Rick Steves - Rick Steves London 2020

LONDON 2020

Rick Steves & Gene Openshaw

LONDON 2020

Travel is intensified livingmaximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. Its recess, and we need it.

I discovered a passion for European travel as a teen and have been sharing it ever sincethrough my tours, public television and radio shows, and travel guidebooks. Over the years, Ive taught millions of travelers how to best enjoy Europes blockbuster sightsand experience Back Door discoveries that most tourists miss.

Written with my talented co-author, Gene Openshaw, this book offers you a balanced mix of Londons blockbuster sights and lesser-known gems. Its selective: Rather than listing a lorry load of museums and galleries, we recommend only the best ones. And its in-depth: Our self-guided museum tours and city walks provide insight into the citys vibrant history and todays living, breathing culture.

We advocate traveling simply and smartly. Take advantage of our money- and time-saving tips on sightseeing, transportation, and more. Try local, characteristic alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you traveled so far to see.

We visit London to experience itto become temporary locals. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world, as we learn to appreciate other cultures and new ways to measure quality of life.

Judging by the positive feedback we receive from our readers, this book will help you enjoy a fun, affordable, and rewarding vacationwhether its your first trip or your tenth.

Happy travels!

Blow through the city on a double-decker bus, and take a pinch-me-Im-in-London walk through the West End. Ogle the crown jewels at the Tower of London, gaze up at Big Ben, and see the Houses of Parliament in action. Cruise the Thames River, and take a spin on the London Eye. Hobnob with the tombstones in Westminster Abbey, visit Leonardo, Botticelli, and Rembrandt in the National Gallery, and explore Harry Potters magical realm at the film studio in Leavesden. Enjoy Shakespeare in a replica of the Globe Theatre and marvel at a glitzy, fun musical at a modern-day theater. Whisper across the dome of St. Pauls Cathedral, then rummage through our civilizations attic at the British Museum. And sip your tea with pinky raised and clotted cream dribbling down your scone.

You can enjoy some of Europes best people-watching at Covent Garden, and snap to at Buckingham Palaces Changing of the Guard. Just sit in Victoria Station, Piccadilly Circus, or a major Tube station and observe. Tip a pint in a pub with a chatty local, and beachcomb the Thames. Spend one evening at a theater and the other nights catching your breath.

London is more than its museums and landmarks. Its the L.A., D.C., and N.Y.C. of Britaina living, breathing, thriving organism...a coral reef of humanity. The city has changed dramatically in recent years, and many visitors are surprised to find how un-English it is. ESL (English as a second language) seems like the citys first language, as white people are now a minority in major parts of the city that once symbolized white imperialism. London is a city of eight million separate dreams, inhabiting a place that tolerates and encourages them. Arabs have nearly bought out the area north of Hyde Park. Chinese takeouts outnumber fish-and-chips shops. Eastern Europeans pull pints in British pubs, and Italians express your espresso. Many hotels are run by people with foreign accents (who hire English chambermaids), while outlying suburbs are home to huge communities of Indians and Pakistanis.

But with Britains vote to exit the EU (its Brexit), the British people have decided to pull up the drawbridge. From a practical standpoint, travelers heading to London likely wont see much of a difference...other than having plenty to talk about with their new British friends.

London, which has long attracted tourists, seems perpetually at your service, with an impressive slate of sights, entertainment, and eateries, all linked by a great transit system. Come prepared to celebrate all the tradition and fanfare of yesterday while catching the buzz of a city thats trumpeting its future.

This section will help you get started planning your tripwith advice on trip costs, when to go, and things to know before you take off.