London/West

The outer western suburbs of Greater London form a diverse area that ranges from the densely-populated but tree-lined streets of Chiswick, Acton and Ealing, through to the semi-rural western districts that lie between Heathrow Airport and Uxbridge. As you might expect from the outer reaches of a metropolis, much of West London is suburban 'commuter belt' territory. Even so, a great many centres located on or near West London's key transport links have much to offer both the traveller and casual visitor in the way of accommodation, food, sights and experiences. Tracing a meandering course on the area's southern edge is—of course—the River Thames, the focus of many local opportunities.

Understand
West London's popularity with travellers and short-to-mid-term residents (backpackers, working holiday makers, etc.) can be explained by a number of factors, not least its proximity to Heathrow Airport, London's largest airport, and the area's multiple, easy transport connections with the West End and Central London.

West London was once part of the county of Middlesex, which no longer exists for administrative purposes; Middlesex, however, is sometimes still used as part of the postal address for these areas - don't let this confuse you!

Boroughs
West London consists of numerous suburbs, villages and satellite towns. Several areas are particularly popular with travellers and backpackers on account of their attractions, their facilities and their many accommodation options.

West London consists of the following boroughs:


 * Ealing—the centrally-located Borough of Ealing includes the following areas:
 * Acton, an area popular with visiting Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans. Popular with travellers on account of its entertainment options, relatively cheap accommodation (short stay and rental) and excellent transport links with the rest of London and further afield (Acton has the largest number of Tube and train stations that have 'Acton' in their name). Although part of the London Borough of Ealing, Acton very much retains its own identity.
 * Ealing itself, popularly known as the "Queen of the Suburbs"
 * Southall, also known as 'Little India', and a must-visit if you have the time to venture out of Central London. If you do only one thing when here, make sure you have a curry in one of the many authentic Asian restaurants. However beware, it is notorious for all the general street crime, especially pick pocketing, and may seem run down to an outsider.
 * Hounslow—the borough includes the following areas:
 * Chiswick, a leafy, generally well-heeled district, known for its wide variety of quality shopping and food outlets.
 * Brentford, situated on the main transport links from Heathrow airport to central London, this is a mainly commercial area. The riverside area on the north bank of the Thames has a number of new housing developments and hotels.
 * Hounslow, a largely working class area with many of the residents employed at nearby Heathrow airport. Known for being the king of 99p shops in the whole of London, and a good place to find a deal in its large High Street. It has become home to a multitude of budget and mid-range hotel chains (Travel Lodge, Premier Inn and Best Western amongst others) trading on its proximity to Heathrow Airport and good transport links into Central London.
 * Hillingdon—this westernmost Borough of Greater London includes:
 * Uxbridge, the administrative centre of Hillingdon Borough. A vibrant area on the edge of London, good shopping experience and good transport links to the West End.
 * Hayes, industrial and housing areas with good access to the airport.
 * Ruislip, a residential area with a lido and extensive woodlands, including a national nature reserve.

By Tube


West London is well served by London Underground (Tube) connections from Central London:


 * Piccadilly line (solid blue) – runs through Chiswick, then divides at Acton Town with branches to Heathrow and Uxbridge. Heathrow Airport is a special fare sub-zone with journeys between there and Zone 1 being charged at peak rate at all times.
 * District line (solid green) – runs through Chiswick, then divides at Turnham Green with branches to Richmond and Ealing Broadway
 * Central line (solid red) – divides at North Acton with branches to Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip
 * Metropolitan line (solid dark purple) – runs through North London, then divides at Harrow on the Hill with one branch joining the Piccadilly Line to Uxbridge (from Uxbridge to Rayners Lane which is served by both the Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines, the Metropolitan Line is normally the faster route to Central London)

By train
The following routes are useful for areas of West London not well served by the Tube.


