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London: The Unexpected Approaches To Public Transport

Tubes, buses and black cabs are all perfect choices for getting from A to B, but transport doesn’t always have to be about practicality. It can also be luxurious, nostalgic and even awe-inspiring. Read on to discover some innovative and unexpected approaches to London transport.

Fine dining on a luxury steam-hauled Pullman Train

For an unforgettable train travel and fine dining experience dripping with 1920s luxury, take a round-trip journey aboard the Belmond British Pullman. Over the course of the five-hour trip through delightful Kentish countryside, indulge in a silver-service five-course lunch of sumptuous seasonal dishes, all in the most exquisite art deco carriages.

The Pullman departs from London Victoria station, a short distance from our Ebury and Cliveden Place residences.

Attend a gourmet supper club in an old London Underground carriage

A 1967 decommissioned tube carriage has been given a second lease of life in Walthamstow, where it forms a unique setting for gourmet supper club events hosted by Basement Galley. Choose between social seating (the ‘Luggage Rack Special’) or a private VIP booth for two at any of the club events. At present these include:

The Underground Supper Club Spring/Summer Edition: a three-course Brasserie/Grillhouse style dinner, which runs weekly from June 2017
The Underground Brunch Club: fine dining brunch, which runs three times per month

Take in stunning aerial views of London on a helicopter tour

Perhaps the most exhilarating and unique way to acquaint yourself with a new city is from the air. Take to the skies high above London landmarks like the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace and admire spectacular views across the Thames and beyond.

There are a few companies that run helicopter tours of London, but The London Helicopter are the only ones operating from a heliport in the city. Based in Battersea, the company offer three different routes at varying durations, and you can join a shared flight or pay more for private use (max. 6 people). They also offer discounts for holders of the London Pass.

Relax on the water with a canal or river cruise

If gliding across the water is more your style, escape the crowds with a river or canal tour. There are a whole host of companies and styles to choose from including:

A full dining experience with live band entertainment aboard one of Bateaux London’s Thames cruises (choose from a Dinner Cruise or Sunday Lunch Jazz)
Taking in Tudor history and Turner landscapes alike on a historic Turks boat a little outside of central London, from Hampton Court to Richmond
Exploring London’s charming canals on a long boat between Little Venice and Camden (the Jenny Wren departs from Camden for a round trip, while The London Waterbus Company and Jason’s depart from Little Venice. Note that Jason’s is included in the London Pass, if you’re planning to buy one.)

Europea’s Maida Vale or Notting Hill residences are both wonderful choices if you’d like to stay near the Little Venice area.

Visit a charming vintage underground-themed bar

Blending nostalgia for the London Underground with the revelry of a 1940s speakeasy, Cahoots bar in Soho really is one of a kind. Following a greeting (and a ticket) from a train guard at the door, you descend via a subway-tiled escalator to the bar itself. From there, grab a cocktail, marvel at the fabulously detailed vintage tube carriage décor and tap your toes to the jazz and swing music. The bar is popular, so book to avoid disappointment.

Paris: How To Spend A Day With Rodin

The year 2017 marks the centenary of the death of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. This is why you’ll hear a lot about him, should you visit France this year.

If you’re staying in our apartments in Paris, here’s a suggestion on how you could spend a day with Rodin and learn many things about this great artist.

A centenary exhibition has been organised at the Grand Palais (3 Avenue du Général Eisenhower) until July 31^st. It is a huge success, and in order to avoid queuing up for hours, you can book your ticket here. It is also a good idea to choose an audio-guide. Since many people are expected to visit this excellent exhibition, I would recommend heading there in the morning. Besides learning more about Rodin and his art, you will find information on the history behind many of his works as well as his influence on other artists.

Home of the exhibition: Paris’s stunning Grand Palais (credit: Getty Images)

You may have heard of the sculptress Camille Claudel. This amazing woman met Rodin in 1882. He was 42, she was 18. Together with other young female artists, she was practicing her art under the direction of sculptor Alfred Boucher. As Boucher was going to be in Rome for several months, he asked Rodin to replace him. Soon, Rodin noticed how talented Camille was. In 1884, she started working for him. Eventually, the two artists became passionate lovers and rivals.

Untitled design-5 — Camille Claudel and a fellow sculptress in her studio

The exhibition will enable you to compare what Rodin and Camille Claudel made of the same model, an elderly lady. Rodin saw her as “Celle qui fût la belle Heaulmière”, named after a poem on lost youth and beauty. More originally, Camille Claudel created “Clotho”, a strange statue representing the youngest of the Three Fates in Greek mythology, who decide human destiny.

You will also be able to admire a mask of Camille Claudel, assembled with a reproduction of a hand of Pierre de Wissant. This mask highlights the simple beauty and frailty of Camille as a young woman.

Untitled design-7 — Same model: Celle qui fût la belle Heaulmière (Rodin) versus Clotho (Claudel)

To continue your day with Rodin, you could spend the afternoon at Musée Rodin (77 rue de Varenne). The museum is in a mansion known as Hôtel Biron, and surrounded by a large and pleasant garden, right in the middle of Paris.

You can enhance your visit of the museum and of the garden with an excellent audio-guide. It will give you additional information on Rodin’s masterpieces. One room of the museum is dedicated to Camille Claudel. There, the outstanding originality and talent of this artist is made obvious.

