Directory A–Z

Customs Regulations

The UK distinguishes between goods bought duty-free outside the EU and those bought in another EU country, where taxes and duties will have already been paid.

If you exceed your duty-free allowance, you will have to pay tax on the items. For European goods, there is officially no limit to how much you can bring but customs use certain guidelines to distinguish between personal and commercial use.

Import Restrictions

Item	Duty-free
Tobacco	200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g tobacco
Spirits & liqueurs	1L spirit or 2L fortified wine (eg sherry or port)
Beer & wine	16L beer & 4L still wine
Other goods	Up to a value of £390

Discount Cards

London Pass (%020-7293 0972; www.londonpass.com; 1/2/3/6/10 days £62/85/101/139/169) Worthwhile for visitors who want to take in lots of paid sights in a short time. The pass offers free entry and queue-jumping to all major attractions, and can be adapted to include use of the Underground and buses. Child passes are available too. Check the website for details.

You can download the app to your smartphone or collect your pass from the London Pass Redemption Desk ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.londonpass.com; 11a Charing Cross Rd, WC2; h10am-4.30pm; tLeicester Sq), near Leicester Sq.

Historic Royal Palaces (%020-3166 6000; www.hrp.org.uk; individual/joint membership £50/77, one/two adult family £66/100) If you're a royalty or palace buff, taking out an annual membership allows you to jump the queues and visit the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Banqueting House, Kew Palace and Hampton Court Palace as often as you like, making you a fair saving. There can be a lengthy wait for membership cards, but temporary cards are issued immediately.

Electricity

Emergency

Emergency & Important Numbers

International dialling code	00
London’s area code	020
Police, fire brigade or ambulance	999
Reverse charge/collect calls	155

Insurance

Not all holidays are trouble-free and travel insurance for visits to London are very much recommended. Insurance usually covers medical and dental consultation and treatment at private clinics, as well as the cost of any emergency flight, plus loss of baggage and so forth. Worldwide travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online anytime – even if you’re already on the road.

Legal Matters

Should you face any legal difficulties while in London, visit a branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau (www.citizensadvice.org.uk), or contact your embassy.

Driving Offences

The laws against drink-driving are very strict in the UK and treated seriously. Currently the limit is 80mg of alcohol in 100mL of blood. The safest approach is not to drink anything at all if you’re planning to drive.

It is illegal to use a hand-held phone (or similar devices) while driving.

Drugs

Illegal drugs of every type are widely available in London, especially in clubs. Nonetheless, all the usual drug warnings apply. Cannabis was downgraded to a Class C drug in 2004 but reclassified as a Class B drug in 2009 following a government rethink. If you’re caught with pot today, you’re likely to be arrested. Possession of harder drugs, including heroin and cocaine, is always treated seriously. Searches on entering clubs are common.

Fines

In general you rarely have to pay on the spot for an offence. The exceptions are trains, the tube and buses, where people who can’t produce a valid ticket for the journey when asked to by an inspector can be fined there and then. No excuses are accepted, though if you can’t pay, you’ll be able to register your details (if you have some sort of ID with you) and be sent a fine in the post.

Maps

The London A–Z series produces a range of excellent maps and hand-held street atlases. Online, www.street map.co.uk and Google Maps are comprehensive.

Money

The UK did not adopt the euro and retained the pound sterling (£) as its unit of currency.

One pound sterling is made up of 100 pence (called ‘pee’, colloquially).

Notes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50, while coins are 1p ('penny'), 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. Loaded with features to thwart counterfeiters, a new dual-metal, hologram-decorated, 12-sided £1 coin entered circulation in 2017.

ATMs

ATMs are everywhere and will generally accept Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus or Maestro cards, as well as more obscure ones. There is almost always a transaction surcharge for cash withdrawals with foreign cards. There are nonbank-run ATMs that charge £1.50 to £2 per transaction. These are normally found inside shops and are particularly expensive for foreign-bank card holders. The ATM generally warns you before you take money out that it will charge you but be vigilant.

Although many London ATMs are largely tamper-proof, always beware of suspicious-looking devices attached to ATMs, including tiny pinhole cameras. If you are unsure about any particular ATM, find another one.

