London vacations

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A little history

London dates back almost 2000 years, a former swamp that was first tamed by the Roman, then the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans.
Each of these rulers brought their own culture and language to the land of the Bretons, and much of it is still prevalent in London today.
Everywhere you go in the world's most popular capital you will find remnants of cultures long gone. As they left their mark on London, so London shall leave its mark on you, and you will be forever enchanted to return. London has everything that anyone would need or want, Dr. Johnson said in the 18th C that "the man, who is tired of London, is tired of life".
The museums and galleries are free, and there are so many places that will fascinate and entertain you. Some Londoners who have lived here for years still haven't managed to see it all.
For the historic tourist London is an Aladdin's Cave, music lovers will be enthralled, theatre fans will be spoilt for choice, diners will get `fed up`, clubbers and night people will be tripping the light fantastic till the dawn comes up, culture vultures will taken back to an age they dream about, and for those who just want to do nothing but chill out; as the old Everley Brothers song goes "there's a place for us" too in the beautiful parks and the river side walkways. Napoleon once said "impossible is not French", the British have a similar saying "Disappointment is not London".

The Best Bits

Where do you start on this one? Well let's just look at the things that are not just popular and well known, but also take a look at the not so well known. London is in fact 2 cities, the City of London which is literally a square mile and the City of Westminster which covers the other boroughs.
The city is packed with 500,000 workers every day Monday to Friday, but on the weekend only around 5,000 are resident there. This is a great time to wander around and see the original city in all its glory, there is a wonderful element of the old and new in this area, where you can turn a corner and bump into a Roman wall.
The Tower of London is a whole day out as it is that big, it dates back 1,000 years and has a bloody history that is enviable. Ann Boleyn was executed here and Rudolf Hess was the last prisoner, the tower is still guarded by a medieval troop. River cruises are frequent and flexible, some allow you to hop on and hop off at various places such as The Tower and Greenwich.
Theatres are plentiful; there is even a fully functioning replica of Shakespeare's Globe theatre where you can see his plays in truly medieval surroundings. Museums such as the Barbican will teach you about this illustrious city, and there are plenty of attractions that are based on different periods in time.
For the trip of a lifetime there is the London Eye, a 27 minute Ferris wheel ride that gives you a `bird's eye view of London and beyond.
For the discerning explorer there are plenty of London walks that will give you both an easy day and plenty of entertainment, without costing you a fortune. There are plenty of London hotels that cater for all budgets within the city and many of them are family friendly.

London Hotels

London's hotels are plentiful and diverse in facilities and cost; all budgets are catered for, as are indeed all tastes in food, leisure needs, room sizes and those little extras such as a gym free and wi-fi.
The easiest way to find the hotel that will suit you best is to log onto Book-London.com and they will do the finding for you, no matter what your requirements are. The web site is programmed to find you the best for less, but they have one golden rule in all their searches; location, location, location.
No matter where you are based according to your budget, access to central London and all the most popular parts is very easy.
All the briefs for London Hotels are fully informative about transport, dining out locally; local facilities such as gyms and shops are also carefully researched and reported for each hotel.
This is on top of sections informing you of the hotels facilities, and giving an honest verdict to help you decide the best choice for you.

Transport

All London hotels are near to a tube station, and the London underground system is the oldest in Europe.
The system is constantly being improved with some 8 million journeys a day made to all parts of London from the centre to the surrounding counties. It is a simple to understand system that uses colours to differentiate the lines, so getting around is easy and you don`t even have to speak English to do it.
London is a city that is used to visitors from overseas, in times past they used a system of painted signs to tell you street names where certain goods were sold, and pub signs today reflect that.
Buses are frequent albeit a little slow in the day time, but as a visitor you will always have something of interest to focus on when at a standstill.
Taxis in London are unique as all Black Cab drivers must first pass a stringent test called `The Knowledge` before they get their badge, be wary of mini cabs as many are uninsured and unlicensed.
Then we have the most popular form of transport in London `Shanksies Pony`, for those of you uninitiated to Cockney Rhyming Slang (Secret Language) that means walking everywhere, and in this city that is just so much fun.
Don't forget that London also has some great tour buses with 24 hour tickets with river cruises and fast track tickets for the attractions, there is even one that does both the roads and the river in the one vehicle.

