Travelling in London means an unforgettable journey adorned with exquisite sophistication, lavishness and historical enchantment. London is crowded almost every time of the year with many visitors and it’s now under the spotlight as the organizing country of the most awaited event of all, the Olympics. Different parts of London have unique pleasures to offer to the visitors. East London is one such part bounded with innumerable wonders that can leave you baffled.

East London is stuffed with many places with beauty and poise that symbolize the true colours of England. The first in the list is the Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge which is also known as the Great Standing. It flaunts flummoxing timber art of Tudor carpentry. This hunting building was used to catch deer mainly when the queen used to visit frequently. Next attraction is the Hackney Empire, an evergreen theatre that has produced numerous memorable acts and quality musicals. Charlie Chaplin had given a number of performances before achieving fame in Hollywood. This theatre is still a standing example of class located near the Hackney Station.

Sutton House or ‘Bryck Place’ is the building that served as home to a number of merchants, silk-weavers and school-mistresses of the Victorian era. This building is famous for its oak craftworks, lavish interiors and fireplaces showcasing excellent artistry. East London is filled with some most Elegant and fashionable art galleries such as Whitechapel Art Gallery. The foundation of this building dates back to the year 1901. This art gallery is well reputed for showcasing dynamic contemporary art and for arranging nice exhibitions on sculpture, photography, painting, installation and digital media. Electric Blue Gallery is one of the blooming attractions in East London. Here you can see great works of the best European artists, photographers and fashion designers of recent times. In this gallery one can have fashionable hair cuts by professionals.

Notified as the best building in London, the Christ Church Spitalfields is a must see for any tourist, as after a long wait it was reopened for the public from the year 2004. This construction with bewitching baroque design reflects the glorious era of London. One can easily revalue its beauty and historical strength only by sojourning the exterior parts of this small Hawksmoor church. The Geffrye Museumhas a number of periodic rooms to demonstrate the change in style of domestic interiors of England’s houses starting from 1600 till the present time. This museum has an exquisite collection of paintings, furniture, decorative art and textiles belonging to different periods.

Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood is popular for its eye-catching collection of toys. Some of the toys were created during the seventeenth century. The toy collection consists of teddy bears, dolls, games, dollhouses etc. Angela Flowers Gallery displays flourishing coeval paintings and craft-works. It is becoming popular among visitors as the works are sold at affordable prices. The Mudchute Park & Farm of East London is the biggest agricultural and horticultural park of the city. You don’t have to pay any money to visit this place and you can also enjoy savoury snacks and drinks in the cafes of the park. Tourists who plan to visit England during the upcoming Olympics or any other time should make it a point to visit East London.

If you are planning on visiting London this year be sure to book your hotel room in advance as it is a popular place for tourists as well as visitors to the United Kingdom. London city has so much to see and do that time truly flies by for those who try to see it all. You can literally spend months on a visit and never absorb it all. So when you plan your stay hopefully you can spend some time here, taking in all the sights and enjoying yourself. Compare hotel prices and you will find them to range from the budget minded to posh and luxurious.

Tourism is vital to the economy

Cities anywhere, whether large or small, depend on tourism to help boost their economy so hotel and motel accommodations are a vital consideration for them. Many cities around the world have strict regulations regarding the business of running hotels. They must pass a high level of criteria in order to conduct business. London city has some grand hotels that were built several hundred years ago and many have since been modernized and brought up to standards to make them safer and more comfortable.

According to figures that came out supporting London’s Olympic bid for 2012, there are over seventy thousand hotel rooms which have three to five stars in ratings in central London. The hotels with highest occupancy are found around the five major airports in and around London. You should compare hotel prices in an area where you plan to spend the most time.

London city is the capitol of England and in fact capitol of the United Kingdom, and is the most populous metro area in all of the European Union. History is evident everywhere you look and many of the top ranked tourist sites revolve around history of the world, not merely the country.

As one of the leading financial areas, London enjoys diversity in religion and culture with many modern conveniences as well as ancient traditions everywhere.

Among the must see sites are:

• Westminster Abbey

• The Tower of London

• The Royal Botanic Gardens

• St. Margaret’s Church

• Hyde Park

• Kensington Gardens

And don’t forget that London city will host the 2012 Summer Olympics so be sure to see the location before and during that historic event. When you compare hotel prices don’t forget to book well in advance, especially if you plan on attending the Olympics in 2012. For London will definitely be the center point of the universe during the events.

