12: Exploring London in VS .NET

Generation Denso QR Bar Code in VS .NET 12: Exploring London

The same company offers a daily lunch cruise departing at 12:30 pm that costs 24 ($48) for adults, 13 ($26) for children A nightly dinner cruise leaves at 7:15 pm and returns at 9:45 pm The cruise, which includes a two- to four-course dinner with live music and after-dinner dancing, costs 69 to 105 ($138 $210) per person, depending on the various add-ons that you choose A two-hour Sunday jazz lunch cruise departs at 12:30 pm and costs 3950 to 55 ($79 $110) per person Advance reservations are required for all tours, and a smart-casual dress code applies (no sweatpants or running shoes) All cruises depart from Embankment Pier

London Duck Tours (% 020/7928-3132; wwwlondonducktoursco uk) has adapted several World War II amphibious troop carriers, known as DUKWs, to civilian comfort levels and painted them bright yellow It runs 80-minute road-and-river trips Tours start behind County Hall (site of the British Airways London Eye giant observation wheel) It picks up passengers on Chicheley Street (Tube: Westminster, then walk across Westminster Bridge) and then rumbles through Westminster and up to Piccadilly, gathering bemused stares as it passes many of London s major tourist sites Then the vehicle splashes into the Thames at Vauxhall for a 30-minute cruise as far as the Houses of Parliament The tickets cost 18 ($36) for adults, 14 ($28) for seniors, 12 ($24) for children

A walking tour is an affordable way to see London from street level in the company of a knowledgeable guide This type of tour is great for history, literature, and architecture buffs, and older kids generally have a good time as well The weekly events listings in Time Out magazine, which you can pick up at any news agent in London, include dozens of intriguing walks; a walk happens every day The Original London Walks, PO Box 1708, London NW6 4LW (% 020/ 7624-3978; wwwwalkscom), offers a terrific array of tours, including Jack the Ripper s London, Christopher Wren s London, Oscar Wilde s London, and The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Guides lead walks every day of the week, rain or shine; tours last about two hours and end near an Underground station You don t need to make advance reservations Call for schedules and departure points A London Walk costs 550 ($11) for adults and 450 ($9) for students with ID; kids walk free with a parent If you want to follow detailed strolls on your own, check out the 11 tours in Frommer s Memorable Walks in London, by Richard Jones (Wiley Publishing, Inc)

Every London visitor faces one problem: how to see as much as possible in a limited amount of time What do you do if you have only one, two, or three days at your disposal I provide one-, two-, and three-day itineraries

for top London sights in 4 (the first three days in the Seeing England s Highlights in One Week section)

When you think of shopping in London, what items come to mind Silky cashmere sweaters Burberry raincoats Hand-tailored suits and shirts Tartan plaids Irish linens Silver spoons Old engravings Bone china Books Whatever you think of, you can find it somewhere in London, one of the world s greatest shopping cities In addition to the major department stores, you can find hundreds of small, enticing specialty shops and boutiques that delight the eye and empty the wallet For the location of all the shops listed in this section, see the West End Shopping map on p 188

Normal shopping hours are Monday to Saturday 10 am to 5:30 pm, with late closing (7 or 8 pm) on Wednesday or Thursday Stores may legally be open for six hours on Sunday, usually 11 am to 5 pm Stores in London have two sale periods: one in January and the other in July Discounts can range from 25 percent to 50 percent at leading department stores Harrods has the most famous January sale in London, but just about every other store also has a big sale at this time The VAT (value-added tax) in London and throughout England is 175 percent The VAT is added to the price on every price tag Anyone who isn t a resident of the European Union can get a VAT refund on retail goods, but not on restaurant and hotel bills For the details on how to recoup as much as 15 percent of your shopping spree, see 5