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How to Explore the UK on your ownThe United Kingdom Travel Guide helps you discover what is there to see in United Kingdom, and provides you information on how to get there. As far as possible, each article is accompanied with travel details so that you can explore the country on your own. Have fun!The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK for short, is a country comprising England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The term Great Britain refers to the main island on which England, Scotland and Wales are located. It is itself a short form of its formal name, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Kingdom of Great Britain came about following the union of the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Wales through the Acts of Union 1707 which came into effect on 1 May, 1707 under the reign of Queen Anne. In 1801, the Kingdom of Ireland was merged into it, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Subsequently, following the Irish War of Independence, much of Ireland seceded from the Union, with only Northern Ireland remaining till this day. The name Great Britain comes from Britannia major, which means "Greater Britain" in Latin. This is to distinguish it from Britannia minor, or Lesser Britain, which is the area approximating modern Britanny in France. Today the name Great Britain is often used to mean the major part of the United Kingdom, that is to say, the unit comprising England, Scotland and Wales, and not Northern Ireland. United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, and Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state. The people of the United Kingdom are called the British, or Britons, and informally, as Brits. England, Scotland and Wales are each regarded as countries within the union. The Kingdom of England has included Wales since 1284. The 1707 Acts of Union merges it with the Kingdom of Scotland. The last Scottish monarch to be crowned was King Charles II on 1 January, 1651, despite the English Parliament having made any such proclamations unlawful. His defeat at the Battle of Worcester forced him to go into exile for 9 years. It was only following the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658 that Charles II returned, and was crowned King of England on 23 April, 1661.  Grey's Monument, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Author: Hans Peter Schaefer (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)  Cawdor Castle Author: Mihael Grmek (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported) Fast Facts about United KingdomHotels in the United KingdomAs you prepare for your trip to the United Kingdom, it is wise to check the price of hotel rooms from different hotel booking websites. You will find that different booking sites actually offer the same rooms at vastly different prices. To get the best value for your money, use our free United Kingdom Hotel Search Engine to view and compare room rates from different hotel booking sites. It helps you in making an informed decision that can save you a lot of moneyYou can also use the search console below. Just key in the dates of your trip, and the engine will generate a list of hotels with the best prices, as plucked from the different Online Hotel Booking websites. Find a hotel
Getting into United KingdomThe main entry point for tourists to United Kingdom are London, Mancester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh.United Kingdom Entry RequirementsNationals of Australia, Canada and US only need to bring their passport with over 3 months validity, visa is not necessary if staying not more than six months. Nationals of EU countries need to show proof of EU nationality. For more details, visit the government-run UK Visas website, http://www.ukvisas.gov.ukGetting around in United KingdomThere is numerous possibility including domestic flights, trains, rented car or even hiking.By plane There is a network of domestic flights linking the major cities in the United Kingdom, namely London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. British Airways, www.british-airways.co.uk, has flights to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester and Newcastle, from both Heathrow and Gatwick, and fare starts from as low as 60 pounds. BMI or British Midlands Airways, www.flybmi.com, is a low cost carrier with flights from Heathrow to Aberdeen, Belfast, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds-Bradford and Manchester. Flying domestic might not be the ideal option for visitors as it is often time consuming for the short distance involved, and not practical. Most British airports do not have rail connections. You only option are buses to the cities, and these are often quite expensive. To get the best fare, book as early as possible. By train There is a plethora of trains connecting all the cities and countryside of the United Kingdom. You can often enjoy cheaper fare by booking as early as possible, at least 7 to 14 days earlier or more. Multi-day passes are also available to visitors from outside UK. There are no high-speed trains like the TGV of France of ICE of Germany in the United Kingdom, but still, it is often faster to take the train than to drive. For details of the trains, visit the National Rail website, www.nationalrail.co.uk. By driving The United Kingdom drives on the left side of the road, the same as Australia, New Zealand and Japan. While driving gives you the freedom to explore, it is also expensive. Parking space is also hard to find, especially in big cities. Petrol is also expensive, at around 1.41 pounds per litre. There is a levy, or congestion charge, of 8 pounds for driving into central London. The M25 Motorway is notoriously congested, and is often called "London's car park", because all traffic often comes to a standstill. It should be avoided during rush hour, between 7:00-10:00am and 4:00-7:00pm. By bus The three main bus operators in the United Kingdom are National Express, www.nationalexpress.com, CityLink, www.citylink.co.uk, and Megabus, www.megabus.com/uk/. National