An American in England

I’ve traveled to England time and again. Even lived there for a few short years… so, I began to think that documenting a few desirable trip routes and “off the beaten path” tips might benefit others who don’t want to spend their entire trip doing the regular tourist haunts.

There are MANY more things to see and do than I’ve outlined here, of course. I’m only a tourist, myself, so my travel time to England is controlled by how much I can afford to make the trips. The things I enjoy may not be the same things that float your boat, and if it’s your first time to England, I heartily recommend doing the touristy thing and visiting all the big draws like Stonehenge, Bath, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, etc. My enjoyment these days is to find things most people from the US don’t end up doing because they haven’t traveled here more frequently.

Trip Planning

The first trip over can be disconcerting if you’ve never experienced jet lag. My advice is always to sleep on the plane if you can. When you book your plane, make SURE (if it’s one of those planes with five seats in the center) that you are not in the middle of those five seats. Get decent seating, you won’t regret it.

Drink lots of water and get up and walk as often as possible. Do NOT drink alcohol or use caffeine. You can try these jet lag pills for added comfort: http://www.nojetlag.com/. You should be able to get them at REI.

I also suggest packing light. Why should you pack light? Having only a carry-on minimizes the time you’ll spend in line going through customs (since you won’t have to wait for your bags on the carousel). Also, many English B&Bs are as many as 3-4 stories high (some with no elevator). The stairways are narrow, and many simply don’t allow for large suitcases to be carried up easily. Finally, it’s difficult to lug large bags on the underground (which you may have to do in the course of your trip). All-in-all, it’s just much better to pack light and plan on doing laundry if you have a longish stay. If you buy trinkets, you can always mail them back rather than carry them with you. For packing light tips, see: http://royalwench.blogspot.com/2010/04/travel-packing-101.html.

Buy your train pass (see http://www.britainontrack.com/buypasses/passdetails.cfm?pass=19 and http://booking.britrail.com/index.action?urlType=BritRail_Passes&Version=Flexible). Recommend trying AAA (if you’re an AAA member) since, I believe, they offer insurance with the pass (at no extra charge). Also, AAA provides free or discounted literature for the overseas traveler. Always a good resource.

They no longer carry the London Visitor’s Pass for the underground, but you can purchase the Oyster card: http://www.visitbritainshop.com/usa/london/london-travel-transport/product/visitor-oyster-card.html).

Have copies of all your travel documentation on you as well as uploaded to a website where you can reach the info if you need it. See http://docs.google.com/#all. I uploaded phone numbers, addresses, schedules, etc. and away I went. When I got to London, I could not find the phone numbers of the people I was supposed to meet!!! I’m normally not *that* scatterbrained. Luckily, when the Gatwick Express dropped me at Victoria Station, there was an internet café close by where I could log on and download the phone numbers from Yahoo briefcase.

*Note* If you have a hand-held device or flash drive you can use, Yay!

Don’t forget, power in the UK is a different voltage than the US, so you’ll need a converter and adapter to use any American devices (such as a recharger, blow dryer, etc.). Get that before you go over.

Flying to England?

Typically, I’ve flown out from the US in the afternoon and landed in London the next morning. There’s a 6 hour time difference between Texas and the UK, so don’t forget to tack that on in your reckoning.

You’ll land, and go through the interminable customs process. At Gatwick (where I usually land), you’re pretty much dumped into a huge hall with hundreds of other foreigners. Queuing is the British national pastime – so this is your first chance to experience it on the trip.

The Gatwick Express is a super fast and easy-to-catch travel gem that whisks you right into London Victoria station. Of course, it also drops you off there unceremoniously.

I either take the underground or a cab to my hotel from there. Depends on how rested I feel and where the hotel is located. If you’ve been smart, you’ve already gotten your Oyster card before you arrived in the city. It’s good for a stretch of days in town and gets you around pretty handily.

