England Travel Guide

This travel guide is full of ideas on how to plan your dream holidays in England. This country is famous for having many UNESCO world heritage sites, the national parks, stunning coastlines and seaside towns, picturesque countryside, diverse cities and iconic landmarks.

England is home to the oldest shopping centre, red phone boxes, black cabs, witty sense of humour and friendly welcome. That’s where the Royal British Monarchy dates back around 1,000 years ago having to lived in the castles and palaces all over the country.

The UK is where the music legends were born, the football is the national pride and everyone heads to the pub after work to have a pint with Fish and Chips or the Sunday Roast. The English weather might be unpredictable but certainly provides an equal dose of the sun and rain at the same time.

What to Visit in England

England is the country located in the western Europe and the largest of four ‘home nations’ that make up the United Kingdom. It covers around 130,279 square km of land with the population reaching over 56 million and the capital in London.

Other Things to See in England

Holidays in England wouldn’t be the same without exploring London, the city with free museums, green parks and many tourist attractions. The Buckingham Palace, Tower of London and Big Ben are the icons the city can really be proud of. The places bursting with student’s life are Oxford and Cambridge and the most traditional villages can be found in Cotswold Hills.

Those looking to relax in the sun should explore the English coastline. You’ll either find the pebbles or the sand on the beaches in Brighton, Bournemouth or Southend which has the longest pier in the world. Cornwall is home to the beautiful St Michael’s Mount and the clear blue water with white sand hiding around the bays of the Atlantic Ocean.

If you love hiking, the places not to miss are the Lake District, Peak District, New Forest, Yorkshire Dale, Snowdonia, North Yorkshire Moors and South Downs. If you’re fit enough, you should plan trekking the Hadrian’s Wall which stretches for 73 miles (117.5 km) in the northern region of England.

Those looking for the most impressive sites in England should head to Stonehenge, Bath, Warwick Castle or Chatsworth House. The music enthusiasts must visit Liverpool where The Beatles come from and the football fans will definitely be interested in the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester.

Don’t leave England without seeing:

• London – the most vibrant city
• Brighton, Southend – coastline
• Cornwall, Isles of Scilly – beaches
• Oxford, Cambridge Universities
• Lake and Peak Districts – hiking
• New Forest, Yorkshire Dale
• Snowdonia – long trekking
• North York Moors National Park
• South Downs National Park
• Stonehenge, Warwick Castle
• Liverpool – birthplace of The Beatles
• Manchester – Old Trafford Stadium
• Hadrian’s Wall in North England

Hiking in England

The highest peak in England is Scafell Pike (978 m) located in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria. The country is mostly flat, although the low hills and mountains can be found in the northern and the western parts. There are many mountains in England and the major ones include:

• Lake District (Cumbria)
• Cheviot Hills (Northumberland)
• Pennines (North of England)
• Howgill Fells (Cumbria)
• Orton Fells (Cumbria)
• North York Moors (North Yorkshire)
• Turners Hill (Midlands)
• Shropshire Hills (Shrewsbury)
• Black Mountains (Herefordshire)
• Malvern Hills (Midlands)
• Cotswold Hills (Middlands)
• Chiltern Hills (South East England)
• Walbury Hill (Berkshire)
• North Downs (SE England)
• South Downs (SE England)
• Mendip Hills (Somerset)
• Purbeck Hill (Dorset)
• Glastonbury Tor
• Exmoor (Somerset)

The Hiking Trails in England

The best hiking trails in England are the Hadrian’s Wall Path from Northumberland to Cumbria, Lizard Coastal Walk and Brown Willy in Cornwall, Quiraing in Isle of Skye, South Downs Way from Hampshire to East Sussex, North Downs Way from Farnham and Dover, Scafell Pike and Helvellyn in Lake District, Aberglaslyn Gorge and CWM Bychan in Snowdonia (Wales), Coast to Coast Walk from Cumbria to North Yorkshire, West Highlands Way from Glasgow to the Highlands, Causeway Coast Way in County Antrim, Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, Seven Sisters in East Sussex, Roman Way in Cotswold, Ramsgate to Margate, Malham Cove in Yorkshire Dales, Stanage Edge in Peak District, Stonehenge, Thames Path from Greenwich to Woolwich.

Read more: Best Hiking Trails in England

Beaches in England

England is surrounded by waters of the Irish, Celtic and North Sea. It’s got the access to the English Channel that separates the island from the mainland of Europe.

The English have the beautiful yet dramatic and often rugged 12,428 km of coastline. There are roughly 122 islands with England itself being the largest one. Other popular English islands are the St Michael’s Mount, Isles of Scilly (St Martin’s), Isle of Wight, Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, Brownsea Island in Dorset, Portland Island in Dorset, Mersea Island in Essex, Burgh Island in South Devon, Isle of Sheppey in Kent, Lundy Island in Devon, Holy Island in Northumberland, the Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey).

Read more: The Most Beautiful Islands in England

Where to Stay in England

If you want to stay in England, there are three main regions you can choose from: the Southern, the Midlands and the Northern England. The thing is that every area is different and offers plenty of nice places to hang around.

There are many nice places you can book your stay in and my favourite are:

• Savoy Hotel in London
• Brighton Harbour Hotel & Spa
• Heathlands Hotel in Bournemouth

What to Eat in England

It’s no secret that the English cuisine is strongly influenced by its colonial history. The Indian, Asian and European flavours that can be found and tasted in many British meals. The most popular dishes to try in England are:

• