text:
Wikivoyage:Past events/London 2012

 * The London article provides a more comprehensive guide to those visiting the city.

The Games of the XXX Olympiad, the Summer Olympic Games of 2012, were based in London, with selected events held throughout the United Kingdom. The official 16 days of the games were July 27 through August 12, though some events occurred before the official opening ceremonies.

The games were followed two weeks later with the Summer Paralympic Games, August 29 through September 9. Most of the paralympic events were held in the same Olympic venues.

This was the third time that London has been an Olympic City, having hosted the games in 1908 and 1948.

Tickets
It is estimated that around 8 million tickets will be available for the Olympic Games, and 1.5 million tickets for the Paralympic Games. Initial ticket sales ran from 15 March 2011 to 26 April 2011 through the official London 2012 website. The second round of ticket sales was between 23 June and 3 July 2011, and priority was given to those who were unsuccessful in the first allocation process.

The final ticket sales started on 11 May 2012. As of June 2012, remaining tickets for Archery, Beach Volleyball, Taekwondo and Volleyball events are still freely available via the Official London 2012 ticket portal, with adult prices starting at £15 ($24/€19). Tickets are best bought through the official site, as those from unlicensed vendors carry no guarantee of arrival and may be refused on entry to Olympic events.

Accommodation
It's heavily advised to plan your stay and book early.

British travel company Thomas Cook are the official accommodation partner for the Olympic games, and booking can be made through their dedicated London 2012 site. InclusiveLondon.com is another official platform for renting accommodation in the city, as well as providing listings of helpful information such as transport links, restaurants, police stations and accessible healthcare.

Hotels are the default choice for most tourists, but many savvy London citizens are renting their properties to visitors over the Olympic period - and this option can provide a more personal and homely experience than a room in a large hotel.

Finding one of these properties is more nuanced: in many cases you can find and contact property owners directly through informal adverts placed on listings sites like Gumtree and Craigslist but there are also agencies that act as middle-men between property owners and visitors to offer Olympic rentals, such as Hampton International.

It’s ideal to be located within easy reach of East London for the Olympic Park but many visitors - particularly visitors who’re not familiar with the area - may be unaware of the Olympic accommodation options outside London that still offer easy access in barely over an hour. And these options can be more affordable than premium-priced London counterparts.

Brighton, for example, offers a seaside situ on the south coast, a vibrant local culture and access to central London within under an hour on the fastest rail connections. And plenty of rooms are guaranteed to be available - some with a sea view. Luton and Gillingham also provide alternative locations for those looking to stay outside the (rather expensive) capital for the games.

Get in
General information about traveling to London appears in the London article. All types of transportation, including trains, buses, air flights, and cruiseships will be adding services during the Olympic period to meet the expected heavy demand.

Get around
General information about getting around London appears in the London article. Information about special services designed for the Olymnpic period will appear here. Additional trains and buses will be available to transport visitors between venues.

The Olympic organizers have a goal of 100 percent of visitors to the Olympic Park arriving either by public transportation or on foot. To achieve this goal, parking lots for visitors' cars will be substantial distances away from the Park.

By road
During the Olympics, special parking and driving restrictions will be in place around most Olympic areas. Penalties for illegal parking will be increased dramatically during the Olympics.

See
The site will be home to Britain's tallest sculpture, ArcelorMittal Orbit, designed by artist Anish Kapoor and engineer Cecil Balmond.

Where
The events will be in several cities, from Glasgow's Hampden Park in the north to Portland Harbour in the south.

The venues include:

 * All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club: Wimbledon. Tennis.
 * Aquatics Centre: Olympic Park, London. Diving, Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Modern Pentathlon.
 * Basketball Arena: Olympic Park, London. Basketball, Handball.
 * BMX Circuit: Velopark, Olympic Park, London. BMX Cycling.
 * City of Coventry Stadium (also known as the Ricoh Arena): Coventry. Football (soccer).
 * Earls Court: London. Volleyball.
 * Eton's Dorney Lake: Dorney. Rowing, Canoe Sprint.
 * Eton Manor: Olympic Park, London. Wheelchair Tennis.
 * ExCeL: London. Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling.
 * Greenwich Park: London. Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, Modern Pentathlon.
 * Hadleigh Farm: Essex. Mountain Bike.
 * Hampden Park: Glasgow, Scotland. Football (soccer).
 * Handball Arena: Olympic Park, London. Handball, Goalball, Modern Pentathlon.
 * Hockey Centre: Olympic Park, London. Hockey.
 * Horse Guards Parade: London. Beach Volleyball.
 * Hyde Park: London. Triathlon, 10k Open Water Swim.
 * IBC/MPC: Olympic Park, London. Press and broadcast center.
 * Lee Valley White Water Centre: Hertfordshire. Canoe Slalom.
 * Lord's Cricket Ground: London. Archery.
 * Millennium Stadium: Cardiff, Wales. Football (soccer).
 * North Greenwich Arena (also known as the O2 arena (formerly the Millennium Dome): London. Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball.
 * Old Trafford: Manchester. Football (soccer).
 * Olympic Marathon Course: London. Marathon.
 * Olympic Stadium: Olympic Park, London. Athletics, featuring Running, Jumping, Throwing and combined events.
 * Olympic Village: Olympic Park, London. Athlete quarters.
 * Regent’s Park: London. Road Cycling.
 * Royal Artillery Barracks: London. Shooting.
 * St James' Park: Newcastle upon Tyne. Football (soccer).
 * Velodrome: Velopark, Olympic Park, London. Track Cycling.
 * Water Polo Arena: Olympic Park, London. Water Polo.
 * Wembley Arena: London. Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics.
 * Wembley Stadium: London. Football (soccer).
 * Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour: Dorset. Sailing.

Buy
Some of the most popular shopping sites in London include:

 * Bond Street
 * Covent Garden
 * Dover Street Market
 * Fortnum & Mason
 * John Lewis
 * Harrods
 * Harvey Nichols
 * House of Fraser
 * Liberty
 * Lillywhites
 * Oxford Street
 * Peter Jones
 * Picadilly Circus
 * Regent Street
 * Selfridges
 * Soho and Chinatown
 * Topshop
 * Wesffield London
 * Westfield Stratford City
 * Wolf & Badger

Sleep
London has hundreds of options for accommodation to suit all budgets from hostels through historic bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), mainstream chain hotels and apartments all the way to some of the most exclusive luxury hotels in the world such as The Savoy, The Ritz and Claridges where a stay in a top suite will cost upwards of £1,000 per night.

In general, most people tend to stay within "Zone 1" of the underground, however do your research carefully - sometimes being that extra five minutes away from a station can make the difference in cost and quality and local food and drinking options. In any case, you can always catch a bus anyway - by far the best way to see the city and get about generally.

However, the Olympics are having a strong effect in the accommodation environment in London. Rooms are filling up very quickly, prices are going up permanently, and many Londoners are leaving their homes to rent them during the Games. Industry experts say rental prices have rocketed fivefold as spectators from more than 200 countries descend on London to watch their sporting heroes in action.

Since London was confirmed as the Olympic host, many websites have sprung up offering owners the chance to rent out their homes. Additionall, hotels, hotels, and accommodation companies such as The Games Accommodation also launched their specialized websites or minisite such as just targeting tourists and athletes coming for the Olympics.

title: Wikivoyage:Past events/London 2012


text:
London (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called London:

United Kingdom

 * London - The capital of the United Kingdom & England.
 * London Colney - a village in Hertfordshire

Canada

 * London (Ontario) - A city in southwestern Ontario.

Gambia

 * London Corner, a suburb of Serekunda

South Africa

 * East London - A city in South Africa.

United States of America

 * London (Arkansas) - A city in the state of Arkansas.
 * London (Kentucky) - A city in the state of Kentucky.
 * London (Ohio) - A city in the state of Ohio.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: London (disambiguation)


text:
London (Kentucky)

London is a small city in Kentucky's Daniel Boone Country.

Get in
London is located on the region's main north-south route, Interstate 75. The city has two exits—Kentucky Route 80 (Exit 41) to the north and Kentucky Route 192 (Exit 38) to the south.

The main route from the west is Kentucky 80, an effective extension of the Cumberland Parkway, a highway that is part of the state's parkway system of former toll roads. From the east, the main route is the Hal Rogers Parkway, another road in the parkway system that ends in London.

Greyhound buses stop in London in between Lexington and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Drink
London used to be a dry county but now allows sale of alcohol by the drink in larger restaurants (those seating at least 100) and packaged alcohol sales.

Go next

 * Berea - Known for its arts and crafts scene, and home to Berea College
 * Corbin - Birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken
 * Richmond - Home of Eastern Kentucky University

Outdoors

 * Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
 * Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
 * Daniel Boone National Forest

title: London (Kentucky)


text:
London (Ohio)

London is a town in the Greater Columbus area of Ohio.

Understand
When the organization of Madison County took place on March 1, 1810, there was no city or village suitable to be selected as a county seat. The General Assembly appointed a commission to choose a site for the seat of justice. They choose a 200 acre tract of land in Union Township belonging to a John Murfin. Lots were laid for a new town which the commissioners called London.

For the past 190 years London has served as the community hub for Madison County and continues to grow in a planned and directed manner. The 2000 U.S. census has the official population of London at 8, 771. The population for Madison County exceeds 40,000.

As people become more willing to commute long distances in exchange for a more rural lifestyle, London has grown considerably. Since 1980, the land size of London has increased over 70%.

