At the other end of the scale, romantics will be avoiding a night in the UK’s second biggest city, Birmingham, with almost a fifth (19.5 [per cent) of Brits voting it the least romantic place to be.

Looking for a Valentine’s package that will really set your loved one’s heart aflutter? Check out our article, Top 10 Valentine’s breaks

“I believe that the cyclised city is the civilised city”, declares ebullient Boris Johnson. Love him or hate him, London’s mayor is – not so quietly –revolutionising cycling in the capital.

More tourists than locals currently use Boris bikes – a hugely successful £140 million ‘pay as you pedal’ scheme launched in July 2010. Locals and visitors alike can just swipe a membership key, credit or debit card and get on their bike. The first 30 minutes are free and at the end of your journey, it is a simple case of just dropping the bike back to one of several locations in central London.

Amsterdam has traditionally been the world’s most cycle friendly city. From nannies to bankers and school kids to senior citizens, pretty much everyone in Amsterdam gets on their bike. From the 1960s onwards, Amsterdam transformed itself from a congested, traffic laden, commuter nightmare to a cyclist’s paradise. Statistics currently show the preferred mode of transport at 35 percent bicycle, 40 percent car and 25 percent public transport.

This may be impressive but some London boroughs boast cycling achievements that easily match the Dutch capital, despite London being one the most congested capitals in the world. Schemes such as ‘Move by Bike’ includes free check ups for cyclists and a chance to purchase lights and reflectors wholesale. The scheme offers free cycle training, promotes the health benefits of cycling and makes plans to improve security.

London is steering clear of Amsterdam’s biggest mistake: schemes that segregate cyclists and car drivers. Trevor Parsons, a leading light of the London Cycling Campaign (www.lcc.org.uk), believes that integration is the way forward. He says that “in the Netherlands people are compelled to ride on separate cycle tracks and paths where they exist and Dutch police shout at people for cycling on smooth, empty carriageways. We don’t want that over here. Our view is that the whole street network is the cyclists’ network.”

Jane gets on her bike

In just the last year, London has seen a massive 15 percent increase in cycling on the city streets, but the mayor is not resting on his laurels. He ambitiously aims to bring a 400 percent increase in cycling by 2026 and has just announced that London will host a two-day, world-class cycling festival in 2013 on 19–20 May. Named the ‘London Revolution’ (www.london-revolution.com) it will become an annual event as part of the Olympic legacy.

The cycling festival will be the first major event to make use of the Olympic Park in east London after it reopens in summer 2013. Day one will involve a family ride on traffic-free roads in central London, in which it is expected up to 70,000 cyclists will take part. A loop of roads – all closed to traffic – will lead North and then west from the Isle of Dogs to Royal Windsor, taking in landmarks such as Windsor Castle and Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge before arriving at an overnight lodge.

Day two will see an additional 35,000 amateur and professional riders – some of them world class cycling south and east for a further 80 miles. Beginning in the Olympic Park it will follow the route of the 2012 Games cycle road race, taking in some of Surrey’s prettiest countryside. before arriving at Tower Bridge at the finishing line. A lovely little extra touch is that the route will take in sites covered by cyclists at all of London’s Olympics: Windsor Great Park (1908), Herne Hill velodrome (1948) and Box Hill (2012). Booking is essential, with entrance costing £39 for a day, £78 for two days, and £169 for both days including the overnight camp.

The current cycling World Champion, Mark Cavendish MBE, suggested: “This is the ideal legacy not only for our world class team of cyclists and paracyclists, but also for thousands of amateur cyclists. This event will be a fantastic opportunity to show Britain at its best and to share our Olympic cycling heritage.” Brian Cookson OBE, President of British Cycling seems to agree that the event is nothing short of a quiet revolution, declaring: “This event will celebrate the new place of cycling in British culture, right in the heart of the capital.”

With the London Olympics just around the corner the attention of the lucky few that have tickets, is now turning to where they are going to stay. With many of London’s top hotels holding their rooms for big group bookings visitors are being forced to look elsewhere for a place to stay. However, this is no bad thing as many of London hotel rooms are small, soulless and could be in any of the world’s major cities. In a city as diverse as London, there are many different and exciting alternatives places to stay which are more interesting a dull hotel.

