London, UK

Here is a quick history of London:

• London was first inhabited in the late Stone Age, around 3000 BC. Roman settlement grew into a major city in the second century AD.

• After the Roman evacuation in the 5th century, the city was inhabited by Anglo-Saxons, then Vikings. William the Conqueror became the first Norman King of England in 1066.

• In the 12th century, London became a powerful commercial center. The Palace of Westminster was built in 1099, becoming the seat of Parliament.

• In the 13th century, London expanded outside its walls, construction of Westminster Abbey began. This was the era of Gothic cathedrals and Great Sanitation.

• In the 15th–16th centuries, the Tudor era, London became a fashion and cultural center of Europe. This led to overcrowding, pollution, and disease.

• In the 17th century, London underwent a cultural transition from medieval to modern. The Renaissance St. Paul’s Cathedral was built.

• In the 18th-19th centuries, London expanded rapidly, infrastructure improved (new streets, tubes), and became a cosmopolitan city. It was a center of arts, sciences, commerce, and finance.

• In the Victorian era (1837-1901), London became a vast metropolis, cultural capital power. Many landmarks were built, including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Tower Bridge.

• In the early 20th century, London endured devastation in WW1 and WW2 bombing but rebuilt to become a post-war global power, center for finance, arts, fashion, and multiculturalism. London continues to evolve today as a major world city.

Here are the 10 most popular tourist attractions in London:

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament: Britain‘s iconic clock tower and the meeting place of the UK Parliament. Tours available M-F 9:30am-4:30pm. Free admission. https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/

The Tower of London: Historic castle located on the River Thames with the Crown Jewels. Mar–Sept 0930-1730; Oct-Feb 0930-1630. From £30/adult. https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/

The British Museum: Unique museum of human history and culture. Daily 10am-5:30pm. Free admission. https://www.britishmuseum.org

St. Paul‘s Cathedral: Iconic Christopher Wren church with a famous dome. Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm; Sat 9:30am-3:15pm; Sun 8:30am-1:15pm. £5/adult. https://www.stpauls.co.uk/

Westminster Abbey: Historic royal church that has hosted coronation ceremonies. Mon-Fri 9:30am-3:30pm; Sat 9:30am-2pm; Sun 3:30pm-6pm. £7/adult. https://www.westminster-abbey.org

Windsor Castle: The largest occupied castle in the world, the official royal family residence. Daily 9:30am-5pm. £22/adult. https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/windsorcastle

Buckingham Palace: The official royal London residence and place of business. Aug-Oct: State Rooms open to visitors. Admission dependent on how busy the Queen‘s schedule is. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/buckinghampalace

The London Eye: Massive Ferris wheel located on the South Bank of the River Thames. Open daily 10am-8:30pm. From £28 per adult. https://www.londoneye.com

Natural History Museum: Features a renowned collection of specimens that showcase the history of life on Earth. Daily 10am-5:50pm. Free admission. https://www.nhm.ac.uk

Science Museum: Innovative museum covering the development of science and technology. Daily 10am-6pm. Free admission. https://sciencemuseum.org.uk

Top Day Trips from London:

Winchester: Britain’s ancient capital city, home to Winchester Cathedral and Winchester Great Hall. Easy day trip from London, about 1.5 hours south of London by train. Train fares range from £25–50 round trip. https://www.winchester.gov.uk/

Train: South Western Railway, from Waterloo Station, trains run every 30 minutes, fare is £36 round trip for standard class, takes 1 hour 15 minutes. https://www.southwesternrailway.com/

Stonehenge Prehistoric Monument, located in Wiltshire, England. About 2 hours from London by bus or train. Admission fees range from £17-32 per adult. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge

Train and bus: Train from Paddington Station to Salisbury takes 1hour 40 minutes, fare is £36 one-way. National Express bus from Victoria Coach Station to Amesbury (45 mins away from Stonehenge) ranges from £10-25 round trip. https://www.nationalexpress.com/en Ten to ninety minutes to Stonehenge from Salisbury/Amesbury by bus.

