Tour Travel

Archive for the ‘London Tour’ Category

Chauffeur (pronounced as “show-fur”) as defined by “The Chauffeur’s Blue Book 1906”, is: “A man who understands the mechanism, care, and driving of a motor car, and who is paid to carry out the wishes and protect the interests of the owner in connection with it. A chauffeur, then, receives wages for his services and is thus a servant.” Chauffeur is a French word for driver. Unlike its previous definition, the modern connotation of a chauffeur is someone who drives a luxury car or limousine for a living. In comparison to taxicab, a chauffeur is more professional, skilled and polished driver who drives luxury cars instead of a taxi.

Advantage of hiring a chauffeur for your private travel or official travel purposes is that he/she can be friendly, discrete d knowledgeable driving escort who will certainly make sure your journey a safe and comfortable one. It’s pretty subjective so far as the differences between a cabby and a chauffeur. The basic difference is the type of driving licences each of these two obtain. Taxi drivers require obtaining a taxi driving licence and chauffeurs require obtaining chauffeur’s licence from local motor vehicle department. The second difference would be the type of vehicle each of these two, drive. Taxi drivers drive taxis that somehow labelled as TAXI for easy and quick identification. On the other hand, chauffeurs drive luxury cars and limousines vans and they can be full time employed by people or any agency. People claim that one can easily distinguish a chauffeur from a cabby from his/her attitude, manner and professionalism, but it doesn’t mean that taxi drivers are not professional and courteous. Attire is another aspect which can make the difference in between a chauffeur and a cabby categorically. Taxi drivers wear uniforms, but chauffeurs wear dark suit, white shirt and a conservative tie (often black). Shoes must be black and highly polished. Another difference we can mention here from the customer point of view is that a chauffeur service is pre planned whereas a taxi service is almost instantaneous. In recent times, a chauffeur’s uniform includes a black cap and gloves.

A chauffeured driven car business has wider scope so far as customers are concerned, because people prefer hiring a chauffeur for almost all special occasions, where as taxis are hired for transportation purposes. A typical chauffeur needs to cater most events, from large conferences to corporate road shows, from airport transfers to shopping trips, days out to wedding and opera show to sightseeing. Other characteristics like Advanced Driving Techniques (i.e. recognition and perception of travelling hazards, coping with wide ranging road surfaces) and Modern Vehicle Dynamics confirms chauffeur hiring a comfortable, efficient and safe journey. Chauffeur service is a delight in itself as a customer won’t be left unwatched and uncared during the service duration. Mane of the chauffer service do provide other complementary service like major newspapers, magazines, music, drinks, televisions, and telephones, too. Chauffeurs those who are privately employed by people are now-a-days possess a distinctive job profile of working as a driver, executive assistance, personal secretary and itinerary planner. Some of the ideas discussed in the article are collected from outer sources like, The Limousine and Chauffeur Magazine and Wikipedia.

 

London is synonymous with Big Ben. It is a 316-foot clock tower that was constructed in 1858. In actuality, Big Ben is the 14 ton chime bell that hangs at the top of the tower. Unfortunately, the original bell cracked in 1857 and had to be restored. There are several theories behind the name of ‘Big Ben’. Some of them are: the bell got its name from Sir Benjamin Hall, who was affectionately called Big Ben in the House of Commons and that It was nicknamed after a former heavyweight champion boxer called Ben Caunt.

 

Big Ben is located at, and is an important component of, the Westminster Palace or the House of Parliament. When the Parliament is in session, the symbolic light above the Big Ben glows. UK residents are permitted to take a conducted tour to the top of the tower with the help of a local Member of Parliament. The Houses of Parliament consists of over 1000 rooms and the corridors run for 2 miles.

 

The government of UK is divided into two sections: House of Commons and House of Lords. The House of Commons is an elected body, but the House of Lords appoints people without elections. Most of the people who are seated in the House of Lords are selected due to their hereditary rights or they are politically appointed. This chamber is undertaking some alterations to change this scenario according to the present day norms.

