My 10 favourite destinations: Number 4

Hello from rainy, windy Scotland! On days like this, I dream of being on holiday somewhere warm. What a perfect day for me to stay inside all cosy and update my blog. My number 4 destination is quite close to home, is a very busy city full of tourists with many things to see and do and has a famous nursery rhyme about it. The picture below might give you a little hint........

Tower Bridge

Why I like London:

- It is multi-cultural and walking round it's streets you can hear many different languages. It's said that there are 300 languages spoken in this city.

- There are endless things to do here. This is why I've been a few times but not even scratched the surface of it. No many if you have seen Big Ben once or 10 times, you still always want to capture a picture of it (maybe that's just me)

- It usually has better weather than Scotland, especially in the summer. I have been in the winter too and it is just as pretty.

- It is very accessible once you are in the city centre.


Tips:

1. If possible, fly to Heathrow. Stansted is a good 2 hour long bus journey away, and it's even worse if the traffic is bad. You can get the Stansted Express which is quicker but can be quite pricey. I know I'd rather save my money for exciting things rather than spending it on transport.

2. Travel by tube. It's quick and you get a real sense of what it's like living there and having to commute. Make sure you buy an Oyster card - I think you pay £5 for the card and it's easy to top up. You get the £5 back once you return it.

3. Have a plan of what you want to see before you go. Are you more interested in seeing the sights, visiting museums or experiencing the culture? Tailor your plan to suit you and bear in mind you might not get to see everything in one visit.

4. Make sure you have a map on you, the city is huge and it can be easy to get lost! I'd also recommend getting a tube map so you know which stations are nearest.


Attractions:

- Big Ben and Houses of Parliament: you can book tours to visit. Behind the Houses of Parliament is this park which is nice to walk around on a nice day:

Park at Houses of Parliament

- London Eye: although tickets are pricey it is entirely worth paying to see the panoramic views of London. If you want a fast track ticket it becomes even more pricey.

View from the London Eye

- Buckingham Palace: there's a reason why it's always swamped with tourists. It's the place people most want to visit in London. Great for seeing the change of the guard and hanging around to see if you get to see a Prince or the Queen! To get here, I recommend taking a walk up the Mall. I love the crowns at the top of the poles as seen below:

- West End: great for doing some shopping, going for a lovely meal and then seeing a musical.

- Portobello road and Market: a huge flea market where you can find weird and wonderful things. It's nice to talk a walk down there if you are not in a hurry. Best not to go on a Saturday (like I did!) as you can hardly move.

Portobello market

- A multitude of museums including the Science Museum, National Gallery, Madame Tussauds and Tate Modern. Some of these are free to visit, can't recommend any as I hate museums!

- The Cenotaph: where wreaths are laid on Remembrance day.

- Oxford Street: make sure you take your purse with you as you will probably not leave empty-handed. There is so much choice, you could easily get lost in Primark it's that big! Remember you do need to get all your stuff home though.

There are so many other things to do in London that I simply can't mention it all here. If you are a first time visitor to London, the above is what I recommend. If you want further information, this blog provides a lot more detail as the blogger lives in London and points out good places to eat and drink:

http://www.tattytravels.co.uk/2015/02/the-london-list-drinking_24.html

I will most certainly be back in London in the near future and will update my blog if there's anything noteworthy.

Hope you enjoyed reading my blog,

Nikki