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All About London
London is a hip,
cool, historic city (here, Sloan Square).
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NO
MORE 'LAST ORDERS' AS PUBS OPEN LATE
England's long history of early-closing
pubs is over. Pubs – and clubs for that matter – can
now stay open as late as they wish under a new Licensing Act put
in effect in November. The law allows for establishments to serve
for 24 hours, but unlike all-hours Las Vegas, most places will
simply extend business hours by an hour or more. So the 11 o'clock
bell, followed by the phrase, "time please gentlemen,"
is ringing later in London.
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London
has history, great parks, incredible pubs, inspiring clubs, great theaters
and drivers who actually stop for pedestrians.
It has royal majesty, properly polite people and those cool old-fashioned
red phone booths.
London is an electric city, one that shines even when the sun doesn't.
To get to know the pulse of this city,this page provides practical
information on the party scene, arrival and orientation, the best way
to get around town, the different districts, the Royal Family, the best
time to visit and even that often-confusing (to Americans, at least)
British use of the English language.
Arrival and Orientation
The often dreary
weather makes going to a pub a good idea in London.
The first thing that strikes virgin travelers to London is how old a
city this really is and how much history is contained within its vast
empire. After all, Big Ben wasn't built in a day.
London has hosted Roman conquerors, authoritative Kings, Medieval times,
battled Spain, battled France, battled a bunch of revolutionaries in
what became the United States, held up through horrendous bombing in
World War II and survived Prince Charles.
London is also a huge city. It goes just on and on, like some chatty
pub patron hitting on a pretty lass.
It has swallowed up many of its surrounding towns or suburbs and is
so spread out some areas are completely unknown even to locals. Areas
like Bloomsbury, Clerkewell and Vauxhall go on seemingly forever, but
for most tourists the ones that really matter are Soho, Westminster,
Chelsea and South Kensington.
The central arrival point is Victoria Station. Trains run directly
from Gatwick Airport and indirectly (requiring a change) from Heathrow.
From there, it's easy to find a room, taxi, bus or just about anything
else necessary for the intrepid traveler.
London A to Z is a popular street map, assuming one knows where
he/she is headed. Most of the tourist sites and nightspots are north
of the River Thames.
Visitors can get a good overview of London by hopping aboard one of
the many sightseeing buses. Anti-tourist geeks need not to worry; these
double-decker buses hit all the major landmarks, provide a good orientation
to the city and are good for a 24-hour period, allowing one to hop on
and off at will. At £10, it's the best deal in London. They also
provide a handy way to get around even when not sightseeing. Look for
a sign on the front of the bus designating it as a London Transport
bus.
Getting Around
The famous Underground
is Europe's best city transportation system.
The Underground, or "tube" is the best public transportation
system in Europe. It is clean, quick and whisks visitors and locals
all over the city with the efficiency of a leer jet. Just remember to
"Mind The Gap."
The system is divided into 6 fare zones, though travel for most visitors
is between zones 1 and 2. The price depends on the number of zones to
be traveled; machines and ticket offices are plentiful at any Underground
station, Victoria Station and the airports. Travelcards offer the best
value.
The tubes are busiest during business hours, 08.00 and 09.30 and 17.00
to 18.30, Mondays to Fridays. The Underground shuts down at 00.30, quite
a problem for late-night PubClubbers. Taxis or night buses – the
latter of which can be caught at Trafalgar Square – are the early-morning
transportation options.
There are three kinds of taxis in London.
 By
far the best are the black cabs. They are operated by the world's
best cab drivers. They possess something called "the knowledge,"
an amazing understanding of just about every street in London. It takes
years to master this knowledge and the drivers are understandably proud
of their accomplishment. Passengers are advised not to help with directions
as its an insult to the driver's expertise.
Mini-cabs come only when called; they are not allowed to pick
up passengers on the street. Some in Soho, the theater district and
other busy try, but go with the black cabs.
