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LondonThe statements and opinions on this page are solely those of its authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of CouchSurfing International.
In London there are over 11,000 Registered CouchSurfers, it's the capital of the United Kingdom (Full title: The United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales) and Nothern Ireland). This page is intended as a Couchsurfing Travel Guide written by Londoners for Visitors. Please also see the London FAQs for FAQ's collected from the London Groups and our Emergency Information. Couch Searching & Surfing In LondonThere are now over 11,000 people registered in London - covering all areas of the capital - however, many of those people are travelling or live in small or shared accomodation and can not host all the time (if at all). Please be open to where you want to stay - not many people live in the centre! Most locations up to Zone 3 or even 4 are only a 30-40 minute ride into the City Centre by Underground and most areas are covered overnight by the extensive Night Bus Network. All London Hosting should be arranged via a CouchSurf in the first instance. Please do not post to the London Group - most London Hosts do not tend to respond to generic posts. CS have now started using a new search method to randomise the CouchSearch which seems to have evened out requests. Try searching for "Maybes" too! Please remember, Couchsurfing is not intended to be a free Hostel Service! Find someone you think you will connect with and enjoy spending time with so that everyone benefits! Also consider that a hostel costs from under £10 and travel from your hosts home each day could easily be almost the same cost! Please check the How to write a CouchRequest page for ideas. If you are unlucky and cant find a host - check the links at the end of this article for Hostels and Cheap Hotels - if you have stayed in a good one and would recommend it - add it to the list - if you would like to warn others against one - again add it in! In emergencies (last minute fall throughs and no hostel availability) try posting to the Request for Hosts Group.
Getting To LondonBy Air All major carriers and low cost airlines fly into London to Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Luton or Stansted. For travellers coming from European locations - check out Skyscanner or Momondo to find the cheapest time to come. Otherwise try the usual websites like Expedia, Travelocity, Lastminute.com and the airlines direct: By Train Of course you don't have to fly into London!
By Bus Various couch companies operate services from other parts of the UK, Europe and Australia
By Road The M25 is the main motorway surrounding the capital and is effectively the border between London and the rest of the UK. Many CS have successfully hitch-hiked to London from various locations some have even cycled!
By Boat Ferry Services serve the UK coast line from various locations. You would then need to take one of the methods above to get to London.
Getting To and From the AirportLondon is a very large, spread-out city and the airports are not in the centre of the city. To get to most places you might be staying in Zone 1 through 3, the total subway and train (or bus) time is about 45 minutes for Heathrow airport, Gatwick airport is 1 hour away, and Stansted and Luton airports are about 2 hours away. If you add an additional 45 minutes to get off the plane, obtain your baggage, and go through customs, your estimated arrival time to the place that you are staying will normally be 2.5 to 3 hours from the time that your plane lands. And remember that you will need to plan to be at the airport 1.5 to 2 hours early to check in when you are leaving. Be aware of this when purchasing tickets so that you can plan appropriate (i.e. not too late/early!) arrival times with your host! Note that the London Tube (or Metro/Subway/Underground) only operates between 5:30 AM or so and just after midnight, which means the times posted above could be even longer if you travel outside of them (plus you will have to pay a lot for a cab or figure out the complicated night bus system, which doesn't run everywhere and buses can run as infrequently as 1 every half hour - especially mid-week). As of October, 2006, RyanAir sold Terravision and National Express bus tickets onboard during its flights into London. EasyJet also run an Easy Bus service available to book in advance online and on their flights. You can find more information on London transport on the TF1 Journey Planner, London Toolkit and our selection of information on traveling from the airports below: Stansted:
Note: For a slightly cheaper and quicker journey (avoiding Central London traffic) - consider getting the coach to Stratford in East London then connecting to the bus (No 25 runs into central London), tube (Central and Jubilee Lines) or Overground (to Liverpool Street, Camden Road & Hackney Central) Gatwick:
Luton:
Heathrow:
