London For Dummies

London is both traditional and trend-setting — the home of ceremonious pomp and pageantry and the "anything goes" aura of Soho. You can hang around the Tower of London or seek out the happening spots. Dine on fish and chips, try modern British cuisine, or take advantage of great ethnic restaurants, including Indian, French, Chinese, and more. Take in the historical sites or explore diverse neighborhoods. This guide gives you the latest scoop on:

• The hottest clubs and night life, the coolest shopping, and the thriving performing arts scene
• Attractions ranging from pubs to palaces to Parliament
• Incredible museums, including the British Museum with its antiquities, the Tate Modern, and the National Portrait Gallery with likenesses of famous Brits, including pop icons like Elton John
• Four itineraries to help you pack the most into your stay
• Five day trips to Bath, Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon, and other attractions

Like every For Dummies travel guide, London For Dummies, Fifth Edition includes:

• Down-to-earth trip-planning advice
• What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip
• The best hotels and restaurants for every budget
• Lots of detailed maps

Donald Olson is a novelist, playwright, and travel writer. His newest novel, Memoirs Are Made of This, was published in the U.K. by Hodder-Headline in 2007 under the pen name Swan Adamson. Two earlier Swan Adamson novels, My Three Husbands and Confessions of a Pregnant Princess, were published in the U.S. and translated into French. Donald Olson’s novel, The Confessions of Aubrey Beardsley, was published in the United Kingdom by Bantam Press, and his play, Beardsley, was produced in London. His travel stories have appeared in the New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Sunset, National Geographic books, and many other publications. His additional guidebooks England For Dummies, Best Day Trips from London, Irreverent London, Germany For Dummies, and Frommer’s Vancouver & Victoria are all published by Wiley. London is one of Donald’s favorite cities, and England is one of his favorite countries. England For Dummies won a 2002 Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award for best guidebook.