If you stay at the location recommended below, you will arrive at Victoria Station and then a commuter train to East Penge.
Accommodations in London

Where should you stay in London? I’ve been asking myself that for years, and have tried a variety of hotels and B&Bs. The problem is, the closer into town you are, the more expensive the hotel, and the less customer-friendly the staff seem to be. I’ve ended up in some real dives and paid quite a bit for the pleasure. There’s an area around Eccleston Square that’s full of row after row of Georgian hotels. They all look pretty much the same from the outside, but (again), you can get into a real dive, and I’ve still not had much luck with the customer service or the prices.

I have stayed in one inexpensive B&B (Melrose House) that lives up to my standards of cleanliness, friendliness, and safety. The downside is that it’s located outside of London Central in East Penge. With your underground pass, you can get there by commuter train in about 15-20 minutes. Then, you’ll walk a few blocks to get to the hotel, but it is well worth it in my estimation. http://www.uk-bedandbreakfast.com/

Of course, if money is no object – there are lots of really comfy hotels where you can spend upwards of $300/$400 per night. When you go, let me know if you need a travel companion.

Getting Touristy

My first inclination when I arrive in London is to go to my hotel, shower, rest, and get back out onto the streets. I love the smell of history… and London is full of it.

So, what do I do that’s any different from any normal tourist? Well, I typically avoid places like Westminster Abbey and the Tower (though I’ve been to both – it’s a been there, done that sorta thing). I recommend you go at least once, but that’s not what I’m here to discuss. I want to take you OFF the beaten path.

I’d like to suggest perhaps taking a jaunt to Camden Market. I go there every visit just to people watch and see the sights and sounds of an amazing marketplace. Street after street and vendor after vendor. There’s something for everyone there.

Of the tours I’ve done, the best was a Jack the Ripper walking tour (pretty spooky as the daylight wanes).

For zero cash, you can visit Abbey Road and have your picture taken in front of the famous street sign.

Or perhaps spend a bit and go to Baker Street for the Sherlock Holmes museum and the Beatles store.

When I have the time, I like to go to Greenwich. You can take the Docklands rail (which should be a part of your Oyster card pass if you’ve gotten all zones). The Cutty Sark is there, but it’s WAY too touristy for the off-the-beaten track traveler.

I suggest the Market there in Greenwich. It’s not too large, but kind of nice. I got a few trinkets there.

Next time I want to stand on the Greenwich Mean Timeline. Greenwich is a cute little town with a lot to offer. I’m sure I’ll be back there.

Back in London, I make lots of shows at the West End as I can. Theater there is amazing. What’s the tip for cheap theater tickets? That would be the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. You can go there the day of the show you want to see and pick up discount tickets. See http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts/leicester_square/.

I usually end up at Harrods and Fortnum and Masons (I prefer the latter). Harrods is too huge, too pricey, and too touristy. Try F&Ms as a nice alternative. You might treat yourself to some of their teas, by the way. My favorite is the wild strawberry black tea. Note: Shipping from F&M is outrageous! Shipping from the UK has gotten beyond ridiculous. So, I shall somehow plan to get a case to bring home with me on my next trip!

One thing I do enjoy that’s a bit touristy is the Elizabethan Banquet. Unfortunately, the one at Hatfield House no longer serves up these tasty-but-fun meals. There’s a new place in town by the Tower of London, or you can wait til further on in our trip when I’ll tell you about Lumley Castle. http://www.welcome2britain.com/medieval_banquet.htm

Back to our London visit.

The last thing I’d like to say about London is that it is great for centralizing your travel to other areas. If you’d enjoy Stonehenge, Bath, or even Paris you can leave your luggage at the hotel and sightsee to your hearts’ content.

You will note that my trip guide is going to focus more on the northern points in England (since that’s where I lived and feel most comfortable traveling). But, I highly recommend just shooting off and doing your own thing. That’s what makes travel to the UK so exciting!

Traveling to the Rest of the UK

So, how are you going to get around England? As a single female traveler, I wondered about that. For many years, getting a Britrail Pass (you must do this BEFORE you go over) was the easiest method. The passes let you go anywhere in the UK for the specified time on the pass. It was nice one morning to wake up in London and think, “hmm… I’ve never been to Wales…” and to leap onto a train and take off without any hassles.

