An Exciting Adventure Awaits For Gay Travel To London
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
A memorable trip is there to be savored for gay travel to London. One of the gay capitals of the world, London has the largest gay and lesbian community in Europe.
London epitomizes official acceptance of the gay community in many ways. There is an annual gay pride festival and a film festival on offer. EuroPride in 2006 put London on the map as a regional hub for the gay community. Since December 2006, same sex couples have been given civil partnership rights. Tourists should make a beeline for the first tourist office opened by the government in October 2009 for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) visitors in the dominant gayborhood of Soho.
A gay visitor will want to plan things to do on the trip
Some sources of accessible information include: G3, a free lesbian monthly, which carries the latest news. Other magazines include Out Magazine and Boyz for gay men. There are also resources on the web. Aside from what straight people would also find of interest, there are a whole host of entertaining and community oriented places to go and things to do in London.
Hotels that are gay friendly
Check with your travel agent and consider some of the standouts in London.
The Soho Hotel is Soho’s first deluxe hotel. It is popular with gays, media darlings and celebs alike. Hazlitt’s is a small Soho treasure called one of its best kept secrets. It has priceless period furnishings and is moments away from the gay haunt of Old Compton Street.
The Trafalgar is located near Soho. The Sanderson Street is off Oxford Street and is designed by Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck. The Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel is located minutes from Soho, Covent Garden and Bloomsbury. St. Martin’s Lane in the theater district has interactive light displays in every guest room amongst its many appealing features. Apex City of London Hotel will appeal to any design connoisseur. This hotel is so committed to the environment it has a dedicated architect for sustainable design. The Plaza on the River is in the heart of Vauxhall’s gay neighborhood. It is steps away from the cultural hub of London’s South Bank.
Restaurants that are gay friendly
London gayborhoods of Soho, Hoxton, Islington and Vauxhall are full of great restaurants. First Out cafe-Bar, Balans Cafe, Bistrotheque, Les Trois Garcons, Steph’s, the Alisan and the Providores and Tapa Room are amongst the standouts.
Places to party at night
London has more than 200 gay and lesbian bars and clubs to check out. Soho is the main entertainment zone;but, Vauxhall is gaining quite a reputation for harder clubbing and a burgeoning alternative gay scene. Bars are generally open until 11 PM from Monday through Saturday. Bars close half hour early on Sundays and religious holidays. Some also have late licenses for Fridays and Saturdays and even weekdays. If you want a late night out, you will need to find out the timings that will accommodate your wish.
The G-A-Y bar, Scala, Shadow Lounge and Heaven (also one of the biggest gay clubs in Europe) are amongst the standouts. The city is dominated by super clubs with small club nights added to the mix. The latter have timings and venues that might change to be aware of. The Sunday experience not to be missed is SLAGS/Chill Out at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (one of London’s founding gay bars).
Notable places to shop
The Sunday Up Market in East London, that takes place every week at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane is where designers sell directly to the public. Gay’s the Word has been the most comprehensive gay and lesbian bookstore in the country since 1979.
Where to relax on your trip
The Paris Gym. The Soho Gyms and Oasis are gyms to check out. The Nickel, the Refinery, Gentleman’s Tonic and Wholeman are spas to have yourself pampered during your stay.
A visit to London will be one to remember. It’s impossible to forget an exciting gay vacation in London.
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