Life in London

London is a city of colour and contrasts, of ancient history and 21st century modernity. It is a melting point for all world nationalities as they are all represented here. London has been one of the world's great cities for much of its history. Over the centuries, London has been home to Shakespeare and Karl Marx, the Rolling Stones and Haydn, and hundreds of other renowned thinkers, artists, musicians and leaders.  Nowhere in the world can rival London as a place to study. It has a combination of academic excellence, a rich artistic and cultural heritage and is positioned at the centre of global business. London also has a diversity and vibrancy that means that anyone from anywhere can feel at home here. This is the reason why more international students study here then anywhere else in the world, including other popular cities such as New York.

 With over 300 hundred languages spoken here, there are very few communities that are not represented. As a London student there are many international festivals held, that you can participate Getting Around   Travelling around London is very simple. There are many forms of travel; trains, tubes, buses, coaches, river boats, taxis and trams. Transport in London is at the forefront of public services. There are many interconnecting links, with many alternative routes to reach the same venue and it is virtually impossible to get lost in London. Transport is fast, clean and regular. The tubes start running at 6 am and finish after 12 midnight. Buses continue throughout the night. Coaches are a cheaper alternative for long distance travel particularly for out of London excursions.

Ticket prices can be expensive, but there are many discounts available for various categories of travellers. Students are entitled to 30% discount on all public transport in greater London. There are also weekend travel cards and off peak prices as well as family discounts.

FOOD

Finding places to eat in London is not difficult. Due to the many cultural influences and communities, food from around the world is available, at reasonable prices, catering for all palates, religious and cultural dietary requirements including pure vegetarian, Kosher, Halal. There are hundreds of takeaways offering cheap fast food at all hours. There are numerous cafes, bars and family run small restaurants offering food from Turkey, Greece, India to name a few. Very close to central London, there are many restaurants open until 6 am in the morning offering a wide range of cuisines and fast food for late night clubbers. Exquisite restaurants for those without a budget are located in ideal positions around central London, where you are sure to meet a number of celebrities. Prior booking is usually necessary.

SHOPPING

London is renowned for its shopping facilities. There is something for everyone whether you are looking for the tacky, specialist or completely bizarre, from pottery to antiques to clothes to brick-a-brack. Different areas across London specialise for different materials. There is Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regents Street, and Kings Road all with designer clothes at atrocious prices, or the reasonably priced high street. Portobello market for antiques and if you enjoy loitering around market places for bargains there are a number of markets on everyday of the week selling everything at cost effective prices.

Out of City shopping centres are becoming immensely popular as they cater for a large volume of people, with easy accessibility for motorists. Revolutionary changes in the modern convenience food sector means that there are stores open twenty four hours of the day. For the sport orientated person there are numerous clubs including anything from sky diving to canoeing, horse riding, football, hiking. If you prefer to be a spectator rather than a player there are many football, cricket and basketball games played throughout the year between clubs, boroughs and schools. There are many art galleries, museums and theatre shows that are hosted all year round.

Places such as the maritime and British museum, Tate gallery, London Zoo and Botanical gardens are popular attractions. Most of these are free of cost. London is famous for its theatre shows and they are not to be missed. There are shows and festivals littering the annual calendar with attractions in the form of shows, memorials, festivals, concerts and competitions for all subjects including gardening, literature, and art and computing. In a nutshell London is a bustling and varied metropolis with magnificent museums, exceptional galleries, gourmet restaurants, fabulous shops and markets. So whether you prefer museums or cinemas, galleries or go-karting, cathedrals or Zoos, in London there is something for everyone.