IF Paris is considered the City of Lights in mainland Europe, then London can be considered the City of Lights in the Island of Great Britain. There are numerous landmarks in London along the River Thames that are dazzling with lights not just this Christmas season but for the whole year round. Among them are the London Eye, the Tower Bridge, Westminster Bridge, the London Bridge, the Buckingham Palace, the Westminster Palace, Big Ben and the uniquely-shaped City Hall. During Christmas season, London’s bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, resorts, even cruise yachts cruising along River Thames and everywhere else where one can find a function room, it is usually full especially at two weeks leading to Christmas and New Year. One cannot find a vacant spot there so if you have not booked even one cramped area, then you better spend your Christmas party at your own vacation suite and grill anything that you want to grill. By the way, London doesn’t have its own unique gastronomic delicacy unlike Paris so most of the food here is typically Westerner such as burgers and steaks.

But if you are invited to a big corporate party where the atmosphere is like that of parties attended by James Bond, then brace yourself for everything from the cocktails to the music are elegant. However, if you have yourself a drink too many, that’s not a problem either as the London city government has instituted a booze bus. Actually, there are a dozen of them and they are manned by the Metropolitan Police. They will not arrest you; they will even assist you and escort you to straight to your hotel room or wherever vacation suite you’re renting during the Christmas season.

The only other concern that you will have in London this Christmas is that weather forecasters are already predicting of extreme snowfall even extending up to the urban areas. But that’s not really a cause for anxiety as it is just a snowfall and not a snowstorm after all. Yet it can be cold here with temperatures reaching as low as -3 degrees Celsius so you have to don some additional layers of clothing in your body if you want to step outside and enjoy nature at its rawness. And remember not to wear anything cottony because cotton tends to absorb moisture. The result – you will get even colder.

If you are trapped here in London during Christmas alone at your vacation suite but you’ve got friends from the city, then better invite a few of them in during Christmas Eve so you’ll not be lonely. I suggest that you shop during the day and cook turkey so you’ll have a gracious celebration while everybody is celebrating the birth anniversary of the Messiah. You can also have green vegetables splashed with butter and red wine, roasted vegetables and some red wine. Remember, eat healthy during Christmastime. That is the essence of the celebration of life.

THE rule of thumb when in London is to stay in a flat as far from the city as possible because it is cheaper. Of course, you have to sacrifice your transport or gas expenses for that but you can definitely save rather than agonize in steep rental fees. When you are in the outskirts of London, make sure that the flat or the condominium you’re renting has the amenities that you need. For example, you need to have cable television and wireless Internet connection for your Notebook. You also need at least two electric outlets so you can plug in your high definition DVD player, your subwoofer system and your game console. Of course, the unit must have a heater too which is superb in quality.

Before moving in to a London apartment unit, it is imperative to know the background of the place. Are the neighbors next door accommodating or scary or simply downright undesirable? Is the place prone to crime? Is the security system okay? Is the area a low lying area and prone to floods? Remember the floods last August in England. Although it has never hit London but with the unpredictable climate nowadays, one can never be sure.

And there are lots of rules when scouting for an apartment. One needs to be booked for two full weeks in a motel first so he or she is given ample time to scout for properties here. If possible, tag a friend along while apartment hunting to have a second opinion on things. There are three possible places to stay in London – Bloomsbury, Kensington, Paddington and Westminster. If you want to stay close to the seat of government of the United Kingdom, then settle down in Westminster. This is also where most ministerial offices are located and if you’re working in one of them or doing business in one of them, then this is an ideal place to stay.

If you are a great fan of concerts such as Death Cab for Cutie performing an act here in London perhaps, then go to Paddington. They have this gigantic park called Hyde Park where concerts are held. The rule of thumb is you stay somewhere that is in close proximity to where you are working or schooling.

Whereas British tourists will love to go to Spain, Americans will love to go to London thanks to a new open skies agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom. The experimental stage of the agreement is being implemented between the Los Angeles-London routes. Initially, Americans especially in the California area are excited to go to London and spend the holidays here. Or so that is what current research has found out.
They have felt that London across the Atlantic offers magnificent experiences that are not found anywhere even in the Los Angeles area. One of these sights is the London Eye. The London Eye was opened only at the turn of the millennium but it has already attracted loads of customers from all over the world. So why settle for less? Join the bandwagon now.