London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [228]
Foreign Embassies U.S. Embassy (24 Grosvenor Sq., Mayfair | W1A 1AE | 0207/499–9000 | londonpassport@state.gov | www.usembassy.org.uk).
General Emergency Contacts Ambulance, fire, police (999).
Hospitals and Clinics Charing Cross Hospital (Fulham Palace Rd., Fulham | W6 8RF | 0203/311–1234 | www.imperial.nhs.uk/charingcross/index/htm). Royal Free Hospital (Pond St., Hampstead | NW3 2QG | 02077794–0500 | www.royalfree.nhs.uk). St. Thomas’s Hospital (Westminster Bridge Rd., Lambeth | SE1 7EH | 0207/188–7188 | www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk). University College Hospital (235 Euston Rd., Bloomsbury | NW1 2BU | 0845/155–5000 | www.uclh.co.uk).
Hotlines Samaritans (0845/790–9090) for counseling.
Pharmacies Boots (44–46 Regent St., Piccadilly Circus | W1B 5RA | 0207/734–6126 | www.boots.com).
HOLIDAYS
Standard holidays are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day (first Monday in May), spring and summer bank holidays (last Monday in May and August, respectively), Christmas, and Boxing Day (December 26). On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, some shops, restaurants, and businesses close early. Some museums and tourist attractions may close for at least a week around Christmas, or operate on restricted hours—call to verify.
Stamps can be bought from post offices (generally open weekdays 9–5:30, Saturday 9–noon), from stamp machines outside post offices, and from some newsagents and newsstands. Mailboxes are known as post or letter boxes and are painted bright red; large tubular ones are set on the edge of sidewalks, whereas smaller boxes are set into post-office walls. Allow seven days for a letter to reach the United States. Check the Yellow Pages for a complete list of branches, though you cannot reach individual offices by phone.
Airmail letters up to 10 grams (0.35 ounce) to North America, Australia, and New Zealand cost 67p. Letters under 9.4 inches x 6.4 inches within Britain are from 41p for first class, 32p for second class. Large letters (over 9.4 inches x 6.4 inches, under 13.8 inches x 9.8 inches) cost from 66p first-class, 51p second-class within the U.K., depending on weight. Airmail is assessed by weight alone.
If you’re uncertain where you’ll be staying, you can have mail sent to you at the London Main Post Office, c/o poste restante. The post office will hold international mail for one month.
Contact Post Office (0845/774–0740 | www.postoffice.co.uk).
Main Branches London Main Post Office (24–28 William IV St., Trafalgar Sq. | WC2N 4DL | www.postoffice.co.uk | 43–44 Albemarle St., Mayfair | W1S 4DS | 111 Baker St., Marylebone | W1U 6SG | 54–56 Great Portland St., Fitzrovia | W1W 7NE | 181 High Holborn, Holborn).
SHIPPING PACKAGES
Most department stores and retail outlets can ship your goods home. You should check your insurance for coverage of possible damage. Private delivery companies such as DHL, FedEx, and Parcelforce offer two-day delivery service to the United States, but you’ll pay a considerable amount for the privilege.
Express Services DHL (0844/248–0844 | www.dhl.com). FedEx (0845/607–0809 | www.fedex.com). Parcelforce (0844/800–4466 | www.parcelforce.com).
MONEY
No doubt about it, London is one of the most expensive cities in the world: getting around is expensive, eating can be expensive, travel is pricey, and hotels aren’t cheap. However, for every yin there’s a yang, and travelers do get a break in other places: most museums are free, for example, and Oyster cards help cut the price of travel.
ATMS AND BANKS
Your own bank will probably charge a fee for using ATMs abroad; the foreign bank you use may also charge a fee. Nevertheless, you’ll usually get a better rate of exchange at an ATM than you will at a currency-exchange office or even when changing money in a bank. And extracting funds as you need them is a safer option than carrying around a large amount of cash.
TIP PIN numbers with more than four digits are not recognized at ATMs in many countries. If yours has five or more,