Foreign Destination: London Travel - Research Paper Example

LONDON TRAVEL Foreign Destination Research Project: London Travel 1. Introduction London, the capital of UK was founded by the Romans around 49 AD. Throughout history, London has played a very important part in the political fortunes of not only England but also many other colonies in the world, when Great Britain was a maritime power. The city has a rich history and culture and played to the fortunes of various tribes, clans and finally the Kings and Queens of England. The city is now regarded as the center of commerce for UK and Europe and has many fine buildings that have were constructed many centuries before. There are also a number of modern architectural wonders, sightseeing and shopping opportunities and a visit to London is a must on every travelers list of place to visit. This paper examines some important facts related to demographics, cuisine, transportation and lodging that are available in London for the budget as well as the business traveler (CIA Fact Book, 2009). 2. Background Information London is situated on the banks of the river Thames and is the seat of the Queen of England. The city has a cosmopolitan structure with people from different nationalities, religions and languages having settled since the past few centuries and decades. UK is separated from Europe by the English Channel but being an island, it has ample connectivity through air, water and rail. This section provides some basic background information about London (CIA Fact Book, 2009). Geographic location: London is situated on the river Thames, which is a flood plain navigable river. In the Victorian era, the city was subjected to regular flooding but after all along the centuries, there have been sufficient embankments and the ground is stable. There are a few tributaries of London and these flows below the city. 659 square miles and an elevation of 79 feet and it could be said that the city is along the costal level. The coordinates are 51°30′28″ North and 00°07′41″ West. The Greenwich meantime - GMT is set at Greenwich near London and many countries set their times as per this standard (NSB, 2009). Climate: London has a dry marine temperate climate that is prevalent in the British Isles and there are very few occasions when extremes of temperature have been observed. Summers are warm average temperatures of 25 to 30 degree centigrade and winter temperatures of 8 to 12 degree centigrade. In winters, the weather is chilly but usually not below freezing. Snowfall is rare since the heat from the city keeps the temperature about 5 degrees above the surrounding areas. Rainfall is present through the year and varies from heavy to slight rains (CIA Fact Book, 2009). Population: The London is regarded as the 25th biggest city in the world with reference to population and the 17th biggest metropolitan region in the world. The city has a population density of 12331 people per square mile. Depending on the city limits considered, the city has a population of 12 to million residents. The standard of living is among the highest and it is regarded as one of most expensive cities to stay and is ranked along with Moscow and Tokyo. While about 58% of the people are Christians and classified as indigenous White British, there are other categories of whites such as the White Irish and other ethnic groups. There are also a number of Muslims of 8.5%, Hindus at about 4.1% and others. Along with Churches, there are other religious places such as mosques, temples and other places of worship (CIA Fact Book, 2009). Median age: The median age of London citizens is around 40.2 years with males having a median age of 39.1 years and females 41.3 years. The population growth rate is 0.279% and the birth rate is 10.65 births/ 1000 population (CIA Fact Book, 2009). Travel warnings: There have been some warnings on possible terror attacks in the UK mass transportation system and the warnings have been graded as severe. There are some restrictions on the amount of hand luggage that can be carried on trains and in buses. People are asked to remain on alert about possible abandoned or lost packages that may have bombs. People are also asked to keep a watch on others who may act suspiciously in public places such as subways, bus terminals and other areas were there are sufficient crowds. There can be sporadic incidents of violence from Irish brigades and people who are protesting against the regime in Iran (US Nov, 19 June 2009). 3. Dining London offers the best in dining for the epicure who wants to eat the most exotic dishes to the budget traveler who wants a casual dining place where he can eat his ill in decent an economical places. This section mentions a few places for different types of dining experiences. Casual dining: There are a number of places in London that offers a good casual dining experience at affordable costs. Some of the places are New Tayyab, Patogh, Maroush, Royal China, Hamburger Union, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and many others. These places offer you either Pakistani, Arabic, Chinese, Indian or plain hamburger and steaks, without the fuss and rates of fancy dining places. Many of them allow the customer to eat as much as he can of the beef and chicken meat cuts. In some of the places, it is possible to have a hearty meal for about 15 GBP per head (Opinionated, 2009). Fine dining: London is famous for its high brand of fine dining and there a number of places where one can partake the best in food along with a selection of the best vintage wines. Many of these places requires reservations and a formal dressing. Some of the places are Zafferano, L'Oranger, Aubergine, Alloro, Edera, The Capital and many more. The food offered here is Gourmet class with a selection of wines and high three to seven course servings. These places are expensive and a simple dinner at a lower end hotel would cost about 200 GBP while the higher end hotels are expected to cost much more. A bottle of vintage wine from their extensive cellars would cost more than 500 GBP (Atoz, 2009) Specialty restaurant: Specialty restaurants