London has been getting a lot of attention lately thanks to the Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee. After the tragedy and the chaos of the riots it has found its way back into world news in good light and it’s likely that tourism will boom as a result.

But when the tourists flock to London in their droves they are likely to visit mostly the same places – the sights and streets of London that everyone knows about, the brand cafes and restaurants, and maybe spend some time on one of the tour busses. That’s all fine and well, but it’s not quite getting the most out of the trip – not when the most exciting and unusual things that London has to offer aren’t quite so out in the spotlight. Here are some tips and some things to seek out if you want more than just the average night in London and if you want to avoid the pitfalls that most tourists make…

How to Do a Night Out in London

First of all if you want a great London experience then you should aim to go out early – around 6pm. The reason for this is that firstly you will be able to get happy hour prices everywhere, of course saving yourself a lot of money. At the same time though this also means you can see all the socialites and bankers drinking after work on a Friday, and it means that you can get an earlier night back – possibly even on the tube saving yourself a lot of money (and you’ll be fresher the next day for sight-seeing).

The Most Exciting London Nightlife

Here are just a few things worth doing in London that aren’t in all the travel guides…

A Room for London: This is an amazing one-room hotel – that’s right one room – that is in the shape of a boat and perches around London. 2012 is sold out, but keep an eye out for 2013 because it’s only £100 and it’s a completely unique opportunity that is highly romantic to boot. You can only stay one night, so it’s an ideal way to round off your trip.

Adventure Bar: Adventure bar is a great little bar in Covent Garden that has an amazing atmosphere. It’s under ground – literally – which right away makes it a bit more exciting, but it’s the staff who really make it; regularly setting fire to things and taking their tops off and generally turning it into an unforgettable night.

Foundation Bar: Foundation bar is within walking distance of Adventure Bar and offers a different type of night out – a chilled evening in an incredibly stylish bar (complete with very exciting booths and a saxophonist on the dance floor) drinking some of the most unique cocktails you’ll ever find.

Medieval Feast: This is a brilliant place to come and drink and eat while being entertained. It’s a Medieval theme as you can imagine, and they really pull out all the stops. When you want another drink just bash your glass on the table and shout ‘whench’!

Dans Le Noir: Dans Le Noir is a completely unique concept in dining, inviting you to eat in complete darkness served by an entirely blind staff. The idea is that the darkness heightens your other senses and particularly your taste and smell. But if nothing else it’s a completely unique way to spend the evening in London!

 

Posted under Europe, Travel

Europe is a highly popular holiday/travel destination and somewhere that offers a range of diverse cultures, climates and scenery. However the very diverse nature of Europe is also what ensures that there are also some bad spots to travel. Over such a great expanse of land, not every destination can be a winner, and while these places will of course offer something too, they aren’t the best places to stay and might leave you coming away feeling dissatisfied, a bit anxious or out of pocket. Here are some of the least popular places to go in London according to the denizens of the web.

Geneva: Looking around forums to see which areas in Europe get the worst reviews, Geneva seems to pop up fairly often. The complaint seems to be that despite being a very expensive city, it doesn’t have much to do and has its share of prostitutes and beggars.

Sunny Beach: Sunny beach in Bulgaria is a cheap holiday destination and if you’re going there to drink and know what to expect then it’s fine. However it’s also still very much being developed and most of the area is filled with nothing but half-built hotels (those mountains that beckon in the distance – not so fun up close). Many of the clubs are half empty and speaking of prostitutes here you will literally have to bat them off with a stick.

Dublin: Dublin is hailed as a great city full of history and Irish charm. However it’s also very expensive and one of the more costly places in all of Europe for a tourist in fact. At the same time the drinking can get a little rough if you’re there with young children. There is also quite a lot of unrest in the area which can come across during your stay there (many of these same arguments apply to Greece, especially at the moment , but at least Greece has a nice climate and great food).

Moscow: Moscow is surprisingly expensive and is well known for being rather hostile in terms of its weather and in terms of its attitude to tourists. It’s a rather bleak place and while there is beauty to be found, you’ll have to spend some time looking. That said it’s undoubtedly a fascinating place – just don’t expect Disney Land…

Portsmouth: Portsmouth in England is starting to promote itself as a tourism destination, but don’t be fooled. While the docks are actually quite nice and there’s a good nightlife to be found, it’s also incredibly industrial, very run down and grossly overpopulated everywhere else.

Bratislava: Another area that gets reports of having little to do on forums. It’s also where they filmed ‘The Hostel’ and you’ve got to think there was some reason for the choice of destination…

The Outskirts: Every major city has areas where it’s best not for tourists to head and if you go there this can often be quite rough and run down. If you are going to any major city – be it Rome, London, Paris or Athens – make sure that you do your research and that you stay somewhere central that caters for tourists and that does the city justice.

