Moms Travel TipsTravel Tips and Vacation Ideas for the Whole Family

The holiday season is well upon us again, but a lot of people will be staying here for their UK family holidays this year due to the economical downturn and credit crisis. But not all is doom and gloom, there are some fabulous places that that you can visit and take the kids out in the UK, so lets have a look at a few.

Cornwall and Devon

Cornwall and Devon are in all likelihood one of the best places to visit in the United kingdom. If you are looking for a bit of sunshine, ocean and sand then this is unquestionably the correct option for you. The beaches in cornwall are exceptionally good and if the weather is nice it will feel great.

Theme Park

If you are staying in England this year, then visiting the theme park is a must. The United kingdom has some of the best rollercoasters and rides in the entire globe and some great themed parks such as Chessington, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park.

Tourist Attractions

Once again if you are going to the UK then there are some great attractions that you would be crazy to miss out on such as the millenium dome. If youre a football fan the UK caters for some of the largest football clubs in the world.

Museums

The UK is well known for museums such as the Natural History Museum in London, so if you are a historian then this will definitely be a place that you do not want to miss. Even if you are interested in things such as dinosaurs.

There are so many destinations here in the UK to visit that you really do not need to go abroad, except for if you are only going abroad to catch up on some sun.

For the ultimate Dancing Holidays and Bowls Holidays

The vacation time of year is well upon us again, but a lot of people will be staying here for their Family Holidays this year due to the economic downturn and credit crisis. But not all is doom and gloom, there are some fabulous places that that you can visit and take the kids out in the United kingdom, so lets have a look at a few.

Devon and Cornwall

Devon and Cornwall are most probably one of the best possible places to visit. If you are looking for a bit of sunshine, ocean and sand then this is unquestionably the correct option for you. The beaches in Cornwall are adorable and sandy and if the weather condition is nice it can actually feel like you are overseas.

Theme Parks

If you are taking a holiday in the UK, then visiting the theme parks is once again essential. The UK has some of the best rollercoasters and rides in the entire world and some great themed parks such as Chessington, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park.

Tourist Attractions

Again if you are visiting the UK then there are some superb tourist attractions that you simply cannot miss, such as stone hedge and the millennium wheel. If you are a great football fan then the UK houses some on the best football clubs in the world.

Museums

The UK is well known for museums such as the Natural History Museum in London, so if you are a historian then this will definitely be a place that you do not want to miss. Even if you are interested in things such as dinosaurs.

There are so many destinations here in the UK to visit that you really do not need to go abroad, except for if you are only going abroad to catch up on some sun.

For superb Dancing Holidays and Bowls Holidays

Vacations in the UK appear to be increasingly popular this year, due to the present depression and the weak pound Sterling. England has many first class vacation destinations including London (the English capital city) and other interesting cities plus a fine selection of seaside resorts such as; Blackpool, Weston-super-Mare, Torquay and Bognor Regis. One seaside town often overlooked is Plymouth in the south of England.

First appearances are that Plymouth appears rather bland and modern, but searching a bit deeper and you will soon find that the city of Plymouth has a rich history and a long relationship with the sea. As long ago as the fifteen hundreds there has been a port in Plymouth. In fifteen eighty eight Sir Francis Drake embarked from the port to defend Britain against the Spanish Armada. Another moment in history occurred in 1620 when the Pilgrim Fathers embarked from the port.

It is possible to enjoy inexpensive Plymouth vacations by staying in Plymouth bed and breakfast rather than making a reservation in a plush hotel. A quick search on Google will reveal that you can make a reservation from £29 a night and some establishments offer reasonably priced dinners also, commonly equivalent to, or less costly than local restaurants.

Places To Visit In Plymouth

There are a great many interesting places in Plymouth that are well worth visiting. Popular tourist attractions include; Smeaton’s Tower and Plymouth Dome, the National Marine Aquarium, the Royal Citadel and Merchant’s House Museum. A cruise around the waters of the port is a superb way to spend some time but if you discover that you have more time to spare why not take a day out to other places close by Plymouth, for example; Mount Edgcumbe, Saltram House or Buckland Abbey.

Saltram House is a lovely Tudor Mansion which is located two miles east of Plymouth, Mount Edgcumbe is another Tudor house with parklands, coastal paths and landscaped gardens, and Buckland Abbey, around 6 miles from Plymouth, is a Cistercian abbey which was at one time by Sir Francis Drake and was at a later date renovated as a family home.

