Every hip Londoner knows that if you want the inside scoop on what’s going on in and around the city, you have to pick up a copy of Time Out. Every Tuesday afternoon, you’ll find this weekly guide to the latest hot spots on newsstands all over the city. Theater, music, film, dining, clubs, sports and more – if it’s happening in London that week, Time Out’s got you covered. The company behind this magazine also publishes an annual London guidebook, so before you head off to the land of bangers and mash, pick up a copy at your local bookstore and plan your activities accordingly.
Other handy travel books to peruse before your trip are the Let’s Go and Lonely Planet series (for students and budget travelers), as well as Fodor’s, Rough Guides and Frommer’s. Whether you’re backpacking or planning to live it up in luxury, there’s a guidebook out there for you.
If you’d rather do your reading on the ‘net, check out the London Times online to keep up-to-date on the daily happenings in London. Another good site to keep bookmarked is the US Department of State travel site, which lists all the latest travel advisories and entrance rules (passports, visas, etc.,) for U.S. travelers.
Not to be forgotten as a great resource is the London Forum on this website, where you will find a wealth of information from fellow Trip Advisor London Forum (TALF) members. Here you will find great advice and answers to a myriad of questions. You can use the search feature on the site to see if a question you have has already been asked and answered, and you can ask TALFers directly. The forum is a lively, interactive place to collect practical information relating to everything about traveling in London, and is a friendly and welcoming place. You may also have a chance to actually meet some of your fellow TALFers when you get to London, as they tend to hold get-togethers from time to time, so do check out the Forum.
Finally, you can peruse an updated list of London-focused guidebooks, walking tours, historical fiction, etc. at the Schmap Travel Store London page. Purchases are consumated at Amazon.com but the folks at Schmap spare you the trouble of searching for the most recent guide versions (i.e., making sure you buy Lonely Planet 2006 London Guide instead of 2005 by mistake) by neatly organizing the most up-to-date, relevant titles.
Travel Pictorial - Country or Natural Wonder
Always browse any or all Travel Pictorial books about a country, region or a natural wonder of the world . You will find excellent photography to view at leisure. Check out any bookstore or library ( lending or reference ).
Travel Guide(s) - Country, Region or City
Always glance through any Travel Guide for the region you are planning to visit. You will always find some nuggat of useful information. The layout and content will always vary with the publisher. Every traveller should make it a priority to browse one or all of the guides listed below. It will be a great education to browse the layout and view the excellent photography. You decide which of the travel guide(s) you like the best.
- DK Eyewitness Travel Guide(s)
- Insight / Discovery Channel Travel Guide(s)
- Lonely Planet Guide(s)
- AA Explorer, AA Key or AA Spiral Guide(s)
- Note: You will find about thirteen ( 13+ ) other publishing companies travel guides in bookstores.
Travel Books - Children or Junior
Browse the children's or junior section of your local library for travel and geography guides. You will find a variety of guides to countries, regions or natural wonders of the world. The majority of these guides will be less than fifty pages in length. They will contain an excellent overview of a country etc. They are an excellent introduction to travel for a novice traveller.
Travel DVD or Video Viewing
- These are a few ideas for finding Travel DVD's in your local area.
- Local Video Rental Store
- Local Library - Travel Video or DVD
- Any large music store will have a range of travel DVD's or Video's on sale.
- Travel Video Store has an excellent internet site.
- BBC Video series website section
- Pilot Travel Guide series
- National Geographic Travel DVD or Video Series
- Escorted Tour Companies DVD or Video's e.g. Rick Steves'
- National Tourist Bureaus MAY have a introduction Video or DVD on offer or Photo Gallery on their Internet site