Avoid the taxi touts. These are drivers of illegal cabs that
offer unsuspecting tourists rides from airports and train stations.
Some resemble private cars and charge £30-50 pounds just to go
a few blocks. Remember, only black cabs are allowed to pick up riders
on the street.
Double-decker and public buses are an inexpensive option for
moving about town (fares are usually less than £2). Buses have
their own lanes on some roads and travel against traffic flow, enabling
them to move quickly about town. Riders ring a bell to alert the driver
to make a stop. Night buses cost a bit more than day buses and run until
6 a.m.
Travelcards provide a convenient payment method for the tube
and buses.
The Districts
 London
is comprised of many areas, each with its own unique personality. Together,
they make up the entire city that is London.
The most active area, and most popular among tourists, is Soho.
It has several pubs, international restaurants and an active gay scene,
all mixed in with its sex-sleeze image.
Soho is a short walk from Piccadilly Circus, home of London's
Theater District.
Nearby is Covent Garden with its colorful street performers;
this is an entertaining place to spend a weekend afternoon.
Mayfair is known primarily for its shopping – the legendary
Harrods Department Store is located here – but it also houses several
of the city's best pubs. It's also adjacent to historic Hyde Park
and Kensington Gardens. Chelsea and Fulham, in the Southeast
corner of London, is where many of the top clubs and some of its best
bars are located.
The financial district is known as The City, which is best enjoyed
during the busy business hours.
Royalty is king – and queen – in Westminster,
home of Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.
Trafalga Square,
where pigeons and people come to roost.
The Royal Family
There is, among others, the Price of Wales, the Duke of York, the Princess
Royal, the Earl of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Princess Margaret, the
Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Duke & Duchess
of Gloucester and, of course, Her Majesty the Queen.
The Royal family is at the very core of British society. While its
days of ruling the United Kingdom are history, the family is still a
very important part of the culture. They preside at State functions,
charity events and other public and private affairs. Occasionally, though
rarely, the Queen Mum makes a public appearance at Buckingham Palace.
The famous palace sentries' changing of the guard ritual occurs
daily during the summer and alternate days in winter (11:30 a.m., and
when not raining).
The Pubs – Plus Clubs & Bars Scene
Life in London revolves
around the neighborhood pub, of which there are hundreds.
Patrons with spiked hair. Pubs as old as Shakespeare. Austin Powers
and The Pink Pussycat Club.
When it comes to nightlife, London has it all. From the hundreds of
cool pubs scattered about town to classy modern bars to
some of Europe's hippest dance clubs, it is easy to drown one's
self in the great riches of London's nightlife.
The pubs are scattered about town like a newspaper blowing wildly in
the wind. The largest concentration of pubs is in the Soho/Piccadilly
Circus area and are largely filled with tourists. For a more local flavor,
the adjacent Mayfair section has more traditional, creaky old English-style
pubs.
Clubs are everywhere, although any of the many establishments on Fulham
Road are a good choice.
Between pubs and clubs are what Londoners refer to as bars or club
bars. These are a mix between pubs and clubs. They stay open later
than pubs but not as late as clubs. They are modern, mostly upscale
establishments, sometimes specializing in martinis or, in the case of
one creative club (Tsunami), chilled sake drinks.
For details on specific pubs, clubs and bars, check out our nightlife
guide.
Pubs and Clubs Customs
Ahem, yes it's true. London's pubs do close at 11 p.m. (10:30 on Sundays).
For years, locals have been talking about new laws in the works that
will suspend this silly law but the legislators are moving slower than
the Thames.
There are some places that extend their hours a bit by charging a small
cover past 11 on weekends (particularity in Soho). Restaurants cheat
somewhat by staying open until midnight. A few of those then charge
a small cover and stay open until 2 a.m.Still, it's a bit of hassle
just to have a pint after 11.
