London, England.
Area code 020, Research date: June 15, 2000.
We use L for symbol for pounds.
i Tourist
Information: 1 Lower Regent St.@SW1. M9:30-18:30, Tu-F9-18:30, SS10-16:00. A lot
of information. Good and friendly staff. U-Piccadilly Circus.
www.visitbritain.com
Exchange is possible upstairs. Cash 1 pound=$1.604, 169.9 yen.
T/C 0.5% com. 1pound=$1.604, 169.4yen
Free publication: TNT, Southern Cross. Many free magazines are
available, which contain a lot of travel information and cheap
airfare, buses, tours, accommodation, etc. Excellent source of
travel.
London Planner: official guide from British Tourist Authority.
Many updated information for sights and theatres etc.
AM American Express: 30-31 Haymarket, 7920-3107 Exchange M-F8:30-19:30
Sa9-18:30, Su10-17. 1 pound =$1.689, 170 yen, Can$ 2.347
Amex T/C no com. But cash com 2 pounds, other T/C 1.5%
Emergency 0800-521313
Exchange: Many private exchange booths are in town. Most of them,
such as "Change Point" charge very high commission
for T/C(8 pounds!!!) and the rates are usually very low. Make
sure the rate and commission before you change money.
$ Fortune Exchange: Earl's Court, just in front of the main gate.
Good palce to change money. T/C no commission. 1 pound =$164,
180yen. Cash is higher for rate.
M0: Post Office
Japan USA Australia Europe
Post card 40p 40p 40p 36p
Letter 45p 45p 45p 36p
Small package 1kg air L9.7 L8.8 L9.7 L4.92
Small package 1kg surface L3.99 L3.99 L3.99 L3.99
M1 You don't have to go to telephone office.
Local calls 10p. You can have international call or collect calls
from most of the pay phones. But if you call overseas, you buy
private company phone cards. They all use pin code system and
call back system. So you have to dial a lot of numbers but the
cost is incredibly cheap, Many difference companies offering
the service so make sure the rate before you buy a card. Unitycompany:
USA/Canada 1p/min. AZ/NZ 2p/min. Japan 3p/min. Cards are available
from kiosk or phone cards shops.
Transport
Airports
There are three international airports.
LHR(London Heathrow)
U-Piccadilly Line. 1 hr from the center.
N97(night bus): from the city center, Trafalgr sq. via Glocester
Rd, Earl's court, etc. L1.00
Exchange: T/C com !.5% min 3pond. Tomas Cook does not charge
for their T/C
Coin Exchange USA, France, Japan, AZ For J 10 yen =10p bargain.
Underground to Central 3.5pounds, Travel card all zone 4.5pound
M-F after 9:30, SaSu all day.
Information and free hostel reservation are available.
Gatwick: From Victoria station. by train
L8.7, by bus
Stansted Airport: train from Liverpool station
City Airport: ? take a underground Jublee line to Canningtown
then bus
Louton: take a train from King Cross
Bus
There are two bus stations. Both are near Victoria station. No
bus pass for domestic service If you are over 50 buy Advantage
50 and if you are student or under 25 buy Coachcard, both with
L9 good for 1 year which give you 20-30% discount for your bus
fare.
Day return fare is almost same to single so if you take a day
trip, make sure you take a day return fare.
B1 Victoria Couch Station. Serving domestic long distance service
and international ones.
B2 Greenline station: serving within 25 miles around London
Busabout: T0171-950-1661 info@busabout.co.uk
ta Eurolines/National Express: near Victoria
station. T08705-143219, www.eurolines.co.uk
ta KCE: Bus to Czech, T0800-496-0001 To Prague/Bruno OW/RT L50/64
-26-L45/64. Oct-May MWThSu Jun-Sep additional FSa leaving 13:00
arr Prague 13:00, Brno 15:45
ta Capital Express: bus to Prague. L45/80 leave 18:30, arr Prague(Flerenc
coach station) 15:00. 4 to 7 buses/week depends on season.
