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The city of London serves as the capital of the United Kingdom. It is one of the most important cities in the world and is also a very famous destination for travelers. The city of London has played a very major role in international political affairs from medieval times. Today it is a prominent global city and is home to motley groups of people of different races and cultures. The city of London is characterized by excellent shopping, beautiful tourist attractions, a dynamic modern culture and wonderful accommodation facilities. If you are a tourist in the city of London you should make use of the car rental London to enjoy a comfortable exploration of the city.

Accommodation Facilities in London

There are excellent accommodation facilities in the city of London. There are upscale and mid range hotels for high budget travelers in the city as well as hostels and lodges for backpacker travelers. The standard prices per night in the middle range hotels are about twenty pounds. The hostels are usually much cheaper. However, the middle range hotels in the city of London are a more comfortable choice than the hostels because they provide facilities like free breakfast and free laundry services along with reasonable accommodation. There are also quite a number of bed and breakfasts throughout the city of London which are a perfect choice for those having only an overnight stay in the city. There are even many guest apartments in the city which are well known for providing home cooked meals and very friendly, personalized customer service. You can use the airport rental cars in the city for tracking down a suitable accommodation location for yourself.

Sightseeing Destinations in London

The city of London has an abundance of fantastic sightseeing destinations for vacationers. One of the most popular tourist sites in the city is the Eye of London. This is a very large observation point in the city from where you can get a marvelous view of the whole of London. Another well known destination for travelers in the city of London is the Buckingham Palace. This is the residence of the Queen of England. The change of guards which occurs at the Buckingham Palace quite frequently is an activity which travelers generally love to witness.

Thus, the city of London is one of the most enthralling destinations in the whole world.

London is surely one of the world’s greatest cities; a cultural icon that has some of the greatest museums and galleries in the world which showcase some of the greatest treasures and artefacts on the planet. With hundreds of galleries and museums available to visitors, picking one that is right for you can be a tricky prospect made even harder if you’re trying to fit as many of them in as possible during your stay – especially if you’re only there for a couple of days or less. With this quick guide we look at the best of these options open to you and why you should visit.

1. The British museum is perhaps the King of all of London’s museums and galleries. It is filled with over 4 million artefacts including marvels such as Egypt’s famous Rosetta Stone and the ancient Greek Elgin Marbles. Prepare to be astounded by the sheer scale of some of these exhibits as you wonder through time and history. Ensure you put aside a whole day to explore this place!

2. The National Gallery, situated in Trafalgar square, is the most impressive of all London’s art galleries. This is perhaps the most comprehensive collection of art in the world, encompassing all of the major art movements and showcasing the most famous artists to have ever lived, from Leonardo da Vinci to Pablo Picasso.

3. For a museum that the kids will love, The Science Museum is an absolute must. Learning about science has never been so fun and you and the kids will love the wealth of interactive displays that are on offer here, most popular of which is an exploration of the human body.

4. The Victoria and Albert museum, named after the most famous of Britain’s rulers, is housed in South Kensington and holds a collection of crafts, ceramics and sculptures from all over the world. Many of the exhibits are design-oriented and showcase some of the most modern ways of showing artefacts and is a must-visit for any connoisseur of museums.

5. The Tate Modern is a showcase for the most ground-breaking modern artists. A collection of art based on the banks of the River Thames, this place is worth a visit purely for the spectacle of seeing such an expanse of open space inside such a huge industrial building. The displays here are nothing less than thought-provoking so be sure to enter the gallery with an open-mind!

6. For one of London’s smallest yet most impressive collections, you should head to famous Somerset House on the Strand. Here you will find some of London’s most impressive art housed in one of the finest properties in the city. You enter the collection through an impressive archway and into a peaceful courtyard standing in contrast to the hustle-bustle of the city and traffic that stands just metres away. The comprehensive impressionist collection on the top floor gives even the National Gallery a run for its money.

To maximise your enjoyment in London it’s important to ensure you have the right insurance cover. Finding UK travel insurance is a simple task made even easier with Insure & Away.

London is a great city for backpackers. Just book one of the cheap flights to London to get you across the pond. Once you are in the city, there are several free activities of which you can take advantage – with your backpack in tow. London covers a lot of area, but there are tons of options for public transportation. Familiarize yourself with “The Tube.” Once you have taken one of the cheap flights to London, save your cash and soak up the local London color with these top 10 free activities for backpackers.

Take a Walking Tour of the Streets of London

London is full of narrow alleyways and cobblestone streets. While you are in London, take a free walking tour through the historic streets. The alleys are reminiscent of Jack the Ripper’s exploits, and, though London is a sprawling city, you can find several niches to explore on foot. Check out walklondon.org.uk for suggestions for walking tours, as well as maps and a listing of London landmarks to explore on foot.

Evensong at Westminster Abbey

Though you must purchase a ticket for most services and events at Westminster Abbey, you can attend Evensong just about any night around 5:00 pm. Get your church on at the Abbey for free! Visit the website at www.westminster-abbey.org/ for the schedule and more information.

iToors Soho Podcast Walking Tour

A great free activity is the Soho Podcast Walking Tour. Take the tour and see each landmark while the podcast details the landmark’s history and significance. Find out more here.

