A VISIT TO LONDON
“You
can tell a lot about a town from how
it treats its visitors.”
Mary
E. Potter.
I’m really fond of travelling and if I had a
chance I would travell as much as it’s possible. One of my dream destinations
has always been London and though it’s very banal I chose this very place for
my journey as I’m looking forward to our trip next year.
No matter where one is going this
person is to know much so that he/she would get a great pleasure of travelling.
First of all one must prepare all the necessary documents which include international passport and visa. It takes a
couple of weeks to process a new passport, longer during busy periods so don't
leave it to the last minute. You can get one done quickly but it costs a lot
more. Visas are usually obtained from the embassy of the country you intend to
visit. Besides you must have your health Card, timetables, maps, a guidebook.
Before you leave for your trip you should make two copies of all the documents
(passport, visa, tickets). Leave one set at home and carry the other set packed
in your backpack or suitcase. If your things do go missing, this will speed up
the process of getting your new passport at the local consulate.
They say if you haven't had much
experience of travelling, a package holiday
is a safe and easy way of exploring the unknown. There are other
advantages too: all the planning and arranging is done for you; flights, accommodation and airport transfers
are usually included. The companies offering these holidays are huge and able
to buy flights and accommodation cheaply, so this can be a low-cost way of
reaching your dream destination. If I was going to have a trip I would prefer Half board which means you get breakfast and
an evening meal. I suppose I wouldn’t have much time and so I would prefer to
have my midday meal at a cafe or not to have it at all.
A trip to London itself supposes
that one is going to travel by air. If you have a package holiday everything is
settled for you. But if you're going for completely independent travel, you
should know more about it. Tickets on no-frills airlines must be booked
directly with the company, travel agents don't deal with them. The choice of
destinations and departure airports is limited, but prices are low. The main
airlines though have some good offers and these are usually advertised in the
weekend papers and on their websites. You should check in for international
flights at least two hours before departure. If you arrive late - normally less
than half an hour before departure - you
might find your seat has gone to a stand-by passenger. Make a note of the
contact number for your airline. If you get caught by an unexpected delay and
they know you're going to be late, they
will sometimes make arrangements to rush
you through.
Though it is one more way of
reaching London – by train. It seems to be really fascinating as you travel
through Europe and can see beautiful landscapes. The Brussels - Moscow
sleeping-cars are modern and air-conditioned, and have ten compartments each of
which can be used as either 3-berth, 2-berth or single-berth. By day the
room is a comfortable sitting room, by night the beds fold out from the wall behind
the sofa, one above the other. Each room has a washbasin, towels and soap are
provided. A restaurant car runs with this train between Warsaw and Brussels,
serving meals, snacks and drinks. And the journey... Leaving Moscow, you
may catch a glimpse of the plaques on the station building marked '1812' and
'1942' as the train passes through the small station of Borodino. You can find
yourself around rolling hills, birch tree forests, and villages of small wooden
houses.
Of course it’s very familiar to us
so when you leave Belarus after a stop in Brest where you can walk while the
sleeping-cars are shunted into a shed and jacked up to have their bogies
replaced, the scenery changes. Poland is largely flat, rich green farmland -
although Warsaw Centralna station itself is underground, look out for Warsaw's
'Palace of Culture' on the skyline - a Soviet-style 'wedding cake' of a
skyscraper - as the train approaches and leaves Warsaw. The train then passes
slowly through the industrial Ruhr via Dortmund and Dusseldorf and heads into
into Cologne's main station, right next door to Cologne's magnificent
cathedral. Leaving Germany at Aachen, the train crosses the River Rhine, winds
its way through lush green hills in the old Belgian coal-mining area around Liège
and reaches Brussels at last where you change the trains and can find yourself
in London within a couple of hours. Such jorney is more expensive – for about
600 dollars in comparison with flight – 450 dollars but. There are some tips to
make a return journey a lot easier: don't forget your weight allowance on the
way back – the excess charges can be
hefty; pack as if you expect your bag to be dropped from a great height –
it probably will be. Put lots of padding
around fragile stuff and hard stuff on
the outside.
