Traveling is always fun, but we must admit that it can be quite costly. For this reason, many cities in Europe have developed packages for tourists to make sightseeing more affordable and convenient.

“The London Pass is the ultimate sightseeing package that has been tailor-made for visitors to the city. It allows holders to make the most out of their trip, saving them both time and money.”

When you purchase a London Pass, you get free entrance to “over 55 popular attractions, tours, sights and museums”.  You can skip lines at selected attractions and avail of special offers too. Once you purchase a pass, you will receive a 160+ page travel guidebook about the city. Read on the attractions and helpful tips.

The Thames River cruise, Tower of London, London Zoo, Westminister Abbey, The London Bridge Experience, Windsor Castle, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Tower Bridge Exhibition, Hampton Court Palace and Churchill War Rooms are all within reach. There is no need to worry about entrance fees or going over budget because they have all been paid for in advance.

As an added bonus for 2012, “each London Pass comes with a specially made 2012 commemorative pin badge”. You can also get a London Pass insurance option with a money back guarantee. It also comes with an optional Travelcard which can cover all of your transportation needs.

Make sure you have a wonderful holiday with the London Pass, where you can save on money, time and stress. Visit http://www.londonpass.com for more information.

Image from  ^▓▒▓ ® Ba7raiNi ® ▓▒▓^

According to Wikipedia, “a backpack, also known as a rucksack, knapsack, packsack or pack is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on one’s back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders”. There are some backpacks though which are lightweight enough to be worn with one strap.

Back in the day, these packs were used to carry heavy loads of equipment or hunter’s game. Through the years it has evolved for special uses and travel. In the recent years, it was a common school bag because it made carrying school books more convenient. It also became a fashion trend when makers produced smaller and more fashionable designs.

Unfortunately the trend died down in the mid 90’s and shoulder and hand bags became more popular. These days, the backpack is making a comeback. Designer Alexander Wang decided to make them in ‘grown-up burgundy leather which can be worn with a single strap across the body. Felder Felder on the other hand gave the classic backpack a girly spunk by reviving them in funky metallic green paired with studded cuffs and skater skirts.

These new age backpacks come in a countless colors, materials and fabrics. It will be no surprise if this “it bag” becomes a staple in every woman’s wardrobe. Its regular size gives enough space for essentials, reducing back aches caused by heavy and stuffed shoulder and hand bags.

If you are still not convinced that backpacks are right for you, try getting into the trend with a mini backpack made of black or navy leather. Simple sling on strap on your shoulder and you will barely notice that you have switched from the usual purse to a backpack.

Image from  Romana Correale

Christmas songs are part of the season. Most establishments and radio stations play them as early as November. They help condition the brain and set the holiday mood.  It is said that music releases a brain chemical called dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that rewards human activities linked to pleasure. This is the reason why most people feel good when listening to Christmas songs. It reminds people of pleasant memories and common holiday cheer

People shop more when establishments play them. Based on surveys, 95% of consumers are in the shopping vibe and tend to splurge when holiday tunes are played as compared to everyday music they are familiar with, for the reason that it ignites the festive mood and brings about good feelings.

Here is a list of top 10 most played Christmas songs in the UK:

1. All I want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey

2. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues

3. Merry Xmas Everybody -  Slade

4. Stop the Cavalry – Jona Lewie

5. Do They Know it’s Christmas? – Band Aid

6. Driving Home for Christmas – Chris Rea

7. Last Christmas – Wham

8. I Believe in Father Christmas – Greg Lake

9. Step Into Christmas – Elton John

10. Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney

Source: PPL & PRS for Music

Other popular Christmas songs include Jingle Bells, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, White Christmas, Merry Christmas Everybody, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Baby.  The types of songs played are also vital factors. Some Christmas songs actually drive people away. So it is best to stay with a common playlist that everyone loves.

Image from  flickr./com/photos/amanda_munoz

Visit A Museum

Britain has wonderful museums, and London alone offers more than 240 museums within its city limits, giving you ample opportunity to take in some culture and history without getting damp If you’re interested in World War II, check out The Britain at War Experience or The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, which show life in London during WWII. London is also home to some very niche museums, such as the Cartoon Museum, London Transport Museum, London Motor Museum, and Pollock’s Toy Museum, just to name a handful.This means that whatever your tastes are, there is definitely a museum for you to check out.

Visit the Gorgeous Estates

Britain is home to many beautiful estates that you can visit. Pretend you’re Elizabeth Bennett traveling the countryside and seeing Pemberley for the first time, and you’ll feel like you’re in a Jane Austen tome. The Chatsworth House is a can’t-miss if you’re into touring gorgeous homes.

Culture via Theatre

What is a trip to Britain without seeing a Shakespeare play? Taking in a theater matinee is the perfect way to spend a rainy day in Britain. Check out a play in Stratford-upon-Avon or Manchester’s Royal Exchange. You’ll feel cultured, entertained, and dry.

