London (United kingdom)
London is the capital of England. It is located at the shore of the Thames River and it is the largest city in Western Europe. Besides its lively nightlife, London is famous for a number of historical and modern buildings, comprehensive shopping opportunities and good follow-up connections around the world. London is also famous as an opera and musical capital, including the world's first Hard Rock Cafe, which is still in use. For sport fans the city offers the largest football stadium in England, and the world famous Wimbledon tennis area.
Population: 8,416,535
Popular destination:
Yes
Official language:
English
Emergency numbers: 112 (the police, ambulance, fire brigade)
Currency: Pound sterling (GBP)
Electric plugs: G
Voltage: 120 V
Tipping in a restaurant: A service fee is often included. If it's not, in good service restaurants the expected tip is around 10%, otherwise, it isn't expected.
Time in destination: Jan 20, 2020, 2:12:20 PM
Location map
Weather Forecast
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Monthly Weather Conditions
London's weather changes regularly. December and January are the months with the most rainy days. London has high daily temperatures during the summer, and in the winter temperatures fall below freezing. Rainfall is regular, occurring throughout the year, with July and August having the lowest rainfall.
The best months to visit from a weather perspective are March, April and May when spring brings London a happy medium in the weather. The next preference should be June, July and August, where you'll find comfortable summertime temperatures.
When it does rain, London still has a huge range of great indoor, and enclosed places to visit.
| Month | Average Temperature °F | High Temperature °F | Low Temperature °F | Rainy Days | Rating |
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| January | 42.6 | 46.9 | 38.7 | 10 |
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| February | 42.8 | 47.3 | 38.1 | 7 |
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| March | 46.4 | 52.0 | 41.0 | 9 |
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| April | 49.8 | 56.3 | 43.5 | 8 |
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| May | 55.9 | 62.8 | 48.9 | 8 |
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| June | 61.2 | 68.0 | 54.1 | 8 |
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| July | 65.5 | 72.7 | 58.3 | 6 |
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| August | 65.5 | 72.5 | 58.5 | 6 |
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| September | 60.6 | 66.7 | 54.5 | 8 |
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| October | 54.3 | 59.5 | 49.3 | 9 |
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| November | 47.7 | 52.2 | 43.2 | 9 |
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| December | 44.4 | 48.4 | 40.5 | 10 |
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More information: London forecast and weather conditions monthly
Sights
London 10 most important sights:
- British Museum: Museum with a large collection of world art and artefacts; is free to all visitors.
- National Gallery: The National Gallery has one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world.
- Natural History Museum: Contains a huge collection of specimens, from plants to geological items; also contains the skeletons of a diplodocus dinosaur and blue whale.
- Tate Britain: Art gallery
- Coca-Cola London Eye: Large Ferris wheel
- Science Museum: The museum's exhibitions cover all areas of science and technology.
- Victoria and Albert Museum: World-famous museum of art and design.
- Tower of London: Historic castle
- Royal Museums Greenwich: Offers four museums
- Madame Tussauds London: A museum known for its life-sized wax models of celebrities.
Recommendation for one day:
- Visit the Tower of London, one of the city's most famous landmarks. The historic "Jewel House" houses the Crown Jewels.
- Across the river is The London Eye, offering breathtaking views of London. Much more than a ferris wheel, this rotating attraction offers 32 enclosed capsules for full, 360 degree views of historic London.
- Nearby is Big Ben, a tour will take you up 334 stone spiral steps to the top of the Elizabeth Tower, where you can hear the clock strike the hour; as well as seeing a spectacular view from 62 metres above London.
- Sign up for an Alternative London Tour to explore the culture, community and street art of London's vibrant East End. Or you can go for a Thames RIB Experience which has the fastest and most powerful fleet of high-speed RIBs on the River Thames.
- Cap off the evening at Brick Lane Music Hall, a great theatre and dining venue based in London's Docklands, offering a modern take on traditional music hall-style entertainment.
More information: London sights on map
Guide video
Accommodation Area
The recommended accommodation areas for London are:
Cheap area: Paddington
Central location: Marble Arch, Marylebone
Beach area: Broadstreet, Kent, Camber Sands
Nightlife: Bloomsbury, Soho
More information: Recommended districts of London on map
Price Level
Compared to prices worldwide, London is an expensive destination.
On a tight budget, the daily budget is approximately $68.37, which includes hostel accommodation, budget meals and public transportation.
On a moderate budget, the daily budget is approximately $368.69, which includes a moderately priced hotel, meals at moderate priced restaurants and transportation costs.
Estimated prices:
- Hotel (2 stars): $80.80
- Hotel (3 stars): $117.19
- Hotel (4 stars): $203.12
- Hotel (5 stars): $406.24
- Taxi ride (3 miles): $12.52
- Taxi ride (6 miles): $21.13
- Beer in a restaurant (16 ounces): $4.82
- Meal, McDonalds: $7.16
- Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant: $15.64
More information: London price level
Destination Map
Destination map in full scale: London destination map
Safety
London has been classified as fairly safe with security classification 3/5.
Safety index values (higher is better):
- General: 47.6 (a little weaker than United states average 49.0)
- Walking alone during daytime hours: 65.9 (a little weaker than United states average 69.0)
- Walking alone at night: 41.0 (a little weaker than United states average 41.3)
More information: London safety
Car Rental
Things which affect the renting of the car:
- Driver’s license: In the European Union / Schengen a driver's license from an EU country is sufficient, although for North Americans it is recommended to carry a separate international driving license, in addition to the American driving license.
- Direction of traffic: In Europe the traffic is mainly right-handed. The exception is Great Britain, which is left-handed traffic.
- Insurance: In Western Europe, all rental cars include some kind of insurance, so additional insurance policies are often unnecessary (unless you are going to Russia or Eastern Europe).
- Driving abroad: You can drive a rental car almost everywhere within all countries of the European Union / Schengen territory without additional fees. Eastern European countries and Russia are the exceptions and you should always ask the car rental company in advance about the rules.
More information: Car rental Europe