London is going for the knock-out blow in 2012. The Royal Wedding of
Prince William and Kate Middleton made London one of the world’s most
buzzed about destinations last year, but London is about to get even
hotter in 2012. Britain will celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s
Diamond Jubilee
— marking her 60 years on the throne — with a river pageant featuring a
flotilla of 1,000 boats on the River Thames, a service of thanksgiving
at St Paul’s Cathedral and a concert at Buckingham Palace over the first
weekend in June. Then all eyes will be on London as it hosts the
Summer Olympic Games from July 27 to August 12, and the Paralympic Games from August 29 to September 9.
Looking for more? There will be festivals, tours, performances and
exhibitions to mark the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens. The year 2012
will also see the Charles Dickens Museum, Kensington Palace, and the
London Eye emerge from thorough revamps, and a spiky new wing added to
Tate Modern. Some additions and improvement to the London sightseeing
scene are already here. St. Paul’s Cathedral is once again gleaming, the
Jewish Museum and the Museum of London have been upgraded and improved,
and the Old Royal Naval College boasts a new exhibition space
(“Discover Greenwich”). In addition, the Natural History Museum stands
proudly alongside a hi-tech wing dedicated to one of the great
naturalists of the past, Charles Darwin, and is filled with cutting-edge
displays aimed very much at the future. These join the myriad
attractions already here, making what was already one of the world’s
great sightseeing cities just that little bit better.
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The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Join
in the festivities in London in 2012 as Her Majesty the Queen
celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years as Britain’s monarch.
The Diamond Jubilee celebrations will take place from 2 to 5 June 2012
and include:
1)The Epsom Derby: The Queen has been attending the Epsom Derby for eight decades.(2 Jun)
2)The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: A flotilla of 1,000 boats will
travel along the Thames led by the Queen in the Royal Barge (3 Jun)
http://www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org/
3)The Big Jubilee Lunch: Everyone can get involved with a street party or picnic to share with their neighbours (3 Jun)
http://www.thebiglunch.com/
4)BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace: A free music concert at
Buckingham Palace. Tickets will be available to UK residents by ballot
(4 Jun)
5)The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Beacons: A network of 2,012 beacons will
be lit throughout the UK and The Queen will light the National Beacon (4
Jun)
Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession: A service at St Paul’s
Cathedral followed by a formal carriage Procession by The Queen (5 Jun)
The jewellery the Queen refers to as “my best diamonds”, a necklace
and bracelet of 21 enormous gems given by the South African government
to mark her 21st birthday, will be among a display to be exhibited this
summer at Buckingham Palace to mark her diamond jubilee. Unlike the
crown jewels on show at the Tower of London, the brooches, tiaras,
necklaces and bracelets are the Queen’s personal collection of
jewellery. They include family treasures such as a tiny coronet
containing 1,200 diamonds worn by the diminutive Queen Victoria – the
only other British monarch to have celebrated a diamond jubilee – who
complained of the weight of the state jewels. The necklace and earrings
worn by the Queen at her coronation in Westminster Abbey in 1953 were
originally created in 1858 for Victoria, incorporating a 22.48 carat
drop pendant. The necklace was also worn during coronation services by
queens Alexandra, Mary and the Queen Mother.
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London 2012 Summer Olympics Survival Guide
Date: The Summer Games are July 27 to Aug. 12. The Paralympic Games follow, Aug. 29 to Sept. 9.
Place: The hub of the action is Stratford City,
about eight miles northeast of Big Ben and central London (and not to be
confused with the Shakespearean tourist town of Stratford-Upon-Avon).
The new 500-acre Olympic Park will house six venues including an
80,000-seat Olympic Stadium, an aquatics center, a velodrome, a handball
arena, a basketball arena and a broadcast center. The park’s Athletes’
Village will house about 17,000 competitors and officials.
Olympic venues:
Many of the 302 events (in 34 venues) will take place at familiar
London-area landmarks: soccer at the new, 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium
(The first Wembley Stadium was also at this site and was the venue for
the 1948 Olympic Games and for the 1966 World Soccer Cup.), tennis at
Wimbledon (the grass-court tennis venue famous for being the site of the
Wimbledon tennis tournament since 1877), archery at Lord’s Cricket
Ground, road cycling in Regent’s Park and latter-round basketball at
North Greenwich Arena, a.k.a. the O2 Arena, a.k.a. the Dome. Beach
volleyball will be held at the Horse Guards Parade in the heart of
ceremonial London. Hyde Park, steeped in 400 years of history, will host
triathlon. Marathon: The route for Marathon will start and end in The
Mall, taking in sights including Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s
Cathedral, Tower Hill, and the Houses of Parliament. For details on just
about every aspect of the Games go to
http://www.london2012.com.
During the Games, officials say they expect as many as 200,000
visitors a day within Olympic Park. Between events, many will head next
door to the vast Westfield Stratford City mall, which opened Sept. 13,
2011 with 1.9-million square feet of retail space, a casino, bowling, a
17-screen cinema and two hotels.
Tickets:
In the United States, CoSport is the official company selling tickets
and consumer hospitality packages that include accommodations,
transportation, dining, and sightseeing options.
www.cosport.com
877-457-4647
An Interactive Map of London 2012 Olympic Venues
An Interactive Map of London Top Attractions
Go for a spin on the London Eye - The 443-foot ferris wheel on the bank of the River Thames
It’s difficult to remember what London looked like before the
landmark London Eye began twirling at the southwestern end of Jubilee
Gardens in 2000. Not only has it fundamentally altered the skyline of
the South Bank but, standing 135m (443 ft) tall in a fairly flat city,
it is visible from many surprising parts of the city (eg Kennington and
Mayfair). A ride – or ‘flight’, as it is called here – in one of the
wheel’s 32 glass-enclosed gondolas holding up to 28 people is something
you really can’t miss if you want to say you’ve ‘done’ London; 3.5
million people a year give it a go. It takes a gracefully slow 30
minutes and, weather permitting, you can see 25 miles in every direction
from the top of what is the world’s tallest Ferris wheel. Save money
and avoid the queues by buying online.
London Eye
Official Name: EDF Energy London Eye
Other Names: Millennium Wheel, British Airways London Eye
Address: Jubilee Gardens South Bank, S80 4PW
Transport: Metro at Waterloo
Website:
www.londoneye.com
Phone: 0870 500 0600
Price: adult/4-15yr/senior £17/8.50/14
Hours: 10am-8pm Oct-Apr, to 9pm May, Jun & Sep, to 9.30pm Jul & Aug, closed 1 week in Jan
The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower, commonly called Big Ben, are among London's most iconic landmarks
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Big Ben and Houses of Parliament
The House of Commons and House of Lords are housed here in the
sumptuous Palace of Westminster. Charles Barry, assisted by interior
designer Augustus Pugin, built it between 1840 and 1860, when the
extravagant neo-Gothic style was all the rage. The most famous feature
outside the palace is the Clock Tower, commonly known as Big Ben. Ben is
the bell hanging inside and is named after Benjamin Hall, the
commissioner of works when the tower was completed in 1858. If you’re
very keen (and a UK resident) you can apply in writing for a free tour
of the Clock Tower. Thirteen-tonne Ben has rung in the New Year since
1924, and the clock gets its hands and face washed by abseiling cleaners
once every five years. The best view of the whole complex is from the
eastern side of Lambeth Bridge. At the opposite end of the building is
Victoria Tower, completed in 1860.
