LONDON, ENGLAND

London is one of the most fascinating cities in the world! Theater? The best in the world. Museums? You can barely count them all. Things to see, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Downing Street, Harrods, Imperial War Museum, The Houses of Parliament, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace Trafalgar Square, Royal Albert Hall, St Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London and Westminster Cathedral to name but a few, London is truly a tourist's haven.

In one day, you can read from the original Magna Carta, drool over the Crown Jewels, indulge in tea and scones, and catch the latest avant garde theater in the West End. A truly wonderful place to learn the English Language!

How do I get to your school and get around in London?
International flights land in several London airports, Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. The UNDERGROUND " Tube". Our school is on the "District and Central line" making it very easy to get from all airports and train stations. Getting to our school by train couldn't be easier and all major train stations are linked to the underground.

Our School
Our school is centrally located in the center of Ealing Broadway, opposite the main bus station. Housed in a typical city center building on the main street, it is only 25 minutes by tube from central London (Piccadilly Circus). We have 4 classrooms, audio / video equipment and the school is surrounded by shops, cafe's and snack bars. The nearest tube station is "Ealing Broadway" (District & Central Line).

Cultural Activities
City tour, English film evenings, trips to local museums, markets, opera, galleries, so many things to see! Recent cultural activities include: sight-seeing, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Local soccer game, Houses of Common, Tower of London, Tate gallery and many more.

School Accommodation
Host Family: with a choice of meal options and Single or Double rooms. Normally located within 20 minutes walk of the school, maximum 15 minutes by bus. Linens are provided by your family and will be changed once a week. Bring towels, they will be washed regularly.

Weekend Day Trips (optional/additional price)
To interesting places and sites out side of London, Soccer game, Bath, Brighton, Devon even France is only a few hours away!

Prices
Programs in London start from $900.00 US for 2 weeks including accommodation/tuition and breakfast daily. We have many program options and all year round start dates. If you want more detailed pricing or start date information, we suggest you request a brochure or call us Toll Free within North America at: Tel: 1 888 526 4758 (LANGPLUS) or outside of North America at 416 925 7117.

COUNTRY TIPS
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What is the local currency?
The basic monetary unit is the pound sterling (£).The pound is divided into 100 pence. Bills are issued in the denominations of £5, 10, 20, and 50. Coins are available in denominations of £1, and 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pence.

Are a passport, visa, or vaccinations necessary?
Citizens of the United States and Canada in possession of a valid US or Canadian passport, are not required to obtain a visa for England for a period of up to three months if traveling as a tourist.

In case that a stay of more than three but less than six months is intended, a visa is required. If you are a resident of the U.S. but do not hold U.S. citizenship, a visa may be required.

Visitors from the U.S./Canada do not need inoculations.

Time?
England operates on Greenwich mean time (GMT), England is 5 hours a head of American Eastern Time.

Should I bring local currency, traveler's checks or use credit cards?
England is still a very traditional country, so everyone is very happy to accept local currency; after all, who doesn't like cash? But for safety and convenience sake, you might not want to have large amounts of either dollars or local currency on hand and so we would suggest you bring along travelers checks, which are accepted almost everywhere, or major credit cards to obtain cash along the way as needed. Be aware that you will be charged a 'service charge' each time you cash travelers checks, so convert enough each time to cover your expenses for several days. In addition, if your travelers checks are in a foreign currency such as U.S. Dollars, you need to be aware that you will receive a much better exchange rate if they are converted at a bank.

Cash and traveler's checks can be exchanged at the official Exchange rate of the day at any bank or exchange counter (airports, railway stations, tourist offices--a small commission applies); travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and stores may accept foreign currency but give you a lower rate to cover their handling.

Banking hours are normally 9:00 a.m.-4.30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday 9am-noon, Banks are closed Sundays.

Credit cards are accepted everywhere. In general, most larger hotels, car rental agencies, and upscale stores in the tourist areas will accept the major credit cards. Be aware, however, that many , restaurants, pubs and stores will only accept cash so be sure to ask in advance.

What are the business hours?
Shopping hours are usually 9 or 10 AM–5 or 6 PM, Monday–Saturday, and, for a few shops (such as supermarkets and larger chain stores) hours are 9 or 10 AM until 7 or 7:30 PM one or night per week.

How much will I spend a day?
This is very difficult to answer and depends on the person, however the prices below should give you a approx. idea.
Three-course meal without drink 12-16 Pounds, Budget meal, 4-6 Pounds.
Laundromat, self service was 1.50 Pounds.
Cafe meal: Sandwich, dessert and coffee 3.50 Pounds.
Pint of lager 1.50 Pounds.

What is the weather like?
The United Kingdom's climate, moderated by the surrounding seas, is mild and moist. Fog, mists, and overcast skies are frequent. Average temperatures for the months of January and July 4° C (40° F) and 18 ° C (64° F) respectively. The temperature in Brighton is quite pleasant. During the summer months, the average temp is approx. 75-80 degrees- with glorious sunshine and a lovely sea breeze. During the winter months, warm clothes and a raincoat are necessary, as the temperature can fall to 40 degrees, or even colder.

