London Facts

London Facts

30 March, 2009
by: Spoonfed Team

London can undeniably be a bit daunting and sometimes you just need a bit of help finding your way around the maze that is our capital however with a few simple London facts, you should be all set, whether you're a local or a tourist. Understanding London’s local services, public transportation and culture is not as daunting as it may first seem and with Spoonfed’s help you will be able to take advantage of all that this amazing city has to offer.

Getting to grips with London – Basic London Facts

London is the most populous city in the European Union and is one of the world’s most important financial, cultural and business centres with over 300 languages spoken within the city. London has a recorded history that dates back over 2,000 years with many historic places of interest and sites relating to our Royal Family as well as historic settlers. London is divided into 32 boroughs, every one of which has a different cultural and historic background; exploring these different areas is one of the best ways to get to know London.

Getting Here

London is served by four airports; Heathrow and City, which are easily accessible through the London underground network and Gatwick and Luton which are a short ways outside the city. One of the most efficient means of travelling to London from Europe is through the Channel Tunnel on the Eurostar which arrives at St Pancras station. 

Most travellers coming by ferry from continental Europe will arrive in Dover and for services from the Netherlands and Denmark passengers will alight in Harwich. For travellers to London from within the UK there are dozens of bus companies which offer cheap and frequent coach services and Victoria Coach Station is London’s principal Coach gateway. Bus transport is also an excellent option for travel between London’s airports and the city centre, details of which can be found on the National Express website.

Getting Around

The London Underground is often the quickest and easiest method of transport in Central London, although these services do not run 24 hours a day.  The Transport for London (TFL) website will provide detailed travel information. For transport to and from Greater London, the Overground service offers a wide range of destinations.

Buses in London are cheap and frequent, details of all bus routes and timetables are available from TFL. Routes numbers that begin with the letter N are in operation all night and services which run 24 hours per day are clearly marks at all stops.

Taxis are available throughout London but always ensure that you take a licensed cab. The best way to ensure you are get a licensed taxi service is to text ‘Taxi’ to 60835 and you will be sent the numbers for three cab companies in your area.

Getting to know people

If you’re making London your new home, getting even simple tasks done can seem overwhelming if you’re not sure where to find help. Luckily there are many fantastic websites that can give you tips and information on how to settle into this diverse and exciting city. 
Here are some great websites for meeting new people, finding interest groups and learning about London:

Gumtree – a classified listings service where you can find everything from a used television or a flat to a date for Friday night.

Meetup – a network of interest groups that meet up around the city and a great way to meet new people

118 – an online and text service in the style of the Yellow Pages which can provide you with anything from train times to the location of your nearest swimming pool or the number of a decent plumber.

Spoonfed – that’s right, right here you can find great events where you can meet new people with similar interests.  Why not check out what’s on in London right now by searching for events you enjoy?

Getting Help

As home to the UK’s largest police force and a free national health service (NHS) London is a very safe place in which to travel. However, if the worst does happen there are plenty of things that you can do.

In case of emergency only, dial 999 for immediate access to police, fire and ambulance services.
If your bag is lost or stolen report the incident at the nearest police station. The London Metropolitan Police Service can be contacted on 0300 123 1212 and operators can direct to the nearest station or direct your calls to other local authorities.

If you are injured or feel unwell but do not require urgent medical care, NHS Direct (0845 4647) is the information line to call for health advice and non emergency assistance.
For any passport or Visa related problems you should contact your countries’ embassy which will have a residence in central London.

For more help and tips on things to do in London, sign up for Spoonfed to get personalised recommendations for events based on your interests and a weekly newsletter with the top picks for London events. Remember to check back for more articles, reviews and weekend guides like this one.

Spoonfed Team