Paddington in London

Paddington Station is one of the landmarks that tourists flock to see when visiting London. The 1854 station recently under went a major refurbishment that includes a new tourist information center, new platform surfacing, and an area called "the lawn" that has a waiting area featuring a number of newer eateries and one stop shopping for travelers who need to grab last minute toiletries, etc before heading off to their hotels. The original station was short lived by England standards, having opened in 1838 and closing in 1854 while the "new" station was nearing completion. It is owned by The Great Western Railway, and the Royal Hotel was opened six months later to serve travelers staying in the area. While in Paddington, you may be lucky enough to catch a game of cricket at Lord's Cricket Ground, headquarters of the world cricket scene. Traveler's tours include a chance to get behind the scenes of the historical grounds. If you love cricket, this is where you want to be for one day internationals, domestic finals, and all of Middlesex's home games. The annual and historic Oxford vs. Cambridge games happen here as well as club and village finals.