Visitors Guide To London

London is one of the world's biggest and most visited international cities. No matter what age or background you are, there will be plenty of things to see and do to keep you occupied for as long as you choose to be there. If you are on a tight schedule, and most visitors from places like Australia are, it is not the sort of place where you fly in, and after checking into your accommodation hit the streets, unless you've been before and have already seen the attractions you want to see and this visit is about getting to know the place and taking in the ambience. If that is you, then don't bother reading any more of this article. If you are a first timer, may we offer a few tips to make your first visit to London a happy and memorable one.


London Underground

Getting Around

Unless you are a glutton for punishment, don't hire a car and try to drive around inner London. It's too busy, too expensive and too difficult to find your way around, get parking etc., unless you are a local or have the knowledge of a local. London is that sort of place. If you intend to hire a car and visit others parts of Britain after your visit to London, get yourself a Visitors Oyster Card and do all your travelling in and around London using it, and leave picking up a hire car until after London. An Oyster Card, which is London's version of the cashless travel ticket, lets you travel on above ground trains, underground trains and buses so there isn't a corner of London that you might choose to visit that your Oyster Card can't take you there. The pre-paid cards come with some credit included. You tap on at the beginning of every journey and tap off at the end, and the cost of travel is automatically deducted from your credit. A visitors Oyster Card has a fixed maximum charge per day if your first journey of the day begins outside of the morning peak period.

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Destinations By The Underground

Destinations in and around London that are listed here include places we have been to and found of interest to us as visitors to London. As with all places, the locals are more familiar with their city than visitors will ever be, so we have included a link to a list of online websites, blogs and video walks which present the city from a local's perspective.

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Day Trips From London

There are many destinations in the south of England that can be reached easily from London within an hour or two, either by train or by car. We have selected 12 that we have visited that provide the perfect day out.

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See and Do

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Food & Drink Guides

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Online Information About London

There are many excellent online visitor guides to London and it was not our intention when putting this website together to create another one. Our aim was to give a beginner's guide to London from an Australian perspective, based on our own experiences, and to offer advice on how to make the most of your time and money in London and save some money along the way. The places in and around London we have been to are detailed in the "Neighbourhoods" section (see entry link at the top of this page). As for other online visitor guides and information websites, we have listed the ones we have found to be the most helpful, informative and useful, both when planning our visit to London and during our actual visits.

The London Guide Visit London Time Out London London Town Likeable London Links The London Pass Oyster Card: Visitors Guide
London's most unusual museums Online Websites and Blogs About London


Pocket Oz and its associated websites have been compiled by Stephen Yarrow from material obtained by him, and all information is published as information only. The publishers are not responsible for its accuracy and inclusion of information on this site or other sites linked to it does not constitute any representation or offer by the businesses, services or organisations contained therein, nor are the views or opinions expressed therein necessarily those of this website's publishers. As this website is a guide based on information obtained at the time of publishing, readers are advised to do their own research. Please direct enquiries about places and services featured to the relevant service provider.

Content and concept © Stephen Yarrow | Email us



About London



London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic 'Big Ben' clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city. London is one of the leading tourist destinations in the world and in 2015 was ranked as the most visited city in the world with over 65 million visits. It is also the top city in the world by visitor cross-border spending, estimated at US$20.23 billion in 2015.

London is a major international air transport hub with the busiest city airspace in the world. Eight airports use the word London in their name, but most traffic passes through six of these. Additionally, various other airports also serve London, catering primarily to general aviation flights. London Heathrow Airport, in Hillingdon, West London, is the busiest airport in the world for international traffic, and is the major hub of the nation's flag carrier, British Airways.

Leisure is a major part of the London economy, with a 2003 report attributing a quarter of the entire UK leisure economy to London. Globally, the city is amongst the big four fashion capitals of the world, and according to official statistics London is the world's third busiest film production centre, presents more live comedy than any other city, and has the biggest theatre audience of any city in the world.

Within the City of Westminster in London the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London and world film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements. London's theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district (in Soho), and just to the east is Covent Garden, an area housing speciality shops. The city is the home of Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose musicals have dominated the West End theatre since the late 20th century. The United Kingdom's Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Opera and English National Opera are based in London and perform at the Royal Opera House, the London Coliseum, Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Royal Albert Hall as well as touring the country.




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