There are various myths attached with the birth of London and its name. But, notable significant changes can be seen in London from eighteenth century onwards. In 1716, it became compulsion for everyone to hang a light in front of the door which used to light from 6 to 11 pm. In the early nineteenth century, one can see the formation of wide arteries like new oxford street and Regent Street. So it can be said that London became the witness of some exclusive advancements on grass root level in the contemporary time period. So it was obvious for London to be the prime centre of activity for the whole world. As being a prime centre; all luxurious facilities were in demand and hence luxury hotels in London upgraded themselves with the latest luxury items like ergonomically designed spa, yoga and tools of personality development.

Luxury hotels can be classified from five to seven stars hotels. Some exclusive features of such hotels are guest services, activities, location and ability to reach the centre of the city. Combination of refined style and legacy of the city is the most fascinating feature of luxury hotels. While staying in these hotels, visitors can get the feel of being associated with the rich and prosperous culture of the great London which is a very unique experience.

Luxury hotels in London provide you the true family environment and friendly relaxing atmosphere with all modern comforts and fragrance of royal British culture. These hotels have their own restaurant, café and lobby bar. Another exclusive feature of luxury hotels are their vicinity with the world heritage sites and iconic landmarks like the house of parliament, tower bridge, the tower of London, Westminster abbey, Piccadilly, Buckingham palace and many more.

Sometime we may find some persons who have waited whole life to visit London as its exclusive identification attracts often. Hotels in London also understand such emotion which brings people to London. These hotels pay special attention towards such customers. If the visitor is senior citizen then these hotels may offer special discount for them which can be very supportive efforts to make one’s lifetime dream embodied. So a conscious visitor must visit the official websites of luxury hotels to find the cheap and best deal. All deals, rate, discount, etc are usually available on the official websites of the luxury hotels. Beside the official websites one can visit some premier tour- tourism websites to fine such lucrative deals which can make you London trip very much affordable. The best things associated with these hotels are that even on discount price they never restrict special facilities like 24 hours room service, air conditioning, health club facility, TV and internet service, etc.

In this modern globalization era, companies are taking more care of their employees to get the best from them. Hence, now companies are arranging meeting venues in luxury hotels where employees are allowed to spend whole day and experience the luxury. Recent study reports also support this latest trend as it helps in enhancing the productivity.

Renting in London can be a daunting prospect if you are new to the area, but if you approach it systematically then the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Living in London is an amazing opportunity, there is so much to do and even if you are living on a very strict budget it is still possible to go out every night of the week.

Finding a flat to rent in London can turn into a lengthy process if you do not follow a structured and well thought out plan.

First things first, decide which area of ​​London you would like to rent your flat in. Remember, living further out of London, sometimes in zone three, will work out much cheaper. Is it important to live near a tube station, or are overland or bus routes more appropriate for getting about?

Plan your budget carefully – work out all of your outgoings including expected bills to help you decide your price range. Renting a flat in London works out a lot cheaper if you share with flatmates.

There are a number of websites that are dedicated to helping you find a flat to rent in London, or flatmates if you need people to live with. Consider attending a speed flatmate finding evening (a little like speed dating but to find a flatmate rather than a boyfriend).

When you know what you are looking for in your London flat, start the search. Be prepared to visit a lot of different flats in London, and make sure you have the deposit ready as you will need to move quickly when you find the flat you want to rent. Set aside weekends and line up a series of views with an estate agent. Be firm about what you can afford and try and negotiate the cost down if you can.

I recently took a risk and met a total stranger to go to the Lyric, Hammersmith, to see Chekhov’s The Seagull with a total stranger. After years of trying and failing to get friends to go to the theatre with me I had given up as they either didn’t like the theatre or didn’t like the same plays. So when I saw an advert on NextDoor.com for neighbours to get in touch if they’d like to form a theatre-going group, I said I was in.

My new companion Elizabeth was waiting for me outside The Lyric, where a modernised version of The Seagull was dividing critics who mainly loved it but if they hated it, they really hated it. During the interval we discovered that it had also divided opinion between me and Elizabeth as she ‘was not enjoying it at all’ and said she would have left if I hadn’t been so clearly having a good time.

