Since 1867, London has placed blue plaques on many of its most historic homes and buildings.  Today, there are hundreds of little blue signs all over London. You can make full day trips just touring one neighborhood, like Bloomsbury, trying to locate all the plaques.

According to English Heritage, which sustains the signs and decides which buildings will get the plaque treatment, they serve to “celebrate great figures and the buildings they inhabited.”

Who’s who in blue

Perhaps the city’s most famous (and photographed) plaques are those for the writers and scientists who made their mark on London. Virginia Woolf’s can be found in Bloomsbury while George Orwell’s blue ‘do resides near Hamstead Heath. J.M. Barrie is just off Kensington Gardens.

Other notables include William Pitt the Younger, Nancy Astor (the first woman to ever sit in Parliament), Evelyn Waugh, H.G. Wells, and Samuel Pepys, to name but a few. You can see the full list of plaques here.

May we suggest a blue plate walking tour? Here’s one option to get you hoofing.  Or, create your own.  Best of all, all field trips are free!

The post London tip: Those helpful, historic blue plaques appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

When choosing the neighborhood for your London hotel or B&B, Bloomsbury is an attractive choice. Here are some things to think about before “booking it” in Bloomsbury:

Advantages of staying here-

Location, location! Bloomsbury has access to all major forms of transport, so it’s easy to dine in Soho, see a show in the West End, or do some shopping in Piccadilly Circus before heading home for the night.

Its proximity to the British Museum makes it a shoe-in for art aficionados, and book nerds will love meandering the streets in search of the blue plaques that mark the former homes and haunts of writers like Charles Dickens and George Bernard Shaw.

Today, Ricky Gervais, star of the British version of “The Office”, lives in Bloomsbury’s Tavistock Square. (Isn’t that reason enough?)

Disadvantages of staying here-

Bloomsbury, it’s no secret, can get expensive. Well, most of London can. However, budget hotels and cheap B&Bs can be found in the area.  A little bit of research will go a long way in finding the right hotel. Check out the hotels we recommend in Bloomsbury.

If all the good picks are booked up, try staying in the nearby Kings Cross area, which often has cheaper hotel offerings, and benefits from easy access to Bloomsbury and central London.

And, if you’ve ever stayed in Bloomsbury, tell us what you thought in the comments section below.

The post London neighborhood spotlight: Bloomsbury appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.