Every trip is a challenge for our
health so one must be very careful while travelling. There are a lot of
examples and precautions for travellers in the Net but it seems to me that one
should simply watch what he/she eats and drinks and what way of life he/she
leads.
So we know almost everything to have
a great holiday abroad. Let me now describe the place I’m going to. It’s no
secret that London is a capital of Great Britain and one of the most
fascinating places in the world. As I’ve never been there of course I’d like to
visit its famous sights such as
But at first one is to choose a
place to stay at. Looking through the hotels at first I decided to choose one
with average prices
but then I remembered that I’m speaking about a
dream and chose Ritz London (London Hotel). When the elegant Ritz Hotel
opened in 1906, it was described by its founder, Ritz, as a small house which I
am proud to see my name attached. It is now once again privately owned and
renowned for traditional service from friendly staff. The hotels 131 rooms and
suites are decorated in the opulent manner of Louis XVI, and offer all the
modern conveniences and amenities. The Ritz Restaurant has been described as one
of the most beautiful dining rooms in Europe, and looks out on its private
terrace and garden. Whether in London for business or pleasure, The Ritz is the
first choice for those who appreciate beauty, luxury and the grand traditions
of fine hotel-keeping.
If you can’t afford it you can
choose one whicn seems very pretty to me - Jolly St Ermin's Hotel. Located in an unusually peaceful
corner of Westminster, the Jolly Hotel St Ermin's exudes comfort and elegance.
Built in 1887, this deluxe Victoria style hotel is 16 miles from Heathrow
Airport. London's major attractions, including Buckingham Palace, Houses of
Parliament, St. James Park and Westminster Abbey are located within 1.5 miles
of the hotel. With its magnificent Baroque staircase, beautiful bedrooms and a
choice of restaurants renowned for their international cuisine, the St. Ermin's
is a special hotel. The classical English theme is reflected in the refined
guestrooms. The rooms are decorated in earthy tones that blend perfectly to
creating restful atmosphere. The hotel offers meeting rooms fitted with
state-of-the-art-technology, qualifying the Jolly Hotel St Ermin's as the ideal
spot for hosting business meetings and conferences. The Jolly Hotel St Ermin's
is minutes to dining, shopping and entertainment venues.
Of course I would like to hear the
deep BOOM of Big Ben, to see Tower Bridge opening and ships going up and down
the river, to listen to the bells of St. Mary-le-bow, to visit Piccadiliy
Circus and one of London’s pubs, a place for a good beer and a good
conversation and of course to walk in Hide Park so that I could see its swans
and the tree of Princess Diana’s memory.
What else I want to visit is
Besides you can’t leave the country without
doing any shopping. I would advice you to visit along with Harrods National Trust shop. The National Trust is responsible
for preserving English heritage and historical buildings. The shops present a vision
of twee, country Britain, and stocks some very pretty gifts as well as history
and nature books, beautifully illustrated placemats, and meads. It's also a
good place to pick up knick-knacks for around the house and presents for
children. You are sure to like Twinings. Tourists love this place. It's not
only a quaint little tea shop, it sells one of the world's most recognisable
brands of tea and houses mementos recounting the history of the 300-year-old
company in a small museum. Of course, you can buy Twinings in any supermarket,
but tea-towel lovers, out-of-towners and lovers of all things cute will find
this shop absolutely dear.
One more point is to be considered –
what season is the best to visit London. I think it must be a summer vacation.
You are to take part in at least some parties or festivals. They say the best
time is August. And I found some festival which is at the end of June or the
begining of August – Great British Beer Festival. It offers more than 200 British kinds of beer
and more than 200 from America and Europe. All the winners of the show have the
opportunity to taste beer free. No matter if it is summer when you go you are
to think about warm clothes as the weather in England is not very hot even in
summer.
“You can tell a lot about a town from how it
treats its visitors,” Mary E. Potter said. I
don’t know for sure but it seems to me that