Three Great Travel Apps for the UK

Even though Britain is not huge, it can still be tough to find your way around or plan a holiday without some help.

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What better help than Britain’s favorite footballer, David Beckham? Okay, there’s probably a lot more qualified travel advisors, but he’s a traveler and knows what he likes. He also loves his country enough to tell the Olympic coordinators that they should let an actual Olympian carry the torch instead of him. Imagine that! Beautiful and humble. Anyway, The Best of Britain App is a great download for those that want valuable information and also a peek at what Beckham loves most about it. His top 10 is only a small part of a very awesome app.

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Want to visit London without missing a thing? Then you’ll want to go download the free London Official City Guide App. Not only will it show you the best of the best in town, you’ll also get alerts on deals, special events and secret happenings going on. It’s like you’re totally in the know!

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Not specifically for the UK, the Arounder Touch App allows you to sightsee without getting off the couch! Of course, seeing the amazing places you COULD be going will be motivation enough with this app that gives you 360 degree views of famous visitor attractions. See museums, cathedrals, views from mountaintops and more, then start planning your own trip to go there or somewhere new that you can take your own videos of.

Do you have a favorite travel app that you’d like to share?

5 Places to View the London Skyline for Less

So, everyone knows that they can get an amazing view of the skyline of England’s capital from the famous London Eye, but queues can be long and admission is a bit expensive. Why not check out amazing views for less from some of these places?

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1.       Tower Bridge Exhibition. The walkways above the bridge give a great view of London from both directions. See the Tower of London, boats on the Thames and so much more including the London Eye.

2.      National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Go to the top and see amazing views over Westminster. It’s also FREE.

3.      OXO Tower. The 8th floor viewing platform is a fab place to get some photos of the London scenery. If you’re ready to hang out and relax, you can grab a bite to eat in the restaurant or a drink at the bar.

4.      Lewisham’s Telegraph Hill. Another freebie. Climb to the top of Telegraph Hill for panoramic views of London. This is the perfect place to bring a picnic and your camera.

5.      London Zoo. If you’re going there anyway, on a clear day you can get some nice views of Central London…and a collection of lovely animals.

Do you have a favorite place to see the London landscape?

London Bargains Abound

Right about now everyone is either at the Olympic games or staying far away, because the talk of huge crowds and crap traffic has kept them out of the city when possible. Amazingly, it worked so well that now tourists have changed all their plans and avoided London altogether, too. Of course, the airfare taxes have not helped. If you were hoping to make a trip into London, now is the time to do it. The city is like a ghost town outside the Olympic Stadium and merchants and hotels are suffering. Snap up deals where you can and also have a lot of the capital to yourself. Perfect for sightseeing and shopping!

View of Tower of London from Tower Bridge.

·         If you’ll actually be traveling for the games, make sure to use your included travel card to save money on transportation. It’s good for zones 1-9 on the day of your event.

·         If you won’t be traveling for the games, then buy an Oyster card or Travelcard or a pack of passes for travel on public transportation. It will save you quite a bit over paying each time you need to use the underground or bus.

·         Hit up free attractions, like Tate Modern, the Victoria & Albert, Imperial War Museum, the British Library, National Portrait Gallery, the Changing of the Guard and more.

·         Want stellar views of the city without spending big bucks? Skip the London Eye and head for Tower Bridge. You can get the same views for much less from the historic walkways.

·         Staying for a while? Think about purchasing a London Pass and save substantially on a long list of attractions, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London and Shakespeare’s Globe.

·         Bring your own snacks into the Olympic Stadium if you’ll be going. You can also bring an empty bottle and fill up once inside. Pack a few of those handy ice tea packets and you can mix it in and have a tastier beverage.

For those that don’t live in Britain and need a primer on British slang, here’s a handy guide.

Do you have any other last-minute tips for visiting London during the Olympics?

Life Aboard a Real Warship

If you’re like me, you often wonder what it’s like inside those big ships you see on the river. What do the kitchens look like? Where do crewmen sleep? What do they do for fun…if they have any onboard? Well, you can learn about all these things and more if you take a trip aboard the HMS Belfast on the Thames. See the ins and outs of crew life and hear about incredible stories of those that served its nine decks. It’s not often you get a chance to climb aboard a real warship. Though no longer in active service, the ship is an amazing piece of history and is the last remaining vessel of its kind.

Each tour admission includes an audio guide to help you navigate through the ship and learn everything you can, from how it was to eat in the mess hall to what it was like working in the engine room. There are recreations in every part of the ship, so you can see what it was really like. It is one of the most unique experiences you can find along the Thames.

A trip aboard the HMS Belfast comes complete with access to the Walrus Café and the gift shop, where you can find everything you could possibly want to remember your tour, including books, CDs, clothing, toys and souvenirs. You could easily spend several hours on the ship, listening to commentary, speaking to the crew on board, and enjoying seeing things like the chapel, the library and the medic facilities. I was truly fascinated by it all and we even caught a rare glimpse of Tower Bridge rising for a passing ship. Entry fees are very affordable at £14.00 for adults 16 and over. Under 16 are free when accompanied by an adult. If you are a member of the Imperial War Museums Friend program, your admission is free.