Yet, there are some limitations to train travel. You are at the mercy of the rail schedule, and if there’s a strike – you may not get there at all. Sunday train schedules are very iffy and sparse. Try traveling on another day if you can. I’ll likely always have a Britrail and Oyster card with me when I travel to the UK. But, there are places “off the beaten path” that I would like to view as well, and you just can’t do that from the main train lines.

You can do this several ways: by bus, by taxi, or by car. Taxis are ruled out as too expensive for me. You can use the local bus system, but you have to figure it out and know when and how to get from point to point. I’m sure this is easy for some, but my brain functions aren’t that complex, so I’ve opted to drive in the past.

This does not come without some of its own issues. First, of course, is getting used to driving on the right side of your car on the left side of the road! Typically, British cars will be standard shift (not a problem for me – but might be for some). And the roads can be terribly tricky. A few trips ago to the UK, I rented a car in York and drove to Wensleydale. The tiny roads had me white-knuckling the steering wheel most of the time. I also didn’t have a navigator or GPS, so there were frequent stops and cursing as I’d turn the car around and around trying to find the farm path I’d missed.

However, if you want to get into and out of small, backwater towns… this is really the best bet IMHO. I’d also suggest taking a navigator or GPS with you. Make sure your GPS is able to get you around Europe. You won’t need any special documentation to drive in England (just your American driver’s license). But be sure and get insurance.

Wales

I researched my trip to Wales a bit before going over (thinking that I might spontaneously try it for a few days). The place I picked was a tiny town called Conwy. http://www.conwy-wales.com/

Conwy is in the northern part of Wales and is on the estuary of the River Conwy. Not only is there a really cool stone fortress of a castle, but it is relatively close to a larger town (Llandudno) which is best known as the resort town where Lewis Carroll met the real life Alice (hence came the tales).

Conwy is right on the rail route in that area, and there is a Tourist Information centre located right at the station. They were kind enough to send me to a lovely B&B (http://www.bryn.org.uk/).

This area offers places to shop, decent restaurants, and a few sightseeing opportunities (such as the Alice in Wonderland Museum and the Great Orme). The Great Orme is a large rock that juts out ominously into the estuary of the River Conwy and is a fantastic geological point from which to view surrounding areas. There is a lovely tramway that takes you up the side of the huge limestone edifice to a place inhabited mostly by mountain goats. When I was there, it was bitterly cold and windy. But, there is a restaurant and souvenir shop at the top of the Great Orme which lends some shelter.

The Alice in Wonderland museum was less than spectacular, so I won’t recommend it. I mainly loved Conwy and Llandudno for the slower pace and the scenery. The people were quite friendly and helpful, and I had a lovely room at a B&B located right at the base of the castle wall.

There’s a castle shop that has a nice selection of souvenirs, and you can have a look around the ruined castle (which is pretty impressive). Conwy also hosts the UK’s smallest house. LOL… I didn’t bother with the (most likely) 30 second tour of the place, but it’s interesting to note.

Note for future trips:

At some point, I want to make the trip to Portmeirion. If you’ve never heard of Portmeirion, it’s a lovely city on the west coast of Wales. It was the location for filming the 60s show, “The Prisoner” and has always intrigued me.

It’s also nearby Portmeirion at Holyhead that you can catch a ferry bound for Ireland, so you might keep that in mind if your trip calls for an Irish detour.

Ah well… maybe someday.

The English Lake District

My first trip to the Lake District was back in the early 80s (when I lived in North Yorkshire). We stayed at Lake Windermere (the largest of the lakes) at the Beach Hotel (a pretty large establishment).

Windermere is the biggest tourist trap of all the lakes. There’s lots to do in Windermere – and lots of traffic. So, if you want to get away from it all (which is what I enjoy when I go there), stay away from Lake Windermere.

