Tips in the U.K.
Sights in England
Tips and advice for how to get the most out of seeing the sights, museums, and monuments during your British vacation
Lodgings in England
From hotel savings to better booking engines, alternative accommodations to lodging rip-offs, here is the best lodging advice around
Don't use the most famous booking engines; use the ones with the largest selection and lowest rates
From B&Bs and farm stays to cottages, castles, and campgrounds, here are lodging alternatives to the traditional hotel
Hotels try to pad your bill with overpriced extras and ancillary fees; here's how to avoid them
FreeHospitality networks gather folks who are willing to put up fellow members in their homes for free or for a small fee
Breakfast at a B&B is lovely—but at a standard hotel, you probably won't be getting your money's worth
User review sites are handy, but take their advice with a grain (make that a shaker) of salt
Hotel sites often feature special sales and promotions you won't find on the booking engines and aggregators
A room with "external facilities" (shared bath down the hall) always costs less for this minor inconvenience
A Full English breakfast is lovely and worthwhile; a dull, continental-style one isn't worth the added expense
Hostels, B&B's, apartments, farm stays, castles, university dorms, campgrounds...there are so many of these budget options I needed to create a whole separate section on this website just to fit them all in
Sleep in a religious guesthouse or retreat at abbeys, monasteries, priories, and convents across the U.K. from just £45
Hotels' official star ratings have nothing to do with how clean, central, comfortable, or charming a hotel is—just how many (often pointless) amenities it offers
FreePrograms like WWOOF and Helpx let you barter your services for a free place to stay
Dining in England
Prix-fisse, tourist menu, lunch menu—a fixed-price or set tourist menu may not be the best meal you could have at that restaurant, but it's certainly often the best budget option
Planning for a trip to England
This wearable safe for keeping your passport, credit cards, and spare cash secure is the one indispensable accessory every traveler loves to hate
A traveler's guide to learning how to pack light and love it—or, how to fit everything you need for a six month trip into a single, carry-on sized bag
Except for the driving on the left thing, British road rules are similar enough to North American ones that you'll get by fine; here are the important differences
Top shopping tips for a trip to the U.K. to help you bring home the best gifts and souvenirs from your British travels at the best price
London is the cheap airfares turnstile of Europe, so fly cheaply into here and then elsewhere in Europe or North Africa on a no-frills airline for far less
You do not need a IDP for the U.K., but if you are traveling on to the Continent, consider getting one
A good road map can save you time and help you discover places and things not in your guidebook
Stay in the slow lane (the leftmost one) on a U.K. highway unless you are actively passing another car
How to get the most out of renting a car in the U.K. with the lowest cost and least hassle
Like the trains themselves, European train stations tend to be clean and user-friendly—with tourist info, hotel booking service, left luggage lockers or offices, and decent snack bars (in case you forget to pick up train picnic supplies in town)
A traveler's guide to race matters in Britain and a frank rundown of what to expect if you're black, Asian, Arab, Indian, or otherwise not visibly of European descent
Information and concerns for gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual travelers in the U.K.
Topics in England
Sights in England
Tips and advice for how to get the most out of seeing the sights, museums, and monuments during your British vacation
Lodgings in England
From hotel savings to better booking engines, alternative accommodations to lodging rip-offs, here is the best lodging advice around
Don't use the most famous booking engines; use the ones with the largest selection and lowest rates
From B&Bs and farm stays to cottages, castles, and campgrounds, here are lodging alternatives to the traditional hotel
Hotels try to pad your bill with overpriced extras and ancillary fees; here's how to avoid them
Hospitality networks gather folks who are willing to put up fellow members in their homes for free or for a small fee
Breakfast at a B&B is lovely—but at a standard hotel, you probably won't be getting your money's worth
User review sites are handy, but take their advice with a grain (make that a shaker) of salt
Hotel sites often feature special sales and promotions you won't find on the booking engines and aggregators
A room with "external facilities" (shared bath down the hall) always costs less for this minor inconvenience
A Full English breakfast is lovely and worthwhile; a dull, continental-style one isn't worth the added expense
Hostels, B&B's, apartments, farm stays, castles, university dorms, campgrounds...there are so many of these budget options I needed to create a whole separate section on this website just to fit them all in
Sleep in a religious guesthouse or retreat at abbeys, monasteries, priories, and convents across the U.K. from just £45
Hotels' official star ratings have nothing to do with how clean, central, comfortable, or charming a hotel is—just how many (often pointless) amenities it offers
Programs like WWOOF and Helpx let you barter your services for a free place to stay
Dining in England
Prix-fisse, tourist menu, lunch menu—a fixed-price or set tourist menu may not be the best meal you could have at that restaurant, but it's certainly often the best budget option
Planning for a trip to England
This wearable safe for keeping your passport, credit cards, and spare cash secure is the one indispensable accessory every traveler loves to hate
A traveler's guide to learning how to pack light and love it—or, how to fit everything you need for a six month trip into a single, carry-on sized bag
Except for the driving on the left thing, British road rules are similar enough to North American ones that you'll get by fine; here are the important differences
Top shopping tips for a trip to the U.K. to help you bring home the best gifts and souvenirs from your British travels at the best price
London is the cheap airfares turnstile of Europe, so fly cheaply into here and then elsewhere in Europe or North Africa on a no-frills airline for far less
You do not need a IDP for the U.K., but if you are traveling on to the Continent, consider getting one
A good road map can save you time and help you discover places and things not in your guidebook
Stay in the slow lane (the leftmost one) on a U.K. highway unless you are actively passing another car
How to get the most out of renting a car in the U.K. with the lowest cost and least hassle
Like the trains themselves, European train stations tend to be clean and user-friendly—with tourist info, hotel booking service, left luggage lockers or offices, and decent snack bars (in case you forget to pick up train picnic supplies in town)
A traveler's guide to race matters in Britain and a frank rundown of what to expect if you're black, Asian, Arab, Indian, or otherwise not visibly of European descent
Information and concerns for gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual travelers in the U.K.
