eclectictraveller.com

Oh la la! It’s one of the few occasions when the French have brazenly imitated the British. Starting January 1, many French museums and monuments will test a new admission policy: They’ll be free.

But don’t expect to waltz up to the Louvre with an empty wallet — at least not initially; most of the eligible attractions are small (and yet it’s a start). In Paris, the free museums will include Cluny’s medieval goodies and Guimet’s Asian art, where admission is usually $10 a pop. Those aren’t normally on the first-time visitor’s wish list, but they will please true fans of antiquities. And in a lesser concession, the esteemed Musée d’Orsay, stuffed with impressionist wonders, and the Centre Pompidou, famous for modern art, will now be open free of charge for one evening a week to visitors aged 18 to 25.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to spread culture to the general public. After six months, the French government will decide whether to continue or expand the plan.

London long ago made free admission a priority, and the gift continues to reward the public. It’s estimated that some 30 million additional visits were made after the government eliminated admission fees starting in 2001 at major attractions like the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Modern, National Portrait Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, and a great many more.

Knightsbridge is one of the best places to visit in London. You should also make time to dip into the local culture. The Victoria & Albert Museum and Natural History Museum are both are well worth a visit. You might also stroll through Hyde Park towards Kensington Palace stopping off at the always interesting Serpentine Gallery and the new Princess Diana memorial.Buckingham Palace and the West End theatres are only minutes away and don’t miss taking a ride on the London Eye whilst you’re in town.

Attractions Victoria & Albert Museum The London Eye Buckingham Palace Kings Road Science MuseumParks Hyde Park St James Park Kensington Gardens Physic Gardens

Eating Out Harvey Nichols Amaya Zuma Maroush Sale e Pepe BibendumShopping Harrods Harvey Nichols Sloane Street Peter Jones Selfridges

Cinemas Kensington Odeon Fulham CIneworld Chelsea Cinema Haymarket Cinema Curzon Mayfair

Cubic Telecom is making tantalizing noises about free international phone calls from your mobile phone. I don’t have any more information take a look at the website - if they fulfill on the promise they could save money on international phone calls

“Sassy, noisy and brash, Europe’s biggest city is an eccentric collection of villages, obsessed with celebrity, fame and fortune. London’s buildings, art and street culture have thrilled visitors for generations. Now it’s your turn…”

So says the new site from Frommers called whatsonwhen. If you want to find out what’s on in London or are puzzling over the question what to do in London visit Whatsonwhen. You choose from a worldwide list of cities, only time will tell whether they have the resources to keep it updated, and browse through restaurants, shows and other happenings. Here’s the London link.

As always if you’re wondering where to stay in London here’s a link to a luxury boutique hotel in Knightsbridge

Here is a secret.

When you next visit Paris try to find this little known entrance to the Louvre rather than enduring the crowds at the Pyramid . You reach the Lion’s Gate ( Porte des Lions ) via the Tuilleries on the Seine side of the museum. It’s closed on Fridays but open on all other days and queues are rare. Once inside a modern staircase will take you directly to the Grande Gallerie and the Italian collections.

Rail travel becomes more attractive daily as air travel becomes increasingly tiresome. The obstacle has always been cost, is it really possible to travel as cheaply by train or ferry as by budget airline? Thanks to the man in seat61.com the answer seems to be yes.

First it pays to be realistic about the cost of flying. Advertised prices always look tempting but they’re usually hard to find and the actual fare is often higher. Add airport tax and Air Passenger Duty (APD) transportation at either end, extra fees for children and checked luggage before to get the true picture. Then factor in the indignities suffered at the airport and the discomfort of the journey and suddenly the train is the best way to travel.

Within the UK - visit nationalrail.co.uk or call 08457 48 49 50.

Ireland. See sailrail.co.uk and book by phone on 08450 755 755.Amsterdam. Fares as low as £69 return from London by Eurostar? Alternatively, . book at dutchflyer.co.uk or on 0870 5 455 455.

France. Again your best bet is eurostar.com. Here you can buy through tickets to major French cities by Eurostar and French high-speed TGV, for example London to Bordeaux from £99 return, and London to Marseille, Perpignan or Nice from £109 return. From November 14, Eurostar plans to offer some cheap through tickets to Paris from places such as Manchester, York, Leeds and Leicester, with one simple change at the new St Pancras International station.

For Switzerland, Italy or Spain, check out raileurope.co.uk (or call 0870 8 371 371). Here you can book both your Eurostar ticket from London to Paris and many cheap deals offered by the European railways. Buy a London-Paris ticket from £59 return, then nab a ticket from Paris to Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel or Zurich from as little as £15 each way. You can even treat yourself to first class, from £38 each way.

If travelling to Italy, a couchette on the overnight train from Paris to Florence, Venice or Rome can be yours for as little as £26 each way. If you’re bound for Spain, a bed for the night on the excellent “trainhotels” from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona costs just £52 each way if you book in advance. And frankly, an afternoon Eurostar to Paris then an overnight sleeper to the Mediterranean won’t take much more time out of your schedule than a late afternoon flight plus a room for the night - and isn’t that a hotel bill saved, too?

There are similar deals from the UK to Germany, Austria and even Poland, see seat61.com or call German Railway’s UK office on 0871 8 80 80 66.

You’ll not only find train travel affordable, you might just find it adds a new, more relaxing dimension to your trips away, free from airport queues and flights.

· You’ll find information on all these fares at seat61.com.

The London Silver Vaults is one of London’s best kept shopping secrets. More than 30 shops are gathered in Chancery Lane, the heart of the City’s legal district. On display is a huge selection of silver from the 17th Century to some of today’s best contemporary work. Find silver for the home, gifts for christenings, weddings and anniversaries or specialist collector’s items. The Vaults were built in 1876 to offer strong-room facilities to the rich and famous and were first opened to the public in 1953. Find out more by visiting www.the silvervaults.com

Staying in the country doesn’t mean you have to stint on the food. If you are enjoying a weekend at Cotswolds88 then only 20 minutes away is The Kingham Plough - which the Evening Standard’s Simon Davis called “a serious find….the best gastropub opening for many years”.

The chef’s name is Emily Watkins, who was for two years sous chef to Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in Bray - arguably Britain’s best restaurant with its three well deserved Michelin stars.

Try eating here and if you can’t get in on your weekend away you should try the always reliable Gumstool at award winning Calcott Manor near Tetbury

1. Borough Market

In business since medieval times, this is the best food market in London. Competition for space is fierce and standards are high so you’re sure to find a superb range of fresh and organic produce on the tightly packed stalls. The market shelters beneath the railway arches by Southwark Cathedral just downstream from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Most people visit on Saturdays, so if you want to avoid the crowds get down to London Bridge on Thursday and Friday afternoons and dive in.

2. Columbia Road Flower Market

Beautiful market, shame about the website! Tucked away in the heart of London’s East End, Columbia Road is an explosion of colourful plants and exotic flowers. It’s well worth dragging yourself out of bed to join the throngs of green fingered enthusiasts in the hunt for rarities or general plants at wholesale prices. Trading starts at 8am and carries on until 2pm, Sundays only.

3. Portobello Road

Calls itself the world’s largest antiques market and usually features in lists of the most visited tourist sites in London. Only open on Saturdays so it’ll be crowded. Get off the Tube at Notting Hill and plunge into the stream of ambling browsers. It might seem confusing but the market’s actually laid out in sections - antiques, jewellery, records and books, fruit and veg, street & club clothes from up & coming designers, dodgy knock-offs and all kinds of bric-a-brac.