London's rich heritage and sense of history are evident in the newly completed Downtown Restoration/Revitalization Project. Citizens, community leaders and consultants are working together to guide the development of new residential areas and expanded community services, while maintaining London's distinctive character.

By Car
London is just south of I70 and US40

Go next

 * Columbus
 * Dayton

title: London (Ohio)


text:
London (Ontario)

London is a medium-sized city in Southwestern Ontario with a population of 378,000. It is west of Toronto, between Lake Huron and Lake Erie at the fork of the Thames River, which was named after the River Thames in London, England.

Understand

London is a major manufacturing centre for southwestern Ontario, founded in 1793. Nicknamed the "Forest City," London has an abundance of urban parks and woodlands. Early in its history it was considered as a potential site for the capital city of Upper Canada, but that title eventually went to York (later Toronto). The city is roughly rectangular in shape, approximately 16 km (10 miles) from east to west, and 13 km (8 miles) from north to south.

Many cities, towns, counties, and rivers in this area of Southwestern Ontario take their names from their counterparts in England, and London is no exception. London features landmarks such as Picadilly Street, the Covent Garden Market and the Thames.

In the 1920s, London-born Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians hit the U.S. music scene and went on to achieve legendary fame. London's Wonderland Gardens later became a big-band hot-spot in 1935 - being situated on the Thames river where Guy Lombardo developed his love for speedboat racing by racing his father's small motorized boat on the Thames River behind the Labatt Brewing Company.

With two major hospitals, London is a regional medical centre, treating patients from up to 200 km away. London also has the region's only university (University of Western Ontario) which has all the typical professional schools (business, law, medicine, engineering, education) as well as sciences and the arts. Since the city is also home to Fanshawe College, students comprise a significant percentage of London's population during the school year.

Visitor information centers are located at:

Airlines
Canadian airlines operating to London:

Several low-cost airlines also operate seasonal flights between London and southern vacation destinations (including Orlando, FL, and Las Vegas, NV).

Ground transportation
City bus route 36 (Airport Industrial) connects to the airport.

By train

 * The following routes operate daily to London:
 * Between Sarnia and Toronto including stops in London, St. Marys, Stratford, Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton, and Mississauga. Travel time to London from Sarnia is 1.75 hours, from Kitchener is 1.75 hours, and from Toronto is 3.5 hours.
 * Between Windsor and Toronto including stops in Chatham, London, Ingersoll, Woodstock, Brantford, Burlington, and Oakville. Travel time to London from from Windsor is 1.75 hours, from Brantford is 1-1.25 hours, and from Toronto is 2.25-2.5 hours.

By car
London is most readily accessed from Highway 401 which runs along the southern edge of the city and connects London with Toronto (200 km to the north east) and Windsor (200 km to the Southwest). Highway 402 runs due west from its connection to the 401 in south-west London and ends about 100 km to the west at the Ontario-Michigan border in Sarnia. The speed limit on the 401 in most parts is 100 km/h, but expect most people to be travelling at ~120 km/h in good conditions. The easiest exit off the 401 to London is #186, Wellington Road North. This will put you right into a busy shopping district and pointed in the right direction to get to the downtown core.

By bus

By car
London is fairly easy to navigate, as its streets are based on a grid system. Except for a short section of Highbury Avenue, the city lacks internal freeways. Roads have a speed limit of 50 km/h unless signed otherwise. Traffic can cause delays, especially around Downtown and the University.

Oxford Street, Dundas Street and Commissioners Road are major east-west arteries. Fanshawe Park Road runs east-west across the northern part of the city while Southdale and Exeter Roads go east-west through the southern portions.

The main north-south arterial roads are, going east to west: Wonderland Road, Wharncliffe Road, Richmond Street, Wellington Road, Adelaide Street, Highbury Avenue, Clarke Road, and Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Parking is usually easy to find and free or reasonably priced, however be aware that a city bylaw doesn't let you park on any public streets overnight in the fall and winter.

By public transit
Operates within the city at a $3.00 cash fare (2020) for 90 minutes of travel. Ticket strips are available at a reduced price at most convenience stores. If you are staying longer and anticipate using transit often, a contactless smart card offers reduced fares and passes. Children 12 years and under ride for free. Buses vary from every 5 minutes downtown, to every 15 to 60 minutes in various other areas. The LTC doesn't operate past midnight on major routes, so expect to travel by taxi after that time.

By taxi

 * U-Need-A-Cab,.
 * London Taxi,.

By bike or on foot
The city has an extensive bicycle path network, and many (but not ubiquitous) bike lanes on the roads. A biking and walking map can be found at the city's website.

See

Parks
There are lots of parks in downtown London. They include:

Do

Buy
According to London Tourism, London has "more shopping per capita than anywhere else in North America."

Eat
Most of the Canadian and North American chain restaurants are represented in London, including The Keg, Kelsey's, Red Lobster, Tony Roma's, Milestones, Swiss Chalet and East Side Mario's. Tim Hortons, the Canadian coffee and doughnut chain, has about 30 locations within the city.

Drink
Generally, the locals head to the bars and clubs around 10-11PM and stay until closing time at 2:30AM (last call is at 2AM). Cover charges are minimal ($5-10) or nil, while drink prices are relatively reasonable.

Stay safe
The downtown area has suffered greatly following the Covid pandemic, which has led to a large number of vacancies and a major increase in property crime, homelessness and drug use. Visitors who are not familiar with the area are advised to exercise caution walking around at night.

There is urban blight on Dundas Street east of Adelaide and in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Go next

 * Grand Bend and the Pinary 70 km NW of London.
 * The beautiful town of St. Marys is located north of London.
 * Stratford, home of the Shakespeare Festival from May to October, is about 60 km north of London and is a great day trip for theatre-goers.
 * Toronto, the multicultural capital of Ontario, is about 200 km east.
 * Detroit, Michigan, is about 190 km south-west.
 * Niagara Falls, Ontario; Niagara Falls, New York; and Buffalo, New York are about 200 km north-east.

title: London (Ontario)


text:
London/Bloomsbury

This article is about three neighbourhoods of central London: Bloomsbury, St Pancras and Fitzrovia.

Bloomsbury is the hub of London's university district, is home to the British Museum and is next to the British Library. St Pancras is a largely residential area with many fine 17th- to 19th-century townhouses built around pretty squares with gardens of varying levels of privacy, and the perfect place for a wander to soak up the atmosphere of being in London. This is also a promising place to look for accommodation, from cheap student hostels to 4-star hotels and apartment rentals. What Fitzrovia lacks in attractions it makes up for in an excellent variety of pubs and bars, most of which cater for a young, intellectual crowd of students, media types and junior doctors.

Understand
Bloomsbury is a vibrant historic district made most famous by a group of turn-of-the-century writers that included Virginia Woolf and EM Forster (the "Bloomsbury Set"), economist John Maynard Keynes and the artist Roger Fry.

It is also the location of the British Museum, the campus of University College London and numerous historic homes, parks, and buildings.

Fitzrovia is to the west of Bloomsbury. The border between these 2 districts is the Gower Street–Bloomsbury Street axis. Allegedly, Fitzrovia was named after the Fitzroy Tavern. The BBC's New Broadcasting House is at the western end of this district.

By tube
Bloomsbury can be easily accessed from several convenient tube stations as follows:

 * Euston (Northern and Victoria lines)
 * Euston Square (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines)
 * Goodge Street (Northern line)
 * Great Portland Street (Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines)
 * Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines)
 * King's Cross St Pancras (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern (Bank Branch), Piccadilly and Victoria lines – yes, that many!)
 * Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines)
 * Russell Square (Piccadilly line)
 * Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern and Elizabeth lines)
 * Warren Street (Northern and Victoria lines)

By train
Nearby Camden has 3 mainline rail stations within walking distance: King's Cross, Euston and St. Pancras International.

Tottenham Court Road is on the Elizabeth line from Reading to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

Get around
Most of the sites are reachable by foot or a single stop on the tube.

Museums and exhibitions

Landmarks and parks

Other

Bookshops
With University College London being a dominant presence in Bloomsbury, it is no surprise that there are a lot of bookshops. The area around Marchmont St and the Brunswick Centre (north of Russell Sq) rivals Charing Cross Road to be the bookshop capital of London.

Budget
This area is teeming with students so there is a wealth of cheap (relative to London prices) eating options. Charlotte Street near Goodge Street underground station, parallel to Tottenham Court Road has a number of nice restaurants, some of them very reasonable. Look for the cheap Korean restaurants under Centre Point at Tottenham Court Road. They are great value and very close to the British Museum.

Bloomsbury
There are a number of pubs and wine bars around the British Library and University College London campus.

Sleep
Bloomsbury is a great choice of district to stay in as there is a large range of hostels, B&Bs, budget hotels and four-star hotels in the area.

Hotels
Many of the budget hotels are located on Argyle St in the very northern part of the district, nearest tube station: King's Cross St Pancras.

Splurge

Go next

 * North to Camden.
 * East to Holborn and Clerkenwell
 * South to Covent Garden and Soho.
 * West into Marylebone.

title: London/Bloomsbury


text:
London/Camden

Camden is an inner northern district of London. Its heart lies in Camden Town, a neighbourhood known for its market and the colourful nightlife. Camden is home to three of the most important railway stations in London: King's Cross, St. Pancras and Euston.