From Pargue 18:30, arr London 14:00 OW1980kc, RT 3420kc. U Vystaviste
3 T02-87-03-68 capital@comp.cz. www.capitalexpress.cz
ta Bohemian EXpress: To Prague/Bruno office at Victoria Greenline
station. fare o Prague L40/L80, to Brno L45/85 dep Tu20:30 arr
W17:15/19:45, depSa19:00 arrSu16:00/18:30, depW15:00 arrTh11:45/14:15
Fare from Prague/Brno OW1950/2100 RT3650/3850
ta Bohemian Lines: same as above. 4 buses/week dep London TuThSaSu11:45
arr Prague 9:30+1 arr Brno 12:00+1 fare to Prague/Brno OW50/55
RT80/85.
From Czech dep Brno TuThFSu15:30 del Prague 18:30 arr London
14:30+1
ta Gullivers Reisen: Buckingham Palace Rd. T00800-4855-4837 To
Berlin dep14:30 arr 9:00 OW/RT/-26+60OW/RT L55/91/50/82. To Hamburg
dep 14:30 arr 7:30 L46/72/41/63, To Hannover dep 14:30 arr 5:30
L46/72/41/63. To Amsterdam/Brussels dep 14:30 arr 21:00/23:55
29/42/27/39
Amsterdam office: Central Station, leave5:00 arr 12:30 Brussels
office Gare Centrale leave 8:00 arr12:30. Berlin office In'l
Coach City Centre Hardenbergplatz S-Bahnbogen T3110-2710, dep20:00
arr12:30. Hamburg office Zentraler Busbahnhof am Hauptbahnhof
T040-35-38-23, dep 21:3- arr 12:30. Hannover office Zentraler
Omnibusbahnhof T0511-31-20-22 dep23:30 arr 12:30
Trains
Domestic To
Oxford: Citylink(Oxford bus company) Normal/day return/3-M return
L7/7.5/9.5. Student 6/6.5/7 family na/22/26
Local Transport
Travel card is the most common tickets which allow you unlimited
travel within a certain area for bus, underground, Dockland Light
Railway, trains after 9:30 on M-F and any time on SS. Not good
for night bus
One day travel card: Zone 1&2 L3.9, All Zone L4.7
Weekend travel card: Good for Sa and Su, Zone 1&2 L5.8, All
Zone L7.0
7 day travel card: Zone 1&2 L18.2, All Zone L35.4
One day LT card: no time restriction Zone 1&2 L5.0, All zone
L7.0
Family Travelcard: adult L2.6 each and a child(3-15 years old)
L0.8 each. Must travel together.
Millennium LT Card: L3.5. If you have a Millennium Done ticket,
you can use local transport without time restriction.
Bus: double-decker red bus. There are two fare, 70p or L1.00.
Bus pass for zone 1&2 L3.0, All Zone L11.5. Night bus: L1.0
or L1.5
Underground: from L1.5 depends on zones you travel.
Hostels
For reservation 0171-373-3400, F0171-373-3455. Credit card accepted
If you want to book on the same day, they may take your reservation
without payment. No membership required. No discount for IYH
E-mail YHALondonReservation@compuserve.com
City of London YH: 36 Carter Lane, T236-4965,
dr 22.15/18.65 bf
U-St. Paul, Central
Earl's Court YH: 38 Bolton Garden. T373-7083,
dr19.99/17.15, bf, @
U-Earl's Court, Piccadilly
Hampstead Heath YH: 4 Wellgarth Rd. 181-458-9054
dr19.35/17.00, bf
U-Golden Green, Northern
Holland Huse YH: Holland Walk, Kensington
T171-937-0748 dr19.45/17.1, bf
U-Holland Park, Central, District, Circle
Oxford Street: 14 Noel St. T171-734-1618,
dr19.45/15.90, bf
U-Oxford Circus, Bakerloo, Cental or Victoria
Rotherhithe YH: Sater Rd. T171-232-2114,
dr22.15/18.65 bf
U-Rotherhithe,
St Pancras YH: 79-81 Euston Rd. T171-388-6766
dr 22.15/18.65, bf
U-Euston, King Court, Victoria
Private Hostel
The Albert Hose Hotel: 191 Queen's way, T7584-3019
sb dr12, ab dr15, July -Aug sb dr14, ab dr17 bf, Good staff
U-South Kensington 10 min walk. Rec
h Ayer's Rock Hostel: 16 Longridge Rd.
