music lets anyone enjoy the ritual of tea in grand style (see here).
Phone numbers and websites for major airlines are listed in the appendix. For accommodations at or near the major airports, see here. A number of discount airlines fly into and out of London’s smaller airports, making London a great jumping-off point for other destinations (see “Cheap Flights” on here).
Heathrow Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports. Think about it: 68 million passengers a year on 470,000 flights from 180 destinations riding 90 airlines, like some kind of global maypole dance. For Heathrow’s airport, flight, and transfer information, call the switchboard at 0844-335-1801, or visit the helpful website at www.heathrowairport.com (airport code: LHR).
Heathrow has five terminals, numbered T-1 through T-5 (though T-2 is closed for renovation through 2014). Each terminal is served by different airlines and alliances; for example, T-5 is exclusively for British Airways and Iberia Air flights, while T-1 serves mostly Star Alliance flights—such as United, USAir, and Lufthansa—plus plenty more British Airways flights. Screens posted throughout the airport identify which terminal each airline uses; this information should also be printed on your ticket or boarding pass.
To navigate, read signs and ask questions. You can walk between T-1, T-2 (when it’s open), and T-3. From this central hub, T-4 and T-5 split off in opposite directions (and are not walkable). To travel between T-1/T-2/T-3 and either T-4 or T-5, you can take a shuttle bus (free, serves all terminals), or the Tube (requires a ticket, serves all terminals). You can also connect T-1/T-2/T-3 and T-5 by Heathrow Express train (free, every 15-20 minutes, does not serve T-4).
If you’re flying out of Heathrow, it’s critical to confirm which terminal your flight will use (look carefully at your ticket/boarding pass, check online, or call your airline in advance)—because if it’s T-4 or T-5, you’ll need to allow extra time. Taxi drivers generally know which terminal you’ll need based on the airline, but bus drivers may not.
Services: Each terminal has an airport information desk (generally daily 5:00-22:00), car-rental agencies, exchange bureaus, ATMs, a pharmacy, a VAT refund desk (tel. 020/8910-3682; you must present the VAT claim form from the retailer here to get your tax rebate on items purchased in Britain—see here for details), room-booking services, and baggage storage (£5/item for up to 4 hours, £8.50/item for 24 hours, hours vary by terminal but generally daily 5:30-23:00, www.excess-baggage.co.uk). Get online 24 hours a day at Heathrow’s Internet access points (at each terminal—T-4’s is up on the mezzanine level). Pay Wi-Fi is available throughout the airport (provided by Boingo, www.boingo.com). A post office is on the first floor of T-3 (departures area). Each terminal has cheap eateries.
Heathrow’s small “TI” (tourist info shop), even though it’s a for-profit business, is worth a visit, if you’re nearby, to pick up free information: a simple map, the London Planner, and brochures (daily 6:30-22:00, 5-minute walk from T-3 in Tube station, follow signs to Underground; bypass queue for transit info to reach window for London questions).
You have five basic options for traveling the 14 miles between Heathrow Airport and downtown London: Tube (£5.30/person), bus (£5/person), direct shuttle bus (£22.50/person), express train with connecting Tube or taxi (about £20/person), or taxi (about £55/group).
By Tube (Subway): The Tube takes you from any Heathrow terminal to downtown London in 50-60 minutes on the Piccadilly Line (6/hour, buy ticket at Tube station ticket window or self-service machine). Depending on your destination in London, you may need to transfer (for example, if headed to the Victoria Station neighborhood, transfer at South Kensington to the Circle or District lines and ride two more stops). If you plan to use the Tube for transport in London, it may make sense to buy a Travelcard or pay-as-you-go Oyster card at the airport’s Tube station ticket window. (For details on these passes, see here.) If your Travelcard covers only Zones 1-2, it does not include Heathrow (Zone 6); however, you can pay a small supplement for the initial trip from Heathrow to downtown.
If you’re taking the Tube from downtown London to the airport, note that Piccadilly Line trains don’t stop at every terminal. Trains either stop at T-4, then T-1/T-2/T-3 (also called Heathrow Central), in that order; or T-1/T-2/T-3, then T-5. When leaving central London on the Tube, allow extra time if going to T-4 or T-5; to ensure you get on a train going to your terminal, carefully check the destination before you board.
