London (United Kingdom) - London (Storbritannien)

This article is about London in the UK. For other places with the name London, see London (Different meanings).

London[1] is the capital of both the state UK and in the constituency / constituent country of England.

London was founded by the Romans under the name Londinium as the capital of the Roman province of Britannia, for which the city was also a port city on the river Thames. The Thames flows through the city and divides it into a northern and a southern part, although it is crossed by many bridges and tunnels. London is today a very large city. Greater London covers 1,579 km² with a Population of about 7,420,000 (January 1, 2005). The London Metropolitan Area, ie London with suburbs, covers an area of ​​approximately 16,200 km² and with a population of about 14 million inhabitants.

To take with you to London

Everything you could possibly need during your stay in London is available for purchase on site. The most important thing to bring is first the insight that London is a world city. You will never have time to see everything and the more times you go there, the more you will see. Therefore, plan your trip well in advance! However, here are some tips on things that should be good to take with you or buy early during the trip:

• Map book London A-Z [2], a book where all streets, metro stations m.m. are exposed. A good model can be the one with a spiral binder, as it can be used more without breaking. These books are available for purchase almost everywhere.
• Good shoes. As a tourist in London, you will often go with good shoes that are included!
• Subway card, see below.

To take with you from London

Given that London is a world city and a shopping center of rank, it is of course very personal what you want to take home. Here are some tips if you do not come up with something yourself:

• Shoes - cheaper in the UK, although prices have risen in recent years
• Children's clothing - no VAT on children's clothing makes it cheap to shop
• Books - book VAT is low
• Food - there may be restrictions on what you can bring to Sweden, read more at the Swedish Customs [3] website. You can also call TullSvar, 0771 - 520 520. You are not allowed to bring products from cattle to Sweden.
• Alcohol and tobacco - The usual import rules apply here.

History

London was founded by the Romans during their rule over the country. The name they gave the city, Londinium, has a pre-Roman background and was possibly the previous name of the area. This fortified settlement was the capital of the Roman province of Britannia. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Londinium and a Saxon city were abandoned by name Lundenwic was established about a mile and a half further west, in what is now Aldwych, in the 600s AD. The ancient Roman city was re-fortified in the late ninth or early ninth century. Westminster was once a city of its own and has been the seat of the English court and government since the Middle Ages. Eventually, Westminster and London grew together to form the basis of London, which became England's largest city - but not the capital (Winchester was the capital of England until the 12th century).

London has grown steadily over the centuries, surrounding and making suburbs of nearby villages and towns, farmland, rural areas, meadows and forests and has spread in all directions. From the 16th century to the early 20th century, London flourished as the capital of the British Empire.

In 1666 a large fire swept through the city and destroyed a third of the city center, only the Thames prevented the fire from reaching the southern part. Reconstruction took over a decade to complete. After the fire, Christopher Wren made a new proposal for London's city center. The proposal was inspired by Paris and had an open and spacious city solution, to the historically cramped London. But the lack of money hindered the project and the land was given back to the previous owners because they had to build the houses where they had once stood. However, Christopher Wren managed to realize part of the project: St. Paul's Cathedral.

London's growth accelerated in the 18th century and in the early 19th century it was the largest city in the world. London's local government system struggled to cope with this rapid growth, in particular by providing sufficient infrastructure to the city. In 1855 was created The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) to provide London with an infrastructure capable of sustaining the city's growth. MBW was abolished in 1889 and the County of London was created, which was administered by the London County Council, the first elected all-inclusive administrative unit in the city.

During the early 20th century, Londoners used coal to heat their homes, creating large amounts of smoke. Together with special climatic conditions, this often caused a characteristic smog, and London became known for its typical London fog, also known as Pea Soupers. London is also sometimes called "The Smoke" ("Smoke"), probably because of this. In 1956, The Clean Air Act was introduced due to a five-day pea souper, from 5 to 9 December 1952, which killed more than 4,000 people, after which it was demanded that special smoke-free zones be established, where smoke-free fuel was required.