It’s certainly nothing like a traditional production of a Chekhov play, which seems to be the main reason for negative criticisms. The adaptation is by Simon Stephens and brings it to the present day with very little to identify it as originally Russian. Short skirts, long Russian names cut to first name only to sound contemporary, four-letter words and slang phrases like ‘what is he like?’ all create a different atmosphere to the angst we know and love in this kind of play.

The Seagull is a play about professional jealousy, writers and writing, and also about the theatre and acting, with unrequited love adding a more universal element. None of the characters love somebody who loves them back, while the narcissistic Irina fails to treat her only son Konstantin with love as she can only manage to love herself. His adulthood makes it harder for her to pretend she’s still young, while his girlfriend Nina is an up-and-coming actor, making her more desperate to prove she isn’t the ‘old has-been’ the resident farmer Leo accuses her of being in a rare honest outburst. Most of her friends know she can’t bear compliments going to anyone but her, and they humour her even when she insists she could play a 15-year-old.

Lesley Sharp is superb in the role of Irina, mostly funny, sometimes irritating, especially when she tries to steal the attention from her own son when he presents his over-written experimental play, and shockingly abusive when she loses control and destroys him with cutting criticism about his total lack of talent in her eyes. Brian Vernel is equally striking as Konstantin, ambitious to be a playwright, but aware of his own failings and the stronger effect of the simplicity of his mother’s lover Boris’s writing. His girlfriend Nina is also in thrall to the famous writer Boris, played by Nicholas Gleaves. At one point Konstantin stands at the front of the stage facing the audience while Nina tells him she loves Boris, not him, and his whole reaction is shown purely by facial expressions and an attempt to hold back tears.

There was some uneasy laughter as Irina persuaded Boris to leave with her and go back to the city after he asked her permission for ‘just one night’ with Nina. In the original play she may persuade him with some flattery, some begging, a hug or kiss and the question ‘You are coming, aren’t you?’ but this takes on a whole new double-meaning when she undoes the belt of his trousers and gives him a very determined hand-job. If Lesley Sharp acts this out well, with the poignancy of desperation combined with comedy, Nicholas Gleaves’ orgasm is also quite impressively realistic. As she wipes her hands with a tissue and passes one to him to clean himself down, her manipulation of him is as symbolic as her son’s overly metaphorical plays.

Adelayo Adedayo as Nina bursts onto the stage with youth and energy at the start and is convincing in her adulation of Boris, her belief that nothing could be better than the life of a writer. Although he tries to disillusion her, explaining in a striking monologue how writing is like an addiction and how he is never living through experiences without jotting them down in a notebook to use, she remains faithful to her belief in art and isn’t frightened off by his idea for a story when he sees a seagull shot by Konstantin. He tells her he will write about a man who meets a girl who has lived all her life by a lake, like Nina, and how he breaks her like the seagull just because he has the time and nothing better to do.

The production did a great job in bringing out the comedy in the writing, with more humour added by the superb comic performances. Lloyd Hutchinson as Leo hasn’t been noted by the critics as he’s not a major character, but he was perhaps my favourite and I looked forward to each of his anecdotes, all funny and beautifully told in his Northern Ireland accent while all of the other characters completely ignored him. He was totally immersed in his own world and unforgettable.

In fact all of the characters are in their own world in this play and the production by Sean Holmes drew attention to this fragmentation. The gaps and silences between the characters as they gather together in a rural house by a lake worked well in the first part, but after the interval it sometimes felt as if it had fallen apart, perhaps intentionally. Time has passed and they have returned to the house, but they have all changed, especially Nina, the seagull of the title and of Boris’s story, which he has brought to completion and completely forgotten.

The cast all deserve a mention but space is brief so it can only be a summary. Michele Austin is a very natural Pauline, married but in love with the worldly and world-weary doctor Hugo, played by Paul Higgins – nice, happy with his lot, and causing misery in the woman he will not acknowledge openly.

Cherrelle Skeete as Marcia is a troubled young woman, like a present day Hamlet, unrequitedly in love with Konstantin and an admirer of his writing while others mock his overly symbolic and experimental style. Her love means nothing to him and can’t save him, as he remains devoted to Nina even though she tells him openly of her feelings for Boris. Marcia thinks she can overcome her love for Konstantin by marrying Simeon, who adores her, but while the audience appreciates him, she becomes more irritated by his affection. Raphael Sowole is completely believable in this role.

