England

Explore England

Afternoon tea in a regal manor house. Beatles music in a 60s pub. Gothic church spires upon streets of ancient stone and intrigue. Feeling like royalty in a glorious country estate, joining the buzz of a Premier League football match, and eating fish and chips on a remote pebbled beach. England is an immersion in both the famous and unusual, the idiosyncratic and popular. But the greatest appeal is its size.

Getting here and around

Almost everyone flies into London and incorporates the capital city into their itinerary. However, there are over a dozen small airports across England, many with direct flights to Prague and Eastern Europe. Use Manchester or Leeds for the north, Bristol for Bath and the southwest, London Gatwick for the southeast. Pre-booked trains are the fastest and most comfortable way to get around, certainly beating the often bumper-to-bumper motorways.

Climate & seasons

English people like to say you can have four seasons in a day. To which visitors ask, what happened to summer? The weather is notoriously wet but it’s really not that bad, just don’t rely on it or expect a tropical holiday. May to August is warmer, the real difference being long hours of daylight, so you can do more in your time.

Where to go

Exploring England is always a journey through history. Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon is all thatched rooftops and medieval wonder, close to the postcard-perfect villages of the Cotswolds. Majestic Gothic architecture and lively streets make Oxford a standout destination. Bath is a little newer, all golden Georgian stone and Roman spas. Windsor and Canterbury are but two royal cities outside London, with dazzling standout attractions. Manchester and Liverpool showcase a post-industrial vibe, just note their lack of high-quality accommodation. And then there are the stately houses turned hotels out in nature, found across England.

What to do

From illustrious history to tiny traditional pubs, hiking the Lake District to wandering a cobblestone village, England has an open book on what to do. Explore the countryside, music, museums, beaches, endless shopping and unusual local peculiarities. What’s most important is an efficient route, so you can maximise your time and do as much as you want.