places to visit

London is great but where to go beyond that?

A cosmopolitan city to the core, London boats tonnes of stuff to do and places to go. If shopping malls, museums or just plain old sightseeing tours are your thing, you won’t be let down.

But many people would consider London as just another European city. So if that bursts your bubble, then consider this; there’s lots of great little spots outside of London that you can visit. I’ve outlined just a few of them below:

Canterbury

Steeped in medieval architecture and home of the Cathedral and St. Augustine’s Abbey, the great Canterbury boasts a fascinating history. For a long time, it was a popular pilgrimage location. Regardless of your love or hate for tour guides, this place is surely to be explored without a tour guide or you will miss out!

Edinburgh

In summer time, Edinburgh is great! Art festivals, super comedy acts to keep you laughing and stunning scenery are all standard in the lovely Edinburgh. It’s a beautiful city, steeped in culture and tradition. If it’s a museum you are after, then the National Museum of Scotland is sure to provide you with the answers to this great country’s rich history. Take a trip up to the castle and watch he cannon being fired, this is a daily thing!

Scottish Kilts, medieval swords and Scotch whiskey are also on the cards if that’s what you’re into.

Journeying away from Edinburgh is Glasgow. The art fans among you will really enjoy the Kelvingrove gallery and museum.

In the Northwest of Scotland, little towns are scattered around. One such example is Torridon, offering visitors surprises. For whale watching tours, taking a yacht trip or camping, Torrid has all of these covered for you.

Hull

If you are a gardener and love your flowers, then visit Hull this summer. You’ll be in for a treat. Imagine you could experience flowers that never die!

Well, now you can do that, in Hull. In a celebration of being a City of Culture for 2017 (an event held yearly around the world to celebrate city’s culture, people and arts) — Hull has got a field full of yellow flowers, but no ordinary ones! King Edward Square is home to over 1,700 flowers constructed from nearly 147,000 Lego bricks! Crazy, I know.

Gloucestershire

Southwest of the Cotswolds, don’t miss the charming Gloucestershire. Being further away from London, it’s not as over crowded as other places.

Stroud is a small town lined with streets of cobblestone, artisan breweries and vintage-style shops amidst the market stalls. It offers charming historical significance in addition to all of the modern needs of the new age traveler.

Rye

A historic little town, Rye is like other market based towns spread throughout the United Kingdom. What makes this place unique however, is its location. Found on the Romney marshes, along the sand line of one of the South coast’s longest beaches, you can expect to spend some time going through goods in antique shops and wandering through the alley ways.

Castles

Do castles do it for you? Windsor, Inverness, Skye and Cardiff sport some of the nicest castles where the grandeur of the United Kingdom’s complex past is visible. For the famous Stirling Castle, Scotland is where you need to go. But if you don’t intend on going that far north, then go somewhere closer to London, like the Leeds Castle in southeast London. Chartered buses do run, to haul you between the castles, so do some research prior to the trip to find the most appropriate deal for you.

Museums

For a more knowledge seeking, historical insight, then visit York, Southampton, Liverpool and Manchester. Any city with something unique in its history is worth a shot. Take Southampton for example. This was a port town from where the tragic Titanic once departed in the year 1912. Also, the SeaCity Museum is a great spot. Manchester is a great location for the sports fans among you, with the National Football Museum, where you big footy fans can hang out all day! For the train lovers among you, then go to York as it has a museum dedicated to railroads and trains and entry is free!

Are you a fan of the Beatles? Liverpool is for you. Take the long and winding road to the dedicated Beatles museum and look into The Beatles Story too.

Does glamping tickle your fancy?

If you like being at one with nature but in a more glamorous way, then glamping is ideal for you, providing you with a camping experience with some added luxuries.

Roulotte Retreat in Melrose

Here you can escape the cold by staying in one of the traditional Gypsy’s caravans in the Roulotte Retreat, Melrose. This is just on the Scottish border. The Eildon Hills overlook and each of the caravans has their own style influenced by Celtic, Indian and even Moroccan cultures.

Maybe return to London before you go?

If you like London, then maybe returning here after a few days in the countryside is a good idea. Cambridge is pretty easy to get to, where you will wander into the Fitzwilliam Museum or the Botanical Gardens at Cambridge University.

For nice beaches, then visit Southend-on-Sea. It’s a stunning location.

For a nice shopping experience in the countryside, then High Wycombe will delight and it also has some great architecture that will keep you gazed and dazed with the lovely buildings.

Budgets and more information

As the UK economy starts to recover and find its way through this whole Brexit thing, the travel industry there may take longer to reach max capacity again. But for the traveler, this is a good thing as it makes it more competitive for tourism and travel companies, giving you many options catering for all budgets.

Coming from outside of Europe? Then make sure you have your correct visa. Also check the expiry date of your passport!

Do research based on your chosen destinations, find out the level of expenses you’ll need and the look for the better times to book in your accommodation and you’ll be right on your merry little way to a great British adventure!