By Bus: Most buses depart from the outdoor common area in the heart of the Heathrow complex called the Central Bus Station. It serves T-1/T-2/T-3, and is a five-minute walk from these terminals. To connect between T-4 or T-5 and the Central Bus Station, use Heathrow’s free shuttle buses; to reach T-5 only, you could instead ride the free Heathrow Express train.
National Express links Heathrow’s Central Bus Station with London’s Victoria Coach Station, near several of my recommended hotels. While slow, the bus is cheap and handy for those staying near Victoria Station (£5, 1-2/hour, less frequent from Victoria Station to Heathrow, 45-60 minutes, tel. 0871-781-8178, www.nationalexpress.com). A less-frequent National Express bus goes from T-5 directly to Victoria Coach Station (3/day).
Heathrow Shuttle is an economical shuttle-bus service that goes to/from your hotel and your terminal at Heathrow. You’ll share a minivan with other travelers who are also being picked up or dropped off (£15/person, progressive discounts for groups of two or more operates daily 4:00-18:00, book at least 24 hours in advance, office open daily 6:00-22:00, tel. 0845-257-8068, www.heathrowshuttle.com, info@heathrowshuttle.com). The rival Hotel by Bus service is pricey in comparison (£22.50/person).
By Train: Two different trains run between Heathrow Airport and London’s Paddington Station. At Paddington Station, you’re in the thick of the Tube system, with easy access to any of my recommended neighborhoods—my Paddington hotels are just outside the front door, and Notting Hill Gate is just two Tube stops away. The Heathrow Connect train is the slightly slower, much cheaper option, serving T-1/T-2/T-3 at one station called Heathrow Central; use free transfers if you’re coming from either T-4 or T-5 (£9.10 one-way, £17.80 round-trip, 2/hour Mon-Sat, 1-2/hour Sun, 30 minutes, tel. 0845-678-6975, www.heathrowconnect.com). The Heathrow Express train is fast and runs more frequently, but it’s pricey (£19 “express class” one-way, £34 round-trip, 4/hour; 15 minutes to downtown from T-1/T-2/T-3, 21 minutes from T-5; transfer by shuttle bus required from T-4; ask about discount promos at ticket desk, buy ticket before you board, covered by BritRail pass, daily 5:10-23:25, tel. 0845-600-1515, www.heathrowexpress.co.uk). At the airport, you can use the Heathrow Express as a free transfer between T-1/T-2/T-3 and T-5 (but not T-4).
By Taxi: Taxis from the airport cost about £45-70 to west and central London (one hour). For groups of four, this can be a deal. Hotels can often line up a cab back to the airport for about £30-40. For the cheapest taxi to the airport, don’t order one from your hotel. Simply flag down a few and ask for their best “off-meter” rate. Locals refer to hired cars that do the trip off-meter as “mini-cabs.” These are reliable and generally cost what you’d pay for a taxi in good traffic, but—with a fixed price—they can save you money when taxis are snarled in congestion with the meter running.
Heathrow is well-connected by train to London, but it isn’t tied directly into the regional rail network. It’s easiest to reach Bath by bus. Direct buses run daily from Heathrow to Bath (£22-43, 10/day direct, 2-5 hours, more frequent but slower with transfer in London, tel. 0871-781-8178, www.nationalexpress.com). BritRail passholders may prefer the 2.5-hour Heathrow-Bath bus/train connection via Reading (BritRail passholders just pay £15 for bus; otherwise £46-72 depending on time of day, about £10 cheaper when bought in advance; tel. 0118-957-9425, buy bus ticket from www.railair.com, train ticket from www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk). First catch the RailAir Link shuttle bus (2/hour, 45 minutes) to Reading (RED-ding), then hop on the express train (2/hour, 1 hour) to Bath. Factoring in the connection in Reading—which can add at least an hour to the trip—the train is a less convenient alternative than the direct bus to Bath. For another option, the tour company Celtic Horizons offers minivan transfers from Heathrow to Bath (see here).
More and more flights land at Gatwick Airport, which is halfway between London and the South Coast (airport code: LGW, tel. 0844-892-0322, www.gatwickairport.com). Gatwick has two terminals, North and South, which are easily connected by a free monorail (two-minute trip, runs 24 hours daily). Note that boarding passes say “Gatwick N” or “Gatwick S” to indicate your terminal. British Airways flights generally use Gatwick North. The Gatwick Express trains (described next) stop only at Gatwick South. Schedules in each terminal show only arrivals and departures from that terminal.
