London is considered to be the most cosmopolitan city in the world! With a title as such, any visitor will immediately notice the great diversity found within the city. London residents, and visitors alike, are from around the world and speak 300 plus languages. Don't be surprised if during your first days in London you are asked for directions; as you simply cannot tell a local from a foreigner. To satisfy the interests, hobbies, and cultural traditions of this diverse population, London offers places of worship for all religions, as well as restaurants and cuisine from all corners of the globe.

In addition, London is filled with world-class art and culture museums, beautiful parks and city squares, bustling shopping markets, and of course royal palaces. To be more specific, London has 300 museums, over 250 art galleries, over 200 theaters, 50 of which are in the West End, 6 full time symphony orchestras, over 600 cinema screens, including the UK’s largest at the BFI IMAX. It is common for 200 art related events to be taking place every day! Concerts, celebrities, movie premiers, theatres productions, sporting events, and world news headlines are constantly keeping London in the spotlight. This historic city provides visitors with unique combinations of old and new, providing the ultimate setting for a study abroad experience! Whatever one's interests may be, the attractions and activities found within London are essentially endless, and simply cannot be tackled in a single visit. London is truly in a league of its own!

Be sure not to miss:

Places of Interest:
Big Ben/Parliament
BBC Television Centre
Greenwich
Hampton Court Palace
London Eye
London Zoo
Kensington Palace
Buckingham Palace
10 Downing Street
Horse Guards
Kew Gardens
Royal Parks
Notting Hhill neighborhood
Abbey Road
Leicester Square/Piccadilly Circus
Trafalgar Square
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
London Dungeon
Somerset House
Queen's Walk along the Embankment
Windsor Castle
Shakespeare’s Globe Theater
Museums:
British Museum
National Portrait Gallery
National Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
Madame Tussauds
Dali/Picasso exhibit (in the Aquarium)
Imperial War Museum
London Transport Museum
National Maritime Museum
Tate Britain
Tate Modern
Tower Bridge Exhibition

Shopping:
Oxford Street (Europe's busiest shopping area is Oxford Street, a shopping street nearly one mile (2 km) long â€" which makes it the longest shopping street in the world)
Bond Street
Portobello Road (market)
Harrod's
Harvey Nichols
Selfridges
Covent Garden
Carnaby Street
Camden Market

Parks:
St. James Park
Hyde Park
Regent's Park
Kensington Gardens/Princess Diana Memorial Gardens
Hampstead Heath

Events:
Cricket match
Football games
Changing of the Guards (Buckingham Palace 11:30am daily depending on weather)
London International Mime Festival
Chinese New Year Festival
St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival
Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race
London Marathon
Chelsea Flower Show
Notting Hill Carnival
Bonfire Night
London Film Festival and MUCH MORE!

Cathedrals:
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral

BANGERS AND MASH: sausages and mashed potatoes.
BLOKE: a guy.
BLOODY: a swear word, similar to the American 'damn' but a bit stronger. •
BUGGER: similar to the American 'damn!' Can also be used as 'bugger all' meaning 'nothing'.
CAR PARK: parking lot.
CHAT UP: flirt with, come on to.
CHEERS: greeting, as in 'hello.' Can also be used in lieu of 'thanks'.
CHIPS: french fries.
COACH: bus.
CRISPS: potato chips.
FAG: cigarette.
FANNY: in the UK 'fanny' refers to female genitalia. •
FLAT: apartment.
FOOTBALL: soccer. Football is called 'American football.'
FORTNIGHT: two weeks.
HOOVER: the action of vacuuming.
JUMPER: sweater.
KNACKERED: tired, worn out.
KNICKERS: women's underwear.
LORRY: truck/18 wheeler.
MATE: friend, pal.
NUTTER: crazy person. Ex. "He's acting like a nutter!"
OFF LICENSE: shop that sells alcohol to go.
PANTS: in the UK, 'pants' refer to underwear. So be wary of using 'pants' to describe your 'trousers'.
PETROL: gasoline.
PISSED: drunk.
QUID: a pound (£) in currency.
RING UP: the British don't "give you a call" they "ring you up".
SMART: fashionable/chic.
SNOG: to kiss.
SOD OFF: get lost.
SORRY?: pardon me? Excuse me?
TAKEAWAY: take out food.
TELLY: television.
TRAINERS: tennis shoes/athletic shoes.
UNI: university.
WANKER: jerk. •
*You shouldn't use those marked "•" with people you don't know!