United Kingdom
F ew countries lure American travelers as much as Great Britain. For many of us part of the appeal is a combination of a shared history and culture, as well as a shared language, even if we always don’t agree on the spelling.
The Thames, London
This island-nation off the coast of the Continent is, in reality, not one country but three – England, Scotland and Wales (and God help the unwary traveler who calls a Scot or Welshman English). And this is part of Britain’s charm – it offers a huge number of cultural differences and landscapes all within an area smaller than Michigan (even when you include Northern Ireland).
London, with its wealth of art and history, great restaurants and everything else that can keep a tourist mesmerized for years, is the most popular UK destination and one of the most popular cities in the world.
National Gallery, Trafalagar Square, London / photo: Kim Watkins
Spend some time there, of course, but also go further afield and enjoy the seaside resort of Brighton, or relive Beatlemania in Liverpool. Stroll through the historic Roman city of Bath and medieval Canterbury, or the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge.
Visit Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s hometown, and drive along the rugged coastline of Cornwall, or through the “quintessentially English” Cotswolds, or the Lake District, home to the poet William Wordsworth.
Scottish countryside
Some travelers head west to Wales, with its incredible natural beauty, to fish, climb dramatic peaks, walk along the unspoiled coast or through verdant forests. Others head north to Scotland, to its beautiful Highlands and windswept isles, and the cultural and culinary capital of Edinburgh.
It’s all there, and all easily accessible.
Quick Tours (video)
Top Experiences
England
London – expensive, but still must-see
Stratford-on-Avon – home to Shakespeare
The Cotswolds – quintessentially English
Bath – the country’s Roman heritage
Oxford – England’s first university town
Scotland
Edinburgh – a culinary and arts capital
The Highlands – incredible rugged beauty
Wales
Snowdonia National Park – from beach to mountain
Cardiff – Victorian arcades
Good to Know
The Top 10 Places in Britain
While on the surface it might seem Britain is so attractive for American travelers because of our common heritage and language, in reality its appeal is much deeper. On this island nation, possibly more than any other place on earth, the cliché holds true: to travel through Britain is to travel through time. For the American traveler, in Britain history comes alive. This, after all, is the country that gave us Shakespeare as well as the Beatles, Beatrix Potter and Harry Potter, Diana and Darwin; Chaucer, Churchill, Chaplin…an innumerable others.
England
On Their 50th Anniversary: Finding the Beatles in Liverpool
Imagine John, Paul, Ringo, and George, when they all lived in Liverpool, UK. Their story is more alive now than it has been in decades, since this year marks the golden anniversary of the Beatles. It was 50 years ago when they formed one of the most inspiring Rock & Roll bands of all time and their hometown has a host of events planned to celebrate the occasion. We relived the history, when we went on a Rock trip of a lifetime to Liverpool, the Holy Grail for Beatles fans.
Discovering Grim’s Dyke
I helped solve a murder at Grim’s Dyke. All right, maybe it wasn’t a real murder but Grim’s Dyke Hotel is a real place, a Tudor-inspired hotel set on a 40-acre country estate less than 15 miles from London’s center. The hotel’s name refers to huge three-mile long defensive earthwork built in 1BC by a tribe that fought the Romans there.
Seeing England By Canal Boat
Back in the Industrial Revolution, canals were built in England to facilitate the transportation of goods about the country. Today these waterways are river roads that also transport tourists.
English Garden Tours
The English has long enjoyed gardening — the tradition continues today — and travelers in Britain can visit many beautiful gardens around London and to its south.
The Soane – Home to London’s Compulsive Collector
The last time I was in London I stayed at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel in South Kensington. The hotel had been formed by joining together several buildings, which gave it a rather odd floor plan, and they managed to shoehorn a room into every free square foot of space, even on stairwell landings between floors. I remember walking out of the hotel one morning thinking the place was almost claustrophobic. In retrospect It’s quite funny since that day I was on my way to a place that would take that feeling of near-claustrophobia and multiply it a hundred fold.
London’s Museum Quarter
About a year ago on a flight into London, our final approach to Heathrow was up the Thames, which provided a spectacular view of the city on a clear fall morning. You could clearly see many of the city’s famous landmarks but the area that drew my attention was South Kensington, which clings to the southern perimeter of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
My Mini-Theme Vacation
A few years ago some of my nephews took a baseball vacation, visiting as many ballparks and seeing as many games as they could during eight rushed, guys-only, hotdog gorging, beer-filled days. They had a ball, they told me, and it was simply because they wrapped a vacation around something they enjoyed doing.
Scotland
The Highlands
No trip to Scotland is complete without a visit to its Highlands, the most wild landscape you’ll find in Britain. A land of craggy mountains covered with heather and grassland, it is a land of…
Training Scotland
Depending on the length of your vacation, or just inclination, in Scotland taking the train may be the easiest way to see many sights in the shortest time.
The Whiskey Trail
The Scots have great admiration for their Scotch, and you can search out Single Malts, as well as other blends, at the distilleries where they’re made all over Scotland.
The Secret on the Queen’s Yacht
A member of the British Parliament has just suggested that Queen Elizabeth be given a new yacht to mark this year’s diamond Jubilee.A new yacht? What’s wrong with the old one? I guarantee you the Royal Yacht Britannia is still in very good condition. All of its 400+ feet are spiffy and polished and ship-shape without a bit of rust. The kind of ship National Geographic would lust for to take you on a 10-day tour to see penguins on ice floes or pirates in Somalia or some other place.
The Surprise on the Train to Edinburgh
While I was in London a few months ago, I decided to take the train up to Scotland. At 6:00am the day of my trip I set out for Kings Cross Station to board the East Coast Express to Edinburgh, which was to be about a 4½-hour trip with a half-dozen or so stops scheduled en route. I knew it would be a comfortable ride, and since the train had Wi-Fi I planned to get some work done along the way. I had booked a seat at one of several tables in first-class so that I could use my laptop.
Wales
How to explore Wales by bus
Brits may not always be the first to appreciate it, says EuroCheapo, but Great Britain has Europe’s densest network of local bus routes – including one that will take you about Wales.
Transportation
Flights into London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports connect Britain with the USA and most other countries worldwide. There are also international flights into other airports about the country. Ferries also connect England with several other European countries. Overall, transportation is excellent throughout the country. The Underground and a good bus system serve London, and a reliable rail network and national bus service connects the entire nation. The highway network is also excellent (but often crowded near London) although it may take time for some American travelers to adjust to driving on the left side of the road.
Hotels
Hotel options in the UK are endless and cover all categories of lodging.
Food
Once bordering on miserable, the British restaurant scene has come a long way in the past two decades thanks to an influx of top chefs from around the world. In London and other major cities you can enjoy a range of international cuisine in numerous highly rated restaurants, as well delicious indigenous British food given a new twist by home-grown UK chefs.
Quality of Medical Care (Good/Fair/Poor)
Good
