3 Top Sights to See While Staying in London

Many businesses organise meetings at conference venues. London is a good choice for such meetings as it is a main centre of international business and has much to offer.
Of course, everyone needs some downtime, and the city certainly has plenty of attractions worth seeing if you want to make the most of the time you spend there. With this in mind, we've chosen three attractions that shouldn't be missed. Take a look at them below.

The National History Museum

Apart from conference venues, London has a lot to offer in the way of museums - and this one is a firm favourite with both locals and visitors. The museum is free to enter and you'll need the best part of a day if you want get the most out of it - even then it's impossible to see it all. Among the highlights you'll find there include the Dinosaurs Gallery and the skeleton of a Diplodocus. (This is affectionately called Dippy, in case you didn't know!) There are plenty of different galleries to look around and you can spend many a happy hour learning all about the natural world. It's a superb experience.

The Tower of London

Situated not far from Tower Bridge, this is one of the city's most iconic sights. It is far more majestic and impressive than many of the city's conference venues! London has had the Tower as part of its skyline for nearly a thousand years - a time during which many beheadings and other dramatic events occurred within its hallowed walls. If you are fascinated by the bloody history of the Tower, you will certainly enjoy a tour around it. You can also see the Crown Jewels, which are on display in a glass case; some speculate over whether these are the real Crown Jewels as they are said to be priceless - take a look and consider the possibilities for yourself.

The London Eye

One of the most striking aspects of the city is its skyline. However when you are in one of the city's conference venues, London is not easy to appreciate - even if you are relatively high up on an upper floor. That's why a visit to the London Eye is so appealing, as it gives you the opportunity to see the city from some 135 metres in the air at its highest point. If you have never gone up on the Eye before it's quite an experience - on a clear day you can see for miles.

As you can see, London has plenty to offer alongside its many business facilities. No matter why you are in town for your conference, you should make sure you have some time to explore the city as a whole as well.

If you're looking for the best conference venues, London is ideal. Roberta Stuart is the Travel Manager for Worldhotels, a company offering the best rooms in a selection of unique four and five star hotels around the world.

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Planning a Vacation From Work

One of the biggest mistakes that busy people make is not going on vacation when they need to. There is a saying that "work never ends" and that is quite true, no matter how many hours of overtime you log in, you will never eliminate the need to do more work. That is why you should always take the chance to go on a holiday when the opportunity presents itself.
A few weeks away from the office should renew your mind, body, and spirit so you are more efficient and better able to tackle the challenges at your job when you return.
A vacation may very well be the best thing you could do for your career, but planning to take time off can be quite stressful too. While you are in the thick of things, you may feel as though there are simply no way you can leave all the delicate tasks assigned to you in the care of your co-workers. However, you can and you must. Here is how to do it.
Remember that planning is always essential. Once you have decided to go on holiday, set a schedule for your trip. Look into booking your hotel room, airport transportation, and any tours that you plan to take. This is to ensure that you can maximize your trip and you never have hassles while you are on vacation.
There are now many useful sites that allow you to do these essential transactions online. Some hotels offer all-inclusive services that include meals and transportation. There are also companies that offer airport transportation via shuttle bus together with tours of destination cities and attractions.

Once your schedule and itinerary is more concrete in your mind, it is time to take care of the work you will be leaving behind. There are certain things you will have to accomplish yourself before you leave, and tasks that you can delegate. This may be the time to call in a favor or two from your office mates.

Try not to bring any work with you on your vacation, although it may be unavoidable in some cases. If you do, try to ensure it is the type that requires creative or abstract thinking rather than nit-picking or fact checking. Who knows? You may get some brilliant ideas while on a shuttle bus tour or while you are lounging on the beach.

You should also make sure that your co-workers and your work space are sorted out before you go. Let your office mates know when you plan to leave and when you are getting back. If possible, give them a copy of your itinerary and pertinent contact numbers - yours and your hotel's - in case of an emergency when you really must be reached. If you have ongoing projects, keep the files organized, visible, and accessible on your desk so people can refer to them if they need to.

Following these simple guidelines should help you feel more at ease about taking time off from your job. Just always remember to enjoy your vacation and forget about your work; besides, it is not all the time that you get to have a break from your busy life.

