Featured Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (but for brevity's sake we'll just call it "Britain" or "UK") In honour of our featured country, this entire newsletter, to the best of a Yank's ability, will be written in the Queen's English. God save us all. Rising from 'umble beginnings as a cold rainy island in the North Atlantic and the North Sea, eventually the once-sovereign Wales, Scotland and England were united – more or less – under one crown, on a cold rainy island known as the United Kingdom. The UK was the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, helped develop and advance parliamentary democracy, literature, science and, most importantly, football (soccer) and British pubs. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. Nowadays, the UK is more or less just an island again, but its cities, countryside, and all aspects of its multicultural populace (about 60 million strong) still make it a force for tourism and travel. London is one of the world's largest and most important cities; the hills and rills of Scotland's Glencoe still look like the 16th century, and you shouldn't let headlines put you off Northern Island. All this, in a place slightly smaller than the state of Oregon (including all the islands, from Rockall to Shetland), means there's plenty to see, do and to be sure you don't miss (even notoriously bad British cooking is improving). Climate is always a subject of discussion for Britons, due to how quickly the weather changes, but predominantly it's temperate, moderated by prevailing winds courtesy of the North Atlantic current. More than one-half of the days are overcast, and the rest are up for grabs. Bring a jumper (sweater). The landscape is mostly rugged hills and low mountains, with level to rolling plains in the east and southeast. You can dip below sea level at Fenland (-4 metres) or go munro-bagging (climbing) on Ben Nevis, the highest point at 1,343m (4,406 feet). With all its airports London is also the most common starting point for Europe. Flying into the Continent is easy; the UK also is only 35 km (22 miles) from France and they are now linked by tunnel (the "Chunnel", or Channel Tunnel) under the English Channel. Dosh-wise, the UK is one of 3 European Union countries that did not change over to the euro in January 2002 (Sweden and Denmark are the other two). The official currency is the Pound Sterling (GBP/£), and there are 100 pence to a pound (also known as a "quid", the same as referring to dollars as "bucks"). One-pound coins are also quite swish for souvenirs, as different designs flourish the back, including the Scottish thistle and Welsh dragon. Current exchange rates (approx.): US$1=£0.70 AU$1=£0.37 CA$1=£0.44 EU€1=£0.62 Well, those are a few biscuits and crumpets. Keep reading for more info on Britain, as well as other travellers' experiences there. What's in this issue? Airfare Deals BritRail the UK Featured Content Featured Message Board Thread What Our Insiders Say Links & Resources From the Bookshelf Tell a Friend and/or What Do You Want? AIRFARE DEALS Brought to you by the BootsnAll TripPlanner Plan and book your round-the-world or multi-continental trip! By the way, we're not talking about air-hotel-and-car-rental stuff, but multi-destination air tickets, so packaged to help get you a better deal. Perhaps you don't like trains or buses; perhaps your schedule is tight; in any case, use BootsnAll's TripPlanner to build your itinerary, not only for getting to Europe, but for flying from country to country. Here are some examples we found: $1295 US New York - London - Overland On Your Own - Paris - Delhi - Hong Kong - New York $1743 US Los Angeles - London - Overland On Your Own - Glasgow - Manchester - Overland On Your Own - Paris - London - Madrid - Rome - Athens - Overland On Your Own - Prague - Helsinki - London - New York City - Los Angeles $2538 US Sydney - Taipei - Bangkok - London - Glasgow - London - Paris - Barcelona - Casablanca - Madrid - London - Johannesburg - Perth - Sydney Now, log on to the TripPlanner and put together an itinerary of the places you want to see! More Specials & Deals The only thing better than flying to Europe, is getting a bloody good deal on the ticket. We work with other companies to bring you low, hard-to-beat round-trip fares, to help you fly not only to Europe, but to wherever you want to go: BootsnAll Farebeater Hotwire Cheap Ticket Links Back to top BRITRAIL THE UK Brought to you by the BootsnAll RailSaver Plan and book Europe and UK rail passes! Whenever you go to the UK, one of the best ways to get around is to take the train and get a BritRail pass. You'll get to hang out with both locals and travelers, and will be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the countryside. The train is easily one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to see the whole of Britain, or just a few places. Here's more about BritRail passes and why they're a good way to go. If you're ready to book rail passes for Britain and/or Europe, buy your passes online with the BootsnAll Railsaver, and have a great trip! Back to top FEATURED CONTENT We could just as easily devote a whole newsletter to our British