Background. Camden is a popular tourism and entertainment neighborhood in northwest London. It’s charm lies in its alternative culture climate with a number of music venues and world-famous markets.

Most Famous Attraction. The Camden Market complex is the fourth most popular tourist attraction in London. It is a group of adjoining large retail markets: Camden Lock Market, an indoor market situated by the Regent’s Canal and famous for crafts; Stables Market, famous for furniture and household items, many of which are hand-crafted; Camden Lock Village along the canal to the east of Chalk Farm Road; Buck Street Market known for clothes; Electric Ballroom, which has been a night club since the 1950′s and is open during the day on the weekends as an indoor market selling imported goods and unique and items by independent designers and dealers; and Inverness Street Market, a small century-old street market that once had many stalls selling fresh produce and foodstuffs. The markets generally come from alternative sub-cultures and attract many visitors all week, peaking on Sundays, which is the main trading day.

Access. Camden may be reached via the Camden Town tube station. Because this was not designed to accommodate the large volume of passengers on weekends, it imposes restrictions on Sunday afternoon with access to incoming passengers only. Visitors also have easy access to the Camden markets through the Chalk Farm and Mornington Crescent stations. Other forms of access include coming by rail from Richmond in the West to Stratford Station on the Olympic site in the East or via the National Rail station in Kentish Town station on the Thameslink route on the Midland Main Line. Alternately, try St. Pancras and Euston terminals, which are both within a 20-minute walk of Camden Town; by bus from London, or by canal boat trips.

Cuisine. London culinary traditions and international cuisine may be sampled at the many great-value restaurants located near the markets, on Camden High Street and its side streets.

Entertainment. Camden’s lively music and entertainment scene may be experienced at the many pubs, clubs and bars that abound. The most famous performing arts and concert venue is The Roundhouse, a former locomotive engine roundhouse. Since its conversion to a theater and music venue in 2006, Roundhouse has hosted the several big events, including iTunes Festivals. Roundhouse Studios set up its own in-house record label, Roundhouse Records, in 2010. Music icons Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix have performed here.

Budget Activities. There are several activities you can do without breaking the bank in Camden. Picnic at your choice area in the 410 acres of Regent’s Park, originally a hunting ground for Henry VIII, or attend any of the various food and music festivals in summer. Be one of the first to listen to the music of up-and-coming bands at the Dublin Castle. Stroll, bike or take a relaxing boat ride while enjoying the beautiful scenery around the Regent Canal or enjoy breathtaking views atop Primrose Hill.

Whether you are into fashion, art, goth, music or food, you will find something for you in Camden.

When planning your visit to Camden, book your flights early to avail of cheap air fares.

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Photo credit:
Camden Market: simon.hedge

It’s definitely a great year in London with the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics. If you are planning to join in the festivities, find out the top 10 things you need to know before you head off to this great city.

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Video credit:
London – 10 Things You Need to Know: hostelworld

Photo credit:
London England: André Zehetbauer

• Be Street Smart: Pick-pocketers are very common in European destinations, such as London. Unfortunately, pick-pocketers are bound to happen in any large crowd environment. Kelly suggests that women wear cross body bags to have more control of their belongings, and men put a rubber band around their wallet to create resistance against their pants while site-seeing and enjoying London. Limit fancy jewelry or handbags – follow the local cultural standards so you blend in and are less of a target. Pick-pocketers are often well trained, so keep an eye on your personal belongings at all times.

• Keep A Closed Door Policy: Most hotels across London will be filled to capacity and guests should expect constant foot traffic in and out of hotels. It is important to remember to not open your hotel door for someone you don’t know. Think of your room as your home – ask the individual on the other end why they need to come in. If you didn’t request a hotel bell hop to bring up towels or shampoo, its best to stay safe and communicate via phone or through the door. Don’t open your hotel door to “room inspectors” who will swipe a valuable or two as they pretend to check the “quality of housekeeping.” When leaving your room for the day, keep your hotel key with you, instead of at the front desk, and leave your do not disturb sign on your door so others think it is occupied.

