Five Cool things to do in London, England

Spending a few days in London? If you want to make the most of your trip why don’t you:

1. Go window shopping at Harrods

   They may not have their Royal Warrants anymore but Harrods is still worth a visit. They have everything you could ever want from designer luggage, just like Victoria Beckhams, to fresh rabbit available at the upscale food halls. Grocery shopping will never be the same after you visit the food halls.

   http://www.harrods.com/HarrodsStore/

   http://www.touruk.co.uk/london_sights/harrods1.htm

   If Harrods is a little out of your price range, try one of London’s other fabulous department stores. The Liberty Store is one of my personal favorites. http://www.liberty.co.uk/

   http://www.talkingcities.co.uk/london_pages/shopping_department_stores.htm

2. Have high tea at the Lanesborough.

   Afternoon tea is a British tradition, along with neighbour hood pubs and fish and chips. Take your tea at one of the many very British hotels offering this afternoon delight. The Lanesborough has one of the best afternoon teas with fabulous service and yummy pastries and cakes. Maybe you will even see one of Britain’s celebrities. Make sure you dress up and make reservations or you may not get in. Afternoon tea starts at £31.

   http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/dining/attraction_detail.html?propertyID=1435&attractionId=21371

   http://www.lanesboroughlondon.com/

   If you can’t get a reservation at the Lanesborough, try one of London’s other fine hotels.

   http://www.londontown.com/London/Top_Afternoon_Tea_in_London/

   http://www.fairmont.com/savoy/GuestServices/Restaurants/AfternoonTea.htm

3. View the City from the London Eye.

   I know it is touristy and looks like a giant Ferris wheel but it offers a terrific view of the London skyline. At 135 meters (146 feet), it is the world’s tallest observation wheel and is one of the most popular British tourist attractions with nearly 10,000 visits per day. Be prepared to wait in line. Adult tickets start at £15.00 per person.

   http://www.londoneye.com/AboutEye.aspx

   http://www.londoneye.com/VisitorInformation.aspx?sec=vi&product=pri

4. Visit the Portobella Market

   By far the best of the London markets with everything from antiques to trendy jewelry, vegetables and flea market items. Be prepared to bargain and be aware the prices go up when they hear your North American accent. Saturdays are the best market days attracting both locals and tourists. Take the tube to Notting Hill Gate and then follow the crowds.

   http://community.iexplore.com/planning/journalEntryActivity.asp?JournalID=43160&EntryID=46927&n=Portabello+Rd+Market

   http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=13615

5. Spend the day at the British Museum

   Housing one of the best collections of antiquities in the world you could need more than a day to see everything. The Egyptian antiquities are better than those you find in Egypt. The best part, the museum has free admission. From now until April 6, 2008 the museum is featuring a display of Terra Cotta Warriors from Xian China. Unfortunately the exhibit has a £12 entrance fee and timed admission. Advance tickets are available but sell out fast. Be prepared to line up early (7:30 am) for daily tickets. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/the_museum/about_us.aspx

If the British Museum is not to your liking visit one of the other many museums in London, from the National Gallery to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

• http://www.offbeattravel.com/london-england-museums.html
• National Gallery http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
• Science Museum http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
• Natural History Museum http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
• Imperial War Museum http://london.iwm.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.00b
• Sherlock Holmes Museum http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/
• Victoria and Albert Museum http://www.vam.ac.uk/

If you plan to visit London:

Most major airlines fly to London Heathrow daily.

From the airport, take the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station in Central London. The trip takes only 15 minutes and fares start at £17 for a return ticket.

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/index.asp?SID={EE1C72F7-BC72-4C1E-B278-349683EDD281} From Paddington connect to the London underground or take a taxi to your hotel.

London Accommodations.

• http://www.travellondon.com/
• http://www.touruk.co.uk/london_mayfair/london_mayfair.htm
• http://www.londontown.com/hotels/?utm_source=Broad&utm_medium=ppf&utm_campaign=Broad

To find out what things costs in your own currency use one of these handy currency converter websites:

Yahoo: http://finance.yahoo.com/currency?u

msn :http://money.uk.msn.com/

http://uk.moneycentral.msn.com/investor/market/crncconverter.asp

placesnamed: http://www.convertit.com/Go/PlacesNamed/Currency/Converter_Input.ASP