Wed 15 Oct, 2008

Travelling Around London A Guide For Tourists

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The easiest way to get around London is by public transport. This article provides brief information about the various transport options available to you, including useful maps to guide you around the city.

What is an Oyster card?
Oyster is the easiest way to pay for single journeys on buses, Tube, trams, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services in London. You can store your Travelcard/Bus Pass and/or cash to pay as you go on your card.

How to use your Oyster card
Just touch your Oyster card flat on a yellow card reader each time you make a journey.Always touch in at the start and touch out at the end of your journey, even if the gates are open.

Buses
Always touch in as you board. You do not need to touch out.

Trams
Always touch in on the card reader on the tram stop platform before boarding a tram. You do not need to touch out.

How to pay for your journeys with Oyster
You can store cash on your card to pay for single journeys as you go. You can make as many journeys as you like in a 24 hour period and you will always be charged less than the price of an equivalent Day Travelcard or One Day Bus Pass.

For complete flexibility, you can store tickets and cash on a single Oyster card. Remember: the cash you put on Oyster never expires so hold onto the Oyster card for your next visit to London.

How to get an Oyster card and top up. You can renew the ticket stored on your card or top up your cash balance:
Online at the UK Government site. At most Tube stations through the touchscreen ticket machines and the station ticket offices. At over 2,200 Oyster Ticket Stops. Find your nearest one at the UK Government site
At some National Rail ticket offices. At 7 London Travel Information Centres, which also offer travel advice, free maps and entry tickets to many attractions.

Using Oyster on National Rail

7 Day and longer period Travelcards stored on Oyster can be used across National Rail services in London. If using cash to pay as you go for single journeys please check with the train operator before travelling as not all routes are covered on National Rail.

I hope this small guide helps you if you are ever visiting out capital city, they sure helped me when I visited. The confusion really comes when you try to use the tube system in London, I shall leave that article for another day as it gets even more difficult than travelling by the bus system. If all else fails then I guess you can always rely on a trusted black cab driver.

This article Gordon Warre

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Gordon Warre writes about cheap homes in bulgaria

Wed 15 Oct, 2008

London on a Budget

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Visiting London on a budget may seem impossible but it can be done if you choose traveling options off the beaten path. High tourist season is typically early April through late September. If you can opt to vacation there from early October through late March, you are likely to find less expensive airline tickets to and from London.

Once you’re in the Square Mile, you’ll have unlimited options for having fun, sleeping cheap and eating well without spending a wallet full of Euros. Typically, the second most expensive aspect of traveling abroad is the hotel stay, second only to the airfare to get there. Depending on the time of year you travel and your comfort level, your options are wide open.

Consider a home exchange. There are many home exchange facilitators, you can run a web search to find one you like. Members will pay an annual fee, usually $50 to $100. Most house swaps are offered in 1 week increments with a minimum of 2 weeks and you don’t necessarily swap your house with the same family whose house you will stay in. You might stay in a London flat while the family of Londoners stays in a home in Thailand while the Thai family stays in your home. Other than the annual fee and possibly a small swap fee, typically under $100, this is a free stay. Of course, you have to be comfortable with a group of strangers in your home while you’re away.

Summer holidays in London, while airfare will be at its peak, can still be cost efficient if you don’t mind staying in a university dormitory. Many universities throughout Europe, including in London, rent out their empty rooms for about $100 per night during summer and other school breaks. You won’t find perks like room service or even a private bath, but the price is right if you just need a place to lay your head.

Religious or not, you can rent a basic, clean room at one of the many convents and monasteries in the London area. You aren’t required to participate in any religious activities and nearly all convents and monasteries will rent to ye of little faith, no faith or a different faith.

As for fun and sightseeing, avoid the rental car and driving around town; strap on some comfy shoes or rent a bike instead. No need to search for a tiny parking spot or learning to drive on the opposite side of the street and you can stop to smell the roses whenever you like. Start each day in a different direction and go wherever the wind takes you.

