Posts Tagged with England - Travel Guideline

Four Reasons Why You Need to Visit England’s Lake District

February 12, 2013 by Guest Author

There are several world-renowned beauty spots in the UK, but most people would agree that none of them can quite match the sheer majesty of the Lake District. This wonderful region is located in the north-west of England, and has been delighting visitors and inspiring artists for many centuries. If you have yet to visit this idyllic natural paradise, it’s high time you made the trip. Here are four good reasons why it should feature on everybody’s holiday itinerary.

The Scenery

There’s beauty, and there’s eye-catching, jaw-dropping, breath-taking beauty, and the Lake District will always fall into the latter category. You may have seen lakes and mountains before, but here Mother Nature has arranged a collection of them in such a picturesque manner, ensuring the visitor, whether on foot or in a car, enjoys a scenic backdrop at every turn. Put simply, this area is the most impressive in the country by far.

The Walking

A great many visitors come to the Lake District to enjoy nature on foot. Walking holidays are especially popular here, partly because no two walks will ever be the same. You can choose a different section of the area every day, and there is enough variety to ensure you can enjoy steep climbs or flat strolls whenever you wish. There is something to suit all tastes and all physical abilities here, so everyone can take in the air and the views.

The Welcome

The local people are rightly proud of their surroundings, and are happy to show them off to any interested parties. If you visit any of the Lake District restaurants, shops or pubs, you can be sure of a warm welcome and a pleasant chat. The north-west of England is well known for being friendly to visitors, and in this particular region there is an even warmer reception waiting for you.

The Photo Opportunities

If you are lucky enough to be planning a trip to the Lake District in the not too distant future, you must make sure your camera is the first thing that you pack in your bag. There are magnificent photo opportunities waiting for you at every turn, and you will want to commit these images to posterity throughout your visit. The local area has its own micro-climate, so the weather can change the way a particular spot looks within an hour, so no two photographs are ever likely to look the same.

David Showell lives in southern England and is a regular visitor to the Lake District. He works for http://www.carrentals.co.uk/.

The Beautiful City of Bath

May 15, 2012 by Guest Author

Bath has been welcoming visitors for over two millennia, ever since the Celts welcomed Roman visitors to their sacred thermal springs, dedicated to the goddess Sulis. The Romans liked Bath so much they decided to stay – building an impressive city and the famous Bath Spa for which it is now named.

And so it goes today: People who visit Bath tend to want to settle there. The price of houses for sale in Bath is rising due to the popularity of the Somerset city. What is it that draws so many people to this historic yet vibrant city?

The most obvious attraction is still the hot spring water that gushes forth in an endless stream and that has brought this city so much wealth. In 2006 a brand-new, £8 million spa complex opened in the city, putting an end to two decades when Bath Spa had been a spa in name only. One and a quarter million litres pour forth from three separate well-heads each day at a temperature of around 45° centigrade. The water last saw the light of day as rain that fell over 10,000 years ago on the Mendip Hills, then it soaked deep underground before being pushed up through Bath’s porous limestone. A day pass to one of the two working spas is the ideal way to unwind. Luxurious packages include the “Time for Two” experience, which includes four hours in the spa with that special someone, dinner for two, an Alpine sauna, and a full body massage together.

Roman decadence may still be on offer, but the Roman spa is no longer used for bathing. Instead, you can visit the Roman baths to walk in the footsteps of the Celts and Romans and learn about their lives and their architecture. The Temple in the Roman bath complex is one of only two true classical temples that have ever been found in Britain. The Roman Baths Museum is home to the remains of the great ornamental pediment survives, and is displayed alongside an animation that shows how it would have looked in Roman times.

