Visit the many magnificant marvels of London in a rental car!
London
is one of the most spectacular cities in Europe. The incredible number of attractions makes it almost impossible to see everything in one trip. However, some of the “Must See’s” should not be missed.
The London Eye
The London Eye, is the largest Ferris Wheel in the entire world. From the top you can enjoy a spectacular view over the entire city and on a clear day you can see for miles. The “Big Wheel” was built in 1999 to celebrate the millennium and has been a main attraction in the city ever since. You can find this exciting location on Westminster Bridge Road located right on the Thames River which can be easily reached in your rental car.
Big Ben
One of the most famous landmarks in London, Big Ben, can be found right near the London Eye. This world famous bell tower stands just on the other side of the river. Often misunderstood, the name, “Big Ben”, is actually actually refers to the heaviest of the 5 bells in the tower, not the tower itself. The bell “Big Ben” weighs a whopping 13.5 and along with the rest of the tower is property of the Palace of Westminster, an impressive building complex that was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The monumental palace was erected in a neo-gothic style and is currently main headquarters of the
British Parliament; also giving it its second name, “Houses of Parliament”. In earlier years, the Queens of Britain resided here as well. You can get to the palace from here by taking New York Road from the London Eye south, and turning right with your rental car on Bridge Street.
The British Museum
The British Museum is undoubtedly the most important museum in England, and is one of the most distinguished museums in the world. At the end of the 18
th century, the museum started as a just private collection and now offers over six million exhibits which display the cultural history of humanity. Some of the museum’s most prized and popular exhibits include the
Rosetta-Stone,
Sculpture of Parthenon, and the
Portland Vase. You can also find a library in the museum consisting of approximately 350,000 books. 25,000 books from the librarie’s entire collections reside in the impressive dome roofed reading hall. The British Museum in the Bloombury district, and can be found on Great Russell Street. In order to get to from the Palace of Westminster to the museum, just hop in your rental car and follow the River Thames north until you reach Northumberland Avenue where you make a turn, after that take a right into Charing Cross Road, then follow this road until your next right into Great Russell Street. The drive
shouldn’t take any more than 10 minutes.
Madame Tussaud's Waxworks
Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks is another world famous sight worth seeing. This is where you can find thousands of life like wax sculptures shaped like current and former famous figures. The museum, Madame Taussaud, was opened by and named after its founder in 1835 and is a worldwide attraction. There are many different branches in numerous cities stretching around the globe from Shanghai and Amsterdam to New York and recently in 2008, Berlin. You can find Madame Taussaud with your rental car on Marylebone Row just south of Regent’s Park. If coming from Great Russell Street, drive towards Osten until you see Southhampton road. Here you will turn left onto Woburn Place and follow that north. At Euston Road, turn left in your rental car and follow the street until it turns into Marylebone Road.
Buckingham Palace
Just as traditional as the Palace of Westminster is Buckingham Palace where the royal family of England holds its residence. At 11:30, every other day, a traditional performance takes place on the grounds that should not be missed. The traditional “Changing of the Queen’s Royal Guard” is one of London’s main attractions that takes about 45 minutes in your rental car and occurs regardless of what type of weather there is!
