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London, United Kingdom

In and Out of the Airport – Heathrow (LHR):

Train Service: Heathrow Express offers the fastest journey between the airport and central London.  Non-stop trains run every 15 minutes and the journey between Heathrow Central and London Paddington takes 15 minutes (a few minutes more for Terminals 4 or 5).  Tickets can be bought on the internet, at the station or on board the train. The standard single fare is £16.50 and standard return costs £32.  For more fares, timetables and special offers, or to book tickets in advance,visit the Heathrow Express website.

The Tube: London Underground's Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow Airport and the capital.Journey time is under an hour and you shouldn't have to wait longer than ten minutes for a train, even off-peak.For fare and schedule information, please use the London Underground website.

Taxi: The journey to central London costs between £40 and £70 and takes between 30 minutes and one hour. Journeys which are both inside London and within 20 miles of the airport are priced using the taxi meter. The fare for travel outside London should be agreed beforehand with the driver.

Bus: Services into west London are part of the Transport for London network. A single adult fare for anywhere in London is £2.

Neighborhoods:

There are many areas in which to stay in London and most of the following I would recommend to anyone when it comes to safety and the general “niceness” of the area. However, these are very different neighborhoods that would be enjoyed more by different types of people so I’ve broken them down to two major areas of central London divided by many smaller districts.

First, there’s the West End. Most of this area is within walking distance of most sights and easily accessible by the tube. On the West (duh) side of the river, this area has many different personalities that are all entertaining in different ways:

  1. Soho, the ever-popular district, has many bars, pubs, nightclubs and includes Chinatown. This area is also gay-friendly.
  2. Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Charing Cross make up a large area that includes Theatreland (the Broadway of London) and Trafalgar Square. This area is highly-loved and very “touristy”.
  3. Mayfair is a very rich and exclusive neighborhood with great shopping and luxurious hotels.
  4. Bloomsbury is a district with many colleges and universities and also holds the British Museum right next to….
  5. Maryleborne (pronounced Mar-le-bon by locals and a million other ways) is home to Madam Tussaud’s and the great investigator, Sherlock Holmes.
  6. St. James and Westminster contain great parks, Westminster Abbey and Parliament and is about as central as you can get.
  7. Belgravia, Victoria and Pimlico is a nice area with many embassies and aristocrats.

Next, Central London is a more developed, commercial area but just as convenient as far as distances to all the sights:

  1. Knight’s Bridge and Chelsea are fashionable residential and shopping areas. Home to Harrod’s, these neighborhoods are artsy and trendy.
  2. Kensington and South Kensington are residential but do have some hotels and restaurants. They also boast Hyde’s Park and multiple museums.
  3. Earl’s Court is a great place to stay if you are a traveler on a budget. Also, this area is gay-friendly.
  4. Bayswater and Paddington also have some budget hotels but are very commercialized.
  5. Southbank has many sights like the London Eye, Globe Theatre and Tower Bridge, but no places to stay.
  6. Shoreditch is an up-and-coming trendy zone. An interesting place to stay if you are adventurous.
  7. The "City” doesn’t have accommodation either, but does have the Tower of London, the “Wall Street” of Europe and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

I know this sounds like there’s a lot of places to stay. That’s because THERE IS. What’s great about London is you can stay in one of these districts that suits your wants and needs and they’re all within a relatively small area. All are within a few tube stops of everything else so don’t worry! Have fun in London and remember the Olympics are here in 2012!

Below are our favorite London Sights. 

They are in order, but understand that everyone will have their own London and their own order.  Just have fun finding yours!

  1. Westminster Abbey: London’s answer to Notre Dame, this is the most spectacular Cathedral outside of mainland Europe.  It is home countless kings and queens and other notable tombs.
  2. British Library: Think Library of Congress with books and manuscripts centuries older.  An amazing display of these documents is available in a museum-like area.
  3. Natural History Museum: Not only is the building itself gorgeous, but the displays are fun and interactive.
  4. Ceremony of the Keys: Remember, you need to ask to be invited to this FREE ceremony.  It’s not problem, though, just ask well ahead of your trip!  Think changing of the guard.
  5. London Eye: A Ferris wheel on steroids, this is a one of a kind experience.  It’s expensive, but you get the best view of London hands-down.
  6. Tower of London: See the Crown Jewels of England and the infamous torture chambers.  This is one of the icons of London.
  7. Tate Modern Museum: The best of the best concerning modern art.  This was once an powerplant and has evolved to something much greater.
  8. Big Ben and Parliament: The first buildings you picture when thinking of London, these really need no explanation.
  9. Buckingham Palace: The home of the Queen herself, it may be THE palace to go to in Europe.
  10. Trafalgar Square/West End: Think Broadway in England.  A little touristy but a mainstay in culture throughout the world.