Getting Around Once you are HereGeneral InformationDriving in London is pretty much pointless and very expensive with petrol at around £1.15 per litre plus the daily Congestion Charge and the expensive car parking which can be as expensive as 20p per 4 minutes! The London Travel Hotline on 020 7222 1234 - offers travel advice, line and route status and information 24 hours a day. The public transport is excellent and covers all parts of London:
London Underground (a.k.a. The Tube)The Tube covers most of London, with the exception of a large part of South London. For this area use National Rail or buses. To work out rough journey times, as a general rule it will take 2 minutes between stops on most lines (assuming everything is running well!) Opening hours Monday to Friday, the first trains start running around 0500. The Tube shuts down by around 1am. Note that last trains out of the City Centre Monday to Saturday leave around 12:30. In-bound trains are generally much earlier than this). On Sunday its all about 1 hour earlier. After this, night buses are your cheapest way back home. Zoning Systems, Travelcards and Oyster Cards http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/ London is divided into six main zones, with Zone 1 in the centre and spreading outward. Many travelers find the one-day Travelcard a convenient option (Off-peak travelcards are cheaper and avaliable after 0930 Monday to Friday, all day weekends). They entitle the traveler to unlimited travel on the Tube system between particular zones and on any Bus. The cost of obtaining Tube or Travelcard tickets depend upon which zones you need to travel from and to. London's tourist attractions are generally within Zones 1 and 2, but you may need access to other zones depending on where you are staying. If you are traveling by Tube, Zone 3 is not really much further from Zone 1 than Zone 2 (10 minutes more perhaps), but places in Zone 3 typically have a more 'suburban' feel than those in Zone 2, so there may not be as much to do locally. However, this is a generalization, and there are many fun, self-sufficient, and attractive neighbourhoods in 'outer' zones ( e.g. Wimbledon, Richmond). The Oystercard is another option. This is a prepay card that allows you to "pay as you go" for travel. The Oystercard fares are now cheaper than cash fares and the Oystercard may be obtained at any tube station. You need to pay a £3 deposit on it which you can get back when you are at the last tube station you're going to but for convenience it is the best option. You also don't need to worry what zone you are in with an oyster and it charges you up for individual trips up to a daily amount that is always less than the cash fare or travel card for the day. Prepay now works on the official "Overground Network" but only on these mainline services. Note that for locations on the Mainline/British Rail (typically in South London), the Oystercard will often not be accepted and you are better off getting a travelcard, which is accepted. Engineering works The Tube is currently undergoing major upgrades. This means travel on weekends is often disrupted. [ http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/travelinfo/realtime/planned.asp Click here for details of engineering works]. Always check on the information boards and website - especially if you need to get somewhere at a certain time - like the airport! Docklands Light Railway (DLR)The DLR is very much like the Tube. Travelcards and Oystercards are valid here, and the zoning system still applies. However the trains only run in the East End of London through Canary Wharf and down to Lewisham. They also serve City Airport, Stratford and Bank. The trains are fully automatic, dont need drivers and run mostly above ground - no drivers means you can sit right at the front! London BusesLondon Buses are all red, and there are three types: single decker, double decker and bendy buses. They are run by various different companies but managed under the umbrella of London Buses. In Zone 1 you must buy your ticket before you board from the machine next to the bus stop. However, this costs £1.50 per journey, so you are much better off using a Travelcard (or an Oyster, which cuts the fare to £1). If you have a TravelCard they are valid on any London Bus in any zone. There are 2 routes (No 9 and No 15) which still run the famous traditional Route Master Bus where you can hop on and off at the open platform at the back. These were common in London until 2006. Bendy buses have three doors on them, and you just touch in your Oystercard (if you have one) when you get on. For all bendy buses, you must buy your ticket before you board if you do not have an Oystercard or Travelcard, regardless of what zone you are in. Most local people however do not pay for bendy buses, as people very rarely check tickets (especially at night). If you choose to ride free, do at the risk of being fined £20. Bendy buses however are the more dangerous option as criminals tend to ride them because they are free. For help with Bus Routes, use the Spider Maps and Route Maps on the TFL Website or Journey Planner Night BusesNight Buses and 24 Hour Buses run all over London and are generally safe. Most travel through/down/over Trafalgar Square or Oxford