Here in Bloomsbury stands the simple abode in which Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist and finished The Pickwick Papers (his American readers actually waited at the dock for the ship that brought in each new installment). The place is almost a shrine: Its reconstructed interiors contain his study, manuscripts, and personal relics. During Christmas week (including Christmas Day), the museum is decorated in the style of Dickens's first Christmas there. During Christmas, the raised admission prices of £10 ($20) for adults and £5 ($10) for children include hot mince pies and a few glasses of "Smoking Bishop," Dickens's favorite hot punch, as well as a copy of the museum's guidebooks. See the "West End Attractions" map.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's London 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»