London – the largest city of Europe

Updated: February 7, 2020 | By | 1 More

For more than two thousand years, the city of London has been considered to be one of the most influential settlements in the region. The city was founded and named by the Romans during their reign throughout most of Europe. Known originally as Londinium, the city has grown to be a leading city not just in Europe, but throughout the entire world.

London, England, UK
London, England, UK by Tim Morris

The city of London is perhaps one of the most visited places in the whole of the UK. Each year millions of people make their way to this ancient city to see the sites and experience the culture.

Within the city of London, you will find several World Heritage Sites which includes the Tower of London, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster, St. Margaret’s Church as well as the settlement of Greenwich which is home to the Royal Observatory.

There are more than 300 different languages commonly spoken within the city as it is home to more than seven and a half million residents; many of which come from ever corner of the globe. The metropolitan area that surrounds London is home to more than fourteen million residents.

Palace of Westminster, London-England, UK
Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK by Jim Trodel

The city of London is also home to the world’s oldest underground railway system, the London Underground. This rail system will get you all over the city. While not many tourists take the Underground, the experience is nonetheless an exciting one.

Countless people make their way to the Buckingham Palace in order to watch the Changing of the Guard. They also try their best to make the guard smile or make any kind of movements at all. There is so much to see in and around the Palace that many people spend a good portion of their day in the area.

Near by you will find the House of Parliament, Big Ben, the Tower Bridge as well as the Tower of London. Countless people make their way to the British Museum and spend the entire day looking through the collections housed within. Then there is the Princess Diana’s memorial that also gets many regular visitors.

Tower Bridge, London, England, UK
Tower Bridge, London, England, UK by Robert Brown

One of the more recent attractions in the city is that of the London Eye. Built for the new millennium, the London Eye is an amazing ferris wheel that takes you up, higher than most of the buildings in the city. From the top you can see for kilometers in every direction.

There is literally so much to see and do in the city of London, that one could spend an entire month on vacation within the city and only see a small portion of what the largest city in the European Union has to offer.

How to get to London

England is one of the most visited European countries and so it is London. There are several major airports around the city, serviced by perhaps all airlines that can be seen in Europe, from the most luxury up to those low-cost airlines offering cheap flights to London.

A quick guide to London’s airports

Heathrow

London’s largest and most modern airport is London Heathrow, which is located in the south-western part of the city. It is one of the busiest airports in Europe in general. London Heathrow has five terminals and two runways. Among the most important advantages of this airport is its location – it is easily accessible from the city centre, by numerous public transport services:

Public Transport Price
Heathrow Express Train £20.00 Runs every 15 minutes and the journey lasts 15 – 20 minutes
Heathrow Connect Train £9.50 Runs every 30 – 60 minutes and the journey lasts 25 – 30 minutes
National Express Bus £4.00 – £6.00 Variable timetable, the journey lasts 45 – 50 minutes
London Underground £3.00-£5.50 Runs every 5 minutes, the journey lasts 40 – 60 minutes
Black London Cab Taxi £45 – £70 The journey lasts 30 – 60 minutes
Private Car £60 – £75 The journey lasts 40 – 60 minutes
Private Bus ( 8 to 16 seats) £105 – £160 The journey lasts 40 – 60 minutes

You can find more about the London Heathrow on heathrowairport.com.

Gatwick

A few miles south of London, there is another large airport, Gatwick, which also provides flights to the whole world. Transport to central London is available in either a bus or train service. Of course it is possible to use the taxi as well.
Find more info on gatwickairport.com

London Stansted

London Stansted is currently London’s third busiest airport. It is located about 40 km north of London and is considered a base of low-cost airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet and others. Directly under the airport hall is the train station from where you can get to London, Cambridge and the Midlands. Stansted Express is the fasted way how to get to London and the price for return ticket is £32.80 (46 minutes), but you can use cheaper bus transport service from £6 for one way ticket.
Find more info on stanstedairport.com.

Luton

Luton is one of the smaller airports. Today it is already used by some cheaper airlines. Located about 50 kilometres south-east of London you can reach the city centre by regular bus or train services as well.
Find more info on london-luton.co.uk

London City Airport

Another airport in London is London City Airport. This is situated very close to the city centre. London City Airport, however, is the airport that is mainly used by private business clients. Regular flights are not arriving to this airport so you will probably never get there. Or… have you already been there?

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Category: Cities, Cities

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EuropeExplored.com serves as a resource of the very best travel destinations from within Europe, including natural attractions, cities, sights, museums, amusement and theme parks, and much much more. We hope that we can help you choose the best holiday destination for you, and ensure easier travel throughout Europe. If you have any questions, or suggestions, please comment below and We'll do our best to answer you.

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  1. Andy says:

    Nice suggestions of what to do in London! My wife and I have have just finished writing our guide to the city with more free advice on what to see. We’d also recommend walking along the South Bank for free and taking in the sights and stopping for coffee. Also Tate Modern is a must and again is free. There’s more here…..

    https://www.free-city-guides.com/london/

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