Street. The Night Network generally runs a radiating service from the centre out so getting across London can be time consuming and will require a change in the centre. Most bus stops include night bus spider maps. The TFL Website has all of the route maps avialable. Journey Planner will also automatically send you on Night Buses after Tube services close - so make sure you add the time of travel! If you need any assistance when you are out - call the London Travel Hotline. They also provide minicab numbers. You can also get a local Taxi and MiniCab number from wherever you are by SMS - text the word HOME to 60835. Try to avoid the temptaion of illegal cabs! National RailTransport for London now runs the "Overground Line" around North London (and will run in South London too in the future). These lines are now on the Tube Map. Apart from these for journeys south of the river Thames, and to some far flung suburbs, National Rail (sometimes referred to as The Overground Train, British Rail (BR), The Mainline Train or simply The Train are required. Paper and season Travelcards work here, but prepay Oystercards do not on most lines. The National Rail system extends nationally, and is far more complicated than other London Transport options due to the nature of several private companies running the system. They usually terminate at the main London stations ( e.g. Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, King's Cross, Victoria, Waterloo). To plan your journey, click here. Taxis & Mini CabsLike everything in London, taxis are expensive. There are two types - black London cabs which you can hail and hire on the street, and minicabs which need to be booked in advance. Licensed minicabs have a green sticker on the front and back windows with the Transport for London logo on them. Be careful if you are touted for a ride on the street - there have been many rapes as a result of illegal minicabs. However, unlicensed cabs are often a much cheaper method of getting home. Just be sure to agree on the fare beforehand (it should be about 10 pounds for a shorter trip and 20 should get you from central london to most zone 2 places). One website that will list local companies is http://www.minicabsbytext.com/ or a large Londonwide company is Addison Lee who are really cheap and reliable for all journeys except to the airports. For airports try local firms and specialist Airport Transfer firms. Try the Yellow Pages or http://www.yell.co.uk to find local firms. You can also get a local Taxi and MiniCab number from wherever you are by SMS - text the word HOME to 60835. Walk!First Rule - dont trust the Tube Map for locations or distance! If you are only going a couple of tube stops - walk (or get a bus). By the time you have got to the platform, waited for the train, gone the distance and come back up - you could have been there!
Most of the main sights are located fairly close together and can easily be visited on foot - its quieter, cooler, less crowded, often quicker AND you get to see more of the city! TipsNothing to do of an evening and very little (or no!) money to do it with? take a walk along the southbank, from westminster bridge to tower bridge. you can stop off for a drink at the numerous pubs, stop to watch the street performers, or just enjoy the city vibe. Alternatively, for a safe (lots of people / lighting) and fun zero-cost evening, wander the narrow streets of Soho and Chinatown, where stores and restaurants are open very late. Be prepared for Times Square-like crowds - and an incredible atmosphere - in Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus any day of the week. For an impressive public square nearby to Soho, check out Trafalgar Square. Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road are great subway stops to get off at and feel like you are in the heart of the action, and are within walking distance to many different areas. If you are looking for food and don't have lots of cash, use the oldest trick in the book. Find a big supermarket, like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, or some other one, and go late at night, after 8pm. Ask where the aisle for the "reduced" food is. You will find items that expire in the coming days and cannot be displayed anymore, so they get sold for drastically reduced prices, sometimes 1/10 of the original price! You can buy food for days this way, and just freeze it until you need it. Best tip in London, hands down!
Also Check the London Top Tips Group for ideas on Cheap Food, Drink, Trips, Tours, Events and general things to do. NOTE: The whole of the UK is now Smoke Free in all enclosed public spaces - this means Clubs, Bars, Restaurants, Cafes, Taxis, Buses, Bus Stops, Train Stations etc etc. Smoking attracts a £50 fine for you and up to £2000 for the owner. Most places now have smoking areas in the garden or a terrace for smokers - otherwise its standing outside I'm afraid! [1]
NeighbourhoodsLondon has 20 or 30 distinctive neighbourhoods. Some fun 'urban' neighbourhoods to walk through and enjoy for free:
See also: http://www.londonlogue.com/neighbourhoods Markets
And a few of our favourites...
