Oxford Street, located in the City of Westminster, existed from Roman times until the 17th century primarily as a westwards route out of the City of London towards Oxford, hence its name. Today, Oxford Street is one of the busiest shopping districts and the world?s largest shopping street, having more than 300 shops that attract annually around 200 million of consumers.

The development of Oxford Street as a prime shopping area began at the start of 20th century, when the first furnishing specialists, Waring & Gillow, opened its doors in 1906. In recent years, Oxford Street represents the heart of London?s West End shopping, running for approximately a mile and a half from Marble Arch at the north east corner of Hyde Park, through Oxford Circus to St Giles? Circus, at the intersection with Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road. Opposite to the Tottenham?s tube station, the recently refurnished, ?The Tottenham? pub claims to be the only pub on the whole Oxford Street. But, with numerous clothes shops, record shops, like the famous Virgin Megastore and the HMV unit, which is the largest music store at 50,000 square feet, multiple computer games shops and department stores, including Selfridges, Oxford Street is an ideal location for those on leisure travel and time to browse through its colorful shopping windows. But although the street has multiple stores for one to choose from, these are not the most fashionable or the most expensive in the city of London. For those interested in other principal shopping areas, Knightsbridge is an excellent choice, especially because it is there where the famous Harrods department store is located.

Famous for its celebrity launches and promotions, Oxford Street becomes the focal point during the Christmas period because of the wonderful Christmas lighting tradition that began in 1959. Decorated with thousands of festive lights Oxford Street celebrates the Christmas spirit at a heavily publicized ?turning-on? ceremony in mid-to-late November, when a chosen celebrity flicks a switch that illuminates the rays of light that go on until January 6.

Plans have been announced in 2005 for what could be an audacious new move to change Oxford Street from its current traffic clogged state into a pedestrian paradise. Proposals to end the gridlock feature closing the street entirely to all traffic, even buses and build a new monorail stretching from one end to the other to transport people along. Critics however have pointed out that a monorail simply caters for shoppers too lazy to walk down the entire length of the street and that this is already well served by tube which would simply require improved accessibility to existing stations and perhaps a new station half way up the street.

The Georgian city of Bath England is the most-visited place in the UK after London. Each year it attracts about two million visitors from all over the world. What is it about this small town, which you can easily walk across in less than a day, which is so attractive to so many people?

Let?s start with the obvious ? it is well-known that Bath still has a staggering array of Georgian architecture from its building boom in the 18th century. There are also Victorian, Edwardian and modern houses and commercial buildings, but the Georgian centre is astonishingly intact despite the so-called ?Sack of Bath? in the late 1960?s and 70?s which saw Georgian streets demolished to make way for new developments.

Walking around the honey-toned streets and crescents of Bath, you can really sense the past, and get an understanding of how people lived in those long-ago times in a way that is simply not possible in other contemporary towns.

Certain significant sites are reputed to have been designed and constructed according to the ancient principles of sacred geometry. Maybe this accounts for the sense of calm and well-being which descends as you wander from Queen Square up Gay Street to the Circus, and then along to the Royal Crescent.

Bath is a green city, in that trees and hills can be seen on the horizon from virtually anywhere in the city. In addition, there are many leafy parks within easy walking reach of the city centre in which to sit and listen to the rustle of the leaves, enjoy the sunshine and watch passers-by as they walk their dogs, carry home shopping or eat their picnics.

The location of Bath England is a favourable one ? within a 90 minute train ride of London and close to busy neighbouring Bristol and to the M4 and M5 motorways with quick access to the South West and the Midlands. The coasts of Somerset and Dorset are close enough for a day-trip to the sea, as are the pretty villages of the Cotswolds, the hills of South Wales and the ancient towns of southern England such as Winchester and Salisbury. Less scenic but significant for employment is the M4 ?Corridor? to which many hi-tech and communications companies have been attracted in an English version of Silicon Valley.

The city of Bath England is well-known as a festival city ? there are events going on here all year round. The world-famous Bath International Music Festival takes place for 2 weeks each year in late spring, and attracts top musicians and orchestras, as well as national radio broadcasters. The Festival of Literature has grown quickly in stature since its inception in the 1990?s and boasts best-selling authors from all genres. There is an atmospheric Christmas market held in the shadow of Bath Abbey each December, a half-marathon, food festivals and sporting events.

