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The articles
Each one a single question, answered in full
- 01
Getting HereHow do you get from Heathrow to central London?
Heathrow is 14 miles west of central London and has three rail routes into the city, plus coaches, buses and taxis. What each one is, where it stops, which terminal station to use, and how to choose.
- 02
Tower BridgeHow do you tell Tower Bridge from London Bridge and the Tower of London?
The Tower of London is a fortress, Tower Bridge is the Victorian bridge with two towers beside it, and London Bridge is a plain bridge half a mile upstream. How to tell them apart, and the story of the American who bought the wrong bridge.
- 03
The Palace of Westminster and Big BenIs Big Ben the bell or the tower?
Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell, and by extension of the clock tower that holds it. What the tower is really called, how the clock and bells work, why the tower leans, and what the light at the top means.
- 04
Where to StayWhat is the difference between the City of London and Greater London?
The City of London is a tiny ancient area of about a square mile; Greater London is the metropolis of 33 districts and more than nine million people. How they differ, who governs each, and why visitors need to know.
- 05
GreenwichWhat is the Prime Meridian, and why is it at Greenwich?
The Prime Meridian is the line of zero degrees longitude, and it passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. How an astronomer's line became the world's, the 1884 conference, what the brass line shows, and what has replaced it.
- 06
Booking AheadWhich London museums are free?
The national museums of the UK charge nothing for their permanent collections. Which London museums that covers, what still costs money, why timed slots appear, and a few tips for visiting the free ones well.
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