CS Guides and Organised Guided ToursCheck the Couch Search for people willing to show you around the city. Some CS may add thier profiles here for you to get in touch with them for a tour. If you cant secure a CS there are a number of options for organised tours - one that I know if is free and my surfers have recommended it. There are now 2 free London Walking Tours by New London Tours or New Europe Tours. Both take about 3 hours or so. The Old City Tour starts from Tower Hill Station everyday at 10am and 4pm. The Royal London Tour starts from Wellington Arch everyday at 11pm and 3pm. They also run a few themed tours which cost around £5 and a daily pub crawl for £12. The free tour takes in all the major sights. So if you are on a budget and dont have much time its ideal for the photographer tourist! You then have more time to see the rest of London! As well as the usual (expensive) Bus Tours (most start near Picadilly Circus) and the Duck Tour (starts near the London Eye) - you can also do a number of guided walks with The Original London Walks. These follow a number of themes including Jack the Ripper, Haunted London, Main Sights etc. The Sights and EntertainmentObviously check out the famous sights such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, Tower Bridge (not London Bridge!) etc etc - most charge expensive entry. Try some of the cheaper or free sights:
Cinema On Wednesdays, Orange Customers (you can also get it with Orange Pay-as-you-go) can get 2-4-1 tickets to most London cinemas. Text "FILM" to 241 and tell the box office your code when you buy your tickets. For cinemas, avoid Leicester Square itself as it is very expensive (up to £15). The Prince Charles is very cheap but shows old films. The Odeon in Panton Street is cheaper and shows the more "arty" films. For more reasonably priced tickets head to West India Quay, North Greenwich, Wimbledon etc. There are now only 3 main cinema brands - Odeon, Vue and Empire with a few independants like Curzon, Apollo and Picture Houses. Theatre Leicester Square is home to numerous discount ticket re-sellers for most of the shows. Check TkTS website for what they have available on the day. For advanced tickets try LastMinute.com for half price, £10 tickets and dinner and show deals. You can also sometimes get the odd left over seat by going to the box office on the day just before the performance. Gigs & Live Music Venues
Comedy
MeetingsAlthough there are not regularily scheduled meetings, the London community is active and there are often gatherings. Join and check the the "London" and "It's all London, Baby" Groups to find these gatherings. Also check the Meet pages and filter the results to London. There are not many in there at the moment - but this is something the London CS Network will try to improve so you (and us London based CS) can find the meetings more easily! If you are arranging a meet - add it to the meeting pages - this makes it a lot easier to keep in touch with everybody and makes your event easy to find for all. In May 2007 London held London Calling - a big gathering of over 200 CS over a 3 day holiday weekend. Check our EVENTS CALENDAR for further details. Major London EventsCheck Time Out Magazine or buy a copy for £2.50 it lists most events in London including the museums, night life, gay and lesbian, art, music etc etc Check The Greater London Authority Site for events organised by the Mayor of London including the big events such as St Patricks Day, The Thames Festival & New Years Eve. Cool shopsOne great place to head for individual stores is Old Compton Street. One store worth note is called "Gerry's". This is a liquor store that sells alcohol from all over the world, and at good prices. Neal Street (just north of Covent Garden) is another cool street that has a lot of individual shops. A bit upmarket, but still worth the look if Covent Garden is packed. Another store to just see is the food hall at Harrods in Knightsbridge. It is just a sight to wander and gaze at everything. Harvey Nichols down the street is great if you want to wander the make up counters and you can even sometimes get samples of some well known brand names. Cool Bars
