European Vacation Planning Map

Your European Vacation - How Much will it Cost?  You are here: About > Travel > Europe for Visitors Travel Go Europe Essentials European Vacation Planning Map Europe Travel 101 - Before you Go European Distances The Best of Europe European Photo Gallery Articles & Resources Europe Travel Planning What to do In Europe Lodging - Hotels and More European Travel Maps Sex and Nudism Travel Photography Transportation Benelux Countries France Germany Austria Switzerland Greece Italy and Malta Travel Info Scandinavian Travel Spain and Portugal United Kingdom and Ireland Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Italy Travel Guidebooks Europe Travel Guidebooks German Travel Guidebooks Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Europe for Visitors Your European Vacation - How Much will it Cost? Europe for Visitors Blog « Virus Knocks out State Department's Visa System | Main | Soccer and the Traveler » September 24, 2003 Your European Vacation - How Much will it Cost? These are times when folks want to be frugal. But frugal doesn't mean cheap--after all, how often to you get to go on a European vacation? You'll want the best bang for your buck. So, to give you the idea of what it might cost to travel in Europe at the peak of the season, I've broken down my own expenses to give you a feel for what transportation, lodging, and a typical sit-down meal at a restaurant might cost you. Email a Friend Display Latest Headlines Read Archives Advertisement Most Popular Europe Map - Distances Between Cities in Western Europe Europe's Best Nudist Beaches Europe Picture Galleries Italy Pictures Europe Travel 101 - Before You Travel to Europe for the Firs... What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There Related Topics France for Visitors Greece for Visitors United Kingdom / Ireland for Visitors Eastern Europe for Visitors Italy for Visitors        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There Headlines Antwerp Pictures Antwerp is a fashion and diamond center for Belgium and... Like to Travel Well? Follow the CIA! I really should have paid attention when the CIA came... Tapas from Cans? Ok, so you wander into one of Barcelona's most celebrated... North Holland: Noah's Ark Redux A pious north Holland businessman took out a 300 000...

Asia Travel

LAOS HOTELS LAOS RESORTS - ASIA TRAVEL Laos Travel And Country Information Vientiane Luang Prabang Lao Pako Phonsavanh Pakse Khong Savannakhet Saravan Huay Xai Check out the other Mekong regions Airpot Pick up Click here for Alphabetical Listing of Laos Hotels & Resorts Please Click Hotel Name Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort (Payment direct to hotel) Douang Deuan (Prepaid) Lane Xang (Prepaid) Lao Hotel (Prepaid) Lao Plaza (Prepaid) Novotel (Prepaid) Royal Dokmaideng (Prepaid) Settha Palace (Prepaid) Settha Palace (Payment direct to hotel) Tai Pan Hotel (Prepaid) Vansana Hotel (Prepaid) Bangkok Office Hours (GMT + 07:00) Monday - Friday 09:00 - 18:00 Saturday 09:00 - 13:00 CLOSE ON SUNDAYS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS Laos Tour Packages with Accommodation Click here to reserve hotels with up to 70% Discount (Prepayment Basis) Preview below for hotels with up to 60% discount (payment direct to hotel upon check-in) Room Rates at US$20 and above Dansavanh Nam Ngum Resort Settha Palace Preview below for hotels with up to 75% discount (prepayment before check-in) Room Rates at US$ 20 and above Douang Deuan Room Rate at US$ 30 and above Lao Hotel Lane Xang Hotel Vansana Hotel Room Rate at US$ 50 and above Novotel Royal Dokmaideng Tai Pan Hotel Room Rate at US$ 70 and above Lao Plaza Settha Palace Prepayment Requirement : Above hotel rates are in US Dollars, inclusive of tax and service charge.All bookings made for the above hotels have to be paid in advance before the check-in date. Payment can be made by credit card (Only Visa, Master, JCB and AMEX) . Guest to check-in with passport. A check-in voucher showing booking details will also be faxed or emailed to guest for easy reference. No charge for children under 12 years old sharing room with parents with no extra bed. Cancellation for peak season (15 December - 15 January) is required at least 15 working days (not including Sat., Sun & Public Holidays ) prior to check-in date. Scenic Destinations and Places of Interest in Laos Browse or send an electronic postcard to your friends Click here to send electronic birthday cards... Asia Travel

Italy Travel Resources: Rome