Changing Money

The best place to change money is in any local post-office branch, where no commission is charged.

You can also change money in most high-street banks and some travel agencies, as well as at the numerous bureaux de change throughout the city.

Compare rates and watch for the commission that is not always mentioned very prominently. The trick is to ask how many pounds you’ll receive in total before committing – you’ll lose nothing by shopping around.

Credit & Debit Cards

Londoners live off their debit cards, which can also be used to get ‘cash back’ from supermarkets. Card transactions and cash withdrawals are generally subject to additional charges for foreign cardholders; check with your provider.

ACredit and debit cards are accepted almost universally in London, from restaurants and bars to shops and even by some taxis.

AAmerican Express and Diners Club are far less widely used than Visa and MasterCard.

AContactless cards and payments (which do not require a chip and pin or a signature) are increasingly widespread (watch for the wi-fi-like symbol on cards, shops, taxis, buses, the Underground, rail services and other transport options). Transactions are limited to a maximum of £30.

Exchange Rates

Australia	A$1	£0.60
Canada	C$1	£0.59
Euro	€1	£0.88
Japan	¥100	£0.71
NZ	NZ$1	£0.56
US	US$1	£0.78

For current exchange rates, see www.xe.com.

Tipping

AHotels Pay a porter £1 per bag; gratuity for room staff is at your discretion.

APubs Not expected unless table service is provided, then £1 for a round of drinks is sufficient. Do not tip at the bar.

ARestaurants Service charge often included in the bill. If not, 10% for decent service, up to 15% if exceptional.

ATaxis Londoners generally round the fare up to the nearest pound only.

Opening Hours

The following are standard opening hours.

Banks 9am–5pm Monday–Friday

Post offices 9am–5.30pm Monday–Friday and 9am–noon Saturday

Pubs & bars 11am–11pm (many are open later)

Restaurants noon–2.30pm and 6–11pm

Sights 10am–6pm

Shops 9am–7pm Monday–Saturday, noon–6pm Sunday

Post

The Royal Mail (www.royalmail.com) is no longer the humdinger it once was but it is generally very reliable. To find your nearest post office, consult www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder.

Postcodes

The unusual London postcode system dates back to WWI. The whole city is divided up into districts denoted by a letter (or letters) and a number. For example, W1, the postcode for Mayfair and Soho, stands for ‘West London, district 1’. EC1, on the other hand, stands for ‘East Central London, district 1’. The number a district is assigned has nothing to do with its geographic location, but rather its alphabetical listing in that area. For example, in North London N1 and N16 are right next to each other, as are E1 and E14 in East London.

Public Holidays

Most attractions and businesses close for a couple of days over Christmas and sometimes Easter. Places that normally shut on Sunday will probably close on bank holiday Mondays. The transport network shuts down in London on Christmas Day, apart from Santander Cycles. Hotel restaurants are about the only thing you'll find open.

New Year’s Day 1 January

Good Friday Late March/April

Easter Monday Late March/April

May Day Holiday First Monday in May

Spring Bank Holiday Last Monday in May

Summer Bank Holiday Last Monday in August

Christmas Day 25 December

Boxing Day 26 December

Taxes & Refunds

Value-added tax (VAT) is a 20% sales tax levied on most goods and services. Restaurants must always include VAT in their prices, but the same requirement does not apply to hotel room prices, so double-check when booking.

It’s sometimes possible for visitors to claim a refund of VAT paid on goods. You’re eligible if you live outside the EU and are heading back home, or if you're an EU citizen and are leaving the EU for more than 12 months.

More Information

Not all shops participate in what is called either the VAT Retail Export Scheme or Tax Free Shopping, and different shops will have different minimum purchase conditions (normally around £75 in any one shop). On request, participating shops will give you a special form (VAT 407). This must be presented with the goods and receipts to customs when you depart the country. (VAT-free goods can’t be posted or shipped home.) After customs has certified the form, you can sometimes get a refund on the spot, otherwise the form gets sent back to the shop, which then processes your refund (minus an administration or handling fee). This can take up to 10 weeks.