offer a special cuisine that refers to a specific region and type of food. Some types of specialty restaurants are Mexican, Chinese, Tandoori, Pakistani, European, Continental, Thai and other types of food. The menu items here would be made of such specialty items only and diners can eat their fill of different type of food. In addition, thee are other specialty places that offer seafood such as fish, prawns, lobsters, crabs and many other varieties. Some of the specialty restaurants are La Perla Mexican Restaurant, Addendum Brasserie and many more. The cost of dining varies from 10 GBP to more than 40 GBP per head. It is possible to call and ask about the prices before hand (AOL Travel, 2009). Ethnic restaurant: Ethnic restaurants offer a home away from home food for the migrants who may be working or studying in London. There are a number of such ethnic restaurants and they try to match the menu items and taste, as it is back in the native country. There are different ethnic places such as Kosher, Indian, Chinese, South Indian, Tandoori and many other typs. Some of the place are Busaba Eathai, Song Que, Royal China, Daquise, Hakkasan and many more. The fare comes to about 50 GBP for two people and there are a number of budget places where food is available at even lower rates (iVillage, 2008). 4. Lodging Facility With recession and economic downturn in the travel and hospitality industry, lodging facilities are available at very affordable rates and in good locations. London has a number of hotels that offer the best and affordable single and double bedrooms. Most of these hotels have advance reservation booking facility through either the telephone or direct through email and Internet. Budget: There are a number of budget hotels started by well-known budget hotel chains such as Travel Lodge. These hotels offer a basic service and may not have a catering service or even a restaurant. When booking is done a few weeks in advance, then the rates can be as low as 18 GBP per night and the rate depends on availability of the rooms and the days in advance in which the room is booked. If one is planning the trip in advance by two months, then it is possible to easily get a booking here at very low prices (Trip Advisor, 2009). Commercial: There are a number of commercial hotels in London and the rates ranges from 200 GBP to more than 600 GBP per night. These hotels offer the best in dining and are usually located in a well-connected location. Reservation has to be done in advance and many hotels even offer airport pickup and transfer. Some of the hotels are Egerton House Hotel, The Soho Hotel, The Milestone and many more. In addition to well-appointed rooms with full room service, these hotels have facilities for conference, meetings and dining rooms (Trip Advisor, 2009). Resort: There are many theme based vacation resorts in and around London and some of them are Athenaeum Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, The Milestone Hotel and many more. These resorts offer package deals for families and groups of people and as more people join, the rate reduces. The rates vary from 75 GBP to more than 700 GBP per night. It should be noted that these resorts offer a wide variety of entertainment along with guided tours, theme park visits, music, entertainment for the kids and many other forms of entertainment (Trip Advisor, 2009). Bed and breakfast: These types of hotels are best for the business traveler or the tourist who wants to spend a night in a hotel, on the way through a destination. Such hotels offer a well appointed and decent room with limited room service. A fixed buffet type menu is offered for breakfast and guests have to take breakfast within a certain time limit. The hotels also have plenty of parking place where guests can park the vehicles. London has a number of registered B&B hotels and many private homes also offer this type of service. Some hotels also offer dormitories with separate arrangements for men and women. Such places are suitable for larger groups who want to take up sight seeing or who have come to see exhibitions, music concerts and other such types of entertainment avenues (Trip Advisor, 2009). 5. Modes of travel The London transport system is very well organized, very extensive and famous for its efficiency. It has served as the model and guide for many other countries who have based their transport system on the London system. The mass transport system available is rail, bus and by river. Buses: The bus transport system in London is one of the most extensive systems and runs on time, traffic permitting. The Transport for London company, operated by the government and private partnership runs 6,800 buses everyday and the number of passengers who travel is about six million. The bus services are operated on 700 routes. Buses are available from many on route bus stops and there are many routes marked out with details of bus numbers for each route. Normally double Decker and single Decker buses are operated. While the buses run on time, there are chances of delays due to massive traffic jams in the peak hour. Travel cards can be bought for different durations and journey zones and the cards cost from 4.8 GBP to 15 GBP per day. Three-day cards, weekly, monthly and annual cards are also available. These travel cards allow the person to travel by bus and underground tube, depending on the route. Single journey can cost about 3 GBP for a single journey (Tfl, 2009). Rail System: The London underground or tube system as it is called virtually connects the whole of London. There are more than 274 railway stations spread across the city and this is the most cost effective and convenient way of traveling. There are different lines in the tube and they connect one area to another and the trains enter other lines. During peak hours in the morning and in the evening, it is difficult to get in and new comers should best avoid these timings when possible. There is strict restriction about smoking, littering and traveling without valid tickets and travelers have to keep a note of this. One can buy single journey tickets that are valid for