Six Hot Travel Trends for 2019
It is the time of year when traditionally we make our predictions for the ensuing 12 months. So, Travel Begins at 40 has gazed into our collective crystal ball to…
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It is the time of year when traditionally we make our predictions for the ensuing 12 months. So, Travel Begins at 40 has gazed into our collective crystal ball to…
While people around the UK are celebrating the approach of Lent by tossing pancakes in the warmth of their own kitchen, the gentlefolk of one Buckinghamshire town take to the…
The self-guided walking holiday specialists at Celtic Trails have chosen a collection of ‘Significant Walks for 2019’, each with an extra compelling reason to undertake this year…
The new series of Winterwatch, based in the wilds of the Cairngorms National Park, starts on 29 January on BBC2. Experience this rugged landscape on a six-day photography holiday focusing…
Great Rail Journeys, the UK’s leading escorted group rail tour operator, has released their top five Scottish tours in celebration of Burns Night. Burns Night, or Burns Supper, is held…
It’s never too old to fall in love, nor to show you love that special someone. So, to provide some romantic inspiration, Travel Begins at 40 has rounded up a few…
There is something in our DNA about feeling a need to rehydrate, rejuvenate and restore not only after an indulgent Christmas but also the dark days of winter. What better…
With the big freeze and heavy snow expected in the coming weeks, people are clamouring to book their holidays in the sun, and while vacations are usually simple to arrange…
In recent years, the Roundhouse has done a little mid-winter shapeshifting. The great Victorian hemisphere in Camden Town, now one of London’s most cherished rock venues…
If someone uttered the words ‘road trip’, you could be forgiven for automatically thinking of America’s Route 66, or Australia’s East coast. However, we shouldn’t forget the amazing offerings on…
The Adventure Travel Show is back and looking better than ever. Taking over the London Olympia on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 January 2019, The Adventure Travel Show will play…
Spoil the special person in your life in 2019 with an ‘Ultimate Romance Package’ at the glorious 15th century Swan at Lavenham Hotel and Spa in the heart of Suffolk’s countryside and be assured…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise fill their boots on local history while staying and dining at The Swan at Lavenham in Suffolk, as well as enjoying the most blissful spa…
Nhow London, a 190-room hotel under NH Hotel Group’s design and lifestyle brand, is set to open in London in summer 2019. Located between the City, Islington and Shoreditch, within…
Fans of the silent screen should virtually head to Bristol this March for Slapstick Festival 2025, a celebration of silent and vintage screen comedy, and much more. The initial Slapstick…
Summer 2019 will see the launch of a new London hotel and brand, Inhabit Hotels. Set in six Georgian townhouses off a quaint Paddington mews, Inhabit London…
It’s not just railway aficionados who can ride on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, a heritage narrow gauge steam railway located in the western Lake District, as it is perfect for small and larger groups…
Premier Cottages still has self-catering properties available for the New Year and some are offering big savings for last minute bookers. Below are some of the latest deals on offer from across the UK…
February is the perfect time to visit the city of Derby, regardless of the state of the local football team Derby County’s fortunes. The 16th CAMRA Derby Winter Ale Festival…
The prize and the gallery that were both named for artist J M W Turner will be brought together in 2019, when the Turner Contemporary Gallery…
Part of a packed programme of events held each year on the island to the south of England, this year the Isle of Wight Mardi Gras will have the theme of the story of the carnival…
The Watercress Line is to receive two traditional wooden-framed carriages that are currently being restored to their former glory. They are expected to be in operation on the steam…
In 2019 Leeds Castle in Kent will host a series of special events and activities to celebrate its 900th anniversary. The original Castle dates back to 1119 when Robert de…
On a weekend jaunt to the depths of Somerset, Eileen Wise discovers in Babington House a luxury retreat familiar to many a star. A country retreat set in 18 acres…
The UK has so much to offer with its rich history, galleries, theatres and concert halls, its commercial and scientific enterprise and its varied and undeniably scenic countryside.
UK National Parks
There are 15 National Parks in the UK, ranging from coastal areas to mountainous regions in England, Wales and Scotland. There are currently none in Northern Ireland. Unlike National Parks in other countries, in the UK parts of the designated, protected areas can be owned by private landlords. Such areas as the Lake District, Yorkshire Moors, Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, Snowdonia and the Cairngorms draw hikers and naturalists to them like a magnet.
UK Weather
The British never tire of the weather as a talking point. Broadly speaking it is a temperate climate, although winters are becoming wetter and summers warmer, probably from climate change. Warmer in the South, wetter in the West and colder in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the UK climate can be subject to diurnal change on a sudden basis, although, with the advent of satellites, the weather forecasts are more accurate. It is wise to take a waterproof with you on an extended trip.
Northern Ireland
Since the Good Friday Agreement brought greater stability to this previously troubled land, visitors are on an increase. The Titanic Museum displaying memorabilia regarding that renowned disaster and Ulster Museum looking at 3,000 years of Irish culture and history, are well worth a visit. Outside of Belfast, the Mountains of Mourne in County Down and the Giant Causeway, 60 miles outside Belfast, are not to be missed.