A Room for London

Perhaps the most unique bedroom in London is Living Agriculture’s  A Room for London designed by David Kohn Architects, in collaboration with Fiona Banner. This temporary structure is part hotel room, part boat and is perched on top the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. With just one bedroom on offer and as it is only available for a short time,all the spaces were sold out within ten minutes of being online. This is truly unique alternative to any hotel room and its 360 degree  windows give you  views that are only rivalled by the London Eye.

With just two rooms, 40 Winks is likely to one of the smallest boutique hotels in the world but what it lacks in beds it certainly makes up for in character. Designed by David Carter this quirky resting place is ideal of anyone who is looking for an eccentrically English hotel in the heart of London. The hotel is also great who people who are just looking for a day out as they offer old vintage afternoon tea parties and glamorous pyjama parties to passers by.  Its unique combination of high fashion and shabby chic have made this hotel a favourite for celebrity and fashionistas.

Live it up like a local through onefinestay

For travellers who are looking to experience the ‘real’ London then the only option is to stay in a home of a true Londoner. This has been made possible by the launching of a series of new companies who allows guests to stay in in upscale homes while the owners are out of town. Being in the home of real local means that tourists can avoid all of the queues which are typical of a tourist hot spot such as London. In recent years there has been a large increase in couchsurfing, but this is most effective for solo travellers. This new idea of home rentals allows whole families to stay in upscale family homes which have more space than only hotel room. All onefinestay holiday rentals also come with all the amenities that you would expect from a top hotel.

For  further information on Onefinestay - a London based company  which allows visitors to live like a local  - please visit www.onefinestay.com

The Connaught, London

Set in swanky Mayfair, the Connaught has old-fashioned values (top-notch butler service, antique furniture) as well as modern frills (the UK’s only Aman Spa). With their ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ package, you’ll enjoy a one-night stay, champagne on arrival, an edible Valentine in-room treat and English breakfast. And just this once, you’re encouraged to take home the (personalised monogrammed) towels.
Valentine’s package price: From £385
Dates: 1–29 February
mrandmrssmith.com/the-connaught

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire

This hotel has it all: an award-winning spa, croquet lawn, equestrian centre (horse riding for two can be arranged) and tennis courts are all feathers in this handsome hotel’s hat. Arrive to pink champagne in your room, then tuck in to dinner at the Michelin-starred Park restaurant; next morning, enjoy a full English breakfast.
Valentine’s package price: From £470
Dates: 14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/lucknam-park

St Moritz Hotel, Cornwall

A multitalented modernist resort overlooking the Camel Estuary, the St Moritz Hotel has a Cowshed spa, activities galore and a buzzing restaurant and bar. February has been declared the ‘month of love’ and their romantic package includes one night’s stay and a top-secret ‘Luxe Love’ box of adult treats.
Valentine’s package price: From £195
Dates: 1–29 February
mrandmrssmith.com/st-moritz

Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire

Fancy living it up at an imposing stately mansion? Indulge yourselves with a one-night stay, dinner and breakfast, a personalised cake for two, chilled champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries. They’ll also give you an SPC bath and body oil collection – ideal for trying out the sort of massages they don’t provide in their incredible spa.
Valentine’s package price: From £470
Dates: 10–14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/ stoke-park

Lime Wood, Hampshire

This stately pile has a serious air of luxury, with devotedly designed interiors, a super spa and two tantalising restaurants. Lime Wood’s five-course Valentine’s feast (designed to be shared) includes truffle-baked clams, roast Hampshire mallard carved at the table and baked Tunworth cheese with homemade bread – perfect for dunking à deux.
Valentine’s dinner price: £170 per couple, excluding drinks. (Why not make a night of it, boutique bedrooms from £295 on Valentine’s night?)
Dates: 14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/lime-wood

Aquapura, Douro Valley, Portugal

Portugal’s sexiest spa retreat offers views of the valley in all its sweeping vine-clad majesty as well as a tempting Valentine’s package: during your two-night stay you’ll be welcomed with a cocktail, pampered with a 55-minute spa treatment for two, and wined and dined with a delectable three-course meal.
Valentine’s package price: From €285
Dates: 9–15 February
mrandmrssmith.com/aquapura

A’jia Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey

Sleek design and a grand Ottoman exterior entwine on the banks of the Bosphorus: inside, your Romance Suite awaits. Sip cocktails at check-in, then luxuriate during a 30-minute massage for two, followed by dinner with wine. Next morning, discover the delights of a Turkish breakfast.
Valentine’s package price: From £540
Dates: 14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/ajia-hotel

