Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Welcome to the Mighty England!
Most visitors land in London, the huge capital city that has enough to keep people enter-
tained for months. Central London is where you'll find the infamous monuments and sights;
Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, red double decker buses passing by St Paul's Cathedral… It's
tourist central but it's quite wonderful. London actually constitutes of a multitude of distinct
neighborhoods. Head to East London for vibrant working class suburbs that have become
very cool. Go west for upmarket shopping and luxuriant districts, north for glimpses of clas-
sic old London, and south for a mix of it all.
Within an easy day trip of London you'll discover Southeast England, a historic place of
medieval towns, world heritage sites, and alternative cities. Oxford, Canterbury, Brighton;
choose to base yourself in London or leave the capital and easily tour these unique attrac-
tions.
Head Southwest and the rolling green farmlands of England begin to dominate the scene.
It's quite a journey, the rural land packed with quaint stone villages, Neolithic rocks, and the
country's best beaches. It's serene and enigmatic, each stop dancing with color and intimacy.
The Midlands is England's forgotten land, a cultural melting pot that most people merely
skip through on route to The North. What it lacks in famous attractions it makes up for in
delightful national parks, literary history, and intriguing cities.
If Scotland had voted for independence from the UK then The North would have tried to
do the same. It's where you'll find England at its quintessentially bizarre best; strange ac-
cents, funny traditions, post-industrial cities, and historic market towns. This is the home
of English popular music, God's own country (Yorkshire), famous football teams, and huge
swathes of picturesque national park. Yes, it rains a lot here, but it's worth it.
