Jan/120
Vacation In London
London is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and a city break in London would perhaps be inadequate. If you are planning to take a short vacation to London, remember to plan your itinerary well, because the experiences, offered to a traveler in this great city, are truly abundant.
London has a rich architectural heritage and houses monuments and buildings from the medieval to the post-modern era. The old monuments of the Tudor era, such as the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey and other popular tourist destinations such as St. Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace are the main draws.
Then there are the famous art galleries and museums of London. The Victoria and Albert museums have artifacts which date back three thousand years. The Tate Modern gallery will satiate your sense with delectable works of modern art.
Visits to the Imperial War Museum, the British Museum and the London National Gallery should also be in your plans.
While taking a city break in London, spare an evening to visit the theater district. Whether you are interested in dance, drama, comedies or pantomime acts, the theater district spoil you for choice.
A city break in London would not be complete without experiencing the nightlife, which is one of the most vibrant in the world.
For the active shopper, London offers a chance at true indulgence at stores such as Harrods. You might instead spend the lovely sunny afternoons browsing its endless street-side stores and boutique establishments.
London offers all kinds of accommodation from the ultra-luxurious to affordable student hostels. Make sure you book in advance if you are visiting during peak tourist season. A city break in London is sure to make you want to come back for a longer visit!
Martin Elmer is the editor of Storbyrejser London. Here you can also read about Rejser London.
Mar/100
Pet Friendly Birmingham Accommodation
The city of Birmingham is the second largest (by population) in England, second only to the capital, London. Being such a large conurbation there plenty of world class tourist attractions, top notch venues for music and the arts, countless renowned museums and art galleries and some of the most modern entertainment in the British Isles. It is little wonder that Birmingham is quickly becoming an immensely popular destination for short city breaks and even long vacations.
Each year more and more folk are choosing to take their pets with them on vacation. There are many reasons for this increase but probably the most common is that, simply put, people are often not willing to be parted from a pet which is literally part of the family. Another common reason for taking a pet along on vacation is that housing your pet while away can be ridiculously expensive and though hotels sometimes charge a small additional fee for allowing you to have your pet in your room, it is still often far, far cheaper than paying for boarding kennels or similar.
Imagine that you have decided that yes, you will be taking your pet with you when you next take a vacation. Imagine that you also plan on taking a short city break in the English city of Birmingham. Unfortunately you will very quickly discover that only a tiny number of places to stay will allow you to take your pet into your room. As few as one (or less) per hundred hotels and guest houses offer what is called pet friendly accommodation (where pets are allowed).
Searching through endless lists of hotels is a thankless task if you are looking for a place that allows pets. Imagine just how upsetting it can be to wade through 50+ hotels to find only one suitable and then a further thirty or more before you find another. To save you from this nightmare I have listed below a selection of pet friendly hotel accommodation in Birmingham (those that allow pets).
The Macdonald Burlington Hotel The huge Macdonald Burlington is a 4 star city centre establishment, which is a couple of minutes from New Street Rail Station, conveniently situated next door to a large NCP car park.
The Novotel Hotel The massive Novotel is a 4 star pet friendly hotel, on Edward Street only minutes away from the heart of the city.
The Malmaison Birmingham The Malmaison is a very large 3 star pet friendly hotel in the heart of Birmingham.
If you would rather book a room in a city centre pet friendly hotel with less than one hundred and fifty rooms then, unfortunately your choice is limited to just one establishment, the Ibis Holloway Circus, which has only 51 rooms.
If you want to choose from more pet friendly hotels in Birmingham and pick up a lst minute bargain you will find the above mentioned hotels discounted at http://hotels.simplytop.com/.
Oct/090
Cultural Glasgow Vacations
Edinburgh many be Scotland's capital, and it may also be Scotland's number one vacation destination but the sad fact is that many of the annual visitors to this fine city are missing the opportunity of visiting the fantastic nearby city of Glasgow.
Glasgow is a lively and vibrant city attracting more and more visitors annually. While most folk visit to enjoy the vibrant nightlife that the city offers more people are becoming aware of the many artistic and cultural elements of this fascinating city. Below I introduce the reader to three such places to visit in Glasgow.
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum: The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is Glasgow and Scotland's premier museum and art gallery, and home to one of Europe's great civic art collections. It has also been voted one of the most popular free visitor attractions in Scotland. You will find Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on Argyle Street, in the West End of Glasgow, on the banks of the River Kelvin. The gallery was built in a Spanish Baroque style following the Glaswegian tradition of using red sandstone. The building was designed by Sir John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen, and opened in 1901. The museum's collections were originally from the McLellan Galleries and the old Kelvingrove House Museum in Kelvingrove Park.
The Willow Tea Rooms: It was Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who designed the world famous Willow Tea Rooms, in Glasgow. The tea rooms were a collaboration between Mackintosh and Catherine Cranston, a local business woman, whose father was a Glasgow tea merchant. The tea rooms were located in Sauchiehall Street, and opened for business in October 1903. The name for the tea rooms was derived from Sauchiehall; 'saugh', being the Scots word for a willow tree, and 'haugh', the Scot's word for meadow. The tea rooms were the only building where Mackintosh had complete control over every aspect of the design. Mackintosh designed the exterior, all the interior decorations, the waitresses' uniform, furniture, cutlery, and even the menus.