content alone, but these pieces from some of BootsnAll's writers will get you started. When you're done with those, there are plenty other Travel Guides and Travel Stories about your favourite island for you to read: London Travel Guide - Patricia Stanwyck and Stacy Ashworth frequented the Big Smoke for quite a while. Keep their observations and tips in mind when you hit The City That Never Misses Tea. A Little Bit of the World - If you want to get a feel for England, Joanne Paul suggests exploring Dorset as the county is a microcosm of the country. Edinburgh Festival Travel Guide - See Scotland's Festive Edinburgh from both sides of the stage, when Carita Groundstroem spent her summer not only covering the arts festivals, but producing a show of her own. Swansea, Wales Travel Guide - Pete Rogers serves up the details on Swansea, in Wales' Gower Peninsula, "the U.K.'s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". If you would like to submit an article on your travel experiences, check out our Writer's Guidelines, then send it along. Back to top FEATURED MESSAGE BOARD THREAD London Hostels? On the Europe Discussions board, KauaiGirl isn't sure where to stay when she nips down to visit London during her UK travels. Are the hostels safe? Any recommended ones or ones to avoid? Find out: Log in or register your handle, then jump into the discussion and throw down your two pence on London Hostels? Be sure to check out the other discussions on our boards as well: http://boards.BootsnAll.com/ Back to top WHAT OUR INSIDERS SAY BootsnAll Insiders are a great source of information, and they can tell you what the guidebooks can't. We asked some of our Insiders for their take on the UK, and here's what they had to say: Harriet Main Cambridge, England: Looking Down on Learning Cambridge is notoriously flat and, with its densely packed colleges and narrow streets, it can be hard to get a good view of the place. The solution is to climb to the top of Castle Mound. It may be impressively low for a high point, but from here you can look down on the on dreaming spires of the ancient City of Cambridge. Watching the sunset from the top of Castle Mound is a Cambridge tradition made complete with a quick pint at The Castle pub at the base of the mound. Castle Mound is located on Castle Hill, beyond Magdalene College, next to the Shire Hall. Travellers' Wisdom: Tip for Tactful Travellers Simple to remember, yet easy to forget is this very basic piece of advice. When a traveller in foreign parts, KEEP QUIET. Nothing pinpoints a tourist more clearly – or annoys the locals more thoroughly – than the booming voice of an insensitive visitor. (We all know the type.) It's far better to be a quiet observer. You may even stand a chance of blending in. Graham Hamilton Stirling, Scotland: Attraction Discounts Stirling is known as one of the most historical places in Scotland. It was the site of Wallace's famous victory over the English and Robert the Bruce's victory at Bannockburn to gain independence from England. So it has many attractions like the Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle, Bannockburn Heritage Centre, and the Old Town Jail – to name a few. This becomes expensive to visit, so pay a full-price entry to one attraction and hold on to your ticket and give it to the next attraction and receive a 10% discount and so on. Philip Blazdell London, England: Travel Cards The best way to get around our glorious Capital is to buy a one-day travel card which for about a fiver lets you travel on the bus, the train or the tube anywhere in London. You can use it anytime after 9.30am, Mon - Fri, and all day on weekends. Cheap Flights UK to/from Europe There are now many airlines offering stupidly cheap flights from London to European destinations. Most leave from Luton or Stanstead (which is a bit of a trek) but you can often pick up a return flight for about £25. Our office record is London to Venice return for £15. Most of these can be booked via the internet. Look out for companies like: easyjet, ryan air and go airlines. Mary Weatherburn South East England & London: Escape the City! London is a world away from the rest of England, so if you're visiting the capital for a few days, think about a day trip by train to a town outside the suburbs and discover that those red buses and black taxis are purely a London phenomenon! My home town is Guildford, and at the risk of being biased, it makes a relaxed and pleasant day trip – only 40 minutes by train from Waterloo. You can take a boat trip down the river, visit the small castle ruins surrounded by beautiful gardens, or sit in a café and people-watch from the cobbled high street. Rachael Laine London, England: What's Free in the Metropolis Thanks to new legislation by the new mayor of London (Ken Livingstone) all museums are now free. Some specialist exhibitions charge, but the main body of exhibits are free to walk around. Highly recommended: Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert, The Natural History and of course the British Museum. Tip: avoid at weekends when the locals invade – take advantage of your free weekdays! Tristan Fletcher Cambridge, England: Summertime in Cambridge