{"id":127,"date":"2014-07-27T15:45:10","date_gmt":"2014-07-27T07:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gautamkhattak.wordpress.com\/?page_id=127"},"modified":"2015-08-07T12:12:51","modified_gmt":"2015-08-07T04:12:51","slug":"europe-united-kingdom-london","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/emea\/europe-united-kingdom-london\/","title":{"rendered":"United Kingdom – London"},"content":{"rendered":"

London, United Kingdom <\/strong>by Gautam Khattak<\/p>\n

Last updated August 2, 2011<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/strong> These are notes I\u2019ve written or gathered from various sources. I have not experienced all things in this document nor is it intended to be a definitive guide.<\/p>\n

General Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

Currency:<\/strong> British Pound (GPD)<\/p>\n

Conversion Tool:<\/strong> http:\/\/www.google.com\/search?hl=en&q=100+USD+to+GBP&aq=f&oq=&aqi<\/a>=<\/p>\n

(Update for current rates)<\/p>\n

1 USD = .6116 GBP<\/p>\n

100 USD = 61.158 GBP<\/p>\n

1 GBP = 1.635 USD<\/p>\n

100 GBD = 163.57 USD<\/p>\n

Transportation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transportation for London Maps – http:\/\/www.tfl.gov.uk\/gettingaround\/1106.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Heathrow to\/from London<\/strong> \u2013 The best way to get into London is via Heathrow Express<\/a>. The train leaves to\/from the airport every 15 minutes and takes 15 minutes to get you to Paddington Station<\/a>. The first train from Heathrow is 05:07 (Monday to Saturday) and 05:03 on Sundays. The last train from Terminal 5 is 23:42 (Monday to Saturday) and 23:48 (Sundays). The first train from Paddington is at 05:10 and the last train from Paddington is about 23:25.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices are: \u00a316.50 (online) \u00a318.00 (machine\/teller), or \u00a323.00 (on-board train). Roundtrip fare is \u00a332.00.<\/p>\n

Budget Airlines for travel around Europe (might not fly into large airports)<\/p>\n

BMI Baby\u00a0 <\/strong>– http:\/\/bmibaby.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Easyjet<\/strong> – http:\/\/www.easyjet.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Ryanair<\/strong> – http:\/\/ryanair.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

BMI \u2013 <\/strong>http:\/\/www.flybmi.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Lodging<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hotels in London is FAR from cheap. I suggest trying out www.priceline.com<\/a>. Actually if you low-ball the offer and get denied but don\u2019t want to select a new area or wait 24 hours to try again you can do another bid on http:\/\/www.priceline.co.uk\/<\/a> . They don\u2019t seem to talk to each other (not the latter is in \u00a3\u2019s. There are also plenty of sites that link you to a variety of Bed & Breakfasts in London. I aim for the Bloomsbury \u2013 Marble Arch and Mayfair Soho areas.<\/p>\n

Hilton Paddington<\/a> <\/strong>\u2013 Sitting on top of Paddington Station. This hotel is as convenient as it can get as far as getting to the airport while still staying in town.<\/p>\n

Hyatt Regency \u2013 The Churchill<\/a> <\/strong>\u2013 Located in a very convenient part of town, the West End of Central London. It\u2019s a block away from Marble Arch & Bond Street Underground stations and very close to the Heathrow Express line at Paddington Station. The hotel is very nice and up to date.<\/p>\n

Sheraton Park Lane<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 This hotel is located near the south end of Hyde Park so down the street from the Hilton and Hyatt. The hotels is across the Green Park and Buckingham Palace. It has a old but elegant field to it.<\/p>\n

W London<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 Located more in the heart of the action in Leicester Square. I haven\u2019t stayed here but the price was comparable to the Hyatt.<\/p>\n

Le M\u00e9ridien Piccadilly<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 Located right in the center of Piccadilly, need I say more?<\/p>\n

Sheraton Hotels of London – http:\/\/www.sheratonlondonhotels.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes Hotel<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 This hotel is not bad, but not as good as the ones above. The location however is great. It\u2019s on Baker Street and close to everything. I booked this hotel on Priceline and got an \u2018ok\u2019 price for it. They do a joint event with a Murder Mystery company (dates vary) where you can do dinner and a \u2018Who Dun It\u2019 mystery game.<\/p>\n

Shopping and Walking around<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bond Street (<\/strong>http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bond_Street<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oxford<\/strong> Circus (<\/strong>http:\/\/www.streetsensation.co.uk\/oxford\/os_intro.htm<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regent Street (<\/strong>http:\/\/www.streetsensation.co.uk\/regent\/rs_intro.htm<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carnaby Street<\/strong> (<\/strong>http:\/\/www.carnaby.co.uk\/<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Covent Garden – <\/strong>http:\/\/www.covent-garden.co.uk\/<\/a>\u00a0– Fanuel Hall in Boston\u00a0was designed after this, great place in the afternoon to eat\/shop\/people watch<\/p>\n

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  1. Christopher\u2019s Place (<\/strong>http:\/\/www.stchristophersplace.com\/<\/a>) \u2013\u00a0 Opposite Bond Street Tube stop and very close to Selfridges. It is one of London\u2019s most individual specialist shopping areas. There are tons of caf\u00e9\u2019s and restaurants to choose from while walking around. On a nice day this place is hopping with people and is a good scene to check out.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Piccadilly Circus –\u00a0<\/strong>I equate it to Time Square…Central\u00a0location for hotels, bars and clubs.\u00a0\u00a0Its packed in the early afternoon\/evenings.\u00a0Theater shows are here – http:\/\/www.travellondon.com\/templates\/attractions\/gallery_piccadillycircus.html<\/a><\/p>\n

    Selffridges & Co. – <\/strong>http:\/\/www.selfridges.com\/index.cfm?page=1182<\/a>\u00a0– Dept store the size of a city block, ridiculously huge<\/p>\n

    Harrod’s <\/strong>–\u00a0http:\/\/www.harrods.com\/Cultures\/en-GB\/History\/<\/a>\u00a0is also a well known dept store but that’s in Knightsbridge which is a ways away.<\/p>\n

    Soho – <\/strong>http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soho<\/a> – True to the other places that share its name (New York and Hong Kong). Soho is a fun place to walk around. You\u2019ll find great and but non-pretentious restaurants, fun boutiques, record stores, and just cool places to hang out. Soho has a reputation for sex shops and a gay friendly neighborhood as well. Soho has\u00a0 a hopping nightlife where you might see some interesting characters and costumes.<\/p>\n

    Chinatown<\/strong> (best Dim Sum)\/ Leicester Sq \/ Trafalgar Sq. –\u00a0http:\/\/www.chinatown-online.co.uk\/<\/a>\u00a0 http:\/\/www.travellondon.com\/templates\/attractions\/chinatown.html<\/a><\/p>\n

    Common Sites<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Prices are subject to have changed since this was originally written.<\/p>\n

    GK Editorial:<\/strong> There are plenty of touristy sites to see in London. But if you\u2019re also into walking around and getting a vibe of the city I highly recommend checking out St. Christopher\u2019s Place and Covent Garden, Soho is fun too. You won\u2019t be disappointed with the vibe going on in these areas. Also walk around the Embankment (both sides) near Big Ben and on the other side by the London Eye.<\/p>\n

    Some areas\/borough\u2019s of London to check out for a more local feel:<\/p>\n