London

The heart and soul of modern Britain, London is not just the nation's financial and governmental center but one of the world's great capitals. Because of that, you already know some of what to expect—mammoth museums, posh palaces, double-decker buses, iconic sights such as Big Ben and Westminster Abbey—and you won't be disappointed. But it's impossible to overlook the modern city melded with the historic one, and there are more harried commuters, noisy traffic, endless litter, and petty crime than you might expect. This is a great, rambling metropolis, and for all London's faults and high costs, the atmosphere is undeniably exhilarating, created by the presence of so many theaters, universities, powerhouse corporations, and a vast multinational population in excess of 8 million people, all scattered among village like neighborhoods with distinct personalities. Leicester Square is packed with tourists; Knights bridge is populated by millionaires; Bloomsbury is filled with intellectuals, and on Fleet Street you can't swing a briefcase without hitting a lawyer. London is big, overwhelming, and cacophonous—just as it should be.