why London? | top five reasons

changing of the Guards (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

The United Kingdom is a bargain. While the Pound Sterling was down to $1.37 last week, I just checked the exchange rates again, and the the pound is now down to $1.29. Just because something is a bargain is not a reason to buy it, but London is a most fabulous destination for a your summer vacation.

Here is my list of the top five reasons to visit London this summer.

1) comfortable weather... southern Europe is hot and humid, so unless you really enjoy a lot of summer heat, I encourage my clients to consider northern Europe. Consider places like northern France (Paris, Normandy, Brittany), Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and the British Isles (England, Scotland, and Ireland).

2) the English speak English... though with a touch of British accent. Some travelers are uncomfortable going to a country where English is not the primary language, but that's not even an issue in the British Isles.

3) the pomp and glamour of the royals...  No one can put on a parade quite like they do in England, and one of the top attractions in London is the daily Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Crowds gather in front of the palace well in advance of the daily parade, but if you're in the know, you can avoid the crowds and come face to face with the new Guard before it marches out of the Wellington Barracks to replace the old Guard at the Palace. Ask me how you can have private access to the parade grounds above.

4) gardens and parks... Nobody does gardens quite like the British, and it's wonderful to get out of the city to tour some of England's most beautiful gardens. We can get you hard-to-get tickets to Prince Charles' gardens at Highgrove, his personal country estate in the Cotswolds — and there are lots of other opportunities for garden lovers to indulge this summer.

5) history and culture... London has so many great museums from the British Museum to the Tower of London to the Churchill War Room (where we can get you behind the plexiglass so you can sit in Churchill's chair from which he led his War Cabinet).

London's luxury hotels are all on sale this summer and available with Virtuoso amenities that will save you hundreds of dollars during a typical stay. Ask me about my favorites!

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.