The Tube

First things first, when you land in England ,whether it be Heathrow, Stanstead, or Lutton, it's easy enough to get a taxi or a shuttle into the city. Once you arrive in the city the first thing you need to do to get to your hotel is use the tube. The tube is a an efficient way to get around the city. The maps in the stations are easy to understand and the station workers are extremely helpful. The best way to save money is by buying an Oyster Card and adding money on to it as you go. The tube lines cover most of London and can generally get you any destination. Beware of line closures/construction, strikes, and certain lines that don't run at all hours. Here is a link to the London Tube website so you can make sure you're completely informed before you even arrive in London. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx

Mind the gap and get ready to explore London!

London Calling

In the spirit of spontaneity I have decided to now format my blog in the form of an extended "vacation" across Europe. At least one or more posts will be dedicated to each city as I "stop" there explore.

Most trips to Europe begin in London, one of the most popular first stops for travelers from the US. More on traveling to London, the state of its economy, current political state, and current cultural events tomorrow.

For now an article: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-23886844-punch-taverns-to-shut-1300-pubs-as-profits-collapse.do

Apparently "more than 1300 pubs out of its total estate of 6700 which have no “long-term viability”. They are likely to be sold or closed over the next couple of years." says Ian Dyson of the group Marks and Spencer.

What better time to go to London, you have to go before the local pubs, an essential stop during your visit to London, become few and far between.

Terror in Europe

Having been isolated from the world for some time due to extensive studying for the LSAT, upon finishing the test I thought it best to read various news sites to better acquaint myself with today's top stories. An article titled “US Terror Warning Could Hurt Europe’s Economy” especially interested me. While most who read this headline would immediately react with a sigh of relief thinking to themselves "good thing I'm not traveling to Europe right now." As the article mentions it could sway many who were hesitant about traveling to Europe in the first place to forgo their plans all together. However, having traveled to Europe with my parents only a year after September 11 and then traveling to Europe again only a week after the London bus bombings in 2005 I see no reason to live in fear and cancel travel plans. While it is important to be cautious, an extremely cautious life is an unfulfilled one. If anything we can't let terrorists win by letting their threats affect our lives. Instead I think it is important to see the bright side of certain situations. Now would be the perfect time to travel to Europe. With the dollar continuing to gain strength while the European economy continues to be unstable you will be certainly getting your money's worth by traveling to Europe now. It would be best to take advantage of this situation by visiting countries like France, Spain, and Italy, which tend to be on the more expensive side compared to other European countries. Also because the terrorist threats may scare away more timid travelers there is the possibility that popular tourist sights may be less crowded than usual! This is always a huge plus especially because so many popular sights: the Eiffel Tour, Versailles, the Coliseum, and the Spanish Steps to name a few always involve waiting in line or dealing with obnoxiously large crowds.

Be cautious but don't refrain from traveling and taking in Europe. As an ambitious student traveler it is important to watch the economy and be aware of the terror situation in Europe to make proper decisions that will allow you to travel safely, and efficiently.