London: a first-timer's guide to the British capital

Why go

Few cities pack in so much for free. The **British Museum**, **National Gallery**, **Tate Modern**, **Natural History Museum**, **Science Museum** and **V&A** charge nothing for their main collections, so a day of world class culture costs only your Tube fare and lunch. Add two thousand years of history, from the Roman wall to Westminster Abbey, and one of the most diverse food scenes on earth, and London rewards every kind of traveller.

The main sights

Start at **Westminster** for the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and **Westminster Abbey**, then walk through **St James's Park** to **Buckingham Palace**. The Changing of the Guard runs on set days, so check the schedule. The **Tower of London** holds the Crown Jewels and nine centuries of stories told by the Yeoman Warders; arrive at opening to beat queues. Cross **Tower Bridge** and walk the **South Bank** past Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern to the London Eye.

**St Paul's Cathedral**, **Borough Market**, **Covent Garden** and the **Churchill War Rooms** fill another day. Book timed tickets for the Tower, Westminster Abbey and the Churchill War Rooms in summer.

Neighbourhoods

**Covent Garden** and **Soho** are the lively heart of the West End, full of theatres, restaurants and late bars. **South Kensington** has the museum trio and Hyde Park. **Shoreditch** and **Brick Lane** in the East End bring street art, vintage shops and curry houses. **Camden** is loud and alternative, with its canal side market. **Notting Hill** has pastel houses and Portobello Road market on Saturdays. **Greenwich**, reached by riverboat or DLR, has the Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark and a huge park with a view across the city.

Food and drink

Eat your way around **Borough Market**, try a curry on **Brick Lane** or in Tooting, dim sum in **Chinatown**, and a proper Sunday roast in a pub. Afternoon tea is a treat worth booking once. Pubs are the city's living rooms: look for old timber pubs in the City and riverside pubs in Greenwich and Hammersmith.

Getting around

Tap a contactless card or phone at the gates on the Underground, buses, Overground, DLR and Elizabeth line; daily and weekly caps keep costs in check. Use the same card for every journey so the cap applies. Buses are slower but great for sightseeing from the top deck. The Elizabeth line links Heathrow with central London quickly, and the Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern trains serve Gatwick.

Where to stay

**South Bank**, **Bloomsbury** and **Covent Garden** put you in walking distance of the big sights. **South Kensington** suits families near the museums. **King's Cross** is handy for trains north and has improved hugely. Budget travellers often stay further out in zones two or three near a Tube line, such as **Earl's Court**, **Paddington** or **Shoreditch**. Book early for summer and December.

Day trips

**Windsor Castle**, **Oxford**, **Cambridge** and **Brighton** are each about an hour by train. **Stonehenge** and **Bath** are possible on a long tour day, though Bath deserves a night of its own.

Staying safe and calm

London is generally safe, but pickpockets and phone snatchers work crowded areas such as Oxford Street, Westminster and the Tube. Keep your phone away from the kerb, wear a cross body bag and stand on the right on escalators. Plan your visit with our free trip planner.