Canal House, Amsterdam, Netherlands

This Dutch masterpiece boasts both a romantic-hideaway garden and some seriously seductive bedrooms. Escape to Amsterdam for the night and enjoy homemade chocolate truffles, a Green & Spring candle in your room and a three-course dinner, with a full breakfast laid on the next day.
Valentine’s package price: From £228
Dates: 10–18 February
mrandmrssmith.com/canal-house

La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco

Ravishing and regal, this legendary den of decadence is set in royal gardens, styled with a medley of art deco and Moorish opulence, and as sensuous as a seraglio. Arrive for your two-night stay in a chauffeur-driven Daimler, then prepare to be spoilt: your Moroccan adventure involves a 30-minute massage, 45-minute helicopter tour of the Atlas Mountains, dinner, breakfast and a 60-minute Shiseido spa ritual.
Valentine’s package price: From £2,140
Dates: 9–20 February
mrandmrssmith.com/la-mamounia

Grand Hotel Villa Cora, Florence, Italy

Built in the 1870s by Baron Oppenheim for his wife, Grand Hotel Villa Cora is a love letter in art and architecture: it’s opulent in the extreme, but by no means over-blinged. Book through Mr & Mrs Smith and receive an upgrade to a deluxe room, a special gift and breakfast in bed.
Valentine’s package price: From €250
Dates: Until 31 March
mrandmrssmith.com/villa-cora

For more on Mr & Mrs Smith or to book one of the hotels above, please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com

What’s hot

Spain
Forget forking out a fortune to fly to Australia or the Caribbean and make for Spain instead. Temperatures might not match those of Barbados or Brisbane but Spain represents better value for money: Post Office Travel Money has revealed that a trolley of typical holiday items (sun lotion and the like) cost just under £38 on Spain’s Costa del Sol – almost £90 cheaper than the same items cost in Barbados and Brisbane.

Wearing a bikini in Egypt

Women visiting Egypt, who prefer to top up the tan in a bikini rather than an all one swimsuit, can pack their two pieces. Egypt’s new government has said that tourism “will not be subjected to any changes as long as we are represented in parliament. Bikinis and alcohol all round then.

Skiing rules
British holiday makers are hoping to see ski resorts introduce breath tests and penalty points in an attempt to curb reckless skiers, according to a survey by insurer More Than. Nearly one in there Brits are concerned about speed skiing, saying that they had been hit and/or injured by somebody skiing too fast. Meanwhile more than four in ten Britons want helmets made compulsory.

Skiing in Switzerland

On the subject of skiing, Swiss ski resorts are slashing prices this season by up to 33 percent – in a bid to boost visitor numbers. Case in point? Crans-Montana is offering 33 percent off accommodation, ski hire, passes and tuition up until February 11 and then again from March 10-April 6. For the full low-down, see our story: http://www.cd-traveller.com/2012/01/17/you-too-can-find-gold-in-crans-montana/

Enjoying a hot air balloon flight over Uluru
Australian adventure tour operator, Outback Ballooning, will start offering hot air balloon flight over Uluru next month. Negotiations for the 30 minute flights, which are priced at £300 per person, have taken two years.

Digital detoxing
Hands up if you spend too much time on your phone and/or laptop. That’s a lot of hands… which is why luxury operator, Black Tomato (www.blacktomato.com), is launching a digital detox in 2012. The week long trip to dreamy Caribbean destination, St Vincent and the Grenadines, takes in two private resorts and all technology is banned. Sign us up now…

What’s not
The cost of London hotel rooms
Looking for somewhere to lay your head in London during the Olympic Games? Be prepared to pay… Research into 60 London hotels conducted by Tessa Jowell, the shadow Olympics secretary, reveals that, on average, the cost of hotel rooms in London will quadruple during the Olympic Games.

Being a Concordia passenger

CD-Traveller readers booked to travel on the ill-fated Concordia should look away now. The cruise line has said that it will not refund airfares for holidays canceled as a consequence of the ship capsizing. In a statement, the cruise line (which has no legal obligation to reimburse customer for their losses) said: “For guests who choose to cancel their cruise, Costa will offer a refund plus a 30 percent future cruise credit. No compensation for airfares will be provided if they are cruise only passengers. Passengers should contact their airline and their travel protection provider.”