The House of Commons is where Members of Parliament (MPs) meet to
propose and discuss new legislation, and to grill the prime minister and
other ministers. The best time to watch a debate is during Prime
Minister’s Question Time at noon on Wednesday, when the incumbent PM
fields a barrage of hostile questions from the Opposition. Don’t forget,
though, tickets must be arranged in advance through your MP or embassy.
The layout of the Commons Chamber is based on that of St Stephen’s
Chapel in the original Palace of Westminster. The current chamber,
designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, replaced the earlier one destroyed by a
1941 bomb. Although the Commons is a national assembly of 646 MPs, the
chamber has seating for only 437. Government members sit to the right of
the Speaker and Opposition members to the left. The Speaker presides
over business from a chair given by Australia, while ministers speak
from a despatch box donated by New Zealand.
When Parliament is in session, visitors are admitted to the House of
Commons Visitors’ Gallery via St Stephen’s Entrance. Expect to queue for
an hour or two if you haven’t already organised a ticket. Parliamentary
recesses last for three months over the summer and a couple of weeks
over Easter and Christmas, so it’s best to ring in advance. To find out
what’s being debated on a particular day, check the notice board beside
the entrance, or look in the Daily Telegraph or the freebie Metro
newspaper under ‘Today in Parliament’, though it has to be said that the
debates leave a lot to be desired both in terms of attendance and
enthusiasm. Bags and cameras must be checked at a cloakroom before you
enter the gallery and no large suitcases or backpacks are allowed
through the airport-style security gate.
As you’re waiting for your bags to go through the X-ray machines,
look left at the stunning roof of Westminster Hall, originally built in
1099 and today the oldest surviving part of the Palace of Westminster,
the seat of the English monarchy from the 11th to the early 16th
centuries. Added between 1394 and 1401, it is the earliest known example
of a hammer-beam roof and has been described as ‘the greatest surviving
achievement of medieval English carpentry’. Westminster Hall was used
for coronation banquets in medieval times, and also served as a
courthouse until the 19th century. The trials of William Wallace (1305),
Thomas More (1535), Guy Fawkes (1606) and Charles I (1649) all took
place here. In the 20th century, monarchs and Winston Churchill lay in
state here.
The House of Lords Visitors’ Gallery is also open for visits. Against
a backdrop of peers’ gentle snoring, you can view the intricate Gothic
interior that led poor Pugin (1812–52) to an early death from overwork
and nervous strain. When Parliament is in recess, there are 75-minute
guided summer tours of both chambers and other historic buildings. Times
change, so telephone or check www.parliament.uk for latest details.
Houses of Parliament
Other names: Palace of Westminster, or Westminster Palace
Address: St Margaret St SW1 St Stephen’s Entrance
Transport: Metro at Westminster
Website:
www.parliament.uk
Phone: 7219 4272
Hours: during Parliamentary sessions 2.30-10.30pm Mon, 11.30am-7pm Tue & Wed, 11.30am-6.30pm Thu, 9.30am-3pm Fri
Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of the British monarch since 1837
Built in 1705 as Buckingham House for the duke of the same name, this
palace has been the royal family’s London lodgings since 1837, when St
James’s Palace was judged too old-fashioned and insufficiently
impressive. It is dominated by the 25m-high Queen Victoria Memorial at
the end of The Mall. Tickets for the palace are on sale from the Ticket
Office at the Visitor Entrance, Buckingham Palace Rd. After a series of
crises and embarrassing revelations in the early 1990s, the royal spin
doctors cranked things up a gear to try to revive popular support, and
it was decided to swing open the doors of Buck House to the public for
the first time. Well, to 19 of the 661 rooms, at least. And only during
August and September, when HRH is holidaying in Scotland. And for a
veritable king’s ransom, but still, we mustn’t quibble – no price is too
great for an opportunity to see the Windsors’ polaroids plastered all
over the fridge door. The ‘working rooms’ are stripped down each summer
for the arrival of the commoners, and the usual carpet is replaced with
industrial-strength rugs, so the rooms don’t look all that lavish.
The tour starts in the Guard Room; allows a peek inside the State
Dining Room (all red damask and Regency furnishings); then moves on to
the Blue Drawing Room, with a gorgeous fluted ceiling by John Nash; to
the White Drawing Room, where foreign ambassadors are received; and to
the Ballroom, where official receptions and state banquets are held. The
Throne Room is pretty hilarious with kitschy his-and-hers pink chairs
initialled ‘ER’ and ‘P’, sitting smugly under what looks like a theatre
arch. The most interesting part of the tour (for all but royal
sycophants) is the 76.5m-long Picture Gallery, featuring splendid works
by artists such as Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Poussin, Canova and
Vermeer, although the likes of these and much more are yours for free at
the National Gallery. Wandering the gardens is another highlight here –
it’s bound to give you a real royal feeling. Book in advance for
disabled access.
Buckingham Palace
Address: Buckingham Palace Rd SW1
Transport: Metro at St James’s Park, Victoria or Green Park
Website:
www.royalcollection.org.uk
Email: buckinghampalace@royalcollection.org.uk
Phone: behindertengerechter Zugang : 7766 7324
7766 7300
Price: adult/child/concession/family £15.50/8.75/14/39.75
Hours: 9.30am-4.30pm 28 Jul-25 Sep, timed ticket with admission every 15min
See artefacts like the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Elgin Marbles and the Lewis Chessmen at British Museum - For Free
One of London’s most visited attractions, this museum draws an
average of five million punters each year through its marvellous
porticoed main gate on Great Russell St (a few go through the quieter
Montague Pl entrance).
One of the world’s oldest and finest museums, the British Museum
started in 1749 in the form of royal physician Hans Sloane’s ‘cabinet of
curiosities’ – which he later bequeathed to the country – and carried
on expanding its collection (which now numbers some seven million items)
through judicious acquisition and the controversial plundering of
empire. It’s an exhaustive and exhilarating stampede through world
cultures, with galleries devoted to Egypt, Western Asia, Greece, the
Orient, Africa, Italy, the Etruscans, the Romans, prehistoric and Roman
Britain and medieval antiquities. The museum is huge, so make a few
focused visits if you have time, and consider the choice of tours. There
are nine free 50-minute eyeOpener tours of individual galleries
throughout the day, and 20-minute eyeOpener spotlight talks at 1.15pm
focusing on different themes from the collection. Ninety-minute
highlights tours leave at 10.30am, 1pm and 3pm. If you want to go it
alone, audioguide tours are available at the information desk, including
a family-oriented one narrated by comedian, writer and TV presenter
Stephen Fry. One specific to the Parthenon Sculptures (aka the Parthenon
Marbles or Elgin Marbles) is available in that gallery. You could also
check out Compass, a multimedia public access system with 50 computer
terminals that lets you take a virtual tour of the museum, plan your own
circuit or get information on specific exhibits. The British Museum is
planning to build a major new extension in its north-western corner, to
be completed in 2012. The new building will have, among other things, a
gallery dedicated to special exhibitions and a conservation and science
centre.