Understand
For half a century Camden Town, the centre of Camden, has been the hub of alternative culture in London, be it punk, goth, hippie or emo. The area is home to large markets selling an extremely wide range of products from glowing t-shirts to didgeridoos, mostly from independent stalls. With some of the capital's most varied cuisine, great live music and an anything goes attitude, Camden is one of the most vibrant and interesting of all London districts.

The area has its origins in the early 19th century as a suburban town on the road leading north from London. Later, it developed as a service centre around the railways, canals and other transportation. Virtually the whole of Camden was traditionally a working-class, inner-city area with large estates of run-down public housing and some very seedy areas indeed. Inevitably though given its convenient inner London location, considerable gentrification has occurred across the district. Nevertheless, a friendly community atmosphere remains in the area which has bred such different people as singer Amy Winehouse and Labour politician Ed Miliband.

Orientation
The district of Camden, as covered here, is larger than Camden Town and smaller than the London Borough of Camden. This is for the sake of usefulness: the former is a rather small historic area and the latter simply an administrative unit, but don't be surprised by seeing contradictory uses of the term "Camden". As the term is used here, the Camden district roughly corresponds with the northern half of the Metropolitan Borough of St. Pancras, which existed until 1965.

Three of the main London railway stations are located in the south of the district. They are all along Euston Road, which is a part of the ring road around inner London. King's Cross and St. Pancras International are just across the street from each other (they're served by a single tube station), and slightly further to the west is Euston. A number of important main roads also converge in or around Camden.

For the traveller, it may be useful to divide the district of Camden into four areas. In the centre is Camden Town, with Camden High Street and Chalk Farm Road as its main thoroughfare. The Northern Line underground runs through this area and it's where most locations of interest are to be found. To the southwest of Camden Town is Euston, with its eponymous railway station but little else apart from office blocks and council housing. To the southeast is an area known as King's Cross, which contains the King's Cross and St. Pancras International railway stations. The King's Cross area used to be known for prostitution, drugs and crime, but today most of the area is being redeveloped and has become a lot more up-market. Finally, northeast of Camden Town is Kentish Town, linked to the rest of Camden by Kentish Town Road which branches out from Camden High Street. This is an interesting area, in some ways Camden Town's smaller sibling, it's quieter than its neighbour to the south but has many of the same characteristics.

By tube
The district is served by the following tube stations in fare zones 1 and 2, all are served by the Northern line:
 * Euston (Zone 1)
 * Euston Square ( (Zone 1)
 * King's Cross/St. Pancras (Zone 1)
 * Mornington Crescent (Zone 2)
 * Camden Town (Zone 2)
 * Chalk Farm (Zone 2)
 * Kentish Town (Zone 2)

Mornington Crescent and Camden Town stations are situated at either end of Camden High Street, whilst Chalk Farm is also near the Roundhouse and Camden Market. During busy periods (such as at weekends) Camden Town can be very crowded, and is an exit-only station on Sundays 1PM-5:30PM. Use Mornington Crescent or Chalk Farm for departures.

The Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines are part of the "Night Tube," with trains running overnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

By bus
Getting to Camden by bus is easy from almost anywhere in North or Inner London, with major bus stops near:

 * King's Cross station
 * Euston station
 * Camden High Street and Chalk Farm
 * Kentish Town

At night, routes N5 and N20 roughly follow the same route as the Northern line, and can be used as an alternative to the London Underground when the service is closed.

By Overground
Camden is connected to the London Overground by two stations on the Mildmay line (North London Line) from Richmond to Stratford and one on the Lioness line (Watford DC Line) from London Euston to Watford Junction.

This is most useful if arriving in Camden from either East or West London, as most other options from those areas require going into the centre and then back out to Camden.

By rail
Camden is served by three major train stations: Euston, St. Pancras International and King's Cross. All three train stations can be reached directly by the London Underground's Northern and Victoria lines.

London Euston
Euston is served by:
 * London Overground has 4 trains per hour from Watford Junction via Willesden Junction on the Lioness line (formerly the Watford DC line).
 * Avanti West Coast daytime trains from Scotland and Northwest England
 * from Glasgow via Carlisle, Preston and Crewe
 * from Edinburgh or Glasgow via Birmingham
 * from Manchester Piccadilly via Rugby
 * Caledonian Sleeper overnight trains from Scotland (departing each Sunday to Friday):
 * Highland sleeper from Aberdeen via Kirkcaldy and Dundee, Fort William via Dalmuir, and Inverness via Stirling and Perth
 * Lowland sleeper from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via Carlisle
 * London Northwestern Railway from Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Northampton, Tring and Milton Keynes.

London St. Pancras International
St. Pancras International is served by:
 * trains from the East Midlands (Bedford, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield)
 * trains from Kent (Canterbury, Ashford International, Margate)
 * Thameslink trains from Gatwick Airport and Luton Airport, Cambridge, Peterborough, South London and Brighton
 * Eurostar services from Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and destinations in Mainland Europe

London King's Cross

 * London North Eastern Railway has services to Edinburgh, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York, Lincoln and West Yorkshire.
 * Great Northern services to Cambridge, extended to Ely or King's Lynn.
 * Thameslink services to Cambridge.
 * Hull Trains services to Kingston-upon-Hull and limited weekday service to Beverly.

There are also trains to Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.

Other stations
There is also a station at served by Thameslink trains from Luton Airport, destinations in Central London, South London and Hertfordshire.

By bicycle
Getting to Camden Town by bike is easy.

 * From the Southbank, Blackfriars or Bloomsbury, cyclists can follow the predominantly traffic-free . The route is signposted towards Camden Town and Kentish Town, with both destinations approximately 20 minutes' cycle from Bloomsbury.
 * From King's Cross, the is a traffic-free cycle route to the Kentish Town and Camden Locks. The path is shared with pedestrians, so from King's Cross, it takes about 10 minutes to cycle to Camden Market.
 * From Maida Vale and Primrose Hill, the runs traffic-free to the Camden and Kentish Town Locks. The path is shared with pedestrians, but from Primrose Hill, it only takes around 5 minutes to cycle to Camden Market.

Bicycle parking can be found on Parkway (opp. Caffè Nero) and Camden Road (outside the World's End pub).

Cycle Hire
Santander Cycles can be used in the Camden Town area. You can dock your bike at several locations, including at:

 * Camden Road station
 * Hawley Crescent (opp. Camden Market)
 * Greenland Road (opp. Camden Town station)
 * Harrington Square (opp. Mornington Crescent station)

There are no docking stations in Kentish Town, but other bike-sharing schemes extend across the whole district, including Jump and Lime.

See

Do

 * See also Clubs and Music venues

There are several nice walks along the canal, but the main focus of Camden is the shops, restaurants and nightlife.

Camden Town markets
The markets in Camden Town are why most people come to Camden. Several markets are packed into the area between Camden Town and Chalk Farm tube stations, and in the weekend it can be difficult to distinguish one from another. With increased tourism, the markets have become more commercial and less unique than they once were. However it is still possible to find some great things to buy - clothes, art, books, records - simply by persisting through the most commercial bits and going on through to the more interesting parts deeper inside the markets.

Shops
In addition to the markets, there are a large number of interesting shops dotted all around the area.

Take a long slow wander down Chalk Farm Road (it will need to be slow, the sheer number of people makes walking quickly impossible!), checking out the amazing collection of boots and leather that dominate it. Of special note are:

Eat
Camden has some of the most varied cuisine in all of London. A key part of Camden's food scene are the many stalls offering quick and tasty food from every country possible. Quality varies, but generally it is good and cheap. Stalls tend to be in and around the Lock and Stables markets, but they appear everywhere. A perennial favourite has been the donut and cake stall located next to the bridge, as have the many Chinese and Thai stalls nearby. Camden also contains a large number of more formal restaurants, many of which are relatively inexpensive and open after the stalls have closed.

Drink
Camden has a great nightlife, with lots of cool bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants.

Stay safe
Camden has long had strong associations with drugs, in particular cannabis (weed) and magic mushrooms. Even during daylight, you are likely to be offered weed or hashish. These dealers will usually accept no for an answer. Remember that these drugs are still illegal, streetside dealers are not to be trusted and often just steal your money if you look interested. Also, there are many undercover police around to catch you.

Walking around Camden at night is generally fine, but gangs of youths can seem threatening, and best avoided if alone. At night walking on well-lit streets, such as Camden High Street, is a good idea but take a taxi if you are feeling insecure.

Fake goods are found in abundance in Camden. Most of the time it's fairly obvious (Bolex watches, etc.), but be careful when purchasing - refunds are not common. Fake DVDs are mostly terrible quality.

Go next
Three very good parks are within walking distance of Camden:
 * Regent's Park lies along Camden's western edge, a beautifully planned garden where you can get away from the fast pace of London life.
 * Primrose Hill, immediately to the north of Regent's Park, is easily within walking distance of Camden and has the best views over London.
 * Hampstead Heath is less than away from the heart of Camden Town, or just a few tube stops away.

For shopping, Tottenham Court Rd with its famed electronics stores lies south out of Camden, close to Euston. At the other end of Tottenham Court Road is Oxford Street.

Looking further afield, from St. Pancras International you can catch the Eurostar for Paris, Lille or Brussels.

title: London/Camden


text:
London/City of London

The City of London, also known as the City, or the Square Mile (after its approximate size), is the area of London that originally lay within the ancient city walls. This independent part of Central London is known for its history and heritage, so is a must for anyone wishing to explore and understand London.