Italy - Travel and Tourism Information for Italy  You are here: About > Travel > Italy for Visitors Travel Go Italy Essentials Italy Profile Top Ten Cities to Visit in Italy Eating Out in Italy Ski in Piedmont New Year's Celebrations in Italy Articles & Resources Planning and Information Florence, Italy Rome, Italy Venice, Italy More Italian Cities Regions of Italy Italy Pictures Food and Wine of Italy Language and Culture Festivals and Events Gay and Lesbian Travel Italian History Things to Do in Italy Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Italy for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Italy for Visitors From Martha Bakerjian , Your Guide to Italy for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Travel to Milan, Italy Milan is one of Italy's most fashionable and richest cities but it also has many great artistic and historical sights and a thriving cultural scene. Home to the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the famous opera house, La Scala, Milan has a lot to offer the traveler. If you want to travel in northern Italy, Milan, with 2 airports, makes a convenient starting or ending destination. Read our Travel Profile of Milan, Italy , to learn more about Milan. You don't have to spend as much money as the CIA did on their stay in Milan. If you want to look for a hotel, here are some Milan Hotel listings with links to Kayak so that you can compare prices and even book online if you find one you like. Tuesday December 27, 2005 | permalink 2006 Winter Olympic Update According to Northern Italy's Torino 2006 Blog , the Olympic Village in Turin is complete and ready for the Winter Olympics starting in February. The village has 750 apartments as well as service buildings and will be converted to residential and student housing following the games. Meanwhile, the Olympic torch is spending the Christmas holidays with friends and family in Sicily and will resume its travels on December 26. The travel route will take the torch into southern Italy where it will arrive in Naples on New Year's Eve. Naples has one of the best New Year's Eve fireworks displays in Italy. More on Celebrating the New Year in Italy . Sunday December 25, 2005 | permalink Where Are Italians Going This Christmas? According to AGI News , 7 million Italians will travel outside their city during the long Christmas weekend this year. 30% are families who will return on the 26th or 27th but 70% will take an extended vacation and travel through at least January 1. Where will they go? 65% will visit relatives or friends or their second home. The rest will travel to a mountain resort or visit one of the Italian art cities - Rome, Venice, or Florence. Most of those who plan to travel outside Italy will visit another European capital. Italy Travel Resources: Rome Travel Resources | Venice Travel Resources | Florence Picture Gallery | Winter Sports in the Piedmont Mountains Saturday December 24, 2005 | permalink Italy in the Travel Blogs: St. Nick and the Government Wine Bar Italians celebrate St. Nicholas in a feast day on December 6th. But did you know that St. Nick is buried in the coast town of Bari after sailors stole his body from Myra, Turkey? Gadling has the goods. Attitudes toward wine are different in Italy than in the US. Imagine the outcry in the US if the government financed a wine bar, just like the Italian region of Lazio did recently. Check out Gridskipper's Your Government Wine Bar . Friday December 23, 2005 | permalink Relive Casanova's Venice--or not Perhaps it was the movie Casanova ,but the old libertine's lusty ways seem to be undergoing a sort ofRenaissance. As you know, the legendary lover's heritage includes theoft publicized use of the early condom, which for Casanova consisted ofa reusable sheep-gut sheath tied on with a pink ribbon and rinsed, whenrequired, in the Grand Canal. Now, according to Venice Word ,"fourteen million tourists a year can now leave with a new"serenissimo" gadget that appears destined to be a hit: the Casanovacondom packed in a single-unit package with the image of GiacomoCasanova." You probably won't need to stand in line at Venice pharmacies toprocure a Casanova special, they'll be available in 2006 attobacconists and newspaper kiosks, the same place you get your bustickets, usually. And hold on you your...hats, "Beginning in January, the Casanova will also be sold in a seven-condom package shaped like a... gondola." Italy Travel Resources: Venice Tuesday December 20, 2005 | permalink Florence Picture Gallery The off season is a wonderful