A Tourist Guide to London (Simple English)

7/25/2019 A Tourist Guide to London (Simple English)

1/15

A Guide to London for Foreign Travellers (Simple English)

Hello. I am an English person. I lived in London, and my husband grew up in London.

I wrote this guide to London for my friend. Her English is very good. But many guides to London

have dicult English. Guides written in another language can have some mistaes or not enough

information. !o, I made this guide.

"he prices and times in my guide are from #$%&. 'aybe they will change.

'y friend lied it a lot. 'aybe it can help you too.

I hope this guide is easy to read. I hope you will en(oy London)

Places to Visit:

!ford "ircus, Picadill# "ircus, and Leicester S$uareare very popular tourist spots.

"hey are very famous and you can see them on many postcards.


2/15

"here are many restaurants in this area but they can be very e*pensive, because there are a lot

of theatres and tourists.

!ford "ircushas some good places to eat and drin, a mi* of cheap and e*pensive.

+heaper stores can be found away from the big main road, (ust go down a street to the right or

left.

aling from !ford "ircusto Tottenham "ourt %oadshould tae around %$-%& minutes if

you wal uicly. But there are many people and things to see, so maybe #$ minutes.

Sohoand "arna Streetare popular and famous shopping areas also, with many cafes and

lunch places that can be very delicious but not too e*pensive.

Li&ert# Londonis a very beautiful old department store.

It is famous for beautiful fabrics, and is uite e*pensive. But many people visit (ust to loo)

It has been in London since '*.

It is open from '+am until ,pmevery day e*cept !unday. /n Sunda#it is open '-pm until

.pm.


3/15

In /ensingtondistrict, there are 0 very famous museums. "hey are very large. 'any people

spend a whole day in (ust one of the museums)

"hey are the 0atural 1istor# 2useum1animals, countries, and ancient peoples2, "he Victoria

and Al&ert 2useum1often called the V3A, full of the history of clothes, fashion, and art2, and

the Science 2useum1there are many science e*periments and e*hibits to see2. 3ll of the

museums are freeto visit, but you can donate money if you want.

0atural 1istor#:%$4$$am 5 &4&$pm


4/15

V3A:%$4$$am 5 &46&pm 1but %$pm on a 7riday)2

Science 2useum:%$4$$am 5 84$$pm

9ensington is a very rich part of London, so the houses can be very beautiful to loo at.


5/15

However, there are also many good:priced cafes and places to eat.

"he river is a very popular place to visit. ;ou can see many famous sights (ust in a short wal.

If you start at 4estminster station, you can see 5ig 5enand 4estminster A&&e#very

easily. 5ig5enwas built in %


6/15

7rom 4estminsterstation I thin you can see the river Thames. >"hames? sounds lie >"ems?,

with >tem? as in >temple?. It does not sound lie >them? or >they?. "here is no >th? sound and the >a?

sounds lie an >e?) Even many English people say "hames incorrectly.

3cross the river "hames, you can see the LondonE#e. "he LondonE#eis a big 7erris wheel

that moves @EA; slowly. ;ou can get a great view from it, and one ride taes about -+-6+

minutes. ;ou stand in a bo* with maybe %$ other people, and all of the walls are glass, so you

can see in all directions.

It?s open from '+:++am until :6+pm. 3 normal ticet costs 7-+8,*, but if you can buy it on

the internet it will be only 7'8*. ;ou can buy special ticets that let you pass the ueue, or

have a tour guide, and they only cost 7-97*more.

"here are some interesting bridges and open spaces here, and it is common to see street

performances, maybe dancers or actors. If you want to tae a photo, some may as for money.

!ome performers will also as for money if you watch for too long, so be careful if you do not

want to give any money) "hey are not common though.

Eventually you can see Shaespeare;s Glo&etheatre. "hey perform !haespeare plays here.