Understand
Although greater London grew from this area, the official City of London itself has barely changed its borders in centuries and still follows the line of the old city walls to a great degree. The walls around the city, built by the Romans, have largely disappeared but several vestiges are still visible (notably outside the Museum of London; just near the Tower of London; and running part of the way down Noble Street) and various place names and streets hint at their prior existence. Locations such as Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Ludgate and Moorgate are the sites of old gates in the city walls.

The City of London is not a London borough (laws applying to London must define the city as "all London boroughs and the City of London") and has an ancient and unusual local governance, with rights and privileges greater than those of anywhere else in the United Kingdom. The local authority is the City of London Corporation and the chief position is the Lord Mayor. Whilst the rest of London has the Metropolitan Police, the City of London has its own police force.

The City of London does not include Tower Bridge or the Tower of London (they are in the London borough of Tower Hamlets), but Tower Bridge is owned and operated by the City Corporation. A number of bridges over the River Thames connect the City with Southwark and the two oldest of them, London Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge, are unusual in that the City of London's boundaries include the whole span of the bridge (the border otherwise runs along the middle of the Thames). Small statues of dragons (sometimes described as griffins), symbols of the City Corporation, mark the boundary of the City on several roads.

The City is the world's leading centre of international finance. In British parlance, the City often refers to the financial sector, just as Americans might refer to Wall Street. This area contains 255 foreign banks, which is more than any other financial centre. It is also home to the Bank of England and houses other institutions such as Lloyd's and the London Stock Exchange. Every weekday approximately 300,000 workers come into the City to work in small and large business and financial institutions.

The City has a very small resident population of approximately 10,000 people. This means the City is very different on a weekend compared to a weekday.

Time your visit. The City is at its busiest during the week thanks to the large influx of workers. On the weekend the City is quieter with pockets of bustling activity – such as the areas around the Tower of London, Liverpool Street and St Paul’s, including the new shopping centre "One New Change" – and not all shops and restaurants are open. This means the weekend is a good time to visit if you want to walk at your own pace, admiring the architecture and character of the streets and buildings. You may also come across the filming of a TV advert, TV programme or even a film at this time.

Tourist information
The City Information Centre is London's only official tourist information venue. It offers brochures, guides, tickets, maps and more for visitors to the City, and is staffed by a multilingual team. The City Corporation's 'Things to Do' pages also contain information for visitors, including lists of attractions, events, and walking tours.
 * City of London visitor information website

From the airport

 * Heathrow Airport is at the south-western end of the Piccadilly line. At Hammersmith station, you can change to the District line, which takes you to the City.
 * Gatwick Airport has a direct Thameslink service to Blackfriars. Alternatively there are Southern Rail services to London Victoria. Victoria station has District and Circle line connections to Monument station.
 * London City Airport is directly connected to Bank via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
 * London Stansted Airport is directly connected to London Liverpool Street station via the Stansted Express.

By tube
The City of London has many Tube stops and stations, all part of Zone 1.

 * stations – linked by an underground walkway. Bank, near the Bank of England, is perhaps the station closest to the centre of the City of London.
 * , and  – for the north and north east of the City.
 * – for the north west of the City.
 * – for the west of the City.
 * ,  (closed Su),  (for Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and Fenchurch Street National Rail station) and  – for the south of the City.

On foot
The City's small and compact nature means travelling on foot is a great way to get around – most attractions are within a short walk of each other. Walking can also help you find many of the City's hidden gems as long as you deviate from the main roads and explore the many alleys and courtyards. The street pattern can be quite chaotic in some parts (being medieval and unplanned) and there are many fun shortcuts and routes that take you away from main roads. However, you can quite easily get lost and miss out interesting features if you're new to the City. Buy and bring a detailed map, or pick up a free one from the City Information Centre!

By train
All are also Tube stations except City Thameslink and Fenchurch Street.

 * c2c services to south Essex: Basildon, Southend-on-Sea, Tilbury and Shoeburyness.
 * c2c services to East London: East Ham, Barking and Upminster (though the TfL fare calculator suggests it's slightly cheaper to take the District line from Tower Hill for those destinations.)
 * Greater Anglia services to East England: Hertford, Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford, Southend-on-Sea and Cambridge.
 * Stansted Express offers a 1 tph service to Stansted Airport.
 * Elizabeth line offers a 6 tph service to Shenfield. As well as services to Heathrow Airport and Reading via London Paddington.
 * London Overground Weaver line services to Chingford, Cheshunt and Enfield Town.
 * c2c services to East London: East Ham, Barking and Upminster (though the TfL fare calculator suggests it's slightly cheaper to take the District line from Tower Hill for those destinations.)
 * Greater Anglia services to East England: Hertford, Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford, Southend-on-Sea and Cambridge.
 * Stansted Express offers a 1 tph service to Stansted Airport.
 * Elizabeth line offers a 6 tph service to Shenfield. As well as services to Heathrow Airport and Reading via London Paddington.
 * London Overground Weaver line services to Chingford, Cheshunt and Enfield Town.
 * London Overground Weaver line services to Chingford, Cheshunt and Enfield Town.

By boat
An increasingly popular way of travelling through London, by tourists and residents, is by boat on the Thames. The City has two piers from which regular services operate to and from:

Get around
As with the rest of central London, the City is served by a dense network of underground lines and bus routes. The tube lines that run through the City are the Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Northern Lines as well as the Docklands Light Railway. Bus route 15 has some of its route in the City. You can ride aboard a double-decker bus from the Tower of London, west to St Paul's Cathedral, and then down Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street towards the West End, where the route terminates at Trafalgar Square. This can be a very rewarding way to see the City, as the route passes a number of sites of interest. This service functions as a shorter version of the standard bus route 15 and the usual TfL fares are used on it.

However, since the City is only around a square mile in area, it is often quicker, easier and cheaper to walk. The Thames Path passes through the City, following the River Thames from the Temple in the west to the Tower of London in the east. A particularly unique way to get around the City is the City of London Pedway Scheme. In the years following the Blitz, several pedestrian walkways were routed around the City to help reduce the number of pedestrians making crossings at grade with cars (though often to the benefit of the car, rather than the pedestrian). While the scheme was ended in the 1980s, many of the Pedways remain and provide an interesting perspective on the City.

See
The City sustained a great deal of damage from German bombing during the 'Blitz' of World War II, so there are far fewer older buildings than one might expect from so ancient a settlement. The Great Fire of London in 1666 also fairly comprehensively destroyed the City's medieval building stock. Nonetheless, many interesting older buildings remain, including the domed St. Paul's Cathedral (heroically saved by firefighters when it was bombed during the Second World War), 19th-century buildings at Leadenhall, Smithfield, and Spitalfields, the Gothic-style Guildhall, many monuments (including one built to remember the Great Fire of London), and the Temple Inns of Court. Remarkably, the City also retains its medieval street pattern, which you do not find so clearly preserved in other large British city centres. You will find many narrow streets, passages, alleys and courtyards between the main thoroughfares.

Landmarks

Churches, graveyards and open spaces
The City of London, considering its small size, has a huge number of churches in its area. Some, but by no means all, are listed below.

Other points of interest

Thanks to the City's association with banking and finance, the City offers some of the most fascinating modern architecture in London. A tour of London's financial institutions and markets is very worthwhile, even if you're not an investment banker. The bad news is that very few of the buildings are open to the public, although some do have "open weekends" at certain times of the year. The annual Open House Weekend – usually held on the third weekend in September, is when many of London's most famous buildings (including many of those in the City) are open for public tours.

Do

 * Climb to the top of St Paul's Cathedral or The Monument to get excellent views over the financial heart of London.
 * Take the lift to the rooftop terrace at One New Change to have a view of St. Paul's Cathedral.

 * Walk the London Wall
 * Walk the London Wall
 * Walk the London Wall
 * Walk the London Wall

Buy
Although not known for the best shopping opportunities in London (these are securely held by the West End), the City nonetheless has an above average shopping offer, with plenty of high-street names and many smaller independent shops. Lunchtime hours can be very busy, as this is the time when workers shop in their thousands, so it's worth considering avoiding the crowds by visiting at a quieter time. Again, at weekends many outlets may be closed. A number of retail venues stand out:

Places to buy food and any general household goods you may need:

Eat
There are a great many bars, coffee houses, cafes, restaurants and pubs, mainly catering for City workers during the week (and therefore possibly closed at the weekend). Sit down restaurants in this district tend to be expensive and aimed towards business lunches. The vast number of take-away places though are reasonably priced. During the week (in good weather) you can find some outdoor eating areas in places, such as on Walbrook.

Drink
If you're spending more than a few days in London, visiting the area at night (especially around 10PM-11PM) can provide a decidedly un-touristy atmosphere. You'll see part of London life that few people who do not live or work in the City experience, and if you have the confidence to introduce yourself you may even get into conversation with local workers out for a late drink – the area is enough off the tourist route that you will be something of a novelty. Thursday and Friday are naturally busier but at the same time a bit less friendly; earlier in the week is quieter and you have more chance of meeting locals just out for a drink.

Some pubs in the City are not open on Saturday or Sunday.

The City has some of the oldest traditional pubs in London, and a host of newer pubs and bars. This list is by no means exhaustive, but there are plenty of online guides available to search for somewhere specific to your tastes.

Connect
The City of London is covered by The City WiFi Network. Free and unlimited access for all users.

