Travel to London

Travel to London, and points beyond, usually means landing at Heathrow Airport or London Heathrow, LHR, the second busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic, as well as the busiest airport in Europe by passenger traffic. It’s the seventh busiest airport in the world by total passenger traffic.

The airport lies just 14 miles west of London’s city center but takes a good hour in city traffic. Transport by taxi to the center of the city will run around 60 pounds. Passengers can also opt for the tube. London Underground’s Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow and the capital and in just under an hour. Waiting time should not take more than ten minutes. Tickets run 6-18 pounds.

LHR has five air terminals and three London Underground stations that are minutes away by subterranean corridors connecting the terminals. Friday and Saturday schedules run 24 hours.

If you have to have a layover, LHR is a good place to wander. The airport is rife with designer shops and boutiques and the restaurants and pubs, offer the celebrity fame to match. Passengers can experience the Wagamama, Tin Goose, Gordon Ramsay Plane Food, among others, and enjoy live music at Caffé Nero in Terminal 2. Business class passenger find flagship lounges at LHR – specifically British Airways and the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Airlines out their best designers onto these jobs.

T5 Art Gallery, a commercial art gallery, was adding to the attractions at LHR in 2009 as one of the few airport venues in the world for permanent commercial fine art collections.

Travel to London: Top Things to Do

From the royal places to the Ferris wheel attraction, there are many places to explore while you are in London, many without cost.

Buckingham Palace

This the Londonresidence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom.It is located in Westminster, and is often at the center of state occasions and hospitality. The name stems from it’s original use as the townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703, later acquired by King George III in 1761. It eventually became the official Royal residence in London on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The pubic is allowed in to explore the magnificent state rooms during 10 weeks of each summer and on select dates during the rest of the year. Tickets must be reserve in advance and cost 25 to 45 pounds. Meanwhile, the official Changing of the Guard procession takes place daily at 11 am, or 10 am on Sundays, and is free to watch.

Tower of London and Tower Bridge

While these iconic landmarks may often go together in the lore of London, they are quite different in their locations and functions. London Bridge has been around in some form since Biblical times. It’s the site of the oldest official crossing of the River Thames and still stands today, although the latest version dates back to 1973. Thus, the London Bridge is not a marvel of design or architectural feats. In fact, the most notable decoration on the Bridge is the artistic ‘spike’ sculpture on its south side.

The Tower Bridge is what most people have in mind when they think of London. It dates from the Victorian Era of 1894 and little has changed over decades. The Tower Bridge is topped with two neo-gothic towers and was construct with large grey stones that make the bridge look centuries older than it already is. Near the Tower Bridge find the Tower of London, the memorable 200-foot tower that was originally build William the Conqueror in 1067 and modified by successive sovereigns. In its time, it has been a royal palace, a fortress, a dungeon prison and execution yard, an armoury, a treasury and an astronomical observatory.

The major attraction here are the Crown Jewels as well as a tour of the tower that packs in lurid details of royal skirmishes and punishments through the centuries. An onsite snaking line allows visitors to book an hour-long guided tour by a costumed Beefeater. These run every half-hour throughout the day.

The British Museum

This, one of the most famous art and artefact repositories in the world, is free to visit daily from 10 am to 5:30 pm (8:30 pm Fridays). Find the British Museum in the Bloomsbury area of London. The permanent collection there numbers some 8 million works, much of it sourced during the height of the British Empire. It first open to the public in January 1759, in Montagu House, which is the site of the current building that has been well preserve. Find a well curated collection of Egyptian tomb artefacts, the largest such collection, reduced in recent decades as valuable items were returned to Egypt for exhibition there. The oldest items at the British Museum date back to 6000 BC. Not to misses: the Elgin Marbles taken from the Parthenon in Athens and the Rosetta Stone taken from Egypt.

Big Ben and Parliament: Travel to London

The amazing 318-foot long giant clock tower shines at night like a scene out of Dickens or Peter Pan. The immense, 13-ton bell that resounds can be heard all over the city. And the clock just keeps on ticking. Big Ben’s timekeeping is stringently regulated by the weight of a stack of coins placed at the base of the huge pendulum. And the clock has almost never stopped. Even as a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during World War II, the clock tower survived and the bell continued to strike. Find the famous clock at the north end of Britain’s Houses of Parliament in Central London, next to the river Thames. A special light above the clock face lights up when parliament is in session.

National Gallery: Travel to London

Find the National Gallery on the north side of Trafalgar Square in Westminster. It was founded in 1824 and moved in 1838 to its current neoclassical structure that was designed by the Greek Revival architect William Wilkins, with a number of additions since, including a gallery by the legendary postmodernist American architect, Robert Venturi.

The collection now offers a precious collection of only 2,000 works, but is highly representative of European painting from the Italian Renaissance to works by various British, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Flemish painters from the 15th to the 19th century. Well represented here are Leonardo, Raphael, and Vermeer. Admission is free. You can find old paintings from 1260 until the time of 1920 in this art gallery. There is a collection of Italian schools and Dutch masters from the 15^thand 16^thcentury also. Along with that, the cartoons of Madonna by Leonardo da Vinci, the Entombment by Michelangelo and much more is available to see.

Travel to London: Visitor Tips

Oyster Card

This card is your way to effectively navigate the city for speed and convenience if you plan to use public transportation. It’s a quick and easy way to pay for journeys on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail, River Bus and most National Rail services in London. Purchase the card pre-loaded online and then add funds as you go. The card is a tap away for entrance and boarding. Your Visitor Oyster card offers daily capping. This means you can travel as much as you like in a single day and the amount you pay for your travel is limited (or capped. Cost is 5 pounds to start. Recommended is a 15-pound credit for a two-day visit. The card and credits never expire.

Stay on Right: Travel to London

You have to remember to say on the right-hand side when you are in London. This is the rule of thumb, whether walking, on the escalator. Oddly, however, driving happens on the left. This stems from practices during the Middle Ages when people traveled on the left side of the road so they could best access their weapons closer to their opponents who would be traveling on their right sides.

Walk with Care

Because Londoners drive on the left side of the street, always look to the left first before crossing the street. This is harder to remember than you might think.

Tipping Point

You do not need to leave tips when you are in the restaurants in London. The gratuity is already calculated in the summary of your bill.

Tube App

Download the free Tube Map application to your smartphone. It’s the ultimate guide to London’s extensive underground network and provides up to the minute updates on station closures and a handy journey planner to get you where you want to go.