"hey act the same as actors hundreds of years ago. 'ost ticets are cheap, but standing, which

is traditional. In the old days, only the richest people could pay to sit down. "he Globe is in the

same place as the original building, and it loos the same. However, it is a new building because

the original was destroyed. "here is no ceilingso you can see the sy. ;ou can hear planes

ying, and if there is a little rain you will get wet. If there is too much rain, I thin they will pause

the show.

It?s open from %$4$$am until &40$pm


7/15

Ce*t to the Globe is the Tate 2useum of 2odern Art. It?s open from '+am until .pm1but

open until '+pm on Frida#2 and it;s free to go in.

If you go past the Globe you can Dnally see London 5ridge) If you cross London Bridge 1or

another one nearby, because it can be busy2 you will be very close to StPaul;s"athedral,

another famous building. 'ansion House tube station is very nearby for getting home.

4here To Eat:

London can be very e*pensive but also there are many good places to eat. 'ost times, when you

buy food it will not come with a drin or sides. ;ou can as for > tap , maybe you will get a drin or snac also.


8/15

!upermarets and stores such as 5oots, Tesco1Homeplus2 and Sains&ur#ssell a meal dealF.

;ou can have a sandwich 1actually #:0 sandwiches in a bo*2, pasta salad, or noodle salad. "hen

you choose a drin, and snac 1potato chips or chocolate2 for around 7>. It?s a very good priceand tastes good. But you have to Dnd somewhere to eat. 3lso you have to read the rules

carefully. Cot all of the food will be in the meal dealF so they might charge more.

!ome popular cafes and snac shops are Greggsand "osta. +osta is similar to !tarbucs and

sells many coees and caes. "hey are a little bit cheaper than !tarbucs. /ther coee shops are

Pret a 2angerand "a?e 0ero. ret a 'anger has very nice food and the coee is very strong.


9/15

But I have not been to +ae Cero. But you can Dnd many good, small coee shops in London.

!mall shops will usually be a little cheaper.

Greggs is more lie fast food. "hey sell sweet and savoury pastry and baed food. It?s not healthy

but it?s very cheap. 'ost things there are 7'976and it will be hot. 'any people en(oy going to

Greggs for a fast snac they can carry around. "hey also sell hot drins.

4asa&iis an 3sian fast food restaurant 1It is supposed to be apanese, but I don?t thin it is2 that

will give you a big cup or bo* of rice with a topping. ;ou can choose what to have. It will be about

7>97.but it is very big) 'ost times I will eat half then eep what is left to eat later. !ome asabi

stores will have seats and tables. "hey can be open until maybe or , pm8


10/15

7or a big meal, 4etherspoonsis very popular. It is a pub and restaurant, so you can buy

alcoholic drins here as well as coee. "hey also sell traditional English style food, and the price

is very good. Every day they have a special oer, so some days they will sell curry for a cheaper

price, some days maybe stea or chicen. Because it is a restaurant it is nice to sit down andrela*.

In some of the restaurants you choose a table and there might be a number on the corner. ;ou

choose your food then go to the bar to order and they will give you a sign for the waitress to see.

"he waitress does not tae your order. But in others she will.

'ost meals cost about 7697.and maybe there will be a siJe option. ;ou can have a large or

small meal if you are very hungry or not too hungry. "hey are usually open until '+ or ''pm,

but you should order food before , or '+pm

'any pubs sell hot food these days. It can be very good, and it is often traditional English food.

Ksually, there will be a sign outside 1it is common to have a chalboard2 advertising food. If you

are not sure, you can as inside at the bar if they sell hot food.


11/15

If you can Dnd somewhere that sells a >roastdinner;, >Sunda#%oast;, or >Sunda#carver#;,

this is my favourite English food and very good for the cold weather. It should not cost more than

7for a large plate of meat and vegetables. !ome places will charge up to 7'*but it is not

worth it.

