LONDON - Elite Traveler

Need to kNow useful iNformatioN
WHEN bEST TO GO
The relatively mild southern English climate means
that London can be visited almost any time of year.
Late spring and summer are the best times to go,
although autumn is also lovely and often not too
cold. Important to remember is that English weather
is notoriously difficult to predict, so it is best to
always come prepared. Umbrellas and a few items
of warm clothing can be useful even during the
warmer months, while extra warm accessories and
even thermals are of use during the winter. Luckily,
London has a wealth of things to do both indoors
and out, so whatever time of year you visit, there will
always be plenty to enjoy.
LANGUAGE
British English
CURRENCY
Great British Pound (GBP)
COUNTRY DIALLING CODE
+44
24-HOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT
Ambulance: 999
Fire: 999
Police: 999
Coastguard: 020 831 27380
Helicopter: 999
EMbASSY CONTACT
US: +44 (0)20 7499 9000
TIME ZONE
GMT
POPULATION
7.5 million
RELIGIOUS DEMOGRAPHIC
The majority of Londoners identify themselves
as Christian (58.2%) or atheist (15.8%). However
many other religions are well-represented here:
Islam (8.5%), Hinduism (4.1%), Judaism (2.1%),
Sikhism (1.5%), Buddhism (0.8%), Paganism/
Wicca (0.3%) and other (0.2%).
PUbLIC HOLIDAYS
Public holidays include New Year’s Day,
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Easter, and three
bank holidays, two in May, one in August,
during which some shops and attractions
are closed.
DRESS AND CUSTOMS
The dress code in London – and England in
general – is generally liberal and very eclectic;
there is room here for all kinds of personal
styles, as visitors to the capital will see. Certain
occasions, however, demand stricter dress codes;
bars, nightclubs and many fine dining restaurants
require a smart-casual or smart dress code, and
many have been known to refuse entry to those
not deemed smart enough. Similarly, there are
stringent dress requirements for events such as
Royal Ascot, Henley Regatta and Glyndebourne
Festival, all of which should be checked prior to
the event.
Month
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Mean temperature (°C)
Daily
minimum
LOCAL TIME / bUSINESS HOURS
London time is GMT, with a daylight-saving
hour implemented in late October. The
weekend is Saturday and Sunday, with most
shops and attractions open on both. On
Sundays, however, many places have reduced
opening times, usually from 10am-5pm.
Business hours are generally 9am to 5-6pm
Monday to Friday, with an hour taken at lunch.
Daily
maximum
Total rainfall
(mm)
Rain days
per month
January 2.4 7.9 51.9 10.9
February 2.2 8.2 34.0 8.1
March 3.8 10.9 42.0 9.8
April 5.2 13.3 45.2 9.3
May 8.0 17.2 47.2 8.5
June 11.1 20.2 53.0 8.4
July 13.6 22.8 38.3 7.0
August 13.3 22.6 47.3 7.2
September 10.9 19.3 56.9 8.7
October 8.0 15.2 61.5 9.3
November 4.8 10.9 52.3 9.3
December 3.3 8.8 54.0 10.1
THE MILLENNIUM DOME