"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."Samuel Johnson
How could we say that it isn't true?
London, with seven million inhabitants, it's one of the greatest cultural melting pot, it drives the British economy, it's the place where the Queen reigns and the Parliament rules, where the new musical, fashion and artistic trends come up and go down.
London is the Beatles and the Rolling Stone mother country, the land of Tate Modern' s arts, of BBC Proms; the capital city of shopping: Harrods sells everything "from a pin to an elephant".Almost 2000 years of history are written on its streets: it's an history made of romantic dinners in wonderful restaurants, colorful cocktails in smart bar and lively party. For these reasons and much more London is still one of the most desirable destinations today.
Let's go on with order:
ACCOMODATION:
First of all it's important to find the right place for your needs. London is full of hotels, B&B, hostel and apartments at every level: more or less expansive, more or less far from the city center. In any way you want it, it's necessary to get the picture of it as much as possible exact. That's all you need: www.tripadvisor.com. Searching on this website you can find strict judgment on every aspect and photos made by guests. Suggestions: Benny's B&B (on the left) and Krystal's B&B that are nice, clean and cheap but quite far from the citycenter; YHA hostel and EasyHotels that are simple, clean and in the citycenter; Apartments Apart smart and comfortable.
WHERE TO EAT:
London is a melting pot of cultures and cookeries: from the simple and traditional fish & chips to the Gordon Ramsay's high cooking, his restaurants in London (among which: Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, Petrus, Maze) are famous all over the world, passing through the greatest Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants out of Asia, like the renowned Nobu, Nahm and Hakkasan.
www.gordonramsay.com
www.noburestaurants.com
To have a snack or a fast lunch during the day you can go in one of the several Pret a Manger or Starbucks Coffee that offer an attractive variety of coffee, muffins, cakes and sandwiches.www.pret.com
www.starbucks.com
NIGHTLIFE:Londoners have turned the ritual of going out to have a drink into an art form: many of the historical London pubs are still dipped in Victorian mood, like the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub (on the right), the George Inn and the King's Arms Pub ore the Dublin Castel with its lively music. Besides there are gastropubs that compete with greatest restaurants for the price-quality relationship, like Anchor & Hope, Eagle and The Gun.
www.fancyapint.co.uk
Among many the famous Hard Rock Cafe (www.hardrock.com, on the left) with its atmosphere it's in great demand: if you want to dine there probably you have to wait more than an hour but it's worth it, be sure! And in the meantime you can visit the amazing store (on the right) and buy one of the several T-shirt or accessories.
On the other side there are the trendy cocktail bar, like the Lonsdale (below) in Notting Hill and the Hawksmoor in Hoxton, where you can taste the pineapple mojito or wasabi kiss, prepared with basil.
Later (after 11 pm) begins the very nightlife: London is full of party pubs, comedy clubs that play live music and discos, like the Ministry of Sound (on the right), that's truly a global phenomenon in which greates DJ like Sasha and pete Tong play every weekend or the Heaven, one the most famous gay club near Charing cross Station.There are also clubs that offer cabaret, boogie-woogie and Lindy-hop nights, like the Pigalle Club near Piccadilly circus.
www.thelonsdale.co.uk
SHOPPING:
London has been crowned shopping capital of the world: it collects every trend from high fashion to the punk rock look passing by the vintage style. For the searcher of the most famous brands the perfect places are
Oxford Street, Regent Street and Carnaby Street (on the left) in Soho district, and also in Kensington, Chelsea and Mayfair districts where you can find the renowned Abercrombie & Fitch, Paul Smith sale shop and Primark (on the right) still invaded by women in search of cheap clothing similar to pieces of high fashion. If you are a vintage lover you shoul go to Shoreditch, Hoxton and Spitalfields, three north-east districts of London, where you'll find Absolute Vintage, Beyond Retro and Blondie true warehouse of vintage wanders.
In London you can find a wide range of markets: Borough Market for gastronomy lovers in the South Bank; Portobello Rd Market for antique lovers near Notting Hill and the fabolous Camden Markets for punk people (below).
ATTRACTIONS:
London offers innumerable attractions for all kind of interests: first of all you can admire the cityscape by the famous London Eye (on the right) placed in the South Bank, it rises up to 135 m and is one of the tallest in the world. Very famous but expansive is the museum of wax figures Madame Tussaunds that attracts tourists since 1884, it's placed in Marylbone Rd, near Regent's Park (www.madametussauds.com).
For the knowledge lovers it is necessary to stop off in the British Museum (www.britishmuseum.org) that collects some of the most important antiques in the world like the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon marbles, the Egyptian mummy collection and Mildenhall Treasure: it's placed near Tottenham Court Rd and it's free entry.
