New to London


Transport
London's underground train network (also known as "the tube") currently runs from 5am to 1am seven days a week. Night Tube services are now running every Friday and Saturday night on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. (tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tube-improvements/what-we-are-doing/night-tube)

Other ways to get home at night include night buses, black cabs and mini cabs (mini cab offices usually have a flashing light outside). If someone drives up to you in an ordinary looking car and offers to take you somewhere, be very wary. They are not insured, often get lost and will charge you whatever they think they can get away with. Only black cabs can legally pick people up in the street. If in doubt, ask a few locals how much the fare should be and then go to a minicab office. A website that will help you find a local minicab company is www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/taxisandminicabs/

Road traffic has improved slightly during the weekdays thanks to the Mayor of London's congestion charge scheme, but it's still very busy. The congestion charge is £15 per day to drive in Central London between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and 12pm to 6pm on weekends and public holidays. You will also need to find out if your vehicle meets the current emissions standards, and if not there is an extra daily charge of £12.50 for driving in London's Low Emission Zone (tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle-35896). According to Transport for London "The easiest way to pay is by setting up Auto Pay. Exemptions and discounts are also available."

Tube and Bus Fares
London Underground has divided London into 6 concentric zones around the City Centre. Soho and the West End are in zone 1; Earls Court and Shepherds Bush are in zone 2 etc. The more zones you want to travel through, the more the travel cards will cost. Travel cards are also acceptable on night-buses up to 4.30am.

London Underground recommends regular users of the tube use pre-paid plastic cards called "Oyster cards" - or a debit card that allows contactless payments - instead of paper tickets. Oyster cards cost £5 to buy and can be charged up online. Journeys are more than half price using an Oyster or debit card compared to paper tickets. Anyone can buy an Oyster card, so if you're staying for more than a couple of days and plan to use public transport it could well be worth buying one. More info at oyster.tfl.gov.uk

From 6th July 2014 you can no longer use cash to pay for a bus fare. Instead you must use an Oyster or contactless payment card to pay as you go. A single pay as you go fare is £1.50. If you don’t have enough credit on your Oyster or travel card you can make one more journey on a bus. You must then top up before you can use your Oyster card again.

For help working out the best public transport routes in London use Transport for London's Journey Planner at tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/


Drink, Drugs and Poppers
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: Many clubs run special events with extended opening hours the night before or on a public holiday. The next public holidays in England will be 25 and 26 December 2024, then 1 Jan (New Years Day), 18 & 21 April (Easter), 5 & 26 May, and 25 August 2025. (www.gov.uk/bank-holidays)

SMOKING is banned in all enclosed public spaces in the UK. You are not allowed to smoke inside restaurants, pubs, clubs, airport terminals, train stations or any other enclosed places where people work.

POPPERS: In 2007 isobutyl nitrite was classified as a class 2 carcinogen making it illegal for shops to sell this variety of poppers. You will still find poppers on sale but they will probably be of the 'isopropyl' variety.

DRUGS: Gay Times reported in their February 2007 issue that at least six gay men have died in London after taking GHB in the last two years. As a result the Vauxhall Gay Business Forum has announced that anyone found in possession of GHB will be permanently barred from all their venues.

Illegal drugs are classes in three categories: A, B and C, with class A drugs attracting the highest penalties. If you are arrested the Police can ask you to take a drugs test, based on your saliva. If you refuse you will be committing a criminal offence and can be fined up to £2,500, imprisoned up to 3 months, or both.


Gay Papers
QX MAGAZINE is free and can be read online at www.qxmagazine.com

GAY TIMES is a monthly magazine with news reports about gay life in the U.K. However, their monthly format means that their listings are perhaps the most out of date. Always phone ahead if Gay Times is your only source of information. (www.gaytimes.co.uk)

None of the above has infallible listings. If in doubt check the official website for the club night in question or phone ahead.


