The London Traveler

Everyone that visits London should visit the Tower of London. Built initially by William the Conquerer nearly a thousand years ago, it has served as a home for kings, a zoo, an armory, a prison (with torture devices), an execution site, and now as the home of the Crown Jewels. You can check out a lot more history of the Tower of London on its Wikipedia page.
The Tower is one of the best tourist attractions in London. There’s history, the highly entertaining Beefeaters (Yeoman Warders), the Crown Jewels, and more. I highly recommend planning to spend …read more

4 Comments

Many tourists that visit London want to see as much as possible, in as short a time as possible. Bus tours are a way to make that happen. They travel past all the major sites, you can get on and get off as you wish, and with live guides on board, they can give you a real feel for the way London looks and point you in the direction of what else you might want to see on your visit.
There are two major tour bus operators in London: the Big Bus Tour and The Original Tour. I’ll …read more

Comments Off

Maybe you’ve got a few free months. Maybe you’re looking to get to Australia more fuel-efficiently than by airplane. Maybe you want an adventure (or at least a story) for a lifetime.
If so, then you’re probably thinking of booking a ticket on the Ozbus. Yes, you’ll be taking a bus from London and going half-way across the world to Sydney, Australia.
Cost: £3750 (Approx. $7500 at today’s exchange rate)
Time: 12 weeks
Countries: 20! (including Iran, Pakistan, Nepal and many more)
I think it’s safe to say that this kind of trip is for a committed backpacker or environmentalist. Much …read more

4 Comments

Specifically, a number of the famed “Terracotta warriors,” recently discovered after being buried with the First Emperor of China, are now on exhibition at the British Museum in London.
The First Emperor of China was buried with an estimated 7,000 of these Terracotta Warriors, though only 1,000 have been excavated until now. From now until the spring, 20 of them have been sent to the British Museum for a special exhibition. This is the largest group to ever leave China, and the display has been described as “spellbinding” by the Times. Click on the link for a well-written …read more

2 Comments

Windsor Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in the world, and simply a beautiful and fun site to visit. Trains depart every 30 minutes from London Waterloo station, and you can expect to spend a half-day at the Castle and up to a full day if you want to experience the rest of the grounds and the towns of Windsor and Eton.
Getting there: Trains depart from London Waterloo station daily, and “Windsor & Eton Riverside” is the last destination. Weekday departures are typically every 30 minutes, at :28 and :58 past the hour. Additionally, you can …read more

Comments Off

Every year, there is an Open House across all of London. Some of London’s greatest buildings, from 30 St. Mary Axe (the “Gherkin”), to City Hall, to beautiful houses, to art studios and many more throw their doors open to the public. Most of these buildings are otherwise unaccessible any other day of the year.
When: Saturday and Sunday, September 15th and 16th
Cost: Free
Guide: £3 for a PDF, available on their website
Details: The best way to start thinking about what you want to see is simply to use the site’s online search feature. You can see what buildings …read more

Comments Off

A fantastic little restaurant in Clapham has found another hit of a business… in cooking classes! If you would like a unique lunch-time experience, take some time and get better in the kitchen.
Where: Trinity Restaurant, Clapham
Tube: Clapham Common station, on the Northern Line
Time: 10:15am, runs for 90 minutes. There is a short break, and then everyone returns for lunch.
Cost: £50
Book: Call Jessica at 0207 622 1199 or e-mail dine@trinityrestaurant.co.uk
What you get: The classes are a mix of traditional teaching and demonstration. Everything from notecards to light refreshments are included. Each class covers two topics.
And here’s …read more

Comments Off

One of the best tours you can take in the late summer is of the Palace of Westminster, the meeting place of Parliament and essentially the Capitol of the UK Government. From the end of July through the end of September (while Parliament is out of session) the building is open for an absolutely fantastic tour of rooms that the public is otherwise not permitted to walk through or even see.
Specific details can be found on the UK Parliament website.
Cost: £12. The ticket booth is across the street from the Palace.
Time: Plan for 90 minutes.
Booking: Best to book …read more

3 Comments