• Mix Up Your Money: While credit cards are useful when visiting any foreign destination, it will be beneficial to have some British Pounds on hand when in London.  Don’t use an ATM machine if someone is standing around you.  Kelly says, “make sure to watch out for small cameras meant to record you as you enter a PIN.” Don’t keep all your valuables in one place. In the event something gets stolen, you should have some extra cash or credit cards stored in the hotel safe or a secret, safe place. Credit card companies can provide travelers with a new card very quickly, be sure to check which cards have the best policies before heading abroad.

• Protect your Passport: Your passport is the most important document to pack when traveling overseas.  Kelly suggests having a few copies in different places. “I always keep a copy in my ‘overseas’ suitcase and with my family members at home.  I also have a picture of it stored in my phone for emergency purposes.” Make sure you have the US embassy contact information on hand. Should the unfortunate occur, having a travel assistance membership from On Call International can help. There are several services including assistance with lost and stolen documents, which will aide in the passport retrieval process.

Should you encounter any inconveniences described above, you may contact On Call International for help. They provide translator services to assist in reporting your incident to the police, speedy passport services, worldwide legal assistance services and much more. For further information on the benefits of a travel assistance membership, contact Mike Kelly at email colin@msilver-pr.com or through telephone number 212.754.6500 ext 240.

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Photo credit:
Olympic Torch Relay: Kristi Herbert

The package includes the personalized services of your very own Children’s Concierge in the person of the hotel’s Director of Fun and Adventure, John Goncalves, who will help you plan all the best family activities while in London. And, to document the fun places you visit, your children can mark them with stickers on the hotel’s complimentary children’s map of London, which comes with a special Children’s Newsletter featuring tons of information on things to see and do in London.

The hotel’s restaurant also has a “Prince and Princesses Corner” menu, which includes healthy options and special treats such as Chocolate Fudge Sundaes. Your children will also have fun learning how to decorate their own personal cupcake from the hotel’s Pastry Chefs, topped with a framed Master Chef Certificate and a souvenir photograph to boot!

Children also get to dine free with parents and enjoy other special amenities such as:
- Special beds and bedding, including cots
- Child size bathrobes and slippers to fit ages 3-12 years old
- Welcome pack with sticker books, coloring books, pencils and a backpack to keep
- Special children’s turndown with treats each evening . . . but only if you have been very good
- Complimentary guided tour of the hotel and introduction to the General Manager and Chefs
- WiFi and games available in your room on request
- In-room movies and a list of children’s complimentary DVDs

For more details of the American Family package and other Great Family Value Offers, contact reservations at +44 0207 834 6600 or bookrb@rchmail.com.

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Photo credit:
Children in Reagents Park:  encontrado es

The Montague is strategically located in the heart of Bloomsbury, one of the most beautiful and fashionable areas of central London, with the Buckingham Palace to the west and the Olympic Stadium to the east. It’s two special packages valid between May 1 to September 7, 2012 are:

Best Of British On A Plate Package which includes two nights accommodation in a luxurious room of your choice, full English breakfast every morning, and Best of British tasting menu for two.

Best Of British Maiden Voyage Package which includes two nights accommodations in the splendid Guv’nor’s Suite, full English breakfast daily, Best of British Afternoon Tea on the day of your choice, Transfer from any London train station or airport in theirr Range Rover, a Fortnum & Masons hamper including Fortnum’s Ceylon and Assam loose leaf teas, Golden Crunch Biscuits, Dundee Cake, silver tea strainer and a copy of Tea at Fortnum & Mason, a bottle of Joseph Perrier Pink Champagne and strawberries in your room on arrival, two tickets to the British Museum for the current exhibition of your choice, and Virgin Hot Air Balloon Flight including a post-flight glass of Champagne.

