Guide to London

One of the biggest cultural capitals in the world, London is a traveller’s dream. It is the most common regions for backpacking tourists, and that is perhaps why London is brimming with tourists all year round. Popular culture in the form of cinema, books and even music have made London one of the most visited cities in the world. It exudes charm even in the narrowest corners of its streets. However, London is super expensive if you don’t keep a tab on your spending. We present here guide to help you make the best out of the city:

1.Begin from the Heart:

It is best to start your London sojourn with its heart. Find an accommodation that is centrally located and you will find many attractions just a few steps away. Even while roaming around, you can start with Trafalgar Square. The rest will follow: the London Eye, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Head to the Windsor Castle and take a walk in the Greewich Park afterwards. The Tower with Tower Bridge is also there, along with St. Paul's Cathedral.

2.Grab a Pint:

The pub culture is thick in London, and if you haven’t thought of pub hopping, well, you should. When strolling central London, you can find decent establishments here and there. Pubs run by the Samuel Smith Brewery of Tadcaster, Yorkshire are a good bet. The rest include Princess Louise, close to Holborn tube; Fitzroy Tavern, which is located on Charlotte Street, which is already lined with good restaurants. Tottenham Court Road or Goodge Street has Jerusalem Tavern.

3.Taste the Tea Culture:

Afternoon tea is a London institution, not that you’d know it by talking to Londoners. For some reason – probably the relatively high cost of scoffing a few finger sandwiches and cakes – locals don’t tend to go in for long, languid infusion sessions, leaving it to tourists. Their loss. But while the big name hotels all offer impeccable high teas, complete with tea menus and – don’t mind if I do – a glass of champagne. But top-end food stores do mean high teas too – and Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly is the pick of the bunch. Go easy on lunch, plan for a small dinner, and sit back and relax.

4.English Football:

For some of you sports enthusiasts, English football may be the reason you came to Britain in the first place. Once here, you’ll realise how all-encompassing a passion it is. However, getting a ticket to an EPL can be a tricky undertaking. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham regularly sell out at home but it’s always worth sniffing round box offices and supporters clubs on match days in case there are any returns. Gumtree and Craigslist are a good source of tickets. Fulham and, depending on the opposition, West Ham are more likely to have tickets on general sale. A visit to Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground on a crisp winter’s day is a lovely way to see a game.

5.Go to the River:

There’s no shortage of boats on the Thames which will whisk you east to Greenwich or west to Hampton Court. Most are tourist-friendly with variable quality of commentary. Think like a journalist – find two reliable sources before repeating one of the facts heard over the tannoy on these cruises. Something different is the Thames Clipper, a fast and frequent catamaran aimed at commuters. It travels from Woolwich to Westminster and vice versa, on the way calling at most of London’s great riverside landmarks like the Tower of London, the Tate Modern and the London Eye. Day tickets for unlimited travel are £12, which provides a great base from which to tick off a few sights. Don’t miss the high-speed section of the journey east of Tower Bridge to Canary Wharf, Greenwich and Woolwich.

6.Shopping Joys:

Londoners know that Selfridges (Oxford Street) knocks spots off Harrods. So save some time and do all your departments in one go. This done, aim for some shopping streets which offer something different. Sloane Square and the Kings Road offer high-class shopping, while in the east Brick Lane and surrounding streets are stuffed with boutique, vintage and retro stores as well as Rough Trade, London’s best record shop. The streets leading off from Neal Street in Covent Garden are also an excellent place for a nose.

7.The famous Fish & Chips:

While Fish & Chips may be Britain’s signature dish, you can struggle to find it done well in London. The batter should be crisp, the fish too hot to chomp on first bite, and the chips must be crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Then you cover the lot in salt and vinegar and scoff it before loved ones steal all your chips. Posh imitators and bland pub substitutes proliferate, but the real deal remains working class fare. Five to try: The Fryer’s Delight – Holborn tube; Rock & Sole Plaice – Covent Garden; North Sea Fish Bar – King’s Cross St Pancras or Euston; The Sea Shell of Lisson Grove – Marylebone.

8.Accommodation –

Something for Everybody: Perhaps the best part about London is that for those inclined towards saving money, London has many options. Its accommodation choices are quite liberal – from high-end to budget. You can pay around 20-40 GBP per night for a dorm room, although some dorms start at around 10 GBP that are a bit outside the city. Private rooms will be almost as much as a hotel, starting at around 55 GBP. Hotels in London anywhere in the city center will start around 100 GBP per night, and go up from there. If you stay on the outskirts of the city, you will pay around 40 GBP per night. Hotels such as Park Grand London Kensington or Premier Hotels London, are some of the popular choices.