Sometimes it’s the simple things that matter when visiting a big city like London for the first time. Simple things like using public transport. Visitors know they want to see Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the British Museum and the city’s other top visitor attractions. But they also want a guidebook that will show them how to use London’s comprehensive public transport system – what is an Oyster card, how late does the underground run, how much do taxis cost, and all that kind of thing.
London Public Transport Guide
The latest 2010 edition of Lonely Planet’s guide to London devotes ten of its 412 pages to Transport, which may not sound much but it does tell you pretty well everything you need to know about getting around London using public transport. It includes a section on the Oyster card, which is by far the cheapest way of travelling around the city. The guide also shows just how expensive London public transport is, compared to other cities, if you don’t use the Oyster card. There’s a section on getting around by boat (a much-neglected and wonderful way of seeing the city), the differences between the black taxi cabs and minicabs, and very useful sections on all five of the main airports serving London, and how to get into the city from each of them, with prices given for the various possible methods.
Lonely Planet London Authors
I always like to check out the authors of guidebooks, to try to weigh up just how well they do know the destination. In the case of Lonely Planet’s London guide, the answer is very well. Two of the three main authors (Steve Fallon and Vesna Maric) have both lived in London for over ten years each, while the third author, Tom Masters, has recently spent over ten years living, working, and studying in London, though he now lives in Berlin.
Best Things to Do in London
The authors have chosen the best things about the different parts of London in a full-colour Highlights section at the front of the guidebook. Some of the districts and their recommended highlights are:
- The West End: West End Restaurants, British Museum, Trafalgar Square
- The City: Monument, Barbican, Tower of London, Leadenhall Market
- The South Bank: London Eye, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe
Even if you only had time to see these London Highlights on your visit, you’d cover the best of the city in a very short time.
Literary London
There’s an excellent and long (four pages) piece on London’s Literature, in the Backgrounds chapter, and anyone wanting to know more about the city before their visit should check out some of the recommended books. The essay goes back to the London of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and ends by listing some of the best contemporary authors writing about London, such as Monica Ali and Jake Arnott.
London Hotels: Cheap and Luxury
The Lonely Planet guides used to appeal only to backpacker travellers, those touring around on a budget and looking for cheap hotels and hostels. These budget travellers are still catered for in the 24 pages of hotel listings, but so too is the luxury end of the market. In fact if you only included budget hotels in a guide to London it would be a very slim section indeed. London is expensive, no doubt about it. Also, you can’t write a guide to London accommodation and not include some of the city’s great landmark hotels, such as the Savoy, the Waldorf Hilton, One Aldwych, The Dorchester, and the Ritz, all reviewed here, but you will also find write-ups for cheaper places like the YHA Oxford Street and the Piccadilly Backpackers. The authors also suggest other options for cutting the costs of staying in London, such as self-catering, long-term rentals, or renting a room or a flat.
Lonely Planet London Guidebook
If you’re planning on visiting London soon then the Lonely Planet guide is an excellent choice for a very thorough look at London, from three local expert writers. It costs £13.99 in the UK and $19.99 in the USA. More details from the Lonely Planet Website.
Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