PRACTICALITIES

ASmoking Forbidden in all enclosed public places. Most pubs have some sort of smoking area outside. Some pubs and restaurants have a no-vaping policy (so check for each establishment); vaping is not allowed on buses, the tube or trains in London.

AWeights & Measures The UK uses a confusing mix of metric and imperial systems.

Telephone

British Telecom’s famous red phone boxes survive in conservation areas only (notably Westminster). Some people use them as shelter from the rain while using their mobile phones. Some BT phones still accept coins, but most take credit cards. The minimum charge is 60p, for the first 30 minutes of a national call.

Calling London

London’s area code is 020, followed by an eight-digit number beginning with 7 (central London), 8 (Greater London) or 3 (nongeographic).

You only need to dial the 020 when you are calling London from elsewhere in the UK or if you’re dialling from a mobile.

To call London from abroad, dial your country’s international access code (usually 00 but 011 in Canada and the USA), then 44 (the UK’s country code), then 20 (dropping the initial 0), followed by the eight-digit phone number.

International Calls & Rates

International direct dialling (IDD) calls to almost anywhere can be made from nearly all public telephones. Direct dialling is cheaper than making a reverse-charge (collect) call through the international operator.

Many private firms offer cheaper international calls than BT. In such places you phone from a metered booth and then pay the bill. Some internet shops also offer cheap rates for international calls.

International calling cards with stored value (usually £5, £10 or £20) and a PIN, which you can use from any phone by dialling a special access number, are usually the cheapest way to call abroad. These cards are available at most corner shops.

Note that the use of Skype or Whatsapp may be restricted in some hostels because of noise and/or bandwidth issues.

Local & National Call Rates

Local calls are charged by time alone; regional and national calls are charged by both time and distance.

Daytime rates apply from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday.

The cheap rate applies from 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and again over the weekend from 7pm Friday to 7am Monday.

Mobile Phones

Buy local SIM cards for European and Australian phones, or a pay-as-you-go phone. Set other phones to international roaming.

More Information

The UK uses the GSM 900 network, which covers Europe, Australia and New Zealand, but is not compatible with CDMA mobile technology used in the US and Japan (although some American and Japanese phones can work on both GSM and CDMA networks).

If you have a GSM phone, check with your service provider about using it in the UK and ask about roaming charges.

It’s usually better to buy a local SIM card from any mobile-phone shop, though in order to do that your handset from home must be unlocked.

Time

London is on GMT/UTC; during British Summer Time (BST; late March to late October), London clocks are one hour ahead of GMT/UTC.

Toilets

Train stations, bus terminals and attractions generally have good facilities, providing also for people with disabilities and those with young children. You’ll also find public toilets across the city, some operated by local councils, others automated and self-cleaning. Most charge 50p. Department stores and museums generally have toilets. It’s now an offence to urinate in the streets.

Tourist Information

Visit London (www.visitlondon.com) can fill you in on everything from attractions and events to tours and accommodation. Kiosks are dotted about the city and can also provide maps and brochures; some branches are able to book theatre tickets.

More Information

There aren't a huge number of Visit London tourist information centres in town, but they can be found at several places:

Heathrow Airport ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.visitlondon.com/tag/tourist-information-centre; Terminal 1, 2 & 3 Underground station concourse; h7.30am-8.30pm)

King’s Cross St Pancras Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.visitlondon.com/tag/tourist-information-centre; Western Ticket Hall, Euston Rd N1; h8am-6pm)

Liverpool Street Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.visitlondon.com/tag/tourist-information-centre; Liverpool Street Station; h8am-6pm; tLiverpool St)

Piccadilly Circus Underground Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.visitlondon.com/tag/tourist-information-centre; Piccadilly Circus Underground Station; h9.30am-4pm)

Victoria Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.visitlondon.com/tag/tourist-information-centre; Victoria Station; h7.15am-9.15pm Mon-Sat, 8.15am-8.15pm Sun; tVictoria)

Travellers with Disabilities

For travellers with access needs, London is a frustrating mix of user-friendliness and head-in-the-sand disinterest. New hotels and modern tourist attractions are legally required to be accessible to people in wheelchairs, but many historic buildings, B&Bs and guesthouses are in older buildings, which are hard or prohibitively expensive to adapt. Similarly, visitors with vision, hearing or cognitive impairments will find their needs met in a piecemeal fashion.