For bookings, call +44 (0) 20 7958 7731 or email bookmt@rchmail.com

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Photo credit:
The Montague: John Hope

For a luxurious introduction to the capital and the English lifestyle, book the “Standard Best of British” package. It includes two nights’ accommodation in the luxury room or suite of your choice, full English Breakfast both mornings in the hotel’s Old Masters Restaurant, Traditional English Afternoon Tea for two on one day, Tea master class with the hotel’s Tea Sommelier, and a two hour London Landmarks Tour on board a Black Cab featuring the Tower of London to Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament to St Paul’s Cathedral, and many others. In lieu of the London Landmarks Tour, you may choose to discover London’s covert history by going down the city’s backstreets on the Secret London Tour, or experience the charming English character of tranquil neighborhoods like Greenwich or Richmond on the London Villages Tour. To complete your English experience, you get to take home a tin of your favorite loose leaf tea.

The hotel also offers an excellent gastronomic and cultural tour around the British Isles to Wales, Ireland and Scotland with the “Ultimate Best of British package.” The package includes two nights’ accommodation in an Executive Suite, English Breakfast either in The Old Masters Restaurant or in the comfort of your suite, British Tasting menu in the hotel’s Library Restaurant with matching wines and the Best of The British Isles Tour. The tour takes you on an opulent experience including a private plane ride to Cardiff, a helicopter ride over breathtaking landscapes of Wales, a taste of traditional Welsh breakfast in the heart of the Gower Peninsular, a sampling of a traditional Irish Lunch and a tour of the Guinness factory in Dublin, and a true Scottish Whisky Experience with a view the World’s largest collection of Scotch whisky and a splendid Scottish dinner in Edinburgh. On your return, a sumptuous midnight supper awaits you in your suite. On your last day, a chauffeur driven Bentley is at your disposal to show you all the best sights in London, culminating with a Royal Afternoon Tea at the hotel.

Feel like royalty at the Rubens, superbly located opposite Buckingham Palace, overlooking the entrance to the Royal Mews, and just a short walk to the viewing of the changing the Guard and the Royal Parks. It is also near the St. James’s Park, Green Park and The Mall, and offers easy access to Piccadilly, Knightsbridge and the West End.

For further information and booking, call +44 (0) 20 7834 6600 or e-mail bookrb@rchmail.com.

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Photo credit:
Rubens Exterior: The Rubens at the Palace

The hotel is celebrating the Diamond Jubilee by giving away a sparkling diamond necklace to a lucky guest. The necklace, sourced from the exclusive Berkeley Diamond Group, is a vintage inspired diamond slide pendant with a diamond cluster center surrounded by a diamond frame set in 18 carat white gold detailed scrolled base.

Check-in within June and you may be one of the five guests who may win a semi-precious stone, either amethyst, green quartz, aquamarine, iolite or rock quartz. The fabulous prizes will be found by the winning guests in their respective rooms at evening turndown.

You will also receive a commemorative book on Queen Elizabeth’s sixty year reign and a tin of Royal biscuits upon check-out.

Further, from July 1 until October 1, 2012, should you wish to have your new semi-precious stone mounted on either gold, silver, platinum or palladium, you can have it stamped with a special commemorative hallmark of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Milestone Hotel, a member of the award-winning Red Carnation Hotels Collection, was voted no.1 hotel in London in The Best Places to Stay in the World in the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2011 and in the British Isles, and the only hotel in London in the Top 100, in the Condé Nast Traveler annual Readers’ Choice awards 2010.

Feel like royalty with the hotel’s Diamond Jubilee package and enjoy a champagne picnic in the Kensington Gardens with gourmet goodies. The package is available from June 1 to 30, 2012. For details, visit the Milestone  Hotel website.

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Photo credit:
Kensington Gardens: Catherine 

If you really want to feel like a local, book a London Holiday Rental which will give you options for all sorts of properties in or near London.

LUXE London is THE ultimate guide to the amazing city that will give you tips on must-try delectable cuisine, the best of the arts and shopping, the attractions of the charming neighborhood ‘villages’, and many more.