What has probably been the biggest change in London over the last 100 years has its origins in the Blitz and another bombing of the German Luftwaffe that took place during World War II. The bombings killed more than 30,000 Londoners and leveled large areas of residential buildings and other buildings across London. The reconstruction of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s was characterized by many different architectural styles and has resulted in a lack of uniformity in architecture, which has become part of London's cityscape.

In 1965 was replaced London County Council of Greater London Council (GLC). Greater London included many more suburbs in the capital, including twenty of present-day London boroughs. The GLC was abolished in 1986 after conflicts between Margaret Thatcher's government and its opposition group, led by Ken Livingstone. GLC's powers are left to the boroughs. In 2000, the pendulum swung in the other direction when creating Greater London Authority (GLA) and elected a first mayor of the city, which Ken Livingstone won as an unbound candidate. However, the mayor and GLA have limited responsibilities and very little financial independence.

Prior to the 1997 ceasefire, London was a regular target of the IRA bombings, which sought to pressure the British government to negotiate with Sinn Féin. Northern Ireland.

On July 7, 2005, a number of coordinated bombings occurred at three metro stations and a bus. The explosions came less than a day after London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics and while the G8 summit was taking place in Scotland.

Locals

Almost 22 percent of the population is born outside the EU. Londoners are used to tourists and are happy to help. Remember that it is one of the world's biggest tourist destinations and that there are many, many Swedes here.

Neighborhoods

Greater London consists of 32 local districts. Many of the names of these neighborhoods are well known and do not need to be presented, others are not as well known. However, a traveler's London is best described with regions that do not follow the district boundaries, but rather functional and cultural areas of varying type and size.

Below is a map of the formal division of Greater London:

City of London* City of Westminster Kensington and Chelsea Hammersmith and Fulham Wandsworth Lambeth Southwark Tower Hamlets Hackney Islington Camden Brent Ealing Hounslow Richmond upon Thames Kingston upon Thames Merton

Sutton Croydon Bromley Lewisham Greenwich Bexley Havering Barking and Dagenham Redbridge Newham Waltham Forest Haringey Enfield The child Harrow Hillingdon * not borough

Getting to / from London

If you want to fly regularly to London, there are several different options. From the airports to the city center there are also good connections.

• SAS [4] flights depart from Stockholm-Arlanda and Göteborg-Landvetter to London's major airport London Heathrow, and from Stockholm-Arlanda to London City Airport.
• British Airways [5], the national airline, flies from Stockholm Arlanda and Gothenburg to London Heathrow and London City Airport.
• Norwegian [6] and Ryanair [7] are low-cost companies with varying pricing. The level of service is low but the fleets are modern. Norwegian flies from Stockholm Arlanda to Gatwick. Ryanair flies from Nyköping, Gothenburg and Västerås to Stansted, Gatwick and Luton.

All of these airports are a few miles from London. List of transport times (shortest first):

• From London City Airport, Tube takes 20 minutes
• From London Heathrow it takes 20 minutes by train and 50 minutes by Tube
• From Gatwick, the train takes 30 minutes and the bus 65 minutes
• From Luton the train takes 35 and the bus 63 minutes
• From Stansted, the train takes 45 minutes and the bus 90 minutes

• DFDS Seaways [8] drive boats from Esbjerg in Denmark to Harwich, this means that you need to get away from Sweden to Jutland first. Ferry ownership traffic from Gothenburg to Newcastle was closed in the autumn of 2006.

• You can go by car to London, either if you go by boat as above, or if you want to go through Europe, via Denmark and Germany to France and then with Eurostar to Dover.

London has a number of railway stations whose lines run to different parts of the country. You must therefore know where to go before you can get to the right train station. You can get timetables and buy tickets to all destinations on National Rails [9] website.

• Waterloo - Traffic to the southwest.
• Charing Cross
• Euston - train to the northwest, e.g. Wolverhampton and Northampton, but also to Scotland.
• Kings Cross - train north, including to Leeds, York and Cambridge.
• St. Pancras - train north, including to Sheffield and Nottingham. Eurostar also departs for Paris and Brussels from here.
• Victoria - the station you get to if you take the train from Gatwick Airport. Here you can also travel south, among other places Brighton, Hastings and Eastbourne.
• Liverpool Street - the station you get to if you take the train from Stansted Airport.
• Cannon Street - most trains in the London area, but also trains for example Hastings.
• London Bridge - most trains in the London area, but also trains to Hastings, for example.
• Paddington - the station you get to if you take the train from Heathrow Airport.
• Marylebone - train to Aylesbury and Banbury west of London.

