London

Good to know

1. 1The River Thames runs through the middle of the city, and many of the best-known sights, from the Tower of London to the Houses of Parliament, sit on or near its banks.
2. 2London began as a Roman settlement called Londinium, and a few traces of the old Roman wall can still be seen in the City today.
3. 3Many of the big national museums, including the British Museum and the Natural History Museum, are free to walk into, though special exhibitions usually are not.
4. 4The city is made up of dozens of distinct districts that grew from separate villages, which is why Soho, Notting Hill and Greenwich each feel so different from one another.
5. 5Traffic drives on the left, and the pedestrian crossings often have 'look left' or 'look right' painted on the road for visitors.
6. 6The money is the pound sterling, and the city is home to a huge range of food from around the world, from Indian and Turkish to Caribbean and Chinese.

Tips for a first visit

• Use contactless bank cards or a phone to pay on the Tube, buses and trains, so you do not need to work out tickets for every trip.
• Stand on the right on escalators in Tube stations and leave the left side free for people who want to walk past.
• Try a proper pub meal, a Sunday roast, or fish and chips, and look at the street markets such as Borough Market for a wide range of food.
• Walk when you can between nearby sights, since it is often quicker than going underground, and you see much more of the city.
• Bring a light waterproof jacket and comfortable shoes whatever the season, because the weather changes quickly and you will walk a lot.
• In a pub, you usually order and pay for drinks at the bar rather than waiting for table service, and queuing politely is the norm everywhere.

When to go

Late spring and early summer are lovely, with long days and the parks at their best. Autumn is mild and quieter, while winter is cold and dark early but has festive lights and good theatre and museum weather. Rain can turn up at any time of year, so it should not decide your dates.

From the airport

London has several airports, and the best route depends on which one you land at. From Heathrow, the Underground's Piccadilly line and the faster Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express trains all reach the centre, taking roughly 15 to 60 minutes depending on the service and your destination. Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City airports each have train links into central London too, and coaches and taxis are available at all of them.