Enjoy London!

Travelling has always been my passion. I haven't travelled the world but, of the little I have seen, London is the city that has fascinated me most. So much so that it convinced me to go back every year, even just for a weekend. London has a reputation as a rather expensive city and, deep down, it's true, but you can easily save money with a few tricks and maybe following some good advice from those who have already been there. To give you a practical example, the last time I managed to spend 50€ for the return flight, taxes included, with Ryanair (if you manage to catch the 0.99€ offer you'll spend even less) and 45€ for two nights in a hostel on Sherwood Street, very close to Piccadilly Circus.

To eat, given the rather high prices of restaurants and to avoid the usual McDonald's, I recommend a chicken salad from KFC, a pasta salad or a baguette from Pret a Manger, or some sandwiches from Tesco. In some areas, like Camden Town, it's full of little stalls cooking Chinese, Thai or Mexican food. If in the evening you want to treat yourself to the luxury of spending a bit more, you could have dinner in a pub (but no later than 20:30-21:00) or in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. There is a lot to see, and it depends on what interests you most, whether the cultural side or the slightly more "frivolous" side of London ("frivolous" is absolutely not meant as a put-down, quite the opposite...).

As for the first category, I would recommend "the classics": - British Museum (free entry) - National Gallery (free entry) - Tate Modern (free entry) - Tower of London (£13.50, but worth every penny) - A look at the facade of Buckingham Palace and maybe the Changing of the Guard (free) - Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (always from outside) - Westminster Abbey (paid but I don't remember the ticket price) - Salvador Dalí's permanent exhibition whereas for shopping and leisure: - Portobello Market - Camden Market - Harrods - London Eye (£11 for a 30-min panoramic ride) - Madame Tussauds wax museum (expensive, but I don't remember the price, anyway very nice) - London Aquarium (£11) - Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Green Park.

- Covent Garden To get from one place to another you can easily use public transport (double-decker buses and the Underground); they run very frequently and are very convenient. Tickets can be bought from the vending machines or the counters found at the Underground stops. As for the transfer from Stansted airport to the city centre, there are two alternatives: - The coaches, which take about 1h 30' to reach Victoria Station (cost about £10 return) - The Stansted Express (35€ return) to reach Liverpool Station in 40 min. From Heathrow, on the other hand, you can take the Underground directly, the Victoria Line if I'm not mistaken. I hope I have been thorough and not too repetitive. If you need any information, don't hesitate to contact me. Enjoy London!