the ultimate travel guide toEngland
The land of rolling green pastures, Yorkshire puddings, majestic castles and toasty country pubs. There is just so much to love about England.
London is a great jumping off point for exploring the United Kingdom and is certainly where most travellers begin.
No matter what your passion or interest, you can not only indulge it, but usually find the world’s best at it in London.
There are heaving marketplaces, some of the best theatres in the world, historic buildings, incredible street art, beautiful parks, gardens and heaths, marvellous museums and some of the most drool-worthy shopping haunts in the world.
If you’re a foodie London should certainly be on your travel bucket list. The city is home to some wonderful secret bars and we have a comprehensive guide to all the London restaurants you should be eating at right now.
Sports fans might like to try their luck at landing tickets for Wimbledon. Demand for tickets to any of the games in the tournament is huge so if you are looking to secure some you will either need to go into a public ballot (introduced back in 1924) and keep your fingers crossed that the computer picks you at random, or book through a reputable sports tour company.
There are plenty of great boutique hotels in London to rest your head in. We’ve put together a handy guide to help you navigate your accommodation options.
There are plenty of picturesque places to go for a long weekend near London. Oxford, Poundon, Bath, Cornwall and Devon are all beautiful towns with a rich history just a stone’s throw from the capital.
London might be infinitely prettier but Birmingham, England’s second-largest city, may very well be the one packing all the personality. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Birmingham (and while you’re there make sure you check out one of the fabulous curry houses in town).
In its countryside is where the quintessential charm of England truly comes to the fore. Nowhere is this more illustrative of the point than the Cotswolds, a confection of green fields and ridiculously pretty villages, all basking in an idyllic pace of life.
The Lake District is England at its most dramatic and gorgeously pastoral, where Wordsworth ‘Wandered lonely as a Cloud’, a place of such significant natural beauty that UNESCO thought it wise to inscribe its rugged collection of mountains and lakes as a World Heritage Site.
It’s still gritty, but the northern English port city of Hull (or, officially, Kingston-upon-Hull) is having a cultural renaissance. Serious money and creative nous has gone into regenerating this ancient, gritty port city.
Boasting funky new urbane redevelopments, centuries of history and a few half-decent football teams, Manchester has definitely outgrown its dour industrial past.
You can also spend a day or two walking the picturesque streets of Ludlow, known off-record as one of England’s prettiest towns.
Bath is a delightful little city steeped in history. Come here to enjoy the wonder of the Roman Baths and the elegant charm of the Georgian architecture.