The Seagull is directed by Sean Holmes and runs until Saturday – it’s well worth seeing. The Lyric is known for risk-taking and original productions and this is a prime example.

Next up I’ll be seeing Young Marx at the Bridge Theatre and will keep you posted.

Of London's airports, Stansted Airport is furthest from the center of London, nearly 40 miles. The airport is dominated by low cost budget airlines and in particular Ryanair and easyJet, Europe's largest low cost airlines.

The overwhelming majority of flights are European or UK domestic flights.
The airport also has a significant charter traffic, particularly for the British traveling on package tours to the sun.
The main intercontinental and state carriers like British Airways, Virgin, American and Singapore Airlines all use London's Heathrow or Gatwick Airports.

The airport is an established airport but was relaunched 15 years ago with a brand new terminal and infrastructure, including a direct rail link and motorway to London. At first it was a white elephant but the emergence of the low cost budget carriers has transformed Stansted into one of the fastest growing airports in Europe in the last decade.
Today, full capacity of the main terminal is within sight and a new terminal and further out a second runway is planned.

There are no surprises with the terminal itself, all the standard facilities are in place including choice of foreign exchange, pharmacies, news stands etc. There is a good range of eating opportunities ranging from fast food and pub food through to sit down restaurants. In common with all airports run by BAA, the owner, there is a lot of luxury shopping outlets. But remember, the vast majority of flights from Stansted are within the EEC and do not qualify for duty free status.

It normally takes around 30 minutes from touch down to exiting customs with most flights if you have luggage. There is an airport information desk immediately outside customs and a desk for AirportCarz who have a monopoly on taxi services at the airport. Taking a taxi to London is only used by a very small minority of passengers because of the distance and expense.

If your destination is London, the quickest option is to take the Stansted Express train. The train station is underneath the terminal so you just descend to the platforms by escalators or lifts.
The Stansted Express takes 45 minutes to London's Liverpool Street Station and runs about every 15 minutes during the day. Last trains are around midnight. The fares on the Stansted Express are expensive, well over $ US40 for a single return fare. The Liverpool Street terminus is also not very convenient for most travelers, being sited in the middle of the financial district of London, 3-5 miles from most of the most popular hotel accommodation. The train stops at an intermediate stop called Tottenham Hale, 10 minutes before Liverpool Street, an interchange with the London Underground (Victoria Line).
Many of the airlines will sell tickets for the Stansted Express, some at a discount, before landing at Stansted Airport.

The budget transfer option into London is to take one of four scheduled coach services run by National Express and Terravision. There is a large, modern coach station in front of the terminal, adjent to the rail station.

The cheapest option is the Terravision service to Liverpool Street Station, the same route as the Stansted Express. The price is about half that of the Stansted Express Train. Downside like all road based transfers is the London traffic, on a good day the coach will make it in about an hour. National Express run services about every 30 minutes to nearby Stratford Underground at a similar price.

The other route taken by the coaches is Stansted to London Victoria. Both have return fares around $ US25. The Terravision service is non-stop, the National Express service makes stops through central London, many of them close to the major hotel districts. The National Express service is a true 24×7 service, the Terravision service only stops for a couple of hours early morning. Some of the highest frequencies are around midnight Stansted-London and very early morning London-Stansted for the first and last flights when the Stansted Express and London Underground have shut down.

Because of the sometimes extraordinarily cheap fares of Ryanair and easyJet a lot of transcontinental travelers have found it cheaper to fly into Heathrow and then complete their journey to their European destination using a low cost airline from Stansted.
National Express run shuttle services between Heathrow and Stansted from the coach station at Stansted. There are usually a couple of services an hour, the journey taking around 90 minutes (though delays on the motorway are almost routine at rush hours). The fare is not cheap either. The return fare is about $ US50. It is cheaper to use the indirect National Express service to Stratford and then catch the London Underground to Heathrow, but less comfortable.

If you want to stay over at Stansted Airport before a flight there are plenty of options available. Like all airport hotels at London, room rates are typically much cheaper at weekends than mid-week. If you are transiting from Heathrow or Gatwick which have much fiercer competition, you will probably find rates more expensive at Stansted, particularly in the budget sector.