You can travel to and from London by bus from large parts of the UK. In addition, there is a direct bus to London from Copenhagen.

Relocation in London

London's local transport is operated by the company Transport for London [10].

Riding a bus in London can feel difficult at first. In many places in central London, there are several bus stops right next to each other. Then you can read on the signs in which direction the bus is going. At the various stops there are also signs where you can see lists of buses and maps of stops nearby. These are very useful. Once you have ventured on the bus, you quickly learn how to do it.

The ticket can be paid for in cash. Remember to have even money because you do not get a change from the driver. Another way to pay is with a Travel Card. The metro card is also valid on the bus. If you only intend to take a bus, there is a special Bus Pass. A third way is to use an Oyster Card. This is a value card that you can charge, either with a day or period card or with money for payment per trip.

The London Underground schedule, London Underground (also known as The Tube), is probably one of the world's most famous images. The metro is well developed and offers very good opportunities to get anywhere in the world city for a cheap price. The metro comprises 12 lines with a total of 275 stations, of which 63 are in the inner city. The traffic runs between 05.30-00.30 (Mon-Sat) and 07.30-23.30 (Sun). Smoking is not allowed. Trains and platforms are signposted with the direction of the traffic, ie:

• Eastbound = eastbound
• Westbound = west
• Northbound = north
• Southbound = southbound

This system makes it very easy to orientate oneself in the subway. Each line is marked with a color and the end station of the train is shown at the front of the train and on the destination signs. Note that the train's terminus does not necessarily have to be the same as the line's terminus - therefore use the map! The tube is operated by the Transport of London, which is also responsible for bus services in London and traffic on the Docklands Light Railway. The first section of the subway, between Paddington and Farringdon, was inaugurated on January 10, 1863 as an underground railway with steam locomotive operation. This makes the London Underground the oldest in the world. If you want to see parts of the original platforms, you can, among other things, travel to Baker Street.

To think of:

• Avoid the subway in rush hour traffic - there are lots of people and space is tight.
• There are a number of different ticket types - if you are only going on a single trip, you will of course only buy a single ticket. In all other cases, it is, almost without exception, cheaper to redeem some form of card, from one-day cards up to annual cards.
• In summer it can get very hot in the subway. Bring a water bottle! If you start to feel bad, you should not go down in the system, without talking to the staff.
• Do not carry the backpack on your back, but take it in your hands instead.
• Never leave your luggage unattended and bring any rubbish with you.

It is difficult to drive a car in London. The traffic rhythm is completely different than in Swedish cities. In addition, you have to be careful to keep the left-hand traffic, which is difficult when you are above. One important thing to know is that Londoners are very polite in traffic. People who come from side streets are often let out, even if they are actually supposed to leave to represent. This is because you want the traffic to flow as well as possible.

London's famous "Black Cab", which today is available in models of all different colors even though black dominates, is rightly proud to have the world's best taxi drivers. Each year, each driver must pass a test with 400 questions about London's geography, excursion destinations, etc. The taxi is stopped most often and easiest with an arm waving at the roadside, whereby the driver turns in as soon as possible. You always order where you want to go through the open window on the passenger side before you step into the car. In the same way, you pay through the side window when the taxi journey ends. In most cars, you can choose whether you want the driver to hear what is being said in the passenger compartment using a push button that operates a microphone and speakers. A normal London taxi takes five passengers and you can count on the driver being very knowledgeable about what a tourist should know. Many cars are air-conditioned, but expect the driver to be more than happy to sit with the side window folded down so you can enjoy the diesel-laden city air.

There are also so-called minicabs, i.e. small cars that take three passengers. These circulate in the same way as other taxis, but they are only allowed to go on telephone orders and are therefore not allowed to pick up passengers at the roadside. You can easily see where an order center for a minicab is located, because there is often a rotating warning light, so-called "juice mixer", on the house facade. Minicabs are generally slightly cheaper than black cabs.