Public transportation is an adventure on its own and can take you all over the city and even into the countryside. Take the London Underground rail system or a double decker bus for a few pounds. London is also working on an above ground rail system to help facilitate transportation.me great eating deals include take out (called “takeaway”) meals. The Value Added Tax (VAT) can be 10% or more on dine in meals. VAT isn’t charged on takeaway. The added bonus is you get to choose the view or find a great place to eat and people watch.

Eat un American. Try picking up a late afternoon lunch at an ethnic or vegetarian restaurant. You’ll not only find some great deals but you’ll enjoy a wonderful new dining experience.

Follow or ask the locals. Employees at petrol stations (gas stations), grocery stores and your hotel front desk will likely know some out of the way dining establishments that offer great food for the budget minded.

Understand that budgeted travelers should be flexible and consider their trip an adventure. You might find a hotel, with reliable quality, to be worth the extra money. Dining at a pub might be great for the locals but you may not have the tolerance for fish and chips. Get out there and have fun.

This article was written by PLR Travel Articles

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PLR Travel Articles provides travel related articles such as this one on a monthly basis. We have a team of writers with varied worldwide travel experiences ready to provide you with 30 quality travel articles a month. PLR Travel Articles

Sun 31 Aug, 2008

Sightseeing in London

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London is famous for its great double-decker buses just as tourists associate Prague with its elegant horse-drawn carriages and Venice with its characteristic gondolas. Tourists should spend a lot of time in sightseeing in London and should not miss the wonderful tourist spots in this English city. If you opt for luxury car hire, then your trip in the city can really be a rewarding experience. However, the most popular manner of touring in the city is sitting on top of the open-top bus and soaking in the beauty of London.

There are many operators of the red double-decker buses in London and many allow tourists to purchase tickets after arriving. Most of the touring services feature a hop-off and hop-on facility that allows visitors to get down in the middle of the tour and join later after visiting the sights of their choice. Tourists have other alternatives like guided walks of London or leisurely cruises along the Thames River.

The sightseeing tour of London on the open top bus is the best way to experience cultural splendor and the architectural brilliance of London. Some of the most interesting sightseeing spots in London are:

* London Eye: It rises amazingly to a height of 135 meters on the South Bank, located between Westminster and Waterloo Bridges. The London eye is situated in front of other important landmarks like the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. It is excellent for enjoying spectacular views of the central part of the city and even beyond.

* Buckingham Palace: This place serves as the office and residence Her Majesty The Queen in London. The Gallery of the Palace hosts temporary exhibitions of interesting articles from the wonderful Royal Collection. London Big Ben

The other places of interest that you must visit in London are Madame Tussauds, British Museum, Kensington Palace, Tower Bridge, Hampstead Heath, Kew Garden, Trafalgar Square and other places.

This article was written by positivelycontent

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Fri 27 Jun, 2008

Pictures of Iconic London Attractions

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Pictures of London from top left:
1. London Routemaster red double decker bus.
2. Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
3. Tate Modern.
4. Sir William Wallace Memorial outside St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield.
5. West Minister Abbey.
6. Admiralty Arch
7. London Eye.

Sat 14 Jun, 2008

10 Great Places For Tourists to Visit in London

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London is a fantastic city, which offers an amazing choice of things to do and places to visit. It also  is a fairly easy city to find your away around, and the bus and tubes systems are fairly easy to understand, if you just take a little bit of time and effort to figure out how they operate.

I cant believe the amount of times I have been on a tube and you see someone rush on, and then ask is this tube going to Heathrow, “No,” It only takes a little bit of common sense, a map, and a little bit of brain power to navigate your way easily around London! Take your time, stay calm, relax and you will probably get to wherever your trying to, a lot quicker.

Great Places to Visit in London:

1. Tour Bus: My advice is to take a tour bus tour of London, there cant be a better way to see what the city has to offer than via a bus tour. It will also take you to most of popular attractions that London has to offer. A great article discussing the  merits of the tour bus, Why I love Going On City Bus Tours So Much, I Was So Wrong!

