Luxury Vacations to London: Vacations to Remember

Most luxury vacations to London England will offer you everything that the tourists do, such as visiting the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the like. While this is fine, it can be a bit 'samey' if you have visited London before, and if you like the city but want to experience something a bit different to the usual tourist route. Well, that can be arranged, because there is a lot more to London than the picture postcard attractions.

Irrespective of how many times you have been to this great city, you should be offered a tour when you arrive, just so that you can get your bearings if nothing else, and then later focus on the less well known attractions that London has to offer. If you can get yourself organized with one of those luxury vacations in London that offer a personal service, such as just the two of you sharing a limousine for your London tour, then you will benefit even more from this type of vacation.

A boat trip down the Thames will take you past the Millennium Dome to the historical town of Greenwich (pronounced Grenitch, not Greenitch), the home of the Greenwich observatory and where Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) begins. This is longitude zero. The Old Royal Naval College is well worth a visit, as is the observatory itself. You should also pay a visit to the National Maritime Museum containing many artifacts of naval history, such as uniform that Lord Nelson died in at Trafalgar in 1805. On the way back, try the Docklands Light Railway and get a glimpse of modern London and Canary Wharf, that has been developed into one of the world's major financial centers.

Most tourists never reach Bloomsbury, famous for its literary characters in the early 20th century, and there you will also learn a bit about Charles Dickens who has an association with that part of London. The British Museum is a must, with its collection of Egyptian artifacts such as the famous Rosetta Stone, the Egyptian Mummy rooms and the Elgin Marbles, brought back to Britain from the Parthenon in Athens by Lord Elgin, and now a major cause for dispute between the Greek and British governments. This is the genuine Indiana Jones stuff!

The Duke of Wellington was the British general that defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, and for that the people of Britain gave him Apsley House which you can visit. You should also visit Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard, and then on to Trafalgar Square, where a large monument was erected in tribute to Lord Horatio Nelson, who gave his life while defeating Napoleon's navy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Whitehall is nearby, the center of much of British government, and also 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Next to it is No. 11, where the Chancellor of the Exchequer lives and then No. 12 which is the residence of the Chief Whip, whose job is to ensure that the MPs vote for the government.

There are other aspects of London that most visitors never see, including Little Venice, an area where Robert Browning lived and many celebrities still do, and Camden Lock, which you can visit by boat. Here you will find a market with food and clothing stalls. Finally, you must visit the stores in Knightsbridge, such as the famous Harrods and also one or two of London's famous parks, such as Hyde Park where you can take a pedal boat out onto the Serpentine Lake, or visit the Albert Hall, just a stone's throw away. Pay a visit to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, where anybody can get on their soap box and make their views known publicly on any subject under the sun.

Such luxury vacations to London are best appreciated if organized with a travel company that can provide you with a degree of personal service that enables you and your partner to have your own personal driver or guide, and to take advantage of some of the best hotels that London can offer. Such luxury vacations are not easy to find, but are definitely the best way to see the real London.

If you have visited London before, or even if this is your first trip and want to see some of the hidden gems of this great city, these are the places to visit and the way in which it should be done. Nothing beats top class travel and accommodation, and personal service is the best way to ensure that while on vacation you live better away from home that at home. That's what makes luxury vacations to London vacations to remember.