time to capture the best light of Florence. Check out our new photo gallery: Florence Pictures - Monuments, Buildings and the art of Florence, Italy . The pictures, taken on Thanksgiving day, include a Florence street decorated for the winter holidays and two cow sculptures, part of Florence's CowParade open air exhibit that runs through January. Saturday December 17, 2005 | permalink Ski in Northern Italy's Piedmont Region The mountains of Piedmont featured at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics provide a unique backdrop for winter sports, especially skiing. Piedmont features 53 ski resorts with 1,300 kilometres of run. Winter sports that can be practiced in the Piedmont region include alpine and cross-country skiing, telemark, snowboarding, ice climbing, free riding, ski mountaineering, horse trekking, driving sleighs pulled by Siberian huskies, paraskiing, and heliskiing. The Piedmont region is also noted for gastronomic specialties and wine. With early snows in Italy, the region is ready for winter sports. Read about where to go to Ski in Italy's Piedmont region . Friday December 16, 2005 | permalink Celebrating New Year's Eve in Italy Italy is a great place to be on New Year's Eve for the celebration of La Festa di San Silvestro . No matter where you are there will probably be a celebration including fireworks. In the bigger cities, you will find music and dancing in the squares. Food is a part of any Italian celebration and New Year's Eve is no exception. Here's how the Italians celebrate New Years and some special places to go for a big New Year's festival or party . You'll also find out where the Olympic torch will be on New Year's Eve! Monday December 12, 2005 | permalink A Look at Turin, Italy Turin, Torino in Italian, will host the 2006 Winter Olympics. As a result, the city of Turin is frantically spiffing up for an influx of visitors on February 10. Turin's central piazza , the Piazza Castello , will become the stage for the awards ceremonies, integrating the Olympic outcome with Italy's famous piazza culture. Turin is a beautiful city with a great cafe culture, excellent museums, Baroque palaces, and arcaded promenades. It also has some of the best food in Italy. It's often overlooked by tourists but well worth a spot on a travel itinerary. Take a look at our Profile of Turin Travel Essentials . Sunday December 04, 2005 | permalink Florence Hotel Recommendation I've just returned from Florence where I stayed in a very nice and comfortable 4-star hotel for just a little more than I paid last November for a cramped and smoky 2-star with a terrible bathroom! The Hotel Adler Cavalieri is conveniently located, has a helpful English-speaking staff, and is very quiet. Both the common rooms and bedrooms are attractive and welcoming. I would definitely stay here again! The hotel also gave us a great restaurant recommendation where we enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing dinner. The Club Culinario Toscano da Osvaldo , although centrally located, is a little difficult to find but well worth the search. This was definitely one of the best meals I've had in Florence! Sunday December 04, 2005 | permalink Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives powered by Movable Type Advertisement Most Popular Naples, Italy Overview Italian New Year Celebrations Top Ten Cities in Italy Italy Information Rome Italy Travel Essentials What's Hot Italian New Year Celebrations Florence Pictures - Copy of Michelangelo statue David in fro... Florence Pictures - View of the Tuscan countryside from the ... Florence Pictures - Pitti Palace Fountain from Boboli Garden... Florence Pictures - Florence CowParade - Cow Art Related Topics France for Visitors Europe for Visitors Greece for Visitors Italian Cuisine        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Italian New Year Celebrations Florence Pictures - Copy of Michelangelo statue David in fro... Florence Pictures - View of the Tuscan countryside from the ... Florence Pictures - Pitti Palace Fountain from Boboli Garden... Florence Pictures - Florence CowParade - Cow Art Headlines Travel to Milan, Italy Milan is one of Italy's most fashionable and richest cities... 2006 Winter Olympic Update According to Northern Italy's Torino 2006 Blog, the Olympic Village... Where Are Italians Going This Christmas? According to AGI News, 7 million Italians will travel outside... Italy in the Travel Blogs: St. Nick and the Government Wine Bar Italians celebrate St. Nicholas in a feast day on December...