Add to this a diverse collection of some of the country?s best independent shops, top-quality restaurants serving food of every kind and every nationality, plus a clutch of pubs which have earned Bath the title of ?real ale capital? and you begin to understand the pull this little city has for people within the UK, where it is a favourite weekend destination, and worldwide.

The icing on the cake has now finally been added with the recent opening of Thermae Bath Spa. The controversial project with all its delays and overspending is now complete, and once again visitors and residents are able to bathe in the natural hot spring waters which rise through the earth here. Spa bookings are much higher than predicted and local hotels are reporting brisk business due to interest in the spa. Come along and see for yourself why Bath England has been famous for health and hospitality for over 300 years!

The only difficulty you face when planning a visit to Europe is deciding where to go. There is so much to see, so many beautiful cities and so little time that you are spoilt for choice. In no particular order, these are five cities that you should see. There are many, many more such as Barcelona, Madrid, Budapest, Prague ?

London. When you tire of London you tire of life as someone once said, and it is still true even now. London is dirty, noisy, crowded and the public transport isn?t the best in the world but there is something about London that has to be experienced. Hyde park, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, a walk along the Thames, Harrods, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Soho. You can go on and on.

Paris. If you are planning a visit to Europe, how could you not spend at least a few days in Paris? It is probably the most chic city in the world, with its beautiful architecture, cafes, churches, monuments, art galleries and more. Walk along the Seine or take a bateau mouche to see the city from the river, climb the Eiffel tower, visit Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, eat, drink and be merry.

Rome. Like London Rome is noisy, crowded and amazing. It has great food and great wine combined with thousands of years of history. Visit the roman forum, Vatican City, the Coliseum., the Fontana di Trevi and the Pantheon. As with all these cities, the only hard decision is what to miss out if you only have a limited time. You could live in Rome for a month and only scratch the surface.

Venice. Simply, the most beautiful city in the world. It has to be seem to be believed. After visiting St Mark?s Square and the main tourist sites, I would suggest leaving the normal tourist areas and wandering through the back streets to see something of the real Venice. Even during the long tourist season these are relatively empty, and you will stumble across many hidden gems, not only architecturally but also gastronomically.

Berlin. In common with the other cities, there is a lot of interesting history attached although Berlin is different in that much of it is more recent. You can follow the track marking out the Berlin wall, see the last remaining bits of wall (now preserved), Checkpoint Charlie, the last remaining watch tower and so on. There are also an astonishing number of museums and beer halls within easy reach, and of course the Berlin State Opera.

Finally, a little bit of language helps. English is widely spoken, especially in the tourist areas, but people appreciate it if you make an effort in their language. This doesn’t have to be more than hello, goodbye but it usually gets a good response. You will also find that in places where you might expect an understanding of English, such as the metro in Paris, it can surprisingly be absent.

According to UK rail holiday specialist company, Great Rail Journeys (GRJ), 40,000 Britons take package rail holidays every year. Whether the change in attitudes is due fear of flying, or simply a move to slow down away from the hectic pace of normal life, avoiding the inevitable rush to meet tight deadlines imposed by connecting flights, and crowed airports ? many travelers today have chosen that they simply don?t want to travel to their destination by plane.

Back in the 1950?s rail holidays were all the rage, despite commercial aviation just starting to take hold following relief from the austerity of the war and an excess of ex-military aircraft. As the 1960?s and 70?s progressed however, technological advances meant that flying became more affordable and traveling abroad by air took hold. For many years rail still had the advantage of cost over air travel for internal journeys, however the growth of the low cost airlines, and poor investment in the infrastructure of many of the UK train lines, has left a sad legacy for the UK rail network.

The change in the trends over recent years back towards rail travel, especially by younger travelers, may in part be due to the ease with which the Channel Tunnel affords access to Europe. It is common these days for young travelers to go on extended travels across Europe by purchasing a Eurailpass. These sorts of trips are most often associated with backpacker holidays, but they represent an extremely convenient ways to easily see a large amount of Europe as the Eurailpass ticket offers unlimited train travel throughout 18 different European countries.