s point to point journey only and the smallest distance would cost about 1 GBP while other longer distance tickets would cost more. Travel cards are also available and these can be used in buses also. Tram service is also available on a few limited routes in London and these trams take the traveler right into the heart of the city. (Tfl, 2009). Airports: There are a number of airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and others and thee are best suited for foreign travelers and those ho wish to fly to other cities. Britain also has a number of budget airlines that can be used to fly in and out of London. Air taxis by helicopters are also available but are very expensive and beyond the means of the budget traveler. Waterway System: The London River Services provide tourist oriented services on the river Thames. The services can be used by commuters and by tourists who want a river cruise. The rates are higher when compared to other transport services (Tfl, 2009). 6. Four Tourist Attractions London has some of the world famous tourist attractions. Many of these places can be reached by rail or bus and while some them charge a small amount of admission fees, the others offer free entrance. Madame Tussauds: The world famous Madame Tussauds exhibition features the wax images of hundreds of celebrities and achievers from different walks of life. Wonderfully made and wear the original clothes of the celebrity, the museum offers one of the best entertainment venues. It is also possible to stand besides the wax images and get photographs taken and it is hard to realize that the photos are of wax images. Tickets cost about 12.5 GBP onwards and special discounts are available for bulk visitors (Visit London, 2009). The Victoria & Albert Museum: One of the most exclusive and extensive collections of human history, the museum has artifacts that are more than 3000 years. Included are artifacts of immeasurable historic value from different cultures and civilizations of the world. These collections were acquired over the centuries and preserved in the museum for all to see. There is no entrance fee for the exhibition. Some of the works of art are so beautiful that is difficult to believe that man could be so creative. Items are arranged as per different categories such as architecture, Asia, Ceramics, Contemporary, Furniture and many more. The items date from before the times of ancient Egypt to the modern contemporary art (Visit London, 2009). The London Eye: This is a very large Ferris wheel that moves slowly, giving a circular tour of London. Built as a part of the millennium celebrations on London, the capsules reach more than 100 feet height and offer the most panoramic view of London. Tickets start from17 GBP and package deals are also available. The capsules are completely enclosed in thick safety glass and there is no danger of falling out. Since the speed is very slow and gradual, the ill effects of vertigo are avoided (Visit London, 2009). The Tower of London: One of the most famous landmarks of medieval London, the tower has served as a prison, the keeper of the royal jewels and other roles. People from Kings and nobility to common thieves have been held in the vast towers and it had acquired a foreboding reputation as a place of death. The tower has the old weapons and armors that knights used and tickets cost 17 GBP per adult. 7. Conclusions The paper has examined the London travel potential and possibilities. As seen in the various sections, London ha a pleasant climate that is free from extremes of weather and once can visit it through the year, except in winter when ot may get chilly. The paper has examined the important factors such as different types of restaurants, lodging and the modes of transport available and four main attractions that are worth visiting. The dining places include casual, fine dining, ethnic and specialty restaurants and London is a place that offers a wide range of cuisine. There are different types of lodging facility available and these range from budget, commercial, resort to the bed and breakfast type. Budget type is more popular with people since it costs very little. Bed and breakfast are also popular since the hotel lets you sleep in a decent and clean room and provides a heavy breakfast. There are different modes of transport available at very economic prices. Modes of transport are bus, tube and river. Bus and tube are very well integrated and transport millions of people everyday day at affordable prices. Four places of tourist attraction have been examined and the include The Tower of London, The London Eye, The Victoria & Albert Museum and Madame Tussauds. References AOL Travel, 2009. Specialty Restaurants in London. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/London-restaurants--United+Kingdom:1-cat-Specialty Atoz, 2009. London Fine Dining Group. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://www.atozrestaurants.com/booking.html CIA Fact Book, 2009. Country Profile UK, City London. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/UK.html iVillage, 2008. 12 great ethnic budget restaurants in London. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://www.ivillage.co.uk/travel/uktravel/london/articles/0,,590852_650433-3,00.html NSB, 2009. Fact Files: London Government Offices for the English Regions: Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://www.gos.gov.uk/gol/factgol/London/?a=42496 Opinionated, 2009. London: Casual Dining. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://oad.typepad.com/oa/2005/03/new_tayyab_okay.html#more Tfl, 2009. Modes of transport for London. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/2794.aspx Trip Advisor, 2009. London Trip Advisor and Best Hotels to Stay. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://www.tripadvisor.com/GOffer?wid=136&did=719 US Nov, 19 June 2009. Recent Embassy Notices for American Citizens. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1052.html Visit London, 2009. Top 10 London Attractions. Retrieved 28 June 2009 from http://www.visitlondon.com/attractions/culture/top-ten-attractions Read More