NightclubsLondon is a clubbers paradise, Detroit may have started the scene but London has firmly taken over. With a huge choice of clubs and music to choose from, its hard to know where to go, fortunately there is help, www.dontstayin.com/uk/london has listings of all the best nights, you can search by club and type of music. It gives details of the clubs and the various nights they put on, use www.streetmap.co.uk to check the postcode and find the exact location of the club since some places can be off main roads in warehouses and a bit hard to find if you don’t know exactly where they are, If in doubt ask staff at tube stations or in a bar. You can also pick up listings information in the free magazine oneweektolive, check out www.oneweektolive.com for where to get the magazine from. Generally clubs in central london, leicester square, piccadily circus etc are full of tourists, drunks or underage kids that cant get in anywhere else. "proper" clubs are more just outside the centre in farringdon, vauxhall etc Depending on what you want from a night out here is a very small selection of some of the places to go to, these are obviously all my own opinion, but as a londoner of 23 years and a clubber most weekends for 6 I hope to have some idea where to go in my city. :D all these places are open 11-6am weekends roughly and are for people who love music and a good time rather then as a place for part time clubbers to go and be seen. Ministry of Sound: Don’t believe the hype! Full of tourists really and rather overpriced for what it is, not a place to go if you want to meet any locals, put on a lot of old skool nights. Fabric: Fantastic sound system, does drum 'n' bass nights Friday and house Saturday, expensive and queues are long but well worth it when you do get in, 3 rooms a huge place used to be huge meat storage refrigeration complex for the market over the road, even the huge aircon system can't disguise the smell of weed in the chill out area. Turnmills: 3 rooms, gay friendly mainly plays hard house, has a very nice chill out area and friendly atmosphere. Heaven: Gay club, 3 rooms open most weekdays as well till late, for those who like a crazy all night long party. The End, a notable exception to the rule in that it is right in the centre of london but is still a cracking little club, 2 rooms and can be a bit small for some but does good dark house music and a pumping sound system. Other places to go for a good night out are old street and brixton. Especially the brixton academy when they have their psytrance raves there!! :D Potential downsides, nightclubs here can be expensive, it can cost £15-20 to get into one of the best places at the weekend, though other places do £10 entry, midweek is generally free or £5 you can try guestlists or sometimes prices are a bit cheaper if you arrive before a certain time. Queues can also be long to get into some places so it may be worth phoning the venue in the day and asking them what time is best to arrive. Also check the dresscode since some places can be a bit fussy, generally though the best clubs don’t care what you wear as long as its not a suit!! :D DRUGS/ALCOHOLYou WILL be searched when you go into most nightclubs in London, any alcohol will be confiscated and drug possession may lead to arrest, they are very thorough in their searches as well, so whatever you choose to do, if you do have drugs, use your brain. Ironically enough there are normally more then enough drugs inside any london club to keep anyone who wants to participate entertained all night anyway, most locals suspect the clubs to operate their own dealers which is why they are so thorough confiscating them at the entrance! :D Most clubs have trained medics on site which are also trained to deal with any potential drug/alcohol problems. FREE WATER, by law clubs have to give out free tap water from at least 1 bar(you may have to find out which1) if you ask for it, they will of course try to make you buy bottled water but always ask for tap since why pay for something when you don’t have to and they certainly make enough money anyway. If its summer and you are lucky then its also worth googling for raves in london, since there are free and you generally get very friendly mad crazy local people who love a good party going, they can be hard to find though and directions are not normally given until 10pm on the night since they are illegal and police sometimes try and shut them down. Lastly if you are in London and planning to visit a club drop me an email, if I am around then maybe I will join you, last one there buys the drinks/glowsticks. :D Davesouthlondon Eating and DrinkingFor reviews and guides etc try:
Eat on a Budget
Speciality Eating
Vegetarian & Vegan EatingGood listings for London are http://www.veganlondon.co.uk/eat/index.htm and http://www.veggieheaven.com/uk/england/london/
Central London Bar Happy HoursHappy Hours are normally 5pm to 7pm or 8pm Monday to Friday
Mailing lists for free ticket offers for shows
London Trivia
Home from Home & Multi-Cultural LondonIf you are looking for American Newspapers or magazines, try the magazine sections at Selfridges on Oxford Street. They disappear fast.
Useful LinksDay TripsThe easist way to get out of London for a day trip is by National Rail or Coach. MegaBus and MegaTrain operate cheap bus and rail services from £1.50 to various locations from London. Easy day trips include: For overnight trips (a bit too far for a day):
See Also
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