Will my electrical gadgets work?
Electric current in England is 220 volts AC at 50 Cycles per second. To operate small appliances, laptop computers or other electronic gadgets, you will need a multi-adapter. Check with a large electronics store in your area. Electric clocks, record players and tape recorders will not work properly even on converters because they use the 60 Cycle American/Canadian standard.

What is the best way to phone home?
There are numerous public phones around the city which use phone cards and/or coins. All these phones can be used for both local and long distance phone calls. You can buy a British Telecom (BT) and Mercury phone cards for making telephone calls. They come in different denominations, and can be used at special cardphone booths.

It is also smart to obtain an overseas phone card (they are usually free-of-charge) from your long distance carrier, such as MCI, AT&T or Sprint. MCI's Worldphone Program, for example, lets you phone the US/Canada from England or any other European countries at greatly reduced rates from what you would pay from the regular charge. The long distance carrier will give you a special number to call when placing your call.

What major holidays are there in England?
Banks and most businesses close on New Year's Day (1 January), Bank Holiday (2 January, Scotland only), Saint David's Day (1 February, Wales only), St. Patrick's Day (18 March, Northern Ireland only), Good Friday and Easter Monday (March or April; dates vary), Labour Day (1 May), May Day Bank Holiday (early May; dates vary), Victoria Day (20 May, Scotland only), Spring Bank Holiday (late May; date varies), Orangeman's Day (12 and 15 July, Northern Ireland only), Summer Bank Holiday (late August, date varies), Christmas Day (25 December), and Boxing Day (26 December).

THINGS TO SEE IN LONDON
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Barbican Center: Art, exhibitions and concerts
Buckingham Palace: Buckingham Palace Road, London.Tel: (0171) 930 4832- Palace tour £8.
Cabinet War Rooms: Clive Steps, King Charles Street,London.Tel: (0171) 930 6961 Admission: Adult £3.90
Child £1.90.
Guinness World of Records: Trocadero Centre, Piccadilly Circus, London.
Hampton Court Palace: East Mosley. Tel: (0181) 977 8441 Admission: Adult £6.50, Child under 5 Free
London Planetarium: Marylebone, London. Tel: (0171) 486 1121
London Zoo: Regent's Park, London. Tel: (0171) 7223333
Madame Tussauds: Marylebone Road, London. Tel: (0171) 935 6861 Admission: Adult £8 Child £5.
Royal Botanic Gardens: Kew. Richmond, Surrey. Tel: (0181) 940 1171 Admission: Adult £4 Child £1.50 Concessions £2 Family £10.
Shakespeare's Globe: New Globe Walk, Bankside, London.Tel: (0171) 9286406 Adults £4.00, Seniors/Students £3.00. Open Daily from 10am-5pm.
Tower Bridge: Tel: (0171) 403 3761 Admission: Adult £5 Child £3.50. Open daily 10am-5pm, closes later in Summer.
Tower of London: Tower Hill, London. Tel: (0171) 709 0765 Admission: Adult £8 Child £5. Gates open Mon-Sat 9am, Sun 10am. Gates close 5pm Nov-Feb, 6pm Mar-Oct.

Theaters/Museums
British Museum: Great Russell Street, London. Tel: (0171) 636 1555 Admission Free. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 2:30pm - 6pm.
Imperial War Museum: Lambeth Rd, London. Tel: (0171) 416 5000 Admission: £3.70 Adults, £2 children. Open daily 10am-6pm.
London Transport Museum: The Piazza, Covent Garden, London. Tel: (0171) 379 6344/836 8557 Admission: £4 Adults, £2.50 children. Open daily 10am-6pm, last entrance 5:15pm.
The Museum of London: London Wall, London. Tel: (0171) 600 0807 Adults: £3.50 (concessions £1.75) Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-5:50pm. Sunday
National Gallery: Trafalgar Square, London. Tel: (0171) 839 3321/3526 Admission Free.
National Portrait Gallery: 39-45 Orange Street, St Martin's Place, London. Tel: (0171) 8394342 Admission Free except for some special exhibitions. Open 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 12pm-6pm Sun.
Natural History Museum: Cromwell Road, London. Tel: (0171) 8394342
Science Museum: Exhibition Road,London.Tel: (0171) 8394342
Tate Gallery: Millbank, London.Tel: (0171) 8211313 Admission: Free except special exhibitions. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5:50pm Sun 2pm-5:50pm.
Victoria & Albert Museum: Cromwell Road, London Tel: (0171) 9388500

Festivals and Events
There are many more Festivals and Events in London than are covered below:

Mid January: Chinese New Year Celebrations. Celebrations are centered around Gerrard Street.
2nd week in March: Ideal Home Exhibition. Held each year at Earls Court.
Saturday before Easter: The Boat Race. Oxford and Cambridge teams race between Putney Bridge and Mortlake Bridge.
Mid April: The London Marathon.
Late May: The Chelsea Flower Show. Held at the Royal Hospital Gardens.
June - July: Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships.
2nd Saturday in June: Trooping the Colour. A birthday parade for the Queen by the Queen's Guards.
July - September: The Proms. A two month 'concert' from the Royal Albert Hall.
Last weekend in August: Notting Hill Carnival. Steel bands, dancing and Caribbean fun.
5th November: Bonfire Night. Fireworks and Bonfires to celebrate Guy Fawkes failing to blow up Parliament in 1605.