With good networks of European lines, frequent departures on the busy routes and fast train services such as the German ICE, French TGV or the Eurostar connecting France with London, it can often be faster to travel by train rather than flying. One of the main drawbacks experienced by many rail travelers within Europe is the difficulty that can sometimes be experienced finding accurate information and booking linking tickets. Rail providers rarely have details of other rail providers? services, and most UK travel agents can provide very little rail information once the traveler gets beyond Paris or Brussels. A few websites such as Seat61 have sprung up to help fill this gap and, despite being an amateur site rather than a commercial venture, can prove to be a good resource for planning rail trips abroad.

UK domestic breaks have also seen a recent resurgence, with UK short weekend breaks becoming extremely popular for shopping trips, quick family getaways or for visits to London to take in a West End show. Recently a few short break travel companies and rail networks like GNER have teamed up to provide a wide variety of rail package deals to UK cities in an effort to bring more travelers back to rail travel by making journeys cheaper and quick holidays easier to arrange.

While the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, ?The speed is so easy, and the train disturbs so little the scenes through which it takes us, that our heart becomes full of the placidity and stillness of the country?, may not seem to fit in with the current popular image of the UK rail network, many Brits appear to be turning away from the airlines in favour of the railways for trans European travel and short break getaways.

Accommodations:
Options abound for where to lay your head in London. Our choice is hostels as most are centrally located, inexpensive and offer good resources to budget minded travelers. They also give you the option to save on food costs by offering breakfast and/or kitchen facilities.

Our favorite: International Students House, 229 Great Portland St., London. This place is hard to beat as it is right across the street from the Great Portland Tube station, offers free breakfast and an inexpensive cafeteria, lounge with Internet access and a secured entrance. This hostel also has female only rooms, an increasingly rare offer amongst hostels. Price is about 18.50 pounds (about 33 US Dollars).

If hostels don’t work for you, consider one of London’s budget hotels. We like the Andrews House Hotel, near Lancaster Gate and Hyde Park. Continental breakfast is given from 8-9:30am and prices start at 25 pounds (about 48 US Dollars).

Free Things To Do:
While London can easily break your bank in some respects, there is so much to do there that is FREE. It doesn’t get more “On The Cheap” than that. Here are some our favorite free things to do in London:

- Natural History Museum
- Museum of London
- British Museum
- Victoria and Albert Museum (our favorite!)
- National Gallery
- Tate Britain and Modern Galleries
- National Portrait Gallery
- Serpentine Gallery
- Lunchtime Concerts at St. Martin-in-the-Fields (M, T, F @ 1:05pm.)
- Notting Hill Farmer’s Market (Saturday mornings, get off at Notting Hill tube.)
- Covent Garden Market (M-Sat 10-7, Sun 11-6, Tube: Leicester Square.)
- Portabello Road Market/Shops (Market open Saturdays, Tube: Notting Hill.)

Getting Around London
London is fairly easy to navigate via public transportation with a little research. Try to avoid cabs as the clogged traffic will almost certainly make it an expensive ride.

The Tube is London’s underground subway network. It was the world’s first subway system and some of the station platforms were used as air raid shelters in WWII. It is usually the fastest way to get around town and Travelcards (available in 1 or 3 day lengths) will allow you to travel as much as you’d like for one set price. Also, children under 11 travel free after 9:30am on weekdays and all day on weekends.

London is famous for it’s double decker buses. Although much slower than the Tube, it is a very inexpensive way to see the city. One popular route is number 11, which will take you by St. Paul’s Church, Fleet St, Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square, Victoria Station, Buckingham Palace Rd, and Chelsea. A one-way fare is just 1.50 pounds…compare that to the 20-30 pounds for the pricey tourist buses that will take you by the same sights!

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When you work nine to six all week and it takes you almost an hour to get to work then you tend to end up very tired and stressed by the time the weekend comes. Often the tendency is to do nothing all weekend to get over a very busy week. But doing nothing isn?t always the best way to relax and it can add to your stress levels because towards Wednesday or Thursday you begin to wonder whether all of the hard work that you do all week is really worth it.

Instead of doing nothing when it comes to the weekend it’s better to plan a weekend away every month or so. Whether it be with your partner, or a trip with your friends it’s a good idea to get away and enjoy some of the pleasures of life, and make those busy working weeks all worthwhile. If you’re living in the UK then you may ask: where is a good place to get away for a weekend and do the things that I want to do? The answer I would give without hesitation would always be “London”.

