London

The Tower Bridge in all its limelight-lit glory.

There is more than one way to London from Dublin. The easiest way is to fly there - cheap airlines at Ryanair - and planes fly to and fro as often as forty times a day, and as cheap as twenty euro a flight (return). It only takes an hour for Dublin to fly to its posh neighbour so sometimes it is worth giving up a few days of work/study to float in the British fog whenever a cheap ticket decides to pop up. Make sure you double check which London airport you are meant to land/take off, since there are three: Stanstead, Luton, and Gatwick (and I believe there is also London Central, as well as Heathrow for long-haul international flights). I made the common error of being too excited for my own good and whisking myself off to the wrong airport and spending some extra 30 pounds in order to train to the right one. (Luckily good train and bus services vouch for this silly hyped-up tourist mistake)(English train services I love you).

Eurotrippers will find this familiar.

How to make passengers not anxious throughout the whole flight - replace entertainment with safety instructions on what to do in case there's a terrorist on board.

The other option is to take the ferry from Dublin port to Holyhead (Wales), then the train to London Euston. StenaLine is good at this - for 90 euro you can purchase a return ticket that covers the ferry and the train. However, this whole ordeal takes about eight to nine hours in total, and that's not including the time you wait between stations before you line up for the next transport.

Waiting between stations can be a bit of a drag. Bring a book, or knitting, or something.

A whole day may be spent travelling this way. I didn’t mind it so much, but if you are in a hurry and it’s the middle of winter, you may regard this method as a time-waster. Now that I ponder this fact, there is no reason for you to take this option if it takes nine times longer and around twice as expensive as plane tickets (unless you are a train and ferry enthusiast, or air tickets are unreasonably expensive, as was the case for me, due to the influx of excited young travellers into Ireland the day before St Patricks).


So once you are in London, you will become familar with a few things - the tube, the bridges, narrow pedestrian walkways, and a hint of the regal ambience in the air despite the incredible number of buildings under construction. When I was eleven I saw the queen sitting in her black royal cab and to this day I like to make a point that I made a very special acquaintance with the queen. Come to think of it she didn’t move very much in that car. I’m starting to think I may have been subject to the trolling of Englishmen with Madame Tussauds royal wax models.

Oyster cards can help you get from A to B via subway and bus and at the end of your trip you can return it back to ticket points and they will give you back your money. You should be able to buy these at most convenience stores or at train stations. The tube is spiffingly well done, taking you to the most important landmarks of London as quick as you can say “good luck guv’ner.” Or you could be like us and walk everywhere and save a few pounds for KFC later.

Going down down down down down to the underground.

Trusty Travel Companion!

I didn't know this but apparently there is more than one Madame Tussauds. One in the Netherlands, one in Sydney, several in the States. Perhaps they rotate the wax models among themselves. Perhaps, as the celebrities age, they melt down the younger versions and update them (fine lines, receding hairline, the lot), though I heard that the eyeballs are recycled.

The royal family looked a bit different when I Madame Tussaud-ed ten years ago.

Anyway, here are some pictures of me rubbing elbows with the rich, the stunning, and the deceased.

You so beautiful Kate Winslet!

A discussion with George Clooney considering his classy bow tie.

A discussion with Newton about refraction.

A discussion with Audrey Hepburn about Moon River.

Chilling with the Beatles.

And here are some teenage idols - 

The best part is the 4D experience with your favourite superheroes - and look out for scrumptious London lollies hidden in treasured corners of the museum.

Then give the lollies to Hulk or Hulk will be angry and smash you.

   There's also an interactive horror walkway but I am clever enough to know that timid people should not let themselves be talked into walking through winding dark paths and have hideously dressed actors jump out at them.

Looking at it was enough. Didn't need the interactive part of the experience.

The London Eye was part of the tourist package along with Madame Tussauds. It is a very hi-tech Ferris Wheel, and rotates nice and slowly (very phobia-friendly!) so that you have time to take everything in - and there is a lot to take in. The pictures turned out rather terrible because it was raining - but despite the rain the scene below was really quite lovely.

Inside the London Eye - I cannot remember what I was trying to achieve.

Don't forget to explore the West End and throw yourself through clusters of glamorous musicals. There are more than a hundred theatres in London and you won't be disappointed spending £££ to see a musical. We watched Phantom of the Opera, and because we were on £27 restricted view seats, there was a colossal pillar in our faces so we literally only saw half a musical. Still! It. Was. Brilliant!

London is all about being posh and individual. So make a thing out of imitating the British accent (there are more than five specific accents in London alone, listen carefully and take your pick) so that you sound just as proper and fancy as everyone else. Individual style is celebrated in this city, and it's quite fun to sit and watch the different types of styles you come across.

And of course, you have your chance to flaunt your own epic style.