London Pass Offers the Tourist the City on Their Terms
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Being a tourist in London can be a frustrating experience. Most people will have spent time planning where to go and what to see, carefully considering the must-do experiences, studying the Tube map and deciding the best way to spend their time efficiently. What they don't take into account, sitting in the comfort of their own homes looking at their London Map, is that they will not be alone. Other tourists will have had exactly the same ideas.
London, the nation's capital, has always been a tourist hotspot. Hundreds of years of history and the ability to fly to the busiest airport in the world from anywhere draw thousands of visitors to the capital every year. With the city also being the venue for the Olympics in 2012, visitor traffic will increase dramatically over the coming months and for many people this will mean long lines at popular attractions with space at a premium on the London Underground.
There are ways to avoid being overwhelmed by other travellers without the need to get up early and make your way to the attraction in question. London is a city that is a 24-hour destination and many of the places of interest will still be open at a reasonable time. One thing that English people are famed for is their ability to queue, but standing in line is not fun when there is the opportunity to see what you want when you want.
Following the examples of other tourist destinations around the world, the city introduced The London Pass and over the last ten years this sightseeing access card has become a convenient and cheaper way to enjoy London. A credit card sized "Smart" pass, it allows the visitor to discover more of the city with free or discounted entry to many attractions and, importantly, to skip the queue altogether.
Once purchased it opens up historical places of interest such as the Tower of London, Churchill's War Rooms, St. Paul's Cathedral and HMS Belfast, while more recent additions to the city such as Tate Modern and Wembley Stadium are also worth careful consideration. While the majority of attractions are within London, there is also the opportunity to leave the city and visit Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace, royal residences that haven't been swallowed up by urban growth.
The London Pass can also be used as a public transport travel card, again ensuring that the tourist doesn't have to keep switching between cards to have unlimited use of the Tube, national rail and bus services as most Londoners do. An added bonus of the pass is that it gives discounts at participating shops and restaurants with a free guidebook included to make sure that the visitor makes the most of their time in London.
Londoners know that time is a precious commodity which is why they always seem to be in a hurry. With the London Pass, the opportunity to see the city at your pace is one not to be missed.
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