Some recommendations from the guidebook are:

DINING
Pollen Street Social (Diner/Bar) – “Jason Atherton’s snazzy, relaxed and chic diner/bar that puts the fun and fab back into fine dining”
Spuntino (Italian/American Tapas) – “great little plates with a side of raucous and hip”
Wright Brothers Soho (Fish, oysters or seafood) – “flip-fresh”
The Wolsely (Café-Salon) – “carbon and cream marble ultra-glam verve and vibe”

BARS
Experimental Cocktail Club – “melts silkily onto the London scene with glass after glass of classic reinvention”
The Coburg Bar – “the unpretentious atmos makes it a great place for a nightcap, or three”
Duke’s Hotel bar – “the martinis… are a firm LUXE fave, and believe us, we’re hard to please…”

SHOPPING
The Village Bicycle in Notting Hill – “If gals want to get frock-ed up in edgy clobber…”
Wolf & Badger – “an innovative concept hosting up and coming designers’ individual interiors and custom-made clothing”
Hawick in Elizabeth Street – “purveyors of the finest cashmere, and what’s more, they can even custom knit just for you”
Dalston’s LN-CC – “a hyper-hip, ultra-curated M&F it-label store by appointment only”
Darkroom London in Holborn – “divine gifts and home accessories”
SHOWstudio on Bond St. – “the place to go for unique, provenance, rare and one-off props, items and artefacts from fashion shoots and original prints”

OFF THE BEATEN PATH
EspaLife in Conrinthia Hotel – “holistic treatments and custom programmes that focus on fitness and rehabilitation and even alternative medicine”

HOTEL
The Connaught – “perfect, seamless blend of old time excellence, immense attention to detail and up to the minute service and style”
The Zetter Townhouse – “ Georgian/country house escapism in a teensy 13 bedroom joy plus spiffing cocktail lounge with great food”
The Grazing Goat in Marylebone – “swish and commodious 8-room gastropub inn just steps from Hyde Park with a charming, relaxed vibe. Food is absolute divine. “

For more helpful, candid tips to make the most of your London stay, visit the LUXE City Guides website and enjoy a 30% discount on all individual titles.

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Photo credit:
Connaught Hotel: Soham Banerjee

“DoubleTree by Hilton is delighted to further strengthen our network of fine UK hotels with another outstanding hotel location in this world gateway city,” said Rob Palleschi, global head of DoubleTree by Hilton.

Well-located across from London’s Victoria Station, the hotel features utmost convenience in getting to popular tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Soho and the Houses of Parliament.

The hotel is the former Herperia London Victoria which has undergone massive, multiphase refurbishing, transforming the iconic property into a reasonably priced deluxe haven for business and leisure travelers to London’s hub. It has 225 modern guestrooms and suites each featuring a sitting area; high-speed internet access; flat-screen, satellite TV; trouser press; mini fridge; refreshing Crabtree & Evelyn Citron bath and body products; and in-room tea and coffee making service.

The hotel is managed by the Crimson Hotel Group and operated by Southampton Row Hotel LLP, under a franchise license agreement with a subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide.

For more information about the hotel or to make reservations, please visit the hotel’s webpage or contact by phone: +44 (0) 207 828 1099.

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Photo credit:
London Victoria Station: Ewan Munro

Aside from extending complimentary admittance to more than 55 London spots, the pass gives you priority access to select attractions, avoiding the long queues. You also get a special 2012 commemorative badge, free guidebook and many exclusive deals, discounts and freebies. An option is open should you wish to add a Travelcard which gives you unlimited rides on the city’s public transit like the Underground and double-decker buses.

With your London Pass, view the most notable and reminiscent images of Queen Elizabeth II currently exhibited at “The Queen: Art and Image,” in the National Portrait Gallery. Trace the steps of the Queen when she was crowned at Westminster Abbey’s in 1952. The abbey was also the setting of the celebrated wedding of the Royal couple, William and Catherine, in 2011. Another “must do” is a visit to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. See the Glass Coach used by several royal brides and the Gold State Coach used during coronations since 1821 at the Royal Mews. You may also visit other remarkable attractions like the Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The London Pass is priced from $72 for one day to $155 for six days for adults and from $45 for one day to $108 for six days for a 5 to 15 year old child. Check out LondonPass for more details on the activities and special offers.

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Photo credit:
Queen Elizabeth II: Roberto Arias