British Museum
Address: Great Russell St WC1
Transport: Tube at Tottenham Court Rd or Russell Sq
Website:
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Phone: Führungen: 7323 8181
7323 8000
Price: admission free, £3 donation suggested
Hours: galleries 10am-5.30pm Sat-Wed, to 8.30pm Thu & Fri, Great Court 9am-6pm Sun-Wed, to 11pm Thu-Sat
Tower Bridge, one of London's most iconic landmarks, is a combined bascule and suspension bridge with two 213 foot towers
Perhaps second only to Big Ben as London’s most recognizable symbol,
Tower Bridge doesn’t disappoint up close. There’s something about its
neo-Gothic towers and blue suspension struts that that make it quite
enthralling to look at. Built in 1894 as a much-needed crossing point in
the east, it was equipped with a then revolutionary bascule (seesaw)
mechanism that could clear the way for oncoming ships in three minutes.
Although London’s days as a thriving port are long over, the bridge
still does its stuff, lifting around 1000 times per year and as many as
10 times per day in summer. (For information on the next lifting ring
7940 3984 or check the bridge’s website.) The Tower Bridge Exhibition
explains the nuts and bolts of it all. If you’re not particularly
technically minded, however, it’s still interesting to get inside the
bridge and look out its windows along the Thames.
Tower Bridge
Address: The Tower Bridge Southwark, SE1 2UP
Transport: Tube at Tower Hill
Website:
www.towerbridge.org.uk
Phone: 7940 3985
Price: Tower Bridge Exhibition adult/under 5yr/5-15yr/senior & student/family £6/free/£3/£4.50/£14
Hours: Tower Bridge Exhibition 10:00-18:30 Apr-Oct, 09:30-18:00 Nov-Mar, last admission 1hr before closing
Explore Hyde Park - London’s largest central park
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Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
London’s largest royal park spreads itself over a whopping 142
hectares of neatly manicured gardens and wild, deserted expanses of
overgrown grass. Spring prompts the gorgeous Rose Gardens, added in
1994, into vivacious bloom, and summers are full of sunbathers,
picnickers, frisbee-throwers and general London populace who drape
themselves across the green. It is also a magnificent backdrop for
open-air concerts, demonstrations and royal occasions. Gun salutes are
fired here and soldiers ride through the park each morning on their way
to Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall. Hyde Park is separated from
Kensington Gardens by the L-shaped Serpentine, a small lake created by
the damming of the Westbourne River in the 1730s; it’s a good spot for
pleasure boating in summer. Henry VIII expropriated the park from the
Church in 1536, after which it became a hunting ground for kings and
aristocrats; later it became a popular venue for duels, executions and
horse racing. It became the first royal park to open to the public in
the early 17th century, and famously hosted the Great Exhibition in
1851. During WWII it became an enormous potato bed. You’ll either love
or hate the ornate Queen Elizabeth Gate designed by Giuseppe Lund and
David Wynne in 1993 to honour the late Queen Mother, which leads onto
Park Lane near Hyde Park Corner. West of the gate is the Holocaust
Memorial Garden (1983), a simple stone marker in a grove of trees with a
quote from Lamentations: ‘For thee I weep, streams of tears flow from
my eyes because of the destruction of my people.’ North of the gate is
the new 7 July Memorial of 52 square stainless-steel pillars dedicated
to the victims of the terrorist bombings in London in July 2005.
Immediately west of Hyde Park and across the Serpentine lake, these
gardens are technically part of Kensington Palace. The palace and the
gardens have become something of a shrine to the memory of Princess
Diana since her death in 1997. If you have kids, visit the
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground,
in the northwest corner of the gardens, which has some pretty
ambitious attractions for children including tepees and a pirate ship.
Art is also characteristic of these gardens. George Frampton’s
celebrated
Peter Pan statue is close to the lake. On the opposite side is a
statue of Edward Jenner, who developed a vaccine for smallpox. To the west of the Serpentine is a
sculpture of John Hanning Speke, the explorer who discovered the Nile.
Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
Address: Bayswater Rd & Park La Knightsbridge, W2 2UH
Transport: Tube at Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Knightsbridge or Lancaster Gate
Website:
www.royalparks.org.uk
Price: Free admission
Phone: 7298 2000
Hours; 5.30am-midnight
St.
Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were
married in 1981 in an iconic wedding watched across the world, is one of
London's top tourist attractions
St. Paul’s is simply breathtaking—even more so since it was spruced
up for its 300th anniversary in 2008. The dome, the world’s third
largest, is easily recognizable through the skyline from many an angle
around London. The structure is Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece,
completed in 1710 after 35 years of building, and, much later,
miraculously spared (mostly) by World War II bombs. Wren’s first plan,
known as the New Model, did not make it past the drawing board. The
second, known as the Great Model got as far as the 20-foot oak rendering
before it also was rejected. The third was accepted, with the fortunate
coda that the architect be allowed to make changes as he saw fit.
Without that, there would be no dome, because the approved design had a
steeple. When you enter and see the dome from the inside, it may seem
smaller than you expected. It is smaller, and 60 feet lower than the
lead-covered outer dome. Beneath the lantern is Wren’s famous epitaph,
which his son composed and had set into the pavement, and which reads
succinctly: “Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice”—”Reader, if
you seek his monument, look around you.” The epitaph also appears on
Wren’s memorial in the Crypt. Up 163 spiral steps is the Whispering
Gallery, an acoustic phenomenon; you whisper something to the wall on
one side, and a second later it transmits clearly to the other side, 107
feet away. Ascend to the Stone Gallery, which encircles the base of the
dome. Farther up (280 feet from ground level) is the small Golden
Gallery, the dome’s highest point. From both these galleries (if you
have a head for heights) you can walk outside for a spectacular panorama
of London. The climb up the spiraling steps can be fun for older kids.
The remains of the poet John Donne, who was Dean of St. Paul’s for
his final 10 years (he died in 1631), are in the south choir aisle. The
vivacious choir-stall carvings nearby are the work of Grinling Gibbons,
as are those on the great organ, which Wren designed. Behind the high
altar is the American Memorial Chapel, dedicated to the 28,000 GIs
stationed in the United Kingdom who lost their lives in World War II.
