Pete's Wicked Travels

Many people see England as a small country, and with good reason. In comparison to places like the US or Russia, where it can take days to travel to another city, you can get to most places in the UK in a matter of hours. So, even though it might make sense to find a cheap hotel in the heart of a major city, you can still visit some of the magical wonders spread across this amazing country.

5. Alton Towers

Alton Towers is one of Britain’s premiere theme parks. Based in the small village of Alton near Stoke on Trent, it takes around three hours to get there from London.

You will find a whole host of massive attractions including roller coasters, thrill rides and plenty for the kids stretched across a landscape filled with a variety of themed areas.

Waiting times can be a pain, but the recently-installed queue jump system is rather useful to make sure you get on everything. Make sure you visit all the rides you want to get on throughout the day early on and get yourself a queue jump ticket which will grant you speedy access to the ride for the allotted time that you receive.

If you don’t think you can handle a large round trip to visit the park, there is also a rather nifty hotel attached too; which if booked with your park tickets, grants you early access to the park and attractions.

4. An English football match

Football (or soccer) is huge in the UK and there really isn’t anything like experiencing the passion of a true English football match.

The sport is massive and as a result, regardless of time of year or location, you are sure to be able to watch it on some level. However, before you start looking to buy tickets for Manchester United’s next fixture, it’s worth noting that most of the more renowned clubs have a very limited or expensive supply.

To watch football at the highest level at a snippet of the price, try catching one of the big clubs at an away fixture. Smaller clubs often struggle to fill allocation and it is usually possible to grab a ticket. Northern clubs such as Wigan or Blackburn can sell tickets for as cheap as £10 and still offer the passion and atmosphere found at some of the biggest clubs in the country.

3. Visit a proper British pub

You don’t have to go too far for this one. Unlike the bars and brassieres you see on every corner in the world, visiting a proper British pub gives you something a little different.

You will find many pub chains around the UK but if you can find a brewery-owned establishment you will be able to not only try the finest local brews, but also a wide selection of beers from around the world.

The growth of pub chains in the UK has seen many classic British pubs die in the past few years and increasing strain on the industry may only leave you with a few years left to really check out a remarkable piece of culture.

2. History

Britain has one of the richest historical backgrounds in the entire world. In the UK you can see history stretching back over thousands of years, from Roman remains to Tudor thatched housing.

To keep costs down, there is a plethora of museums you can check out for free, such as the Imperial War Museum, the British Museum, or the famous Natural History Museum. Check out some online UK museum guides to find the best ones.

Alternatively, you could visit some historical sites in the flesh; places like Stonehenge, Hastings and Hadrian’s Wall are popular destinations you can visit for free.

1. Buckingham Palace

It is exceptionally hard to resist visiting Buckingham Palace when in the UK. No matter how many times you might visit the English capital, the palace will be a staple of many people’s sightseeing list.

The palace is the official home of the Queen of England and a world famous landmark synonymous with London. You can see members of the Queen’s guard around the outskirts of the palace or take a stroll up the beautiful Pall Mall.

Tours operate around the palace seasonally; but if you just want to catch a glimpse of the famous stately home, it’s right in the heart of the city and can easily be worked into your day.

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The capital city of England, London is a vibrant, multi-cultural and cosmopolitan city which is very welcoming to visitors. Consisting of many different boroughs, each with a unique atmosphere and distinctive feel, the city is easily navigable through the excellent public transport system but finding the right place to stay can prove challenging to the first time visitor.

City apartments London offer easy access to the main streets of the West End such as Park Lane, Regent Street and Oxford Street and are serviced by many tube lines and bus routes that make exploring easy. Central London hotels are also ideal bases for seeing the sights such as Eros in Piccadilly, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square and Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and St Pauls Cathedral in Westminster.

For those who like to ‘go native’ when visiting a place, a lot of homeowners rent out apartments in London over weekends and holidays and also during events such as the Wimbledon tennis tournament. There are also holiday apartments in London which offer year round accommodation and these can be found in most areas of the capital.

London is split into East, South, West and North and each region has a specific character. East London remains the working district that it has been since Roman times. Dotted with old factory buildings of tea traders and matchstick makers, the atmosphere of the area is formed by the Jewish, Bengali and Portuguese influence of the people who immigrated to the area. Brick Lane is well known for its Bengali curry houses and fabulous fabric shops. Spitalfields market has become a trendy place to buy almost anything but is famous for its fashion, arts and crafts, interiors and music. Whitechapel is notorious as the haunt of Jack the Ripper, whose footsteps you can follow on one of the many excellent guided walks.

West London is regarded as the ‘cool’ section of the city and is an essentially bohemian area encompassing Notting Hill where the massive annual Carnival takes place, Ladbroke Grove’s Portobello Market that specialises in vintage items and clothes and the well-heeled borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Chelsea is a quaint area that displays many examples of the Victorian villa design homes emblematic of London, although these are now more likely to be Chelsea apartments rather than family homes. Staying in Chelsea apartments gives guests easy access to the plethora of museums and galleries that make up Museum Row and include The Science Museum, The Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Although the area is genteel, it is possible to find affordable Chelsea apartments.

North London is often thought of as a liberal, yuppie area and it has many attractions for visitors. Kenwood House is set in Hampstead Heath and hosts a number of outdoor concerts each summer and the Heath itself stretches from Highgate, in whose cemetery Marx is buried, across Hampstead. The Heath has outdoor bathing, lidos and miles of outdoor space to explore. Camden is a long established meeting place for people embracing the ‘alternative’ such as Goths.

South London is home to the historic attractions of the Tower of London, Lambeth Palace along with Borough Market and the Tate Modern art gallery.

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It is hardly surprising that Manchester has become such a sought after destination for weekend breaks. Whether you are looking for a relaxing and cultural weekend, some wild partying with a group of friends or an exciting shopping escape, this city will easily cater to your needs.

There are many different corners of Manchester that highlight its cultural diversity. Chinatown is usually a must-visit for most visitors to the city and although it has lost its once vibrant market atmosphere, the area has become increasingly popular for young partygoers at the weekends. The Gay Village ñ sometimes simply referred to as the Village is home to one of the most prominent European gay communities, but is filled with clubs and bars that appeal to all tastes. Of course, Manchester is well known for being one of the most musically active cities in the world and no matter what time of year you travel, there will be plenty of performances in the local venues.

And for shopaholics, this city will truly have you spoiled with choice. As well as all the biggest high street store names around Deansgate and the Millennium Quarter, vintage clothes fans will love the variety of the retro outfitters around Market Street.

Another reason that this city is so popular for short escapes is that cheap flights to Manchester are always easy to find. Flights from Manchester to Edinburgh as well as flights to London and numerous other UK destinations operate several times a day from the city’s international airport. Budget airlines will also cover flights from Manchester to Aberdeen, Dublin and various locations across Europe.

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