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European cities


L ONDON


Most first-time visitors here want to tip their hat at royalty with a visit to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard, and then to nearby Parliament Square to admire Big Ben. Across the river, the London Eye offers unparalleled views, particularly of the new big beasts of city skyscrapers: the Shard, the Walkie-Talkie, and the (free) tower in the new extension of the Tate Bankside gallery, a former power station which is now a cutting edge artspace. Te Tate sits on the South Bank, whose path — well worth walking — also passes the reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Teatre en route to Tower Bridge. Most of London’s celebrated theaterland, however, is north of the river in the West End, around Leicester Square, with a huge range of plays and musicals. Everywhere is linked, of course, by the Tube, the world’s first underground railway — next year London’s train services will have a new service called the Elizabeth Line.


Be y ond Just 90 minutes northwest of London is Oxford, the ancient university city with lavish colleges and gardens, and an equal distance south is Brighton, a seaside resort city famous for its picturesque pier and quaint shopping lanes.


Essentials


Insight Vacation’s 11-day European Breakaway combines London, Amsterdam and Paris, along with Brussels, Lucerne and Heidelberg, in a multi- faceted journey that partners air travel with high-speed trains and a river trip down the Rhine. The price of $3,125 includes accommodation, guides, travel and some meals, but not international flights from the U.S. insightvacations.com


Travelstore offers a six-day Berlin break which includes two walking tours covering the Wall and the wide-ranging art scene, as well as a private city tour with a driver-guide. Included in the package price of $2,445 are superior accommodation, breakfast and airport transfers, but not flights from the U.S. travelstore.com ▶


From top: Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Westminster bridge by the River Thames at dusk; Scots Guard musician participating in the Changing of the Guard


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