However, the end of Camille’s life was tragic. After years of passionate love, Rodin and Camille Claudel parted. Camille wanted Rodin to marry her, but he seemed unable to separate from Rose Beuret, a seamstress he had met during his youth. Rodin tried to help Camille and boost her career, but she grew suspicious of him. She would refer to him as “la fouine”, the snoop. Gradually, Camille became so isolated and hard to deal with that after her father’s death, her family decided to have her locked in a mental institution. She remained there until her death in 1943. During the 30 long years of her seclusion, her mother and her sister never visited her. Her brother, Paul Claudel, who had become a well-known writer, visited her on 13 occasions.

Untitled design-3 — Scenic grounds: the setting of Musée Rodin

By the time Camille was put in a mental institution, Rodin was an old man. Apart from sending her money, he was not able to give much support. Rodin had many mistresses and never parted from Rose Beuret. However, Camille Claudel had a special place in his heart. When he planned Musée Rodin, he included an exhibition space for Camille’s works. In so doing, Rodin made the link between his work and the work of his unfortunate love unforgettable.

10 Local Tips To Make The Most Of London

London: Tips by a local

1. Download apps ahead of time

London is a big place, making navigation intimidating for visitors. If you have a smart phone, download a few simple but worthwhile apps to help you out. Try Tube Map for the underground or Citymapper for planning the best route across a variety of transport methods.

Bonus tip: Citymapper features Europea Residences’ other destinations – Paris, Brussels, Barcelona and Milan – too!

2. Save with an Oyster Card

An Oyster Card is a travel smartcard that allows you to top up credit in advance. You then simply tap in and tap out on London’s underground and tap in (no need to tap out) on buses. It offers considerable discounts compared to paper tickets, both for single journeys and daily travel (Oysters have a daily cap that is significantly cheaper than a 1 day travelcard). Under 11s travel free, but everyone else will need their own Oyster.

You can choose from:

Visitor Oyster Card
- Same fares/caps as a regular Oyster card
- Bought in advance of your trip
- £3 non-refundable charge + postage + chosen top up amount
- Convenient for short stays, enjoy access to special offers and discounts
Regular Oyster Card
- Bought in London
- £5 refundable charge + chosen top up amount
- Can be registered online to allow online top ups and ability to stop its use/transfer credit if the card is lost or stolen
- Arguably better for longer stays (5 days or more) as you can apply a 7-day travelcard to cap your weekly spending while still retaining the security of Oyster (in case of loss or theft) and the flexibility of pay as you go (to travel beyond the zone boundaries of your travelcard without buying an extra ticket).

3. 2 for 1 tickets with National Rail’s Days Out

However, paper travelcards do have one huge advantage over Oysters if bought from a National Rail station rather than an Underground station (the latter are identical in function but look different and do not qualify for the promotion). A paper travelcard grants access to some fantastic 2 for 1 attraction offers from National Rail Days Out (available any day the travelcard is valid).

With a bit of forward planning and printing, this can save big money at top attractions like the London Eye, London Zoo, the London Dungeon and Madame Tussauds (all between £25-35 each per adult) as well as exhibitions, theatre, tours and more. For more information on the types of tickets valid for use, see the Days Out website here.

What to see in London — Go up on the London Eye on a sunny day

4. Take in the view

In a city as frenetic at London, it’s rewarding to stand and take it all in from a distance every now and again. Some classic viewpoints to check out include Primrose Hill, the Shard, the London Eye, or the top of Tower Bridge.

5. Embrace free activities

London has a dazzling range of free activities, from world-class galleries and museums (Tate Britain, Natural History Museum, National Gallery) to tranquil parks and green spaces (Richmond Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens) to iconic sights (Abbey Road’s crossing, Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square).

6. Walk or bike

If you’re not keen on the hustle and bustle of public transport, the good news is that London can be eminently walkable if you plan your activities to focus on smaller areas each day (e.g. Covent Garden – Trafalgar Square – Buckingham Palace). Alternatively, hire a bike from London’s bike-sharing scheme and explore parks or travel shorter distances on wheels.

How to move in London — Go green and bike around the city

7. Join a tour

Tours, whether by bus, boat, bike or on foot, can be a great way to take in parts of the city in one fell swoop, or to orientate yourself before exploring more fully on your own. If a hop on, hop off bus is your style, check out the options from companies like Original London or Golden Tours. For other tour types, you can’t go wrong with highly regarded operators like New Europe Tours, Alternative London and Strawberry Tours (free).

8. Classic English food and drink

Immerse yourself in British life by sampling some iconic English food and drink. Start your days off right with a Full English breakfast (The Breakfast Club serve their version – ‘The Full Monty” – all day long) or go high class with a delectable cream tea (try Claridge’s for a touch of luxury). Other English standards to look out for include fish and chips, roast dinner, bangers and mash, toad in the hole, spotted dick and Eton mess. Try The Golden Chippy for fish and chips or The Andover Arms for a superb traditional pub.

9. Cheap theatre tickets

If you’re flexible about what show you see, it’s well worth checking out the TKTs Booth in Leicester Square for some on-the-day bargains. They sell off last minute tickets and often offer discounts as large as 40 to 50% compared with theatre prices.

what to do in London — London’s West End is famed for its excellent productions

10. Save with the London Pass

The London Pass can be a valuable asset if you plan to visit lots of paid attractions each day or want to streamline your tourist experience by only buying one ticket. It comes in 1, 2, 3, 6 and 10 day passes and includes entry to over 60 top spots (including places like Westminster Abbey, Tower of London and Kew Gardens). Often this includes fast track entry, too, to help avoid the queues.

Bonus tip: There are often discount codes available for the London Pass. Google before buying for even more savings!