Getting to London: Gatwick Express trains are clearly the best way into London from this airport. They shuttle conveniently between Gatwick South and London’s Victoria Station, with many of my recommended hotels close by (£19 one-way, £33 round-trip, 10 percent discount if purchased online, 4/hour, 30 minutes, runs 5:00-24:00 daily, a few trains as early as 3:30, tel. 0845-850-1530, www.gatwickexpress.com). If you buy your tickets at the station before boarding, ask about their deal where three or four adults travel for the price of two. (If you see others in the ticket line, suggest buying your tickets together—you’ll save up to 50 percent.) When going to the airport, at Victoria Station note that Gatwick Express has its own ticket windows right by the platform (tracks 13 and 14).
You can save a few pounds by taking Southern Railway’s slower and less frequent shuttle train between Gatwick South and Victoria Station (£13.30, up to 4/hour, 45 minutes, tel. 0845-127-2920, www.southernrailway.com).
A train also runs between Gatwick South and St. Pancras International Station (£9, 8/hour, 1 hour, www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk)—useful for travelers taking the Eurostar train (to Paris or Brussels) or staying in the St. Pancras/King’s Cross neighborhood.
Even slower, but cheap and handy to the Victoria Station neighborhood, you can take the bus (1.25 hours). National Express runs a bus from Gatwick direct to Victoria Station (£8, hourly, tel. 0871-781-8181, www.nationalexpress.com); easyBus has one going to near the Earls Court Tube stop (£2-9 depending on how far ahead you book, 2-3/hour, www.easybus.co.uk).
Getting to Bath: To get to Bath from Gatwick, you can catch a bus to Heathrow and take the bus to Bath from there (10/day, 4-5 hours total, £28 one-way, transfer at Heathrow Airport, www.nationalexpress.com—see “Getting to Bath from Heathrow Airport,” previous page). By train, the best Gatwick-Bath connection involves a transfer in Reading (£50-60 one-way depending on time of day, cheaper in advance, hourly, 2.5-3 hours, www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk; avoid transfer in London, where you’ll have to change stations).
Stansted Airport: If you’re using Stansted (airport code: STN, tel. 0844-335-1803, www.stanstedairport.com), you have several options for getting into or out of London. Two different buses connect the airport and London’s Victoria Station neighborhood: National Express (£10.50, every 20 minutes, 1.75 hours, runs 24 hours a day, picks up and stops throughout London, ends at Victoria Coach Station, tel. 0871-781-8181, www.nationalexpress.com) and Terravision (£9, 2-3/hour, 1.25 hours, ends at Green Line Coach Station just south of Victoria Station). Or you can take the faster, pricier Stansted Express train (£21, connects to London’s Tube system at Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street, 4/hour, 45 minutes, 5:30-23:00, tel. 0845-850-0150, www.stanstedexpress.com). Stansted is expensive by cab; figure £100-120 one-way from central London.
Luton Airport: For Luton (airport code: LTN, airport tel. 01582/405-100, www.london-luton.co.uk), there are two choices into or out of London. The fastest way to go is by train to London’s St. Pancras International Station (£14.50 one-way, 1-5/hour, 25-45 minutes—check schedule to avoid slower trains, tel. 0845-712-5678, www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk); catch the 10-minute shuttle bus (£1.50) from outside the terminal to the Luton Airport Parkway Station. The Green Line express bus #757 runs to Buckingham Palace Road, just south of London’s Victoria Station (£16-17, small discount for easyJet passengers who buy online, 2-4/hour, 1.25-1.5 hours, 24 hours a day, tel. 0844-801-7261, www.greenline.co.uk). If you’re sleeping at Luton, consider easyHotel (see listing on here).
Other Airports: There’s a slim chance you might use London City Airport (airport code: LCY, tel. 020/7646-0088, www.londoncityairport.com). To get into London, take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to the Bank Tube station, which is one stop east of St. Paul’s on the Central Line (£4.30 one-way, covered by Travelcard, £2.60-3.10 on Oyster card, 22 minutes, www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr). Some Easyjet flights land even farther out, at Southend Airport (airport code: SEN, tel. 01702/608-100, www.southendairport.com). Trains connect the airport to London’s Liverpool Street Station (£15 one-way, 8/hour, 50 minutes, www.greateranglia.co.uk).
