The guidebook

THE 5TH EDITION OF THE ACCESS IN LONDON GUIDEBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE, WITH 372pp.  If you’d like to have a copy, go to Contact us. If you want to download a particular chapter, please see further down this page. To link to our other two sites, click on other guides.

Don’t get confused with the POD (print on demand) version which only contains two chapters, comprising less than 40% of the text in the new edition.  Note that a Kindle version is available, but again, do not get confused by the POD version which only has a small part of the complete 5th edition.

Access in London is a well established, well researched and well presented guide, published in 1984, 1989, 1996, 2003 AND NOW 2014. Nearly all of the information is collected by visit, and reflects the experiences of disabled people who want to get around. It is part of a series published by Pauline Hephaistos Survey Projects since the 1970s to places as diverse as Paris, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Jersey, Norway, Brittany and the Loire Valley.

The guide is still the only integrated source of access information about London which links everything together, covering accommodation, the transport system and descriptions of the major sights and places of interest.

We have limited capacity for generating new material.
In June 2016, there was an article about the guides in CAEs Access by Design

The new edition contains detailed information for those who have problems getting around, including:

  • wheelchair users
  • those with limited walking ability and for whom stairs may be a challenge
  • families with small children in buggies.

WE HAVE PUT THE TEXT FOR VARIOUS CHAPTERS HERE ON THE WEBSITE and In its 372 pages, it includes:

  • The book Prelims, which you can see here 2014 Prelims and Contents list
  • The Introduction and General Information pp 1-35 2014 Introduction
  • 2014 Accommodation pp 37-85 with more than 80 accessible hotels, hostels and camp sites, from those with 5 stars to others with ‘no-frills’. A map shows where they are
  • 2014 Getting Around pp 87-126 with a commentary on using taxis, minicabs, buses, and the tube, of the Overground and the DLR. There is a detailed commentary on the Underground lines, and you are recommended to get a copy of the Step Free Tube Guide from Transport for London. There is a map of Crossrail which will make a significant contribution to the facilities from about 2020. National Rail services are described in 2014 Arriving in London pp127-145 together with information about coach services and the several airports
  • all the main sights and places of interest, including the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and Buckingham Palace, together with churches, museums and galleries. See 2014 Places of Interest pp 147-228, 2014 Museums & Galleries pp 229-265, and 2014 Places of Worship pp 267-283
  • in addition there are chapters describing the main Shops, see 2014 Shops pp 285-304 with a map showing their location. There is a brief commentary on access to Entertainment venues, see 2014 Entertainment pp 305-310. Some supplementary information will be added to the website during 2015-16. As much of the work was done during 2012, we researched access to London’s many sports Grounds see 2014 Sports Grounds pp 311-355 with information for spectators on the provisions made, and how to find out more details
  • there’s a Good loo guide and map for central London, see 2014 Good Loo Guide and Map pp 359-368, and finally
  • an extensive Index, see 2014 Index .

 Our approach is descriptive, and based on years of travelling internationally. Uniquely, our guides combine the information about where to stay, how to get around and the easiest ways of accessing the main places of interest.

 There are descriptions of several sites/sights outside the N/S circular roads on another page of the website, but still under Major sights. 

On the Methodology page you will find a list of abbreviations, and of the definitions we use for describing toilets and lifts. We also compare our information with that from other sources.

NOTE THAT the web files include easy links to websites and e-mail addresses. 

Maps and artwork included in the guide:

  • links to and from accessible rail stations (out as far as Guildford, Reading, Watford, Romford, Sevenoaks, Gatwick and Epsom)
  • accessible travel links on London’s underground system
  • hotels location
  • a diagram of accessible routes around the Tower of London
  • a diagram of accessible routes around the Palace of Westminster
  • the location of the principal shops
  • maps of good accessible toilets in central London

The whole website will gradually be updated through 2015/16.