Rick Steves 2018 London

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in London.

With the self-guided tours in this book, you'll explore historic Big Ben, bustling Trafalgar Square, and the Tower of London-home of the crown jewels. Learn how to save time and money on the Tube, and how to avoid the mobs at the Changing of the Guard. Investigate London's world-class museums, where you can trace Western civilization from the Magna Carta and Shakespeare to Van Gogh and Picasso. Venture into Soho's theater district for a glitzy musical or a delicious Indian dinner. End a great day at a neighborhood pub, sharing a pint and a chat with a friendly local.

Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants in delightful London neighborhoods. You'll learn how to get around by bus and on the Tube, and which sights are worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.

Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. Rick produces a best-selling guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and organizes small-group tours that take over 20,000 travelers to Europe annually. He does all of this with the help of a hardworking, well-traveled staff of 100 at Rick Steves' Europe in Edmonds, Washington, near Seattle. When not on the road, Rick is active in his church and with advocacy groups focused on economic justice, drug policy reform, and ending hunger. To recharge, Rick plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade Mountains, and spends time with his partner Trish, son Andy, and daughter Jackie.

Gene Openshaw is a writer, composer, tour guide, and lecturer on art and history. Specializing in writing walking tours of Europe's cultural sights, Gene has coauthored eight of Rick's books and contributes to Rick's public television series. As a composer, Gene has written a full-length opera (Matter), a violin sonata, and dozens of songs. He lives near Seattle with his daughter, and roots for the Mariners in good times and bad.