London in the sunshine – is there anything better?

London is out of the finest holiday destinations and is extremely popular with tourists from all corners of the globe. The city has a rich and glorious history that dates back to Roman times, over two thousand years ago. Over the centuries it has played a pivotal role in the shaping of the history of the world. It offers visitors a unique combination of the old and the modern. It is home to some of the finest attractions both ancient and modern and also has a number of UNESCO world heritage sites. It offers a wide variety of activities and entertainment to visitors, which is suited to all age groups.   
 
While the city of London is expensive it caters to people with a variety of budgets, as there is a variety of accommodation available to stay at. From B&Bs to 5 star hotels, London offers all types of accommodation to suits a visitors budget. One such classy property is situated on Chiswell Street London: Montcalm London city at the Brewery Hotel. In fact even luxury hotels in the city offer promotional packages and discounts at different parts of the year, especially in the tourist off-season when occupancy rates are low. You need to plan your visit in this period to be able to get the best available deals and save considerably on hotel expenses.

There are also other ways of saving money when in the city for e.g. visiting museums, galleries and other events that offer free admission. There are numerous such places and venues where visitors are not charged an entry fee and this could be an additional saving. London is known for its natural beauty that includes large green open spaces and nature parks. You could visit some of London’s best free parks and spend a most relaxed and stress free day away from the hustle and bustle of the city. In the parks in London are popular spots both with Londoners and visitors to the city, who throng to them on weekends and public holidays.

In the summer months they offer respite from the heat and are great places to spend a leisurely afternoon with or without the family. Some of the best parks to visit this summer in London are:     

St. James’s Park: It is known to be out of the oldest of all the Royal Parks in the city and is spread out over 23 hectares. Its lush green grounds are surrounded on three sides by Buckingham Palace, Westminster and St. James’s Palace.  

Here visitors will find beautiful lakes, plenty of lush green trees and two islands West Island and Duck Island. You can see the London Eye that lies some distance away. On a warm and sunny day St. James’s Park is perfect spot to enjoy a picnic or spend a leisurely afternoon. It is also adjacent to one of the trendiest neighborhoods to stay in London, which makes it a very attractive place.  

Regent’s Park: Another one of the city’s glorious royal parks it is situated in the North West part of London. It covers an impressive 166 hectares of land and is so large that it extends over two different areas of the city i.e Camden district and the City of Westminster. At Regent’s Park you will find stunning rose gardens, an open air theatre which is functional from May to September and of course London Zoo. It is out of the oldest zoos in the world where you can see more than 750 species of animals from all across the world. It also houses Queen Mary’s Gardens which has one of the finest and most diverse rose collections in the world of more than 12000 roses of 85 types. It is named after Queen Mary who was the wife of King George V. A lovely place to visit for all rose enthusiasts.

Regent’s Park is the ideal for sports activities as it has one the largest outdoor sports area, which includes pitches for football, rugby, cricket and softball.

Hyde Park: Of all the parks Hyde Park is probably out of the most famous in London and lies within the heart of the city. It is out of the largest parks with an area spread over an impressive 140 hectares of greenery and has over 4,000 trees. It is divided by the Serpentine Lake into two parts and the park is open from 5am to 12 pm on all days. There are numerous sports activities that take place here like running, tennis swimming, football and horse riding. It has large play areas specifically designated for children to play and also host a large number of cultural activities and music festivals all through the year.

Greenwich Park: It has gained popularity with visitors after the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics were held at venues here. It has also gained prominence by being associated with the annual London Marathon. It is located on hilly terrain and offers a scenic view of the River Thames, the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Observatory. It is a short distance away from the famous clipper the Cutty Sark. It also offers a host of activities to choose from like lake cruises, tennis courts, areas   for children to play etc. It offers visitors a variety of places to eat at with some terrific bars and outdoor restaurants.

Victoria Park: It would be fair to describe Victoria Park as the favourite with locals in the East End. It borders Hackney, Bow and Bethnal Green and has ponds, canals tennis courts, sports fields and an outdoor pavilion. The park has gained greater prominence by being the venue of numerous music and cultural festivals which include the famous Lovebox festival every summer in July. Some of the biggest names and top bands from UK and overseas play at the gigs organized at Victoria Park.