The good news is that as a result of hosting the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and thanks to a forward-looking tourist board in VisitEngland, things are improving all the time.

Resources

Various websites offer useful information.

VisitLondon (www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/essential-information/accessible-london) The tourist board's accessible travel page has useful links and information on accessible shops, hotels and toilets.

Accessible London (http://www.disabledgo.com/accessible-london-visit-london) Professionally audited guide, produced by DisabledGo, to access in the city.

Transport for London (www.tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/) All the information you’ll need to get around London on public transport, including 'how to' videos and a live Twitter feed keeping you up to date on transport access issues such as out-of-order lifts.

Accessible Travel Online Resources (http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/world/accessible-travel-online-resources-2017) Lonely Planet’s guide offers many more useful links to get the best out of your visit to London.

Several organisations have a UK-wide remit.

Action on Hearing Loss (%0808 808 0123, textphone 0808 808 9000; www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk) This is the main organisation working with deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. Many ticket offices and banks are fitted with hearing loops to help the hearing-impaired; look for the ear symbol.

Disability Rights UK ( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7250 8181; www.disabilityrightsuk.org; ground fl, CAN Mezzanine, 49-51 East Rd, N1; tOld Street) Umbrella organisation for voluntary groups for people with disabilities. Many wheelchair-accessible toilets can be opened only with a special Royal Association of Disability & Rehabilitation (Radar) key, which can be obtained via the website or from tourist offices for £5.40.

Royal National Institute for the Blind ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0303-23 9999; www.rnib.org.uk; 105 Judd St, WC1; h9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri; tKing's Cross) The UK's main charitable institution for people with sight loss.

Transport

AAround a quarter of tube stations, half of overground stations, most piers, all tram stops, the Emirates Air Line (cable car) and all DLR stations have step-free access. However, even if your starting and destination tube stations have step-free access, stations where you interchange may not and there is always the dreaded gap between train and platform to mind – careful planning and notification of a staff member are recommended before you board a train.

ABuses are a much better bet: all can be lowered to street level when they stop and wheelchair users travel free. A recent court case has confirmed that wheelchair users have priority use of the wheelchair space over pram (stroller) users, and bus drivers should back you up if a buggy is blocking the space.

AAll black cabs are wheelchair-accessible, but power wheelchair users should note that the space is tight and sometimes headroom is insufficient. This should improve as a new fleet of more accessible black cabs is phased in over the next couple of years.

AGuide dogs are universally welcome on public transport and in hotels, restaurants, attractions etc.

AThroughout the capital pavements are generally in good repair, pedestrian crossings relatively frequent and well placed, and kerb cuts sufficient not to leave you stranded. The further you get from the centre of London, the more likely it is that you'll have the occasional issue with a missing kerb cut.

Visas

Not required for Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US visitors, as well as several other nations, for stays of up to six months.

Entry & Exit Formalities

UK immigration authorities are stringent and methodical, so queues can get long at passport control, especially at Heathrow Airport.

More Information

Immigration to the UK is becoming tougher, particularly for those seeking to work or study. The exit of the UK from the EU will take several years, but the process has commenced and entry requirements for EU nationals may change. Make sure you check the website of the UK Border Agency (www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa) or with your local British embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date information.

Visa Extensions

Tourist visas can be extended as long as the total time spent in the UK is less than six months, or in clear emergencies (eg an accident, death of a relative). Contact the UK Visas & Immigration Contact Centre (%0300 123 2241, text 0800 389 8289; h9am-4.45pm Mon-Thu, to 4.30pm Fri) for details.

Women Travellers

Female visitors to London are unlikely to have many problems, provided they take the usual big-city precautions. Don’t get into an Underground carriage with no one else in it or with just one or two men. And if you feel unsafe, you should take a taxi or licensed minicab.

Apart from the occasional wolf whistle and unwelcome body contact on the tube, women will find male Londoners reasonably enlightened. Going into pubs alone may not always be a comfortable experience, though it is in no way out of the ordinary.