Earl's Court T7373-2944
h Inchement Hostel: 25 Collingham Place: Earl's Court T7370-2414
h Meridan Hotel: 20 West Cromwell Rd. 7373-7951
h West Two Hotel: 22-23 Kensington Garden Square, T7221-9171
From L8.00.
Restaurant
Many good trendy restaurants in Soho area specialy Wardour Street.
Also a market in Soho has very cheap fruit and cheese, etc.
r ECCo: 146? Glocester Rd. just S from the Underground station.
Pizza/Sandwich L3 Pizza and great sandwich. U-Glocester.
r St. martin Cafeteria: Basement of the
St. Martin, near Trafalgar sq.
ST. Martin has concert. Free lunch concert is free. MTF 13:05-,
W 13:05, 17:00 Corral service, Eveneing concerts 19:30-21:30
cost varies, about L15.00
Travel Insurance company.
Travel insurance is very cheap. ex. For 1 year 149 pounds.
Family Travel: 4 Royal Opera Arcade, Haymarket. 0870-444-2628.
Trekker Insurance: 0800-1696115
Backpacker's Insurance: 0800-1693518
Cheap flights
ta Cheapest flights: cheapestflight.co.uk. 0800-092-0591
Other
Landry mat: many in town. The machines are big can take 3-4 kg.
Wash L3.4, dry L0.4
@ Internet @
Many in town, but the costs are not cheap. Most has min. charge,
1 to 2 pounds. The speeds are very fast.
Earl's Court, just in front of the main gate of the undergound.
Internet Lounge Earrl's court garden. 8/10:00-23/24:00, L1/hr
Speed is very good and facilties are also good but their very
strong firewall may restrict your communication.
Cyber Park: Hogarth Rd. small shop on the 1 floor. L1/hr.
Sight
S Madame Tussaud's: 10-17:30. L11.00. Very popular. Long line
to get in everyday. Once you get inside, you have to keep walking
on one direction.
U-Baker Street
S National History Museum: Famous for many
dinosaur hassles U-S. Kensington L7.5. Admission free time M-F16:30,-17:30,
SS 17:00-17:30
Out of Town
To get the cheap day return train fare, you have to leave after
M-F9:30, SaSu all days. Information 0345-484950
DR: Cheap Day Return, SART: Super Advance Return Fare, SS: Super
Saver Fare
Bath: 1.5hr, SART-L25.50, SS-L31.00, dep Paddington M-F9:45,
10:15, 10:45, more, Return 27 & 57 min of the hour, Sa9:45,
10:15, more, Return 27 min of the hour. Last bus 21:37.
Brighton: 50min. DR L14.60, dep Victoria
2 trains/hr, dep London Bridge 2 trains/hr,
Cambridge: 45min. DR L14.60, dep Kings
Kross, 3 trains/hr
Canterbury: 1.5 hr, DR L15.40, dep Victoria
to Canterbury W. 1/hr, Victoria to Canterbury E 1/hr, dep Charing
Cross to Canterbury W, 1 or 2/hr
Oxford: 1hr L14.80, dep Paddington, 2 trains/hr
Salisbury: 1.5hr, L21.50, Dep Waterloo, 1/hr
Stratford-Upon-Avon, 2hr, L19.50, dep Paddington, M-F9:18, 11:18,
Return 14:04, 17:32, 20:00, Sa 9:18, 11:18, return 13:50, 17:32,19:32,
23:15. Su by bus 9:45, 11:45, Return14:35, 17:55
Windsor: 40min. L6.10, Dep Waterloo M-Sa
2 trains/hr Su 1/hr
York: 2hr, Daypex L23.00(must be purchased by 18:30 on the day
before) or SAR L46.00, dep King's Cross 2 trains/hr, |