Cycling in London is not recommended if you are not familiar with the area and are used to the traffic rhythm. Before that you can cycle in some of the large parks. Keep in mind, however, that you are not allowed to cycle on all roads in the park.

Lifting can be dangerous and should be avoided.

Payment

British Pounds (GBP) £. Most places accept the most common bank and credit cards.

Accommodation

London is an expensive city to live in and this also applies to temporary accommodation. There are plenty of hotels in all price ranges, but expect that even the cheapest accommodation is more expensive than its counterparts in the rest of the country.

• The Ritz [11], 150 Piccadilly, London W1 (T-Piccadilly Circus or Green Park). Tel: 0845-456 63 99. The Ritz is perhaps one of the world's most famous hotels and it really reaches its reputation. If it tastes good, it costs money, but this is a luxury hotel of the highest class. Price per room from £ 300 and up.
• Claridges [12], Brook Street, London W1. Tel: 020-7629 88 60. In the same house as Gordon Ramsey's restaurant (see below) is Claridges, a legendary hotel for those who have a lot of money and who want impeccable service. A room costs from £ 300 and up. If you want to drink a real English Afternoon Tea, this is the place.
• Le Meridien Piccadilly [13], 21 Piccadilly, London W1. Tel: 020-7851 31 90. Fashionable hotel in the heart of the West End. Rooms from £ 200 and up.

• Travelodge [14] is a nationwide hotel chain. Not far from Liverpool Street the hotel is located London Liverpool Street, 1 Harrow Place, London E1 (T-Liverpool Street). Tel: 0870-191 16 89.
• Custom House Hotel, 272 - 283 Victoria Dock Road, London E16 (DLR-Custom House). Tel: 020-7476 00 05. Rooms from £ 38 and up. Please note that the metro does not go here, but you have to take the Docklands Light Railway.
• The Paddington Hotel, 28 Gloucester Terrace, London W2 (T-Lancaster Gate or Paddington). Tel: 020-7402 50 77. This hotel was formerly called the Scancourt Hotel and is centrally located in London. Price per room from £ 33 and up.

• Swedish Seamen's Church [15] Rotherhithe (T-Canada Water or T-Surrey Quays) provides affordable accommodation in dormitories (1-4 people) including breakfast. Sheets and towels are included. The church is well stocked with literature and games. If you so wish to attend, a morning devotional is held every morning at 09.00. Services are held in a special order. Observe the procedures for booking and be out well in advance!
• Sharing an apartment is so common that it is almost a necessity if you intend to live in London for a longer period of time than as a tourist. Swedish Church [16] on Harcourt Street has bulletin boards where housing opportunities are advertised. Be prepared to share an apartment with as many people as the apartment has room and that the rents are very high. The monthly rent for an inner city apartment can be almost astronomical. Therefore, consider not living in central London, but search the suburbs. Prices are still very high, but fall the further from City you go and the transport system works well.

Food and drinks

London is full of small shops as well as large shopping malls. The small shops are often open late at night and are well stocked with groceries for those who want to provide for themselves. It is still common for Britons to eat a hearty breakfast, a sandwich and soft drinks with a small bag of chips for lunch and then cooked in the evening.

There are restaurants of all tastes and price ranges in this world city. Of course, you should not miss to try the English fast food specialty Fish 'n Chips, i.e. fried fish fillets with french fries. Remember that "french fries" is called chips in Great Britain. What we Swedes call "chips" is called crisps.

Most pubs also serve food. You order what you want to eat and drink at the bar, get your drink and then sit down to wait for the food.