Bungee jumping in Zambia
Tour operator Shearwater has suspended a bungee jump after an accident which saw 22 year old backpacker Erin Langworthy plummet into Zambezi when her rope snapped 40ft above the water. Shearwater has said that it doesn’t know when the bungee would be open for business again – despite the Zambian tourism minister taking the plunge himself to reassure tourists that the 365ft jump is now safe.

Getting a tattoo in Bali

Travellers to Bali might want to refrain from visiting a tattoo parlour. Australian health authorities have said that a tourist contracted HIV from an infected needle on the Indonesian island. The number of new cases of HIV in Bali last year, was up 19 percent from 2010.

Tube staff have been offered a bonus of £500 – or an extra £20 per shift – to work during the Olympics but have rejected it as wholly inadequate.

Their rejection smacks not only of greed but of selfishness: if the Bob Crowe, the RMT union leader, and his cronies had accepted London Underground’s not unreasonable offer, it would still have cost fare and taxpayers in the region of £7 million.It is also unpatriotic in the extreme. The 2012 Olympic Games are our chance to showcase the city of London to the world and, to do that properly, we need a transport system that will run smoothly – not one that will be held to ransom by its mean spirited staff.

Tube unions: if you’re reading this, it’s time for a change of heart. If the Olympics are to be a success, not a shambles, then we all need to be prepared to make sacrifices.

Rhona Foulis

Where are you from?
Bonnie Dundee!

What’s the first thing you do, when you get to London?
I live in the East End and one of my favourite things to do is walk along Regent’s Canal, go for a swim at London Fields Lido (a heated, Olympic-sized, outdoor public swimming pool) and on the way home pick up carrot and pineapple cake from the Flour Power City bakery on Saturday’s Broadway Market. Or a brownie from Loafing in Victoria Park Village. Ooh, on a Sunday, head to the Sunday Upmarket in the old Truman Brewery for funky but cheap dresses.

Broadway Market

What is your favourite hangout?
If it’s summer – the nearest available green space. If it’s winter – the Curzon Soho’s downstairs bar for sofa-lounging. Plus, there’s a Konditor and Cook upstairs. Curly whirly cake on tap – what’s not to like?

The Gate

What is your favourite restaurant?
For veggie fare (I’m a vegetarian), either Mildred’s in Soho or the pricier Gate restaurant in Hammersmith. The flipside with Mildred’s is that what you save in cash, you pay for in queuing: you can’t book in advance and it’s invariably packed. I’m also a recent convert to Imli for inventive and flavoursome Indian tapas; and you can’t beat the Keralan feast at Rasa. As for Turkish, Dalston’s where it’s at, especially Stone Cave (the overstated décor alone is worth a look!) However if you’ve overdosed on skinny jean chic, a central London branch of Tas is a safe bet.

What was the last exhibition you saw in London?
Er – pass? No, it was probably the Travel Photographer of the Year at the Royal Geographical Society. I can highly recommend both it and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum – simply stunning. And the adjoining Science Museum Cafe sells awesome Belgian chocolate cake!

What was the last gig you saw in London?
My friend Andy’s band, Fuzzy Star and the Malfunctioning Androids (he’s the Fuzzy Star), at The Wilmington Arms.

What is your earliest London memory?
Arriving into King’s Cross at an unreasonably early hour, having travelled on the sleeper train from Dundee. Nothing was open, so we sat in the park and ate breakfast sarnies.

What have you discovered recently in London?
Dance lessons! I began swing dance classes with Swing Patrol last year and have just ventured into tango with Tanguito.

What would you do if you were Mayor for the day?
Oh, so much! Replace regular rubbish bins with multi-purpose recycling bins. Enable the tubes to run later. Institute more cycle lanes. Ban lap-dancing and strip clubs. Ensure access to the arts for all, by opening up every art gallery, theatrical and musical performance etc for FREE! (Admittedly my Mayoral proposal isn’t the most economically viable.)

What is your top tip for tourists?
You don’t have to stick to the West End for quality theatre. In fact, you’ll often find more interesting and imaginative work at the likes of the Young Vic, National, Bush, Arcola, Almeida, Royal Court and Donmar Warehouse theatres.

Where would you like to stay?
Shoreditch House in the summer – mostly so that I could sample the roof-top pool!

