Let’s Book Holiday Travel Blog

• Shoppingcenter  am Tempelhofer Hafen - Berlin-Tempelhof
• ALEXA - Grunerstraße 20
  10178 Berlin-Mitte
• Potsdamer Platz Arkaden - Alte Potsdamer Straße 7
  10785 Berlin-Tiergarten
• New Kranzler Eck - Kurfürstendamm 16-24, Berlin-Charlottenburg
• Europa Center - Tauentzienstraße 9
  10789 Berlin-Charlottenburg
• Stilwerk - Kantstraße 17, Berlin-Charlottenburg
• Das Schloss - Schlossstraße 34
  10789 Berlin-Steglitz
• Hallen Am Borsigturm - Am Borsigturm 2, 13507 Berlin-Reinickendorf
• Gropius-Passagen - Johannisthaler Chaussee 295-327, Berlin-Neukölln
• Gesundbrunnen-Center - Badstraße 4, Berlin-Wedding
• Ring-Center - Frankfurter Allee 111/ 117, Berlin-Friedrichshain
• Forum Köpenick - Bahnhofstraße 33-38
  12555 Berlin-Köpenick

The London Southbank Centre consists of the Royal Festival Hall, the Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall (containing the Purcell Room), and the Saison Poetry Library. They also manage the Arts Council Collection and organise the National Touring Exhibition programme in venues throughout the UK. Southbank Centre’s wide-ranging programme includes classical & world music, rock & pop, jazz, dance, literature and the visual arts, attracting the most diverse audience of any UK venue.

The Southbank Centre is located next to the London Eye, on the south bank of the River Thames.

Address:

Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX

How to get to the London Southbank Centre

By Public Transport:

Buses stop on Waterloo Bridge, in York Road, in Belvedere Road and in Stamford Street.

Nearest underground stations:
- Waterloo (Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines)
- Embankment (Circle and District lines)

Nearest main line rail stations:
- Waterloo
- Waterloo East
- Charing Cross

Cycling:

There are bicycle parking stands located in Southbank Centre Square.

By car:

Southbank Centre has two car parks, operated on our behalf by Apcoa Parking UK:

Southbank Centre Car Park - Belvedere Road (7am - 1am daily)
Southbank Centre Car Park - The Hayward (7am - 1am daily).

Enquiries: 020 7620 0357.

A pay-on-foot parking system is in use in both car parks.

A special parking fee of £7.50 is available when you park between 5pm and midnight each day.

Patrons attending daytime, paid ticketed events at Southbank Centre (Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery) should present their ticket, together with their car park ticket at the Ticket Office to be validated.

Visitors with Disability

A limited number of free spaces are available on a first-come-first-served basis in Southbank Centre Car Park - Hayward Gallery. Blue badge holders attending events should take their parking and concert tickets to the Artists Entrance - Queen Elizabeth Hall where they can exchange their parking ticket for a free exit ticket. There are also a limited number of parking spaces available on Belvedere Road (4) and outside the Artists Entrance - Queen Elizabeth Hall (8).

Motorbike and Cycle Parking

There are designated motorbike bays inside  Southbank Centre Car Park - Hayward Gallery, and bicycle racks on Belvedere Road by the Royal Festival Hall and Festival Riverside.

Taxis

Taxis can be called from the phone at Southbank Centre Square doors in Royal Festival Hall, or a taxi rank is adjacent to Southbank Centre Square on Belvedere Road. If you are arriving at Southbank Centre by taxi, please ask to be dropped off at Southbank Centre Square.

Coaches

Coach bays for free drop off and collection only are available by the London Eye (pre-booked spaces only) and on the Upper Ground Slip Road off Waterloo Road behind the National Theatre, and also on the slip road opposite the National Theatre leading up to Waterloo Bridge.

Congestion Charge Machines

There are two Congestion Charge payment machines situated in our car parks - one in Southbank Centre Car Park - Hayward Gallery (opposite the main car entry / exit barrier), the other in Southbank Centre Car Park - Belvedere Road (in the lower level area adjacent to the ramp). The machines accept a variety of credit and debit cards. The charge applies Monday-Friday, 7am to 6pm, excluding public holidays.

From 2 to 16 July, the London Literature Festival will be held in London’s Southbank Centre. This festival will feature both emerging talents and established ones. There will be specially commissioned performances, readings from prize-winning authors and poets, interactive and improvised writing events, music, poetry and debates. Headline acts include Benjamin Zephaniah, Sarah Waters, Vikram Seth, Billie Whitelaw, Peter Ackroyd, Lemm Sissay and Arundhati Roy.

Highlights include:

Launch event of Sacred Hearts, the third of Sarah Dunant’s acclaimed renaissance novels..
Arundhati Roy addresses the subject of democracy.
Sarah Maitland on the silent periods she has spent all over the world from the Sinai desert to the Australian bush.
Fresh Off The Page spoken word and music events, showcasing emerging and established talent in the genre.
Jake Arnott, author of cult classic The Long Firm on putting queer characters at the heart of mainstream fiction and TV adaptations.
Southbank Centre Book Club events hosted by Rachel Holmes to read and discuss authors appearing at the festival.
House Of Homosexual Culture events exploring and celebrating LGBT culture and history.
A chance to hone your prose at the Creative Writing Summer School with Greg Mosse and guest writers.
Andrew Smith, author of the bestselling Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth, talks to astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
The School of Life: You Are What You Read - What books are you made of and what journeys will your reading take in the future?
Feminist writer Susie Orbach interviews Andrew O’Hagan and Will Self.
Photographer Martin Parr presents Parrworld, an exploration of the themes and subjects which drive his inimitable work.
2009 Caine Prize readings for African Writing, featuring the best in new fiction from Africa.

