Fodor's London 2012

Get inspired and plan your next trip with Fodor's ebook travel guide to London.

Intelligent Planning: Discover all of the essential, up-to-date travel insights you expect in a Fodor's guide, including Fodor's Choice dining and lodging, top experiences and attractions, and detailed planning advice.

Easy Navigation for E-Readers: Whether you're reading this ebook from start to finish or jumping from chapter to chapter as you develop your itinerary, Fodor's makes it easy to find the information you need with a single touch. In addition to a traditional main table of contents for the ebook, each chapter opens with its own table of contents, making it easy to browse.

Full-Color Photos and Maps: It's hard not to fall in love with London as you flip through a vivid full-color photo album. Explore the layout of the city and popular neighborhoods with easy-to-read full-color maps.

What's Covered? Get to Know London: Royal legacies, captivating history, stellar shopping, iconic landmarks---London has it all. First time visitors should head to Westminster to experience Royal London. Visit the ancient Westminster Abbey, snap pictures at Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, play with the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, and visit stacks of art in the national galleries.

Head to Soho and Convent Garden for Theaterland, Chinatown, and Liecester Square (London's answer to Times Square.) Head to London's Wall Street to take in the beauty and history of St. Paul's Cathedral and the grisly tales from the Tower of London. Walk across the sleek Millennium Bridge and behold the South Bank---a die-hard culture vulture's paradise---which is home to the Tate Modern, the Design Museum, Shakespeare's Globe, and the London Eye.

Those looking for weekend markets should head to the East End to experience the spit-and-sawdust experience of Spitalfields, Petticoat Lane, Brick Lane, and Columbia Road's much-loved flower market. And don't forget Notting Hill and Bayswater. Head to Portobello Road to experience the countless antiques, brightly painted flats, and see-and-be-seen-in restaurants.

The heart of brainy London lies in Bloomsbury and legal London, home of the University of London, the Law Courts, and the incomparable British Museum. Visit Regent's Park and Hampstead and get poetic inspiration from Keats House or walk the cozy streets filled with sidewalk cafés and delis. Want to keep on strolling? Follow the Thames upstream for an idyllic retreat from the city. Enjoy stately gardens and a beer near once-powerful palaces at Chiswick, Kew, Richmond, and Putney.

Travelers with big pockets (or just a desire for some prime window shopping) should head to St. James's and Mayfair. Boutiques on King's Road may have lost much of their '60s swagger but the nearby Science Museum and gargantuan Natural History Museums are must sees. For a slightly more affordable shopping alternative, head to High Street Kensington or flash your cash at Harrods and Harvey Nichols. The quaint Thames side streets of Greenwich make it excellent for rummaging for trendy antiques. History buffs or culture vultures, pub classics or trendy noshes, whatever your interests, your itinerary will be a voyage of discovery.

Note: This ebook edition is adapted from Fodor's London 2012 but differs in some content. Additionally, the ebook edition includes photographs and maps that will appear on black-and-white devices but are optimized for devices that support full-color images.