“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” Samuel Johnson once said and he wasn’t wrong. It’s a city of dark pubs, gleaming towers, gothic beauty and elegant town houses where artists, dreamers and cockney geezers co-exist with bankers and aristocrats in one tumultuous mass.
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Guide to Taking a Gap Year in London
Getting around
London’s Underground, known as the Tube, is the world’s oldest rapid transport system, but bikes, buses and boats remain the best way to navigate the city. Buy a Visitor Oyster card online for great savings on your fares or at stations and newsagents sporting the Oyster sign.
Cost cutter
See the sights from the top deck of a vintage double-decker bus. The number nine travels from Knightsbridge to Trafalgar Square, through the West End. It’s a half-hour journey and a couple of pounds well spent.
Mean streets
The days when London was in the grip of the East End’s very own godfathers, the Kray twins, have long gone, but gang culture is still a problem in the city’s grittier boroughs, especially south of the river. As a tourist, however, you’re unlikely to be caught up in it.
I’m a vegetarian, get me out of here
London has a thriving Indian community and you can dine on delicious low-cost veggie Indian fare. Work up a sweat in Brick Lane, Tooting and Southall.
Save some space for…
A ticket back! You’ll never have time to visit even a fraction of London’s thousands of shops. Failing that, snaffle a monogrammed mug or London Underground T-shirt from the gift shops around Buckingham Palace, Leicester Square and Piccadilly.
Conversation starter
You wouldn’t believe it to look at the churning brown waters, but the Thames is one of Europe’s cleanest metropolitan rivers. No longer the city’s sewer, its murky depths are home to 120 species of fish.
Experiences
Rummage around London’s markets
Londoners love a market. Collect bric-a-brac in Brick Lane, punk-styles in Camden, posh bites in Borough Market and a nice pot plant for your dorm at Columbia Road flower market. And that’s just for starters… there’s an almost inexhaustible supply of them.
Look out of the London Eye
Rise above the Thames on Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel and spy the city’s famous landmarks from the comfort of an air-conditioned capsule. In just 30 minutes you can tick sights including the Tower Of London, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace off your list.
Get some cut-price culture
Expand your mind (legally) at London’s massive array of cultural hotspots. You’d need three lifetimes to get around all of them so stick to the free ones. Cast your critical eye over contemporary collections at the Tate Modern or Ancient Egyptian artifacts at the British Museum.
Eat
Make like a backpacker
Hackney is the perfect place for budget bites with several excellent-value Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road. Look out for BYO (bring your own bottle) signs.
As the locals do
Londoners tuck into a kaleidoscope of cuisines from East End-favourite pie and mash to Michelin-starred grub at posh restaurants all over town. In between there are small chains such as Busaba Eathai and Leon serving fine, affordable food in hotspots such as Shoreditch and Soho.
Sleep
Make like a backpacker
There are hostels all over town (Hammersmith has more than average), but if you’re here during the summer, several student halls provide cheap and comfortable accommodation.
As the locals do
Many a Londoner, including Oscar Wilde and Mick Jagger, has spent time behind bars at Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court. Now that it’s a five-star hotel, you can too.
Drink
Make like a backpacker
Draconian licensing laws have softened lately, but it’s still common for pubs to call last orders at 11pm. Head to Soho, where the beer flows into the small hours.
As the locals do
Order a pint of London Pride at one of the 5,000 pubs within the city limits, if you’ve got a few hours spend the afternoon reading the papers, drinking and growling at anyone who tries to talk to you.
Be Merry
Make like a backpacker
Avoid the tacky clubs of the West End and head to Shoreditch, where the vibe is more bohemian and the dress code friendlier.
As the locals do
For around 400 years, Londoners have flocked to Theatreland. This dramatic district between Soho and Covent Garden boasts more than 50 theatres, which stage everything from period romps to big-name musicals.