If you and your family are currently considering spending a few days in Plymouth it is immensely important that you reserve your  room as early as possible as, unfortunately hotel accommodation in Plymouth tend to be alarmingly busy and are frequently fully booked for months in advance. If you have a large family you might find that apartment accommodation in Plymouth prove to be cheap option to bed and breakfast in Plymouth. If you are visiting England from abroad then why not consider making a reservation for a room in hotels in London to take in the attractions of the English capital too.

This year England vacations are all the rage. The numerous reasons are complex but most agree that the main factor is the downturn in the economy and the desperate requirement to minimize costs, especially in connection with vacations. A further influential fact is the low value of the English currency which makes foreign vacations expensive for the English but, alternatively, travel into the UK is cheap. The United Kingdom has a large number of top class vacation destinations including a decent selection of seaside resorts, however increasing numbers of people are choosing to book hotels in cities instead. Popular cities include; Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham however there are plenty of other places in Britain in which to have a short vacation such as Sheffield. With rooms from such a low cost as £20 a night, Sheffield bed and breakfast accommodation makes for reasonablu priced city vacation destination.

Tourist Attractions In Sheffield

For a city with an industrial past especially in the steel and cutlery industry, Sheffield sports an excellent variety of galleries. The most well known are the Metalworks Gallery, Millennium Galleries and Ruskin Gallery. The Millennium Galleries are free to enter and feature visiting exhibitions (there is usually a small entry fee of  a few pounds for these. The Ruskin Gallery is based upon a collection given by John Ruskin for the improvement of the working class of Sheffield and features sketches, watercolors, minerals, casts, paintings and a selection of medieval illuminated manuscripts.

You will find that Sheffield has a small number of museums however the City Museum is situated on the outskirts of the city center as is the Kelham Island Museum which is home to all kinds of things associated with the city’s industrial past and old machines. Although Sheffield was bombed heavily during WWII several fine examples of Victorian and older architecture survive and the center of the city is incredibly easy to navigate on foot. Attempt to allow time to visit the city’s Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul which dates back to the fifteenth century.

Staying In Sheffield

As the city has a University the clubs, bars and cafes can become extremely busy at the weekends, during which time students make the most their free time. While lots of folk enjoy the lively night scene others would prefer a more sedate environment in which to stay, such people should book a room in a hotel away from the city center.

If a Sheffield vacation is not your kind of thing why not ponder upon booking a few days in a bed and breakfast in London, England’s capital? Alternatively why not consider booking a couple of weeks in a hotel in Liverpool,  which was the European Capital of Culture in 2008 and has a fantastic collection of first class visitor attractions.

The United Kingdom has a great deal to offer the tourist and the countless highly engaging, and incredibly diverse, cities commonly offer more than the numerous seaside resorts.

When the majority of people think about having a vacation in Britain they frequently just consider seaside resorts such as Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bognor Regis and Brighton. Occasionally families might debate taking a vacation in a particular county in England for example Devon in the south of England but rarely do they think about taking a vacation in the city of Exeter. This article introduces various factors why a vacation in Exeter is a clever idea.

Probably one of the most important reasons for taking a holiday in Exeter is that the accommodation is reasonably priced with Exeter bed and breakfast available at about twenty five pounds per night and many rooms around the £40-50 range.

Of course there should be more than a low price to entice you to visit a city and Exeter certainly has plenty to offer the possible visitor. You will find that there are a great many excellent tourist attractions in the center of the city and even more within a short distance and if that is not enough then Plymouth is nearby and you will discover that there is also low cost bed and breakfast in Plymouth and even more incredible visitor attractions. Also you will discover plenty of breathtaking places to see along the nearby coast.

Where To Stay In Exeter

The Drewe Arms
This accommodation is excellent, the rooms are budget but the actual building is a charming seventeenth century thatched inn on the Two Moors Way (a walkers route). It is important to know that it is roughly fifteen miles from Exeter city center. If you require more luxury there are four-poster rooms available.

The Crawford Hotel
This accommodation is far closer to the center of the city, roughly 1.6 kilometers. It is a 2 star establishment with comfortable en suite accommodation and, crucially, 24 hour access to your room, which is excellent if you are planning to have a long night out or you need access during the day. If required there is Free wireless internet access available in the public places of the hotel.

Things To See & Do

In the city of Exeter there are just a few of places worth visiting including; Rougemont Castle, St Peter’s Cathedral and the Royal Albert Museum. As I said earlier there is a selection of close by seaside town and villages to visit the best being the pretty villages of Seaton, Sidmouth and Beer.

