London, England

If it's your first time in London, the huge, capital city of Great Britain, there are a few places I recommend you must see.

1. Buckingham Palace - this is the Queen's residence when she is in London. Don't miss the changing of the guards. When I was there last December, it was every 2 days at 11.00 but check the times on the internet because it changes according to the season. Nearby is the beautiful St James's Park, where you will see ducks, squirrells and a beautiful lake.

2. Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament - the most famous clock in the world is located just by the river Thames in the city centre in the area known as Westminster. From there, you can take a nice walk on the South Bank of the river Thames.

3. The South Bank - this has a very nice walkway which is always very lively with music an artists. You can spend the whole day there. If you come from Big Ben, you can see:

• London Eye - huge wheel just on the river. Its better to purchase tickets online to avoid queues.
• Royal Festival Hall
• National Theatre
• The Southbank Centre - centre for many events and festivals. Open to the public. The home of London Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Tate Modern - centre of modern art in London. (Free entrance)
• Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - reconstruction of Shakespeare's original theatre.
• Southwark Cathedral - very old original cathedral. (Free entrance)
• HMS Belfast - and old Royal Navy ship that today is a museum which you can visit.
• Tower Bridge - the famous Bridge with the towers and the road that lifts up.
• Tower of London - can visit.

TIP: Afterwards you can take a riverboat ride from the station at London Bridge back along the river (use your travelcard).

4. Covent Garden - a complex of shops and market stalls - for tourists so its expensive. It is worth visiting to see the open entertainment, acrobats, jugglers and musicians.

5. Leicester Square - in the centre of the London West End, you can find many theatres. Tip: You can find half price tickets for most of the shows on the same day in Leicester Square.

6. Chinatown - colourful and interesting to walk through to see the gate and architecture. As you would expect there are many Chinese restaurants.

7. Trafalgar Square - famous for New Year celebrations and its fountains. At the centre is the statue of Admiral Nelson who won the battle of Trafalgar - when the English navy beat the Spanish who wanted to invade. Just nearby, dont miss the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery. I really enjoyed these.

8. Oxford Street - London's popular shopping street with a variety of shops for everyone. You can start at Tottenham Court Road and walk to Regent Street.  On the way is Soho - the famous area for London's film industry and sex shops. After Regent Street is Piccadilly Circus with the famous Eros fountain and electric advertisement screens. At the Western end of Oxford Street, you can find shops such as Selfridges, Marks and Spencer, Primark superstore. At the end is the famous Marble Arch monument.

9. Hyde Park - a beautiful, green park with a lake at the centre. At the South you can find the Princess Diana memorial fountain. Every year in the Christmas holiday period, there is a huge Christmas Market in European style, with many traditional foods, crafts and an amusement park.

10. Kensington - The area is famous for high society shops and fashion designers. Visit Harrods first. It is the famous shop that apparently claims you can find anything on Earth you need. Continue along Brompton Road to the Museum area. You can visit the famous Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum and Science Museum. Continue to a concert in the Royal Albert Hall and end your day for amazing food at the Hard Rock Cafe.


11. British Museum - Not far from Tottenham Court Road, this famous museum contains, among many other things, fascinating exhibitions of ancient statues from Egypt, mesopotamia and the ancient Levant (now Israel).

12. St Paul's Cathedral - very old cathedral with interesting architecture, that survived the bombings of World War 2. Walk round this area and you will find the financial district and you can see the old stock exchange buildings and the Bank of England. If you walk to Fleet Street, you will see the Royal Courts of Justice and some interesting architecture.

If you have extra time...

Camden Town - Alternative area, famous for its complex of shops and extensive market near the canal. In the evening the night life is interesting and the streets are full of alternative people; punks, grunge guys and hippies.


Spitalfields Market - near Liverpool Street Station, is Spitalfields market. It is worth visiting on Sundays, when there is also a flea market all along some of the streets.

Baker Street - you can visit Madame Tussauds, the famous Wax Museum that started here; the Sherlock Holmes Museum; Regent's Park and London Zoo. Not far from here is the Jewish Museum.

Tips for the traveller:

• The most economical way to travel by public transport in London is to buy a Travelcard for a day or for a week. This is available from many shops and Tube stations. The Travelcard can be used for underground trains, buses, local overground trains, river boats.

• If you would like to try local English food, don't miss Fish and Chips in one of the many pubs or Fish and Chip shops. This is very tasty with a pint of beer! Try London Pride or Boddington's for example. Please note most pubs stop selling alcohol at about 23.00.

• If you would like to try some Indian food, which is very popular in the country, in Brick Lane you can find many Indian restaurants who will be glad for you to come in their door.

• To watch a concert by a famous, international star in the huge O2 Arena is a totally remarkable experience.

• If you love 80's music, the Reflex club in Watling Street, near St Paul's Cathedral, is the place for you. 

• Smoking is forbidden in all clubs, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, museums and public spaces.

• The cheapest and nicest places to stay are the YHA Youth Hostels, such as the one at St Pancras or near St Paul's Cathedral.

Slang
Don't forget to say 'please', 'thank you', 'excuse me' - the British people are really polite.
'Loo' in the local word for toilets.
'Tube' in the word for the London Underground train.


Currency
Pounds (Sterling) is the currency of Great Britain.
Euros or Dollars are not accepted in shops in England normally.