Spending a day in this sprawling city means there is never a dull moment, but for those with only a short time to [...]]]> The English capital is a popular destination for tourists from across the world, offering an exciting mix of entertainments and attractions with something to excite every kind of traveller.

Spending a day in this sprawling city means there is never a dull moment, but for those with only a short time to visit it is best to plan in advance to ensure the best use of time.

What you will do around London in one day depends on your personal preferences – below are a few suggested itineraries for visitors hoping to make the most of their trip. The public transport system in London is good, and an Oyster card travel ticket makes it easy to hop on buses or tube trains to reach destinations quickly and conveniently. Those who are looking for more independence may wish to consider one of the London car hire options but should bear in mind that visits to the city centre will be subject to a congestion charge – so this option may be best suited to those who prefer to explore the outskirts.

London Art and Culture Day

London is a big centre for artistic and cultural pursuits, so those looking to nourish their minds and soothe their souls in this way will certainly find a day in the city to be stimulating. Suggested activities include:

• The National Gallery – situated on the world famous Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery boasts a stunning collection of art through the ages.
• The Victoria and Albert Museum – The V&A in South Kensington as it is known locally is a real treasure trove of art, design, architecture and fashion making it a popular choice for the cultured traveller.
• The Royal Opera House – this imposing theatre in London’s Covent Garden is home to the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet, meaning it is a great place for culture vultures to end their day in London.

London Shopping Day

If you prefer to spend your time in London indulging in a little retail therapy, you won’t be disappointed. Great spots to shop include:

• Oxford Street – London’s most famous shopping street is home to some of the biggest UK high street stores, as well as department store giants Selfridges.
• Bond Street  – If you are looking for bespoke and designer piece then Bond Street is the place to be – this is the destination of choice in London for the serious shopper.
• Knightsbridge – This up market area is home to the iconic Harrods store, just bear in mind that a dress code does apply for visitors to the store, check the website for details in order to ensure entry.

London History and Heritage Day

This famous city is steeped in history and offers a number of insights into the country’s heritage. Consider visiting the following spots:

• Buckingham Palace: The London home of the Queen, ‘Buck House’ as it is affectionately titled is a stunning sight, while the changing of the guard offers a constant draw for spectators.
• The Tower of London: Home to the Crown jewels and site of some the bloodiest moments in British History – with its resident rooks and Beefeaters in traditional dress this is often a hit with the kids.

The Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) is a Pure luxury private train that travels back and forth between from London and Venice , Italy. More popularly referred to as the Orient Express the original founder James Sherwood of Kentucky as recently as 1982. It was only five years earlier [...]]]> Venice-Simplon Orient Express

The Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) is a Pure luxury private train that travels back and forth between from London and Venice , Italy. More popularly referred to as the Orient Express the original founder James Sherwood of Kentucky as recently as 1982. It was only five years earlier when  he had bought the first two of the original carriages at auction that he had the idea of reintroducing this famous train journey back into service.

Over the follow few years he reputedly spent another $16 million purchasing and refurbishing thirty five more sleeper, restaurant and Pullman carriages slowly building his collection until on the 25 May 1982 he set off for Venice and the rest is history.

Today the train runs to a d from eight major destinations including London, Paris, Rome,Venice and Istanbul every year between the months March to December. Because of the different track sizes the VSOE has different carriages for use in the UK and Europe, all of course are wonderfully opulent and mostly from the 1920s and 1930s. When leaving the UK  the passengers are coached under the English Channel  on  the Eurotunnel shuttle to re-join their train Journey inFrance. The two trains are quite different as the Brown and Cream Pullman carriages are used in the UK where as in Europe the train is made up from restored dark blue former Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits.

The UK train does not have any sleeper service and is normally used for day trips to castles , spas serving English teas and brunches. The Euro service has sleeping carriages for full overnight, luxury service but  both trains are  among the World’s Top 25 Trains as listed by The Society of International Railway Travelers .

Robert Louis Stevenson famously said “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move” and I guess if you are planning a trip to Italy to see Tuscany and enjoy time in a farmhouse chianti then there is no better way to travel.

The train is currently owned by Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. The company owns 50 luxury hotels, restaurants, tourist trains and river cruises in over 20 countries from around the world..

London is served with five airports , Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Stansted and Luton. The biggest by far and the busiest airport in Europe is London Heathrow. It caters for almost ninety different airlines flying to almost two hundred different destinations, employing over four thousand staff and handling approximately 180,000 passengers a day.