Shopping

In London this is known as `retail therapy` and is mainly a female aliment! However, London being the friendly city it is we provide plenty of outlets for sufferers. No matter what part of town your London hotel is situated, all the major brand names, designer boutiques and unique shops will generally be within walking distance, or a few stops on the tube.
Knightsbridge and Kensington hotels are within a short walk of such legends as Harrods and Harvey Nichols to name a few.
Oxford Street has more big names than you shake a stick at, and many that are just one shop empires. They all have one thing in common though, bargains, bargains and more bargains. Don't worry about all those bags though, buses and taxis are everywhere and there are plenty of tube stations. Shopping makes you thirsty and hungry, but don't despair eating out in these shopping paradises are varied and plentiful.
If you are looking for the unusual, then take a trip to Camden market, Notting Hill and Portobello Road where you will find a `village` within London that caters for the more adventurous shoppers, especially books, antiques, clothes and shoes.
Piccadilly Circus is a fairly central point to take the tube to; from here you can walk to Regent Street shops and China Town. Then if the shopping urge is still with you, walk off that lunch with a short trip to Soho or Covent Garden, here you will experience Bohemian London with many diverse shops, a street market, adult shops and a covered market. With of course the usual cafes, bistros and pubs to put your feet up, oh! and the street entertainers in Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden will amuse you as you take in the atmosphere and sneak a look at those receipts!

Night Life

Night life is just such an experience no matter where your London Hotel is located.
Whether you are travelling into central London or staying local, you will enjoy all that the capital has to offer.
Theatres are one aspect of night life that many people want to see, tickets can be bought at the venue, on the net or at any of the many discount shops in and around Leicester Square.
Comedy clubs are widespread around London so there is usually one very near to you, the west end has many good clubs and comedy theatres, look out for the street guys who hand out discount vouchers for the smaller venues, these venues are just as good for the entertainment as the expensive ones.
Pubs in town tend to be very chic and buzzing, many have DJs and after 6 p.m. a cover charge. There are some great pubs with live bands in them as well, so wander the well lit side streets and take a peek in the door.
In Soho they cater for a specialist market, there are many strip clubs and live shows with adult shops open till late. The sleazy element of the sex trade has long gone from Soho, it is well policed and rip off joints are none existent. The `Pink Pound` of the gay community is most welcome and well catered for in Soho, with gay friendly pubs, eateries, shops and night clubs. Madame Jo Jo`s is a famous club that caters for the cross dressing community, but it also attracts the straight community as does the infamous G.A.Y. club.
Regent Street, Leicester Square and Covent Garden are also open till late with many great pubs and clubs including the famous `Stringfellow's` pole dancing club.
Crossing the river is easy as there are many bridges to walk over, so don`t forget to visit the South Bank with its theatres, restaurants and quirky bistros, the London Eye lights up the area and the Oxo Tower to the east of it has a fantastic restaurant with a history of its own.

Dining out

Most London Hotels have excellent restaurants if a hard day's retail therapy or trekking around the tourist trail has left you flummoxed.
Eating out anywhere in London is quite an entertaining experience in itself. If you are not in central London, then eating out locally can usually be decided after a quick chat with the hotel staff.
Most areas have the usual Italian, Indian, Chinese and English restaurants/bistros. Many areas also tend to cater for the local residents; in Bayswater for instance you will find a few good Middle East style restaurants.
In central London you will find China Town a great early or late night time extravaganza, my tip for the day is to eat in the ones that have the most Chinese diners in them.
For the diner who just likes to stick to their own tastes and are not really into experimenting, then around Piccadilly Circus there are plenty of steak houses, pasta parlours and pizza bistros and a few nice cafes that the acting fraternity like to eat home cooked in .
After a nights clubbing there are a few late and all night cafes in and around Coventry Street between Piccadilly and Leicester Square. For the Theatre goer there is Sarastro`s in Covent Garden, known as the `show after the show`, but book up early or you wont get in.
China White and The Ivy are for those with a big wallet, but you will be dining and dancing with celebrities.

Unknown London

Big Ben is one of the most famous bells in the world, as is the Liberty Bell and both were cast in the same foundry in East London, you can visit the foundry and see bells being cast as they have been for many hundreds of years in this long established factory.
London also has a `not too well kept` secret waterway system with regular boat trips around the London countryside. http://www.walkersquay.com for more information and bookings.
London walks are something most people even think about, but they are just the ticket for a family on a budget or the explorer who wants to wander off the beaten track.
Wapping is just 10 minutes walk from the Tower of London, here you will find a riverside village of wonderful pubs that in days past were hosted and frequented by real live Pirates. Wander around from pub to pub, and read all about the days when people like Captain Kidd were captured, and then tied to a post in the river for three turns of the tide. Bring a pic-nic with you and sit on the banks of the Thames as you imagine times past.
The Temple in the city is an area off Fleet Street, it is a village within itself where law is taught and where Barristers meet their clients and live, Tony and Cherie Blair once had a flat here. Formerly owned by the Knights Templar`s it is full of history and quietness at the week end, you can pic-nic on the green here and then walk across the road to see the Thames in motion.
Don't forget the Jack the Ripper walks that start from the Tower of London underpass, it is a great part of London's history and the mystery still intrigues people worldwide.

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