Further away, in between Plymouth and Exeter is the sparsely populated moorland of the Dartmoor National Park with the overall area having a fair few tourist attractions worth considering including Buckfast Abbey, Buckland Abbey and A La Ronde along the main route, to Plymouth. Along the way you will pass by the Torbay area, which includes Paignton, Brixham and Torquay and is often called the English Riviera.

Exeter truly is a great place in which to stay but why not discuss having a 2 destination vacation and spend a couple of nights/days in a luxurious hotel in Plymouth and travel around the spectacular countryside and coast in between the two excellent vacation destinations?

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest, and most lively, city with excellent shopping and an incredible nightlife. For the more artistic visitor there are numerous places to visit in Glasgow’s West End which features boutiques, cafés, tea rooms, bars, restaurants and clubs as well as some superb Glasgow bed and breakfast accommodation. In the following article I will describe three tourist attractions in Glasgow which will be of special interest to those people who have an interest in the world of art; the Burrell Collection, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the House For An Art Lover:

Burrell Collection

In 1944 The Brurrel Collection was gifted, by Sir william and Lady Burrell, to the city of Glasgow and the collection can be seen at Pollok Country Park in the south of the city of Glasgow This magnificent collection of works of art is made up of over 9,000 items. The collection is incredibly diverse containing some modern art sculptures and a superb collection of Islamic art. There are paintings by artists such as Cezanne and Degas. Besides paintings and sculptures visitors is able to enjoy the beautiful collections of tapestries, alabasters, stained glass and English furniture. On top of all this, the Burrell Collection also has an incredibly important selection of medieval art plus collections from ancient Egypt & China.

House For An Art Lover

The House For An Art Lover is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Glasgow. The house is of an Art Nouveau design originally designed by Glasgow’s most famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh plus input from Margaret Macdonald, his incredibly talented wife.

In actual fact the design was made for a competition of 1901 to make plans for a ‘House for an Art Lover’, but, the entry by Charles and his wife was disqualified because it was submitted after the closing date. Luckily, more than one hundred years later the house stands completed in Bellahouston Park because of the efforts of the architect Professor Andy Macmillan and the engineer Graham Roxburgh. Building commenced in the year nineteen eighty nine, ceased for a short time but started again in nineteen ninety four thanks to the collaboration between the Glasgow City Council and Glasgow School of Art.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is home to one of Europe’s great civic art collections and one of Glasgow’s, and Scotland’s premier museums and art galleries, but also it is one of the most popular free to enter tourist attractions to be found in Scotland.

You will discover Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on the banks of the River Kelvin, on Argyle Street, in the West End of Glasgow. The gallery was built in a Spanish Baroque styleusing the traditional Glaswegian material of red sandstone. The gallery was designed by Sir John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen and opened for the first time in 1901. The collections in the museum were originally from the old Kelvingrove House Museum in Kelvingrove Park and the McLellan Galleries.

If you are considering having a weekend break in the city of Glasgoiw you will find plenty of online hotels and guest houses providing Glasgow bed and breakfast. You will find a huge range of Glasgow guest houses and hotels at http://www.glasgowhotelscotland.com/

The city of Bradford is located in West Yorkshire, a county in England in the United Kingdom. Lying near to the mountain range known as the Pennines the town of Bradford was ideally placed to thrive during the time known as the industrial revolution. In truth, during the 1800’s, Bradford was at the forefront of the Industrial revolution and the city quickly became a major international textile manufacturing centre, especially in the wool industry and the town of Bradford gained the name of being the world’s wool capital. As a result of the ample supply of raw materials of coal, iron ore and soft water the town witnessed extremely quick growth of its manufacturing base and an equally quick population growth. Unfortunately the textile industry in Bradford fell into decline in the mid 20C. Ever since then Bradford has emerged as   a rather popular tourist destination with a a surprising number of hotels and guest houses offering Bradford bed and breakfast accommodation.

Bradford’s industrial past has left behind a legacy of excellent Victorian constructions, which include; the former Wool Exchange, St. George’s Hall, old mills and the City Hall with it’s gothic extension to the rear. The most ancient construction to be situated in Bradford is the Cathedral, which can be dated to the medieval period, and was, for much of its life, a simple parish church. Regrettably only a few buildings of this time survive, except for Bolling Hall. Bolling Hall is now a museum, situated round about 1m in distance from the centre of Bradford. Sited in a leafy garden, it takes you on a wondrous journey, to a time dating back roughly 5 hundred years, through the lives and times of the folk who once had Bolling Hall as their home.