Number 1, Royal Crescent is another impressive feat of restoration. Lovingly restored in the late 20^th century using only original techniques and materials, the restored Georgian town house creates a living picture of life in Georgian Bath. The house was designed by architect John Wood the Younger and was originally built between 1767 – 1774. The Royal Crescent is rightfully thought of as one of the greatest accomplishments of 18th century city architecture. Georgian Bath was a thriving and fashionable city and the Royal Crescent was the pinnacle of fashionable and gracious living in Bath. The restoration shows what life would be like in a fashionable home of the time, with authentic furniture, paintings, textiles and carpets in the glittering dining room, the comfortable Gentleman’s Study, the elegant drawing room and a delightfully feminine bedroom. Below stairs the Georgian kitchen is brought to bustling life.

Bath has always drawn tourists and fashionable residents to its beautiful streets. Why not join them?

Author bio: Vanessa recently relocated and is living in a flat in Bath.

The Top Ten Things to do when Visiting Manchester, England

January 26, 2012 by Guest Author

Manchester is an undeniably amazing city, with masses of entertainment to suit all tastes and budgets. This is a list of the ten most popular things to do when visiting the historical British city of Manchester.

The Royal Exchange Theatre
This classic theatre is extremely popular with both Manchester residents, and visitors to the city. Many of the popular shows in London’s West End start their lives here at the Royal Exchange. It is considered one of the best theatres in England.

Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall
No visit to Manchester would be complete without a visit to the city’s town hall. This historic landmark is a beautiful Gothic building, and shouldn’t be missed when visiting the area. It is especially popular with tourists who enjoy taking in the sights of the city.

The Lowry
The Lowry, located at Salford Quays in Manchester’s regenerated docklands. It is an entertainment centre featuring a range of attractions, including an art gallery and theatre. This attraction is worth a visit for the striking contemporary architecture alone!

The Lowry

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
The most popular of Manchester’s museums, this entertaining and educational attraction is perfect if you are in the city with children. As well as being informative and educational, the museum is fun for all ages. It is large museum, so you may need the whole day to take it all in!

Manchester Cathedral
This Cathedral is another essential attraction for those wanting to see the historic side of Manchester. Part of the Church of England, this ancient cathedral is exquisitely preserved; you may lose hours looking around the nooks and crannies of this beautiful old building.

The Manchester Museum
From dinosaur bones and ancient fossils to priceless Egyptian artefacts, this is another of the fantastic quality museums that Manchester has to offer. Visitors are able to handle objects from the collection, as well taking part in organised activities. It is perfect for those visiting Manchester with children.

Aerial Extreme
Aerial Extreme is an obstacle course of fast zip lines, jumps, and suspended gravity wall climbs. This attraction suits visitors wishing to have an active and challenging day out. No prior climbing experience is required; the attraction caters for all skill and fitness levels.

The Imperial War Museum
Manchester’s Imperial War Museum features a fascinating collection of wartime vehicles and artifacts, as well as sobering recollections from individuals involved with the war. Suitable for adults and older children, it is a stark reminder of Great Britain’s volatile history.

Whitworth Art Gallery

Whitworth Art Gallery
This Manchester institution features some of the finest art collections in the country. From contemporary and modern sculptures, to classical and fine art, this gallery is an absolute must for art lovers.

The Comedy Store
The comedy store offers live stand up, high quality fine dining, and live music. Fantastic for those looking for evening entertainment, it is open from Wednesday through to Saturday. This is ideal for adult groups and couples eager to enjoy Manchester’s night life.

Manchester is a city full of entertainment and attractions. This list only scrapes the surface of what the city has to offer. Make sure to plan your itinerary in advance; you may be surprised just how much the city has to offer!

City breaks are a great way to spend your bank holidays. Make sure to check the bank holiday dates in advance so you can make the appropriate plans for your long weekends without disappointment!

The Perfect Family Outing In York

January 25, 2012 by Guest Author

Times being what they are, I suppose we’re all finding money’s getting a bit tighter. So when it came to discussions about where we should take the family holiday this year and considering the costs, we thought that our usual two weeks in Spain or Portugal might just have to wait for a year or two.

