London overview

The perfect combination between elegance, charm, history and a splendid architecture, London is one of the world's greatest tourist destinations. Every year, more than 25 million people visit this amazing mecca. With a population of over 7 millions and an area of about 609 square miles, London is a heaven for nature lovers. Over 30% of London is made up of green spaces and parks. Spend your vacation in the middle of nature; take a walk through Hyde Park and it will bring romance back in your life.

Attractions	Airports
Events	Newspapers
Weather	Restaurants
Taxes	Universities
Get Around	Banks
Transportation	Kids

Customer service

We care for our costumers; this is why you'll find us here, always ready to help you, no matter your problem or question. 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, you may reach us TOLL FREE at 1-888-254-0637 or outside the U.S. please call 00-800-84469370 and +1-210-507-5997, send us an email at rooms@citylondonhotel.com or consult our Help section.
Contact us to make or cancel a reservation, or just to ask our advice. We're waiting to hear from you.

London facts

Population: More than 7.2 million people call London their home.
Located in the Greenwich time zone, London is 5 hours ahead of the eastern United States.

Get Around: London covers 609 square miles with its boroughs and villages. London's City Center actually covers only one square mile.

The telephone area code for England is 44, while the London area code is 020.

Telephone: If you wish to call from London to London, you only need to use the local number. But when you wish to call London from the United Stares, you need to dial the international code 011, Britain's country code 44, London's area code 020, and the local phone number. In you ever need assistance to call in London, please dial 142. If you need assistance to call in England, please dial 192.

Weather: In London, temperatures reach a low of 13F in December and a high of 71F in July and August. Even in summer, evenings are cold here.

Events: We advise you to visit London in summer, from April to October. If you choose to spend the English national holidays in London, you surely won't regret it. Visit London on New Year's Day, the Good Friday before Easter, the May Day on the first Monday in May, the Whitsun Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May, the Bank Holiday on the last Monday in August, the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Boxing Day on December 26 and New Year's Eve.

Business hours: In London, business hours are usually from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Most stores are open Monday through Saturday, from 9 am to 5:30 pm, so that you have plenty of time to experience London shopping.
In London, pubs are usually open from 11 am to 11 pm Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 10:30 pm on Sunday. Several restaurants are open until midnight.

Drugstores are also called chemists in London. If you ever need an emergency chemist, please dial “0”, ask for the local police and they will tell you which chemist is closest to you.

Electricity: When you visit London, please remember that British electricity is 240 volts AC, twice the voltage in North America. You should also remember to bring adapters or transformers, because American plugs do not fit British wall outlets.

Emergencies: In case of an emergency, please call 999 for police, fire, or ambulance.

Taxes: In Britain, the tax for gasoline is 25%, while the value-added tax (VAT), added to all hotel and restaurant bills is of 17.5%.
In the price of your ticket, Britain also included a departure tax.

Tipping: For taxis, tips usually vary from10% to 15% .If the driver helps you with your luggage, you could add an extra tip.

Currency: In London, people use the pound (£), made up of 100 pence.

To get to London by air, you could use the Gatwick Airport and the Heathrow Airport. The Luton, London City and Stansted airports usually serve regional flights.

Heathrow Airport: The Heathrow Airport is located 15 miles west of London, close to Staines & Hounslow. The airport is the busiest in London and it offers travelers 4 terminals. Terminal 1 serves domestic flights, terminal 2 serves mostly European flights, terminal 3 is used for North American, South American, Asian and African flights, while terminal 4 serves the British Airways long haul flights.
For more information, please call 0870 000 0123.

Heathrow Connecting Transportation: Every 15 minutes, the Heathrow Express trains can take you to Paddington Station. You get there in only 15 minutes. Some airlines allow you to check your luggage at Paddington Station. For more information, please dial 0845-600-1515. To get to London, you could also use the Tube. The Piccadilly line serves Heathrow's terminals.

Gatwick Airport: Located south of London, 28 miles away from the city center, the Gatwick Airport is the second largest airport in the United Kingdom. The airport offers travelers two terminals that operate 90 airlines and serve about 200 destinations. With the Gatwick Airport, your flight will be safe and pleasant.
For more information, please call 0870 000 2468.

Gatwick Connecting Transportation: To get into London really fast, we advise you to use the Gatwick Express trains. Every 15 minutes, these trains will take you to Victoria Station. The journey takes only half an hour.
To get to your hotel, you could use the Hotelink shuttle or the hotel courtesy vans. To get to Victoria Coach Station you could use the Jetlink and Flightline buses.

Bus: 400 yards south of the Victoria Station, the Victoria Coach Station welcomes most of the national and international coaches. For more information, please call 020-7730-3466.
If you ever become interested in traveling through Britain, we recommend you the National Express bus line, and if you wish to travel to the Continent, Eurolines will help you. For more information about both bus lines, please call 0870-580-8080.
In what concerns public transportation, we advise you to dial 020-7222-1234. The London Transport Authority is there to help you 24 hours a day.

Buses: The red double-decked London buses will make you feel like you travel through time. You usually have to buy tickets on board, because new ticket machines were introduced only in central London. Newsagents offer one-day bus passes. Some buses are also available at night; you only have to check their timetable.
To visit the tows surrounding London, you could use the green buses.
To get from the Tower of London to the Docklands area, we recommend you to try the rapid Docklands Light Railway. Besides the journey, you will also enjoy breathtaking views of London.
The London Subway/Underground is also called the Tube. With the Tube, you'll get to any area in London or the suburbs in almost no time.
London has decided to offer you a special kind of taxi: the water taxi. London boats will take you along river Thames and make you fall in love with this amazing city.

Taxi: Hail the well-known black cab when the sign "For Hire" is illuminated. Before getting into a cab, we recommend you to ask the driver for an approximate fare. Most of them accept credit cards. You'll always find cabs at train stations, but if you ever need a cab and can't seem to find one, please dial 020-7272-0272 or 020-7286-0286.

Train: There are several train stations in London, such as Euston, St. Pancras, King's Cross, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo stations. For more information, please call 0845-748-4950.