Hello, I'm traveling to London next week and wanted to know if there are public pools like here in the U.S. Also are there any areas to swim in the open water near London you can get to using public transportation?

Hi Kara. <BR>Most gyms in London or student centers have indoor pools that you can use for a nominal fee. Also more expensive hotels usually have pools that you can access by buying a day membership to their gym. Outdoor pools or open water to swim in is difficult to find (you know- with the nasty weather and all...).

It is cool right now, so forget outdoors. In fact, it really is never really beach weather. Go to Portugal, the Algarve if you want to swim outside.

There are public pools, but they are all inside. If you happen to get out to Windsor, there is a really good one with water slides. You wouldn't want to swim in the water around London. Besides being cold, it's just not swimable. The weather has been quite grey and chilly the last couple of weeks, around 60-65 degrees, so bring a sweater.

Here in England, there are several great indoor water parks, with slides, river floats, wave pools and kiddie pools, scattered around the country. Don't know if there are any in London, but you might try a search with the subject "London water parks". <BR> <BR>Good luck!

Found these websites for swimming pools/leisure centers in and around London. Hope at least one of them will help! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>http://www.aquaterra.org/irb.htm <BR> <BR>http://www.cannons-clubs.com/City/index.asp <BR> <BR>http://www.harbourclub.com/poolflat.html <BR> <BR>http://www.eastendlife.net/services/swim.htm <BR> <BR>http://www.enfield.gov.uk/swimtime.htm <BR> <BR>http://www.timeout.com/london/kids/swimming.html <BR> <BR>http://hem.passagen.se/badarna/Britain.html <BR>

Serpentine lake in Hyde Park offers open air swimming, so is Highgate Ponds at Hampstead Heath. The Oasis swimming pool at Shaftsbury Avenue has both indoor and outdoor pool, so has the Lido at Brockwell park near Tooting. You can catch the tube to any of those mentioned. On a (rare)hot day, the open air swimming pools are usually crowded, there is no chance for proper lane swimming. Go to the leisure centres with swimming pool if you are a serious swimmer, they are listed on the telephone directory. I hope the weather will improve when you get here.