Spend Some Dough

You can let your wallet do all the work without feeling a drop of rain. Check out London’s covered Borough Market for scrumptious British produce or the Bull Ring Shopping Centre in Birmingham for high-end goods. You could also visit the south coast and check out the wonderful boutiques in the city of Brighton. Just don’t spend so much that you find yourself having to apply for loans when you get home because you don’t have enough left to pay your real bills!

Go Underground

A totally unique and different Britain excursion that’s also incredibly family friendly is a tour through Britain’s many caves. Many visitors don’t even think to check out all the natural underground wonders the country has to offer, but it’s a perfect way to stay out of the drizzle. Wookey Hole is a wonderfully spooky cave that’s sure to entertain the whole family.

As you can see, you can have plenty of fun in Britain even if you’re dodging rainclouds. Make sure to pack an umbrella and waterproof shoes, and you’ll be able to have the perfect English holiday

London Zoo

Founded in 1828, London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo The London Zoo houses 755 different species of animals with a total of 16,802 animals. Along with its famous claim for being the world’s oldest scientific zoo, the London Zoo is also the first zoo in the world to open a Reptile house, Aquarium, Insect house, and Children’s zoo to the public. The London Zoo boasts 36 acres, and you’ll need the whole day just to take it all in. Don’t leave the zoo without checking out the daily penguin and lion feedings or visiting the monkeys in the recreated Bolivian rain forest.

Paradise Wildlife Park

This family-owned zoo is the perfect chance to get up close and personal with exotic animals. Located in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, at the Paradise Wildlife Park you can even feed Rocky the tiger At this zoo, you’ll definitely want to visit their big cats as recent additions to the park include their Big Cat Territory, where you’ll see awesome cats like white lions, snow leopards, and jaguars. They’ve also recently added a cool Birds of Paradise Arena that is sure to dazzle your little ones.

Whipsnade Zoo

Located near Dunstable in Bedfordshire, Whipsnade Zoo opened in 1931 and is home to 227 different species with 6,405 animals in total. The most notable feature of Whipsnade Zoo is their roaming elephants. The herds of elephants freely roam the zoo grounds and make for cool family photos Whipsnade Zoo has the distinction of being Britain’s largest zoo with its 600 acres, so make sure to give yourself plenty of time to visit.

Chester Zoo

The Chester Zoo is home to over 7,000 animals representing over 400 species with half of the species listed as endangered, meaning that conservation is a huge mission for this zoo. The biggest attraction at the Chester Zoo is the Black Rhino Experience, where you can visit Chester’s seven Black Rhinos.

Drusillas Park

While Drusillas Park is one of the smallest zoos in Britain, it is one of the most kid-friendly zoo and gives your little ones the chance to come practically face-to-snout with some of the zoo’s residents. Located in East Essez, Drusillas Park boasts a playland for children that includes the Monkey Kingdom and a toddler’s indoor village.

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The worst part is this scenario isn’t relegated simply to children’s games and toys. There are gifts to be purchased for older children and adults as well. And the cycle continues unabated.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many choices for high quality educational gifts that anyone would love. We really mean that. In many cases the gift is so fun or cool it’s easy to dismiss the fact that you’re actually learning something in the process. For example, it may be the story behind the gift, or a certain cause that its purchase supports that makes it educational in a broader sense.

Here’s another good reason to purchase an educational gift this Christmas – Internet shopping. Some of the best gifts available are not going to be sold in your community shopping center. Fortunately, there are a number of high quality and secure websites where awesome finds can be had with a few clicks of the mouse and delivered right to your door hassle-free.

To help cut through the noise so you can make the right choice, we’ve compiled some of the best websites for educational gifts. Here are the top 5:

EthicalOcean.com: Have a green Christmas with Ethical Ocean. Products that range include beauty, electronics, clothing, food and drink, home and garden and kids and babies are sold with sustainability and fair trade principles.

Scientificsonline.com: Edmund Scientifics – in business since 1942 – has a huge catalog of awesome science-related toys, gadgets and other gifts that range from the unusual to the amazing.

NRDCGreenGifts.org: The website for the NRDC which is considered one of the United States’ most productive environmental non-profit organizations with 1.3 million members has a great gift site where educational gifts can be purchased that support specific causes.

NationalGeographic.com: The quintessential exploration organization has a gift store to satisfy even the most ardent taste. Books, DVDs, Atlas items aren’t the only gifts available, how about an ancient Roman coin necklace or a personalized “My World” wall map and plenty of other classy offerings.

Treehugger.com: Find updated 2011 gift guides for environmentally-friendly products. Each type of gift is separated into categories for foodies, do-it-yourselfers, designers, kids, pop culture fans, athletes and outdoor enthusiasts and animal lovers.

Bargain shopping doesn’t end when you’ve purchased your plane or train ticket. Understanding the culture and economy of your host country can prove beneficial in unexpected ways. For example, many countries’ markets and retail operators strictly adhere to bartering principles that dictate no one ever pays the advertised price. That is, of course, unless you don’t know any better.