Here is a rough guide to what you can get for your money:

• £ 3 - a pint of real ale or house wine at a pub and a bag of crisps in addition
• £ 5 ("a fiver") - a couple of sandwiches and a soft drink. Fish 'n chips and other fast food are also in this price range.
• £ 10 - ("a tenner") - at an Asian restaurant you can get a main course or buffet and a beer for £ 10.
• £ 20 - there are plenty of restaurants in this price range. You get a good meal as well as half a bottle of wine and bus money over.
• £ 40 - a nicer environment or a nice view costs money, although you might get just as good food elsewhere for £ 20. If you want to give a certain someone a nice evening, it's worth the money.
• £ 50 and up - provides the opportunity to go to the absolute finest restaurants. There is no upper limit to how much money can be spent on food, drink, the environment and service. Please note that restaurants in this price range usually require both table reservations in good time and formal attire.

Tips are usually not included in the price and should be about 10% of the sum.

The closer you are to famous tourist destinations, the more expensive it becomes. So watch out for the tourist traps! A meal of Italian food can be twice as expensive Covent Garden as on an alley in Southwark. Avoid eating at restaurants around British Museum and in Westminster. No Londoner would dream of eating here, precisely because price situation.

For those who for some reason prefer to live on fast food, there is such a large selection in London that it is not to be missed. Really good fast food places have inevitable queues around lunchtime, but the wait pays off.

Food

• Simpson's-in-the-Strand [17], 100 Strand, London WC2 (T-Embankment), tel: 020-7836 91 12. About Simpson's it has been said that it can give the feeling of eating in a more luxurious variant in the school canteen, but it is the right place for those who wants to take part in the classic English cuisine. Here, guests are expected to be well-dressed (ie suit or jacket with tie for men and corresponding strict attire for women. Absolutely not jeans and / or sports shoes!). Simpson's is known for its fantastic meat dishes that are sliced ​​at the table. It is customary to tip the tranche after his efforts - and then only one-pound coins and up are counted. The price level is around £ 40 and up for a main course.
• Gordon Ramsay at Claridges [18], 53 Brook Street, London W1 (T-Bond Street), tel: 020-7499 0099. This is a restaurant with classic Art Deco décor. The kitchen has a European focus and the wine cellar is superb. Also, do not miss the toilets with newly renovated 1930s furnishings. Expect prices from £ 60 and up. Jacket and tie apply, jeans and sports shoes are not allowed! Claridges is a luxury hotel (see "Accommodation" above).
• Le Gavroche [19], 43 Upper Brook Street, London W1 (T-Marble Arch), tel: 020-7408 0881. Le Gavroche is a two-star French restaurant in the Guide Rouge (formerly known as the Guide Michelin). Admittedly, it may be considered expensive, but the restaurant's staff provide excellent service and both food and drink are top notch. Prices range from £ 45 and up. Of course you wear a jacket and tie, not jeans etc.

• Butler's Restaurant, The Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, 35 Charles Street, London W1 (T-Green Park), tel: 020-7491 2622. This is a fine example of modern British cuisine served in a very traditional English setting. There is no requirement for clothing, but do not go there in shorts and barefoot. Price from £ 25 and up.
• Da Paolo Restaurant, 3 Charlotte Place, London W1 (T-Goodge Street), tel: 020-7580 0021. Classic Italian restaurant, romantic and not far from the British Museum. Please note that the price is slightly higher than usual due to close to major tourist destinations. No formal dress code. Price from £ 25 and up.

• Dungeon Fish Bar, 88A Tooley Street, London SE1 (T-London Bridge). A fluffy crawl space with the atmosphere of a real fish 'n chips bar.
• Pubs in general. Usually about the same type of dishes.

Drink

The British Pub (public house) is an absolutely world-unique phenomenon. The pub should be seen as the British's second living room and it is often more common to meet your friends at the pub rather than inviting them home. There are a very large number of pubs in London and most are open 11-23, but a team from 2005 means that several pubs are open longer. Below, only classic pubs are included, i.e. those who have preserved a genuine environment and who invest in traditional beer and food. When you are still in London, take the opportunity to enjoy the British domestic beer, called real ale. It is available in lots of brands and flavors. Common to real ale is that it should be hand-pumped directly from the barrel and that it is significantly less carbonated than Swedish beer. There are of course beers of the Swedish lager type as well, but why drink something in London that you can pour in at home? Beer is served in pints, which corresponds to just over 0.5 liters. You can also order a half pint, ie just over 0.25 l. When you go to a pub, you do not do as in Sweden and only buy for yourself, but everyone invites the team around in turn. "Shared notes" in a company, as in Sweden, is considered quite rude behavior. If you are invited, you must be invited back!