A handy National Express bus runs between Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton airports—easier than having to cut through the center of London—although traffic can be bad and can increase travel times (tel. 0871-781-8181, www.nationalexpress.com).
From Heathrow Airport to: Gatwick Airport (1-6/hour, about 1.25 hours—but allow at least three hours between flights, £20-25), Stansted Airport (1-2/hour, about 1.5 hours, £22.50), Luton Airport (hourly, 1-1.5 hours, £21).
Britain is covered by a myriad of rail systems (owned by different companies), which together are called National Rail. London, the country’s major transportation hub, has a different train station for each region. There are nine main stations (see the map on here):
Euston—Serves northwest England, North Wales, and Scotland.
King’s Cross—Serves northeast England and Scotland, including York and Edinburgh.
Liverpool Street—Serves east England, including Essex and Harwich.
London Bridge—Serves south England, including Brighton.
Marylebone—Serves southwest and central England, including Stratford-upon-Avon.
Paddington—Serves south and southwest England, including Heathrow Airport, Windsor, Bath, South Wales, and the Cotswolds.
St. Pancras International—Serves north and south England, plus the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels (see “Crossing the Channel,” later).
Victoria—Serves Gatwick Airport, Canterbury, Dover, and Brighton.
Waterloo—Serves southeast England, including Salisbury.
In addition, there are other, smaller train stations in London that you are not likely to use, such as Charing Cross or Blackfriars.
Any train station has schedule information, can make reservations, and can sell tickets for any destination. Most stations offer a baggage-storage service (£8.50/bag for 24 hours, look for left luggage signs); because of long security lines, it can take a while to check or pick up your bag (www.excess-baggage.com). For more details on the services available at each station, see www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations.
Daytrippers from London might consider the “London Plus” pass, which is good for rail travel in most of southeast England (but not in London itself). For more on railpasses, see here.
From Paddington Station to: Bath (2/hour, 1.5 hours; also consider a guided Evan Evans tour by bus—see here), Oxford (2/hour direct, 1 hour, more possible with transfer in Reading), Penzance (every 1-2 hours, 5-5.5 hours, possible change in Plymouth), and Cardiff (2/hour, 2 hours).
From King’s Cross Station: Trains run at least hourly, stopping in York (2 hours), Durham (3 hours), and Edinburgh (4.5 hours). Trains to Cambridge also leave from here (3/hour, 45-60 minutes).
From Euston Station to: Conwy (nearly hourly, 3.25 hours, transfer in Chester or Crewe), Liverpool (hourly, 2 hours, more with transfer), Blackpool (hourly, 3 hours, transfer at Preston), Keswick (hourly, 4.5 hours, transfer to bus at Penrith), and Glasgow (1-2/hour, 4.5-5 hours).
Trains run between London and Canterbury, leaving from St. Pancras International Station and arriving in Canterbury West (1-2/hour, 1 hour), as well as from London’s Victoria Station and arriving in Canterbury East (2/hour, 1.5 hours).
Direct trains leave for Stratford-upon-Avon from Marylebone Station, located near the southwest corner of Regent’s Park (5/day direct, more with transfers, 2.25 hours).
To Other Destinations: Dover (hourly, 1.25 hours, from St. Pancras International Station; also hourly, 2 hours, direct from Victoria Station or Charing Cross Station), Brighton (4-5/hour, 1 hour, from Victoria Station and London Bridge Station), Portsmouth (3/hour, 1.5-2 hours, most from Waterloo Station, a few from Victoria Station), and Salisbury (1-2/hour, 1.5 hours, from Waterloo Station). For trains to Windsor, Cambridge, Greenwich, or Bath, check those chapters.
Buses are slower but considerably cheaper than trains for reaching destinations around Britain, and beyond. Most depart from Victoria Coach Station, which is one long block south of Victoria Station (near many recommended accommodations and Tube: Victoria). Inside the station, you’ll find basic eateries, kiosks, and a helpful information desk stocked with schedules and ready to point you to your bus or answer any questions. Watch your bags carefully—luggage thieves thrive at the station.
Most domestic buses are operated by National Express (tel. 0871-781-8181, www.nationalexpress.com); their international departures are called Eurolines (tel. 0871-781-8177, www.eurolines.co.uk).
