BootsnAll Travel Community

Londons great, but the people up north are much friendlier, and the scenary is cool too

Leeds - hip city lots of trendy shopping, bars, restaurants and clubs. A great weekend away

Manchester - even hipper city lots of trendy shopping, bars, restaurants and clubs. A great weekend away

Liverpool - a cool city again lots of trendy shopping, bars, restaurants and clubs. A great weekend away, and the beatles museum and the grand national horses.

York
a nice place to walk around in summer, horse racing too

edinburgh / glasgow
scottish cool.. just go

plus all the scenary around yorkshire dales (leeds), north york moors, scarborough, whitby bay (york), lake district, chester and north wales (manchester / liverpool)


How to get there

www.gnertickets.co.uk
always look for return fairs, but on next screen check out single tickets as usually cheaper than return looking at £19 2 singles to leeds and back and always special offers to newcastle, edinburgh, york for £9 etc, bookable 3 months in advance

www.megatrain.com/uk/
cheap train tickets to glasgow / edinburgh from manchester (£10 each way) and buses all over the uk


www.virgintrains.com

cheap trains london to manchester, many special offers

check out Cambridge...accessible by train, and if you catch an express your there in under 2 hours...the campus is incredible, the town is quaint...beautiful

If you're outdoorsy at all, Cumbria is magnificent. Charming little towns (Cockermouth, funny name, cute city Carlile bigger but nice) and beautiful outdoors- the Irish sea coast, a national park, and a hill whose name means "Hill hill hill hill" (Torpenhow Hill see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_hill_hill_hill).

Sheffield is also a nice town, though I'm biased because I got to stay with friends and have the benefit of locals to play tour guide. But particularly lively student life with two large universities.

We enjoyed York with our two-year old for its compact sightseeing within the medieval city walls.

For countryside, we loved the Lake District. It was much colder, but the countryside was amazing: deep lakes surrounded by looming mountains. We stayed in the mid-sized village of Keswick, very walkable, grey brick buildings and bright gardens. It's a popular location with native Brits for hiking and other outdoors sports.

But bring a good jacket when heading north - it's a cold that gets into your bones. We didn't, and ended up buying some in Keswick.

http://happyjetbaby.blogspot.com

Oh I agree, up North is fantastic...and the people tend to be friendlier as well..you get to meet all sorts of people that will actually have a conversation with you while stood waiting at the Checkout...

Try the smaller towns up in Lancashire and Yorkshire...like Pendle, Sabden, Howarth, Burnley, Keighley...I can particularly recommend Howarth, it's soooo beautiful and has all the Bronte Sister's history there as well...not to mention a really oldie worldie feeling to it...

quote:

Try the smaller towns up in Lancashire and Yorkshire...like Keighley...

KEIGHLEY

what a dump !!! do not go there if your life depends on it..

the only ever news from that neck of the woods is bnp, race riots and stabbings, oh and a 4wd rammed off the road and a man bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat

Saltaire (nr Bradford) is a good place to visit being a world heritage site, and its only £2.70 return from leeds
www.saltsmill.org.uk/
http://www.saltaire.yorks.com/

Sir titus salt, built and owned a mill, which is now an art gallery (david hockney) and craft fair, plus there are great bars, cafes and canal side walks

not to mention 'Fanny's Ale house' for that perfect pint

www.fannys.co.uk aka http://www.fannysalehouse.com/

and remember that public transport up north is great. You can get the train up to York or Leeds direct from London (~2hrs) and then the local trains stop at pretty much every lampost! It makes it really easy to explore without a car.

Definatly check out Northumberland - up near Hexham, the Roman Wall. Loads of friendly little pubs, wild eerie countryside. Gorgeous. And the Lake District is stunning.

i am visiting London for 4 months. I have been to Winsdor castel, Bath, Stonehenge and Oxford only. Looking for more in the following 3 months. I am planning to go to Cotswold, a beautiful countryside with fabulous small houses, and Stratford-Upon-Avon, the homeland of Shakespeare.
if you want to stay at Lake District overnight, don't forget to stay at L'Enclume. It is an exquisite and extraordinary hotel that recommended by everyone who has been lived there.

London for 4 months!!!!!
Please do your self a favour mate and come up here, we have all you good ever need and wont rip you off. Durham is so good it makes oxford look like a dump, startford is a tourist trap not worth it, come to the lake disrict for the poets, miss potter, the hills, the walks, the beer.

... and Chester if you get the chance is fantastic if not small with the biggest roman walls, and the best racecourse in the country.

whatyadoinsucka can tell you the merits of yorkshire, manchester (home of great music and foundation social politics)and liverpool at the very least guys.

and remember we are a lot more friendly so just ask and we'll we glad to help you find your way up and around here.

sethee

Ah men to all the above!!!!! Oooop-north is great - a definate second to Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield (fond memories of student life in Sheffield....!!!!). Fantastic people, sport, history, shopping, music and nightlife. What more could you want???!!! Apart from a curry from the curry mile in Rusholme of course....

or some of the best chinese outside of china in manchesters china town

....and black pudding just dont ask before you try

Dont mention CURRY!!
I've been living in France for a year and am desperate for a chicken dhansak with pilau rice and 'proper' bhajis washed down with a nice cobra beer.. I wish!!

Should put an appeal out to anyone heading to franch from the north or brum to fetch a proper curry over with 'em.

Yes Please!!

If you want good curry then take a trip to Bradford. Don't go for the fancy places either - you need to be eating if off plastic tables in someone's front room/cafe. Really cheap and as close to an authentic Indian food experience that you will get in the UK.

Plenty of other things to do in and near to Bradford - Salts Mill in Saltaire & Leeds/Bradford canal (includes permanent David Hockney exhibition), TV/Photography musuem, Haworth (home of the Brontes), see the local football team (they need the support!) and great access to the hills and moorland of North Yorkshire and the Pennines.