 

When the Parliament is in session, the local residents of England can view the proceedings from the public galleries in both the Houses. However, you have to ensure that your local MP or a Lord has arranged for a ticket so that you can enter the premises. This is part of Big Ben’s attraction to the locals living in and around Westminster Palace. The Public Committee sessions can be visited by everyone. Even the press can visit the. These occur from Monday to Friday while the Parliament is in session. In this case, the guests are not provided with any prior tickets but they can line up beforehand.

 

For visitors from abroad, the facilities are same, but are only open during Summer. They can visit and see the proceedings of the House of Parliament, as part of the sightseeing tour which includes Big Ben. London has much more to offer in terms of attractions and activities for a tourist. Book a London hotel and explore the city and its outskirts at leisure. The Gatwick London Hotel is highly recommended for tourists.

 

As the excitement surrounding London 2012 builds, attention turns to the amazing venues that will host all the sporting action for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. From London’s established sports venues like Lord’s Cricket Ground, to the new, state-of-the-art Olympic Stadium, London 2012 is sure to make a lasting impression. The Olympic and Paralympic Games will even make use of some of London’s famous landmarks, providing an incredible backdrop for this momentous occasion.

Existing Sports Venues for London 2012

London is home to some of the most famous sports venues and sporting locations in the world, and London 2012 is the ideal opportunity to see them at their best.

More commonly associated with conferences and exhibitions, ExCel London will be used during the Olympic and Paralympic Games to host a number of sports, including:

* Boxing

* Fencing

* Olympic and Paralympic Table Tennis

* Wheelchair Basketball

Olympic Volleyball will be held at the 15,000-seat Earls Court, another famous London exhibition space.

London’s legendary sporting institutions will of course be called into action for London 2012. Lords Cricket Ground will host the Archery, while Wimbledon will welcome the Tennis to its hallowed grass courts.

Wembley Stadium, also known as the home of football, will host the Olympic football events during London 2012. The main difference between Olympic football and FIFA football, which is usually played at Wembley, is the amateur status of the players.

As one of London’s newest venues, The O2 has already firmly established itself as a world-class multi-purpose venue. As well as many incredible concerts, The O2 has hosted some prestigious sporting events, including boxing, basketball, netball and tennis.

During London 2012, The O2 will be renamed North Greenwich Arena 1, and will host the Gymnastics and Basketball finals. Next door, North Greenwich Arena 2 (a new, temporary venue), will feature Badminton, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Volleyball.

Brand New Olympic Park Opens for London 2012

The brand new Olympic Park in East London will be the main location for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In it, some fantastic, purpose-built venues will create a lasting sporting legacy for London. The new venues include:

* Aquatics Centre

* Basketball Arena

* VeloPark

* Handball Arena

* Hockey Centre

The innovative 80-000-seat Olympic Stadium will be the central venue within the Olympic Park. It will host all of the athletics events during London 2012 and will also be the location for the opening and closing ceremonies.

London Landmarks Become Sporting Locations for London 2012

Greenwich Park is set to become a stunning location for the Olympic Equestrian, Paralympic Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events. A beautiful World Heritage Site, the park will be transformed into a cross-country course with arena for 23,000 spectators for the duration of London 2012.

The historic Royal Artillery Barracks, which dates back to 1776, will provide the perfect location for the Olympic and Paralympic Shooting events. Temporary indoor and outdoor ranges will be built especially for London 2012, along with grandstands for 7,500 spectators.

The Road Cycling course will take in some of London’s best open spaces, including Hampstead Heath and Regent’s Park, where it will reach its thrilling conclusion in front of 3,000 seated spectators.

Elsewhere in Hyde Park a temporary structure will be built for spectators to watch the Olympic Triathlon and 10k Open Water Swim in the Serpentine. One of London’s largest open spaces, Hyde Park will also host a series of cultural events to accompany London 2012.

Famed as the home of the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday, Horse Guards Parade will provide an unusual venue for London 2012! The 250-year-old courtyard will be filled with sand and a temporary arena will be built to host the Olympic Beach Volleyball competition.