Research can also turn up local secrets. These tips can range from dinner recommendations to taxi-scam warnings to guidance in finding the best “for-free” attractions and activities a locale has to offer.

To help wade through the flotsam and jetsam of the sea of information available on the Internet, we’ve compiled some of the best resources available for conducting research.

You can’t go wrong with these travel resources:

Wikitravel – The vagabond cousin of Wikipedia, Wikitravel is a user-based compilation of travel-related information about just about any location you can think of. Information includes history, economics, public transportation tips, food and drink, and attractions.

Lonely Planet Travel Guides – Still one of the best sources for country-specific travel information, Lonely Planet covers all of the bases in an easy to use format that includes maps and color photos.

Free research papers – That’s right, the plethora of sites on the Internet hawking term papers can be fantastic travel resources. Many of these sites offer free-to-download research papers on various countries that cover geography, history, culture and so on.

CIA World Factbook – The United States government’s spy agency, surprisingly, is a wealth of information that can be used to your advantage when planning a trip. The factbook has exhaustive information on 267 countries that include information on history, people, government, economy, geography, communications and transportation.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office – Britain’s diplomatic service maintains an extensive “Travel and Living Abroad” website at www.fco.gov.uk. Here you can find – literally – anything you might need to know in the course of planning a trip. It’s all covered from news to staying safe and healthy to being a responsible tourist.

With the massive amounts of information readily available on the Internet, there is no reason at all to go blind when taking a trip. Key information can enhance a trip where ignorance can cost you money, time and maybe even your freedom. Do the research and know the possibilities – bon voyage!

About the Event

Fashion Week 2012 in London is one of the biggest fashion events in the world. The event draws visitors from 25 different countries and is said to be one of the top influences in fashion. This isn’t a small fashion show to showcase the work of a handful of artists. Instead, hundreds of designers will be there in hopes of gaining their share of the l00 million pounds that the event generates in orders. Starting on February 17 at Somerset House, Strand, London the week promises to be big with some of the largest names in fashion and some of the hottest looks for autumn/winter 2012.

Hottest Designers and Labels to Look For

The biggest buzz of Fashion Week 2012 is that Stella McCartney will showcase her collection at the event for the first time. The showcasing of her “one-off” collection on February 18 will coincide with the designer’s release of a new fragrance and the opening of a new store. As if the daughter of a mega rock-star weren’t enough, the week will also feature a new line from the house of Alexander McQueen.

The McQ label is said to be a more affordable fashion line for young, hip and trendy fashionistas. Those not familiar with McQueen’s work should take note that it’s worn by some of the top stars in Great Britain, including Emma Watson. No matter which designers are showcased at Fashion Week 2012 there’s no doubt that the event will be huge and impressive. If you’re a fan of fashion, this will be your first chance to get a glimpse at what some of the hottest fashion designers will have available for autumn/winter 2012. It will also give you a great chance to think of ways to recreate some of the hottest looks this winter so you can be ahead of the game. Either way, the event is sure to be enjoyable and worth checking out.

The Dorchester

Located at Park Lane, Mayfair The Dorchester has been serving up excellence for over 80 years. A great way to treat yourself at The Dorchester is to enjoy afternoon tea, which includes a variety of finger sandwiches served on fresh baked bread. That isn’t all though. The tea also includes a variety of French pastries, scones with homemade jams and clotted cream, and a selection of grand and rare teas. It’s truly one of the best ways to experience a spot of tea in England.

Helene Darroze at the Connaught

If you want to feel like royalty, Helene Darroze is happy to please. Also located in the Mayfair District, the restaurant features French-inspired cuisine that is based on seasonal and regional ingredients. Guests of the restaurant can dine on such delicacies as duck foie gras from Les Landes poached in sangria wine or roasted loin of venison with Jamaican pepper.

The Ivy

Located in the heart of London’s theater district, on West Street, The Ivy is the perfect place to visit after taking in a show. While there, you’ll experience such dishes as beetroot, apple & chickweed salad with goat’s cheese nuggets and steamed syrup pudding. Guests may also like the fact that all the fish in the restaurant comes from sustainable sources.

HIX Oyster and Fish House

Want authentic fish and chips that doesn’t come from a street cart? Then this is the place to go. HIX is also another restaurant that practices sustainable fishing in its efforts to serve the best seafood in London. Located on Cobb Road, HIX Oyster and Fish House overlooks the beautiful harbor and offers a relaxed atmosphere.

The Brasserie at the Tower Hotel

If you want decadence in a more traditional form, your best bet is The Brasserie. The restaurant offers such dishes as pan fried pork #fillet with polenta cake, apple puree, stilton sauce and roast rump of lamb, wilted pak choi, garlic mash, and thyme jus. Located at St. Katherine’s Way, the restaurant is sure to please any meat eater.

London is filled with gourmet restaurants to suit almost any palate. If you’re looking for decadent choices, you cannot go wrong with these choices. All of the restaurants offer a taste of London with an abundance of class. My friend highly recommends Brasserie.