London
A World-Class City steeped in history and culture, and high tea 🙂
London, UK
The capital of the United Kingdom. It is home to the Monarchy and Parliament. It is also a world financial center.
There are so many things to do in London, this page could go on and on. So we will just focus on top attractions, how to get around London, and some restaurants near the hotel. Although I would not limit yourself to just Regents Park. With the Tube, Buses, and Taxis (And Uber) you can get around London easy enough.
Our hotel is by Regents Park, with 3 Tube stops very close (Great Portland Street on Circle Line, Regents Park on the Bakerloo Line, and Warren Street on the Victoria and Northern lines).
Top places to visit in London according to Tripadvisor.
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- Houses of Parliament
- Churchill War Rooms
- Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum
- Westminster Abbey
- British Museum
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Big Ben (although it is current covered with scaffolding and is not chiming)
- Buckingham Palace
- London Eye
- Plenty of guided bus and walking tours
Restaurants in short walking distance of the hotel with good Tripadvisor ratings
- The Place (Spanish)
- L’Albufera (Mediterranean)
- The Union (Pub)
- Green Man (Pub)
- Black Sheep Coffee (cafe)
- Istanbul Cafe (Turkish)
- The Albany (Pub)
- Queens Head (Pub)
Local Transportation
London is world-famous for the Underground (sometimes called the Tube) as well as double-decker buses and Black Cabs. Let me approach them one by one.
The Underground & other rail lines
The London Underground is the oldest subway in the world opening in 1863. The station closest to the hotel was a part of this original line. Today the Underground has 11 lines scattered across London and the near suburbs. The Underground is supplemented on the East end to Canary Wharf and London Airport by the Docklands Light Railway, or DLR. Then there are the London Overground Lines that connect more dots around London, not to mention other commuter railways.
The nice thing about all these different systems is they all use one fare structure, and the Oyster Card is the best way to get through the fare gates. London fares are divided by zones. But most of the central city is in zone one, so a one-way fare is £2.40. However, once you have paid £6.80 in fares, the fares cap in zone one for that day. So every ride beyond that fare is free until the end of the day. Just make sure your properly tap-in and tap-out of the system to avoid a penalty fare.
Buses
London Buses are also important, although they get caught in traffic, they connect areas of the city that are longer walks to the Tube. They are also cheaper than trains. And since they run on the streets they are great ways to see the city for the price of a fare. The London Buses also accept the Oyster Card. The fare in zone 1 is only £1.50. If you only use the bus to get around, your daily fare cap is £4.50. To use your Oyster card on a bus, just tap the card reader when you board. There is NO need to tap off of a bus.
Here are links to download London Transport…
- London Underground Map (includes DLR and Overground)
- Key bus routes of Central London
- Information on the Oyster Card
- A visitors guide to using all of London’s transportation options, including ferries from 2016
More Tourist information
- Transport for London – Trip Planner and official website for The Tube and Buses.
- Visit London – Official London Tourism site
- The Londonist – Blog, and videos of what to do in London
- Time-out London – Blog and tourist information
- London Walks – Inexpensive guided walking tours of London
Our home for 6 nights
The Melia White House Hotel
Albany Street, Regents Park, London NW1 3UP
Phone: +44 (0)207 391 3000
Hotel amenities
- All rooms are en suite and have free WiFi
- Each room has Minibar, safe, TV, Telephone, radio, teas/coffee service, iron, hairdryer
- On-site restaurant
- Workout room
- Overnight laundry/dry cleaning is available
Weather
Currency Exchange