London Travel: Buckingham Palace

If you are considering a trip to London, you must visit Buckingham palace. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions. It remains the official home of the noble monarchy including the Queen and has been since the early 1800’s.

The palace was originally constructed for the Duke of Buckingham in the early 1700’s. The house is designed around a courtyard and has 3 wings. The house was expanded after George the III purchased it.

In the early 1900’s major modifications were done to add a formal ballroom, extra bedrooms for visitors, and other additional rooms such as a nursery.

Most of the palace is open to visitors daily, and approximately 40,000 guests as well as invitees visit the palace annually. The palace is comprised of office and residential areas.

During late Summer and Fall, the state rooms are open to visitors. Throughout the year, various rooms are open to the public for viewing. The building is a pleasure in and of itself but, there are also crowned jewels, furniture and luxurious décor.

The Queens gallery contains unbelievable original paintings done by Rubens, Vermeer and other great artists. In the Royal Mews, there are ever changing works of art on display year round and are a spectacle to see and admire!

While at the Royal Mews, which has stables, which are a must see! A three ton coach with 6-8 horses is used for special events for coronations and balls.

The Royal garden is at least 30 acres, and provides a peaceful walk with breath taking flowers and a gorgeous view of the lake.

The Palace has been guarded since the 1600’s and I am sure you have heard of the changing of the guard. It is formally known as the Guard Mount and their job is to protect the palace. Although the actual changing of the guard is a spectacle in and of itself. The well rehearsed event is meticulously done religiously at the same time every day. Spectators come from across the world to view the changing of the guard.

The band performs a traditional march as the guards replace each other and man their post. There are four other guards that stand at the front of the building. If the Queen is away, there are only two guards present.

The guards are trained to be attentive and are not distracted by others. Although there are attempts to gain their attention, they do not succeed. The guards wear a red tunic and an animal skin outfit. It is an honor to guard the Queen and whomever mans the post realizes they have a lofty order that they easily obey and take pride in.

The ceremony begins at approximately 11:15 in the morning and takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. It is an unforgettable event and one that you should observe if you travel to London.

School Holidays With Travelodge For £19 This February Half Term

LONDON, February 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Experience the thrill of a school trip at bargain-busting budget prices to England's second biggest city this half term with Travelodge - who are offering nights ...

TripAdvisor Reveals Europe's Most Romantic Hotels

LONDON, February 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --TripAdvisor shares the love this Valentine's Day with the Travellers' Choice Romance awards TripAdvisor ® , (NASDAQ: TRIP - News), the world's largest travel site*, today ...

Are high hotel prices driving away London Olympics tourists?

As the organising committee for the London Olympics hands back 120,000 hotel reservations, one tourism industry boss tells Channel 4 News high hotel prices are putting people off coming to London.

Three new accolades for Tune Hotels

KUCHING: Tune Hotels earned triple recognition for its hotels in Penang – Malaysia, Hat Yai – Thailand and [...]

Britain Cashes in as Travel Discounts Rocket by 200%

LONDON, January 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- VoucherCodes.co.uk sees huge rise in travel deals this JanuaryConsumers must act quickly to secure the best dealsThe New Year is well and truly underway and with ...

Bargain deals add to Bali's appeal

Travel package deals to Bali, WA's favourite holiday spot, have been slashed to just over $500 for seven nights as tourism operators strive to stimulate trade in the quiet March, April period.

Expedia.co.uk: Brits Will Spend Money to Escape the January Blues

LONDON--(BUSINESSWIRE)-- As annual mood-killer, dubbed ‘Blue Monday’ hits Britain, Expedia.co.uk has seen sales reach peak levels as shoppers take advantage of January sales to combat ‘back to work’ blues. ...

Holidaymakers pick up bargain breaks at fair

FROM the romance of Italy, to the seaside resort of Blackpool, there were plenty of holiday destinations on offer for people at the annual Evening Mail Reader Travel Fair.

Singing praise to fantastic Tune

TUNE Hotels continues its winning streak in the Year of the Dragon by earning recognitions for its hotels in Penang, Hat Yai (Thailand) and Bali (Indonesia).

Long-term investors go bargain-hunting in Europe

By Lisa Jucca DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Long-term investors with deep pockets are scanning Europe for lucrative investment opportunities even though a lasting solution for the euro zone crisis is ...