The Museum of Transport: The Glasgow Museum of Transport Technology is located in the Kelvin Hall, opposite the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End of Glasgow City. Kelvin Hall was built in 1927, and originally used as an exhibition centre. In 1987 the use was converted to house the Museum of Transport and the Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena. It one of the most popular museums of transport in the UK attracting 500,000 visitors a year. The museum houses many exhibits of national and international importance. All forms of transport are featured, from horse-drawn vehicles to fire engines, from motorcycles to caravans, even toy cars and prams.
This is only three of the many, many places in Glasgow to visit if you are in need of cultural stimulation. I hope that this article will inspire you to consider having a city break in Glasgow soon. If you do please be aware that it is often difficult finding available rooms in the many hotels and guest houses so book early to be certain that you get somewhere suitable. Remember that you can see much of the city in a single weekend so Glasgow and Edinburgh are highly suitable for a dual destination vacation.
Want to find out more about hotels in Glasgow, then visit Karl Fraser's site which has the most comprehensive listings of Glasgow hotels.
Oct/090
Taking Vacations In Swansea
Every year we look for a suitable destinations for our annual vacations and while many of us try to find something fresh and exciting other are just as happy to return to a favorite vacation spot. The United Kingdom offers a wealth of highly suitable vacation destinations including the fantastic city of Swansea.
Cardiff is the largest city (by population) in Wales with the city of Swansea being a close second. The advantages of the city to travelers is that it is a coastal city so you have the benefits of a seaside resort coupled with those of a modern city and on top of this you are easily in reach of some of Britain's finest beaches.
So the beach lover is more than catered for but Swansea is perfect for virtually any type of vacation as it has a large number of excellent attractions. Of course the sea will keep many happy and the the stunning countryside will satisfy many others but the city itself has all of the twenty first century entertainments and amenities you would expect in an important city.
Beaches In Swansea
Swansea is also the name given the the local county and the region is famous for its many high quality beaches, especially those in Three Cliffs Bay, which is often nominated as the best in the UK. Rhossili Beach and Oxwich Bay also prove highly popular but there are a great many more superb beaches including Mumbles Beach, Caswell Bay, Slade Bay and Blue Pool Bay.
While the beaches are popular with families, sun lovers and swimmers Swansea Bay is more well known (and most suited) for it's water sports. Sailing is highly popular and you will certainly see plenty of yachts (large and small), pleasure boats and small dinghies. Other popular sports are surfing and water skiing.
Other Visitor Attractions
As mentioned you will find modern entertainments such as the cinema and the likes. If you want something a bit more cultural then there are a few superb museums to visit, the the National Waterfront Museum is highly popular. If you are interested in Dylan Thomas then a visit to the Dylan Thomas Centre is a must but you may also want to visit the park in which he played as a child (Cwmdonkin Park). If you want lively nightlife then head to Wind Street where you will find plenty of bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants etc.
Learn more about hotels in Swansea. Stop by Karl Fraser's site where you can find the best deals on Swansea bed and breakfast.
Oct/090
London Shopping Vacations
London, as a vacation destination, is very hard to beat. It is the most popular city in England for city breaks and longer vacations. Most people travel there to take in the wonderful sights of the capital city of England and some endeavor to see the British Royal Family (with the Queen being the top of everyone's list). Many people head to London to take advantage of the finest shopping in the land.
London, Paris, New York, how many times have you seen these three cities mentioned together? It is most likely that you will have seen them together on a bottle of fine perfume or a luxury cosmetic product. The reason is that these three cities are the top three shopping cities of the world. You will be hard pressed to walk through any of London's top shopping districts without seeing the flagship store of at least one huge retail chain.
Whatever you want London will have it. Grouped together in places such as New Bond Street, Knightsbridge, Oxford Street etc., you will find all manner of designer shops, fashion shops and boutiques, department stores, bookshops, music shops, jewellery shops and virtually any type of retail outlet you can imagine.
Oxford Street And Knightsbridge
This is where you will find many of the nations flagship department stores. Oxford street has the likes of Selfridges and Knightsbridge has the famous Harrods and also Harvey Nichols. Oxford Street is said to be the busiest shopping street in Europe.
Bond Street
Armani, Gucci and virtually any luxury brand can be found on Bond Street. Associated with designer clothing, perfume; art, antiques and other items of luxury Bond Street has the biggest number of suppliers the Royal Family than anywhere else in London.
Covent Garden
Bond Street is great if you are rich and famous but for ordinary folk Covent Garden is the best place to go for fashion clothing. Covent Garden is home to a large number of smaller independent fashion stores and boutiques and this is the place to go if you are in search of a decent pair of shoes.
Other Shopping Areas In London
Covent Garden is great for clothes but you may also want to visit the famous Carnaby Street which is becoming popular again. If you want bespoke tailoring then Savile Row is the most famous place to go but look around Piccadilly, especially on Jermyn Street. If you are looking for jewellery but cannot afford Bond Street try Hatton Garden (near Farringdon) which has many long established jewellers to choose from. Books are best found on the Charing Cross Road but also look around Covent Garden.
London has lots more places in which to go shopping and the above list is not comprehensive, there are simply too many. Other places to go shopping, especially for unusual items, are the many London markets, too many to list here.