Among the famous figures whose remains lie in the Crypt are the Duke of
Wellington and Admiral Lord Nelson. The Crypt also has a gift shop and a
café. Triforium Tour, a tour that also offers entry to the crypt and
galleries. 020/7246-8357. £16. Mon. and Tues. at 11:30 and 2, Fri. at 2.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Address: St Paul’s Churchyard EC4
Transport: Tube at St Paul’s
Website:
www.stpauls.co.uk
Price: adult/7-16yr/senior/student £11/3.50/10/8.50
Hours: 8.30am-4pm last entry Mon-Sat
Tower Bridge is annexed by the Tower of London which houses the British Crown Jewels
Nowhere else does London’s history come to life so vividly as in this
minicity of 20 towers filled with heraldry and treasure, the intimate
details of lords and dukes and princes and sovereigns etched in the
walls (literally, in some places), and quite a few pints of royal blood
spilled on the stones. This is one of Britain’s most popular sights—the
Crown Jewels are here—and you can avoid lines by buying a ticket in
advance on the Web site, by phone, at any tube station, or from the
automatic kiosks on arrival. The visitor center provides an introduction
to the Tower. Allow at least three hours for exploring, and take time
to stroll along the battlements for a wonderful overview. The Crown
Jewels are worth the wait, the White Tower is essential, and the
Medieval Palace and Bloody Tower should at least be breezed through.
Today’s Tower has seen everything, as a palace, barracks, a mint for
producing coins, an archive, an armory, and the Royal Menagerie (which
formed the basis of the London Zoo). The stunning opulence of the Crown
Jewels, kept on-site in the heavily fortified Jewel House is a must-see.
Most of all, though, the Tower is known for death: it’s been a place of
imprisonment, torture, and execution for the realm’s most notorious
traitors.
A person was mighty privileged to be beheaded in the peace and
seclusion of Tower Green instead of before the mob at Tower Hill. In
fact, only seven people were ever important enough—among them Anne
Boleyn and Catherine Howard, wives two and five of Henry VIII’s six;
Elizabeth I’s friend Robert Devereux, earl of Essex; and the nine-day
queen, Lady Jane Grey, age 16.
Free tours depart every half hour or so from the Middle Tower. They
are conducted by the Yeoman Warders, better known as Beefeaters, dressed
in resplendent navy-and-red (scarlet-and-gold on special occasions)
Tudor outfits. Beefeaters have been guarding the Tower since Henry VII
appointed them in 1485. One of them, the Yeoman Warder Raven Master, is
responsible for making life comfortable for the ravens (six birds plus
reserves) that live in Lanthorn Tower. It’s an important duty, because
if the ravens were to desert the Tower, goes the legend, the kingdom
would fall. Today, the Tower takes no chances: The ravens’ wings are
clipped.
In prime position stands the oldest part of the Tower and the most
conspicuous of its buildings, the White Tower; the other towers were
built in the next few centuries. This central keep was begun in 1078 by
William the Conqueror; Henry III (1207-72) had it whitewashed, which is
where the name comes from. The spiral staircase is the only way up, and
here are the Armouries, with a collection of arms and armor. Across the
moat, Traitors’ Gate lies to the right. Opposite Traitors’ Gate is the
former Garden Tower, better known since about 1570 as the Bloody Tower.
Its name comes from one of the most famous unsolved murders in history,
the saga of the “little princes in the Tower.” In 1483 the uncrowned boy
king, Edward V, and his brother Richard were left here by their uncle,
Richard of Gloucester, after the death of their father, Edward IV. They
were never seen again; Gloucester was crowned Richard III, and in 1674
two little skeletons were found under the stairs to the White Tower,
which are thought to be theirs.
The most famous exhibits are the Crown Jewels, in the Jewel House,
Waterloo Barracks. This is the Tower’s biggest draw, perfect for playing
pick-your-favorite-crown from the wrong side of bulletproof glass. Not
only are these crowns, staffs, and orbs encrusted with heavy-duty gems,
they are invested with the authority of monarchical power in England,
dating back to the 1300s. Included is the famous Koh-i-noor, or
“Mountain of Light.” The legendary diamond, which was supposed to bring
luck to women, came from India, and was given to Queen Elizabeth. You
can see it, in cut-down shape, in the late Queen Mother’s Crown. The
Crown Jewels used to be housed in Martin Tower, which now hosts an
exhibit that explains the art of fashioning royal headwear and includes
12,314 cut and uncut diamonds.
The little Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula is the second church
on the site, and it’s the final resting place of six beheaded Tudor
bodies. Visitors are welcome for services and can also enter after 4:30
pm daily.
Evocative Beauchamp Tower served as a jail for upper-class miscreants.
Latin graffiti about Lady Jane Grey, who was also a prisoner here, can
be glimpsed on the walls.
For free tickets to the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys (locking of
main gates, nightly between 9:30 and 10), write several months in
advance; check the tower Web site for details.
Tower Tips — Tickets are cheaper if booked online: £16 for adults, £9
for children. If buying your ticket at the venue, pick them up at the
kiosk at Tower Hill Tube station before emerging above ground — the
lines should be shorter. Even so, choose a day other than Sunday —
crowds are at their worst then — and arrive as early as you can in the
morning, or late in the afternoon.
Tower of London
Address: Tower Hill EC3
Transport: Tube at Tower Hill
Website:
www.hrp.org.uk
Phone: 0844-482 7777
Price: adult/5-15yr/senior & student/family £17/9.50/14.50/47
Hours: 9am-5.30pm Tue-Sat, 10am-5.30pm Sun & Mon Mar-Oct, closes
4.30pm daily Nov-Feb, last admission 30min before closing time
All eyes were on Westminster Abbey when Prince William and Catherine Middleton wed here on April 29, 2011
The Westminster Abbey is not just one of the finest examples of
ecclesiastical architecture in Europe, it’s also the shrine of the
nation where monarchs are anointed before their God and memorials to the
nation’s greatest figures fill every corner. From the outside, it’s a
magnificently earnest looking structure, its two great square towers and
pointed arches the very epitome of medieval Gothic. The building was
begun in 1245 under the reign of Henry II and finally completed in the
early 16th century. This replaced an earlier structure commissioned in
1045 by Edward the Confessor (which itself had replaced a 7th-century
original) and consecrated in 1065, just in time to play host to Edward’s
funeral and (following a brief tussle in Hastings) the coronation of
William the Conqueror. It has been, with a couple of exceptions, the
setting for every coronation since, and it is here on April 29, 2011,
that
Prince William married
Kate Middleton. On July 29, 1981, The fairytale wedding of
Prince Charles and
Lady Diana Spencer
was held at St Paul’s Cathedral rather than Westminster Abbey because
St Paul’s offered more seating and permits a longer procession through
the streets of London.
More or less at the center of the Abbey stands the shrine of Edward
the Confessor, while scattered around are the tombs of various other
royals, including Henry V, Elizabeth I, and Richard III. Splendid as
they are, they are all rather overshadowed by the tomb of Henry VII.
