Waterloo has bags of character and plenty to do as well as unbeatable transport links to the rest of the city - so, to paraphrase the Swedes, you can escape quite easily but you might not want to.
Waterloo tourist attractions and history
Just to be clear, the Battle of Waterloo took place in Belgium, not South London - this was the battle in which the British Duke of Wellington defeated the French emperor Napoleon in 1815. You'll see the Duke of Wellington, atop a horse and in statue form in Trafalgar Square keeping Nelson's column company.
You'll find towns called Waterloo as far apart as Hong Kong, California and the Antarctic just to confuse matters… but with regards to the Waterloo of London, Waterloo Bridge was in fact named after the Battle of Waterloo that we have just mentioned. It dates back to 1817 but the current form replaced the earlier bridge in 1945.
Waterloo Road, which runs south from the bridge, also dates from the early 1800s at which the Archbishop of Canterbury owned the land. You might also be interested to know that the street Lower Marsh just behind Waterloo station takes its name from the 18th century when this whole area south of the River Thames was marshland - when it was drained and built upon, it was renamed.
If you're a film fan, the IMAX cinema is a great start - it's the circular building right in the middle of the roundabout just at the south end of Waterloo building - you can't miss it! It's great for watching new releases on a really big screen and for an incomparable movie experience.
Another local Waterloo treat is The Old Vic, the off West End theatre that's famously owned by Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey. There's a great selection of drama shown here and the facade is both beautiful and old fashioned - plus under 25s can often get cheap tickets here. Another good stop is The Old Vic tunnels, accessed from Station Approach Road. Don't be put off by the railway graffiti - there are artists in residence here and lots of performance art events and groups.
Getting to London's big attractions
Waterloo is a great start for a walking tour - you're minutes from the hustle and bustle of the South Bank and a stroll in either direction along the river will throw up plenty of things to do or places for a pitstop. You could also grab a Boris bike (paid for by the half hour) and cycle across Waterloo Bridge to Covent Garden and Holborn.
To get to Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Gardens, walk along the South Bank until you reach the pedestrian Golden Jubilee bridges which take you across to Charing Cross on the north side of the Thames. Westminster Bridge and the sights of Westminster (like Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey) are only one bridge further.
In the other direction, you will encounter London Bridge (and the City on the opposite bank of the river), the Tate Modern and the OXO Tower complex of restaurants and galleries.
The single decker RV1 bus, aka the Riverside Bus service, is good to remember as it's great for getting to tourist attractions and hotspots from Waterloo. Otherwise, have a look at the maps at the bus stops all around Waterloo station - you really can get a bus to most of central London and Camden from here although if you want to go to Shoreditch and the markets of East London or the fancy shopping streets and Harrods in Knightsbridge you're best to pay slightly extra to use the Underground.
Waterloo station, as well as having trains to the South Western suburbs of London and further afield, is connected to the rest of London by a number of tube lines. You can get the one stop Waterloo & City line straight to Bank station. It's also on the Northern line which is handy for getting to Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road for shopping and the theatre. And the Jubilee line will take you to Green Park if you fancy visiting the Queen at Buckingham Palace or in the opposite direction all the way out to Stratford, where the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics are based.
Waterloo Insider Tips and Eating Out
Both Waterloo Road and Lower Marsh offer a great selection of bars and restaurants if you've already had your fill from the South Bank.
Try The Fire Station on Waterloo Road for a busy atmosphere and good British food - it's split up into a bar area and restaurant area and the outdoor seating is popular when the weather is forgiving.
Cotto is a nice Italian bar and pizzeria on Lower Marsh if you want somewhere a bit quieter, and the Cubana Bar and Restaurant is great for some smaller bites and early evening drinks - you'll see the great exotic mural on the wall a mile off but we'd recommend reserving a table here as it's very busy even mid-week. There's live salsa music from 11pm and the tapas is very good value - hence its popularity!
Waterloo Amenities
Waterloo station has a good range of shops from a big, well stocked Boots to WH Smith and Sainsbury's out on the main road. Plus there's a handy mobile phone repairs shop under the Bridge and a takeaway called Fiscotheque so if you don't want to eat out, just grab some fish and chips from here.
Lower Marsh also has a good selection of amenities, like a health food shop, a leather goods shop and a beauty salon called The Oasis Facial, Body & Tanning Treatments
Waterloo Sunset, I am in Paradise...