The question then was, “If not there, then where?” Charley came home one day soon after and said, “I was talking to a colleague at work the other day and he came up with a suggestion. I’ve been looking into it and it’d fit perfectly into our budget.” When I asked him where he was thinking about, he replied, “York”. I thought I’d misheard. I asked, “Can we afford New York?” He just replied “No, York in Yorkshire. Geoff at work said he and his family had had a great time there. You can use it as a base to tour Yorkshire and there’s so much to do and see.” “Will you tell the kids or shall I?” I asked and he said he would. When he did, Tony’s jaw nearly hit the floor and Sue looked like she was going to gag.

Places to stay

We booked our accommodation and certainly for hotels York has a great variety. Ours was a traditional one near the town centre, very comfortable and welcoming. We arrived late on and had a meal in the hotel so we could get up early to look round York for a day. We intended to make it a quick tour and then spend the rest of the holiday touring elsewhere, but we were in for quite a surprise!

The Shambles

We started by going to Shambles and it was just entrancing. It goes back to medieval days and was just like walking into a historical programme on TV. With its narrow, cobbled streets and quaint individual shops, it was very atmospheric, not at all like the bland high streets we’re used to. We went on from there to do the `Walk around the Walls Tour’, which we got an audio guide for, so we could go at our own pace. It’s about two miles and has parts that go from Roman times to the medieval period and later. That took us to lunchtime, so we headed back to Shambles where Charley had had his eye on a nice-looking pub and very cosy and friendly it was. We had a lovely meal and Charley was very impressed with the beer. All in all, you can see why it won the award for Britain’s Most Picturesque Street 2010.

Museums

After lunch we went to York Minster. It’s just so impressive that photos really can’t capture it. It also goes back to medieval times with some parts added later. The architecture and stained-glass windows were so marvellous; you just wonder how they did it. We went on from there to the York Castle Museum. That was so interesting that time just flew by and we spent the rest of the afternoon engrossed there. We’d wanted to go to Castle Howard and the National Railway Museum that day as well, but there just wasn’t enough time. So instead of touring around for the rest of the holiday, we spent more days going round York to see some of its other fascinating attractions.

On the way home, at the end of the holiday, Charley asked, “Want to go to Benidorm next year?” We all replied “No, let’s go back to York again.”

This guest post has been written by Sally Rowland. She has been writing articles and content on travel across the web and in her spare time and is hoping to share her enthusiasm and knowledge in topic related to travel.

Historical Thrills at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

November 30, 2011 by Guest Author

The words “Pleasure Beach” typically bring to mind the famous amusement park on Blackpool’s seafront, which opened in 1896 and remains one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations. However, there is another historic attraction of the same name that is equally worthy of a visit. Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach remains the Suffolk, England resort’s biggest draw, and has managed to remain relevant despite having been in operation for over a century.

The parallels between Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach and the (unrelated) Blackpool version don’t end with the identical names. Both are located in coastal towns that have suffered from a decline in visitor number since their mid-20^th-century heydays, but have managed to avoid the bankruptcy and arson that caused the downfall of similar attractions all over the world. Both have also managed add contemporary rides on regular basis, while continuing to retain the feel of a typical seaside funfair. This enables them to be enjoyed either as just another amusement park, or as a kind of living, working museum.

Scenic Railway at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

While Blackpool is home to a number of major roller coasters, Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach features just one. However, its Scenic Railway is now completely unique in the UK, being the only ride of its type that remains operational (at least until the one at Margate’s Dreamland can be restored). Relocated from the 1929 Paris Colonial Exhibition and installed in 1932, it utterly dominates the park and remains its most thrilling attraction by some distance. This is a testament both to original engineering of coaster and to subsequent maintenance work, which ensures that it is still surprisingly smooth to ride. With no brakes built into its circuit, employment is provided for a brakeman who must bring the train to a halt when it completes its circuit.

Haunted Hotel at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

While the Scenic Railway is the undoubted highlight, fans of classic rides will find plenty of other distractions at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach. In addition to traditional fare such as dodgems, a ghost train (the “Haunted Hotel”) and a carousel, the park is home to a number of other rides that are carry-overs from generations gone by. Particularly enjoyable is the rickety Monorail, which snakes around the edge of the park and even passes through the Scenic Railway on several occasions.