This elaborately carved, gilded structure, the work of the Italian
artist Torrigiano (a contemporary and sometime rival of Michelangelo),
introduced Renaissance lushness to the Abbey’s otherwise overwhelmingly
austere, Gothic confines. Nearby is the surprisingly shabby
Coronation Chair, on which almost every monarch since Edward II, including the current one, has sat during their coronation.
In
Poet’s Corner you’ll find a great assortment of
memorials to the country’s greatest men (and a few women) of letters,
clustered around the grave of Geoffrey Chaucer, who was buried here in
1400. These include a statue of Shakespeare, his arm resting on a pile
of books, Jacob Epstein’s bust of William Blake, as well as tributes to
Jane Austen, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Milton, Dylan Thomas, and D.
H. Lawrence.
Statesmen and men of science — Disraeli, Newton, Charles Darwin — are
also interred in the Abbey or honored by monuments. If you walk towards
the West Entrance, you’ll see
a plaque to Franklin D. Roosevelt
—one of the Abbey’s very few tributes to a foreigner. Near to the west
door is the 1965 memorial to Sir Winston Churchill and the tomb of the
Unknown Warrior, commemorating the British dead of World War I.
More royal relics are on display in the
Abbey Museum,
which is housed in the Abbey undercroft. Among its various oddities are
the effigies of a number of past royals, including Edward II and Henry
VII, which were used instead of the real corpses for lying-in-state
ceremonies — they smelled better. It’s open Monday through Saturday from
10:30am to 4pm.
Arrive early if possible, but be prepared to wait in line to tour the
abbey. Photography is not permitted. If visiting midweek, don’t forget
to view the garden. First laid out some 900 years ago, it is one of the
oldest cultivated gardens in the country, and offers a welcome breath of
calming fresh air. It is open only from Tuesday to Thursday from April
to September from 10am to 6pm, and from October to March from 10am to
4pm.
Westminster Abbey
Address: Dean’s Yard SW1
Transport: Tube at Westminster
Website:
www.westminster-abbey.org
Email: info@westminster-abbey.org
Phone: 7222 5152
Price: adult/under 11yr/11-17yr/concession £15/free/6/12
Hours: 9.30am-3.45pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Wed, to 1.45pm Sat, last entry 1hr before closing
View of Tate Modern from St Paul's Cathedral side of the millennium bridge
Welcoming more than four million visitors a year, Tate Modern,
designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron (best
known for Beijing Olympic Stadium (Bird’s Nest) and Allianz Arena in
Munich for the 2006 World Cup), is the world’s most popular modern art
gallery (the free admission helps), and one of the capital’s very best
attractions. From the day it opened in 2000, the gallery has received
almost as many plaudits for its setting as for its contents. It’s housed
in a converted 1940s’ brick power station, the brooding industrial
functionalism of the architecture providing a fitting canopy for the
often challenging art within. Through the main entrance you enter a vast
space, the Turbine Hall, where a succession of giant temporary
exhibitions are staged — the bigger and more ambitious, the better.
Highlights have included covering the floor with 100 million ceramic
sunflower seeds (Sunflower Seeds by Ai Weiwei), creating a maze of
14,000 polyethylene boxes (Embankment by Rachel Whiteread), and building
a series of metal tubes up to the floors above for visitors to slide
down (Test Site by Carsten Höller).
The permanent collection encompasses a great body of modern art
dating from 1900 to the present. Spread over three levels, it covers all
the big-hitters, including Matisse, Rothko, Pollock, Picasso, Dali,
Duchamp, and Warhol, and is arranged according to movements —
surrealism, minimalism, cubism, expressionism, and so on. Free 45-minute
guided tours of the collection are given daily at 11am, noon, 2pm, and
3pm. The gallery stays open late on Friday and Saturday, when events,
such as concerts and talks, are often put on.
Such has been the gallery’s success that a new extension is being
built. It will take the form of a giant asymmetrical, brick-and-glass
pyramid, which should be completed in 2012.
If you look out of the windows you will see the Millennium Bridge
designed by Norman Foster, which connects the south bank to St Paul’s
Cathedral. A shuttle boat (tel. 020/7887-8888) runs every 40 minutes
between Tate Modern, the huge wheel of the London Eye past Westminster
Bridge and the original gallery, Tate Britain. Appropriately enough, the
boat’s spotted livery was designed by Damien Hirst, aging enfant
terrible of the London modern art scene. The service takes 20 minutes,
and runs every 20 minutes during opening times, stopping en route at the
London Eye. Tickets cost £5 adults, £2.50 for children under 16.
Tate Modern
Address: Queen’s Walk Bankside, SE1 9TG
Transport: St Paul’s, Southwark or London Bridge
Website:
www.tate.org.uk
Price: admission free, special exhibitions £8-10
Hours: 10am-6pm Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat
Surrounded by the impressive National Gallery, Trafalgar Square is the center of London, where rallies and marches take place
In many ways this is the center of London, where rallies and marches
take place, tens of thousands of revelers usher in the New Year and
locals congregate for anything from communal open-air cinema to various
political protests. The great square was neglected over many years,
ringed with gnarling traffic and given over to flocks of pigeons that
would dive-bomb anyone with a morsel of food on their person. But things
changed in 2000 when Ken Livingstone became London Mayor and embarked
on a bold and imaginative scheme to transform it into the kind of space
John Nash had intended when he designed it in the early 19th century.
Traffic was banished from the northern flank in front of the National
Gallery, and a new pedestrian plaza built. The front of the National
Gallery itself was dolled up with a new facade and entrance hall, and
feeding pigeons was banned. Countless cultural events are held here,
showcasing the city’s multiculturalism, with celebrations for Russian,
Jewish and Chinese New Year, plus African music concerts, film
screenings and so on. In recent years, Trafalgar Sq has become a top
protest venue too, with demonstrations against the conflicts in Gaza,
Sri Lanka and other international hot potatoes taking place here. The
website www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare allows you to see what events
are taking place on the square.
The pedestrianization has made it easier to appreciate not only the
square but also the splendid buildings around it: the National Gallery,
the National Portrait Gallery and the newly renovated church of St
Martin-in-the-Fields. The ceremonial
Pall Mall runs southwest from the top of the square. To the southwest stands
Admiralty Arch, with The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace beyond it. To the west is
Canada House (1827), designed by Robert Smirke. Standing in the centre of the square since 1843, the 52m-high
Nelson’s Column
(upon which the admiral surveys his fleet of ships to the southwest)
commemorates Nelson’s victory over Napoleon off Cape Trafalgar in Spain
in 1805.
Trafalgar Square
Location: Westminster and Royal London
Address: Trafalgar Sq., Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN
Tube: Charing Cross.
Location: Westminster and Royal London
website:
www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare
Two
Versions Of Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Virgin Of The Rocks', the Louvre's
(left) in Paris and National Gallery's (right) in London. They differ in
several details. The angel Gabriel, seated at right, is shown to be
pointing at John the Baptist in the Louvre version of the painting. In
the National Gallery version, Leonardo removes that detail, but adds
haloes and a cruciform staff for the young Saint John.
