London theatre: Once-a-year discounts available

When we went looking for your best shots of Japan, we were impressed by the beauty and diversity of the photos. In the 26 images we selected, you'll be transported to a country packed with cultural experiences—see the famous cherry blossom trees in bloom, sumo wrestlers after a workout, the magnificent Mount Fuji, and unique temples, buildings, and shrines. See the slide show. RECENT READER SLIDE SHOWS Caribbean Sea | Skylines | Mexico STILL IN SEARCH OF... We're collecting your photos of signs. Upload them through myBudgetTravel, tag them, and check back in the coming weeks for a slide show of the best submissions.

London's Christmas season began late last week with a tree-lighting ceremony in Trafalgar Square. Early snowfall has melted, and cheer is in the air. Here are five stylish and affordable ways to celebrate the holidays in the Big Smoke. Watch the paint dry (...no, really) At the National Gallery, artist Ben Johnson will add the finishing brushstrokes to his landscape portrait of Trafalgar Square. You can watch him as he works in an enclosed space on the building's roof. Johnson's painting is inspired by the work of Canaletto, an eighteenth-century artist whose depictions of Venice are on display in a special exhibition in the museum. free, for six weeks, starting from Wed., Dec. 8, nationalgallery.org.uk. A musical night at the museum On Friday Dec. 10, the National Portrait Gallery will stay open late, turning over its halls to various live performances. In the 17th-century galleries, for instance, pianists Will Dutta and Stuart Davies will play Chopin and Liszt. Grab a drink at a the bar, or check out this year's winner's of Britain's annual photographic portrait prize. free, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., npg.org.uk/lateshift. Have a gourmet holiday The German-themed Christmas stalls are easily found under the shadow of the London Eye, the enclosed Ferris wheel on the south bank of the Thames. But turn away from the river and walk around to the other side of the Royal Festival Hall to find much more delectable stalls. The Real Food Christmas markets will be open this weekend, serving all locally-sourced or sustainably farmed food, from fruit preserves to pork pies. A tip: Some of the stalls put items on two-for-one sale at sundown. (Dec. 10-12), Friday through Sunday, realfoodfestival.co.uk. Medieval Christmas The 900-year old Tower of London is always a popular attraction for families. From Dec. 27-31, it's also the setting for a reimagining of the 1284 court of Edward I. Kids will love the Great Christmas Pudding race, with costumed characters racing around balancing fruitcakes on spoons. The exhibition on life in the medieval palace provides historical context. admission includes access to the Tower, the Yeoman Warder guided tour, and standard highlights. adults £18.70 ($29.50); children £10.45 ($16.50), hrp.org.uk. Window-shopping with the locals When it comes to shopping, Oxford Street and Shoreditch draw most of the out-of-towners, but Mayfair's Burlington Arcade remains a treasure visited mostly by locals. Top-hatted, uniformed beadles keep out the riff-raff. Browse a clutch of fabulous independent shops, such as Heming, a jewelry shop since 1745, which has a sparkling shop window display. burlington-arcade.co.uk. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL London: Rent a bike for nearly nothing London shopping: A new mall with spectacular views London: Royal wedding-themed vacations

The prospect of going it alone on your travels can be intimidating. But going solo offers a sense of freedom and accomplishment you'd never get hitting the road with a travel companion. In an upcoming Trip Coach column, we're going to offer tons of tips -- and hopefully, assuage some fears -- for all travelers intrigued with the idea of taking an adventure with me, myself, and I. But first, we want to hear from you. Tell us about your concerns big and small regarding solo travel. Are you worried you'll be lonely? What safety issues are there to worry about, and how can a single traveler avoid getting robbed, or worse? Are you interested in getting advice for how to for meet locals and fellow travelers who can be trusted? Are you curious about places that are good destinations for solo travelers, and those that should be avoided if traveling alone? Want to know how and when it's possible to sidestep those pesky single supplement charges? Or about which tour companies, cruise lines, and resorts are especially friendly to single travelers? No matter if you've traveled alone dozens of times or you've never been bold enough to give it a try, please send us all of your questions regarding solo travel. We'll address the most pressing issues in an upcoming issue of Budget Travel. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Going Solo in Southeast Asia Author Beth Whitman answers reader questions on solo travel Easier Than You Thought: Going It Alone and Avoiding the Single Supplement

As of late last week, visitors to London can now rent bicycles in the city center for as little as one pound for a 30-minute ride. Since July, about 5,000 so-called "Boris bikes" (named after the mayor) have been kept in automated racks posted throughout the city. Until now, only local residents were allowed use the two-wheelers. But as of Thursday, you can use your American credit card to unlock a bike, paying a small access fee and an hourly fee. The first half-hour is free. I tested out the service today, walking up to a kiosk that stood next to a flock of the blue bikes, all painted in the prominent Barclay's bank logos.I used the kiosk's touch screen to request a 24-hour pass. I inserted my American credit card, and £1 was deducted, plus a currency exchange fee for my issuing bank. I then was asked to re-insert my card to finalize the transaction, and this took about 40 seconds. I was given a slip of paper with a code on it. I walked over to the first bike that looked good to me—the one already adjusted to a decent seat height—and punched in the code, unlocking a three-speed. I biked around for less than a half hour before I re-docked the bike at a different station. After shopping for Christmas cards, I went to a kiosk, and re-entered my credit card. It recognized that I still had many hours left on this pass, and I received a new code, and unlocked a new bike. Because I only biked for less than 20 minutes, I wasn't hit with another charge. Unlike in many U.S. cities, there are no helmet laws in London. I felt relatively safe riding around, as the traffic congestion charge has reduced the amount of traffic in downtown London. Finding a bike station is easy. There are 352 docking stations scattered in the city's heart. Print out a free map for routes and bike paths online or pick up a copy from a tourist official. (One catch: You have to be at least 14 years old to ride one of these bikes, and at least 18 to rent one for casual use.) tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Video: How to bike in Paris Bicycling New Orleans One guy, one bicycle, one cross-country tour Traveling India by app