Buckingham Palace
What the ticket really covers, why the balcony is a separate tour, and what you can still do when the State Rooms are closed. Changing the Guard is free either way.
Read the guide ›Know before you go.
Most landmark guides tell you what a place is. Ours tell you which ticket is worth buying, what costs nothing, and the rule that will catch you out at the gate.
Choose a destination Travel essentialsLondon ›
Westminster Abbey
Closed to sightseers on Sundays, no cloakroom, and a one-hour route through 700 years of coronations, plus the free Evensong most visitors miss.
Read the guide ›London Eye
Your ticket time is when you join the queue, not when you board. It takes about 90 minutes, not 30, and two bridges give you the view of the Eye for free.
Read the guide ›Tower Bridge
Crossing is free, the inside is ticketed, and every bridge lift is published in advance. How to plan around one and watch it from the glass floor.
Read the guide ›St Paul's Cathedral
528 steps to the Golden Gallery, free tours you can only book at a desk inside, and a free rooftop view of the dome across the road.
Read the guide ›Natural History Museum
Free to walk in, but book the free slot anyway. Which entrance to use, when to see the dinosaurs, and what actually costs money.
Read the guide ›Paris ›
Eiffel Tower
Second floor or the summit? You choose when you pay and can't change it afterwards, and the summit sells out on its own.
Read the guide ›Palace of Versailles
Three visits in one day: the palace, the gardens and the Trianon. Closed on Mondays, and the palace time slot isn't skip-the-line.
Read the guide ›Pack for the rules, not the weather
Bag-size limits, no cloakrooms, outdoor queues and audio tours on your own phone: the kit that answers the rules our guides keep running into.
Travel essentials →How these guides are made
Official sources onlyFacts come from the operator's own pages, and every guide carries the date it was checked.
No resellersWe link to official ticket offices, never look-alike booking sites.
Opinion labelled as opinionWhere we recommend something, we say it's our view.
Prices kept off the videoPrices date fastest, so they live on these pages where they can be corrected.
Every guide carries the date its information was checked. Prices, hours and rules change — confirm with the official site before you travel.