A newer, smaller company called Megabus undersells National Express with deeply discounted promotional fares—the further ahead you buy, the less you pay (some trips for just £1.50, toll tel. 0900-160-0900, www.megabus.com). While Megabus can be much cheaper than National Express—even half the price—they tend to be slower than their competitor and their routes mainly connect cities (rather than include smaller towns). They also sell discounted train tickets on selected routes.
Try to avoid bus travel on Friday and Sunday evenings, when weekend travelers are more likely to make buses sell out.
To ensure getting a ticket—and to save money with special promotions—you can book your ticket in advance online (see websites above). The cheapest pre-purchased tickets can be changed (for a £5 fee), but they’re usually nonrefundable within 72 hours of travel. If you have a British mobile phone, you can order online and have a “text ticket” sent right to your phone.
Ideally you’ll buy your tickets online. But if you must buy one at the station, try to arrive an hour before the bus departs—or drop by the day before. (For buses to Stansted Airport and Oxford, you can buy the ticket on board; otherwise you’ll buy it at a ticket window.) Automated ticketing machines are scattered around the station (separate machines for National Express/Eurolines and Megabus; you can buy either for today or for tomorrow); there’s also a ticket counter near gate 21.
To Bath: The National Express bus leaves from Victoria Coach Station (nearly hourly, 3.5 hours, sample fares: one-way-£22, round-trip-£29).
To get to Bath via Stonehenge, consider taking a guided bus tour from London to Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Bath, and abandoning the tour in Bath (be sure to confirm that Bath is the last stop on that particular tour). Evan Evans’ tour is £79 and includes admissions. The tour leaves from Victoria Coach Station every morning at 8:45 (you can stow your bag in a compartment under the bus), stops in Salisbury (for a look at its magnificent cathedral) and Stonehenge, and then stops in Bath before returning to London (offered year-round; they also offer another tour to Stonehenge and Bath via Windsor Castle; tel. 020/7950-1777, US tel. 800-422-9022, www.evanevans.co.uk, reservations@evanevanstours.co.uk). Golden Tours also runs a Stonehenge-Bath tour (£48, check website for seasonal tour days; departs from Fountain Square, located across from Victoria Coach Station, US tel. 800-509-2507, UK tel. 0844-880-5050, www.goldentours.com).
To Other Destinations: National Express buses go to Oxford (2/hour, about 2 hours, Cambridge (hourly, 2-2.5 hours), Canterbury (about hourly, 2-2.5 hours), Dover (about hourly, 2.5-3.25 hours), Brighton (hourly, 2 hours), Penzance (5/day, 8.5-10 hours, overnight available), Cardiff (hourly, 3.25 hours), Stratford-upon-Avon (3/day, 3.5 hours), Liverpool (8/day direct, 5.25-6 hours, overnight available), Blackpool (4/day direct, 6.25-7 hours, overnight available), York (4/day direct, 5.25 hours), Durham (4/day direct, 6.5-7.5 hours), Glasgow (4/day direct, 8-9 hours, train is a much better option), Edinburgh (2/day direct, 8.75-9.75 hours, go by train instead).
To Dublin, Ireland: This bus/boat journey, operated by National Express, takes 10-12 hours (£52, 1/day, departs Victoria Coach Station at 18:00, check in with passport one hour before). Consider a cheap 1.25-hour Ryanair flight instead (www.ryanair.com).
To the Continent: Especially in summer, buses run to destinations all over Europe, including Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Germany (sometimes crossing the Channel by ferry, other times through the Chunnel). For any international connection, you need to check in with your passport one hour before departure. For details, call 0871-781-8177 or visit www.eurolines.co.uk. For information on crossing the Channel by bus, see the end of this chapter.
The fastest and most convenient way to get from Big Ben to the Eiffel Tower is by rail. Eurostar, a joint service of the Belgian, British, and French railways, is the speedy passenger train that zips you (and up to 800 others in 18 sleek cars) from downtown London to downtown Paris or Brussels (1-2/hour, 2.25 hours) faster and more easily than flying. The train goes 190 mph both before and after the English Channel crossing. The actual tunnel crossing is a 20-minute, silent, 100-mile-per-hour nonevent. Your ears won’t even pop. Get ready for more high-speed connections: Eurostar’s monopoly expired at the beginning of 2010, and Germany’s national railroad is negotiating to run its bullet trains between Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and London by 2013.
