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.
Have you heard about London? Well then, I guessed you did. London by the way is the capital and the largest city among United Kingdom and England as well as the largest city in Western Europe. London is situated in River Thames particularly in South-East England. It is the world’s historical city and remains from its position as the global capital in terms of politics, culture, fashion, trade and finance. Roaming around London is a great of fun; you will discover different facades of buildings, friendly faces of folks and the lively city itself. Getting in London is considered as your best idea in life. There are many places to discover in London, significant places which needs an in depth investigation by delving its historical background. You can have the place for you to answer all those sorts of questions, historical museums have gives you information with all your bothering questions. London is not only great with its splendor beauty, but it also caters the greatest accommodation you need with its entire affordable price.
While you are in London, accommodation is really significant. There are several of accommodations you can choose of in London. And it’s up to you where to locate yourself depending on the budget you have in your pocket. London has a four star hotel offers, there are also apartments, historic B&Bs and hostels as well. Mostly it ranges up to 20-200 pounds per person, per night. But if you wanted to have nearby hotels in the core of the city then you can have one which ranges from 50 pounds per person and up. You can also avail with London’s most high-status hotel which ranges a thousand of pounds, well if you think you can afford with it. Exploring London could be more exciting if the hotel you are staying is near the tube station. Hotels near the tube station are a cool idea since you would not miss everything you wanted to see in London. Though lodging distance from the city is cheaper but then with regards to accessibility of transportation it takes a minute or hour before you land to your targeted destinations.
London also recommended Bloomsbury for your accommodation; you can assure that it has a quieter area and seamy beyond King’s Cross station. If you want, take a pace in Argyle Street Cartwright Gardens where you can choose small B&Bs in historic homes. Also have a try with London’s Kensington Earl’s Curt area where it has also modern accommodations and shows a four-star hotel and features good palatable restaurants. Or maybe a try staying in Paddington/Hype Park; the site that experienced a lot of changes due to the presence of the Heathrow Express, there are good accommodations that lay here nearly in the Heathrow Station and good quiet spots just a pace away. While in Westminster, nestled various B&B hotels nearly around the back of Victoria station, in the Pimlico area; don’t think too much about hostels in London, since it doesn’t cater much everything you need, but still it gives you significant offers when asking for it. In spite of that, accommodations in London never let visitors turn down.
