England

London

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. Located on the River Thames, in the south-east of England it has a population of around 9 million people, but swells to nearly double that with the influx of daily commuters.
"London" originally referred to the once-walled "Square Mile" of the original Roman (and later medieval) city.Car hire london "London", however, has taken on a much larger meaning, to include all of the vast central part of the modern city, "London" having absorbed many of the surrounding villages over the centuries.Car Hire Stansted Airport

Reflecting the massive size of the metropolis, however, the term "Greater London" embraces central London together with all the outlying suburbs that lie in one continuous urban sprawl within the lower Thames River valley. Though densely populated by New World standards, London nonetheless retains large swathes of green parkland and open space, even in the city centre.Car Hire Shannon

Greater London

Greater London consists of 32 local 'boroughs' which are the basis for London's local government. Some you may have heard of - like 'Camden' or 'Islington' - others you may not have, such as 'Hackney' or 'Tower Hamlets'. A traveler's London, Car Hire Scotland however, is best defined by districts which don't necessarily correspond with boroughs, but rather with functional and cultural districts of varying types and sizes:

There has been a city on the site since Roman times (if not earlier) and some Roman remains are still to be seen. It has a great history of theatre (home of the Rose and Shakespeare's Globe ) and plenty of other art & culture.
The Museum of London, located near the Barbican to the north of the City of London, makes an ideal destination (free admission!) for the traveller who wants to understand the history and ongoing legacy of this great city.Car Hire Prestwick Airport

Like many big cities, London has a variety of social problems especially begging, drug abuse, theft (especially mobile phones), etc. London, however, manages to make do with a police force that doesn't need to carry guns (yet!), and is generally a safe place for the tourist to visit and walk around.Car Hire Oxford
London is far and away the largest city in the country, eight times larger than England's 'second' city, Birmingham.

London dominates the economic, political and social life of the United Kingdom, much to the annoyance of people in the provinces (i.e. everywhere except London). It is full of excellent bars, theatres, museums, art galleries, and parks. It is also the most culturally and ethnically diverse part of the country, and for a visitor, a nice side-effect of this is the wide range of cuisines available. Samuel Johnson said "When one is tired of London, one is tired of life." Whether you are interested in ancient history or modern art, opera or underground raves, London has it all.Car Hire Manchester
England's royal family have, over the centuries, added much to the London scene for today's traveler: the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, the Albert Memorial, the Royal Albert Hall, and Westminster Abbey spring immediately to mind.

London possesses one of the best collections of museums anywhere in the world. World cultures throughout history are well represented, for example, at the British Museum.Car Hire Leeds

Londoners are a mixed bunch. On average, they are fairly private and quiet, even surly, but with no malice and a wicked sense of humour. Trying to get onto a packed bus will often involve quite a bit of cursing and pushing. Londoners don't take themselves or other people very seriously, as witnessed in the sport of "Blaine-baiting" which emerged briefly during the magician David Blaine's self-imposed incarceration at Tower Bridge during 2003.

London is easily the most expensive place to buy anything in Britain. Count on spending 30% more in London than in any place in Britain. The exception is much of the 'Home Counties,' the area immediately surrounding London, which are full of wealthy commuters on London salaries.

Get in

By plane

London is served by a large number of airports, some more convenient than others. Most international travellers will arrive at either Heathrow or Gatwick.
Heathrow (to the west) - London's largest airport Car Hire Heathrow
Gatwick (to the south) - London's second airport Car Hire Gatwick
Stansted (to the north-east) - base for a large number of budget carriers and flights Car Hire Stanstead
Luton (to the north) - popular with charter flight carriers Car Hire Luton
London City Airport (in the Docklands area) - a small airport increasingly popular with business travellers Car Hire London City Airport
London Manston Airport (to the south-east) - Also called Kent International EUjet will be operating out of Manston from the summer of 2004 Car Hire London Manston Airport
Getting to and from the various airports is made relatively easy by the large number of public transport links that have been put in place over recent years - if all else fails, get a cab (though be prepared to pay up to £80 for a black cab to Heathrow.... not really a wise choice, unless travelling on expenses!)Car hire Edinburgh
Heathrow Express - A high speed (15 mins) overland rail link between central London and Heathrow airport. Departs from Paddington Station. Various fares from basic single £13. http://www.heathrowexpress.com/
Car Hire Gatwick Airport. A much cheaper, though less quick, option is the Underground, which serves all terminals. A one-way fare from Heathrow to Zone 1 is £3.80, or an off-peak day travelcard covering all London zones (Heathrow is in Zone 6) is £5.40. The journey in/out of central London takes over an hour. See http://www.tfl.gov.uk for more details.
Gatwick Express - A dedicated, high-speed link between central London and Gatwick Airport. Journey takes 30 mins from London Victoria (35 mins Sundays). Various fares from basic single £11. http://www.gatwickexpress.co.uk/
Unless you are running late/on expenses, take a regular train into London from Gatwick. It is only slightly slower, and costs £8-10 single. For the cheapest alternative, you could take a coach to Victoria Coach Station, costing £6 single. http://www.nationalexpress.com. Car hire dublin
Stansted Express - departs from Liverpool Street station. Various fares from basic single £13. http://www.stanstedexpress.com/
A cheaper option is a Terravision coach from Stansted to London Green Line Coach Station, beside Victoria Coach Station. A ticket costs £8.50 single, £13.50 return.Car Hire Bristol
Trains to Luton Airport Parkway - There is a free shuttle bus between the train station and the terminal building every few minutes (takes 5 mins). Fast trains go to the new King Cross St Pancras station. These take 25 minutes and cost £10.40 single. Thameslink services are about the same price, and more regular, but they are slower (more stops). These go from/to various London Thameslink stations, the main one being King's Cross Thameslink (3 mins walk away from the main Kings Cross Train station & underground).Car Hire Birmingham
Alternatively take a Green Line coach from Luton Airport to London Green Line Coach Station for £7.50 single/£8.50 return if you are flying with easyJet. Of course, if you tell the driver you're flying with easyJet, he's not going to know if you might be flying with any other airline. Not that dishonesty is recommended...

London City Airport Shuttle operate to Canning Town/Canary Wharf/Liverpool Street for £3/£3.50/£6 single. In 2005 the DLR extension to London City Airport will connect the airport to the London underground.Car Hire Belfast

By train

London is served by one international rail link, departing from Waterloo International. These high-speed trains travel through the Channel Tunnel to link (in the first instance) with Paris (2h40m) and Brussels (2h15m) and are run by Eurostar. Book well in advance to secure the best ticket deals.Car Hire Aberdeen
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