What is your favourite place for a pint?
I’m not a pint drinker myself, but the warm and cosy Dove on Broadway Market serves various Belgian beers, excellent food and jazz on a Sunday.

The Electric Cinema

What is your guilty London pleasure?
Booking the vast, two-seater sofa at the back of the Electric cinema, ordering a large glass of red from its conveniently internal bar and gorging on cake from nearby Gail’s or Hummingbird Bakery. The intimate Aubin Cinema, with its armchair seating, comes a close second.

Royal Court Theatre

Tell me something I don’t know about London?
You can watch a play at the Royal Court Theatre for 10p! The nearby William Curley dessert bar will treat you to a 5-course dessert tasting menu, prepared before your very eyes, for a steal at £15.

Thanks Rhona! To find out what other Londoners love about the capital, don’t forget to keep logging on to CD Traveller

A mere seven days later and my enthusiasm has waned. Why? Take a bow Mr Norman Baker. The government’s Minister for Transport has told Londoners to “work from home” during the Olympics or else, he warns, “the transport system won’t cope.” Meanwhile one Mark Evans, the Director of Games (Transport) – I have no idea what this is either – has requested that local business cut out one in three journeys.

As a Londoner, I was happy to put my hands in my pocket and pay the majority of the Olympic bill because I presumed I would get to experience a once in a lifetime event. You can imagine my anger to learn that not only will we Londoners be forced to foot more of the Olympic bill than other Englanders (not to mention the Scots and Welsh) but we are being urged to watch Jessica Ennis et al – on television.

Perhaps I am suffering from amnesia but I don’t recollect Lord Coe and his colleagues telling us, or the IOC, this during London’s final presentation in Singapore back in July 2005. Quite the contrary: I am quite sure that Seb Coe said that the London Underground would be update so as to be able to cope with the crowds. The underground service seems to be interrupted without fail every weekend (don’t even get me started on the epic and expensive six hour round trip I endured on Sunday) but I have yet to see any real improvements.

Someone needs to sort it out soon – and not just for long suffering Londoners, but for tourists too. When Britain won the right to host the Olympics, ministers promised that the Games would lift tourist trade later in the year. However I can’t see how images of crowded tubes and grid locked streets will encourage visitors to come to the capital.

The bottom line? 2012 may be the year of the Games but the jury is still out on whether it will be a year of fun as well.

The analysis by the government found there were 371,000 foreign-born claimants for out-of-work benefits, out of a total 5.5 million recipients. Of these, 258,000 were from outside the European Economic Area.

The stats will no doubt make many British citizens wary of migrants. This shouldn’t be so. Most immigrants come to the UK to work and make a massive contribution to Britain – especially London.

However I can’t help questioning why so many migrants, are allowed to claim benefits such as the jobseeker’s allowance. I say this as someone who has spent the last five years working abroad in the Middle East, Caribbean and Asia.

I chose to go abroad partly out of a desire to travel and see some of the world, but also because job opportunities in my field (the media) were (and are) few and far between in Britain. There are many positives to working overseas but there are negative too: namely as a Brit, I had limited rights. It is not something I thought about when the party was in full swing but, when the good times stopped rolling (around 2009) I learnt the hard way that I had to fend for myself.

I was living and working in the Cayman Islands at the time and when my company was forced to face up to reality of the recession and make cutbacks, was given – along with my housemate and a whole host of foreign friends in the same boat – two weeks to find another job or get off the island. Meanwhile former colleagues living and working in Dubai faced deportation. As for China? Without a working visa – which is only valid if you have a job – you’re on your own.

Don’t get me wrong: I am by no means anti immigration as I hope my interview with Holocaust survivor, Hermann Hirschberger (www.cd-traveller.com/2010/01/20/lest_we_forget/) helps make clear. However if Brits have limited benefit rights abroad, surely it’s only right and fair that the same rule applies to immigrants to the UK?

And rightly so. You didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that the Tory council’s plans to ban parking on single yellow lines from 6.30pm until midnight Monday to Saturday and 1pm-6pm on Sundays, would have damaged the economy and put people off visiting the capital.

Unfortunately the council hasn’t completely relented: only this month Westminster extended double yellow lines in the borough. Nonetheless the rescinding of the parking charges is sure to be warmly welcomed by residents, local businesses and those, from all walks of life, who visit Westminster and waged a war against the tax on the West End.

It’s just a shame that a campaign had to be fought in the first place.