Immediately adjacent to the terminal is the luxury Stansted Radisson SAS, the only airport hotel where you do not need a hotel transfer vehicle. This is perhaps the most luxurious hotel and at weekends rates can be fairly competitive. The original luxury hotel at Stansted is the 4 star Hilton Hotel on the airport perimeter. The Hilton Stansted runs its own shuttle bus from the coach station about every 30 minutes.
In the immediate vicinity of the airport is an Express by Holiday Inn and a Best Western. The consistently cheapest option is the Days Inn on a motorway services area at the entrance to Stansted Airport. It provides no airport transfer facility itself although of course there are taxis and a local bus service.
Apart from the chains there are a lot of independent hotels in the vicinity. These feature hotels for all budgets and tastes, ranging from Country House Hotels, to pubs to traditional Bed and Breakfasts. The countryside around Stansted is surprisingly unspoilt and there is opportunity to stay in a traditional market town or coaching inn for example.

After viewing your favourite TV Chef in action on the TV, have you ever wanted to be there to savour those delicious dishes? Why not come to London to visit the famed restaurants that the celebrity chefs run. Find here our guide to the best celebrity chef restaurants in London.

Antony Worrall Thompson’s Restaurants in London:

3 London restaurants:-

Barnes Grill, 2 – 3 Rocks, Barnes, London, SW13 0DB

Tel 0208 878 4488

Tuesday to Friday there is a set lunch menu of 3 courses for £14.95 or 2 courses for £12.50.

Notting Grill, 123a Clarendon Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 4JG

Tel 0207 229 1500

If it’s steaks you are after, this is the house speciality. Most expensive is a 9oz aged fillet that costs £22.50. Open Tuesday – Friday 12 – 2pm and Saturday and Sundays 12 – 4pm.

Kew Grill, 10b Kew Green, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3BH

Tel 0208 948 4433

Located opposite Kew Gardens you will find a relaxed dining experience. Open Tuesday – Friday 12 – 2.30pm, Monday – Friday 6.30 – 10.30pm, Saturday 12 – 4pm & 6.30 – 11pm & Sunday 12 – 10pm.

Brian Turner’s Restaurant in London:

Brian Turner Mayfair, Millennium Hotel, Mayfair, Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 2HP

Tel 0207 596 3444

Here you will find some great British dishes such as Rib of Aberdeen Angus with Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Lincolnshire duckling with pear and apricot stuffing. Set 2 course lunch is £24.50, 3 courses £27.50. Weekday’s lunch is available 12.30 – 2.30pm and dinner 6.30 – 11pm. Not open for lunch on Saturdays however dinner is available 6.30 – 11pm.

Gary Rhodes’s Restaurants in London:

2 London restaurants:-

Rhodes Twenty Four (24), Bank, 24th Floor, Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HQ

Tel 0207 877 7703

Catering for the city workers, this restaurant serves the best of British food Monday to Friday and is closed at weekends. Average meals cost £50 per person. Lunch is served 12 – 2.30pm and Dinner 6 – 9pm.

Rhodes W1 Brasserie, Oxford Circus, The Cumberland Hotel, Great Cumberland Street, Marylebone, London, W1A 4RF Tel 0207 479 3838

Restaurant serving Modern European food with a British twist. Open daily for lunch 12 – 2.30pm and dinner 6 – 10pm.

Gordon Ramsay’s Restaurants in London:

Gordon Ramsay has three sleek London restaurants.

Maze (Gordon Ramsay), Bond Street, 10-13 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6JP

Tel 0207 107 0000

Fine Dining restaurant that serves French cuisine with an Asian influence.

Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road, Sloane Square, 68 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 4HP

Tel 0207 352 4441

Probably Gordon Ramsay’s most popular restaurant, where you usually have to book 2 months in advance to get a table. The menu is typically French with a 3 course lunch costing around £40 per person and ala carte 3 course meals is around £85 per person. Open for lunch 12 – 2pm and 5.45 – 11pm.

Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, Bond Street, 53 Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 5DS

Tel 0207 499 0099

Another fantastic Ramsay restaurant serving fine French cuisine. Dinner and drinks costs around £72 per person. Fixed price 3 course lunch menu £30 per person. Open midweek for lunch 12 – 2.45pm, 12 – 3.15pm Saturday and dinner served daily 5.45 – 11pm.

