Britain is a Country with rich cultural heritage and a large number of destinations to visit. The beauty spots vary from famous landmarks in London, Scotland and the non-spoil t interiors of the Country. Tourists intending to experience United Kingdom and its food should plan at least for a month in the Country.
Traveling Across UK – Personal Travel Diary of a Traveler
I am sure, my personal travel experience of exploring different places in all across UK will help the readers in planning with their own travel. Please feel free to share your feedback and your own experience by commenting below in the comments section.
Setting foot at Heathrow Airport
Many of us have always heard about one of the busiest airports of the world, but getting to set foot at Heathrow airport is a different experience. The sheer volume of the airport and the number of travelers the airport houses in head spinning. The unique aspect about the airport is that everything is so organized and the signboards are so clear and there is no need to seek any help for anything. As long as a tourist, can read English they can manage extremely well in the Country.
Travelers can board taxis from the taxi rank clearly marked, this is just outside the main exit of the airport. The best part about the taxis in London is that no taxi drivers can deny you a trip to any part of the city. In London places are identified by their unique postal code for example: E16 1EH, before starting off to your destination, just make a note of the postal code so that anyone can help you find the location.
Travelling in London
Travelling from any Country to United Kingdom can be long and tiring, but after a goodnight’s rest any individual would be up and about to witness the historic sights of London. Transport can become an expensive affair in London and it is best to research about travel and the cost incurred which travelling within the Country.
Tubes are the best and reasonable mode of transport in London. Tube services are excellent and it runs across the length and breadth of the city. There are certain areas where the tubes do not run and in such areas passengers can travel on the Dockland light Railways and the National Rail. Tubes ply within a short time span of less than five minutes and in the event of closure of a particular line, travelers would be intimated well in advance. All the trains are monitored by CCTV cameras; hence security is top notch on the tubes.
Buses for public transport are red in color and easy to identify. The bus stops and tube stations are clearly marked. Buses are extremely convenient in transporting citizens and tourists across the city Borneo. Bus stops have boards that inform passengers, on the schedule of the buses and the amount of wait. Oyster cards are travelers best friend in London and these can be used to swipe at tube stations as well on buses. Oyster cards can be purchased at all train stations and there are different offers and specific route cards can be taken according to the need of the passenger.
Destinations not to be missed in London
London has a rich cultural heritage and world famous landmarks, which all of us have heard and often not witnesses. The best way to get to see the famous landmarks, are to get on to the hop on hop off buses from the city. The boarding points are strategically located at many prominent locations. Tourists can avail 24 hour or 48 hour tickets for the bus according to their schedule.
A 24 hour ticket on the hop-on -hop off bus would cost Rs 2800 when bought over the internet. This is the best and the cheapest option to tour London and any other means of transport including tubes, would add up to be a much more expensive option. The concept of the hop on hop off bus is that it follows a certain route and any destination that fascinates the tourists they can get down at that location. Once people have gone around the particular tourist spot, they can hop on to the bus that comes to the tourist spot. Frequency of the buses, are within a gap of ten to fifteen minutes, travelers just have to show the ticket. It is extremely important to keep the ticket safely, for the assigned number of days otherwise entry will be prohibited and will have to buy another ticket to continue the journey.
The route
Some of the prominent landmarks, the bus travels through are:
- St James Palace
- Trafalgar square
- Westminster
- Big Ben
- London Eye
- Buckingham Palace
- Tower Bridge
- Covent Garden
All these are extremely popular tourist spots in London. Most of the hops on hop off tour operators have offers which give, a discount on availing tickets for London Eye. A round on London Eye is one of the most memorable sights of a tourist’s trip to United Kingdom. It enables us to see the whole of London in a bird’s eye view
Buckingham Palace
Every time I make a trip to Buckingham palace, I gleam with joy at the sight of the palace. This is a destination that will not bore you, at any point of your life. If you can time it right and get a chance to see the change of guard, it will be a wonderful experience. This place is always thronged with visitors, be it chilly, snowy winters or summer. My first trip to the palace was on a snowing day and I entered the area through St James Park. It was a picture perfect moment, with the whole area is covered in snow and ducks as white as snow swaddle in the frozen lake. It is a sight I will always remember! After the visit to the palace, we stopped at a small café en-route to St James Park and that is the moment when you value the power of a hot cup of coffee. Every mouthful of coffee is so refreshing and soothing. Another yummy dish in this café is the hot waffle served with a religious amount of a choice of sauces. The various sauces are chocolate sauce and nutella sauce; I have not ever enjoyed it better.