Standing proudly on the north side of Trafalgar Square is one of the
world’s supreme art collections, with more than 2,300 masterpieces on
show. Picasso, van Gogh, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Monet, Turner, and
more—all for free.
Its collection may not be of quite the same monumental scale as some
of Europe’s other great galleries, such as the Louvre, the Prado, or the
Uffizi, but for the sheer skill of its display and arrangement, the
National surpasses its counterparts. And the gallery’s 2,300-plus
paintings would still take some considerable time to view in their
entirety — certainly a good deal longer than the gallery’s original
collection, which consisted of just 38 works. It was founded in 1824 by
the British Government, and gradually built up via a combination of
private bequests and purchases. Today the collection provides a
comprehensive overview of the development of Western art from the
mid-1200s to 1900, with most major artists and movements of the period
represented. The gallery’s collection cuts off at 1900; to see
20th-century art you need to head to
Tate Modern and, for British art,
Tate Britain.
The Arnolfini portrait by the Dutch painter Jan van Eyck is one of the most popular masterpieces in London’s National Gallery
Highlights
This brief selection is your jumping-off point, but there are hundreds more, enough to fill a full day. (1)
Van Gogh (1853–1890),
Sunflowers
– one of four paintings of sunflowers dating from August and September
1888. one of the most popular paintings in the National Gallery. It is
the painting that is most often reproduced on cards, posters, mugs,
tea-towels and stationery. It was also the picture that Van Gogh was
most proud of. (2)
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519),
The Virgin and Child—this exquisite black-chalk “Burlington Cartoon” has the master’s most haunting Mary. (3)
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519),
The Virgin of the Rocks (sometimes
the Madonna of the Rocks)
is the name used for both of two Late Renaissance paintings by Leonardo
da Vinci, of the same subject, and of a composition which is identical
except for two significant details. One painting usually hangs in the
Louvre, Paris, and the other in the National Gallery, London. The
significant compositional differences are in the gaze and right hand of
the angel. (4)
Van Eyck (circa 1395-1441),
The Arnolfini Portrait—a
solemn couple holds hands, the fish-eye mirror behind them mysteriously
illuminating what can’t be seen from the front view. (5)
Holbein (1497-1543),
The Ambassadors—two
wealthy visitors from France stand surrounded by what were considered
luxury goods at the time. Note the elongated skull at the bottom of the
painting, which takes shape when viewed from an angle. (6)
Constable (1776-1837),
The Hay Wain—rendered overfamiliar by too many greeting cards, this is the definitive image of golden-age rural England. (7)
Turner (1775-1851),
Rain, Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway, an astonishing whirl of rain, mist, steam, and locomotion (spot the hare). (8)
Caravaggio (1573-1610),
The Supper at Emmaus
—a cinematically lightened, freshly resurrected Christ blesses bread in
an astonishingly domestic vision from the master of chiaroscuro. (9)
Seurat (1859-91),
Bathers at Asnières—this static summer day’s idyll is one of the pointillist extraordinaire’s best-known works. (10)
Botticelli (1445-1510),
Venus and Mars—Mars sleeps, exhausted by the love goddess, oblivous to the lance wielded by mischievous cherubs. (11)
Claude-Oscar Monet (1840 – 1926),
Water-Lilies
— Almost abstract in effect, it shows a close-up of the surface of the
pond with groups of lilies highlighted against the shadows of trees in a
rich color harmony of green, blue and pink.
Insider’s tip: Color coding throughout the galleries
helps you keep track of the period you’re immersed in. Begin at an “Art
Start” terminal in the Sainsbury Wing or East Wing Espresso Bar. The
interactive screens give you access to information on all of the
museum’s holdings; you can choose your favorites, and print out a free
personal tour map. Want some stimulation? Try a free weekday lunchtime
lecture, or Ten Minute Talk, which illuminates the story behind a key
work of art. One-hour free, guided tours start at the Sainsbury Wing
daily at 11:30 and 2:30. If you are eager for even more insight into the
art, pick up a themed audio guide, which takes in about 20 paintings.
If you visit during school holidays, don’t miss special programs for
children. There are also free Family Sundays with special talks for
children and their parents.
National Gallery
Address: Trafalgar Sq., London, WC2N 5DN
Transport: Tube at Charing Cross
Website:
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Phone: 020/7747-2885
Cost: Free, charge for special exhibitions; audio guide £3
Hours:10am-6pm Thu-Tue, to 9pm Wed
Shakespeare’s
Globe Theatre is a replica of the open-air playhouse designed in 1599
where most of the Bard's great plays premiered
-
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
A spectacular theater, this is a replica of Shakespeare’s open-roof,
wood-and-thatch Globe Playhouse (built in 1599 and burned down in 1613),
where most of the Bard’s great plays premiered. For several decades,
American actor and director Sam Wanamaker worked ceaselessly to raise
funds for the theater’s reconstruction, 200 yards from its original
site, using authentic materials and techniques. His dream was realized
in 1997. At the plays, “groundlings”—those with £5 standing-only
tickets—are not allowed to sit during the performance. You can reserve
an actual seat, though, on any one of the theater’s three levels, but
you will want to rent a cushion for £1 (or bring your own) to soften the
backless wooden benches. The show must go on, rain or shine, warm or
chilly—so come prepared for anything. Umbrellas are banned, but you can
bring a raincoat or buy a cheap Globe rain poncho, which doubles as a
great souvenir. Throughout the year, you can tour the theater as part of
the Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition, a museum under the theater (the
entry is adjacent) that provides background material on the Elizabethan
theater and the construction of the modern-day Globe. Admission also
includes a tour of the theater. On matinee days, the tour visits the
archaeological site of the nearby (and older) Rose Theatre.
Insider’s tip: Guided tours of the facility are offered throughout
the day in the theatre’s winter off-season. From May to September,
however, Globe tours are only available in the morning. In the
afternoon, when matinee performances are taking place, alternative tours
to the rather scanty remains of the Rose Theatre, the Globe’s precursor
(which was torn down in the early 17th century), are offered instead.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Address: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, South Bank, London, SE1 9DT
Phone: 020/7902-1400 box office; 020/7401-9919 New Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition
Cost: Exhibition & Globe Theatre Tour £10.50 (£2 reduction with
valid performance ticket; ticket prices for plays vary, £5-£35
Hours: Exhibition May-early Oct., daily 10-5; mid-Oct.-Apr., daily
9-12:30 and 1-5; plays May-early Oct., call for performance schedule
Website:
www.shakespeares-globe.org
Tube: Southwark, then walk to Blackfriars Bridge and descend the steps;
Mansion House, then cross Southwark Bridge; Blackfriars, then walk
across Blackfriars Bridge; St. Paul’s, then cross Millennium Bridge.