London is a beautiful city, and there are so many things to do, but many people are put off from going there for a weekend break because it might be too expensive. But London needn’t be that expensive. With the help of the internet there are plenty of places that you can get a good deal to go to London, visit the sites and take in some of the capital’s entertainment.

Depending on what age you are and what you want to do for fun/leisure there are many different activities for you to enjoy in London. For the more youthful traveller the London clubs are a great scene, to dance the night away, meet new people, and have loads of fun. If, like me, your clubbing days are gone and you’re looking for a more relaxed and cultured evening then you may prefer a night at the theatre. Whether you want to watch an opera, or take in a great play, London has the range of shows for your entertainment. There are many top shows to see in London, such as The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera and Chicago – the choice is so big that you’re bound to find the show for you.

If you do want to take in a show during your stay there are websites such as Suprebreak’s theatre breaks that offer hotel and theatre ticket packages at discount prices, so that you can pre-book your holiday to combine the hotel and theatre ticket price to get a great deal.

As well as the nightlife there is plenty to see during the day. It’s quite fun to visit the streets and stations from the monopoly board to bring back childhood memories of playing the game with your siblings; or you can see the sites – Big Ben is quite an eye opener.

If you haven?t been to London I fully recommend you go, and if you’ve only been there on business then I recommend you take off your suit and see how beautiful London really is.

Visitors coming to the lovely city of London will come across some popular London Tourist Attractions. The city is frequented by lots of travelers throughout th year. People come here for pleasure trips and also for business purposes.

The city has lot of tourist spots which are very popular all over the world. The tourists coming here must try to pay a visit to all London Tourist Attractions. Exploring this beautiful city will surely turn out to be a memorable experience for everyone. The city is very well connected by very good communication facilities which will allow the travelers to move in the city very comfortably.

A very popular tourist spot in the city is the Tower of London which is a massive but beautiful structure. Then there is the Kew gardens which is also a very beautiful place and the travelers must explore the various species of plants available there. Another place very popular among the children and the adults as well is the London Zoo.

There are variety of animals which can be found in their natural habitat and the whole experience is quite exciting. When in London one must pay a visit to the Buckingham Palace, otherwise the visit to this beautiful city will remain incomplete. The Madame Tussauds museum, which is very popular all over the world for its wax statue is another must visit place for all the travelers. The museum houses statues of many famous people of old and contemporary times, who are associated with various works of life.

Other popular London Tourist Attractions include the Changing of the Guard, London Aquarium, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace. There are many market areas in the city where the travelers must pay visit and check out the various articles found there. The city is filled with historical spots, religious sites, monuments and landmark buildings. All the different museums, theme parks and amusement parks are also worth paying a visit which also comes under the popular tourist spots in London.

Big Ben
Big Ben, London is a very popular site of the London city. Actually it is the Clock Tower which is often which is often mistaken as the Big Ben. The Big Ben is the main bell that is housed within the Clock Tower. This beautiful structure is located at the north-eastern side of the Houses of Parliament building which in Westminster. The Clock Tower is often called The Tower of Big Ben or St Stephen’s Tower or Big Ben. The St Stephen’s Tower is situated in the center of the Palace and this place is the main entry point for the attendees of committees and debates. The Big Ben, London is a one of the famous London Tourist Attractions which must be visited by the tourists coming here.

The Big Ben, London is a 320 feet high structure and the place is named after the biggest bell that weighs more than 13 tons. The bell was cast in the year 1858 at the White chapel Bell Foundry that is in East London. Till date it remains the largest bell that was ever cast. Each of the clock face present in the Clock Tower has got a diameter of more than 7 meters. The Clock Tower just above the Big Ben and at night a light burns above the Clock Tower and the scene looks really very beautiful. The houses of Parliament that are positioned adjacent to the tower are undoubtedly a Gothic masterpiece. All the structures were constructed between the year 1840 and 1888.

Of the entire structure of the Clock Tower, the first 61 meters of the 200 feet of the Tower consist of brickwork along with stone cladding. The remaining portion of the tower is made out of cast iron. The base of the tower is a 15 meters square raft. The four clock present, facing the four directions are around 55 meters above the ground. The main bell present inside the tower is popularly known as the Big Ben, and this name is often associated with the tower. Along with the main bell there are four quarter bells as well. The clock is very well known for its reliability and today it has become a very important symbol of London and the United Kingdom as well.

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