London Stopover guide - Gatwick Airport

London is England's capital city and one of Europe's most popular visitor destinations, offering visitors a combination of traditional and modern attractions and all the amenities expected of a busy, cosmopolitan city. Internationally-known museums and art galleries, fine restaurants and diverse nightlife as well as a whole host of famous landmarks are just a few of the many things that London has to offer.

Attractions:

• Among the city's newest attractions, the London Eye is a huge Ferris wheel, offering magnificent views across London.
• Home of the royal family, Buckingham Palace, with its daily Changing of the Guard ceremony, is top on many tourists’ itineraries.
• Visit the historic Houses of Parliament, where the governing of England has been conducted for hundreds of years.
• At Madame Tussauds Waxwork Museum, a plethora of realistic wax replicas of famous persons, alive and dead, are on display.
• Previously the scene of important historical events, Trafalgar Square now offers some of London's most recognisable landmarks.
• The Tate galleries are world-class facilities, offering visitors views of fine, classical and modern art.
• Head for Covent Garden to check out some street entertainers before doing a spot of shopping.
• Westminster Abbey is the official venue for state services such as royal weddings, funerals and coronations.

 
Eating and shopping:
London offers a multitude of places to eat and restaurants are by no means restricted to any one area. Chinatown is a popular place to head if you like Oriental food, while Soho features are good selection of eateries, both foreign and traditional British.

 

Oxford street is the most significant shopping area in London and is home to all the big high street names, while areas such as Covent Garden and Carnaby street offer more unusual individual retailers.

Day trips and tours: the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge are within easy driving distance of London and offer some magnificent architecture. The latter, which sits on the Thames River, was the chosen educational centre of the likes of Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Salman Rushdie. Close to Cambridge is Newmarket, a great place to head to catch a day of horse racing at the town's nationally-famous racecourse.

Easily reached via Hampton Court Underground Station, Hampton Court is among the area's most interesting historic buildings. The court features exquisite gardens complete with the famous maze and a magnificent period construction with well-preserved medieval rooms. Meanwhile, another royal residence, Windsor Castle, is among the area's must-see buildings. Within driving distance of London, other cities and areas of note include Brighton, Norfolk and Tunbridge Wells.