Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Understanding London's Different Regions
As much as each borough is different, there are some overarching geographical similarities.
For the visitor, London can be loosely divided into five areas; East, North, South, West, and
Central. Simple huh? Certainly more simple that working out which beer to order at a tra-
ditional London pub. Each has a vastly different appeal and history, so here's a quick low-
down.
Central London
The delight of every first time visitor, Central London is where you'll discover all the iconic
sights that have danced across your television screen for the last however many years. It's
swarming with tourists. But it's quite brilliant. In just a couple of hours you can walk from
Buckingham Palace to Westminster, across to St Paul's Cathedral, over London Bridge,
around the renowned banking district and then onto Oxford Street. Save plenty of space on
your memory card as a day in Central London bursts with infamous photo opportunities.
However, Central London is horribly expensive, the prices soaring via the uncomfortable
marriage of bankers and tourists. A bad cafe lunch for two won't provide much change from
£30.
Most Londoners rarely visit the center, put off by both the prices and the crowds. You also
won't find much in the way of atmosphere or culture here. However, it's unmissable for tour-
ists for a couple of reasons. There's simply too many incredible sights to ignore, even if
some don't quite live up to the hype. Furthermore, Central London is, well, very
central
. So
as you explore the city you're likely to cross through this area on a daily basis, particularly
as it's where to find the major transport hubs.