Gay-friendly Accommodation
*RECOMMENDED*  Leathermen Travel has a sections on leather-friendly accommodation in London at
leathermentravel.com/home/europe/london/#crash

Here are four searchable sites for hotels and B&Bs in London. I haven't checked them out so any bookings are made at your own risk:
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Culture/ Tourist Attractions
LONDON THEATRES.co.uk has an interactive map of London's theatre district showing everything currently playing in the West End. The map also has links to buy tickets from official sellers so you don't get ripped off. (www.londontheatres.co.uk)

*RECOMMENDED*  THE VIEW FROM THE SHARD - The Shard is one of Europe's tallest buildings and in 2013 they opened two observation decks. Level 69 is inside and heated. Level 71 is open to the elements. Best views of London. (www.theviewfromtheshard.com)

The WESTFIELD CENTRE in Shepherds Bush opened in 2008 and was billed as "Europe's biggest inner-city shopping mall". Open Monday to Friday from 9am to 10pm, Saturdays from 9am to 8pm and Sundays from 12 noon to 6pm. Shops range from the usual high street stores through to high end brands such as De Beers, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany. We recommend you travel there via underground or overground train, rather than by road. (uk.westfield.com/london/)

Picture
During 2000 two new tourist attractions opened on the South Bank in London: the "LONDON EYE" (www.londoneye.com), which claims to be the world's largest observation wheel, and the TATE MODERN GALLERY at Waterloo. The London Eye is an excellent way to see London on a sunny day, although you have to queue to get a ticket - which has a "boarding time" on it - and then go back and queue again half an hour or so before your boarding time to actually get on the wheel. You can pre-book tickets but if you go down on the day, the next available boarding time may be several hours away - so ask the attendants BEFORE you queue how long the delay is likely to be. The queue isn't covered so take an umbrella if it looks like rain. While you're there, you might like a trip round the London Aquarium as well (www.londonaquarium.co.uk).
THE TATE MODERN art gallery is housed in the shell of an old, brick power station and it's worth a trip just to see the main turbine hall and the Millennium footbridge which crosses the Thames to St. Paul's Cathedral at that point. If you like modern architecture you could travel on the Jubilee line extension (from Waterloo eastwards) and see the new stations that have been built.

*RECOMMENDED*  If the weather is good and you like plants we recommend a trip to the ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS at Kew. Nearest tube Kew Gardens. (www.kew.org) In 2008 they added an 18 metre high treetop walkway, which is well worth a visit as long as you're not afraid of heights (www.kew.org/kew-gardens/attractions/treetop-walkway). In 2017 there's a new installation you can go inside called The Hive to promote bees (www.kew.org/kew-gardens/attractions/the-hive). All attractions are included in the entry price, but consider ordering tickets online so you can use the fast track entrance.

Gyms
London is full of gyms but here are a few chosen because they are known to be particularly gay friendly, or because readers of this guide have recommended them:
  • CENTRAL YMCA CLUB is next to Tottenham Court Road tube station in central London. (www.ymcaclub.co.uk)
  • JUBILEE HALL CLUBS is a gay-friendly gym chain with clubs in Covent Garden, Hampstead, Southwark and Westminster. (www.jubileehallgym.co.uk)
  • MUSCLEWORKS at Hague Street in Bethnal Green and has a reputation as the best bodybuilding gym in London. There is also a MUSCLEWORKS gym at Stoke Newington. (www.muscleworksgym.co.uk)
  • SOUTHBANK CLUB at 124-130 Wandsworth Road in Vauxhall claims to be London's largest squash and fitness club. The gym is over three floors. In January 2024 someone emailed in to say: "You can buy day passes for visiting Southbank Club via Hussle website or app. This costs £11 pounds, after you bought a pass you will get a number and when you visit the gym you have to tell the receptionist that you have a Hussle pass and give them the number, then they let you in."  (www.southbankclub.co.uk)
Page updated 27 August 2024
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