What do I suggest? Well, let’s see. Keswick would likely be my first choice. Keswick is a lovely village located on the shores of Derwent Water. The lake is a gem, and the town is small enough to feel cozy, but large enough to have decent shopping and things to do other than hiking, boating, and natural pastimes.

There’s a great little market there on Saturdays. And Keswick is close to almost everything beautiful in the Lake District.

Each of the lakes has boat tours and cruises. I highly recommend the one at Derwent Water (it’s just such a lovely location).

Restaurants: There is an expensive but super fish shop in the town center (the Old Keswick Fish & Chip Shop and Restaurant).

Lodging: MOST Highly Recommend!!! This B&B has my highest rating of any place I’ve stayed in England. The Goodwin House is friendly, clean, and well-priced. http://www.goodwinhouse.co.uk/.

Recommended transportation: Rail to Penrith and car to Keswick (you’ll likely want a rental car so you can see other lake towns).

Now that you’re centrally situated in your comfy room at Goodwin House, it’s time to explore a bit.

If you’re a single traveler (as I am) and not too sure of the hiking trails, you can purchase books or join a hiking tour. For years, I’ve been eyeing this tour group: www.walkingwomen.com. I’m not up for the heavier hikes, but the slower ones look very interesting.

What should you wear in the lakes for hiking? Unfortunately, the lush greenery of the Lake District is brought to us through overcast skies and rains, so much of the time the Lake District is wet and muddy. Bring waterproof gear. The weather can change very much from the beginning to the end of your hike, so you might want something with a zipped lining and warm (waterproof) gloves. The tour group pages will tell you more, so you might check this out: http://www.walkingwomen.com/travelframe.htm.

Probably the nicest town that I visited after Keswick was Coniston. It’s a smaller place, but the lake is lovely. Coniston Water is best known as the place where Donald Campbell set the world speed boat record in the 1960s (sadly, he was also killed there trying to break his own record in 1967). You can see more of this story at the Ruskin Museum in town (http://www.ruskinmuseum.com/).

As you can see, this area is also of literary importance since the author, John Ruskin (as well as Beatrix Potter) had homes here.

If you go to Coniston, you’ll likely end up at the shoreline where you can dine outdoors (in nice weather) and take a cruise on one of their boats. This was the better of the cruise tours I took since the boat pilot added a lot of local commentary).

There are a few shops and some nice hiking you can do from Coniston. While on my lake cruise, one gentleman got off at one of the stops and hiked his way back.

The rest of the Lake District…

There is a nice loop you can do if you’d like to take a driving tour around the lakes. I found a highly entertaining interactive map located here: http://www.golakes.co.uk/maps/interactive-map.aspx. Zoom in for exact road information. I recall the road at Honiston Pass which had warning signs on it not to use the road! LOL. (We didn’t let that stop us.) It is a bit harrowing, but my British friend, Greg (who drives like an old lady) got us back to Keswick safely.

Part of this tour took us to a breathtaking sight… Buttermere. Buttermere is best known for its hiking (it’s one of the smaller lakes), but the water is smooth as glass and the surrounding countryside as peaceful as a sheep paddock. I highly recommend dropping yourself off there and allowing at least a short hike. There’s a pub in Buttermere that caters to the hikers and was a nice stop on our way.

For those literary buffs, I recommend the favorite museums and sites of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Beatrix Potter, Ruskin, et. al. I really didn’t enjoy the Beatrix Potter museum (it’s been Disney-fied).

I didn’t do this (but my friends did)… you can go canopy surfing at Go Ape. For those not familiar with this hobby, you basically traverse the tree canopies. For a price. I can scream pretty much anywhere for free, so I didn’t attend with them. http://www.goape.co.uk

That’s pretty much the extent of my experience with the Lake District! I hope some of these tips helped.

Yorkshire

Most of my experience in England has been in North Yorkshire – since I lived there. It’ll be difficult to condense, but I’ll try!

Let’s start with the heart of Yorkshire, which is the city of York. This is one of my favorite larger cities. It’s quaint, it’s beautiful, and it’s filled with history. Though, on my last trip, the traffic was horrible!

