A beginner's guide to London

(ARA) - If you've decided to make 2010 the year you finally make good on your pledge to one day visit London, the home of the Queen, the Thames, the double decker bus and Big Ben, you've picked a great time to travel.

Now that fuel prices have settled down, so have airfares. Cheap flights are readily available and London hotels that sat mostly vacant last year are offering great deals to draw in customers.

Here's a beginner's guide to discovering one of the world's top destinations:

1. If you don't already have one, apply for a U.S. passport, which is required for entry into England. Depending on the time of year, the application process can take just a week or two, or more than a month, so plan accordingly.

2. When researching airline tickets, you'll want to fly into Heathrow airport, which is just 15 miles outside the city center. Once you get through customs you can either hail a taxi, board a bus or rent a car and make your way into the city. Remember if you decide to rent a car, you'll need to become accustomed to driving on the left.

3. There are certain attractions every first-time visitor to London must check out:

* Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is only open for public tours in August and September when the royal family is on holiday. But the changing of the guard is a tradition you can enjoy at precisely 11:30 a.m. every day between April and July 31, and every other day between August and March. The ceremony lasts 40 minutes and takes place inside the palace gates.

* Westminster Abbey

This is one of London's most important historic sites. England's kings and queens have been crowned here since William the Conqueror claimed the throne in 1066. More recently in Sept. 1997, the Abbey served as the site of Princess Diana's funeral. In 2002, the funeral for the Queen Mother was held there.

* The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

The seat of the British government, situated along the Thames River, is open for guided tours in late summer, but you can see its famous clock tower, Big Ben, year round. For information on actually touring the tower, you'll need to request tickets three months in advance.

As far as the best time of year to visit, the climate is fairly mild all year round, but if you want to enjoy the flowers in bloom, April or May are the ideal months. If finding travel deals is a priority, travel in the fall or winter when demand is down and prices fall accordingly. Summer is traditionally the most expensive time of year to visit.

Courtesy of ARAcontent