Piccadilly Circus

Plan to spend some time with the “In Crowd” at Piccadilly Circus. The most memorable clubs, shops, street performers and colorful personalities will be found at Piccadilly Circus. If you have some spare cash, you may want to pick up a few souvenirs while you are there and be sure to snap a photo of the Eros statue.

Tour the Tower of London

Tours of the Tower of London are free.. A Yeoman Warder will act as your tour guide, and tours start every 30 minutes.

Ceremony of the Keys

While at the Tower of London, stay for the Ceremony of the Keys. This ceremony has taken place each evening at 9:30 pm for over seven hundred years! Tickets are free but you must request them in advance, by mail. Check out the website for the address and more details about getting your ceremony tickets. (http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/planyourvisit/contactus.aspx)

The British Museum

Admission to the British Museum is free every day between 10:00 am and 5:30 pm. You may need more than one day to completely cover the museum.

Covent Garden

In Covent Garden, you will find artists and street performers.

Borough Market

Borough Market is near Covent Garden, about a five minute walk,  in case you get hungry during your stroll around the city.

London Bridge

Visit the famous London Bridge and take note of this historical landmark. London Bridge is just a short distance from Borough Market.

The UK capital is a great place to spend the holiday season, with its traditionally cold climate and good chance of a white Christmas.

The festive season is a big deal in London, with the city authorities, businesses and individuals all getting in on the act to create a truly festive atmosphere across the area – offering a seasonal warm welcome for all visitors.

Celebrating Christmas in London

Christmas in the UK is a traditional affair with most people choosing to spend it with friends and family. If you are staying in a hotel then it is advisable to ask about Christmas meals at the time of booking to ensure you secure yourself a slot if you want to stay at you accommodation on the day itself. Alternatively there is a wonderful selection of restaurants across the city that will offer a Christmas day menu – booking will, however, be essential. Traditional Christmas dinner in the UK is a combination of roasted meats, served with seasonal vegetables and trimmings such as a selection of stuffings, chipolata sausages and bacon wrapped treats (most venues will offer a vegetarian option such as a nut roast or festive filo tart) followed by Christmas pudding served with brandy butter and cream.

In the days around Christmas, London offers the opportunity to take part in a range of seasonal festive traditions – from attending a traditionally British Pantomime (family Christmas shows with audience participation, usually staged in December and January) to seeing a production of a seasonal ballet such as the Nutcracker or Coppelia. Visitors can see the stunning Christmas light shows on London’s well-known thoroughfares including Oxford Street and Regent Street, and browse the seasonal selections in big name stores including Harrods, Fortnum and Masons and Selfridges.

Celebrating New Year in London?

If you want to see in the New Year in style, then London offers some great opportunities. Entertainment venues from nightclubs to comedy clubs offer special parties in honor of the occasion, while Londoners take to the streets in droves to mark the passing of midnight, with hot spots for gathering including the banks of the Thames and Trafalgar Square. New Year is marked in the UK by the sounding of the “Bongs” the deep chimes of the world famous Big Ben bell that literally ring in the new year. A fireworks display is put on above the Thames itself – with the spectacular display illuminating such English icons as the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s Cathedral. One great option to view this is to take a New Year’s river cruise along the Thames on one of the many pleasure boats offering dinner dance packages for the festive season.

If you have spent Christmas in London and fancy experiencing something more of the UK for the New Year, however, why not consider looking into hire cars and heading north to Scotland – the home of Hogmanay – where street parties take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow complete with traditional pipers, wee drams and first footing – a great way to round off an amazing British holiday experience.

As is tradition every year in London, the Lord Mayor’s fireworks display took place last week (the week after Bonfire Night), really making it the main event, and offering firework enthusiasts a second chance to see some really fantastic, well-organised pyrotechnics. If you’re thinking of travelling to London next year to see this fantastic event and are looking for travel insurance comparison then use MoneySupermarket for the best deal – you’ll need it if you’re going to one of the busiest cities in the world!

[Image courtesy of jtlondon via flickr creative commons]

Marking the end of the display and the commencement of a new mayoral year, London’s newly announced Lord Mayor set off a spectacular fireworks show on the banks of the city’s river Thames at exactly 5pm on Saturday 12 November.

A team of no less than eight pyro technicians worked around the clock for 48 hours to set the display up. Impressively, the display also included over half a tonne of industrial fireworks, many of which rocketed to heights of more than 600ft into the city’s skyline, before exploding in all their twinkling, glistening glory for onlookers to marvel at.

It’s one of London City’s most incredible spectacles, and no matter where you are in London, you were sure to catch a glimpse. However, for the very best vista in town, we headed down to Victoria Embankment, where we took our place and watched the celebration of Guy Fawkes night with hundreds of other excited onlookers.

It was such a big event that the London Borough council closed the road off this year, so there was plenty of space to mingle and watch the display with your family and friends without feeling the crush of the crowds.

And if you couldn’t make it down to Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges also provided a spectacular viewing platform, although there was apparently a lot less space there and, for reasons of health and safety, the police had to continually move onlookers on to ensure that the road and pedestrian traffic kept a steady flow.

[Image courtesy of gluemoon via flickr creative commons]

The Lord Mayor’s office and the Metropolitan Police produced a detailed map of the area, which showed where you could see the display from and which areas had been cordoned off for onlookers especially for the event as well as where to head for and where to avoid as well as the usual streets and landmarks. And for those with iPhones, the Lord Mayor’s office also released an interactive map app for download in early November.