Unlike most trains in Western Europe, Eurostar is not covered by railpasses and always requires a separate, reserved train ticket. Eurostar fares (essentially the same between London and Paris or Brussels) vary depending on how far ahead you reserve, whether you can live with restrictions, and whether you’re eligible for any discounts (such as those for early purchase or round-trip travel).
A one-way, full-fare ticket (with no restrictions on refundability) runs about $400 for first-class and $300 for second-class. Discounts can lower fares substantially (figure $60-160 for second-class, one-way) for children under 12, youths under 26, seniors 60 or older, and railpass holders. The early bird gets the best price. If you’re ready to commit, you can book tickets as early as 6-9 months in advance at www.eurostar.com.
A tour company called BritainShrinkers sells one- or two-day tours to Paris, Brussels, or Bruges, enabling you to side-trip to these cities from London for less than most train tickets alone. For example, you’ll pay £129 for a one-day Paris “tour” (unescorted Mon-Sat day trip with Métro pass; tel. 020/7404-5100, www.britainshrinkers.com). This can be a particularly good option if you need to get to Paris from London on short notice, when only the costliest Eurostar fares are available.
Because only the most expensive (full-fare) ticket is fully refundable, don’t reserve until you’re sure of your plans. But if you wait too long, the cheapest tickets will get bought up.
Once you’re confident about the time and date of your crossing, you can check and book fares by phone or online. Ordering online through Eurostar or major agents offers a print-at-home eticket option. You can also order by phone through Rail Europe at US tel. 800-387-6782 for home delivery before you go, or through Eurostar (tel. 0870-518-6186, priced in euros) and pick up your ticket at the train station. In Britain, tickets can be issued only at the Eurostar office in St. Pancras International Station. In continental Europe, you can buy your Eurostar ticket at any major train station in any country or at any travel agency that handles train tickets (expect a booking fee). You can purchase passholder discount tickets at Eurostar departure stations, through US agents, or by phone with Eurostar, but they may be harder to get at other train stations and travel agencies, and are a discount category that can sell out.
Remember that Britain’s time zone is one hour earlier than France and Belgium’s. Times listed on tickets are local times (departure from London is British time, arrival in Paris is French time).
Eurostar trains depart from and arrive at London’s St. Pancras International Station. Check in at least 30 minutes in advance for your Eurostar trip. It’s very similar to an airport check-in: You pass through airport-like security, show your passport to customs officials, and find a TV monitor to locate your departure gate. There are a few airport-like shops, newsstands, horrible snack bars, and cafés (bring food for the trip from elsewhere), pay-Internet terminals, and a currency-exchange booth with rates about the same as you’ll find on the other end.
For speed and affordability, look into cheap flights. The old-fashioned ways of crossing the Channel are cheaper than Eurostar (taking the bus is cheapest). They’re also twice as romantic, complicated, and time-consuming.
Check with budget airlines for cheap round-trip fares to Paris or Brussels (see “Cheap Flights” on here).
For additional European ferry info, visit www.aferry.to. For UK train and bus info, go to www.traveline.org.uk.
To Paris: You’ll take a train from London to the port of Dover, then catch a ferry to Calais, France, before boarding another train for Paris. Trains go from London’s St. Pancras International Station to Dover’s Priory Station (hourly, 1.25 hours; bus or taxi from train station to ferry dock). P&O Ferries sail from Dover to Calais; TGV trains run from Calais to Paris (ferry—from £35 one-way online, more at dock or by phone, book early for best fares; up to 2/hour, 1.5 hours, tel. 08716-642-020, www.poferries.com).
To Amsterdam: Stena Line’s Dutchflyer service combines train and ferry tickets between London and Amsterdam via the ports of Harwich and Hoek van Holland. Trains go from London’s Liverpool Street Station to Harwich (hourly, 1.75 hours, most transfer in Manningtree). Stena Line ferries sail from Harwich to Hoek van Holland (7.75 hours), where you can catch a train to Amsterdam (ferry—from £34, plus £29 for cabin, book ahead for best price, 13 hours total travel time, Dutchflyer tel. 08445-762-762, www.stenaline.co.uk, Dutch train info at www.ns.nl).
You can take the bus from London direct to Paris (4/day, 8.25-9.75 hours), Brussels (4/day, 9 hours), or Amsterdam (4/day, 12 hours) from Victoria Coach Station (via ferry or Chunnel, day or overnight). Prices are the same to Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam (£56-70 one-way, cheaper in advance, tel. 08705-143-219, www.eurolines.co.uk).