Waterloo has bags of character and plenty to do as well as unbeatable transport links to the rest of the city - so, to paraphrase the Swedes, you can escape quite easily but you might not want to.
Waterloo at Sunset
Waterloo Tourist Attractions and History:
Just to be clear, the Battle of Waterloo took place in Belgium, not South London - this was the battle in which the British Duke of Wellington defeated the French emperor Napoleon in 1815. You'll see the Duke of Wellington, atop a horse and in statue form in Trafalgar Square keeping Nelson's column company.
You'll find towns called Waterloo as far apart as Hong Kong, California and the Antarctic just to confuse matters… but with regards to the Waterloo of London, Waterloo Bridge was in fact named after the Battle of Waterloo that we have just mentioned. It dates back to 1817 but the current form replaced the earlier bridge in 1945.
Waterloo Road, which runs south from the bridge, also dates from the early 1800s at which the Archbishop of Canterbury owned the land. You might also be interested to know that the street Lower Marsh just behind Waterloo station takes its name from the 18th century when this whole area south of the River Thames was marshland - when it was drained and built upon, it was renamed.
If you're a film fan, the IMAX cinema is a great start - it's the circular building right in the middle of the roundabout just at the south end of Waterloo building - you can't miss it! It's great for watching new releases on a really big screen and for an incomparable movie experience.
Another local Waterloo treat is The Old Vic, the off West End theatre that's famously owned by Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey. There's a great selection of drama shown here and the facade is both beautiful and old fashioned - plus under 25s can often get cheap tickets here. Another good stop is The Old Vic Tunnels, accessed from Station Approach Road. Don't be put off by the railway graffiti - there are artists in residence here and lots of performance art events and groups.
Getting to London's Big Attractions:
Waterloo is a great start for a walking tour - you're minutes from the hustle and bustle of the South Bank and a stroll in either direction along the river will throw up plenty of things to do or places for a pitstop. You could also grab a Boris bike (paid for by the half hour) and cycle across Waterloo Bridge to Covent Garden and Holborn.
To get to Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Gardens, walk along the South Bank until you reach the pedestrian Golden Jubilee bridges which take you across to Charing Cross on the north side of the Thames. Westminster Bridge and the sights of Westminster (like Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey) are only one bridge further.
In the other direction, you will encounter London Bridge (and the City on the opposite bank of the river), the Tate Modern and the OXO Tower complex of restaurants and galleries.
The single decker RV1 bus, aka the Riverside Bus service, is good to remember as it's great for getting to tourist attractions and hotspots from Waterloo. Otherwise, have a look at the maps at the bus stops all around Waterloo station - you really can get a bus to most of central London and Camden from here although if you want to go to Shoreditch and the markets of East London or the fancy shopping streets and Harrods in Knightsbridge you're best to pay slightly extra to use the Underground.
Waterloo station, as well as having trains to the South Western suburbs of London and further afield, is connected to the rest of London by a number of tube lines. You can get the one stop Waterloo & City line straight to Bank station. It's also on the Northern line which is handy for getting to Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road for shopping and the theatre. And the Jubilee line will take you to Green Park if you fancy visiting the Queen at Buckingham Palace or in the opposite direction all the way out to Stratford, where the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics are based.
Waterloo and the Surrounding Areas at Night - Just Beautiful!
Waterloo Insider Tips and Eating Out:
Both Waterloo Road and Lower Marsh offer a great selection of bars and restaurants if you've already had your fill from the South Bank.
Try The Fire Station on Waterloo Road for a busy atmosphere and good British food - it's split up into a bar area and restaurant area and the outdoor seating is popular when the weather is forgiving.
Cotto is a nice Italian bar and pizzeria on Lower Marsh if you want somewhere a bit quieter, and the Cubana Bar and Restaurant is great for some smaller bites and early evening drinks - you'll see the great exotic mural on the wall a mile off but we'd recommend reserving a table here as it's very busy even mid-week. There's live salsa music from 11pm and the tapas is very good value - hence its popularity!
Waterloo Amenities:
Waterloo station has a good range of shops from a big, well stocked Boots to WH Smith and Sainsbury's out on the main road. Plus there's a handy mobile phone repairs shop under the Bridge and a takeaway called Fiscotheque so if you don't want to eat out, just grab some fish and chips from here.
Lower Marsh also has a good selection of amenities, like a health food shop, a leather goods shop and a beauty salon called The Oasis Facial, Body & Tanning Treatments.
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