Brighton Coastal Town: with the Royal Pavilion, marina, beach and pier. Commutable day trip, 1.5 hours south of London by train. Train fares £14-40 round trip. https://www.brighton.co.uk/

Train: South Western Railway from Victoria Station, trains run every 15-30 minutes, fare is £26 round trip standard class, takes 1 hour. https://www.southwesternrailway.com/

Bath Ancient Roman spa town with Roman Baths, Abbey and stunning architecture. 2 hours west of London by train. Train fares £26-52 round trip. https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/

Train: Great Western Railway from Paddington Station, trains run every 30 minutes, fare is £32 round trip standard class, takes 2 hours. https://www.gwr.com/

Here are the main types of transportation in London:

**Tube** Operates 5 am – 12 am daily. Single journey tickets start at £2.40. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube/

**Buses** Run approximately every 5–10 minutes from 4 am to midnight daily. Single bus fare starts at £2.40. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/bus/

**Train** throughout London and surrounding suburbs. Operates 4 am – 11.30 pm weekdays, with more limited hours weekends. Single overground fare starts at £2.40. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/wlondon-overground/

**DLR** Light rail system serving Canary Wharf, Greenwich, Lewisham, and more. Operates 5.30 am – midnight weekdays, with more limited hours weekends. Single DLR fare starts at £2.40. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/dlr/

**Taxi** Black cabs available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Initial charge is £2.40, then £2.40 per 430 yards. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxi/

**Rideshare/Minicab** Services like Uber and Addison Lee available 24 hours a day. Fares vary but typically £3-9 average cost per mile. Uber: https://www.uber.com/ Addison Lee: https://www.addisonlee.com/

**Private Hire Car** Luxury vehicles you can book by the hour. Hourly rates start around £30-£75 per hour. 

The major airports near London are:

**Heathrow Airport** London Heathrow Airport, Hounslow, Middlesex TW6 1TS, UK. +44 844 335 1801. https://www.heathrow.com/

**Tube/Underground** Direct Tube service to Heathrow Airport (Piccadilly Line) Travel time: 35-45 minutes distance from central London – 21 km Fares start at £2.40, https://tfl.gov.uk/

**Train** Heathrow Express Travel time: 15 minutes distance from Paddington – 21 km Fares start at £25, https://www.heathrowexpress.com/

**Gatwick Airport** Gatwick Airport Ltd, Horley, Surrey RH6 0PH, UK +44 844 892 0322. https://www.gatwickairport.com/

**Train** Gatwick Express Travel time: 30 minutes distance from Victoria – 53 km Fares start at £17.50, https://www.gatwickexpress.com/

**Bus** National Express Travel time: 1 hour distance from central London – 38 km Fares start at £8, https://www.nationalexpress.com/

**Stansted Airport** London Stansted Airport, Essex CM24 1QW, UK +44 871 781 8181. https://www.stanstedairport.com/

**Train** Stansted Express Travel time: 45 minutes distance from London Liverpool St – 66 km Fares start at £23, https://www.stanstedexpress.com/

**Bus** National Express Travel time: 1 to 3 hours distance from central London – 50–110 km Fares start at £10, https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/book-tickets

The currency used in England is the Pound Sterling ( £ ).

Notes denominations:

• £5

• £10

• £20

• £50

Coin denominations:

• 1 penny (p)

• 2 pence (2p)

• 5 pence (5p)

• 10 pence (10p)

• 20 pence (20p)

• 50 pence (50p)

• 1 pound (£1)

• 2 pounds (£2)

• 5 pounds (£5)

London has a temperate oceanic climate with cool summers and mild winters. Some key facts about London‘s climate:

• Summers are warm and sometimes hot, with average high temperatures around 21 C (70 F) and lows around 12 C (54 F) in July and August.

• Winters are chilly but rarely very cold, with average high temperatures around 5 C (41 F) and lows around 2 C (36 F) in January.

• London receives moderate rainfall, with the most rain falling in winter. Summers are generally drier.

• Cloud cover is moderate year-round, with the cloudiest months being December through March.

• Fog is common in winter, especially from December to February. But dense summer fog is rare.