Honeymoon in London, England

If you happen to be one of those people who can do without the sun and surf - which many newlyweds believe is obligatory for their honeymoon - then you may be one of those people who would like to do something a little different - but not too different.

At first glance London may appear to be too far, too different and too costly. The fact is that London isn't much further than Hawaii, and, while different, it isn't that different - at least we speak the same language - or at least something close to the same language - and the cost of a London honeymoon is comparable to a honeymoon in Hawaii - just with a different accent and a bit cooler.

If names like Tower Bridge (shown above), the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Bond Street, Hyde Park, Green Park, The Tate Gallery, The National Gallery, The British Museum, The Horse Guards, Buckingham Palace, The Changing of the Guards - if you like theater (theater that easily rivals New York's best) - and if you like food - meals that may include anything from a simple pub dinner or almost any of the American fast food chains, to Greek, Italian, Chinese, Indian (et al) or traditional British Fare - even a hamburger at the original Hard Rock Cafe on Piccadilly - if any of these seem interesting, romantic or just fun, you may want to look into a week to ten days in and around London.

London itself can easily occupy you for a week but that's just for starters because beyond London - and all easy one day outings - you have Windsor (here you find another one of the royal family's estates "Windsor Castle"), Stratford-on-Avon (Shakespeare), Bath (The Roman Baths, the Crescent, and close by Stonehenge) and dozens of other historic and fun destinations.

London can be almost anything and everything you look for when traveling. While the months of May through September are the busiest time of the year, any time is a good time to visit London. One advantage of skipping the high season is being able to also skip longer lines and being able to get excellent seats to almost any top hit play you may want to see.

Another great advantage to honeymooning in or around London is that the "natives" are friendly and, should they learn you are from Texas, they are often down-right hospitable too. As a matter of fact, should you decide to "venture across the pond", make a point of getting at least a dozen copies of Texas (that very big and beautiful publication available free from the Texas Department of Tourism) which presents one of the best show & tells you can possibly get -and give. These magazines accomplish a lot more than just good will. Because the magazine is so large and so heavy, the room they take up on the outbound trip is room available for your purchased gifts and souvenirs on the return trip!

Getting to London is as easy as going to DFW airport. A number of airlines fly non-stop from DFW into and out of one of two London airports; Gatwick or Heathrow. Once there, getting around is almost as easy as getting there. You have the Underground (also known as the Tube) that can take you nearly anywhere in London proper - plus to and from Heathrow Airport; you have a great railroad system (Britrail) that can take you nearly anywhere you want to go outside of London - including to and from Gatwick Airport; and you have London's renowned double decker buses and famous cabs - two people can share a London cab and go all over the city for about the same cost as taking the Tube. One very decided advantage to using a cab is that you get to see more and most taxi drivers will be more than happy to give you a running commentary of the sights, the history and local color as you drive by.

London is a city to be strolled. In Fort Worth we may stroll Sundance Square or The Stockyards. In Dallas we may stroll the West End and McKinney Avenue. In London you can stroll nearly the entire city: walk along the Mall from Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace.

You can stroll Piccadilly on a weekend from Park Lane (past The Hard Rock Cafe) to Piccadilly Circus while browsing the artists' wares that are hung on the fence along Green Park. You can stroll from Trafalgar to the Houses of Parliament passing the Horse Guards' Barracks, Downing Street (the Prime Minister's official residence is within shouting distance) to Parliament Square with Big Ben on your left and the exquisite Westminster Abbey just ahead of you and across the square to your right. You can stroll along the Embankment (Thames River); stroll Covent Garden (no longer a flower market but dozens of shops, pubs and eateries); stroll through "The City" (this is older London with St. Paul's Cathedral, historic pubs - like Ye Ole Cheshire Cheese - and for an astounding sense of history, visit The Tower of London (built nearly 500 years before Columbus set sail for America).

Then you have those places where you go to stroll-and-look: The British Museum is worth at least 1/2 a day to stroll-and-look. Then if you have any interest in art you have (at least) the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery. If you are a history and museum buff next stop could be the Victoria and Albert Museum or - if you are not - how about the original Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum (and don't overlook the Planetarium show while you are there). Of course you will want to stroll-and-look as well as stroll-and-look-and-spend through some of the great stores like Selfridges and Harrod's (while at Harrod's don't miss the side street named Beauchamp Place - pronounced Beachum - for additional shopping and some good restaurants). But, don't let all that strolling and looking and shopping make you too tired because evening in London means Theatre (comedy, musicals, mysteries, British farce or Shakespeare) and/or some great dining experiences and/or anything from cabarets to casinos or just stop at a local pub to "chat up" the locals.

Accommodations in London range from quaint bed and breakfasts (by the hundreds) to 5-star deluxe hotels (by the hundreds). You are likely to find a package tour that is your best buy and is not what you think of as a real "tour" - you would get your roundtrip air, the hotel and maybe a travel pass - and you can save big time!!! Theatre tickets, rail passes, day excursions and the like can also be purchased here, in the U.S. before you go.

London is a destination well worth looking into for your honeymoon. Check with a travel agent who specializes in honeymoons and has first hand knowledge of London (they charge no fee) and get some good detailed information. A honeymoon specialist should have great London knowledge.