family vacations, and travel

Cheap Vacations, Weekend Getaways, Family Vacation Special Offers Tell A Friend -- - State of Residence - ALABAMA ALASKA ARIZONA ARKANSAS CALIFORNIA COLORADO CONNECTICUT DELAWARE FLORIDA GEORGIA HAWAII IDAHO ILLINOIS INDIANA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MAINE MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS MICHIGAN MINNESOTA MISSISSIPPI MISSOURI MONTANA NEBRASKA NEVADA NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY NEW MEXICO NEW YORK NORTH CAROLINA NORTH DAKOTA OHIO OKLAHOMA OREGON PENNSYLVANIA PUERTO RICO RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTH DAKOTA TENNESSEE TEXAS UTAH VERMONT VIRGINIA WASHINGTON WASHINGTON, D.C. WEST VIRGINIA WISCONSIN WYOMING Fairfield Getaways offers weekend getaways, family vacations, and travel packages that include hotel accommodations and extra goodies to top destinations. Book your package today. Special Offers Tell A Friend --| About Fairfield | FAQ | Affiliates | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Florida Timeshare Las Vegas Family Vacations Myrtle Beach Vacation Package Florida Beach Vacations Las Vegas Package Deals Palm Springs Vacation Package Florida Golf Vacations Cheap Las Vegas Vacation Package myrtle beach family myrtle beach golf palm springs family palm springs golf Daytona Vacation Packages Fort Lauderdale Vacation Packages Disney World Vacation Packages Smoky Mountian Getaways Smoky Mountian Vacations Williamsburg Vacation Packages Williamsburg Virginia Vacations alexandria vacations alexandria va vacations durango ski vacations durango vacation packages nashville tn_vacation packages nashville vacation packages new_orleans louisiana vacations new orleans vacation packages berkshires vacation packages hancock_vacation_packages historic san antonio vacations lake tahoe vacation deals lake tahoe vacation packages romantic sedona getaways san antonio getaways sedona vacation packages kona hawaii vacation packages oahu vacation packages myrtle beach timeshare vacation branson timeshare

London Vacation

How To Vacation in London Food, Coffee, and People Coffee lovers: relax. Tea may be the morning cocktail of choice for many Britons, but there are plenty of bean havens throughout the city. Also, most hotels offer both at breakfast, but if not, just ask. British hospitality is superb, and it's almost a guarantee that piping hot coffee will be served on request. Another popular misconception is about the food. Yes, some British recipes are simple, maybe even a little on the plain side, but that's not true for the entire gamut of dishes served up, especially in diverse London. As in many other large cities, you'll find a host of restaurants specializing in international cuisine. Lebanese, Thai, Ethiopian, Indonesian, Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, and the official EuroVacations favorite, Indian, is available all over London, but don't miss an opportunity for fish-n-chips, Scotch eggs, Shepherd's Pie, Ploughman's Lunch, or crumpets with clotted cream. Londoners are generally friendly, talkative folks who will be happy to strike up a conversation about books, history, archeology, or a selection of other topics. In many pubs and restaurants, you may find yourself sharing a table with another patron or even a large group. Settle in for a long chat and get ready to make a few new friends. top of page Going With the Gang Face it: you won't be able to get away without a ride on a double-decker bus if you've got the little guys with you, so whether it makes you look like a tourist or not, you may as well resign yourself to it. But the thrill will pass, and you'll then find all that London has to offer for kids at heart, teenagers, little ones, and even the wee little ones. On weekends, the Victoria & Albert Museum has a fun cart, which has been keeping children busy and entertained for a few years now. The London Eye can be reserved for after they've been extra good, and the Tower of London to teach them a lesson (it's where the Little Princes were hacked by their infamous uncle, but the kids love the place all the same). One note: many pubs in London have special seating areas for groups traveling with children. Ask on entry if the pub allows/serves children and if there's a separate seating area. You Can Probably Skip It Famous Addresses: Elementary! You won't ever find 221B Baker Street. The Abbey National Building Society headquarters takes up the whole block, though you can seek out the Sherlock Holmes museum just down the street. And for those of you who are "looking for the England of English literature" a la Helene Hanff, well, 84 Charing Cross Road is now a Pizza Hut. And, finally, if, like Sabine, you go looking for Griffin at 41 Yeats Avenue, you'll be very disappointed. But maybe he went to find you... top of page Booking a vacation package to London with EuroVacations is easy. Our vacation packages to London offer a great selection of hand-picked London hotels, with free breakfast. Book car rentals, rail tickets and passes, and tours, so you can see more of London at a great value. Click here How to Vacation in London · First Things First · Where to Stay · Getting to Your Hotel · At Your Hotel · Around London · Food, Coffee, and People · Going With the Gang · Top Ten · If You Have Time · You Can Probably Skip It First Things First The land of kings and knights, Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes, moors and manor houses, Britain is one of those places that is all it's cracked up to be. Fantastic, refined London is the epicenter of all the magical elements of the realm. The unit of currency in the United Kingdom is the pound sterling (£). (Prices