Covent Garden
This is a place that makes you feel you have come to a carnival. Covent Garden is a place which entertains kids and adults alike. One unique aspects of Covent Garden tube station is that, though it has lifts, this station has 193 spiral steps that equals climbing up a 15 storied building. People, who like to accept challenges and are healthy, should experience this. It can be tiring, but at the end when you reach the top of the steps, you will be so proud of your achievement, these are the small pleasures in life.
Street performers in their wonderful attire entertain the guests throughout the day and you can pay what pleases you and take amazing pictures with them. Other events such as magic show and stilt walking happen at this location. Apple market located, at the heart of the garden sells a number of unique artifacts of United Kingdom and if you want to collect few treasures this is the best place. For wearied travelers, there are a number of restaurants in the area that serve hot pizzas and Italian delights.
Eating out options in London
London is famous for its fish and chips and the chunky beef steaks. Every high street of the city has a large number of restaurants which offers an array of cuisines, but prices can be steep. A unique option that London has, is that it has a number of markets that provide customers with a wide range of food from different Countries.
Borough market is a place that can give you a sumptuous lunch according to your budget. This market is situated near London Bridge, hence travelling is not a problem and this is just across the London Bridge tube station. The market is designed in a manner that it has a number of stalls and the cuisines vary from mouth watering momos, sushi, enticing Spanish paella, rice and Thai red and green curry. If you want to try out other meats, this is the best place to be, they serve burgers made of Kangaroo, crocodile and Cobra meat.
My favorite food was, slow cooked duck roast, minced and made into a big fat sandwich. I am a huge fan of sweets and you are spoilt for choice, with the variety of pastries, cakes and chocolates that are on display at the market, I had a field day in Borough market.
The other places in London where eating out will not hurt you wallet, is in China town and brick lane and these are good places to have a meal at and are famous places in London.
Moving out of London
Many a tourists when they plan their travel to United Kingdom, most of the times, the itinerary ends up in visiting the famous places in London and returning to the home Country. In reality locations outside London are extremely beautiful and calm and the life in these locations are totally different, from the hustle and bustle of city life. Other prominent cities in United Kingdom such as Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool are very exciting places to visit. Some of my favorite locations in United Kingdom and a must visit are:
Scotland
A place that mesmerizes travelers with its rich landscape and wildlife is Scotland. The city is extremely calm and it has a number of beautiful tourist spots. Some of the famous destinations are the Edinburgh Castle – the castle portrays the rich history of the Scottish people and it is a spectacular view to see the Edinburgh Castle from the city center. If you love shopping, then princess street is the ideal location to shop for all the top brands.
Highland tour is a trip that should not be missed, if you are travelling to Scotland. The trip enables you to experience a different side of Scotland and the picturesque highlands. Some of the best places to visit in Scotland are the Loch Ness- this is a fresh water lake which is famous for its monster stories and tourists regularly come to this spot. If you love your Whiskies, then a place that has to be visited should be the Malt Whisky trail. The officials of the factory demonstrate, to the tourists of the whole procedure, involved in making whisky and travelers can try out a number of brands until you are happy high.
Isle of Wight
This is a beautiful Island, just two and a half hours away from London. The second part of the journey to the Island can be undertaken in a ferry or a hovercraft and this is an awesome experience. Some of the memorable places to be visited, while in the Island is the Osborne House, this was Queen Victoria’s much loved summer palace and she died here in the year 1901.This gives a wonderful insight into the lifestyle of royal life.
The other attractive tourist destinations of Isle of Wight are the needles. This is famous for its colored sand cliffs and receives a large number of tourists throughout the year. Shaklin Chine is the oldest tourist attraction, in this island and this is renowned for its rare flora and fauna.
Other destinations in the United Kingdom
If you can fit a visit to Manchester in your itinerary, an ideal location to combine your trip with is a trip to the Lake District. Direct trains from Manchester take you to Lake District and it is a serene place, that would be loved by the family and a couple of days can be spend in Lake District.
Black pool is a seaside town; this is a place that can enable tourists to experience a different side of United Kingdom. We can reach Black pool by a short train journey from Manchester. Black pool is famous for its beach, amusement parks and casinos. It is a very exciting town and ideal place if you want to celebrate a bachelor or hen night.
Tourists who fancy to experience, village life in United Kingdom should take a trip to places such as Derbyshire and York. Though they are thoroughly modern, but still have traces of rural life. These places also have the best pastries made by households.
A trip to United Kingdom is just not limited to London or Scotland. A thorough research of the various tourist destinations, can give you a good idea as to where all you would like to visit. Connectivity is not an issue and all part of the Country is very well connected. This is a chance to experience life in United Kingdom and take a plunge and be British.