 * South Western Railway — from London Waterloo and Clapham Junction to Chiswick and Hounslow (Chiswick mainline train station is located several hundred metres south of the Great West Road and Chiswick High Road)
 * First Great Western — from London Paddington to Ealing Broadway, Southall and Hayes
 * Elizabeth line (light purple) — divides into two branches at London Paddington to Reading and Heathrow Airport.
 * The Reading branch goes to Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall, Hayes & Harlington and West Drayton (trains further west are outside of TfL fare zones and require a train ticket).
 * The Heathrow branch goes from Hayes & Harlington to Heathrow Airport . Heathrow Airport is a special fare sub-zone with journeys between there and Zone 1 being charged at peak rate at all times.
 * Heathrow Express — A premium express rail service between Heathrow Airport and London Paddington. There are 4 tph to Heathrow Airport (Terminal 5) which takes 21 minutes – the train stops en-route at Terminals 2 & 3 with a free shuttle to Terminal 4.

By bus
A number of key bus routes exist that can readily transport visitors to West London from the centre of town:



Night buses
Night bus services to and from Central London are more restricted but incredibly useful once the Tube has closed for the night:

TfL Map of Night Services





By car
The main routes through West London are:


 * The A4 and M4 Motorway linking London with the Lower Thames Valley, Bath, Bristol and South Wales
 * The A40 and M40 Motorway linking London with Oxford, Birmingham and the West Midlands.

By taxi
There is a taxi stand. Uxbridge Taxi Services are the most popular services.

Uber and other ride hailing services are also available throughout West London including Uxbridge.

See
Although not nearly as concentrated as Central London, West London's attractions are many and varied:

Ealing

 * Rugby League:
 * Rugby Union: Ealing Trailfinders play in the Championship, the RU second tier, also at Vallis Way.

Brentford

 * Football:
 * London Irish rugby union club also played at Community Stadium but went bust in 2023, the third top-tier RU club to fold that year.
 * London Irish rugby union club also played at Community Stadium but went bust in 2023, the third top-tier RU club to fold that year.

Buy
Shopping in West London varies depending on the area. Chiswick in particular has upmarket shops.

Uxbridge
Both shopping centres are next to Uxbridge tube station.

Chiswick
The main shopping area in Chiswick is the Chiswick High Road. It has mostly chain shops:

Chiswick
Chiswick is an area of West London with a wide range of options. There are at least 30 restaurants in Chiswick. Chiswick High Road has the usual wide selection of fast food outlets and supermarket food. For the more discerning, an extensive range of restaurants and eateries exists for all tastes and budgets that makes Chiswick a definite destination for the gastronome.

Drink
You will never be short of a pub in West London. Upmarket bars and clubs are also plentiful.

Ealing
Pubs in the centre of Ealing tend to be lively and rather noisy.



Uxbridge
Uxbridge is home to many fine eateries and public houses. Many pubs are located along historic Windsor Street.

Brentford
Historically (and perhaps unsurprisingly, given its roots as an industrial working-class area) Brentford has been known as a "drinker's town". Indeed, it was long reputed that in the Victorian terraces surrounding the football ground, there was "a pub on every corner". To an extent this is still true today, with a sizable number of small drinking establishments still eking out a living in the backstreets to the west of the Ealing Road. Most are perfectly friendly to outsiders, while maintaining a core clientele of local drinkers, primarily men.

For the visitor to Brentford seeking a more eclectic drinking culture, pubs such as:

Visitors might wish to note that pubs such as the Albany Arms and Beehive are most heavily patronised by locals who might be less welcoming to outsiders than in the pubs noted above.

Beer-lovers with a taste for sampling local brews should note that many of Brentford's pubs are 'tied houses' (owned by the brewery rather than the landlord) serving Fuller's ales. Fuller's are a local brewers based in Chiswick (although serving a country-wide market for beers such as London Pride), less than 2 miles along the Thames. Drinkers can thus be assured that their pint of Fuller's is, if nothing else, both local and fresh.

Sleep
With its proximity to Heathrow Airport, Uxbridge has some good hotels. Many independent pubs offering accommodation in the local area.