Visitor Information

Before you go, you can obtain general information from Visit Britain (www.visitbritain.com):

• In the United States: 551 Fifth Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10176-0799 (tel. 800/462-2748 or 212/986-2266).
• In Canada: Call tel. 888/VISITUK.
• In Australia: Level 2, 15 Blue St., North Sydney 2060 (tel. 02/9021-4400).
• In New Zealand: Fay Richwite Blvd., 17th Floor, 151 Queen St., Auckland (tel. 0800/700-741).

For a full information package on London, write to Visit London, 2 More London Riverside, 6th Floor, Bermondsey SE1 2RR (tel. 020/7234-5800; www.visitlondon.co.uk).

The London Tourist Board's London Visitor Centre, 1 Lower Regent St., London SW1Y 4XT (tel. 8701/566-366; www.visitlondon.com; Tube: Piccadilly Circus), can help you with almost anything, from the most superficial to the most serious. Located within a 10-minute walk from Piccadilly Circus, it deals chiefly with procuring accommodations in all price categories through an on-site travel agency (www.lastminute.com), and you can also book transit on British Rail or with bus carriers throughout the U.K. There's a kiosk for procuring theater or group tour tickets, a book shop loaded with titles dealing with travel in the British Isles, a souvenir shop, and a staff that's pleasant, helpful, and friendly. It's open year-round Monday 9:30am to 6:30pm, Tuesday to Friday 9am to 6:30pm, and Sunday 9am to 5pm. Between October and May, Saturday hours are 10am to 4pm, and between June and September, Saturday hours are 9am to 5pm.

A roughly equivalent organization that was conceived to help foreign visitors with their inquiries and confusion about London is the London Information Centre, at Leicester Square, W1 (tel. 020/7292-2333; www.londoninformationcentre.com; Tube: Leicester Sq.). The London Information Centre is a privately owned, commercially driven organization that may have a vested interest in steering you toward a particular venue.

An option that might help you navigate your way through the logistics of one of the world's biggest cities involves your call to tel. 0800/LONDON for city information and to book sometimes discounted rates for London hotels, theaters, sightseeing tours, and airport transfers. A sales staff is available daily from 8am to midnight.

What's on the Web? -- The most useful site was created by a very knowledgeable source, the British Tourist Authority itself, with U.S. visitors targeted. A wealth of information can be tapped at www.visitbritain.com, which lets you order brochures online, provides trip-planning hints, and even allows e-mail questions for prompt answers. All of Great Britain is covered.

Go to www.baa.com for a guide and terminal maps for Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted airports, including flight arrival times, duty-free shops, airport restaurants, and info on getting from the London airports to downtown London. Getting around London can be confusing, so you may want to visit www.tfl.gov.uk for up-to-the-minute info. For the latest on London's theater scene, consult www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk. For directions to specific places in London, consult www.streetmap.co.uk.

You may also wish to check out one of the following websites. AOL members can type in the keyword "Britain" and find a vibrant guide to the U.K. that gives you the skinny on arts, dining, nightlife, and more. To access the AOL London guide, type in the keyword "London."

Maps -- Arriving in London, you should arm yourself with a detailed street map if you plan to do a lot of walking. London is a maze of narrow streets and "villages" within a vast city and many addresses are obscure and hard to find.

Plot where you're going before setting out, or otherwise just walk and enjoy London as your own discovery. It's amazing what you'll come across if you have endless time. Otherwise, plot your course so you can cram as much into a precious day as your limited time will allow.

At www.multimap.com, you can access detailed street maps of the whole United Kingdom -- just key in the location or even just the postal code, and a map of the area with the location circled will appear. For directions to specific places in London, consult www.streetmap.co.uk.