SHOPPING:
London has been crowned shopping capital of the world: it collects every trend from high fashion to the punk rock look passing by the vintage style. For the searcher of the most famous brands the perfect places are
Oxford Street, Regent Street and Carnaby Street (on the left) in Soho district, and also in Kensington, Chelsea and Mayfair districts where you can find the renowned Abercrombie & Fitch, Paul Smith sale shop and Primark (on the right) still invaded by women in search of cheap clothing similar to pieces of high fashion. If you are a vintage lover you shoul go to Shoreditch, Hoxton and Spitalfields, three north-east districts of London, where you'll find Absolute Vintage, Beyond Retro and Blondie true warehouse of vintage wanders.
In London you can find a wide range of markets: Borough Market for gastronomy lovers in the South Bank; Portobello Rd Market for antique lovers near Notting Hill and the fabolous Camden Markets for punk people (below).
MEANS OF TRANSPORTS:
To move around in London you can take the famous double-decker red buses (on the left) or the fast underground (tube) or a typical yellow taxi (on the right), moreover you can take the boat to enjoy a fun and relaxing tour on the Thames. You can do that buing ah Oyster Card or a Travel Card according to your needs: in this website you can find all the important information about that www.tfl.gov.uk (at the bottom of the page).
To get to London you can save money by booking a low-cost flight with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.com). To get to the city center from the airport (that probably will be Gatwick or Stansted) not spending too much you can take an easybus (www.easybus.co.uk, below).
To move around in London you can take the famous double-decker red buses (on the left) or the fast underground (tube) or a typical yellow taxi (on the right), moreover you can take the boat to enjoy a fun and relaxing tour on the Thames. You can do that buing ah Oyster Card or a Travel Card according to your needs: in this website you can find all the important information about that www.tfl.gov.uk (at the bottom of the page).
To get to London you can save money by booking a low-cost flight with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.com). To get to the city center from the airport (that probably will be Gatwick or Stansted) not spending too much you can take an easybus (www.easybus.co.uk, below).
ATTRACTIONS:
For the knowledge lovers it is necessary to stop off in the British Museum (www.britishmuseum.org) that collects some of the most important antiques in the world like the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon marbles, the Egyptian mummy collection and Mildenhall Treasure: it's placed near Tottenham Court Rd and it's free entry.
A work of art full of works of art is the Tate Modern (www.tate.org.uk), the most famous art gallery in the world, that collect works of Picasso, Lichtenstein, Francis Bacon and Pollock: it's placed in the South Bank and it's free entry (except for some exhibition).
Important is also the National Gallery (www.nationalgallery.org) that overlook on Trafalgar Square, great picture gallery that collects pictures of Constable, Van Gogh and Monet. In the magnificent and historical Trafalgar Square (on the left) is also placed the Nelson's Column and the St Martins in the fields Church.
Don't forget about the grater London Cathedral: the St Paul's Cathedral, architectural masterpiece that contains the history of London, planned by Christopher Wren while London rose up from the ashes of the great fire and survived the bombing thanks to the firefighters's effort, today glows inside and outside. In its crypt there are the tombs of Nelson, Wellington, Churchill and Wren himself (with the inscription "Reader, if you seek his monument, look around").
Magnificent are also the House of Prliament (on the left), in Westminster, that is an authentic Gothic Revival, and the famous Big Ben. Not to be missed the historical Towre of London, that was monarchic palace before and prison for some grat figures, like Thomas More and Anne Boleyn, after.
For the quietness and nature lovers there are several beautiful parks where you can run, relax or attend a concert: like Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, where are placed the Serpentine Gallery and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain; Regent's Park, where it's placed the London Zoo; St James's Park and Green Park.
Finally do enjoy a Thames River Cruise to admire all that historical and modern wonders!
IMPORTANT: you can buy the London Pass that is a ‘smart card’ which allows you completely cash free entry to your choice of over 55 London tourist attractions: once you’ve bought your London Pass you don’t have to pay to get into any of the attractions covered by the pass. For more informations www.londonpass.com.
Enjoy your trip!
Don't forget about the grater London Cathedral: the St Paul's Cathedral, architectural masterpiece that contains the history of London, planned by Christopher Wren while London rose up from the ashes of the great fire and survived the bombing thanks to the firefighters's effort, today glows inside and outside. In its crypt there are the tombs of Nelson, Wellington, Churchill and Wren himself (with the inscription "Reader, if you seek his monument, look around").
Finally do enjoy a Thames River Cruise to admire all that historical and modern wonders!
IMPORTANT: you can buy the London Pass that is a ‘smart card’ which allows you completely cash free entry to your choice of over 55 London tourist attractions: once you’ve bought your London Pass you don’t have to pay to get into any of the attractions covered by the pass. For more informations www.londonpass.com.
Enjoy your trip!
