Take a walk in London and you will discover it is a wonderful way to see the city. Walking is excellent exercise and the slower pace gives you the opportunity to notice things you might otherwise miss when travelling in a motorized vehicle.

There are many paved areas in London conducive to pedestrian travel, as well as a large network of walking trails that have been set up to encourage locals and visitors to walk through London and enjoy the city without adding to the congestion and pollution by using motor vehicles.

At first glance, London appears to be an immense city made up of numerous streets and lanes set up in a byzantine fashion with no real order or system behind it. Once you get more familiar with the city, you may still feel this way, but at least you will have some idea how to navigate the place.

The first step is to get a copy of “London A to Z” which is a compact atlas of streets with an alphabetical index that tells you just where to find that location on the map. This little book can prove a lifesaver to the walking traveller, and it can be bought quite cheaply at stores all over London.

Walking the city can be paired nicely with the use of public transportation; Tube stations are no more than 10 minutes walk apart in central London, and many are much closer.

Walk London is an organization dedicated to promoting the idea of walking in London, and they along with many other organizations are often sponsoring walking tours through the city. They are tasked with promoting the use of seven major walking trails through London; the Capital Ring, the London Outer Orbital Path (LOOP), the Jubilee Walkway, the Jubilee Greenway, the Lea Valley Walk, the Green Chain Walk and the Thames Path National Trail.

They also give you a good deal of information about guided tours as well as self-guided walking routes.

There are also many travel businesses and individuals that offer guided walking tours of London.

London on foot is a great place to be.

Photo courtesy: lo_ise

Return from London on Foot to Getting around London

Return from London on Foot to Best London Attractions