Fish and "hipsis also traditional, with lots of salt and vinegar, but it is very greasy, and

sometimes it is not delicious. Aestaurants lie etherspoons are usually good, but traditional

places do not have many seats and your food will be served in a paper pacage. 7ish and chips

should not cost more than 797'+.


12/15

0andosis also very common and popular. But it is not English food. ;ou can buy spicy chicen

and rice or 7rench fries. ;ou can choose dierent avours and it is a good price for a lot of food,

and it is easy to Dnd a store. 3 meal for one will cost 797'*8

If you order (ust teaF you will get a classic English Breafast tea. 'any places will serve the mil

and sugar separately so that you can add it yourself. But some places might mi* it for you.5uilder;steaF is my favourite. It is a slang name for English tea with a lot of mil and a lot of

sugar. I thin it is very similar to 'il "ea in 3sian +ountries.

If you want green tea or any other ind, you have to as for herbal tea or a speciDc avour. "here

are many avours in coee shops and supermarets, and they are usually the cheapest thing on

a menu. In many places, tea will be about 7'97-. I thin it is cheap because everyone drins it)

"ipping is optional. ;ou do not have to tip. If the sta do a good (ob, it is common to leave a *9

'+@tip. But only if they do a very good (ob. If you give a tip, be sure to try give it to the waiter

or waitress. !ome people might refuse a tip, but this is often (ust good manners. If you say again

they will usually tae it. If they still refuse, don?t try again. !ome places do not allow sta to taea private tip and they might get in trouble.

"ip arsF can be seen in some places, but they share the money with everyone or give them to a

manager or chef, so some people do notuse these very often. !imilarly, if you pay with a card

the machine may as if you want to add service, or add a tip. ;ou should also say no, because

the sta often do not receive this tip. "he big company that owns the restaurant will get the tip.

Sta#ing and Travelling in London:

"ravel in London can be very e*pensive, so if you have a lot of time it can be good to 83ny

(ourney with cash will cost 7> or more8 If you use an /yster card man# timesin one day, it

should not cost more than 7. It will stop charging you and the rest of your travel for the day will

be free.


13/15

"here are also Travelcards, which are paper cards that wor for ' da# onl#. ;ou can use it as

many times as you lie. "hey are good if you will be maing more than one (ourney in % day. ;ou

can also get a "ravelcard that lasts for & or days.

"his website has some good information about travel cards in London

http:visitorshop8tB8gov8u

If you use a "ravelcard or /yster +ard, be aware of the Conesin London. London public transport

has , Cones. Mones %, #, and 0 are closest to the centre of London and many famous sights.Mones , Knderground? is the uicest way to travel. It is uite easy to read the map. "he

trains are very small and can be ver# hot, especially in summer. If you will tae a long trip on

the "ube in the summer, try to bring a bottle of water with you. I lie to stand near the doors,

because if there are a lot of people it can be dicult to get o. I thin the +entral line 1red line2 is

the most uncomfortable. It is the oldest and is very deep underground, so it is hot and small. 1It?s

not too bad, but many people complain2
http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/


14/15

!ometimes a >su&Bed and Breafast?

means you get a bed to sleep in, and breafast in the morning. 'any BNBs have a very friendly

service, so you can tal to the owner or other guests and they will help you out and tell you goodplaces to go.

Hostels are usually for younger people, a big group, or people travelling with a very small

budget. "hey can have a shared room. !ometimes the beds will be staced, lie on a ship.

Ksually each bed will have a curtain for privacy. Hostels are the cheapest. !ome hostels will have

individual rooms. But maybe the bathroom is shared.


15/15

"here are many hotels in London. opular names are Ibis, remier Inn, Best estern. 3nother

good option is 3irBnB https4OOwww.airbnb.comO. !ome hotels are very cheap, and others are very

e*pensive.

3ll of the prices will be higher when you are close to the centre of London. !ometimes it is

cheaper to sleep further away and travel on the subway for a short while.
https://www.airbnb.com/https://www.airbnb.com/

Documents

A Tourist Guide to London (Simple English)