The Barbican also has WiFi.

Health
Visitors to the UK are entitled to free emergency treatment on the NHS. However, you may be charged for further hospital care, depending on the nature of the care and your country of origin. Check the NHS website if you need to know more. The nearest medical services are, in ascending order of severity:
 * Local pharmacies, for basic medicines and healthcare products:

As anywhere in the UK, 999 is a multi-purpose emergency phone number. See United_Kingdom for additional numbers.

Go next
Go south, crossing the River Thames via the Millennium Bridge, to access the central part of South Bank, home to the Tate Modern gallery and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Or head west down Fleet Street then Strand towards Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square or to Westminster, home of the British government and royal family.

title: London/City of London


text:
London/Covent Garden

—— Covent Garden is one of the main shopping and entertainment districts of London, and is hugely popular with visitors, who swarm to its shops, bars and restaurants, especially at weekends. Covent Garden incorporates some of London's Theatreland and also forms a smaller extension to London's gay village that is centred on the neighbouring district of Soho.

Understand
Covent Garden takes its name from history; it used to be Convent Garden many years ago and over the years, the name has changed to Covent Garden.

This is an extensive area of high-density building and narrow streets, officially bounded by High Holborn and New Oxford Street to the north, by Kingsway to the east, by the Strand to the south and by Charing Cross Road to the west. For all practical purposes, however, the district can also be seen to extend down to The Embankment along the Thames between Northumberland Avenue and Hungerford Bridge and to The Temple.

The main focus of the Covent Garden district for visitors is the Covent Garden Market Piazza. Further north, a secondary focus is Seven Dials, an intersection of seven streets, marked by a tall pillar with (you guessed it) seven (sun) dials. It is very easy for visitors to move on from here by foot to the attractions around Trafalgar and Leicester Squares, to Soho and to Bloomsbury.

Get in

Owing to the London Congestion Charge and the general shortage of parking spaces (plus stringent parking restrictions and fines), it is highly recommended that visitors to the area consider public transport to access the district.

By Tube
This district is well served by the following Tube stations, all in Zone 1:

 * Covent Garden (Piccadilly line). Exiting Covent Garden Tube Station, turn right (southwards, downhill) to walk to the Piazza, or turn left (northwards) to find the main shopping areas of Long Acre, Neal Street and Seven Dials. Covent Garden is one of the few Tube stations to lack escalators, instead having four lifts. Because of this, it gets extremely busy and TfL recommends using another station if possible.
 * Leicester Square (Piccadilly and Northern lines). The distance between Leicester Square and Covent Garden stations on the Piccadilly line is the shortest on the whole London Tube network (just 260 metres (280 yards)). It is faster to walk between the two stations.
 * Holborn (Piccadilly and Central lines).
 * Tottenham Court Road (Northern, Central and Elizabeth lines).
 * Embankment (Bakerloo, District, Circle and Northern lines).
 * Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines).

By train
Southeastern trains to:
 * Kent – Ashford International, Dartford, Dover, Gravesend, Hythe, Ramsgate, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks
 * East Sussex – Hastings

By bus
Over 30 bus routes serve Covent Garden. They are: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 38, 55, 59, 69, 73, 87, 91, 98, 134, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 242, 243, 341, RV1 and X68.

Theatres
Along with neighbouring Leicester Square, this is the capital of London's theatreland. For current programmes please check the relevant theatre website or the Official London Theatre listings. Budget travellers should look for last minute bookings and off-peak performances.

Most of the booking office numbers given will only work from within the United Kingdom. If you want to make a booking from overseas, use the relevant website.

Buy
Shoes are a speciality of Covent Garden, particularly in Neal Street where virtually every shop sells shoes, from Birkenstocks to trainers, campers to Doc Martens.

Like its neighbour Soho, Covent Garden has a wide range of clothing shops. Head to Floral Street and Long Acre for a start, but explore the backstreets too as they often house more interesting stores. If you are on a budget, head to Earlham Street for occasional clothing stalls and Oxfam Originals.

Budget

Seven Dials Pubs
and around New Oxford Street

St Martins Lane

Strand Pubs
and to the south:

Connect
Wi-Fi is available along the Thames for free with ads, and in various commercial establishments in Covent Garden.

Go next

 * Go south – crossing the River Thames via the (tube: Embankment) to the western part of South Bank, home to the Tate Modern gallery and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
 * Head west – into Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square or south to Westminster, home of the British government and royal family.
 * To the east – lies the law courts and inns of court of Holborn and the City of London.

title: London/Covent Garden


text:
London/East

East London is the outer eastern part of London, north of the River Thames.

Understand
Many outer areas of East London were once part of the county of Essex. Essex is sometimes used as part of the postal address for these areas.

East London consists of the following boroughs:

 * Barking and Dagenham — the borough includes:
 * Barking
 * Dagenham
 * Havering — the borough includes:
 * Hornchurch
 * Romford
 * Upminster
 * Newham — the borough includes:
 * Stratford – Was the location of the 2012 Olympic Games. (Don't confuse this Stratford with Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, the birthplace of Shakespeare.)
 * East Ham
 * West Ham
 * Redbridge — the borough includes:
 * Ilford
 * Woodford
 * Waltham Forest — the borough includes:
 * Walthamstow – This town was made famous by a teen pop band East 17 (the postcode of the area) who came from here and had a number of hits. Soak up the multicultural atmosphere.
 * Chingford
 * Leyton
 * Leytonstone – the birthplace of Alfred Hitchcock

By plane

The airport is east of the City of London and a short distance east from Canary Wharf. It mainly offers flights to major European cities by full service carriers. British Airways operates one flight a day to New York JFK using an Airbus A318 in an entirely business class configuration.

You may find that this may be your cheapest London airport to fly to, especially if you add £10 or more in transfer costs from outlying airports. It has a convenient link to the Docklands Light Rail (DLR). Minimum check-in time for most airlines is around 30 minutes, with some offering 15-minute check-in deadlines. Queues for security can be long at peak business times. Touchdown to the DLR (including taxi, disembarkation, immigration and baggage reclaim) can be as fast as 5 minutes, although 15 minutes is normal.

To get to the city centre the following options exist:

By Tube

 * Central Line (Red) to Woodford or Hainault.
 * District Line (Green) to Upminster.
 * Elizabeth Line (Light Purple) to Harold Wood or Custom House.
 * Hammersmith and City Line (Pink) to Barking.
 * Jubilee Line (Silver) to Stratford.
 * Victoria Line (Light Blue) to Walthamstow.

By DLR

 * DLR to Canning Town then branches to Beckton, or London City Airport and Woolwich.

By train

 * From London Liverpool Street: to Chingford and Ilford.
 * From London Fenchurch Street: to Southend or Grays.
 * From Stansted Airport: to Ipswich, Colchester and Norwich to Liverpool Street.

 * Jubilee line (westbound) services to Stanmore.
 * Central line services to West Ruislip, Ealing Broadway and Epping.
 * Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services to Woolwich Arsenal via Canning Town.
 * London Overground (Mildmay line) services to Richmond via Willesden Junction.
 * Elizabeth line services to London Liverpool St and Shenfield.
 * Greater Anglia services to Southend-on-Sea, Bishop's Stortford, Norwich, Braintree, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester, Ipswich and Hertford.
 * c2c weekend services to Shoeburyness and London Liverpool St.

By London Overground
The London Overground (orange) is useful for getting across the district:

 * Suffragette line (sometimes referred to as the "Goblin") from Gospel Oak to Barking and Blackhorse Road.
 * Liberty line is a short line that runs from Romford to Upminster via Emerson Park. This is a separate line that is disconnected from the rest of the London Overground.

Walthamstow

Walthamstow

 * Bicycle along the River Lea or Epping Forest.
 * Bicycle along the River Lea or Epping Forest.

Eat
Goodmayes is a great area for really good cheap Indian/Pakistani food.

Walthamstow
There are a number of cafés and restaurants down the high street.

Go next

 * Hackney
 * East End of London
 * Hornchurch (including Rainham and Upminster)
 * Epping

title: London/East


text:
London/East End

The East End is a district of inner London. The boundaries of the East End are not well defined, but for the purposes of this page it covers from the edge of The City to the River Lea in the East, and Shoreditch and Haggerston in the North. Highlights include the large cluster of Sunday markets and the nightclub area of Shoreditch.

Understand
The East End is the home of "Cockney Rhyming Slang", a dialect of English where words are substituted for other words which they rhyme with. For example "apples and pears" is cockney slang for "stairs"; "plates of meat" is slang for "feet". The East End is perhaps now more famous than ever due to the long-running and hugely popular BBC TV series EastEnders, a soap opera about the life of people living in Albert Square, Walford, which is a fictional location.

Exploring the East End can be a great way to get off of the main tourist track, while staying in walking distance of the historic centre of London. A good place to start is to go east from Spitalfields into the nearby Brick Lane neighbourhood.

The East End consists of many small and quite distinct neighbourhoods:

Mile End is an increasingly affluent neighbourhood about one mile (hence the name) from the City of London along the Whitechapel Road. While not as vibrant as its neighbours in Bethnal Green and Brick Lane, it has a charm of its own which makes this district worth a visit. It is rich in history and contains some very interesting relics of London's industrial past. The district was created just at the time when London was expanding at its fastest rate and as such contains areas which are a microcosm of the Victorian city. It also suffered greatly from German bombing in World War II and the slum clearances of the 1960s which saw many fine Victorian houses bulldozed to be replaced by sub-standard communal housing.