Of course though this is all a matter of opinion, and every village and town in the world has something to offer if you know where to look. Really a visit anywhere is what you make of it, so don’t judge any book by its cover…

Posted under Europe, Travel

Travel in Europe is highly popular and the continent is a fantastic place for anyone to visit who’s looking to see a range of different cultures, climates and scenery. As there are so many different and diverse countries all on one land mass, it makes the perfect place to go backpacking or to explore by train.

So if you’re among those who are planning to travel to Europe, how do you know what to take with you and how do you prepare? Here we will look at the things to pack for European travel.

 

Phrase Book: A phrase book is one of the top things to pack for European travel, and can help you to get by when it comes to ordering a drink, asking for directions or just saying thank you. Making an effort to speak the local dialect will make a big difference to how the locals treat you, and there are many things it can be useful to know how to communicate.

 

A Mix of Clothing: Europe has a wide mix of climates and while you can relax on the beach in the sun in Spain, you’ll be cold in Poland and probably wet in England. Single countries too can have a variety of weather and you can find it dry and warm one day and then cold and wet the next. Make sure then that you take a wide variety of clothes to suit any eventuality. Sun lotion is also a good idea to prevent burning.

 

A Smart Phone: These days a smart phone is one of the smartest things to take when traveling anywhere (hence the name?). They are particularly great things to take for European travel as they’ll let you make calls, use apps like translators, currency converters and local area guides; and perhaps most importantly use GPS for finding out where you are and how to get to your destination. Make sure to look into your data roaming to make sure that it doesn’t cost you the Earth. Looking up details online is also highly useful.

 

Maps: Even if you have a SmartPhone with Google-Maps, good old fashioned maps are also still a good idea. This is important in case your phone should become lost or you should lose your internet connection.

 

A Good Bag: Some bags are better than others as things to pack for European travel. Some areas of Europe can be prone to pick-pockets and you can risk having your wallet stolen unless you have precautions. A bag with an inside pocket that zips up is a good idea, as is a bag with multiple straps which makes it harder for someone to slit them and run off with your possessions. In terms of practicality a padded bag that can be used as a rucksack is useful.

 

If you are coming from United States of America you also need to bring the most important thing ever: electrical plug adaptor. Keep in mind that all electrical plugs are different in Europe and European electricity runs at 220 volts instead of 110 volts American.

 

Travel safe !

Posted under Europe, Travel

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic images in the world, and one that is completely synonymous with America… which is why it’s strange for many to learn that there is a second Statue of Liberty in France. In fact there are several more statues of liberty in France, and the Statue of Liberty herself in the US is actually called the ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ or ‘La Liberté Éclairant le Monde’. The statue was given to the US as a gift from the French people and was designed by a French man named Frédéric Bartholdi – so it’s no wonder that they would have a second Statue of Liberty for themselves… or several (interestingly the statue is also of the Roman Goddess of Freedom – Libertas – so it is actually quite multicultural in origin).

In fact, what might be truly surprising for many to learn is that the second Statue of Liberty is not technically a European statue at all – but rather the American statue in New York Harbor. That’s right – the first Statue of Liberty was actually in The Luxembourg Gardens in Paris meaning that in a way the more famous New York statue is the second Statue of Liberty.

The statue in the Luxembourg Garden, or the Jardin du Luxembourg as it is known there, is a far smaller statue that was used by Bartholdi as preparatory work for the larger scale New York statue (as reads a bronze plaque on the statue). It was given to the Luxembourg museum in 1900, and later moved to the beautiful and serene park in 1906, A stroll through these gardens is a great way to spend a day in Paris and this European Statue of Liberty is one of several attractive statues to be seen there.

A second Statue of Liberty located in Paris is by Grenelle Bridge on the Île Aux Cygnes – an island in the Seine. This Statue of Liberty is 11.50 meters high and  and looks Southwest down the river. This statue reads two dates – ‘IV JUILLET 1776′ (the United States Declaration of Independence) and ‘XIV JUILLET 1789′ (the storming of the Bastille).

While these two statues and the ‘main’ Statue of Liberty are considered the only ‘true’ Statues of Liberty, there are many other replicas and aspects that can stake a claim to being the ‘Second Statue of Liberty’. These include the original plaster that Bartholdi used to make the New York Statue, which is now visible at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris; a full sized torch called the Flame of Liberty at the entrance to the Pont de l’Alma; and others outside of France such as the 35 meter copy at the Heidepark Soltau theme park in Germany, the small replica in Visnes in Norway where the copper for the New York statue was mined, the sitting Statue of Liberty in the Ukrainian City Lviv and a 17 foot tall replica on top of the ‘Liberty Shoe Factory’ in Leicester in England.

Posted under Europe, Travel

There are many great countries to visit in Europe, and any of them offers a unique experience with lots to see and do. Here we’ll look at visiting England in Europe, and give you a quick guide to what it’s like, what to do, and what to expect.

Of course when you visit England in Europe you need to decide which part of the country you want to visit. Here there are lots of options, but your decision will drastically effect your experience. Of the many places to go in England in Europe, some popular options are Brighton, Bristol, Bournemouth, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Cornwall and of course London. Of these Brighton, Bristol and Bournemouth will give you an experience of seaside towns and you can expect slightly better weather and the chance to visit the beach. Meanwhile Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester are big industrial cities (honorable mention should also go to Birmingham), while London is the capital and boasts all of the most famous sites.

