//
Vibrant and truly multicultural, London is a megalopolis of people, ideas and frenetic energy. The capital and largest city of the United Kingdom sits on the River Thames in South-East England. Greater London has a population of a little over 9 million. Considered one of the world's leading "global cities", London remains an international capital of culture, music, education, fashion, politics, finance and trade.
Vibrant historic district made famous by a group of turn-of-the-century writers. It is now the location of numerous historic homes, and oasis-like squares fringed by elegant buildings.
The City is where London developed within the Roman city walls. It is a city in its own right, separate from the rest of London. It is now one of the most important financial centres in the world, and an area where modern skyscrapers stand next to medieval churches on ancient street layouts.
One of the main shopping and entertainment districts, and part of London's West End Theatreland.
Buffer zone between the West End and the City of London financial district, and the home of English Common Law.
A West End district that is the centre of London's Theatreland, features UK and world cinema premieres and is also home to the city's Chinatown.
Some extremely well-heeled districts of west central London with London's primary shopping streets, among them Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Savile Row.
Lively fruit and antiques market, interesting history, the world famous carnival and a very ethnically diverse population
Largely residential district of northwest central London with lots of mid-range accommodation, famous for its canal and houseboats.
Dense concentration of highly fashionable restaurants, cafés, clubs and jazz bars, as well as London's gay village all mixed in with a cluster of sex shops and sexual-themed venues.
This district has many artistic and creative sites, and an eclectic range of other attractions, boutique shopping and trendy food and drink places.
An extremely well-heeled inner London district with famous department stores, Hyde Park, many museums and the King's Road.
The seat of government and an almost endless list of historical and cultural sights. Relax in one of two beautiful Royal parks, Green Park and St James's Park
A weekly magazine that comprehensively covers the London gay scene with handy night by night listings available on-line and in print
Which is published fortnightly and is freely available at most London gay venues, and contains listings of everything that is happening in all the major clubs in London and the South East.
LLGS
This voluntary service has been operating since 1974 and as well as providing counselling they offer an incredibly thorough information service about Gay events, accommodation and businesses in London.
By train
London is a major destination on the British rail network and every major city has a regular connection with the capital.
By coach
S. English: bus) services arrive at and depart from a complex of coach stations off Buckingham Palace Road in Westminster close to London Victoria rail station.
By car
London is signposted on major routes in southern England, The Midlands and parts of Wales. Driving in London can prove expensive or - in heavy traffic - time consuming.
By public transport
London is the home of the famous Tube map, and TfL produces some excellent maps to help you get around:
Accessibility
If you have a physical disability, you might find it harder to travel around London.
By Underground
The London Underground, known popularly as the Tube due to its tube-like tunnels drilled through the London clay, is a network of 11 lines which criss-cross London in one of the largest underground…
By bus
London's iconic red Routemaster buses, which are recognised the world over, were withdrawn from regular service in 2005.
By DLR
Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a dedicated light rail network operating in East London, connecting with the Tube network at Bank, Tower Gateway (close to Tower Hill station), Canning Town, Heron…
By train
The British railway system is known as National Rail (although some older signs still refer to it as "British Rail").
By Overground
In common parlance, Londoners may refer to travelling by "overground", meaning going by National Rail (as opposed to going by Underground).
By the Elizabeth line
The Elizabeth line is London's newest railway line. It appears on the Tube map as a double purple line.
By Tram
The London Trams network is centred on Croydon, where it runs on street-level tracks around the Croydon Loop, providing transit to an area not well-served by the Tube or National Rail.
On foot
London is a surprisingly compact city, making it a walker's delight. In many instances, walking is the quickest method of transport between two points.
By bicycle
The rules for cyclists are available in the British Government publication The Highway Code
By taxi
London has two types of taxis: the famous black cab, and so-called minicabs.e.
By car
Londoners who drive will normally take public transport in the centre; follow their example. Unless you have a disability, there is no good reason whatsoever to drive a car in central London.
By boat
London is now promoting a network of river bus and pleasure cruise services along the River Thames from Hampton Court in the west to Woolwich Arsenal in the east.
By skate
Inline skating on roads and pavements (sidewalks) is completely legal, except in the "square-mile" of the City of London. Roads are not the greatest but easily skateable.
By cable car
The London cable car (branded for sponsorship reasons as IFS Cloud Cable Car; formerly Emirates Air Line) is a cable car that runs across the River Thames in east London giving panoramic views of the…
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
London · International · LHR
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about London and United Kingdom.
Travel tipsCut London travel costs with contactless transit capping, avoid airport rail traps, and explore renowned national museums completely free of charge.
6 min read
ItinerariesLeave London behind on easy direct train day trips. Discover Roman baths in Bath, honey-stone colleges in Oxford, and the royal castle in Windsor.
6 min read
Nature & adventureMaster driving single-track roads in the Scottish Highlands and Skye. Navigate passing places, explore Glencoe and the Quiraing, and manage summer midges.
6 min read
InspirationFive small towns where you can unpack for a few days, walk everywhere, and hear yourself think, all reachable without a car.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.