Have a capital holiday

James Collins heads to London for a fleeting two-day break. With so much to see and do you could spend your weekend rushing around - but there's some laidback leisure to be found if you know where to look for it?

It's amazing what you can pack into less than 48 hours in London. The trick when taking a weekend break is to feel you have done and seen a lot but return home feeling relaxed. And the capital is one of the best locations in the world for doing just that.

If you've not been to London for a few years, you will be on a voyage of discovery - it's a place where things are always changing. It's busy and bustling as ever but it also seems to have become a friendly place. For a weekend break the best way to travel is by train and take the first class option - get yourself into a relaxed mood from the moment you leave. First contact with the big city was a smiling, joking member of London Transport who offered advice on the best way to get to the hotel. "You've only got a weekend bag so take the Tube," was his suggestion. Travelling on the underground is part of any trip to London and a daily travel ticket for the two inner zones gives unlimited use of trains (and buses) for less than £5.

Arriving at Covent Garden you are suddenly in the heart of one of London's top attractions. A few minutes walk away was our hotel - the Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten, set at the Seven Dials landmark. After checking in, drift back towards Covent Garden. There's no chance of rushing as it's impossible not to stop and window shop. Then head into Covent Garden Market. The Garden is home to more shops and market stalls offering all sorts of things that you never knew you wanted. Much of it is tourist bait - but it's fun wandering, looking and maybe buying.

Time to eat. On the menu is an endless choice - snack bars and cafes offering everything from wholefoods to sausage and mash, to pubs, bistros and some very upmarket restaurants. After refuelling, it's time to make some serious choices. Culture or shopping? Culture could wait. The shops won. Regent's Street, Burlington Arcade and Oxford Street are only a short walk or a couple of stops on the underground away. All the famous names are there - fancy coming to London and not shopping!

Then it's showtime. Feel the magic of Shaftesbury Avenue as you walk to the Queen's Theatre for a sold-out performance of Les Miserables ? a theatrical experience. After the theatre take a stroll to Piccadilly Circus and back through Chinatown before a nightcap at a London pub like the Crown at Seven Dials or in the hotel's Dial bar.

Sunday morning is a time to take it easy - enjoy a late breakfast before checking out, leaving your luggage at the hotel. It's then that the Mountbatten's central location is once again a bonus. Close by are the royal parks and Buckingham Palace with the London Eye on the skyline. And there will still be time to stop for a coffee at one of the many branches of Cafe Nero and Starbucks. But every weekend has to end and it's back to the station. Has it really been only a single night away?

You will find you have done so much.

TRAVEL FACTS

• James Collins was a guest of Radisson Edwardian's Centre Stage package, which offers luxury accommodation and seats at top West End shows.
• He saw Les Miserables but tickets are available for other shows including Mary Poppins, The Producers and The Woman In White.
• Radisson Edwardian Central London hotels offer the five-star Hampshire in Leicester Square, the four-star Mountbatten in Covent Garden, and the four-star Pastoria in St Martin's Street.

Prices start at £100 per person overnight B & B and theatre ticket.
Radisson Edwardian Centre Stage reservations:
0800 335 588 or visit www.radissonedwardian.com/specialoffers