The London Literature Festival will be held from the 2nd to the 16th July at the Southbank Centre in London, SE1.

How to get there

Southbank Centre is located in on the Thames riverside between Golden Jubilee and Waterloo Bridges, in Central London.

Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX

Buses stop on Waterloo Bridge, in York Road, in Belvedere Road and in Stamford Street.

Nearest underground stations:
- Waterloo (Bakerloo, Northern, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines)
- Embankment (Circle and District lines)

Nearest main line rail stations:
- Waterloo
- Waterloo East
- Charing Cross

We are currently thinking about starting to plan our honeymoon, but there are so many places which we’d like to visit, that it is difficult to decide. I checked on the internet, and here are the top honeymoon destinations:

1 Hawaii

2 Italy

3 Tahiti

4 Anguilla

5 Fiji

6 St Lucia

7 Mexico

8 St Bart’s

9 Jamaica

10 France

11 Bali

12 Bermuda

13 South Africa

14 Costa Rica

15 Greece

16 US Virgin Islands

17 British Virgin Islands

18 Turks & Caicos

19 Nevis

20 Australia

21 Aruba

22 New Zealand

23 Antigua

24 Barbados

25 Cook Islands

26 England

27 Thailand

28 Florida

29 California

30 Ireland

31 Kenya

32 Las Vegas

33 St Maarten/St Martin

34 Dominican Republic

35 Switzerland

36 Bahamas

37 Belize

38 Canada

39 Cayman Islands

40 Monaco

41 Turkey

42 New York

43 Spain

44 Alaska

45 Chile

46 India

47 New England

48 Portugal

49 Scotland

50 Austria

Our first choice is New Zealand, but a cruise in Alaska and a relaxing holiday in Bora Bora are also good contenders However, weighing all pros and cons, I think we will opt for New Zealand as it’s got so much to offer - you can experience so many different things during one holiday! And everyone who visited New Zealand recommends it, so I think we will probably stick to that choice in the end.

Vietnam hotels and resorts

If you’re looking for some tips on things to do in London, then have a look at this things to do in London guide

They are divided in categories, such as events and exhibitions, galleries and museums, food and drink, theatres shows and concerts, tours and guided walks, amongst others. The good thing is that you will also find the address where you can find it, so all you have to do is check in a journey planner how to get there from your accommodation in London.

If you’re looking for travel tips and other transport-related information whilst visiting London, then head over to the travel in London information section in the Mayor of London website

You’ll find all the information you need about London transport, including maps, timetables and a journey planner, most of which is found on the Transport for London website.

I must say, I simply love visiting London! I never get enough of visiting There’s so much to do, you simply cannot explore London and all the activities it offers in just one short break. So, if you’re planning on visiting for a short break, then here’s the top things to do whilst in London:

1. Visit the major tourist attractions, including Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Tower of London (amongst many many other tourist attractions!)
2. Spend a couple of hours in one (if possible in more than one:)) of the various parks in London - there are plenty to choose from, including the top ones - St James Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Regents Park; all easily accessible by tube or by bus
3. Visit London by night, especially areas such as Piccadilly Circus and the West End - they are bustling with life at night!
4. Get tickets to go to a musical in the West End - London musicals are famous worldwide
5. Take a ride on the London Eye - you’ll get to see London from a different perspective, and if you’re luck and the weather is sunny and clear, then all the better! Be sure to take a camera with you
6. Visit Covent Garden and enjoy the street theatre there
7. Shop til you drop! - London is shopping heaven - you can find loads of shops in the famous Oxford Street, and also other shops and shopping centres in major high streets

Recently I came across a post about the top 5 best Islands to live on.

So if you’re planning your next holiday, and you’re looking for a relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle of big cities and a break from every day routine, then why not consider a short break on one of these islands?

I highly recommend a  short break in Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, an island just 25 minutes away by ferry from the island of Malta. From picturesque landscape, clear crystal waters to swim in, plenty of bays where you can spend the day sunbathing, shopping in the capital, historical sites including the fortified Citadel and and the Ggantija Temples, and picturesque villages across the island - well, you’ve got it all! You can rent a rustic farmhouse, with all modern amenities and a pool, or else decide to stay in a hotel or rent an apartment. Whatever you choose, a visit to Gozo ensures that you’ll get the break you deserve, and you’ll want to visit again!

Who knows? Maybe you’ll love it so much that you might decide to just move there altogether after all You will not be the first, as a large number of tourists who visit Gozo whilst they are on holiday in Malta, decide that they much prefer the tranquil life on this island, and come back year after year, if not to settle here for good!

If you travel in the UK quite a lot, then you might want to consider getting a BiTE card, which entitles you to 20% off when buying food and drink at railway stations. You can check the various stations where you can use it here.

If you’re interested, then you can register for the BiTE card through their website. After all, it’s free of charge!

This morning I came across a very good link to a database of parks and open spaces in London. You can search by Borough, and you can also filter your search by various criteria. For each park, there is some general information, the address, plan, opening hours and park facilities.

Very helpful indeed. Have a look at the database of London parks and open spaces here.