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Top 10 Seaside Piers in England

1. Brighton, Sussex
Brighton is one of England's most attractive cities as well as a popular seaside resort. It has been a fashionable coastal destination since Regency times in the early 19th century when it was the home of the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV. The Palace Pier was built at the end of the 19th century and is a listed building. You can still see the eerie remains of Brighton's West Pier. Closed in 1975 it has been ravaged by fires and storms. All that remains is the partial metal structure lying just off the beach.

2. Clevedon, Somerset
Clevedon is a charming seaside town enjoying glorious views across the Bristol Channel. The pier is the jewel in the crown, one of the finest and most important Victorian piers in the country. Disaster struck in 1970 when the end section collapsed. It has now been restored to its former glory and a stroll on the pier is a must for every visitor to Clevedon.

3. Cromer, Norfolk
Cromer is a classic British seaside town. Beautiful landscaped cliff gardens and the promenade overlook fine sandy beaches and the delightful Victorian pier. As befits such a resort, Cromer claims that its annual summer show is the last remaining end-of-pier show. Providing old-fashioned, family entertainment, the show is a throwback to the British seaside's heyday. From the pier you can try and catch your own Cromer crab, a delicacy the town is famous for.

4. Great Yarmouth, Suffolk
Great Yarmouth offers everything you would expect from a traditional English seaside resort. There are over 15 miles of sandy beaches within the Greater Yarmouth area. The seafront, known as the 'Golden Mile', has many traditional seaside attractions including a Victorian pier. Great Yarmouth has been a port since Medieval times and today the South Quay at the heart of the town has a wealth of museums and fine old buildings whilst the port remains a hive of activity.

5. Ryde, Isle of Wight
Ryde has six miles of glorious sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters which are ideal for swimming. A broad seafront promenade runs alongside the esplanade with the pier at its centre, which at nearly half a mile is one of the oldest and longest piers in the country.

6. St Annes, Lancashire
Just three miles from the bright lights of Blackpool, Lytham and St Annes-on-Sea are worlds apart in both character and atmosphere. The dual seaside towns are nestled along a picturesque stretch of coastline lined with well-tended lawns, a boating lake and pretty parks. St Annes-on-Sea boasts a beautifully restored Victorian Pier, originally built in 1885 and now home to amusement rides, shops and cafes.

7. Southend, Essex
Situated on the north bank of the Thames estuary and a tourist attraction since Georgian times, partly due to its close proximity to London, Southend on Sea remains a popular seaside destination to this day. In the last few years it has being undergoing a transformation, including its famous pier - the longest in the world - which has been restored to its former glory.

8. Southwold, Suffolk
Southwold is a quintessentially English seaside resort. Its sandy beach, with brightly coloured beach huts and sprawling dunes, is one of the most popular in the area. The recently refurbished pier offers a wide range of shops, eating places and amusements from the traditional to Tim Hunkin's eccentric inventions.

9. Weston Super Mare, Somerset
Weston-super-Mare is the archetypal English seaside resort. It rose to fame in the Victorian era and many of its grander buildings date from that time though it remains a popular family holiday resort. Today the Grand Pier is the focal point on the seafront. The pier has been updated over the years but still retains its original character.

10. Worthing, Sussex
Worthing is a peaceful coastal holiday resort town, less built up than Brighton further along the coast. It retains much of its elegant seaside heritage architecture including the spectacular seafront Worthing Pavilion. The town sits at the centre of five miles of flat seaside promenade and has an award-winning pier. A particularly special feature of this seaside town is its stunning selection of ornamental gardens, both along the promenade and west of the pier.

Peter lives in the Yorkshire Dales and has worked in senior positions within the travel industry for nearly 30 years. He has a passion for exploring Britain and believes that staying in self catering holiday accommodation is one of the best ways to really get to know this beautiful island of ours. There is so much variety in the landscape, the architecture, the customs, the food and drink and the people. Despite increasing uniformity, he believes that you can still discover this rich diversity if you look hard enough and you will have a much more fulfilling holiday for that. The Good Cottage Guide have a great selection of luxury cottages on the coast, as well as in some wonderful inland areas of Britain.

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