For those who are interested in beer and pub culture, there is more to read at CAMRA's [20] website. CAMRA is an organization that wants to protect traditional beer and pub culture. If you are in London the first week of August every year, you should take the opportunity to visit the large exhibition hall Earl's Court where the world's largest beer festival is held! The festival is organized by CAMRA and is a real attraction.

Most pubs in London have about the same price range. The levels "Luxury", "Medium" and "Budget" may here represent different types of class in the pub. Remember that "budget pubs" can be located in areas that can be messy - therefore observe normal caution.

• The Salisbury, 1 Grand Parade, London N4 (T-Turnpike Lane), ☎ 0872-148 5310. lunch-22. This is a very beautiful pub that has been declared a listed building. Mosaic floors, tiled walls, strong colors and wood carvings are reminiscent of a high-end home rather than a pub.
• The Cittie of Yorke, 22 High Holborn, London WC1 (T-Tottenham Court Road, Holborn or Covent Garden). Tel: 020-7242 7670. The pub was renovated in 1923-24 and then rebuilt to resemble a medieval guest hall with high ceilings.
• Salisbury, 90 St Martins Lane, London WC2 (T-Leicester Square) Tel: 020-7836 5863. Around the turn of the century 1900, a number of palace-like pubs were built in London, one more fantastically designed than the other. Salisbury is one of them. Etched and polished glass, wood carvings, mirrors and careful renovation have made the pub declared a listed building.

• Wenlock Arms [21], 26 Wenlock Road, London N1 (T-Old Street or Angel). Tel: 020-7608 3406. This is a worn pub that is so far into what you think is a really messy area that it feels like you will never arrive, but it is an eldorado for the true beer lover! One night a week you have jazz music live.
• Ye Old Cheshire Cheese [22], 145 Fleet Street, London EC4 (T-Holborn), tel: 020-7353 6170. This is probably the most famous pub in London and it is claimed that there has been a pub here since 1538. The current pub is "only" from 1666 and here celebrities like Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens have eaten and drunk.

• The Shipwright Arms, 88 Tooley Street, London SE1 (T-London Bridge). Tel: 020-7378 1486. ​​A rather murky pub with sometimes quite a messy clientele.
• The Harcourt Arms [23], 32 Harcourt Street, London W1 (T-Edgware Road or Marylebone). Tel: 020-7723 6634. This is a pub in the "Swedish quarter" around the Church of Sweden on Harcourt Street. The staff is often Swedish and many of the guests are guaranteed it. Swedish sports are shown on TV.

To see

London boasts a large number of attractions for the traveler. Through the project Everyones London (Everyone's London) you can get large discounts on admission (up to 50%) on many attractions, if you can show a valid Travel card. These attractions include the London Eye, the Aquarium, Madame Tussauds, special exhibitions at museums, various restaurants and shows such as Saturday Night Fever. To see how much discount you can get, visit the Transport of London website (see "External links" below).

The best way to start discovering London is to use one of the bus companies that run guided tours of the city. The guides are often real estradors who do not hesitate to have loud conversations with people around, e.g. road users, café guests and others who "accidentally" get in the way of the tour. One of these companies is The Big Bus Company [24]. They offer a variety of lines.

You can also choose auto-guided tours, as the guide is simply a multilingual computer that tells you about the city as the tour lasts. Such tours are also available in Swedish.

Landmarks

• London Eye [25] - a huge Ferris wheel with a fantastic view of the south bank of the Thames.
• Tower of London [26] - London's original royal fort on the Thames, over 900 years old and contains the crown jewels, guarded by Beefeaters, and a world heritage
• St Paul's Cathedral [27] - Sir Christopher Wren's great achievement, built after the great fire of 1666
• Shakespeare's Globe Theater [28] - a fantastic modern reconstruction of the Tudor-era Globe Theater, the stage for some of Shakespeare's finest occasions
• Tower Bridge [29] - the magnificent 19th century bridge, decorated with tall towers and with an openable bridge.
• Westminster Abbey [30] and the Palace of Westminster [31] (including Big Ben and Houses of Parliament) - seat of the British Parliament and one world heritage. Keep in mind that the church charges tourists for admission — but not for those who visit the church for prayer or devotion. Attend a church service for free and enjoy the beautiful music. Evening singing (see the church's website) at 4 or 5 pm, depending on part of the year, is a particularly good opportunity to go there.

