Moon Travel Guides - Moon London Walks

Step off the plane and head right for the newest, hippest caf in town. Discover where to get the best fish and chips in the city or where to find locally brewed beer on tap. In Moon London Walks, local authors share with you genuine highlights of the city they love. This way, you can skip the busy shopping streets and stroll through the city at your own pace, taking in a local attraction on your way to the latest and greatest shops. Savor every second and make your city trip a true feel-good experience.

Youre about to discover London, one of our favorite cities. The charming neighborhoods, amazing museums, and fabulous galleries are inspiring, and we love all of the shopping possibilitiesfrom big, beautiful department stores to small, independent boutiques. Booking a table at the restaurant of a celebrity chef or cookbook author is pretty cool, too, not to mention the citys many great markets, view from the London Eye, old-school boat rides over the Thames, and all the trendy cocktail bars mixing up perfect gin and tonics. Winter, spring, summer, and fallLondon buzzes year-round.

In this book, local authors share with you the genuine highlights of the city they love. Discover the city by foot and at your own pace, so you can relax and experience the local lifestyle without having to do a lot of preparation beforehand. That means more time for youwhat we call time to momo. Our walks take you past our favorite restaurants, cafs, museums, galleries, shops, and other notable attractionsplaces we ourselves like to go.

None of the places mentioned here have paid to appear in either the text or the photos, and all text has been written by an independent editorial staff. This is true for the places in this book as well as for the information in the time to momo app and all the latest tips, themed walks, neighborhood information, blogs, and the selection of best hotels on www.timetomomo.com.

LOCAL

KIM SNIJDERS

CITY

LONDON

WORK & ACTIVITIES

MARKETING MANAGER

Kim studied fashion in Amsterdam and London. She loves vintage boutiques, pop-up markets, and decadent department stores. Her favorite things to do in London include practicing yoga, playing ping-pong, going bowling, catching a movie at the secret cinema, and wandering through the city. She also regularly visits the exhibitions at the Tate Modern and V&A.

The six walks in this book allow you to discover the best neighborhoods in the city by foot and at your own pace. The walks will take you past museums and notable attractions but, more importantly, theyll show you where to go for great food and drinks, shopping, entertainment, and an overall good time. Check out the map at the front of this book to see which areas of the city the walks will take you through.

Each route is clearly indicated on a detailed map at the beginning of the relevant chapter. The map also specifies where each listing is located. The color of the number tells you what type of venue it is (see the key at the bottom of this page). A description of each place is given later in the chapter.

Without taking into consideration extended stops at various locations, each walk will take a maximum of three hours. The approximate distance is indicated at the top of the page, before the directions.

We give an idea of how much you can expect to spend at each location along with its address and contact details. Unless otherwise stated, the amount given in restaurant listings is the average price of a main course. For sights and attractions, we indicate the cost of a regular full-price ticket. Any reduced rates that may be available are not listed.

LEGEND

>> SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

>> SHOPPING

>> FOOD & DRINK

>> MORE TO EXPLORE

Most stores in London are open seven days a week, usually from 10am until 8pm with shorter hours on Sunday. There are exceptions, of course, so always make sure to check the opening hours at your destination before you head out. On public holidays, or bank holidays as they are called in England, most stores remain open and public transportation still runs, but expect shorter Sunday hours.

Restaurants often automatically add a 10 to 15 percent gratuity to your bill. Although leaving a tip isnt required, it is customarybut double-check your bill to be sure that you dont end up tipping twice. If no gratuity has been added to your check, its expected that youll leave about a 10 percent tip.

London has strict smoking laws. Smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces, including hotels, bars, restaurants, theaters, and on public transportation.

Whenever possible, book tickets for the train and any sights and attractions in advance. Online prices are often significantly lower than what youll pay at the door.

A typical English breakfast is the full English or fry-up, and consists of fried eggs, bacon, toast, and baked beans.

In London, as in the rest of England, a relatively elaborate Sunday lunch is a well-established tradition. Known as a Sunday roast, this meal includes meat, potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding.

Another great tradition is, of course, afternoon tea, which is not to be confused with high tea. Afternoon tea takes place around 4pm and consists of a combination of sweet and savory bites along with a cup of tea. High tea, on the other hand, is essentially a simple evening meal.

Londoners drink their fair share of teapreferably strong black tea with a splash of milk. This popular drink is known here as builders tea.

Public holidays are referred to as bank holidays in the UK because banks are closed on these days. Many of these bank holidays are on Mondays. In addition to days like Good Friday and Easter Monday, which dont fall on a specific date, the following are official holidays in the UK:

January 1> New Years Day

First Monday in May> Early May Bank Holiday

Last Monday in May> Spring Bank Holiday