below are expressed in U.S. dollars for convenience; check the rate of exchange prior to arrival in Europe.) You shouldn't have any trouble communicating, but remember the hard and fast vocabulary differences (brolly, bobby, banger, etc.). top of page Where to Stay Most of London is at your fingertips via the city's beloved Underground. Nearly the whole of Europe is accessible via the major rail stations. Staying near a rail station is a good idea, especially if you are traveling by rail to more cities than London, and you'll have access to a tourist office, ATMs, and other services t'boot. London is made up of many neighborhoods and districts, each with their own character and flair. Check out: The City: The financial district and real "downtown" London South Kensington, Earls Court: One of the most desirable locations in the city Euston/Kings Cross : The literary area of London Knightsbridge: Home to Harrod's and more fantastic shopping Hampstead Heath/Regents Park: Quaint Georgian neighborhoods Paddington: Excellent tourist-class hotels and access to transportation Victoria: Home to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the London Eye, Parliament West End/Centre: Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus top of page Getting to Your Hotel ... From London Heathrow Airport Getting downtown from the world's busiest airport is easier than you might think. Most flights from the United States arrive in Terminal 3; the rest in Terminal 4. The best route is the Heathrow Express non-stop rail service between the airport and Paddington Station. It's a 15-minute ride and leaves every 15 minutes from all terminals. Fares are about $16. From 6 a.m. to midnight, you may use the Underground--the Circle Line, which connects to the District Line to downtown London. This will set you back a little more than $6. At the tourist information center in the terminal, ask about bus service between Heathrow and the many bus stations downtown. Of course there are taxis--about $70 for a black cab each way, or roughly $40 for a mini-cab. ...From London Gatwick Airport From the South Terminal, take the convenient, speedy Gatwick Express directly to Victoria Station. This is the most popular way to get from the airport to downtown, takes about 30 minutes, and costs about $18. If you arrive at the North Terminal, take the free shuttle to the South Terminal to connect to Gatwick Express. If you don't have too much luggage and you can spare the time, save a few bucks by taking the regular British Rail service. The trip takes only a few minutes longer and costs a few pounds less. You may also try the Thameslink, regular rail service to Blackfriars, Farringdon, and Kingscross stations in central London. Check the BritRail office in the terminal for more information on both services. And the taxis... about $70 for a black cab each way, or roughly $40 for a mini-cab. ... From Waterloo, Liverpool, Victoria, Kings Cross, Paddington, or other rail stations Rail stations of London are all served by the London Underground. Pick up an Underground map at the information center or tourist center once you arrive. top of page At Your Hotel Free city maps and other information can usually be obtained in hotel lobbies or from the front desk. Check in, freshen up, and, with your bags unpacked, your room key in your pocket, and ready to lose a few pounds, take on London! top of page Around London You have a lot ahead of you. London is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, as well as a pretty well populated city. Sure, you will have a lot of company around, but you won't be bored, not for a second. We compiled a list of things that you absolutely cannot miss, a few more to do if you can squeeze them in, and a few places you shouldn't even look for. Here they are: top of page Top Ten: Tours: It's hard to say which will be the best, but there are fantastic half-day walking tours and, if you don't mind feeling like a tourist, double-decker bus tours of London. It's a great way to get oriented and plan your days ahead. Walking tours are about $7 per person; bus tours vary but start at about $14. MW tours offers a very nice several-hour jaunt through London. While jolly busmasters navigate the increasingly confusing and congested streets on your behalf, very knowledgable guides navigate through history, legend, royalty, and more. Our favorite tour is a little steep but well worth it: start off with a quick tour of the big sights, then head to a traditional pub for lunch (included), then it's off to the Tower of London and a visit to the Crown Jewels. The tour is about $55 and lasts roughly 4 very entertaining hours. British Museum: It's been said that the inspiration behind Britain's centuries-long colonization of lands all over the world was a quest to fill London's museums. It's hard not to consider this among the spoils from the farthest reaches of the globe in the museum's millions of artifacts and more than 2 miles of galleries. The museum is inspiring just for its size. It looks and feels like a good, old-fashioned museum, with enormous, thick walls, high ceilings, massive stone staircases that curve around from here to there, and lots of mummies. The British Museum is also home to the Rosetta Stone and the newly refurbished King's Library. Admission is free; there is a small charge for certain exhibits. The museum is open till 8:30 on Thursday and Friday evenings, the best times to go. Victoria and Albert Museum: Of all the treasures stored at the V&A, some of the most interesting are located in the Fakes and Forgeries gallery--a bona fide collection of counterfeits. Take time to explore the endless other galleries, and consider, as you