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The wide street that runs from Trafalgar Square towards the City is the Strand. Playing host to a mixture of theatres, hotels, shops and Charing Cross railway station the Strand is invariably thronged with people and vehicles. The world famous Savoy Hotel is set back on a small street which has the curious accolade of being the only one in London where it is obligatory to drive on the right! With Trafalgar Square behind you, you'll find the streets leading off the Strand to the right lead to the Thames while those on the left will take you towards Covent Garden.

Covent Garden is now home to numerous interesting shops and market stalls as well as a myriad of street entertainers who perform at every opportunity. It is a major tourist attraction and centres upon the piazza which was originally designed by Inigo Jones in the 1630s. Surrounding the market are hundreds of shops, bars and restaurants which make the area buzz with vitality.

Porters Restaurant on Henrietta Street provides splendid British food at very reasonable prices if you're in need of sustenance. The London Transport Museum is a great place to take the children with heaps of interactive exhibits. Also to be found here is the Theatre Museum packed full of theatrical memorabilia from the last 300 years. Dominating a large part of the market place is the famous Royal Opera House which stages world class operatic and ballet performances and is home to the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet Companies.

The London Coliseum is also just down the road on St. Martin's Lane; this houses the equally impressive English National Opera and English National Ballet. The Theatre Royal on Drury Lane is an immense edifice and has the largest theatre auditorium in London. First built in 1663 the site is the oldest in the world to have been continually in use as a theatre. Uniquely the interior has two Royal Boxes, originally installed to keep King George III and his son, the future King George IV apart after they had a blazing row in the foyer! Keep an eye out for the Man in Grey - a frequently witnessed ghost who haunts the upper circle during matinees. Although Covent Garden is usually packed with visitors, the area remains attractive and vibrant.

Nearest Underground stops: Charing Cross, Covent Garden, Embankment, Leicester Square