Whitechapel runs from the edge of the City of London at Bishopsgate in the West to Cavell Street in the East, and from Commercial Road in the south moving to Brick Lane in the north. It became particularly notorious in 19th century for the gruesome murders of Jack the Ripper (once known as 'The Whitechapel Murderer'), in the days when poverty and prostitution were common in this area. It is still a largely working-class area but has attracted a large Bangaledeshi community which has made Brick Lane what it is today. Many aspiring artists moved here for the cheap rents but still central location. Tracey Emin (one of the not-so-Young British Artists (YBAs) of the 1990s) has a studio in this area, and can be seen wandering around in the day. The Royal London Hospital gazes across at Whitechapel Tube station and is famous for nursing Joseph Carey Merrick (the 'Elephant Man') in his final years.

Brick Lane is a small but diverse street, starting in Whitechapel and running north into Bethnal Green. The area has come to be known as "Banglatown" because of many of its inhabitants and proprietors originating from the Indian subcontinent (especially Bangladesh). You can see evidence of this on the bilingual road signs which were placed to help immigrants in the 1980s who were unable to speak English.

Although now largely a Bengali neighbourhood, within living memory, Brick Lane was a Jewish district. As well as some obvious remnants of this history such as a few remaining beigel (bagel) delis, there are some more subtle ones too, such as small synagogues in the back streets. Many of the larger synagogues have now been converted into mosques. Before that, it was a Huguenot area. The Huguenots settled in the area and became well known for silk weaving. The markets here date back to the 16th century, when the area was a stop on the main eastern exit road from London. The neighbourhood, now complete with its own annual festival, is now most famous for its curry restaurants, markets, speciality shops and vibrant but relaxed nightlife.

Shoreditch stretches from the City to Kingsland Road in the London Borough of Hackney. Culturally though this is part of the East End. This was once an area largely populated by skint artists but they were scattered once the wave of design and media studios and commercial art galleries rolled in. Although the area is still underdeveloped in many ways, this is one of the best places to go out drinking in London, simply because there are so many different bars, pubs and clubs dotted all over this area and many of these stay open past 11PM.

Docklands
This area stretches from the edge of the City of London along the river to Beckton. The area encompasses the historical docks of the port of London, which declined after the Second World War. The area has been extensively redeveloped since the 1980s resulting in a doubling of the residential population. This is now predominantly an area of giant offices and mid to upmarket housing, although elements of its historic purpose can still be found. For travellers, the major feature of interest is the Canary Wharf development, home to some of London's tallest buildings. However, there are also other areas of Docklands that are of interest to those with more time to explore the area. Areas of modern day Docklands include Wapping, Limehouse, the Isle of Dogs and Royal Dock:

Wapping is immediately east of the City of London on the banks of the Thames with St Katherine Dock next to Tower Bridge. Although largely gentrified in recent decades, there are still many cobbled streets and the warehouse conversions has been done sympathetically in many places, and there are several excellent riverside pubs. The giant News International facility (which publishes The Times and The Sun newspapers) is here.

Limehouse extends from the edge of Wapping to Canary Wharf. By-passed by the Limehouse Link road tunnel, it is a quiet, predominantly residential area and there are a few riverside pubs of note a well as facilities serving the massive business community at Canary Wharf.

The Isle of Dogs lies to the south of the Canary Wharf development, and is a mixture of light industrial, office and residential areas such as Millwall and Cubitt Town, with a large park at Mudchute that contains a City Farm. At Island Gardens there are noteworthy views across the river to Greenwich.

The Royal Docks extend east where redevelopment has proceeded at a slower pace than most of the rest of Docklands. The former docks are now stand alongside London City Airport, although the arrival and departure of aeroplanes still spills over them onto the campus of the University of East London. The Excel Centre is also to be found here.

Surrey Docks and Rotherhithe on the south of the river are sometimes included in descriptions of Docklands.

By Tube
Mile End (Zone 2) is one of the best-connected stations in London, with access to the Central, Hammersmith and City, and District Lines. There is also a District Line station at Bow Road and Docklands Light Railway stations at Bow Road and Devons Road.

For the west side of Whitechapel get off at Aldgate East (Zone 1) Tube station (Hammersmith & City and District Lines), to take you directly to the Whitechapel Art Gallery and near the bottom of Brick Lane or Whitechapel (Zone 2) (Hammersmith & City and District Lines, as well as the London Overground East London line and Elizabeth line) will take you to the east side of Whitechapel Road. Liverpool Street (Zone 1) Tube station is a 15-minute walk from Whitechapel.

The Jubilee line extension to Canary Wharf links the Docklands with the main Tube network.

By Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
Much of Docklands used to be poorly connected to the rest of London, with the development of the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) and the extension of the Jubilee Underground line, transportation has become much easier and more efficient. If visiting Canary Wharf, you might like to arrive by DLR to experience the views from the train on approach and leave by the Jubilee to see the impressively large station, which has been compared to a cathedral.

Most of the DLR stations are, unsurprisingly, in the Docklands. There are three stations on the Canary Wharf development (Fare Zone 2) and are a short distance apart so you don't need to use the DLR to get around within Canary Wharf:

 * West India Quay
 * Canary Wharf
 * Heron Quays is best for interchange with the Jubilee line.

By train
London Overground's East London Line (ELL) goes from Highbury & Islington to West Croydon and connects various stations in the inner East End, running through Haggerston, Hoxton, Shoreditch High Street, Whitechapel, Shadwell and Wapping, before crossing the river to Rotherhithe, Canada Water and beyond.

The Elizabeth line goes from London Liverpool St to Shenfield and Abbey Wood. Whitechapel is on the Abbey Wood branch.

Buy

The undoubted highlight of East End trading life was the street market, operating under a grudging acceptance from the authorities and offering bargains with big suggestions that the cheap price may be related to a dodgy road to market. Sunday was the main market day due to the Jewish heritage of the area, and therefore attracted a large influx of shoppers before shops were allowed Sunday trading elsewhere in London. The (more controlled) current markets are a treat of variety, stretching out in short walk from Liverpool St or Shoreditch stations. During a Sunday morning relaxed walk, allowing 2–3 hours, you can visit the four main markets, Petticoat Lane, Spitalfields, Brick Lane and Columbia Road Flower Market, have lunch and a shandy or two, whilst taking in the ever-changing diversity. New markets are opening en route all the time, but real surprises are most likely to be found around the north Brick Lane/Cheshire St area which most resembles the spirit of the original markets, having many stalls operating on the edges of both market and legality.

Canary Wharf
There are many restaurants in Docklands clustered around the new developments of Canary Wharf. Some of the best are listed below:

Mile End
There is a cluster of good eateries at Bow Wharf, just a few minutes north of Mile End station.

Brick Lane
Brick Lane was once home to a thriving Jewish community, and while much of that community has since left, one of the reminders of that community are the surviving shops selling the beigel (US/Canada: bagel), a quintessentially Ashkenazi Jewish type of bread.

Wander up Brick Lane, and you will be pounced on by countless touts trying to persuade you to enter their client's restaurant. Try to go on a recommendation if you can, otherwise take pot luck.

Unfortunately, many of Brick Lane's curry restaurants have become victims of the success of the area. Most restaurants now employ pushy touts, who will hassle you to eat in their client's restaurants. The discounts may sound tempting, but they frequently inflate the prices simply so they can offer you a 'deal'.

The largest concentration is between Woodseer Street and Fournier Street. The old-style, flock wallpaper curry houses have now largely given way to shiny, light wood and aluminium restaurant for tourists and City workers. Whichever style you go for, though, it's always worth checking that they've got a licence to sell alcohol before taking up a table. A lot of the restaurants will allow you to bring your own alcohol along.

Canary Wharf
Many of the bars on the Canary Wharf development are indistinguishable chain bars, although they are very popular with office workers on weekday evenings, particularly Thursday and Friday. Most are closed at weekends, but there are usually one or two open if you want to visit then; the area is generally very quiet at this time, which you may or may not consider a good thing. Nearly all have outside areas adjacent to the water which can be pleasant in summer.

Wapping

Budget

Stay safe
The East End in the past had a deserved bad reputation due to its high rates of crime and poverty. Today though, The East End is generally much safer and just the normal precautions after dark are advisable. People of the East End have pride in their home, so it would be wise to tread carefully around regulars in pubs and bars in places as they can be confrontational. In the same vein, avoiding mention of football is helpful in keeping things smooth.

title: London/East End


text:
London/Greenwich

Greenwich is a famous maritime district of south east London - 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from central London. An area of great historical importance, the town centre contains Maritime Greenwich - one of London's four UNESCO World Heritage sites - known for its naval history, connections with the Royal Family and as the location from which the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) is derived.

The major attractions are in the town centre, on the bank of the River Thames at the western end of the larger Royal Borough of Greenwich, which also includes Eltham and Woolwich. In the north of the borough, the Greenwich Peninsula (also known as North Greenwich) is home to the O2 Arena. Nearby Blackheath is a leafy area of grand historic homes and, whilst partly located in the London Borough of Lewisham, is easily accessible from Greenwich town centre. Further east are Charlton, home of the Thames Barrier and Charlton Athletic F.C., and Woolwich, renowned for its military connections including Henry VIII's dockyard and a military arsenal which gave its name to Arsenal F.C.