Express is the largest, and has services to all the major destinations on the UK mainland. CityLink is big in Scotland. Megabus offers super low fares - as low as £1- if booked well in advance, that is to say, a week or two ahead. By taxi The distinctive taxis of London are called Black Cabs - though they are not always black. Officially called hackney carriage, these taxicabs are licensed by the Public Carriage Office of Greater London, or by the local authority in other parts of the UK. They are manufactured by one company, LTI or London Taxis International. Drivers must pass a tough exam on the geography of London, called "The Knowledge" before given a taxi driver's license. Other cities in UK often use similar taxis. For information about Taxis in London, the first place to go is the Transport for London website, www.tfl.gov.uk, for numbers to call for taxis in London. In addition to that, visit Connect2Taxi, www.connect2taxi.co.uk, the firm to call for minicabs in UK. In London, call 0871 750 3333. Note: calls are charged 10p per minute from BT landlines. Visit also London Taxi, www.london-taxi.co.uk, and London Taxicabs, www.londontaxicabs.net, to find out about pre-booking a taxi. Renting a car in United KingdomIf you need to rent a car any time you are in the United Kingdom, get in touch with Auto Europe for discounted car rentals. Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, England Author: Allan Engelhardt (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)  Loch Lomond, Scotland Author: Adrian.Cieslak (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0) Money matters in United KingdomThe currency used in the United Kingdom is the Pound Sterling (GBP, symbol £), which is divided into 100 pence (p). Coins are available in denominations of 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p and 1 pound, while notes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. English banknotes show the Queen on the front and a historical figure on the reverse side. The banks of Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own banknotes at parity value to the English banknotes. While English banknotes find acceptance throughout the UK, some shops may in England may refuse Scottish and Northern Irish notes. Avoid £50 banknotes, as its high value causes some shopkeepers to be reluctant to accept it.United Kingdom is an expensive country to visit. Expect to spend roughly £50 per day on a budget, and more if you want to enjoy luxuries such as taxis, 3-star hotels and meals in restaurants. London and the South East of England is three times as expensive as the rest of the country. At time of writing (Oct 2007), US$1.00 = £0.49, €1.00 = £0.70. For the latest exchange go to the Oanda Currency Converter.
Major Places of Interest in the United KingdomEnglandUNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United KingdomExploring DevonExploring Darthmoor & Tamar ValleyExploring Exmoor & the QuantocksExploring Somerset & the MendipsExploring Dorset & the PurbecksExploring Salisbury & PlainsExploring CotswoldsExploring the Forest of DeanExploring BathSoutheast EnglandExploring the New ForestExploring the Isle of WightExploring Winchester & North DownsExploring Surrey HeathsExploring South DownsPlaces along the South CoastExploring Windsor & the ThamesExploring Canterbury and Kent DownsExploring Oxford and the ChilternsCentral EnglandPlaces along the Suffolk CoastExploring Cambridge & FensExploring Norfolk BroadsExploring Lincoln and RutlandExploring Worcester and Malvern HillsExploring Stratford and Vale of EveshamExploring Shrewsbury and IronbridgeExploring Shropshire Hills and StiperstonExploring Offa's DykeExploring the Peak DistrictWalesExploring CardiffExploring South Wales and PembrokeshireExploring Snowdonia National ParkExploring Brecon Beacons and Central WalesNorthern EnglandExploring the Lake DistrictExploring Yorkshire MoorsExploring Yorkshire DalesExploring Northumbria and the Coast of Northern EnglandScotlandExploring EdinburghExploring Fife and StirlingExploring Trossachs and South ScotlandExploring Argyll, Mull and West ScotlandExploring Cairngorms and Central ScotlandExploring Skye and North ScotlandPhotos of the United Kingdom Norwich Millenium Library Author: Gerscht (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)  Milecastle 39 on Hadrian's Wall Author: Adam Cuerden (public domain)  Angle Tarn, below Bow Fell, Lake District Author: Mark Croston (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5) |
Places of Interest in the United KingdomSights in LondonCities and Sights in the Channel Coast (Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, East Sussex & West Sussex)Cities and Sights in East Anglia (Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk)Cities and Sights in the Thames Valley (Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire & Oxfordshire)Cities and Sights in Wessex (Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset)Cities and Sights in Devon and CornwallCities and Sights in the Heart of England (Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worchestershire)Cities and Sights in East Midlands (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire)Cities and Sights in Lancashire and the Lakes (Cumbria, Lancashire)Cities and Sights in Yorkshire and the Humber RegionCities and Sights in NorthumbriaCities and Sights in North Wales (Abercronwy & Colwyn, Anglesey, Caernarfonshire & Merionethshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham)Cities and Sights in South and Mid Wales (Cardiff / Swansea, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire, Powys, Pembrokeshire)Cities and Sights of the Scottish Lowlands (Clyde Valley, Central Scotland, Fife, Lothians Ayrshire, Dumpfries and Galloway, The Borders)Cities and Sights of the Scottish Highlands and Islands (Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll & Bute, Highlands, Moray, Orkney, Perth & Kinross, Shetland, Western Isles)Cities and Sights of Northern Ireland (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Tyrone) |
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