Monorail at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

Of course, with the park being reliant on drawing families back year-after-year and facing competition from other theme parks in the UK, it has had to expand its range of attractions to feature more up-to-date fare. One of the most popular is the Zamperla Disk’O, cleverly located at Pleasure Beach’s entrance in order to achieve maximum visual impact. Riders board a circular disk, which then spins rapidly as it glides up and down a U-shaped track.

In 2010, Pleasure Beach joined the current fad for “4-D” attractions, adding a small theatre that shows animated movies and uses shaking seats and water effects to create a sense of immersion. It even hosts a clever twist on traditional “grand prix” car rides, with guests able to race each other on gravity-defying Segway vehicles instead of go-karts.

Entry to Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach continues to be free, so history buffs can enjoy a stroll around the park at no cost. For those that want to experience the rides, there are two options. They can be enjoyed on a pay-per-ride basis, with prices scaling up to £3 for the most popular attractions such as the Scenic Railway. Alternatively, wristbands offering unlimited rides can be purchased for between £16.50 and £19.50 depending on the time of year.

Nick Sim is the editor of Theme Park Tourist, which features all the latest theme park news and reviews.

Fun Choices for Accommodation in the UK

June 15, 2011 by Guest Author

The UK is a fantastic place to visit, the weather in summer is warm and pleasant, its inhabitants pleased that the long winters are over are in good spirits and everyone is enjoying the many stunning areas of the British Isles that we have to enjoy. In the winter months many areas are turned into a snowy winter wonderland not out of place on a Christmas card, ideal for curling up in front of a log fire and enjoying a quintessentially English cup of tea!

The recent Royal Wedding has produced an increased sense of national pride and if visitors wish to enjoy a similar feeling of Royalist celebrations, the Queens Diamond Jubilee is being celebrated with a long weekend and extra bank holiday from 2nd to 5th June 2012.

If that wasn’t enough, London will of course be host to the 2012 Olympic games, when the capital will come alive with visitors, new attractions, food outlets and plenty of fun for the whole family.

With now being an even better time than ever to book your holiday to the UK, here are some great accommodation in the UK alternatives to the standard hotel:

Glamping

The craze sweeping the UK currently is ‘glamorous camping’ or, glamping. Camping often conjures up memories of holidays you spent as a child with your parents in a leaky tent doing without all of the things from home you so desperately needed to cope day to day.

But glamping takes all the fun of sleeping in the great outdoors and takes away all the bad parts like an uncomfortable night’s sleep and terrible toilet facilities.

There are glamping sites all over the UK including beautiful coastal regions such as Cornwall and Northumberland, offering its visitors immaculate accommodation and more facilities you could ever imagine were even possible in a campsite.

Bed and Breakfasts

Bed and Breakfasts are a British institution, the perfect accommodation choice if you are looking for something with a more personal touch than a hotel.

You are essentially staying in the owners home so there are more restrictions than if you were staying in a hotel, such as there may be a curfew that you have to be home for, but if late nights aren’t for you the personal touch a B&B offers can be a huge advantage.

B&B owners take a real pride in their work and so will go that extra mile to make sure you have a pleasant stay with local advice on the nearby attractions and home cooked food.

Castles

Castles can be the perfect place to stay to enjoy some of the UKs vast history; many have been painstakingly renovated to provide fantastic accommodation without losing any of their authenticity.

If you are interested in British history you can research the castle you are staying in to see if any historical figures have been there before you and some even claim to be the residence of something a little more other worldly.

Many castles have their own ghost stories and if you want to you can sleep in their ‘haunted’ rooms, obviously not the accommodation of choice for the faint hearted! For those you aren’t as interested in ghost stories, castles also provide a great back drop for a romantic break with many situated in areas of stunning natural beauty.

However you choose to spend your break in the UK, whether travelling from overseas or from another part of the UK itself it is essential you take out an adequate holiday insurance policy.