Understand
Greenwich is a district of great historic importance. The area is home to a number of world-renowned visitor attractions - the Cutty Sark, National Maritime Museum, Old Royal Naval College and Greenwich Observatory are all frequently used to promote London as a travel destination. The Old Royal Naval College is often used by film crews - especially to represent grand British settings and for period films - due to its grand English Baroque-style architecture.

Despite being close to central London, Greenwich's large park, open spaces and riverside setting can make the area feel like it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The town centre brings together in one place many of the elements that attract visitors to London in the first place - historic sites, fascinating museums, traditional buildings and stunning views. This makes the area popular with tourists - particularly in the summer, when both visitors and Londoners take advantage of the good weather by relaxing in Greenwich Park (with stunning views of the city) and walking along the riverfront. Throughout the year, the popular Greenwich Market attracts visitors keen to pick up souvenirs and local art or grab street food. Outside of the town centre, there are a number of attractions dotted around the largely residential borough.

History
The history that attracts visitors dates back centuries - Greenwich has been inhabited since the Roman times, although it existed as nothing more than a small fishing town for many years. In the medieval era, kings visited the area to hunt and a royal hunting lodge was sited in Greenwich since at least the year 1300 during the rule of Edward I. Subsequent monarchs continued to visit the area and the grand Palace of Placentia, surrounded by the Royal Park, was built on the site of what is now the Old Royal Naval College in 1447. The palace had great historical importance as the birthplace of Henry VIII and his daughters Mary I and Elizabeth I. The palace played a key role in the lives of these Tudor monarchs – for Henry it became his principal London seat and it was the site from which Elizabeth planned the Spanish Armada campaign in 1588. The presence of the palace led to Greenwich being chosen as the site for the Royal Observatory, which led to the establishment of Greenwich Mean Time as an internationally recognised standard.

The palace fell into disrepair after the English Civil War and was eventually demolished, with plans to build a new grand palace. These plans were only partially realised and were eventually incorporated into plans for the construction of a grand Royal Naval Hospital, which later became the Royal Naval College between 1873 and 1998. The College, the important advancements in navigation developed at the Royal Observatory and the location of Greenwich as a safe anchorage in the river have all contributed to the area's naval heritage. In recognition of this, the National Maritime Museum was established in the town in 1937 and the famous Cutty Sark tea-clipper was docked in Greenwich as a museum ship in 1954.

During the Industrial Revolution, Greenwich sat at the heart of London's docklands – once the world's largest port. Large parts of the Borough of Greenwich along the river outside of the town centre were taken over for industrial use, and factories and warehouses lined the banks of the River Thames. Redevelopment of these former industrial sites has been kinder to Greenwich than many parts of the London Docklands, although Greenwich Peninsula is still home to unused and abandoned former industrial space. Part of this redevelopment saw Greenwich Peninsula chosen as the site for the construction of the Millenium Dome (now the O2 Arena), which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium.

As part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, it was announced that the Borough of Greenwich would gain Royal Borough status – recognising the area's historic links with the Royal Family. Also in 2012, Greenwich was a venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games – with the O2 Arena hosting basketball and gymnastic events and Greenwich Park hosting equestrian events and the modern pentathlon.

Get in
Greenwich is 5½ miles east of central London, on the south bank of the River Thames. Because of congestion driving is not recommended, but there are multiple ways of getting to Greenwich from central London by public transport.

Greenwich town centre is best accessed by DLR, National Rail or riverboat services (note: Greenwich station and Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich station are two separate stations, approximately 10 minutes walk apart). Visitors to Blackheath should travel via National Rail. Visitors to Greenwich Peninsula should use the tube.

By boat
Several companies run river tour boats from central London piers at Westminster Bridge, the Millennium Wheel and the Tower of London, to Greenwich Pier which is adjacent to Greenwich town centre and within walking distance of all the main attractions. £6-8; 33% discount to Travelcard holders.

Thames Clippers commuter service offers an infrequent service, but is quicker and better value (£4.55, 33% off for Travelcard holders).

By Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
This automated rail system runs from central London terminals at Tower Gateway (a short walk from Tower Hill station) and Bank (with interchange to the London Underground). Catch a train bound for Lewisham and get off at Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich station in the town centre. Because there is no driver on these trains and most of the route is elevated, riding at the front of the train affords a fantastic view of east London. Travelcards valid.

For Greenwich town centre
Weekday services are:

 * Southeastern Railway has four trains per hour in each direction to/from London Cannon St station. The train calls at London Bridge and Deptford.
 * Thameslink has two trains per hour in each direction to/from Luton Airport station, via central London. Train calls at stations including London St Pancras International, London Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge and Deptford.

Services can be less frequent at the weekend and can be amended or cancelled altogether due to planned engineering works. It is advisable to check weekend services in advance on the National Rail website or with staff at any railway station.

For Greenwich Park, also consider, which is less than five minutes walk from the north-east corner of the park (handy for the children's playground).

For Blackheath
National Rail services to (zone 3) are the main way to visit Blackheath village. On weekdays, four trains per hour in either direction serve the station from London Charing Cross station (in London's West End) – calling at London Waterloo East, London Bridge and Lewisham. Services operated by Southeastern Railway.

By Tube
The London Underground's Jubilee line serves (zones 2/3), which primarily caters for visitors to the O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula. The station is a 20-minute bus ride away from Greenwich town centre (bus route 188) so visitors to Greenwich's main attractions are better off taking DLR, National Rail or riverboat services to Cutty Sark station, Greenwich station or Greenwich Pier instead. It is possible, however, to walk from here along the Thames Path to Greenwich town centre in about 45 minutes, although this route includes a stretch of industrial land.

Get around
Most visitors to Greenwich will remain within the town centre, where all attractions are within easy walking distance of each other and both the Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich DLR station and Greenwich Pier. Note that the Royal Observatory is up a short but steep hill.

Further afield, travelling between destinations within the Royal Borough of Greenwich is best accomplished by bus or rail, depending on your location.

See
Greenwich town centre is the home of several interesting tourist attractions. The combination of Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory, the Queens House and the Royal Naval College make up Maritime Greenwich, which is a site on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Outside of this core area, there are further attractions across the wider Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Maritime Greenwich

 * Being a Royal Park there is a
 * Being a Royal Park there is a
 * Being a Royal Park there is a
 * Being a Royal Park there is a

Sports

 * Football:
 * Rugby Union: Blackheath play in National League One, the third tier. Their home ground is on Charlton Road. They were one of the founding clubs of rugby, leading the "Blackheath Group" that broke away from Association football - soccer - to play the ball-handling game.

Greenwich Market
Greenwich Market actually consists of several markets all quite close together:

Eat
Greenwich has restaurants of different types and costs.

Greenwich Town Centre
Greenwich town centre has restaurants of different types and costs. Around Cutty Sark, national restaurant chains can be found (e.g. Nandos, Byron, Gourmet Burger Kitchen).

Blackheath

Drink
The further you get from the centre of Maritime Greenwich, the more authentic the pubs get - with fewer tourists.

Blackheath pubs

Sleep
Greenwich has a good variety of accommodation options - catering for a range of budgets. As well as serving guests coming specifically to visit Greenwich, the hotels and hostels in the area are cheaper and more peaceful options for visitors to base themselves during a visit to London compared to accommodation in the centre of the city. If the hustle and bustle of central London aren't for you - Greenwich is a relaxing place to stay, with plenty of good places to eat and drink nearby and easy travel links into the city centre.

Most visitors to the borough tend to stay in Greenwich town centre, although there is some accommodation available in Blackheath and on the Greenwich Peninsula. Further afield, accommodation options are more limited. Those attending concerts and events at the O2 might find that Greenwich town centre is a more pleasing place to stay than hotels near the arena, which can lack character.

Connect
Being in London, mobile phone coverage is universal across Greenwich and traditional red payphones can be found in Greenwich town centre.

The majority of pubs, bars and restaurants offer free wifi, as do the Royal Museums Greenwich (Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory, Queen's House and National Maritime Museum). As the National Maritime Museum is free to enter, considering visiting here to use the wifi if you need to access the internet in the centre of Greenwich.

Cope
Hopefully you won't need to use medical services or speak to the police during your visit to Greenwich, but local services are available for visitors if needed. In an emergency, always call 999 (toll-free) from any payphone or mobile phone.

Police
The nearest police station to Greenwich town centre and Blackheath with a public 24-hour front counter is Lewisham Police Station. Non-emergency crimes (i.e. crimes that are not in progress, such as a stolen car, theft or damaged property) can be reported by calling 101.

Medical services
For emergency medical treatment, University Hospital Lewisham is the nearest Accident & Emergency hospital.

For non-emergency treatment, you can see a doctor or nurse at a GP surgery. You will have to book an appointment in advance but GP surgeries hold a number of slots available each day for urgent cases - call or visit as soon as the surgery opens to secure one of these slots (demand is high).

Gyms
Despite the prevalence of gyms in Greenwich, many require a membership to use (and some are unmanned, meaning that you can't even ask about one-off use). Most of these gyms will provide a free month's trial however, so visitors wanting to use the gym more than once during their stay might consider signing up for this and then cancelling the subscription prior to being charged after they have left. Gyms that allow visitors to pay for one-off use include:

Local news
Greenwich only has one local print newspaper - the free, monthly Greenwich Visitor which provides information about local happenings. This can be picked up in most large Greenwich supermarkets or in stands outside Cutty Sark DLR station. You can also view current and past editions online at the Greenwich visitor website.

