A trip to London without spending much money! United Kingdom travel experience
A few days are not enough to really know a city so vast and multifaceted, which, although not able to bewitch with its appearance, it holds everything and offers millions of possibilities to have fun.
Arriving in London in the afternoon (after an hour's bus from Stansted Airport) is to remain in the congested traffic of workers who return to their home, long file to gain access to the city, chaos in the subway, miles tails of human and landscape that we surrounds us with the impression of having fallen into a huge warehouse.
Then slowly everything is empty .. return to normal .. At this point we realize how efficient the famous Underground or "tube" that covers every place through a network of center and periphery. The first stop is Trafalgar Square lights at sunset and a tour of the masterpieces of the great National Gallery.
Incredibly famous paintings like "The Virgin of the Rocks" by Leonardo da Vinci and "Venus and Mars" by Botticelli, are preserved in this temple of art, with free admission, like all cultural museums in London, to remember that the great works are the heritage of all .. really good initiative. On Wednesday the gallery closes at 21.00, at this point, a quick lap of illuminated city becomes a must ... through the Lambeth Bridge into Southbank, one has a perfect view of the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye lit. Every half hour, the famous clock in the home of the British Parliament or Big Ben, marks the time with his strokes, the nostalgic flavor considerably.
It 'still too early to go to sleep and we expect Piccadilly Circus with its extravagant entertainment, among which we choose to prove the Absolut Ice Bar, a nightclub interior of ice, which is accessed by hiring a funny cape with metallic gloves in tow, needed to grab his glass of vodka, strictly dug in a cube of ice. Given the huge turnout at this weird place, we can not stay beyond their shift 40 minutes. Sin!
We climb up on the subway back to our hotel, a country lodge on the southern outskirts of the city where the environment is almost the country, and also the prices are much more affordable accommodation in the center.
In the following days we only follow the more traditional tourist itineraries: The wax museum Madame Tussaud's, The Globe Theater, a visit to the Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces at Tate Britain and then get lost in megalussuosi and inaccessible ... ... magazzinini Harrod's.
The third day we witness the changing of the guard in the courtyard of Buckingham Palace, the complete ceremony lasts at least an hour and the best place to be able to see something slip through the grate of the gates, trying to be the most central is possible, at the end of exchange rate can climb a few steps of the fountain in the middle of the square, to enjoy, without too many obstacles, the final parade.
Just enough time for a traditional English breakfast and full-bodied, before moving to the Tower of London, who appears on a day of wind and high humidity, is completely deserted of tourists .. What a privilege to watch unlimited time the famous crown jewels! Being almost the only visitors, guardians have kindly allowed us to be able to climb several times over the mats sliding without necessarily having to leave the first round. Thank goodness! Why look is not enough for the biggest diamond in the world .. First Star of Africa, set in the royal scepter.
Although tired, we do not give occasion to see the British Museum, perhaps the most beautiful museum in the whole of London, which contains testimonies of the past in all continents of the world .. Egypt to Ancient Greece, to the Moai of Easter Island and the Inca ritual masks. We realize that it would take a week to observe the extraordinary collection of treasures from the British! But unfortunately ... at 18.00 on improrogabilmente museum closes its doors ...
Last day ... and a great desire to be outdoors!
Saturday can only mean the Portobello Road Market, full of antiques, memorabilia and strange curiosity.
Later, using the Docklands Light Railways we move into the town of Greenwich, known not only for its park, but for the famous meridian, from which we compute the time zones around the world. The atmosphere is very relaxed in Greenwich, and surrounded by green park, walk to the Royal Observatory;
Now it's really time to go ... but not before he had enjoyed a fabulous tea at 5pm with cookies stuffed with jam.
CONCLUSIONS: London is dearest, but with a little 'attention can be achieved by super-low cost holidays, even with the unfavorable exchange rate Euro Pound:
- Book your flight well in advance
-Prefer hotels in the suburbs, if well connected by public transport
-Buy a weekly ticket for the metro
-Do not take the taxi at the airport, but to reach the center by shuttle bus
-Instead of going into restaurants ... make a hearty breakfast and then lunch with sandwiches purchased supermarket (a sacrifice that can be done for 5 days)
-Exploiting museums with free admission (as the British Museum, Tate Britain and National Gallery)
Book tickets for first-Madame Tussaud's taking advantage of advance-booking discount