• Buckingham Palace [32] - the official home of the Queen and one of several royal palaces in London. Open to tourists only during the summer months.
• Trafalgar Square - home to Nelson's Column and the lions, and one of the safest abodes for London pigeons. It should be mentioned, however, that it is now forbidden to feed the pigeons here as well, as they get dirty. At the edge of the square is located National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. In the past, traffic used to run around the whole square, but now it has been rebuilt to make it easier for tourists.
• Leicester Square - Perhaps one of London's most stressful areas. The place for big cinemas (which often have star-studded premieres), but also for cafes and restaurants. Due to the large number of tourists, everything from movie tickets to water bottles is very expensive.
• Piccadilly Circus
• Maritime Greenwich [33] - home to Greenwich Meridian, Cutty Sark [34] and the Royal Observatory [35] - World Heritage Site
• Royal Albert Hall [36] - beautiful concert hall where many events take place. In the summer, the BBC's Promenade concerts take place [37] of the bar, where the first-come, first-served principle applies. Tickets can be purchased for anything from £ 4 (2005 price) and up.
• Portobello Road [38] is said to be the world's largest antique market. Antiques, souvenirs and other small items can be purchased, or you can simply walk through time. Camden Market is often said to be the new Portobello Road.

To do

Entertainment

A non-contemptible part of everyday entertainment still revolves around the pub. For those who want to club, London is an excellent city.

Work

Getting a job in London is not in itself that difficult, but the salary for such work is usually low or very low, so you have to expect to have more than one work if you plan to stay for a while. The Church of Sweden on Harcourt Street (T-Edgware Road or T-Marylebone) has bulletin boards where jobs can be advertised. Such works are usually au pairs or similar. A good way to look for work is to go into pubs and bars and ask if they need extra staff. Undeclared work is common in the industry - therefore make sure not to get into trouble with regard to insurance and the like.

Communication

London has well-developed telecommunications and data communication facilities. There is very good coverage for GSM and 3G telephony, but if you want to avoid huge bills, it can be a good idea to buy a prepaid card while you are in the city. The most common prepaid cards are:

• Vodafone [39]
• Orange [40]
• O2 [41], f.d. British Telecom, ie the British equivalent of Telia.
• Virgin Mobile [42]
• T-Mobile [43]

• Vodafone
• 3 [44]

In English, prepaid cards are called Pay As You Go and a top-up card is called a "top up card". Consequently, it is called "top up" when you want to charge your card with money. You can buy coupons in the same way as in Sweden, but the most common is that you have a special plastic card, a so-called swipe card, to his prepaid card which has all the details. The plastic card is handed over to the store that draws the card and then the amount you want is charged. You can top up your prepaid card in most stores, e.g. Tesco Express [45], but the prepaid card itself usually has to be bought in home electronics or mobile telephony stores, e.g. Dixons [46], Phones 4 U [47] or Carphone Warehouse [48].

There are plenty of internet cafes and bars. Many of them also offer copying services as well as telephony and fax facilities. Here is a selection, all located within walking distance of a metro station:

• Homecall, 34-36 Wardour St, London W1 (T-Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square). Tel: 020-7287 2988.
• Bethereds, 39 Whitfield St, London W1 (T-Goodge Street). Tel: 020-7209 0984
• Perfecto Cafe, 1 Chapel Market, London N1 (T-Angel). Tel: 020-7713 0055
• Knockout Services Ltd, 254 Pentonville Rd, London N1 (T-King's Cross St.Pancras). Tel: 020-7278 9194.
• M&M Netservices Ltd, 224 Mile End Rd, London E1 (T-Stepney Green). Tel: 020-7790 5194.
• Jerrins Internet Cafe, 118 Mile End Rd, London E1 (T-Stepney Green). Tel: 020-7709 8071.
• Internet Games Cafe, Mercury House, 117, Waterloo Rd, London SE1 (T-Southwark). Tel: 020-7633 0211.
• Living Space, 1 Coral St, London SE1 (T-Southwark). Tel: 020-7926 8445.

