by Michael Leapman
Cheers, mate: a one-stop guide to a smashing good time in London
Reviewed by: Beth Williams
About Beth Williams
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or visiting London for the first time, Eyewitness Travel Guide to London is an invaluable tool in helping you to prepare for your journey. Everything you could possibly want to know—from currency to a map of The London Underground (a replica of what you’ll see in tube stations when you’re day tripping around London)—is at your fingertips in this comprehensive, rich travel guide.
The absolute best part of the Eyewitness Travel Guide series is the color photographs that are sprinkled throughout the pages. You’ll feel as though you’re taking a tour through the streets of London. Best of all, you’ll get a good feel for what to expect once you step off of the plane at Heathrow or Gatwick.
First stop: a history of London. You’ll learn about London through the years, and follow a timeline of momentous events in the city’s history. There’s also a wonderful calendar of all the yearly events in London and a temperature chart, so you know what to pack. (Having visited London numerous times, though, I’ve learned to always pack a few warm clothes, even in the spring and summer. You can always take a jacket or sweatshirt off, right?)
Once you get an overview of London, you’re off on a tour of the different sections of London. If you’re a shopaholic, you might want to make your first stops Regent and Oxford Streets where you’ll find an array of clothing, toy, record and specialty stores, selling everything you could ever dream of. For an experience like no other, drop by Covent Garden on a spring Saturday afternoon and enjoy the street performances. Or, follow one of the guided walks detailed towards the back of the guide. Getting around London is simple, but there’s no better way to experience real London than by foot!
Eyewitness Travel Guide London also includes a survival guide with information on local airports, how to get around (underground, famous black cab and double decker buses, etc.), main banks in London and pictures of local currency. Always remember to take a converter if you’re going to take along your hairdryer or travel iron! It’s just as inexpensive to buy a hairdryer with a British plug in any drug store in London as well.
If you haven’t decided where to stay while in London, you’ll be impressed with the listing of hotels. There’s also an extensive listing of restaurants and pubs, all with a pricing guide. Don’t forget London is also a wonderland of culture with exquisite museums and majestic theaters.
Okay, so maybe you’re not ready to get on a plane and head off to London anytime soon. The Eyewitness Travel Guide London is also great for an armchair traveler or to plan that dream trip you’ll take “one day.”
I’ve looked through a lot of travel guides, and I have yet to find one I like and benefit from as much as the Eyewitness Travel Guide London. When I moved to London, I took this book and found it to be an invaluable resource. London is a vast, fascinating city with endless opportunities for exploration. A tour guide once noted that to see everything London has to offer a traveler would need to be on the go twenty-four hours a day for six months. So, whether you’re planning a five day trip or a five month trip, Eyewitness Travel Guide London is the perfect travel companion.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Eyewitness Travel Guide London
Copyright © by Beth Williams, 2003
Reviewed by Beth Williams:
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