If you travel to England in Europe then you can expect to meet a lot of English people of course. While everyone is different regardless of their nationality, there are definitely national ‘traits’ and tendencies. Expect the English to be very quiet and reserved and generally polite, though there is also a big drinking and pub culture and the streets in the larger cities can become quite ‘rowdy’ at night meaning it’s not always entirely safe to walk through built up areas at pub closing time.

This pub culture however is a big part of visiting England in Europe and when you’re there you should definitely take the time to visit a pub, get a pub lunch, and to try some beer. The cuisine in England mostly comes from this and to try some of the local grub you should order yourself pie and chips, cottage pie, a roast dinner or a fry up. However because of the large number of immigrants in the larger cities you can also sample a lot of other cuisines while in England in Europe and Curry and Italian restaurants are very common.

Tips are not usually included in the bill bear in mind and it’s expected that you will tip then 10% of the overall price. You should also tip taxi drivers, but generally no other services. Remember that England still uses the British pound and not the Euro, and that one dollar is roughly equal to sixty pence.

There are lots of great things to see and do in England in Europe and these include the large sites in London such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column etc. There are also lots of other activities scattered around the country such as theme parks like Thorpe Park and Alton Towers, or other days out such as Longleat, The London Dungeons (highly recommended), or Splashdown. Hopefully this quick overview of visiting England in Europe should entice and prepare you for visiting, but be sure to do more research into the precise area you’ll be visiting in order to get the very best experience.

Posted under Europe, Travel

Europe is a vast continent with many different countries to visit. Within these countries are hundreds of different cities, nature reserves, towns, villages, historical sites and natural formations making it incredibly difficult to know which places to visit in Europe when travelling there. Here we’ll try to narrow down some of the top places to visit in Europe so that you can get the most from your travels and be sure not to miss some of the true highlights of this fantastic continent. Some of these will be cities, some will be historical sites and some won’t fall into any of these categories – but all of them are fantastic experiences and some of the best places to visit in Europe.

Glacier in Austria: There are many glaciers in Austria, and these include the Dachstein glacier, Kitzsteinhorn glacier, Rettenbach glacier and Pasterze glacier among others. These are all great places to visit in Europe for the excitement on standing on a floor made of ice, the fantastic surrounding mountains, and the brilliant photo opportunities they provide.

Auschwitz: Auschwitz is the famous concentration in Poland. Not one of the nicest places to visit in Europe, but certainly one of the most historically significant places to visit in Europe and one that is incredibly mind boggling and famous the world over.

The Zakopane Mountains: The Tatra mountains in Zakopane are one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in Europe and also one of the most accessible. Certainly one of of the places to visit in Europe that can offer the most fantastic vistas and amazing sense of scale.

Dubrovnik: Dubrovnik in Croatia is a fantastically colourful city, and looking down from the city gates at a view of the rooftops and coastline is one of those ‘wow’ moments that come very rarely.

Amsterdam: Amsterdam is one of the places in Europe that is known the world over – and for that reason alone it is a must-visit. At the same time though it’s also a great spot for stag and hen parties and famous for debauchery – as famous as it is infamous but also very modern and beautiful.

Meterora: Meteora in Greece is one of the best places to visit in Europe because it is one of the oddest places to visit in Europe features buildings perched on top of huge rocks, originally built by monks to bring them ‘closer to God’.

The Plitvice Lakes: The Plitvice Lakes in Croatia are some of the most beautiful and spectacular lakes in Europe making it one of the places to visit in Europe with the most natural beauty. It also features astonishing waterfalls and just about every colour possible.

Krakow: Krakow in Poland is a fantastic gothic city with a nightlife set mostly underground and many huge castles and churches.

Stone Henge: In Wiltshire, England, Stone Henge is a mysterious historical site and people travel from miles around to wonder about the why and the how of this famous stone structure.

Euro Disney: For family fun and something a bit more commercial, Euro Disney is one of the best places to visit in Europe and offers a vast range of things to do.

London: London is another one of the most famous places in Europe with lots of sites such as Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. It also offers fantastic shopping and many other attractions.

The Champ-Elysées: All of Paris is of course worth visiting, but from the Champ-Elysées you can see the Arc de Triumph, Cleopatra’s Needle, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower all from a single spot making it one of the best places to visit in Europe. At the same time the road itself is incredibly long, very famous and filled with the most upmarket restaurants, bars and shops. Crossing the road itself is something of an adventure…

The Vatican City: The Vatican City amazingly is actually a country and the smallest country in the World. This itself makes it one of the places to visit in Europe already, but at the same time it also offers an amazing view from the top of St Peter’s Basilica, the fantastic museum (visit it at night for more amazing atmosphere), and the beautiful St Peter’s Square.

Posted under Europe, Travel