Jamie Oliver’s Restaurants in London:

Fifteen (15), Old Street, 15 Westland Place, Shoreditch, London, N1 7LP

Tel 0207 251 1515

This restaurant has been set up as a Charity Foundation to give 15 trainees from unpriviledged backgrounds the skills to be chefs. All profits go to the charity. Dinner and drinks will cost £35 per person. Open for lunch 12 – 3pm and dinner 6.30 – 9.30pm Sunday – Thursday, 6 – 9.30pm Friday & Saturdays.

Barbecoa, 20 New Change Passage, London, EC4M 9AG

Tel 0203 005 8555

Latest restaurant from Jamie Oliver that he has set up with Chef Friend Adam Perry Lang. The menu is centred on cooking meats, seafood and seasonal accompaniments in the new and exciting ways. Open daily 12 noon – 11pm.

Ken Hom’s Restaurants in London:

Yellow River Cafe, Highbury & Islington, 206 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1RQ

Tel 0207 354 8833

Yellow River Cafe, St Johns Wood, High Street, St Johns Wood, London, NW8 7NG

Tel 0207 586 4455

Yellow River Cafe, Canary Wharf, North Colonnade, 10 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4EY

Tel 0207 715 9515

The Yellow River Cafes offers Chinese cuisine with some Thai and Malaysian influences.

Are you an American who is interested in traveling overseas? If so, have you decided on a destination yet? Although you have a number of great destinations to choose from, one that you should closely examine is that of London, England.

As nice as it is to hear that London, England is the perfect destination for your next overseas trip, you may be wondering why. What is that sets London Apart from the rest? Continue reading on to find out.

1 – It Is Perfect for Individuals of All Ages

Many people automatically make the mistake of believing that overseas vacations are best left for the adults. Yes, this can be true in some instances, but not in London. In London, you will find that individuals of all ages are welcomed and will have a memorable trip.

So, even if you are the parent of a pre-schooler or a teenager, or perhaps you're a senior citizen enjoying your retirement, a trip to London is not out of your reach.

2 – It Is Perfect for All Types of Travel

Not only is London perfect for individuals of all ages, but it is also perfect for all types of travel. Popular reasons for travel to London include romantic getaways, family vacations, solo explorations, honeymoons, anniversaries, and business trips. Regardless of why you are traveling to London or what you hope to get out of your trip, you will have the time of your life!

3 – Its Attractions

As for why London is perfect for individuals of all ages and all types of travel, it has to do with attractions. In London, you have hundreds of noteworthy attractions to choose from. There are must-visits that all are encouraged to see, including Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, the London Eye and St. John's. Paul's Cathedral.

Then there are attractions that appeal to those with special interests and specific age groups. Families are encouraged to visit the Imperial War Museum and the London Aquarium and perhaps one of the many Royal Parks (such as Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Green Park) or maybe if you're looking for adventure with a touch of horror you should visit the London Dudgeon. Adults, meanwhile, can indulge themselves with a trip to one of London's many theaters or sometimes a visit to a pub.

It can not be stressed enough that there is something for everyone in London.

4 – Its Activities

In addition to visiting the attractions already mentioned, there are many activities that you can participate in while visiting London. These activities include dining, shopping ( all budgets and tastes are catered for) and sightseeing. In terms of sightseeing, a guided tour is recommended. Double-decker buses make the experience exciting and memorable. Due to the beautiful atmosphere and friendly residents, something as simple as an afternoon relaxing in Hyde Park can be a moment to remember and treasure forever.

5. Affordability

Yes, overseas vacations can be costly. The largest cost of traveling to London will be your airline tickets. As for your hotel, there are hundreds of hotels near and in London. Price-compare to find the best rates. If traveling on a budget, you do not have to stay at a high-end hotel. As with restaurants and shopping in London, the city provides accommodation to suit all budgets and tastes.

As for attractions, you may be surprised how many offer free admission. For example, you can visit the Houses of Parliament and watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace free of charge. Also, the superb museums in London, such as the Victoria & Albert, the Natural History museum and the Science Museum are also free to get in.