Suggestions for accommodations: None… I’ve not had an outstanding experience in York to talk about, so I’d suggest just looking up places on Trip Advisor.

Getting there: Trains run regularly through York. You’ll have no trouble getting there or finding a hotel within walking distance of the station and the town centre.

Restaurants: They have a Betty’s Tea Room (for those who are fans of James Herriott). Other than that, pretty much you have your pick. They even have a Subway sandwich shop!

Shopping: Oh, how I love to shop in York! It’s the best! There’s even a market in town… so you have your choice of retail experiences.

The Tourist Thing: My favorites are the York Minster… it has the most inspiring architecture with the most amazing collection of stained glass and history! Clifford’s Tower and the Castle Museum – I’m not much of a museum goer, but the Castle Museum ranks as one of the best in my opinion. The Viking Museum… well… they Disney-fied it. *sigh* What can I say? St. Mary’s Abbey is a ruin, but a beautiful place to visit. It got caught up in Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. And please treat yourself to a walk around the Roman wall… it’s just magnificent in nice weather.

From York, you can catch a train to the first town where I lived, Harrogate. There are some good things about Harrogate… though I must say that the town has suffered much due to construction and population increase. The traffic in Harrogate is worse than horrible. Probably the two best things about the town are the Harlow Carr Gardens and the Stray.

The Stray in Harrogate

All in all, I’d probably bypass Harrogate and take the train from York to Knaresborough instead. Even though it, too, has suffered from expansion these days, it still has lots to commend it. First, there is the ruin of Knaresborough Castle… a beautiful location on the cliffs overlooking the River Nidd. Once there, you can have a look round, but what you’ll not be able to keep your eyes off of is the stunning view of the Knaresborough Viaduct over the river… it’s an amazing sight (see the picture at the top of my blog). Great for photographers. Knaresborough is a Market town where you can find a variety of retail goods every Wednesday. The great thing about England is that if you miss a Market day in one town, you’ll likely be able to find one the next day in an equally breathtaking town. J

If you’re into medieval prophesies, you should tour Mother Shipton’s cave. She was a seeress who foretold the end of the world. http://www.mothershiptonscave.com. There is a petrifying well where you can leave bits and bobs to watch them turn to stone over the months and years.

Knaresborough is well worth the trip.

I also recommend Ripon, though they have no train station. More’s the pity. You’ll have to go by car or bus to Ripon (it’s about nine miles away).

Ripon is one of my favorite smaller towns for various reasons. It hasn’t expanded as much as the other towns (though it’s still busy). It hosts a great market on Thursdays in the town center. AND! It has an awesome Cathedral to explore. Ripon Cathedral, in my opinion, is one of the nicest of the smaller cathedrals in England.

I lived in Ripon once, and still remember very fondly taking my dog Sheba along a public footpath on the outskirts of town from where you had a magnificent view over the distance of the Cathedral.

From Ripon (or Harrogate, or Knaresboro), you can also easily reach the most intact abbey in England located at the Studley Royal grounds. Fountains Abbey is very beautiful and worth visiting:

So, I’m assuming you have a car by now… but if not, hang with me. I’m going to take you on a little bit of a jaunt through the rest of Yorkshire.

The first stop would be Thirsk (there is a train station there – you should be able to get there easily from Knaresborough). Thirsk is also a market town with a market every Monday and Saturday. It’s here that you’ll find the James Herriott museum (which was well worth the trip). If you have a car, I’m going to recommend you stay a night in Thirsk and take a side trip from Thirsk to Kilburn one day.

Kilburn is a small farming community best known for several reasons. First, you can view the White Horse Cliff (a sort of petroglyph created in the 1800s by locals). It’s pretty amazing and viewable from quite a distance. It’s located in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and there’s a lovely visitor center at Sutton Bank.