Piccadilly
Circus, London's Times Square, is a road junction connecting some of
London's famous shopping streets with the West End entertainment
district
Together with Big Ben and Trafalgar Sq, this is postcard London. And
despite the stifling crowds and racing midday traffic, the flashing ads
and buzzing liveliness of Piccadilly Circus always make it exciting to
be in London. The circus looks its best at night, when the flashing
advertisement panels really shine against the dark sky.
Designed by John Nash in the 1820s, the hub was named after the
street Piccadilly, which earned its name in the 17th century from the
stiff collars (picadils) that were the sartorial staple of the time (and
were the making of a nearby tailor’s fortune). At the centre of the
circus is the famous lead statue, the Angel of Christian Charity,
dedicated to the philanthropist and child-labour abolitionist Lord
Shaftesbury, and derided when unveiled in 1893, sending the sculptor
into early retirement. The sculpture was at first cast in gold, but it
was later replaced by the present-day one. Down the years the angel has
been mistaken for
Eros, the God of Love, and the
misnomer has stuck (you’ll even see signs for ‘Eros’ from the
Underground). It’s a handy meeting place for tourists, though if you
don’t like the crowds, meet at the charging
Horses of Helios statue at the edge of Piccadilly and Haymarket – apparently a much cooler place to convene.
John Nash had originally designed Regent St and Piccadilly to be the
two most elegant streets in town but, curbed by city planners, Nash
couldn’t realise his dream to the full. In the many years since his
noble plans, Piccadilly Circus has become swamped with tourists, with
streets such as Coventry St flogging astronomically priced cheap tat to
unsuspecting visitors. Coventry St leads to Leicester Sq, while
Shaftesbury Ave takes you to the heart of the West End’s theatreland.
Piccadilly itself leads to the sanctuary of Green Park. On Haymarket,
check out New Zealand House (built in 1959 on the site of the Carlton
Hotel, which was bombed during the war), where the Vietnamese
revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969) worked as a waiter in 1913.
Have a look down Lower Regent St for a glimpse of glorious
Westminster.
Just east of the circus is
London Trocadero, a huge
and soulless indoor amusement arcade that has six levels of hi-tech,
high-cost fun for youngsters, along with cinemas, US-themed restaurants
and bowling alleys.
Piccadilly Circus
Address: St. James’s, London, W1J ODA
Tube: Piccadilly Circus.
Phone: 7734 6126
Head
to the famous Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill for everything
from antiques and vintage accessories to street food and fresh veg
stalls
London’s most famous market still wins the prize (according to some)
for the all-round best. Perhaps because it’s less crowded and littered
than Camden, Londoners generally prefer this market. It sits in the
lively, cultural melting pot of Notting Hill; the 1,500 antiques dealers
here don’t rip you off (although you should haggle where you can); and
it stretches over a mile, changing character completely as it goes.
Though shops and stalls open daily, the busiest days are Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. There’s an antiques market on Saturday, and a flea
market on Portobello Green on Sunday morning.
The southern end, starting at Chepstow Villas, is lined with antiques
shops and arcades; the middle, above Elgin Crescent, is where locals
buy fruit and veg. This middle area was the setting for the lovely
sequence in the movie Notting Hill where Hugh Grant walks through the
market as the seasons change. The section nearest the elevated highway
(called the Westway) has one of the best flea markets in town, with
vintage-clothing stores along the edges. Here, young designers sell
their wares in and around the Portobello Green arcade. After that, the
market trails off into a giant rummage sale of the kinds of cheap
household goods the British call tat.
Some say Portobello Road has become a bit of a tourist trap, but if
you acknowledge that it’s a circus and get into the spirit, it’s a lot
of fun. Perhaps you won’t find many bargains, but this is such a
fascinating part of town that just hanging out is a good enough excuse
to come. There are some food and flower stalls throughout the week (try
the Hummingbird Bakery for delicious cupcakes) but Saturday is really
the only day to see the market in full swing.
Portobello Road Market
Address: Portobello Rd., Notting Hill, London, W11 | Map It
Hours: 08:00-18:00 Mon-Wed, 09:00-13:00 Thu, 07:00-19:00 Fri & Sat
Phone:020/8960-5599
Tube: Notting Hill Gate (District, Circle, or Central Line)
Website:
www.portobellomarket.org
Location: Notting Hill
Harrods, Britain's most famous department store, comprises seven floors of luxury and is on many London tourists' must-do lists
A fabled encyclopedia of luxury brands, this Knightsbridge
institution has more than 300 departments and 20 restaurants, all spread
over 1 million square feet. If you approach Harrods as a tourist
attraction rather than a fashion store, you won’t be disappointed. Focus
on the spectacular food halls, the huge ground-floor perfumery, the
marble-clad accessory rooms, and the theme park-like Egyptian Room—at
the bottom of the nearby Egyptian escalator there’s a commemorative
memorial to Diana and Dodi (whose father Mohammed Al Fayed used to own
Harrods, now owned by Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Hamad Abdullah
bin Jassim bin Muhammed al-Thani). Be prepared to brave the crowds
(avoid visiting on a Saturday if you can), and be prepared to pay if you
want to use the bathroom on some floors(!).
Harrods
Address: 87-135 Brompton Rd., Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7XL
Transport: Tube at Knightsbridge
Website:
www.harrods.com
Phone: 020/7730 1234
Hours: 10am-8pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-6pm Sun
Discover the magnificence of the great Tudor King Henry VIII’s favorite royal residence - Hampton Court Palace
Today the royal palace that sits beside the slow-moving Thames gives
you two palaces for the price of one: The magnificent Tudor redbrick
mansion that was begun in 1514 by Cardinal Wolsey to impress the young
Henry, and the larger 17th-century baroque offering, for which the
graceful south wing was designed by Christopher Wren of St. Paul’s fame.
The first buildings of Hampton Court belonged to a religious order
founded in the 11th century and were expanded over the years by its many
subsequent residents, none more important than Henry VIII and his six
wives. Henry spent a king’s ransom (today’s equivalent of £18 million or
$27.5 million) expanding and refurbishing the palace.
Highlights
If Tudor takes your fancy, wander through the
State Apartments, hung with priceless paintings, and on to the wood-beamed magnificence of
Henry’s Great Hall, lined with tapestries and the mustiness of old, before taking in the strikingly azure ceiling of the
Chapel Royal. Topping it all is the Great House of Easement, a lavatory that could sit 28 people at a time.
Feel a chill in the air? Watch out for the ghost of Henry VIII’s
doomed fifth wife, Catherine Howard, who literally lost her head yet
apparently still screams her way along the
Haunted Gallery. The latter-day baroque transformers of the palace, William and Mary, maintained beautiful
King’s and Queen’s Apartments, Georgian Rooms, and fine collections of porcelain.
Don’t miss the world’s most famous
maze, its ½ mi of
pathways among clipped hedgerows still fiendish to negotiate. There’s a
trick, but we won’t give it away here: it’s much more fun to go and
lose yourself.