As highlighted above, there are a number of reasons why London should be your next overseas destination. If you opt to travel to England, it will not be a decision you regret. Before you make your travel arrangements, however, make sure you have a valid passport. A passport is required for admittance into the United Kingdom from the United States. Also, if you're reading this and you do not live in the US, you'll need to check to see if you need to apply for a visa.

For more information about applying for a visa in order to visit London, England (including just finding out if you need one at all) and for London tips, hints and suggestions you will not find anywhere else on the internet, please click on the link below and sign up for our free newsletter to keep you informed without you even having to lift a finger.

One of the top festivals that take place in the capital city during the summer period is Lovebox, which is a two day music and dance festival which takes place at Victoria Park. This event welcomes the top DJ’s and live bands and a host of performances. It is fun for the yonger generation that are looking for fun and excitement during their city break.

The next top event that draws millions of people to London each summer is the famous Wimbledon Tennis Championships that takes place for two weeks at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. This tennis championship is the oldest tennis championship in the world dating back to 1877 and today it is one in four major grand slams, yet the only one that is played on a grass court. It attracts some of the best names in tennis right now and is brimming with excitement, strawberries, cocktails and a day of fun in the sun.

The Somerset House Summer Series is a reputable open air festival that attracts thousands of visitors who are looking for a day of music, dance and festivities. It is definitely not one you will want to miss when next in London.

The Lambeth Country Show always attracts hundreds of visitors to London. In 2017 it is celebrating forty two years with home grown vegetables on display, a flower competition, sheep shearing and even a mini farm for the younger children. It’s a fun day out for the whole family.

AfroPunk and Sunfall are both top dance festivals with leading DJ’s and bands that arre guaranteed to get you dancing. Not to mention the famous Notting Hill Carnival, which is the largest street party in London with calypso music, a parade and over thirty sound systems placed strategical through the streets which sees over fifty thousand participants.

There are a few things to remember when travelling to London for the summer season. Whether you are visiting for a mini break or for a couple of weeks, you want to ensure the accommodation you choose isn’t only comfortable, but is ideally located. All the events that take place in London are throughout the city and you will want to be close to the public transport links to ensure you can get to them with ease.

Take a close look at the top attractions and sights you may want to visit during your stay. Do you want to experience the famous London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel that will provide you with staggering views as far as your eyes can see, sitting on the edge of the River Thames. In fact this is the ideal place for some romance, a sunset ride and maybe even a proposal.

Buckingham Palace changing of the guards is another event not to be missed. This attracts hundreds of visitors to the palace gates to watch the guards doing their change, a routine that has been done for years and is a procession like no other.

Remember that there are some fantastic restaurants in London, owned by Michelin star chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay. The concierge at your hotel will be able to advise you and make your reservation on your behalf for added convenience.

Though the storm clouds appear to be gathering, it may be just the time to take advantage and sell.

Firstly, you may be wanting to leave the City for a place in the country

In this scenario, you have a family home, which you have owned for five years, or more.

You have built-up equity in your property, and family houses can sell extremely well.

As property prices in London are still at a high,they could have a comparative advantage to those in the area you would like to move to in the country.

Look at this carefully, though. As reported last month in the Sunday Times, the current supply of the best-priced country properties is dwindling. Best not to waste too much time chasing possible shadows, or the over priced properties.

Secondly, you may be looking to trade to trade-up

You want to an extra bedroom, perhaps moving-up from a two-bedroom maisonette flat to a three-bedroom semi-detached, or terraced house. Again, success is about benefiting from the comparative price reduction in properties. How this goes is, take your property at, say, £300,000 on the market and its price goes down 10%, you can expect £30,000 less, if you sell it. Now, you have your eye on a property priced at £450,000, there is a chance that you can negotiate a similar 10% reduction in price to that suffered by your property. If successful, you stand to gain £45,000. So the argument goes, suffer a temporary shortfall on your sale to win a greater offset on the new property.

Thirdly, you are an elderly couple and wish to trade-down

Here, you are seeing equity in your property dwindling, or likely to dwindle. You may wish to be patient and wait for prices to start going up again. Alternatively, this may just be the time to downsize, releasing capital for your use now. Your financial priorities may lie with helping your children realize a dream of owning their own property. Or ,you may simply want to have some more of the things you had promised yourselves, more holidays, or that caravan in your favourite part of the world.

Finally, do your research, plan carefully, it can make a difference to you in these seemingly gloomy times.