London, the capital of England is an immensely popular tourist destination. This lively city which is home to the British Monarchy, is a city from which popular global trends tend to radiate so much so London is often referred to as ‘the Capital of Cool’ and is closely watched for the emergence of the next ‘best’ thing.
A wildly popular vacation getaway, London is served by its five main airports namely Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Luton and Stansted Airports. While Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airport receive both legacy and low cost carriers, Luton and Stansted Airport host primarily low cost carriers like EasyJet and Ryan Air that offer a plethora of connections to various European destinations. Aside from these major airports, London can also be accessed from the continent via a trans-channel high speed train service which provides under the channel connections between London and the European cities of Brussels and Paris.
Getting to the city from these airports is also relatively easy for most of them are connected by high speed express trains like the Heathrow Express, the Gatwick Express and the Stansted Express which provide convenient connections to the city. Aside from these express trains, regular trains, buses, and the London Underground (the Tube) also provide connections from the city to the various airports. Of course all these London airports are served by the iconic London black cabs or taxis; however they can be prohibitively expensive with the ride from Heathrow to the city costing as much as £50 to £80. Many travelers who are on a budget often eschew these black cabs and choose instead to hire a minicab. Minicabs are licensed private taxis which operate for airport transfers and intra –city transfers within London. Information about licensed minicabs can be obtained on the Mayor of London’s Transport for London website.
A word of advice should be noted here, if you are a single traveler on a visit to London then it makes sense for you to take one of the Express train connections into London city for tickets for those journeys cost approximately £20 for a single transfer and are offered at a discount if you buy your return at the same time. However if you are traveling with a group then it makes sense to arrange for a pickup in a minicab or get a black cab at the airport itself. 
Public transport is the best way to get around London and the city’s transport department offers a variety of travel cards as well as a stored value Oyster card which can be used by visitors to access the system. International visitors can buy the visitor Oyster card online at the website of Visit Britain and Transport for London. The visitor Oyster card currently costs £12 and comes loaded with £10 and has a non refundable activation fee of £2. If you are traveling to London with your children you will be happy to know that children aged 10 years and under travel free on the Tube, and London Over ground services at any time as long as they are accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket or with a Visitor Oyster card.
The best time to plan your London holiday is during the traditional summer months of June and July. The weather in London can be quite gray, dreary and chilly for much of the year but during these summer months the British capital actually gets a few sunny days which are perfect for enjoying the many charms of this fascinating city.
London is known for its unpredictable weather and rain showers are a common occurrence even the midst of Indian summer weather so if there is one essential that your luggage should contain is an umbrella. This device is a must for any trip to London no matter which season. Yet another important apparatus that should be included in your luggage is a travel adapter for the use of electric appliances in London for London has a standard voltage of 240v and the plugs most commonly used is a three square pin. If you are planning to travel with the cell phone that you use in your home country, you should perhaps make sure that it is unlocked and capable of accommodating a UK sim card which is freely available any of the many cell phone stores that line London’s main shopping drag of Oxford Street.
London has a plethora of heavily tourist trafficked attractions like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Madame Tussaud’s, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and the London Eye. However aside from these popular attractions, London also has several other must-see attractions like the Tate Modern Museum which is located on London’s South Bank and offers fantastic exhibits of modern, contemporary art. Admission to the Tate is free like it is for many other museums in London though you are expected to pay an admission charge for special exhibits.
Yet another must do attraction on your visit to London list should be a visit to the many animated markets in London. Some of London’s most popular markets include Borough Market( organic and specialty fresh and prepared foods), Spitalfields market and Brick Lane (quirky apparel, knick-knacks and South Asian foods), Portobello Road ( antiques, fashionable garments, specialty foods) and Camden Lock( avant-garde fashion).
A visit to famous London department stores like Harrods and Selfridges should also feature in our itinerary as well as partaking of typical English cream tea at a tea room like Richoux which has several branches in London (Mayfair, Piccadilly, Knightsbridge) or at the temple of gourmet foods, the world famous Fortnum and Mason store which also has tea rooms and restaurants within its premises at Piccadilly. Other not to be missed attractions in London include its verdant parks like Regents Park, Hyde Park and Green Park as well as it Botanic gardens at Kew and Hampton Court Palace.
Even though London is classified as an expensive city it offers a wide array of shopping options and if you are looking to take back some unique souvenirs from your trip to London then you would do well as to eschew the ubiquitous ‘Made in China’ souvenirs that litter the various souvenir stores be found all over London. Your best bet would be to take back some indigenous British foods like biscuits, tea, cakes which can be bought at many fine stores like Fortnum and Mason, Harrod’s and various branches of Marks and Spencer’s( the popular English high street chain that has outlets all over London) or to invest in something uniquely British like a Barbour jacket which is definitely cheaper in London than in the US and is available in various stores all through-out London.
Actually Portobello Road is a heaven for authentic souvenir shopping in London for it has a wide assortment of stores that offer all sorts of interesting and authentic souvenirs like British prints and maps, china, cashmere sweaters, time pieces and more.
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