One of the great capital cities in Europe, London is an ancient city that shares a multitude of cultures concentrated around the Thames River. Celts, Romans, Normans and many others have called the area home throughout the centuries, each culture leaving its unique and amazing mark on the city. Every step you take in London is a step taken over thousands of years of history, and there is much more to the city than what meets the eye. The following tips will give you an idea to what you can enjoy in London today with a small amount of effort:

• The city has a lot of lovely parks and open space, much more than most cities around Europe. Most of them are away from the centre, but they are well worth the effort of travelling there. Hampstead Heath is a large part of the countryside and has some amazing views. Regent’s Park is another great park to visit, as it offers a wonderful Victorian-style environment close to the open-air theatre near Baker Street. Other parks worth visiting are the Kensington Gardens in West End as well as Hyde Park. Wimbledon Common offers a wonderful opportunity for cyclists to enjoy some outdoor fun. Bloomsbury and Finsbury also have lots of great green spaces as well. Take your time and explore as much as you can, we promise you won’t be sorry.

• Walk around the city as much as you can. It’s a great way to get a feel for the city, as there are plenty of places you may never see if you simply use public transport or taxis. You might be surprised at the speed at which you can move around the city just by walking. If you’re a first time visitor, you may want to keep a map handy, as the streets can be confusing due to the strange ways they’re sometimes organized. As we mentioned earlier, London is an old city and even though there is a great deal of modern development, some of the older parts of town still have narrow streets.

• If you have to drive or even walk, you should do your best to take the back streets when you can, since most of the main streets have a huge amount of traffic both in vehicles and pedestrians. It can easily become a noisy trek, so do what you can to enjoy the quiet places in London. Explore and walk the footsteps of generations of people before you, check the strange and winding streets that became the legacy of medieval times, the quiet back streets and sometimes unforeseen random finds. London is a treasure trove for interesting architecture and completely unexpected places and attractions if one has desire to take it slow.

• For the times you need to travel via public transport, you should purchase a Travelcard or an Oyster. This will allow you to have a single card that covers public transport for a certain time, rather than buying individual tickets. You won’t have to deal with such things at all with a simple decision like that.