I hope for nothing in this world so ardently as once again to see that paradise called England. I long to embrace again all my old friends there.
– Cosimo dei Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
If there is something that I learnt living in the UK for almost 10 years, is that people underestimate this country a lot. Most tourists come to the UK just for London and then leave. This is a shame because this country has much more than London to offer to the world. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE London. I dream of living year since I was 10 years old, but there are so many lovely places in this country that it shouldn’t be considered less than France or Italy from a touristic perspective. Here you will find some lovely United Kingdom travel guides to inspire you for your next trip.
Me and the UK. A long Love story
I moved to the UK in the far 2014, but the dream of living in this country fuelled me for a much longer time. As many kids of my age, years ago, I was obsessed with Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings and all the legends coming from this country. Growing up and turning up into a historian, I had the opportunity of studying the British history and my passion for the UK continued to grow. When I finished my university studies and decided to move abroad for a PhD, there was only one country in my mind: the UK.
So, I got a scholarship and moved to Nottingham, (where I was doing my PhD), with just one luggage in a house with just two rooms. And I was the happiest person ever. Here I started exploring more of the UK in the weekend and in the last 10 years, I visited much of the country. After living in various part of northern England, I finally moved to London last year. Now I am focusing more into the exploration of southern England and from my bucket list of places to visit I still miss Cornwall. I hope to visit soon!
United Kingdom Travel Information
The United Kingdom (UK) or Great Britain is divided into 4 different Devolved governments. These are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
London is the capital of the United Kingdom as well as England. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. Cardiff is the capital of Wales and Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland.
English is the official language of the United Kingdom.
The UK currency is the Pound Sterling, commonly abbreviated as just “Pound”. You can obtain Pound from any currency exchange office or ATM around the country. However, contactless payments are the norm in the UK, even for small purchases. So you might not need cash at all. Only in very rural villages or certain events cash might be required.
The UK plug type is type G. Same as Malta. If you are traveling from the mainland Europe or any other nation outside Europe, it’s worth to invest into an universal adapter so that you don’t need to buy one for every destination I visit.
Booking your hotel in advance is more than essential. Indeed, accommodation, particularly out of the big cities is very limited and easily sold out during peak periods. I always get the best rates on Booking.com and I booked here all my stays in the United Kingdom.
Safety in the United Kingdom
The UK is relatively safe to travel despite in big cities like London or Manchester criminality might be present, particularly in outer suburbs. Tourists need to be particularly vigilant in crowded areas and in public transportation. Indeed, thefts and pickpockets are frequent.
For some additional peace of mind, I recommend to place your passport and cash in a Invisible Money Belt. My best suggestion is to keep on your wallet only small pieces of cash and hide the rest in the money belt. Indeed, this is very discrete and will ensure you can go around safely and without gaining unwanted attention.
Where is the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is an island country that sits north-west of mainland Europe. It is connected to France thanks to the Channel Tunnel and it is quite close to Ireland (flights between the two countries are just 40 mins).
Where I have been in the UK
- London
- Canterbury
- Hastings
- Rye
- Winchester
- Guildford
- Brighton
- Exeter
- Dawlish
- Salisbury
- Reading
- Oxford
- Stourhead House and Garden
- Stonehenge Visitors Centre
- Castle Combe
- Windsor
- Gloucester
- Cambridge
- Bibury Village Hall
- Bourton-on-the-Water
- Stow-on-the-Wold
- Sezincote
- Moreton-In-Marsh
- Broadway
- Blenheim Palace
- Milton Keynes
- Bedford
- Stratford-Upon-Avon
- Birmingham
- Leicester
- Coughton Court
- Warwick
- Nottingham
- Lincoln
- Sarehole Mill
- Manchester
- Newark
- Southwell
- Sherwood
- Chesterfield
- Derby
- Stanage Edge
- Peak District National Park
- Bakewell
- Matlock
- Matlock Bath
- Mam Tor
- Chester
- Shrewsbury
- Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
- Conwy
- Llandudno
- Biddulph
- Blackpool
- York
- The Trentham Estate
- Worcester
- Windermere
- Bowness-on-Windermere
- Lancaster
- Normanton
- Leeds
- Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden
- Ripon
- Scarborough
- Whitby
- Robin Hood’s Bay
- Hadrian’s Wall
- Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Alnwick
- Edinburgh
- Scott’s View
- Melrose
- Perth
- Linlithgow
- Forth
- Monzie
- Fort William
- Inverness
- Huntly
- Aberdeen
- Dunnottar Castle
- Stonehaven
- Slains Castle
- Elgin
- Lossiemouth
- Loch Ness
- Urquhart Castle
- Fort Augustus Loch
- Belfast
- Giant’s Causeway
- The Dark Hedges
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
United Kingdom Travel Guides
Here you will find the latest travel guides about the United Kingdom. This will give you an overview of what places you can visit that are not just London. As I said before, in the last ten years I visited a lot of destinations all over the country. Of course, when I started touring the UK I even didn’t have a blog. Therefore, most places are not here (yet). However, I am planning to write detailed guides about each of the places I visited and post them here! Keep an eye on this space!