The clubs are another story. They don't even open until midnight and
stay going until the sun rises (if the sun does indeed rise that day
). The club scene is legendary throughout Europe, but there's also an
air of sophistication about them that makes clubbing a truly rewarding
experience.
The dress code is casual for the pubs and creative/stylish for the
clubs. The drinking age is 18, though some clubs do not allow entry
to people under 21.
 Tea
Time
The Brits began taking their tea in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Originally for those in English high society, it is today a daily ritual
for all. Tea Time is each day in the late afternoon and provides people
with the chance to relax and socialize. In houses, tea is served with
finger sandwiches and other light food. The average Brit consumes 3.5
cups of tea per day.
Rooms to Let (Click at page top for on-line reservations)
Hotel rooms in London have traditionally been notoriously expensive.
Even modest accommodations were difficult to find for less than £75.
Now, thanks to the Internet, much of that has changed. Several
web sites offer discounted hotel bookings, including PubClub which has
discounted hotels throughout Europe via our on-line
reservation system.
It is possible, even in the heart of July, to obtain a good room from
the travel information booth at Victoria Station. The attendants
are super-friendly and will make several calls based on one's criteria
of location and price.
The
British Youth Hostel Association has 230 hostels in locations
all over England and Wales. For more hostel information.
An interesting and inexpensive alternative are college dormitories,
which are largely vacant during the summer. Called "halls of residence"
in British-speak, clean but small rooms range from £20-40. Imperial
College (7594-9507) has two buildings in prime locations. Another is
Ramsay Hall (7387-4537, six different locations).
The Language
Brits speak their own form of the English language. They claim it to
be "proper" English and, well, this is English spoken in England,
so it's hard to argue their point. Still, to assist with queuing up
for the loo or performing some other important activity, here's PubClub's
guide to English in England:
• A-road, B-road, motorways. Main highways are A-roads
and back roads are B-roads. Motorways are highways expressed as M1,
M25, etc.
• Belisha beachon. A warning light sitting on top of a
black-and-white striped pole at pedestrian crossings. Also called a
"zebra crossing."
• Berk. An idiot, what an American would call a jerk or
a moron.
• Biscuit. A cookie.
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• Boot. The trunk of a car.
• Bum. Someone's rear end.
• Bus/coach. Basically the same vehicle. Buses are
for in-town transportation while coaches go to more distant places outside
of town.
• Chips. What Americans know as French fries.
• Cockney. A true Londoner. Dates to the 17th century
when the term "cock's egg," a misshapen egg sometimes laid
by hens, was applied to towns people.
• Dirty Weekend. A getaway with a special someone.
• Fag. A cigarette.
• Jumper. A sweater.
• Lift. An elevator.
• Loo. The toilet
• Pissed. Drunk.
• Queue. A line of people waiting. To "queue
up" is the action takes one's place in the queue
• Ring. To call someone, not the sound the phone makes
when one is "ringing" a person.
• Serviette. Napkin.
• Trunk call. A long-distance phone call.
The Weather
You've got to love
a good rain while in London
Okay it rains here. A lot. It's also foggy, cloudy and overcast much
of the time.
But when the sun it out – usually in the summer months – London
is a beautiful city, great for walking, hanging out and observing the
crowds in Piccadilly or the street performers in Camden.
"Let a smile be your umbrella" is a popular expression that
should be noted by tourists.
Temperatures C/F
January-March 7/45
April-May 12/53
June-October 18/65
November-December 8/45
Time Zone
London is in GMT 0.
When to Go
From a weather standpoint, summer is the best time to be in London.
It may be raining, but at least it's likely to be warm. We offer no
guarantees, though.
Summer is also the busy tourist season, so finding rooms is a bit more
challenging than in the spring, fall or winter. Late spring and early
fall offer a good combination of reasonable weather and fellow revelers.
Winter is rolling the dice, but the action in the clubs is hot year-round.
 Next
stop on the Party Bus: PubClubbing
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