Take a Self-Guided Walk Around London
Two books show you how
I've written about London guided walking tours before; they provide a fun and educational opportunity to explore London's quirky, historical or just plain fascinating neighborhoods with a group and a knowledgeable guide.
But what if you want to explore these neighborhoods at your own pace? Maybe stop in a pub for a drink along the way, or visit an intriguing shop?
Well, no worries -- I've just found two books written to help you explore London's neighborhoods on your own. Each provides enough entertaining information about the areas you'll walk through that you won't feel like you're missing out by not having a guide.
The following two books highlight a variety of self-guided walking tours in the city and surrounding areas that you can do on your own.
The first book, On Foot Guides' London Walks written by Celia Woolfrey, claims to be the only London walking guide with aerial view mapping. The mapping, created from specially commissioned photographs taken from a helicopter flying at 1,500 feet, really helps show you the way as you read the directions.
There are 15 walks in this guide. An introduction explains why London's a great place to explore on foot, and offers information on shopping, transportation, sightseeing tours, etc.
There are also sections on how to link some of the walks together, and lists of which walks are best taken at various times of the week or year. Take Covent Garden, for example. "The atmosphere is more relaxed on the weekend," Woolfrey says, "when there's almost continuous street theater and people come here just to have fun."
The book also suggests which walks are best for kids.
Each walk in London Walks has:
- A description of the area
- Aerial maps
- Where the walk starts and ends
- Photos
- Directions and a description of what you're looking at
- Boxed text with tips on where to eat and drink in the neighborhood
The series also offers New York Walks and Paris Walks.
