Local travel tip: London Guide

Location: London, United Kingdom

London is one of the world’s greatest cities, and you can spend months or even years exploring and still have some attractions left to see. Most people do not have that amount of time to explore everywhere, so why not find out what places the locals recommend and make sure you visit some of the great attractions that London has to offer. The Tube, London’s underground network, is extensive and is a great way to tour the city. Only a short walk separates many of the great sites of London. One such walk starts in South Kensington with a trip to the Natural History museum, with one of the biggest collections in the world. Immediately adjacent are the Victoria and Albert museum and Science museum, all of which are well-worth a visit. A short walk leads to Hyde Park, an oasis of green in the middle of the bustling city. Stroll past the Serpentine, where you can go for a bracing outdoors swim at the Lido, and head to Oxford Street for some of the best of London’s great shops or continue sight-seeing at Hyde Park Corner and cross in Green Park. Once there, Buckingham Palace and the Mall await and just a short walk leads you to Trafalgar Square and Nelsons Column, Downing Street and Westminster, the seat of the British government. From Westminster, you can marvel at Big Ben and the other famous landmarks and take a boat trip along the famous River Thames to the Tower of London passing many of London’s iconic views, including: • Globe Theatre • Tower Bridge • Houses of Parliament • St Pauls Cathedral • Tate Modern Gallery • London Eye The more energetic tourist can take a pleasant stroll along the length of the riverbank and take in all the great views. London has many other great places to visit, depending on your interests. If you have children, then London Zoo is a great visit, as is the playground at Coram’s Field. If you prefer to shop, then Harrod’s, Selfridge’s and Harvey Nichol’s offer some of the most exclusive shopping in the world. For those who like sports, London has some of the most iconic sports venues in the world, and many of them offer tours, including Lord’s, Twickenham and Wembley. After a hard day exploring, London offers the traveller a wide variety of cuisine from all cuisines and price ranges. From cheap corner cafes to top-quality Michelin starred restaurants. Just about every part of London has a range of chain and individual restaurants and take-away food outlets. You best bet is to look what is close to where you are staying, or where you are when your feet start to hurt from all the exploring. London has a vast array of nightlife with concerts, recitals and events to suit all tastes in music happening most nights. Pick up one of the free newspapers from outside the tube stations to find the latest listings and see if there is anything that takes your fancy.