The city of Bradford is the home of the National Media Museum, which is one of the most popular museums to be found outside the nation’s capital city, London. Previously called the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, the highly entertaining National Media Museum is free to enter which is suitable for visitors of all ages. The museum contains a total of three cinemas, one of which is said to be the best in the UK. Folk are able to discover the past, present and future of television in Experience TV, relive your favourite moments in television in TV Heaven, muck around with colour, light and lenses in the Magic Factory and investigate the fascinating world of animation and also watch a real animator at work in the Animation Gallery. At weekends and during holidays the Media Museum has an exciting packed schedule of talks, activities and free tours.

If you are considering having a city break in Bradford you will discover a large amount of online hotels and guest houses providing bed and breakfast in Bradford. You will find a huge selection of Bradford hotels at http://bradford.hotelreservationhelper.com/

Dundee has been the site of a settlement ever since the time of the Picts. Dundee, the fourth largest city to be found in the Scottish nation, has long been associated with commerce and trade. The three primary trades, in Dundee, were “journalism, jam and jute”.  Even though the city can be described as city which is post-industrial it has an economy which is mixed and a large proportion of its inhabitants are still employed in the manufacturing industry (compared to the rest of the country), about 13.5 percent. Over recent decades tourism has begun to become a rather important part in the city’s economy and there are a growing number of guest houses and hotels providing bed and breakfast in Dundee and in the following text I introduce the reader to 3 tourist attractions in Dundee; Sensation Science Centre, Verdant Works and Discover Point Visitor Centre:

The Discover Point Visitor Centre

Discovery Point is a highly interesting and award-winning visitor attraction in Dundee that introduces the story of one of the most heroic  exploration voyages ever, the tale of the world famous Antarctic explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, and the first ship he used,  RRS Discovery. On March the twenty first, nineteen hundred and one, the Discovery was launched at Dundee’s Panmure Shipyard. Captain Scott and his crew set off for Antarctica on 6th August nineteen hundred and one, reaching there in January nineteen hundred and two. The RRS Discovery is the most prestigious element of the visitor centre having been fully renovated inside and out. Steep stairs and narrow passageways can create problems in getting around for some, fortunately, visitors will find that there is an audio visual presentation at the dockside.

Sensation Science Centre

If you are looking for an attraction which will provide enjoyment for the family, then Dundee’s Sensation Science Centre is the ideal place to go. Sensation Dundee is the Britain’s only science centre which is based on the five senses of the body. You are able to discover the wonders of sciences  through the human body’s senses through over 80 hands-on exhibits. Visitors will also find live scientific experiments and demonstrations, which demonstrate how everyday ingredients found in the home can be used to to create fascinating effects. Folk interested in surgery are able to have an attempt at trying keyhole surgery. Sensation brings science to life in a number of interesting ways.

The Verdant Works

Verdant Works  was, once, a fully working jute mill. At it’s peak, in the 1860’s and 1870’s, the jute industry in Dundee employed about fifty thousand workers in more than sixty factories across the city of Dundee. These days,  Verdant Works brings the jute industry to life, by utilising a variety of displays which include, interactive computers, film shows and original machinery. This incredible museum was once home to three immense steam engines which ran 70 looms and two thousand eight hundred spindles.  There was also a workforce of some 5 hundred people, spinning and preparing jute for it to be weaved over the road in  a different factory. Renovation of the mill began in nineteen ninety two and it opened its doors to the public for the first time on September the sixteenth, nineteen ninety six.

If you are planning to have a city break in Dundee you will find a large amount of online hotels and guest houses offering bed and breakfast accommodation in Dundee. You will find a massive listing of Dundee guest houses and hotels at http://dundee.hotelreservationhelper.com/

Cardiff is not only the Welsh capital city, but it is also the most popular tourist destination in the United Kingdom outside London. The city of Cardiff is also the largest city in Wales, however it was only but a pretty small town until it reached the start of the 19C. It was during the early eighteen hundreds when the small Welsh town saw itself develop into a considerably large port involved in the transport of local coal, and also various other heavy and light industry. It was not until 28th October nineteen hundred and five that King Edward VII of England granted the small town of Cardiff city status, but, strangely, the city only became the capital of Wales on the twentieth of December 1955. Following this Cardiff very quickly became the perfect place for many national institutions, for example the National Museum of Wales, the Welsh National War Memorial and the University of Wales Registry Building. Through the last few decades the Cardiff businesses involved in Information and Technology have seen dramatic rates of growth along with, although to a lesser degree various other areas of industry, most noticeably in service industries. Tourism has also seen dramatic increases and there are now large numbers of places supplying bed & breakfast in Cardiff.