Other sources of information for news and events are primarily online, including:

Pharmacies
In Greenwich town centre, there are two chain pharmacies, which provide cosmetics and on-the-shelf medicines. Both are well located for visitors looking to buy suncream being heading to Greenwich Park in the summer. Neither store has a full pharmacy service for over-the-counter medicines - the closest options being Boots stores a short DLR ride away in Canary Wharf (Jubilee Place) or Lewisham (72-78 Lewisham High St).

Go next

 * Greenwich is close to Canary Wharf. The financial district's vast collection of skyscrapers is a prominent sight from Greenwich's riverside and park and is only 10 minutes away from the DLR. While primarily a business district, tourists might enjoy wandering around the base of the tall buildings or watching the hub of activity in the area during the week. Nearby West India Quay is home to the Museum of London Docklands (free entry), which tells the history of the Docklands - including Greenwich.
 * From Greenwich station, two trains per hour continue into Kent – one of the 'Home Counties' bordering Greater London. Popularly known as the Garden of England due to its green landscape, the county includes a number of attractions that could be included on day trips outside of the capital. Trains from Greenwich stop at the Medway Towns, from where you will continue your journey to your destination.
 * From the Greenwich Peninsula, take the IFS Cloud Cable Car (formerly Emirates Air Line) – the UK's first urban cable car. Linking the O2 Arena with the ExCeL Exhibition Centre at Royal Victoria Docks, it rises to 90 metres in the air over the River Thames, providing views across the city.

title: London/Greenwich


text:
London/Hackney

Hackney is a district of London. Hackney has a diverse population and the area has undergone massive regeneration in recent decades. Hackney is now very fashionable with a thriving arts scene in the south of the district for example.

Understand
Hackney staged some of the events during the 2012 London Summer Olympics such as hockey in the Lea Valley Arena and hosted the world's media. Many of the big events happened in the nearby Olympic Stadium and VeloPark. This was a hot spot for tourists and locals during the action.

In the far north of the district near Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill is the centre of the Hassidic and Adeni Jewish communities in London and the largest in Europe. A visit here certainly provides a very different cultural experience to anywhere else in Britain.

Hackney is also known for its wide open green spaces such as Hackney Marshes, (home of 88 football pitches) being the most notable and known as the spiritual home of grass roots soccer in the UK.

Visitor information

 * Hackney Council

By bus
Hackney is well served by buses from all over the capital, with the routes converging on Hackney Central, Dalston and Stoke Newington. Bus routes serving Hackney include the 30, 38, 48, 55, 56, 67, 76, 106, 149, 242, 243, 253, 254, 277, 488 and D6

By train
The London Overground network has many stations throughout Hackney across different lines:

Chingford Line
The Chingford line goes from Chingford to London Liverpool St via Walthamstow:

 * Clapton (Zone 2 + 3)
 * Hackney Downs (Zone 2)

East London Line (ELL)
The East London Line (ELL) goes from Highbury & Islington to Croydon:
 * Dalston Junction (Zone 2)
 * Haggerston (Zone 2)
 * Hoxton (Zone 1 & Zone 2)

Enfield & Cheshunt line
The Enfield & Cheshunt line goes from Cheshunt to London Liverpool St via Stratford:
 * Stoke Newington (Zone 2)
 * Stamford Hill (Zone 3)

North London Line (NLL)
The North London Line (NLL) goes from Richmond to Stratford via Willesden Junction:

 * Dalston Kingsland (Zone 2)
 * Hackney Central (Zone 2)
 * Homerton (Zone 2)
 * Hackney Wick (Zone 2)

By tube
There are no stations in the district but northern parts can be easily reached from these stations on the Piccadilly line:

 * Finsbury Park (Zone 2)
 * Manor House (Zones 2 + 3)

Get around
The best way to get around the borough is to walk or get buses. The many parks and green spaces dotted around make Hackney much nicer to walk around than its inner London location would suggest.

Galleries

 * Elevator Gallery and the Chocolate Factory both near Hackney Downs on Stoke Newington Rd.
 * Elevator Gallery and the Chocolate Factory both near Hackney Downs on Stoke Newington Rd.
 * Elevator Gallery and the Chocolate Factory both near Hackney Downs on Stoke Newington Rd.

Eat
Stoke Newington (Church Street), Broadway market and Hackney Central have a variety of gastropubs and restaurants. There are many great Turkish and Asian restaurants on Kingsland Road. To the south of Mare Street there are a great number of very reasonable Vietnamese restaurants. Some also have the bonus of being able to bring your own alcohol, which brings down cost considerably.

Stay safe
Hackney is safe provided you're careful. Most violent crime occurs amongst the gangs in the rougher parts of the borough, which you'll be unlikely to encounter, especially if you stick to the areas where the main entertainment establishments are based. Avoid walking alone at night around Hackney Wick, housing estates and anywhere that looks rough.

title: London/Hackney


text:
London/Hammersmith and Fulham

Hammersmith & Fulham is a borough in west London, and boasts 3 Premiership football teams within its boundaries.

Understand
This is a large district of the inner west of London.

The most well known part of the district is perhaps Shepherd's Bush which has long been a first home in London to second and first generation immigrants. While this is less true today than in the past, the area undergoing gradual gentrification, beautification and development, there is still a substantial expatriate population (including a great many travelling Antipodeans).

Culturally, Shepherd's Bush is well known as the former home of the BBC's TV output, with the Television Centre located on Wood Lane in the White City sub-district. The Bush was also the fictional home of Steptoe & Son at Oil Drum Lane. The members of two influential British bands, The Who and the Sex Pistols, grew up in Shepherd's Bush. It is also the home of newly promoted football team Queens Park Rangers (QPR), who play in the top-level Premier League. These days, most people visit White City for its large shopping mall, Westfield London.

South of Shepherd's Bush is Hammersmith, which is a transport, commercial and retail hub of west London rather spoilt by the roar of traffic from its many roads, as well as the shade cast by indifferent office blocks and the ghastly Hammersmith Flyover. However it does have two important performing arts venues, the Apollo and the Lyric, as well as one of London's most elegant bridges.

At the southern end of the district, the residential riverside areas of Fulham have been hugely gentrified, and it is now sometimes difficult to determine where (previously much grander) Chelsea ends and Fulham begins. Fulham is also home to the football teams Fulham FC, Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea FC (at Fulham Broadway).

By Tube
Both Hammersmith and Fulham are served by the following Tube stations, all in Zone 2:

Hammersmith

 * Shepherd's Bush (Central)
 * Shepherd's Bush Market (Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
 * Wood Lane (Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
 * White City (Central line)
 * Hammersmith (Piccadilly, District, Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
 * Goldhawk Road (Circle, Hammersmith & City lines)
 * Barons Court (District and Piccadilly lines)
 * West Kensington (District line)
 * Ravenscourt Park (District line) – Note: The Piccadilly line does pass through Ravenscourt Park though it only stops on special occasions such as during New Year.

Fulham
These stations are on the Edgware Road–Wimbledon branch of the District line. You may need to change at Earl's Court:

 * Fulham Broadway (District line)
 * Parson's Green (District line)
 * Putney Bridge (District line)

Fulham
Buses 11, 14, 22, 28, 74, 190, 211, 295, 391, 414, 430, and night buses N11, N22 and N28, all stop in Fulham. http://lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/Transport_and_Streets/Public_Transport/

By train
The Hammersmith & Fulham borough is connected via Shepherd's Bush and the nearby Willesden Junction on the London Overground Mildmay line which is the new name for the former North London Line (NLL) and West London Line (WLL).

Old Oak Common station will be just 500 metres (546 yards) below Willesden Junction and on the Elizabeth line between Acton Main Line and London Paddington but is planned to be opened in 2026.

By road
The A219 links Fulham with the A205 (South Circular) and with the A4.

Get around
Much of Hammersmith is walkable. It's a 30-minute walk from Hammersmith station to the Chiswick High Rd.

See

Football
Hammersmith and Fulham have three professional football league teams.

Buy
Shopping in this area runs the gamut from street markets to luxury shops in the largest enclosed shopping centre (or "mall" to American travellers) in Europe.

There are plenty of charity shops in Hammersmith and nearby Chiswick.

Eat
There are loads of great restaurants in Fulham along the high streets and also a distinct lack of any chain restaurants (don't worry, you can find all of these along Putney High St if you're desperate). It is often a good idea to just start walking along any of the main roads and you should have more choice of places to eat than you will ever need.

Budget
Uxbridge Road is noted for good-value and diverse restaurants.

Mid-range
Westfield London has many chain restaurants inside and around the perimeter including Zizzi, Five Guys, Franco Manco and Wagamama. There is also a food court on the first floor with Pho and Dirty Vegan, amongst others.

Drink
Shepherd's Bush Green contains many large chain pubs. Uxbridge Road and Goldhawk Road have smaller, more laid-back bars and gastro-pubs. Fulham is full of highly rated, popular pubs some of them right by the Thames.

Sleep
Shepherd's Bush and Hammersmith are well known as the home of many discount hotels (some of low quality, unfortunately) and B&Bs. With the gradual gentrification of the area, more comfortable and expensive options are appearing.

Go next

 * South across Hammersmith Bridge to Barnes.
 * South across Putney Bridge to Putney.
 * West into South Kensington and Chelsea

title: London/Hammersmith and Fulham