Security

London is considered one of the safest cities in the world, but common sense is always in place. Therefore, you should not take a black taxi or walk alone on streets you would not walk alone in Sweden. Avoid areas that are socially vulnerable, e.g. the suburbs of Hackney, Brixton or Harlesden.

Drugs of various kinds are significantly more common than in Sweden. Do not be surprised to see people using some form of cannabis or about being offered different types of tablets. The UK is significantly more drug liberal than Sweden and cannabis and party drugs in various forms are very common.

Respect

London is a multicultural city and there are of course many Swedes in the city. Of course, one should not comment on impressions, phenomena and people in a hurtful way in the belief that people do not understand Swedish.

Britain is considered by many to be a rather conservative country. This means that a behavior that you may not think much about in Sweden can be quite odd in the UK. Here are some examples:

• When you order something, or ask someone for something, the sentence always ends with "please". In Sweden you might go to the bar and order "a glass of beer" and do it without saying "thank you", but in the UK it is important to add just "please": "A pint of Ruddle's beer, please". If you forget this, you are considered to be extremely rude.
• As a girl, you should not sunbathe topless. Also, do not sunbathe in a bikini or swimwear in the garden, in a public place or the like. The British may find this offensive. What you do on the beach is of course another matter, but even here the rule does not apply.
• Do not swear. Many Britons swear so it oozes, but they can themselves feel when it is appropriate or not. As a foreigner, you do not impress if you sound like a bully, especially in those circles where swearing indicates low education. Language is a clear societal barrier in the UK - bad language gives immediately low status.

• If a single girl suggests to a single guy that they should go to the cinema, drink coffee together or the like, for many it is tantamount to showing interest in addition to friendships. The outside world draws its own conclusions in a flash and anyone who does not want to spread rumors, whether you are a boy or a girl, is wise to think first.
• Eye contact, which we in Sweden consider to be completely natural when talking to someone, can in some situations also be synonymous with extra interest. This is especially true if you meet someone at a pub, bar, club or similar.

Problem solver

The English bobby, ie the patrolling police, is as typical a London symbol as the red two-storey buses. Police can be reached by calling 999 or 112.

The English healthcare system, National Health Service (NHS) [49], is structured in almost the same way as its Swedish counterpart. As a Swede in London, you have access to healthcare on largely the same terms as in Sweden. Read more in the article healthcare.

Tourist office

Tourist information [50].

Other

• Brighton, the south coast's classic seaside resort (and center for language trips from Sweden).
• Hampton Court Palace [51], a palace on the outskirts of London with a magnificent art collection and castle park.
• Winchester is the former capital of England and offers a lot to see, including a large cathedral. The journey from London Waterloo takes about an hour and offers a beautiful southern English landscape.
• Windsor is both a quiet town and a fantastic castle that is also a royal residence. At the famous private school Eton College [52] children are educated to very well-off parents.
• The university cities Oxford and Cambridge are ideal destinations for those who are hungry for a day trip.
• Canterbury is the site of Britain's most famous cathedral. Katedralen [53], som byggdes mellan 1100- och 1600-talet är väl värd ett besök. Fortsätter man ytterligare 2-2,5 mil österut kan man besöka Dover och dess berömda vita klippor.
• Uxbridge har kallats "Englands Venedig" p.g.a. sina kanaler och kanalbåtar. En resa hit, med hjälp av tunnelbanan (Piccadilly eller Metropolitan Line), blir ett fint minne.

Flera företag kör också bussar för utflykter med guide i Londons omgivningar. Det är oftast hel- och halvdagsutflykter, även flerdagsutflykter finns. Man kan till exempel besöka Stonehenge and Bath på en sådan heldagsutflykt. Hotellen brukar ha bra information om sådana utflykter. Tänk på att finare bussar på engelska heter coach.