My Britain Travel Guide provides you a glimpse at the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Also called Britain or simply the UK for short, it is a constitutional monarchy 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.
Cawdor Castle
Author: Mihael Grmek (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
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.
Cathedral of Exeter
Author: Markus Koljonen (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Fast Facts about United Kingdom
Official Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Capital: London (7,592,000)
Population of United Kingdom: 60,441,500
Languages: English, Welsh, Scottish form of Gaelic
Currency: British Pound
Religions: Christian (72%), Islam, Hindu, others
Size: 244,820 sq km (90,470 sq miles)
Continent: Europe
How to find accommodation: Hotels in the United Kingdom
As you prepare for your trip to the United Kingdom, it is wise to check the price of cheap London hotels 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 Research Engine. It is not a hotel booking website. Instead it helps you find out which hotel booking website offers the lowest price for the date and hotel you choose.
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. You can find Portsmouth hotel as well as that from all over the country.
Grey's Monument, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Author: Hans Peter Schaefer (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
How to get into the United Kingdom
The main entry point for tourists to United Kingdom are London, Mancester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
United Kingdom Entry Requirements
Nationals 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.uk
How to get around in the United Kingdom
There is numerous possibility including domestic flights, trains, rented car or even hiking.
Leadenhall Market, London
Author: David Iliff (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
How to travel by plane in the United Kingdom
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.
How to travel by train in the United Kingdom
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.
Norwich Millenium Library
Author: Gerscht (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
How to drive in the United Kingdom
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.
How to travel by bus in the United Kingdom
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.
St Michael's Mount, Cornwall, England
Author: Davidwogan (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
How to take the taxi in the United Kingdom
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 Kingdom
If 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)
UK Local Tours
At times it is more practical to join a local tour rather than going there on your own. In some cases, following a ready tour may be your only budget option. Here's a list of local tours in England that you can want to add to your itinerary. The tours are provided by Viator, a very reputable tour organisation in the market, so you can book with peace of mind.
How to make sense of the currency of the United Kingdom
The 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.
Travel Insurance
Be sure to get UK Travel Insurance - Travel Insurance Britain before you travel.
Exchange Rates
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.
Milecastle 39 on Hadrian's Wall
Author: Adam Cuerden (public domain)
Places of Interest in Britain
- Isles of Scilly
- Land's End
- Windsor Castle
- St Michael's Mount
Countries of the United Kingdom
- England
- Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
Regions of England
- South East England
- South West England
- East of England
- West Midlands
- East Midlands
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- North West England
- North East England
Counties of England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- County Durham
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire (part of)
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands County
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom
- Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
- Durham Castle and Cathedral
- Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast
- Ironbridge Gorge
- St Kilda
- Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
- Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
- Blenheim Palace
- City of Bath
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire
- Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church
- Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
- Henderson Island
- Tower of London
- Gough and Inaccessible Islands
- Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
- Maritime Greenwich
- Heart of Neolithic Orkney
- Blaenavon Industrial Landscape
- Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda
- Derwent Valley Mills
- Dorset and East Devon Coast
- New Lanark
- Saltaire
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Liverpool - Maritime Mercantile City
- Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape
- Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal
My Other Websites
- China Travel Guide
- Canada Travel Guide
- Egypt Travel Guide
- Switzerland Travel Guide
- World Heritage Sites
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