Looking for the Gay capital of the world? London it is. What other city has the variety, the culture, the shopping and not forgetting the nightlife that London can provide?

London has many facets - Gay hotels in London, gay clubs, gay bars, pubs and restaurants complete your night life. In the last ten years, London has established itself as a destination of choice - and indeed over the last five years it has turned itself into a thriving LGBT community. The old homophobic attitudes are fast disappearing and  many bars and pubs have a mixed crowd.

Dining options in London are exhaustive - try out Balan's in Soho and the Thai Princess restaurant in  Earl's Court.

If you fancy a more active evening out, London has lots of Gay friendly Bars and Pubs to offer. Check out   Village Soho, which has influenced Soho and the Gay London Scene ever since it opened in 1991. 

Bargain hunting in Soho or in Camden is a pleasure. Have a look at Oxford Street and notice how it changes as you walk towards Tottenham Court Road. 

No matter how you view it, London is one of the great cities of the world. It balances the weight if its old traditions with a jumpy , trend setting, contemporary energy. It loves lurid sex scandals. London is the politest city you´ll ever visit and also one of the rudest, a hybrid cross between As you Like It and Absolutely Fabulous.

Historically, the heart of Gay London has been in Soho - right in the centre of of the city.  In recent times, the gay area has expanded and other areas, such as Vauxhall have some of the most happening nightspots for gays in London. 

London is the capital of culture - and long has been.  What else is there to say?

Gay London and UK history was made in 2000 when British gays and lesbians were finally allowed to serve in the armed forces without fear of harassment or expulsion. The usually contentious British Parliament was forced to accept the guidelines laid out on this issue by member nations of the European Union.

Attitudes in London are very liberal and many things are seen on the streets.  Just keep within the law and you cannot go far wrong!

Five airports serve the London metro area. Heathrow the main international airport, is west of the city and is served by the Heathrow Express, a short 15 minute trip getting you from Heathrow to Central London (Paddington). It is worth getting your ticket before you get on the train - unless you have money to waste - they typically charge you another £2 or so if you buy your ticket on the train. The Airbus Heathrow Shuttle, which stops at all Heathrow terminals offers bus service to Victoria and Euston stations. Buses depart from all Heathrow Terminals at about 30 minutes intervals; times vary from terminal to terminal, but generally service is 6:30ma to 10:30pm. The A1 route runs from Heathrow to Victoria station; the A2 route to King Cross station. If you want to take a taxi into Central London expect to pay £45 or even more.

London Gatwick, 25 miles south of London, is a smaller airport and predominantly provides tourists cheaper access to the UK. Gatwick Express trains, leave for Victoria Station in Central London every 15 minutes 5am to 11pm and every hour 11pm to 4:30am; the trip takes about half an hour and costs round about £15 one way.

Stansted about 50 miles northeast of London, is used for national and European flights. A Stansted Sky Train leaves for Liverpool Street Station every 30 minutes 6am to 11:59pm and to Victoria Station every hour 8am to 6pm ( then one at 8pa and another at 10pm); the trip takes 40 minutes and costs rounds about £14 one way.

Luton Airport services is the home of most charter and low cost airlines. There is a bus that takes you the 6 minute drive from the airport to Luton Airport Parkway train station. From there you can take a train to King's Cross Station in Central London for about £10 one way.

London City Airport 6 miles east to the city, services European destinations. A red route shuttle bus takes you from the airport to Liverpool Street Station; service is every 10 minutes from 6:40am to 10:30pm; travel time is about 25 minutes but depends on the time of day and traffic!

By train:

London has several train stations. Trains from Amsterdam arrive at Liverpool Street Station and those from Edinburgh at King´s Cross Station. The fabulous 2.25-hour Eurostar service between Paris (and Brussels, Bruges, Lille, etc) and London via the Channel Tunnel arrives at St Pancras (next to King's Cross). This is the new flagship train station and a small town is developing in the station! If you´re travelling to London from elsewhere in the U.K you may arrive at Victoria, Paddington or Euston stations. Every train station has an Underground link - just make sure you buy an Oyster Card on the Underground. The Oyster card is a relatively recent introduction and makes sense for anyone who is going to be in town for a few days.  You can buy one of these at the major train stations or at any manned Underground station.  The Underground can provide one of the most cost-effective and quickest ways to get around, but it is sensible to avoid peak commuting times (7.30am to 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm) unless you want to become more familiar with someone's armpit!

By Ferry or Hovercraft If you´re coming from Continent, P&O European Ferries offers daily ferry/car service between Cherbourg and Portsmouth, Le Havre and Portsmouth operates ferries between Calais and Dover. Sea France Limited runs ferries between Dover and Calais. If you are travelling to London from the Continent by train, the cost of the ferry crossing will added into your ticket price.

The hovercrafts operated by Hoverspeed UK Limited zip across the Channel between Calais and Dover in 35 minutes ( 6-12 per day); their SuperseaCats run between Newhaven and Dieppe in 55 minutes ( 4-5 a day). Once you are on British soil, frequent train or bus service will shuttle you into London.

By car:

One word of advice for travellers who want to to drive to into London: Don´t. But if you must…. Just follow the signs marked LONDON.From the Channel Tunnel Terminal you´ll head in on the M20. the M25 and the inner ring of the London North Circular and South Circular roads connect with most highways from the coast.

Parking spots are at a premium.Your options are a strategically placed expensive garage, valet service at an expensive hotel, or metered parking in which case you face substantial fines and towing or tyre locks if the meter runs out.The time limit and the cost of metered parking are posted on the meter; they take 1 GBP and smaller coins and increasingly you can pay by sending in an sms. Never park in a “Permit Holders only” zone;these are for locals and violators are likely to be towed A yellow line along the curb indicates “No Parking”; a double yellow line signifies “ No Waiting”. However, at night ( meters indicate exact time) and on Sunday, you are allowed to park along a curb with a single yellow line.