Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
long-running mega-musicals and big-name dramas.
Soho
is still buzzing—and the
streets of
Shoreditch,
Hoxton,
and
Dalston
are jumping well into the small hours.
THE
best
LONDON TRAVEL
EXPERIENCES
W
Taking afternoon tea at the Ritz Palm Court:
The traditional tea ritual lives on in
21st-century London. The pomp and circumstance of the British Empire continue
at the Ritz—only the Empire is missing these days. See p. 147.
W
Hanging out on the hip streets of the “New” East End:
London's fashionable folk
haunt the streets and alleyways of “New” East London. Shop the designer bou-
tiques and vintage stores of Shoreditch (p. 151), dine out on French cuisine at Les
Trois Garçons (p. 143), drink elegant cocktails at Loungelover (p. 166), and dance
till the small hours at Plastic People (p. 173).
W
Spending an evening at a West End theatre:
London is the theatrical capital of
the world. The live stages of Theatreland, around Covent Garden and Soho, offer
a unique combination of variety, accessibility, and economy—and programs have
everything from serious drama to marquee musicals. See p. 161.
W
Watching the sunset from Waterloo Bridge:
This famous river crossing is per-
fectly positioned to watch the embers of the day dissipate behind the Houses of
Parliament. The view is so memorable that it moved the Kinks to write a chart-
topping song in 1967: “
As long as I gaze on / Waterloo sunset / I am in paradise
.” See
p. 75.
W
Walking in the footsteps of Sir Christopher Wren:
The architect who rebuilt so
much of London after the Great Fire of 1666 is most known for his churches. Walk
from St. Bride's, on Fleet Street, past his icon, St. Paul's Cathedral, to St. Mary-le-
Bow and beyond to appreciate his genius. See “Saints & the City,” p. 114.
4
ORIENTATION
Arriving
BY PLANE
London's flagship airport for arrivals from across the globe is
London
Heathrow
(LHR; www.heathrowairport.com), 17 miles west of the center and boasting five
hectic, bustling terminals (named imaginatively, Terminals 1 to 5, although Terminal
2 is closed until 2014). This is the U.K. hub of most major airlines, including British
Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, and the North American carriers.
London
Gatwick
(LGW; www.gatwickairport.com) is the city's second major airport, with two termi-
nals (North and South), 31 miles south of central London in the Sussex countryside.
As with Heathrow, you can fly direct, or with a connection to or from pretty much
anywhere on the planet.
Increasingly, however, passengers are arriving at London's smaller airports—par-
ticularly since the recent proliferation of budget airlines, which now dominate many
short-haul domestic and international routes.
London
Stansted
(STN; www.
stanstedairport.com), 37 miles northeast of the center, is the gateway to a vast array
of short-haul destinations in the U.K., Continental Europe, and parts of the Middle
East. It's also a hub for Ryanair.
London Luton
(LTN; www.london-luton.co.uk)