2. Tower of London: One of my personal favourites, you will easily spend at least half a day here, unless you’re one of those mad Japanese tourists that rushes around like crazy! I would definitely recommend taking one of the Yeoman Warder Tours, which are part of your admission ticket, they are informative, well presented and not to be missed!

3. Thames Cruise: There is a huge choice of different variations of Thames Cuisses to chose from. My personal favourite is one, which offers afternoon tea. I find it a great leisurely way to enjoy some of the sites of central London.

4. London Eye: You quite simply cannot visit London and not go on the London Eye, it’s a crime and you will be sent to the Tower of London. At 135 metres above London, it is the world’s tallest observation wheel, with 40km panoramic views on a clear day.

5. Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms: The unique historic Cabinet War Rooms, secret underground headquarters used by Winston Churchill, the greatest Briton and his British Government during the second world war. The Churchill Museum is the first national museum dedicated to Sir Winston Churchill.

6. Tate Modern: This amazing building displays the Tate collection of international modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present day. It is however more than just an art gallery. The vast and amazing space of the Turbine Hall - has housed a succession of installations, which have caught the public’s imagination, and unbelievable it’s free.

7. Natural History Museum: This amazing museum houses one of the greatest and most important collections of natural history in the world. I know its hard to believe, that in a city such as London where everything seems to be so expensive, this is another free gem.

8. Westminster Abbey: A truly amazing place to visit, you can experience the grounds, cloisters, museums and gardens of one of the most famous Abbeys in the world.

9. Houses of Parliament: A fascinating place to visit, if you get the opportunity, you can even walk on to the floors of the House of Lords and the Commons. An amazing amount of history has passed through the walls of the houses of parliament. Even if you find politics the most boring subject in the world, you will be impressed with the tour of the Houses of Parliament. The full access tour is only available at certain times of the year.

10. British Museum: Founded in 1753, this museum houses the world’s greatest collection of world antiquities from ancient Greece, Rome and Asia, plus items from prehistoric Britain The British Museum houses an incredible collection of artefacts that will literally astound you.

Visitors to London will never run out of places to visit, there is a huge array of sites, attractions and things to do in this city. You will never get bored in London, even though you may run out of money! For some people  living in London isnt  quite as good as being a tourist, Seeking Inspiration, Its Not Easy in London

When the sun is shining, I love finding a  nice spot down by the Thames and having a  cool bottle of lager, 10 Fantastic Bottled Lagers to Drink, When the Sun is shining and the World Aint Such a Bad Place!

 

Wed 21 May, 2008

Great Destinations for a Poker Playing Holiday

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Here is a list of some of the great poker playing destinations that the world has to offer. Not only is it easy to find some great casinos to play in when you are in these places, but they each offer a fantastic amount of cultural things to do and see, as well as a great nightlife.

Cruise Ships: Whether touring the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean of the coasts of the Pacific, cruise ships feature some of the best gambling action around.

Las Vegas: The greatest place in the world to play poker in and it also offers an amazing amount of things to do and see if you want a break from poker. Playing poker in places like, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand etc, it doesn’t get any better than this.

London: This great city has some of the best casinos in the world including places such as, The Grosvenor Victoria Casino, The Casino At The Empire, The Connoisseur Club Casino, to name but a few.

Macau: This is the Asian capital of gambling, which has become known as the new Las Vegas and just recently the biggest casino in the world opened there called the Venetian Macau, the largest casino in the world by far.

Monte Carlo: Is well known for its casinos, gambling and glamour, can you imagine playing poker in the Monte-Carlo Casino one of the most famous, casinos in the world. It was used as a glamorous location in the bond movies, Never Say Never Again, and GoldenEye.

Other great locations include:

Barcelona
Amsterdam
Paris
Dublin
Mississippi
Atlantic City

For those of you that are would like to learn more about playing poker here is a great article at the blog 2millondollarbills.com How to Become a Winning Online Poker Player, A Beginners Guide