London is a well known and highly popular tourist destination, drawing in around 30 million visitors a year. This is unsurprising, with 6 airports and 14 different train termini serving the city, London is often top of the bucket list for peoples dream European holiday. However, the culture shock might be bigger than you think on a first time trip to the city. Guests of hotels near Paddington Station who might have visited England before but not its capital city, might find that London is quite different to the rest of the country, indeed the rest of Europe.
There are a variety of reasons for this. London is an international city for starters, comprising over 20% non-native English speakers whilst other parts of the country have as little as 3%. London is also much larger than many other European capitals, making it more of a series of villages than one large city. All of these mean that a first time guest of the Queens Park Hotel might find their stay here a little different from other city escapes.
Below are some tips to help first time Londoners navigate the city, get to grips with the culture and heighten the enjoyment of their holiday.
Look Right When Crossing The Road
England is one of just a third of countries in the world where cars drive on the left hand side of the road, but it’s probably the most prominent. First time guests of twin room hotels in London then, should always make sure to look right rather than left when crossing the road, especially at rush hour in the centre of the city.
Peak Times And Travel In London
Speaking of rush hour, London’s runs from 6.30 am to 9.30 am and between 4 pm and 7 pm. Between these hours, London Underground services will be especially busy and single tube journey costs can rise by 30%. It’s always advised to avoid busy stations during these hours.
London’s Public Transport
And that brings us neatly onto London’s public transport system. London’s 1500 square kilometre size has led to the London Underground becoming one of the most important modes of transport in the city. Undoubtedly, guests of double room hotels in London will use the London Underground at least once during their visit. With 12 tube lines, visitors can travel from one side of the city to the other in as little as half an hour.
You can pay for your tube journey via contactless debit or credit card, but you’ll also find many discounts and benefits for your journey if you invest £5 in an Oyster card. The blue, debit card sized Oyster is a top up card solely used for public transport which gives the user more options for discounts such as railcard link ups and day, week or even month long travel cards.
Many Museums Are Free
If you’re visiting London for the landmarks and monuments, remember that many of them are free to visit. For instance, the National Gallery, British Museum and Natural History Museum all have permanent exhibitions that you don’t have to pay for. Make sure to check in advance to see if the attractions you plan to visit are free or ticketed, you might be surprised at how long the free list is!
