1 Lower Regent Street
0870 156 6366TOURIST OFFICES
Main office
Britain and London Visitor Centre,
1 Lower Regent Street 0870 156 6366
Alternative office
City of London,
St Paul’s Churchyard
Other information points include: the bright orange Holborn Information Kiosk, Kingsway (outside Holborn Tube station), the Travel Information Centres at Euston Railway Station, Liverpool Street Railway Station, Piccadilly Circus Station and Victoria Station. There is also an information centre at the underground station that serves Heathrow’s terminals 1, 2 and 3. You can also get help from any of the 300 or so ‘London Ambassadors’, wearing badges with the Visit London and i logos.
MONEY
Britain’s currency is the pound sterling (£), issued in notes of £5, £10, £20 and £50. There are 100 pennies or pence (p) to each pound and coins come in denominations of 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.
Travellers’ cheques may be accepted by some hotels, shops and restaurants. Travellers’ cheques in pounds are the most convenient. Exchange offices are common in central London, but they often offer poorer rates of exchange. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted.
Automatic teller machines (ATMs) are widely available throughout London but be aware of security when using them.
TIPS/GRATUITIES
POSTAL SERVICES
Post offices are open Mon–Fri 9–5:30, Sat 9–12. The exception is Trafalgar Square Post Office, 24–28 William IV Street, open Mon–Fri 8:30–6:30 (Tue from 9:15am), Sat 9–5:30.
TELEPHONES
The traditional red phone boxes are now rare; instead, kiosks come in a wide variety of different designs and colours, depending on which phone company is operating them.
Coin-operated telephones take 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 coins, but card-operated phones are often more convenient. Phonecards are available from many shops. Hotel phones are very expensive. To call the operator dial 100.
International dialling codes
From London to:
Germany: 00 49
USA: 00 1
Canada: 00 1
Netherlands: 00 31
Spain: 00 34
Emergency telephone numbers
Police: 999
Fire: 999
Ambulance: 999
You can also dial 112 to be
connected to the same services
EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES
Germany 020 7824 1300
USA 020 7499 9000
Netherlands 020 7590 3200
Spain 020 7235 5555
HEALTH ADVICE
Weather Although London is not renowned for its sunny weather, the sun can be strong in July and August, when many Londoners take to the parks to sunbathe. Some sights involve being outdoors for prolonged periods: ‘cover up’, apply sunscreen and drink plenty of water.
Drugs Prescription and non-prescription drugs and medicines are available from chemists/pharmacies. Pharmacists can advise on medication for common ailments. London’s only 24-hour chemist is Zafash, 233–235 Old Brompton Road ( 020 7373 2798; www.zafash.com).
Safe water Tap water is safe to drink. Mineral water is widely available but is often expensive, particularly in restaurants.
PERSONAL SAFETY
London is generally a safe city and police officers are often seen on the beat (walking the streets) in the central areas. They are usually friendly and very approachable.
To help prevent crime:
• Do not carry more cash than you need.
• Beware of pickpockets in markets, on the underground, in tourist sights or crowded places
• Avoid walking alone in dark alleys at night
ELECTRICITY
The power supply in Britain is 240 volts.
Sockets only accept three (square)-pin plugs, so an adaptor is needed for Continental and US appliances. A transformer is needed for appliances operating on 110–120 volts.
OPENING HOURS
The times shown are traditional opening hours. Many shops in the West End open for longer hours and also on Sunday. High Street banks are open Saturday morning and exchange offices are open daily until late. Smaller museums may close one day a week. Lunch usually is taken between 12 and 2:30 and dinner from 7 until 11.
LANGUAGE
Every city has its own vocabulary for everyday places and objects. Here are just a few expressions that you might hear or read.
| betting shop, bookie | Legal place to gamble on horses, football etc |
| bitter | Popular style of draft beer (as in a ‘pint of bitter’) |
| Buck House | Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s home |
| cabbie | Cab or taxi driver |
| The City | Specifically the square mile that is London’s business district |
| Cockney | Someone from the East End of London, traditionally ‘born within the sound of Bow Bells’, a church in the city |
| Cockney | a dialect spoken by Cockneys, with its rhyming slang |
| dustman, dustbin | Refuse/garbage collector, refuse/garbage bin |
| The East End | East of the City; traditionally the poorer part of London |
| fiver, tenner | £5, £10 note |
| football | Association football; rarely ‘soccer’ |
| grand | A thousand pounds |
| hole-in-the-wall | Slang for an ATM or cash machine |
| local | A pub frequented by people living or working nearby |
| Lord’s | North London’s world-famous cricket ground |
| Marks, M and S | Marks & Spencer: popular High Street store |
| mini-cab | Alternative to black taxis; must be licensed to be legal |
| off-licence | Shop selling beer, wine, spirits |
| Number 10 | Where the Prime Minister lives (10 Downing Street) |
| Oyster Card | The electronic travel card now widely used |
| plastic | Credit or debit card (as in ‘Can I pay with plastic?’) |
| quid | £1 (money) |
| The River | Always refers to the River Thames |
| The Tube | The underground train service |
| The West End | Central London, round Piccadilly Circus: the theatres, clubs, shops |