Coming to Cambridge is best done in the summer, between May and September. One has to visit: the colleges (Kings & Trinity) especially, the backs on Queens road, Grantchester village and see the Orchard Tea rooms and go punting down the Camb. Coming in the first two weeks of June would also give one an impression of the good side to the student life as they celebrate the end of exams by drinking as much as they can all around the town and dressing up for their balls in the week starting June 17. There is also the Camb. folk music festival in July and the Strawberry Fair, a hippy/alternative celebration, on June 8. Back to top LINKS & RESOURCES Use the following sites to learn more about Britain, what it offers to travellers, and how to plan your trip. BritRail Passes Probably the best way to travel the UK is by train. Check out different types of rail passes and take advantage of a great chance to ride the rails, relax and meet both locals and other travellers. Hotels: Cheap Hotels in London |  Cheap Hotels in Birmingham |  Edinburgh Hotels |  Cheap Hotels in Newcastle There's a good chance you'll be spending at least a night in at least one of these cities. Check out hotel rates and book online so that part's out of the way. Travel Britain General site for all aspects of life and travel. Great Britain Travel Guide A tea-hating US-to-UK transplant has guide info and provides a hub for UK-philes to swap tips and advice. I Say Tomato Or, "zucchini" and "courgette" are the same thing. US-to-UK travelers and UK-to-US travellers alike will benefit from this guide to travel-related words between the two nations separated by a common language. Back to top FROM THE BOOKSHELF | UK by Jennifer Leo, www.JenLeo.com Whether your trip to the United Kingdom is next week or still in dream mode, here is a list of books that will enhance your knowledge of the region. Below you'll find practical guidebooks packed with valuable information on where to stay and what to do, books dedicated to the history and culture of the United Kingdom, and experiential guides that will give you an intimate look at the adventures of those who've traveled before you. I encourage you to support your local independent bookstore searchable by city, zip code, and country on Bookweb.org. For your convenience, the books are also available right here on BootsnAll through Amazon.com. Traditional Guidebooks: Hostels U.K: The Only Comprehensive, Unofficial, Opinionated Guide, 2nd Edition, 2001, by Paul Karr, Martha Coombs Let's Go 2001 Britain and Ireland, 2000, by Johs Pierce (Editor), Lisa M. Herman (Editor), Mike Durcak (Editor) Rick Steves' Great Britain 2002, 2002, by Rick Steeves Lonely Planet England, 1st Edition, 2001, by Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Neal Bedford, Lou Callan, Fionn Davenport, Ryan Ver Berkmoes Frommers Irreverent Guide to London, 4th Edition, 2002, by Frommer (Editor) The Rough Guide: Wales, 2nd Edition, 1997, by Mike Parker In Search of Ancient Scotland, A Guide for The Independent Traveler, 2000, by Gerald M. Ruzicki, Dorothy A. Ruzicki Eyewitness Travel Guide to Scotland, 1st Edition, 1999, by Eyewitness Lonely Planet Scotland, 2nd Edition, 2002, by Neil Wilson, Graeme Cornwallis Travel Literature/ Non-Traditional guidebooks: Golf Great Britain and Ireland: A Traveler's Guide to More Than 2,500 Courses in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland 2nd Edition, 2000 The Rough Guide London Restaurants, 2000, by Charles Campion The Best Hill Walking in Scotland by Cameron McNeish Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson The Summer Walkers: Travelling People and Pearl-Fishers in the Highlands of Scotland by Timothy Neat Shakespeare's London by Julie Ferris The Visitor's Guide to Northern Ireland by Rosemary Evans Hope Against History: The Course of Conflict in Northern Ireland by Jack Holland The British Isles: A History of Four Nations by Hugh Kearney A Writer's House in Wales by Jan Morris Karen Brown's England, Wales & Scotland Charming Hotels & Itineraries by June Brown, Karen Brown For additional reading lists on the countries of the UK, visit: Wales reading list Scotland reading list England reading list Ireland and Northern Ireland reading list Jennifer Leo has co-edited and written for books published by Travelers' Tales, Lonely Planet, and Globe-Pequot. Her full list of works, services, and speaking venues can be found at www.JenLeo.com Back to top WRITE AN ARTICLE If you have a story of your own that you would like to submit on the UK, have a look at BootsnAll's Writer's Guidelines: http://writers.BootsnAll.com And then send it along. We're always looking for new content and new perspectives, and we hope to get yours soon. TELL A FRIEND If you feel that BootsnAll.com is a valuable resource, or that others might think so, please tell your friends about us. As many of you know, we respond personally to every email we receive in an ongoing effort to build a true traveller's community. Many have responded positively. If you have comments both positive and constructive, we would love to hear them. Tell us what we have done well and how we can improve. We would appreciate it greatly. Back to top