Cardiff Tourist Attractions Worth A Visit

Although Cardiff has only had city status for 100 years, interestingly Cardiff has been the site of a castle for nearly 2,000 years. The Cardiff Castle we see today is one of the most popular attractions in the city which can be located in the very heart of the city centre. Tourists can take a guided tour throughout the castle’s interior, and, take a pleasant wander around and about the amazingly picturesque castle gardens. At the castle there is also a recently opened Interpretation Centre which displays the various stages of development, of the castle,  across the ages from the Roman period right up to the present.

Cardiff also has a fair number of modern attractions including the wonderful Techniquest, one of Britain’s most popular Science Discovery centres. At the Science Discovery centre you will be presented with more than 100 hands on exhibits, designed to entertain and fascinate all age groups. The centre is home to a planetarium, a laboratory, a hi-tech Science Theatre and a Discovery Room.

There are many many more attractions to see in the Welsh city of Cardiff, so, if you are in the process of deciding upon taking a vacation there it is crucial that you reserve your  lodgings at the earliest opportunity as, unfortunately Cardiff hotels and guest houses tend to be amazingly busy and are frequently fully booked for weeks or even months in advance. If your group is large you may find that Cardiff serviced apartments turns out to be a more affordable alternative compared to bed and breakfast accommodation.

Blackpool is an amazingly popular seaside resort residing on the North West coast of England, which is incredibly popular with tourists from the nearby cities which include Warrington, Liverpool, Warrington and more. Blackpool is also fanatically popular with Scottish folk who turn up in large numbers in a similar fashion to the hordes of factory workers of the past on their factory vacation. Occasionally it seems as though the town is awash with vacation accommodation and tourist attractions and although there is an incredibly amount of bed and breakfasts in Blackpool it is better to book ahead to avoid disappointment. Guest houses varies from the cheerful and cheap to classy five star. You will find many on the sea front and, if you would rather stay something less lively there are some in the suburbs.

Blackpool began to see its first visitors in the 18th century who arrived to enjoy the new craze of sea bathing. With the advent of the railway, in 1846, the town saw an increase in the number of tourists to”take the cure” as sea bathing was called then. These days you can get to Blackpool by air, rail or road arriving there much faster than the Victorian workers who could take as long as 48 hrs from as nearby as Manchester.

The Famous Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The main attraction in the seaside town of Blackpool, in Lancashire on the north west coast of England, which manages to receive approximately seven million customers every 12 months, is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach is an enormously sized funfair with mind blowing big rides, just a few are Grand National, Valhalla, the Big One, Ice Blast, Zipper Dipper and Wild Mouse, as well as many more thrill rides, roller coasters, children’s rides, sideshows, entertainments, sidestalls and games. The most recent addition is Infusion, the world’s first to have a suspended looping coaster all of it over water.

 Please remember: If you are visiting the Pleasure Beach as a group or family it is possible to save pennies by buying a wristband for unlimited rides especially if you will going on every ride as the cost of each ride soon amounts to serious cash.

How To Get There And B&B 

Blackpool is, as said earlier, very easy to get to nowadays as it is possible to get there by air, train or automobile. If you are traveling by rail you will, more than likely, be arriving at the main station in Blackpool, which is called Blackpool North on Talbot Road. Not that fat away, just a little bit further down the road is situated the Blackpool National Express Coach Station. The other Blackpool train station, Blackpool South, is at Waterloo Road, which is closer to the Pleasure Beach. Blackpool’s airport is located approximately two miles from the centre of town and was known as, Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, One of the oldest airports in Great Britain.

Blackpool bed and breakfast is often available cheaply. Accommodation is frequently cheaper off season and not very cheap on Saturday and Sunday. Hotels in Blackpool are at their most costly while the Blackpool Illuminations are on, which is really peak season for the resort.

A handy tip: Some guest houses can be extremely busy and rather noisy especially those between Central Pier and North Pier. If you rather stay in a less busy location try booking a place past the North Pier.