London, the capital of the United Kingdom and the third largest city in Europe, has a long history and was founded by the Romans as early as 50 AD. Today, there are no reminders of this heritage, but the city attracts millions of tourists from all over the world every year - up to 18 million travel to England's most famous metropolis every year. This made London the most visited city in the world in 2014. And it is not only ideal for vacation trips, but also for a language study trip to England.
There is an incredibly large number of language schools in London, which makes it difficult for prospective language travelers to choose the right school. The most important thing when choosing a school is that it offers the language course you prefer, such as a preparation course for the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) or a language course for business English. On the other hand, the location of the school is also a decisive factor in your choice. A first-class language school in a suburb of London may well be the right choice for longer stays of a few months or even a year, but for shorter, three or four-week language stays in London, the location should be taken into consideration. After all, language students don't just want to learn, they also want to get to know London and not just spend time on public transport.
The size of the school, the number and duration of lessons, the infrastructure, the mix of nationalities, the leisure activities on offer and the quality of the teaching staff also play a decisive role in deciding on a suitable language school.
Here on Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch you will find a number of testimonials from language students from Switzerland who have spent a language study trip in England, including in London. Use these experiences, as well as the reviews that you can obtain via Facebook or Google Maps, and read the individual reviews carefully. Experiences of former language students are very valuable decision-making aids and give you an overview of the actual qualities of the language schools. You may also find ourLanguage travel guidewhich you can find here on Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch under the heading "Tips for language stays in England".
London's language schools generally offer a wide range of different types of accommodation to suit a variety of needs. For example, simple rooms with host families in single or double rooms or the "Executive Homestay" option, where the standard is a little higher. Alternatively, you can book studios with a private bathroom, single or double rooms in residences or in apartments with a shared bathroom and possibly a private or shared kitchen. The standard and facilities can vary greatly, as can the price. Please also note that some accommodations have a minimum length of stay, sometimes of at least one week, sometimes of at least four weeks.
Accommodation in London does not necessarily mean that you live close to the city center. Depending on which borough your host family lives in and how good the transport connections are, the journey from the borough of Havering or Hillingdon can take 1h 10min or 1h 23min respectively by public transport, or a little less by car, depending on traffic. However, accommodation with a host family in the heart of London, for example in the boroughs of Camden, Greenwich, Kensignton and Chelsea or other inner London boroughs, cannot always be guaranteed and should be discussed with the language school provider on a case-by-case basis. The districts or zones are usually indicated. Sometimes a surcharge is payable for accommodation in certain zones.
If you can't find a place to party in London, you've clearly done something wrong. London's nightlife is huge and offers the right place for almost all tastes and preferences. You just need to know where it is for your language study trip to London.
On the London Tourism website you'll find a huge number of listings (over 1,000) for nightlife, clubs, casinos, cabaret, burlesque, comedy and karaoke - and that's just for London. There is also an amazing variety of restaurants, bars and pubs online, from Michelin-starred restaurants to cocktail bars, rooftop bars, traditional pubs, British restaurants, afternoon tea and much more.
However, it's still best to rely on the experiences of others who share your interests and give you authentic feedback. At your language school in London, you are sure to find many language students who have already had experience of London's nightlife and will be happy to give you tips on where you can really party. Your flatmates may also be a good source of such tips.
New to London and without connections? Then head to Central London on your first evening. There you will find a bar, pub or restaurant on every corner that invites you to linger. If you would like to find out about the local gastronomy before your trip to London, take a look at theLondonistand blanches at the huge variety of nightlife options.
It's not just pubs, bars and restaurants that attract night owls to London. A number of other activities, especially musicals, also promise spectacular experiences. Wicked, The Lion King or The Phantom of the Opera are just a few of the musicals you could visit and which will transport you to strange worlds for a while.
But not everyone wants to see musicals. And he or she doesn't have to, because London has so much more to offer. From the Coca-Cola London Eye, Madame Tussauds, the Tower of London, a view from the Shard, Westminster Abbey or Kensington Palace, there is plenty to marvel at in London and even more money to spend. Because many admissions in London are not exactly cheap. For all those who still want to see a lot and don't want to miss out on more expensive attractions, we recommend "The London Pass", which allows you to visit many attractions free of charge, avoid queuing at the ticket offices and also take part in a hop-on hop-off bus tour in one day. For language students in London who want to see as much of the city as possible during their language study trip, this is the ideal solution, which they can book for different numbers of days.
If you want to experience a lot, but stay cheaper, you can of course also do this in London. The British Museum, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the Tate Modern, the Natural History Museum, Somerset House, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Southbank Centre, the National Portrait Gallery and much more are all free to visit in London, as are the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, feeding the ducks in Hyde Park or marveling at the Horse Guards Parade.
It's not difficult to find things to do in London, you just have to decide what you want to see and experience during your language study trip. Find out all you can about London here in Switzerland and choose a few things you really want to do. It shouldn't scare you that things will probably turn out differently than planned, because life and experiences in London can't always be planned.
London is clearly too big to move around exclusively on foot, provided of course that you want to see a thing or two during your language study trip to the English capital. As in any big city, you should avoid driving as much as possible in London. Instead, take the subway and reach your destination in no time at all. London is well connected with 12 subway lines, all of which run every few minutes between 5am and midnight. In addition, since 2016, the Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines have also been running at night on certain routes, providing ideal transportation home for nightlife enthusiasts. You can find exact travel times and routes as well as maps on theTransport for LondonWebsite.
We also recommend the Oyster Card, the Visitor Oyster Card or the Travelcard for London, depending on the length of your stay. These cards can be topped up with credit and used on many forms of public transport. The big advantage: you save 50% or more compared to a one-way ticket. You can simply have the Visitor Oyster Card sent to your home or purchase it at the ticket counter at Gatwick Airport. You can also find more information on theTransport for LondonWebsite.
Although not always the fastest, the cheapest way to travel around London is on the famous red double-decker buses. The Oyster Card can also be used here. Alternatively, tickets can be bought from ticket machines, but not on the bus. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) can also be used for longer journeys between the districts in south-east and east London, as can the water cabs along the Thames, the Thames Clippers, which stop off at the London Eye, Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Greenwich, the Tower of London, The O2 and the Hilton London Docklands Riverside.
Even with an Oyster Card and London Pass, you are unlikely to get around London very cheaply. Life in London is very expensive compared to life in many other cities in England, which is also reflected in the cost of the language course and accommodation. If you don't have too much money at your disposal, you should perhaps refrain from a language study trip to London and choose another, no less attractive city instead. It's not far to London from almost anywhere in England, so day or weekend trips to the capital should be possible from time to time. This way, you can live and study more cheaply and quietly and still treat yourself to a few hours or days in London from time to time.
Expect to spend considerably more money in London than you would here in Switzerland, even if the cost of living is higher here. Nevertheless, more money is usually spent during a vacation or a language study trip, and evenings are not spent exclusively at home with friends or alone in front of the TV, but in the bars, cafés, pubs, restaurants and clubs of the city. That adds up, even if you only drink one mineral water. Therefore, plan enough pounds for your free time so that you don't have to do without too much during your language study trip in London.
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