Big Ben

This iconic landmark in London is popular for a reason...it’s breathtaking! Did you know that Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower, not the clock? While you are there, check out the Houses of Parliament (if they are in session). Afterwards, stroll across the lovely bridge and rise the London Eye!

The quintessential London photo! You can get these sort of shots if you go off season. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of tourists still, but nowhere near the numbers that go in summer. It’s a lot easier to get great photos in winter. Get some warm clothes and go!

This is a great way to get a birds eye view of London, and the line moved at a pretty steady pace. Avoid the ticket scalpers as most seemed far from legit. There is a nice little Japanese restaurant to the left of the Eye of London.

My first trip to London was in 1996. I was 25 living in NYC working my first real job and had never been to Europe. Airline fares were cheap going across the Pond in February, around $300 round trip. I suppose people expected London to be miserable in the winter... All I can say is if you ever see airfare that low to Europe from the USA, never mind the time of year, just GO! You won’t regret it.

I know it’s an obvious place to visit. But a great spot to take a picture is not on the bridge. After many shots I finally figured this out. It’s actually at the subway station that Big Ben overlooks. On a sunny day, you can easily get a clear shot of the amazing building. I admire its detail so much!

Interesting and true fact: Big Ben is slightly leaning like Italy’s “Leaning Tower of Pisa”. The best way to be a Londoner. Take the “Tube” (Subway)! You will certainly mean all of London there. As the surface traffic at the city centre is just terrible.

When I first found out I was going to be traveling to London for 2 weeks, I was so excited. I did ALL the research I possibly could about the city. I couldn’t wait to see all the landmarks, but looking at pictures just didn’t do it justice. When I finally arrived I was blown away by the architecture, it was gorgeous, and unlike anything in the U.S.. Big Ben was by far my favorite, I had read about it in many books, and saw every picture of it on the internet. When I saw it in person though, it took my breathe away. It was the most beautiful piece of architecture I had ever seen. I recommend Big Ben for anyone who is traveling to London, and be sure to take a picture with the guard. ;)

Big Ben, lit up in green lights..

Beautiful!

Most people will shoot Big Ben from the north, but if you swing down Westminister Abbey and come at Big Ben from the south west side you can get the tower and the London Eye in on beautiful image.

This was too good to miss. The streets were empty, and as I journeyed towards Buckingham Palace, I stood in awe at the magnificent image of Big Ben in the early morning light.

Big Ben is located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster. Only, I learned this trip, Beg Ben is not Big Ben. The clock tower that most of us Americans think of as Big Ben is actually the Elizabeth Tower (unimaginatively named “Clock Tower” prior to the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012) and Big Ben is the bell in the tower. London trip report: http://bit.ly/1gZcVuX

A visit to London anytime of year is a great idea. The Big Ben clock tower is definitely in consideration for London’s best landmark. In the daytime it lay a normal site and not much to gawk at however I highly suggest to guest to view the historical site in the evening or at night as it takes on a whole new appearance once the lights (literally) come on. All along the Thames in the summer and the winter are great areas, restaurants, markets to relax and enjoy the city.

It so famous for the giant 13 ton resounding bell that is inside the clock tower that incidentally also gives it its name; Big Ben. A trip to London can hardly be said to be complete without taking pictures near and around the Big Ben; so much so that the Big Ben has now become the symbol of London tourism. Also plan your London holidays with this London in 5 days itinerary.

London, a place that thrives with having the most intriguing accents, coolest money, and the greatest atmosphere and yet still gets almost all the awesome things that America gets to enjoy with its Chipotle, Anthropologie and great English language. I visited London the weekend of October 23 and it was quite an experience, from the royalty and culture, to the palace and Big Ben, it was almost as if I was living my own version of What A Girl Wants myself. We started off the trip getting picked up by this very European, very British black cab that drove us to the flat we were staying at. The seats sat 4 people in a little square facing one another, it was nothing like i’ve ever seen in the states. After arriving, we walked around the town and ate at some delicious restaurants. Once our meals were finished we ended up taking the tube, the subway in London, and wandering through more of the streets and shops in the city for the rest of the day. Getting to know our stomping grounds for the weekend a little better. The following day was pretty much the same as the first, with walking around, site seeing, and eating. As a group, decided to live up our inner London pride and take a double decker tour bus around the city to knock off all the sites on our list. Buckingham Palace, where J.K Rowling lives, and the famous gardens of the royalty who are around today, are just some of the locations that we saw whilst on the bus. Not only that, but the bus also had an amazing tour guide that was quite the comedian during the length of the tour and told us all different facts about England and its history. On our last full day there in London, we attended the most American thing I have experienced in my past 2 months of living abroad… an American Football game. We watched the Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the Buffalo Bills 34-31 at the famous Wembley stadium on the outskirts of the city. Not only was this a very fun and exhilarating day, but it was also pretty cool to see people from all over the world wearing different football jerseys, representing teams in the US. I am personally not a fan of either of these teams, but that day I became a true Jacksonville Jaguar fan due to the spirit that many of the people had, both from the UK and US, it was amazing to see so many people come together from all over to watch something that is not necessarily of their culture. Not only that, but also be a devoted fan as well. It’s very rare to be able to say that you have attended an American football game in London, England.