spend a few hours roaming the halls, that for every artifact you see, the museum has another ten in storage someplace. That means the display is revolving, so this massive space is worth more than one visit. A small donation is requested for entrance. London Eye: The ultimate Ferris wheel is comparatively new to the city and is already quite popular. You may make reservations in advance for a pod "flight" and get a 360° view of the whole kit-n-caboodle. Book online in advance to save a few pounds, or buy a ticket on site (you may not be able to get a ticket for the exact day you wish, though). It costs about $16. Buckingham Palace: Unless you have Windsor someplace in your string of last names, forget hanging out in the royal residence in a smoking jacket with your elbow on the mantle. But informative tours are available at select times of the year. If you're just any old bloke, or if the tours are not available, check out the Changing of the Guard at 11 a.m. Pack breakfast and get there before 10 for a good view. Parliament and Big Ben: The House of Lords and the House of Commons, along with scattered other halls and galleries, make up the Palace of Westminster, otherwise known as Parliament. The lines are longest in the afternoon, as throngs gather to witness Question Time (you've probably caught this occasionally on C-SPAN). As for Big Ben (which is actually just the bell, not the whole tower), views and postcard-perfect pictures are available from the opposite side of the Thames. If you're walking along Birdcage Walk from Buckingham Palace, though, stop a few blocks short of Westminster Abbey and get a great shot of just the clock tower (not the rest of the building). From here, you can manage a nice, vertical shot with old lamposts and, if you time it correctly, cabs and double-deckers. Don't forget to listen for the chimes. Cabinet War Rooms: Churchill and his staff conducted operations from here during World War II. You'll be amazed at what was accomplished with what seems today like so few resources. Reserve an afternoon, at least, for this; if you happen to move through quickly, the Cenotaph, 10 Downing Street, and Westminster Cathedral (not Abbey) are nearby. Admission to the war rooms is about $7. Tower of London and the Tower Bridge: Built as a fortress and used as a royal residence, the Tower became best known in its role as the home of the damned. Sir Walter Raleigh, Anne Boleyn, two little princes, and even QE I were "residents" here. Come to see the royal armory and Crown jewels, among the countless other structures, then walk around to the suicide-proof Tower Bridge, with new exhibits in each tower house at either end. Admission is about $11 to the Tower of London and $7 to the bridge exhibits. Crowds don't show up until about 10:30, but the Tower opens at 9. Get there a little early and see it without the crowds. (See our secret tip below.) Westminster Abbey: Edward the Confessor rebuilt this 8th-century chapel, which has since become a repository of many of England's most famous citizens and a treasure trove of English history. Admission is free and photography is allowed on Wednesday evenings (check for exact times), otherwise admission is about $6 and shutter snapping is verboten. (See our secret tip below.) Trafalgar Square: Get there, then decide what to do... the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, and the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (anyone hear a choir?) are all off the square. Climbing up on Admiral Nelson's lions to get your picture taken is technically illegal but popular all the same. top of page If You Have Time: Harrods: Once again, if you don't have a roman numeral after your first name, you can forget buying a lot here, it's very expensive. But it's a great place to browse and get some nosh material to go; eating in the store is a no-no. If you're in London around Christmas time, stopping here to admire the holiday displays is a must. Down the road a piece is the famous Ritz Hotel of London. Just a quick walk through the lobby is impressive enough. Kensington Palace: The former "official" residence of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the palace is still open to the public. Former state apartments and the Court Dress Collection are included in a tour, which leaves four times an hour and costs about $6. Mayfair: There's a lot here: Marble Arch, Grosvenor Square, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street, Bond Street, the Shepherd's Market, and Berkeley Square. Westminster Abbey: Make sure you save time for Edward's Chapel, the site of the coronation of English monarchs. The coronation chair has been marred by graffiti artists over the past few decades. Although its defacing is unfortunate, take a peek at the chair and its 20th-century "artwork" so you can have a little chuckle when it's finally time for Charles to be crowned on it. Visitors to the Tower of London often miss the eerie Ceremony of the Keys, performed by the guards to lock up the tower at night. Tickets are free but may only be obtained by requesting them in advance by writing, on plain paper (no letterhead) to: The Ceremony of the Keys, Her Majesty's Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom. top of page Home . Hotel . Air + Hotel . Car . Rail . Packages . How To Vacation In . View Shopping Cart Affiliates . About Us . FAQ’s . Help © 2004 Eurovacations.com. All rights reserved. Eurovacations® is a registered trademark of Eurovacations.com. Use of the Website constitutes acceptance of the Eurovacations Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy . 1-877-471-3876 State of California Seller of Travel Certificate of Registration # 205-2601