In summer months, consider arriving in style by riverboat at Hampton Court.
Insider’s tip: Tickets are considerably cheaper if
bought online. In a group? Save nearly £10 on admission with a £38
family ticket (two adults, three children). Choose which parts of the
palace to explore based on a number of self-guided audio walking tours.
Come Christmastime, there’s ice-skating on a rink before the West Front
of the palace—an unmissable mixture of pleasantry and pageantry. Special
programs, such as cooking demonstrations in the cavernous Tudor
kitchens, also make history fun for young royal-watchers.
Hampton Court Palace
Address: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesley, Surrey, KT8 9AU
Phone: 0844/482-7799 tickets; 0844/482-7777 information
Cost: £14
Hours: Late Mar.-Oct., daily 10-6 (last ticket sold at 5; last entry to
maze at 5:15); Nov.-late Mar., daily 10-4:30 (last ticket sold at 3:30;
last entry to maze at 3:45); check Web site before visiting
Website:
www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace
Tube: Richmond, then Bus R68; National Rail, South West: Hampton Court
Station, 35 min from Waterloo (most trains require change at Surbiton).
Location: The Thames Upstream
London Travel Tips
A Money-Saving Pass – The
London Pass
provides admission to more than 55 attractions in and around London,
“timed” admission at some attractions (bypassing the line ups), plus
free travel on public transport (buses, Tubes, and trains) and a pocket
guidebook. It costs £40 for 1 day, £55 for 2 days, £68 for 3 days, and
£90 for 6 days (children aged 5 to 15 pay £27, £41, £46, or £64,
respectively), and includes admission to St. Paul’s Cathedral, HMS
Belfast, the Jewish Museum, and the Thames Barrier Visitor Centre — and many other attractions.
This rather pricey pass is useful if you’re trying to cram 2 days’
worth of sightseeing into a single day. But if you’re a slow-moving
visitor, who likes to stop and smell the roses, you may not get your
money’s worth. Decide how much transportation and sightseeing you hope
to get done, and, using this guide, calculate what the costs will be.
It’s a bit of paperwork, but it will help you decide whether the London
Pass is a good deal for you. The pass is valid for 12 months and so
it is worth buying in advance or checking back on the website
regularly for special-priced deals. You can also purchase the pass
without the transportation package. Visit the website at
www.londonpass.com.
Getting there
Flights
There are four airports, London Heathrow (due west), London
Gatwick (south east), London Stansted (north east) and London Luton
(north).
Airport Links
Any airport train with the word “Express” in it will be fast
but expensive (cheapest prices are online): Heathrow 15 minutes/£32
adult return (
www.heathrowexpress.com); Gatwick 30 minutes/£27.40 adult return (
www.gatwickexpress.com); Stansted 45 minutes/£27.30 adult return (
www.stanstedexpress.com).
If not in a hurry, take the bus – they will normally make several
stops in central London, so check your hotel location – or take the
local stopping train (Gatwick to Victoria takes around 50 minutes and
costs as little as £17.50 for an anytime adult return. If doing this
the other way, make sure the train stops at the airport) with Southern (
www.southernrailway.com)
Cruises
Ships moor at Tilbury, 22 miles from central London in the Thames Estuary (
www.londoncruiseterminal.com). Passengers are bussed in and out, but trains from nearby Tilbury Town take 35 minutes to Fenchurch Street.
Train
Eurostar (08432 186186,
www.eurostar.com) runs out of Victorian Gothic St Pancras International (020 7843 7688,
www.stpancras.com),
now almost a destination in its own right: Paris 2hrs 15, Lille 1hr
20, Brussels 2hrs 58. For further afield in Europe contact RailEurope
(0844 848 4070,
www.raileurope.co.uk).
Getting around
Car
London traffic is unforgiving and most roads adhere to the mediaeval
spaghetti system rather than a nice grid. Still want to drive? If you
live in the UK, join ZipCar (0333 240 9000,
www.zipcar.com)
– one-off fee £59.50, and you can pick up a car for as little as £5 an
hour. The Congestion Charge is paid automatically. EasyCar (
www.easycar.com)
does good deals on small cars – they are currently offering car hire
from Heathrow from £15 per day. See Tfl website for congestion charge
information: the zone shrank in January 2011.
Bike
The Barclaycard Cycle Hire scheme (UK 0845 026 3630, overseas +44 (0)20 8216 6666,
www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire)
is now open to member and casual users with a credit card. Access to
the “Boris Bikes” – as Londoners call them, after the cycling Mayor of
London, Boris Johnson – costs £1 for 24 hours, £5 for seven days and £45
per year. Usage is free up to 30 minutes, but rises steeply after two
hours. Download the map or phone app showing the latest docking
stations: not all of them are shown on the maps on the information
posts. For longer periods, the London Cycling Campaign (
www.lcc.org.uk) has a list of hire shops: On Your Bike (
www.onyourbike.com) on Tooley Street, SE1, for example, does day hire for £18 first day and £10 thereafter and a week for £45.
Taxis
The familiar Black Cabs are the only ones allowed to ply for
hire and are only available if their orange lights are on (tricky to
see on summer nights). They are expensive because they know where
they’re going, thanks to long training: flag down is £2.20 and fares
jump after 8pm and again after 10pm. Minicabs are less regulated but
cheaper: ask a friend or venue for a reliable company, ask the fare in
advance and check they know your name before you get in. For 35p
Cabwise will text you the nearest cabs, using GPS: just text CAB to
60835. If you want to tip, aim for around 10% or round up the fare.
Public Transport
First step is to pay a refundable £5 deposit for an Oyster Card online (
www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster)
or at a station. Without the plastic card, a single Zone 1 & 2
tube journey costs £4. With it, £2.50 peak and £1.90 off-peak, and your
travel costs are capped for the day. Buses without cost £2.20, with
£1.30, capped at £4 per day. Use it to top up pay-as-you-go or load it
with a Travelcard:
One-day off-peak Travelcard: £6.60 (Zone 1 & 2), peak £8 – these are also the daily capping rates for pay-as-you-go.
Seven-day Travelcard: £27.60 (Zone 1 & 2).
Visitor Oyster Card: An electronic smartcard ticket, can save up to
50 percent on London tube trains, buses, trams, and trains. If you live
outside London £10 plus £3 deposit.
www.visitbritainshop.com
The Tube, or Underground, is a fantastic network when it runs
smoothly. Buses are cheaper, slower, have better views and mightily
improved signage and maps. Many overland trains now take Oyster as well.
Beware “open” stations (for example, on the DLR); it’s easy to forget
to swipe out and get clobbered for the maximum day charge.
Infuriating.
This
summer’s Olympics will take place in London from July 27 through Aug.
12. Before the Games begin, each sport in the program goes through a
qualification stage to establish the final field of competitors. Many of
these competitions will take place in the following weeks. Here are a
few coming up.
