Bedbugs are in the headlines, and it’s a problem that London tourists may already be familiar with. According to reports, hotels in Paris are infested with them, and now there’s a risk of them coming to London via the Eurostar train. Bedbugs are always something to be on the lookout for. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself so you don’t bring home any unwanted visitors with you. Bedbugs are tiny little creatures that can ruin your peaceful night’s sleep. They are not only irritating but can also cause a lot of discomfort and itching. If you are traveling to London, it’s essential to ..read more

Here’s our list of handy Tube Tips for making the best use of London’s Underground. These tips, learned from twenty years of travel in London, will turn you into a Tube pro in no time! This list originally appeared in London Tube 101: History, Culture, and Travel on London’s Transport Network, available from the Anglotopia shop or from booksellers everywhere. Don’t Use Covent Garden – This station is too small for the amount of people that use it – so don’t. Use Leicester Square down the street; it’s literally a few hundred feet away. You’re going to walk the same distance anyway. Forget you ..read more

London is a city full of history, culture, and entertainment. One of the most famous places in London is Oxford Street, which is known for its world-class shopping and vibrant atmosphere. Whether you are a local or a tourist, Oxford Street is a must-visit destination. In this article, we will explore ten interesting facts and figures about Oxford Street that will make your shopping experience even more enjoyable. 1. Oxford Street is the busiest shopping street in Europe, with an estimated 500,000 daily visitors. This means that you will never be alone on this bustling street, and there will a ..read more

It might be hard to believe, but the Underground line, named after the United Kingdom’s second-longest serving monarch, is actually one of the babies when it comes to the Tube.  It’s also one of the only Tube lines to have just one extension.  Running from Brixton in South London to Walthamstow Central in the northeast of the city, the Victoria Line first opened in 1968, but its history starts well before that.  The first mention of the new line came in 1943 as part of the County of London Plan.  Five years later, the British Transport Commission set up a working party tha ..read more

Transport YouTube is one of the most popular subjects on the video streaming website. There are several notable Tube YouTubers who cover the London Underground, some in excruciating but fascinating detail. Here are a few of the ones I subscribe to and watch regularly, with examples of their videos. Geoff Marshall Basically the God of all things London Transport, he releases several videos a week about the Tube and trains around London (as well as the rest of Britain). Geoff Marshall is a British YouTuber who creates content about transport and travel. He is known for his videos exploring the L ..read more

If I had to pick a London Underground line with the most ‘Londony’ name, it would be the Bakerloo line (a portmanteau of Baker Street and Waterloo Railway). Here are a few interesting facts and figures about this famous Tube line. The Brown Line Printed in brown on the Tube map, it serves 25 stations, 15 of which are underground, over 14.4 miles (23.2 km). It runs partly on the surface and partly in deep-level tube tunnels. The Middle Child This line opened well after the original tube lines, coming into service between 1906 and 1915. It was built following the plan for another railway line t ..read more

Staying fit can be a bit of a challenge when you’re away from home.  You could, of course, use a hotel gym, but those can be a little disappointing and don’t really let you get out and see the local color.  London has many great places to exercise from parks with trails and exercise equipment to gyms that have single-pay classes or deals for visitors.  We’ve managed to nail down just five from the dozens of options in the city.  If you have any great suggestions for where to exercise in London, you can share them with us in the comments. Chelsea Sports Center Pool The Chel ..read more

London Overground train with remembrance poppy by Christopher Hilton is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0 A very recent addition to Transport for London, the London Overground isn’t a Bizarro-mirror-universe copy of the London Underground.  However, it is very much what it says on the tin and where the Underground is a below-ground rail system, the Overground is more of a metropolitan train service.  The Overground is what is known as a suburban rail network that carries residents of London’s suburbs into the city center.  Also, unlike the London Underground, the Overground essentiall ..read more

Running from the east in Upminster to Earl’s Court in the west, the District Line forms one of the oldest London Underground lines in the service’s history.  The idea when the line began was that it would connect all of London’s railway termini.  Starting off as a separate underground railway, it was integrated with the other underground railways into the London Underground in 1933.  Since that time, it has become the busiest of the Tube’s sub-surface railways, and as you can imagine, this means that there are a lot of interesting facts for us to relate. I’ll Be Home for Christ ..read more

The shortest Tube Line, the Waterloo and City Line connects just two stations, but provides a key traffic pattern for commuters to the City of London from London’s suburbs in southwest London, Surrey, and Hampshire. Here are a few interesting facts about it. THE SHORTEST It’s the shortest Tube line at just 1.47 miles or 2.37 kilometers. THE DRAIN Its nickname with locals is ‘The Drain’ because it’s basically a pipe from Waterloo to The City. TWO STATIONS It has just two stations – London Waterloo and Bank, in the city of London (literally below the Bank of England). DEPOT Unlike the rest of t ..read more