Also nearby is the shop of the famous woodworker, Robert Thompson (known as the mouseman since he carved his signature mice on all his creations). You can find beautiful works of art and pieces of furniture at the shop, and they have a visitor center where you can learn more about Robert Thompson. While there’s a lot for sale at the Mouseman’s shop, you’ll have to bring a pretty fat wallet with you to buy anything larger than an ashtray. http://www.robertthompsons.co.uk/

After resting up back at Thirsk, you can catch the train (or take the car) to our next destination which is Hawes in Wensleydale. Wensleydale is pretty much the Wisconsin of the UK. It’s best known for its dairy products and wool trade. I took the car (this was one of those white-knuckling trips) and traversed the back roads to Hawes. On the way, I was pleasantly surprised by a series of museums near the town of Leyburn. It’s here that you can go to the Teapot Museum (I just had to), the Teddy Bear museum, White Rose Candles, the Cat Pottery, and (as I recall) a Chocolate factory. YUM. Believe it or not, I was on a mission to locate sheep wool for a lady I know who spins, and it was also here in Leyburn I found a sheep farm where I could purchase wool directly from! It was called the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Farm and was a great trip. Leyburn should be on your agenda if you can make it so.

Leyburn isn’t too far from our final destination of Hawes. Hawes is the center of Dairy country, and it’s here you’ll find the Dales Countryside Museum, and (of all things) the Ropemaker. The Ropemaker was a very interesting tour through the process of making rope (large and small) through a variety of processes. And, of course, there’s the Wensleydale Creamery Museum! They offer a visitor’s center which hosts a tour of the cheese-making process. You can also visit Englands tallest waterfall near Hawes at Hardraw Force.

Other side trips in Yorkshire I can recommend are:

Bradford for the Bronte Museum. An excellent museum dedicated to the works of Charlotte and Emily Bronte.

Skipton, which has a castle once slept in by Mary Queen of Scots. It’s a quaint little town with a Market every Monday.

Whitby, a seaside town whose ruined Abbey is said to be the inspiration for Braham Stoker’s Dracula’s Castle.

Leaving Yorkshire for points north.

I’m going to take a small amount of time telling you about Lumley Castle, because it is my favorite of the Elizabethan Banquet castles. These days, you can also stay there overnight (which I must do one of these days). Lumley is located in County Durham near Newcastle. If you’re planning to go to Edinburgh, this might be just the ticket.

http://www.lumleycastle.com/

Edinburgh

It’s been years since I’ve been to this lovely city (also one of my favorites in the UK). If you’re an Elizabethan history buff, you just have to treat yourself. It’s well laid-out with a good bit of its history running along a trail called “the Royal Mile.” The Royal Mile stretches from Holyrood Palace (where the monarchs lived) to Edinburgh Castle (from which they defended their city).

The Scots are a very friendly bunch, and I enjoyed spending time delving into their history. Seeing the places I’d read about in history books (like where Mary’s secretary, David Rizzio, was murdered).

Edinburgh Castle is a formidable structure at the top of a high cliff overlooking the rest of the city. It’s guarded by the Black Watch and offers tours and wonderful photo opportunities of the surrounding area. Edinburgh is easy to reach by train.

My suggestion, if you plan returning to London from here, is to get a berth on the night train going to London. You can take the Caledonian Sleeper for this (be sure and get your berth well in advance. One article says if you book well enough in Advance you can get Apex tickets at a better price. I’d suggest checking with BritRail or your local travel agent for more information on this.

Why did I like the overnight train? It was such a peaceful night’s sleep. My first time sleeping on a train! In the morning as the sun is rising over the fields, they gently tapped at our door and offered us tea or hot cocoa… it was so romantic just watching the morning come into being and arriving at our destination without the normal hassles of crowded rail travel. We were fresh and ready to go! I plan to make the overnight train on my next trip to the UK.

Update, see my latest trip talk on Edinburgh at http://royalwench.blogspot.com/2009/10/914-edinburgh-i-love-traveling-by-train.html.

Summary

I hope this article may have helped you in planning your trip. There are loads of resources on the net, and this article is just a drop in the bucket. Do some research and come up with travel plans that are meaningful to you!

One of the things I’d recommend is writing the tourist boards in the various places you plan to visit and get their free brochures. Always a treat to look at and dream over.