World Travel Guide

City Guide  - London  - Sightseeing
Sightseeing

Now, more than ever before, is a good time to visit London as six billion Pounds have been invested in London's tourism and leisure facilities for the millennium year; and a plethora of new attractions threw open their doors in 2000. The Millennium Dome is the most famous, but it is has also been joined by the stunning BA London Eye, the extension of the riverside Jubilee Walkway, the impressive Tate Gallery of Modern Art and the less convincing Millennium Bridge, which has wobbled its way embarrassingly through 2000. The West End for most tourists is still the epicentre of their London experience - and is usually thought of as central London - with the buzzing theatre and nightlife district around Leicester Square, Soho and Covent Garden. Sometimes tacky, always crowded and shunned by many Londoners in favour of less central neighbourhoods, the West End has an intoxicating atmosphere all its own. Within strolling distance of each other are Oxford Circus (shopping crossroads), Piccadilly Circus (neon lights and incessant traffic), Leicester Square (entertainment epicentre) and the stately Trafalgar Square (home to Nelson's Column and many pigeons). Just to the south, Westminster is the traditional seat of government and the monarchy and contains some of London's most visited buildings. Across the River Thames, South Bank is emerging as a tourist mecca with an array of tourist attractions, such as the BA London Eye and the London Aquarium, to complement the original cultural attractions.

The Prada and Gucci set head for the glamorous areas of town around Knightsbridge (home of Harrods), Mayfair, Belgravia and Kensington (also home of several major museums), while the ethnic and social mixes of Notting Hill to the west and Camden Town to the north have produced a flowering of trendy shops, bars and restaurants. Further east, the City of London, London's East End and the Docklands, have all come of age over the last decade, with a sprinkling of new bars, luxury accommodations and trendy restaurants.

Greenwich (web site: www.greenwich2000.com) has been in the limelight because it is the site of the Millennium Dome, but the very fact that this attractive borough has so much else to offer seems to highlight what is so enchanting about London. It combines a major attraction with much smaller ones, such as the Cutty Sark and Gypsy Moth; has its own proud sense of history, which the National Maritime Museum and the Observatory (home of GMT, the source of the world's time) detail; but is primarily a thriving neighbourhood, with lively pubs and cafés, and a hilly park that offers views back over central London.

Tourist Information

London Tourist Board Tourist Information Centre
Victoria Station Forecourt, SW1
Tel: (0906) 133 7799 (24-hour general tourist information) or (0906) 866 3344 (24-hour London Line 2000).
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1900 (Dec-Mar Sun until 1700).

There are a further 18 tourist information centres (TIC) throughout the city.

Passes

The London White Card is no more, replaced in 2000 by the GoSee card. Cards cost £10 for one day, £16 for three days and £26 for seven days; and offer unlimited access for one adult to 16 major museums and galleries. They may be purchased from the LTB and London Transport travel information centres (tel: (020) 7923 0807; web site: www.london-gosee.com). Family cards are also available.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
GENERAL
City Overview
City Statistics
Cost of Living
History
Language
Accommodation
 
GETTING THERE
Air
Water
Road
Rail
 
GETTING AROUND
Getting Around
 
BUSINESS
Business
 
SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing
Key Attractions
Further Distractions
Tours of the City
Excursions
 
ENTERTAINMENT
Nightlife
Sport
Shopping
Culture
Special Events
Food and Drink