Unlike many other airports it is heavily focused on business travel with over 22 million business passengers using Heathrow alone in 2009 , almost a third of the total number. Many business travellers use London as a quick stop over  on route elsewhere and there are many quality Heathrow airport hotels within a five minute taxi ride to cater for need. Many of the hotels offer excellent business facilities including meeting rooms and secretarial services at reasonable rates.

Whilst the London Underground train network does extend out to Heathrow many business people look to hire a car and this can be done either at the airport terminals or at your hotel via the concierge. Parking your car in London can be difficult ( and expensive ) but  London has many airport hotels with parking facilities at reasonable rates if you do want to jump on tube and leave your car at the airport for the day.

Many of the airlines also now cater for business travellers with separate quality lounge areas were business people can relax in comfort. Some of these lounges have award winning catering facilities, hairdressers , massage zone and even a putting green.

London now has five regional airports servicing the capital. Heathrow and Gatwick and the larger sites servicing the many multinational airline brands and are regarded and the main UK hubs but the has been a noticeable increase in traffic to the three other regional airports at Luton , Stansted and London’s City Airport.

All the regional airports offer the same facilities as their better know sister airports , all have great transport links into London and many regular travellers have said when it comes to things like Parking Luton Airport is much better bet than paying through the nose at Heathrow or Gatwick.

The owners of these airports have realised that by being ultra efficient with the products and services that they offer consumers and now turning to the so called smaller airports as they realise that bigger does not always mean better. The average transit time from touchdown to the parking lot is 40% quicker at places like Luton as opposed to Gatwick where the walk from the plane to the luggage reclaim can take up to 30 mins.

This together with the problems booking in at the busier airports have meant a year on year increase in passengers at regional airports up and down the UK even against falling numbers overall during the post recession period.

I for one am happy to use Stansted or Luton with Low cost carriers like Easy Jet and Ryan Air providing such comprehensive services to so many European destinations.

Ever since Carnaby Street made London the fashion capital of the world in the swinging sixties, the nation’s capital has been one of the major cities in the world of fashion. It is a centre for designers and stores, offering the best that British fashion can offer.

In February, the fashionistas [...]]]>

Ever since Carnaby Street made London the fashion capital of the world in the swinging sixties, the nation’s capital has been one of the major cities in the world of fashion. It is a centre for designers and stores, offering the best that British fashion can offer.

In February, the fashionistas from across the globe will descend on London for a week of catwalk events, store openings, exhibitions and parties. As always the London Fashion Week will feature top British designers like Vivienne Westwood, Jasper Conran and Betty Jackson, who will be showing the world their latest creations. Apart form the official events there is also the ‘A La Mode’ Off-Schedule event if you can’t get a ticket for one of the official events.

It is not only during fashion week that London has people fascinated by its fashion. London is one of the world’s major shopping cities and you can find everything from haute couture to high street bargains among its many shopping areas. Brick Lane is now the place for the very best in retro chic, Kensington is the place for top names at top prices, while Oxford Street has a full range of high street names whether you’re looking for that sexier skirt or a pair of flashy shoes. Hotter shoes Discount vouchers will certainly help to keep your costs down and you should check newspapers and the Internet before embarking on your shopping trip.

If your taste and budget allows for haute couture, London has an enormous number of high quality stores. Shops like Fenn Wright Manson, Park Boutique, Anna Boutique and Labour of Love will give you the fashion choice of your dreams, featuring top designers and unique clothes that will give dedicated followers of fashion, raptures. These stores offer clothes from people like Lamis Khamis, Isabel De Pedro and Charli as well as their own exclusive designs.

If shoes are your shopping soft spot then London has plenty to keep you reaching for your purse or wallet. Stores like Kurt Geiger, Lollipop, Poste Mistress and Georgina Goodman offer a selection of the top names in footwear, like Loubotin, Prada and Marc Jacobs.

Away from the hype of London Fashion Week, the capital plays hosts to catwalk events and exhibitions throughout the year. The Clothes Show will be held in Earls Court in June, a regular show since 1989, it offers a collection of shows and exhibits of clothing, as well as special celebrity guests. It is one of the top events in the British fashion calendar.

London has much to offer the most ardent fans of fashion. If you are looking for haute couture from the top designers or the bargains from the high street, whether you buy your Jimmy Choo’s from an exclusive shoe shop or prefer to use Hotter shoes discount vouchers to find your footwear of choice, London has it all. The swinging sixties may be long gone but there is no doubt that London is still the centre of a style revolution.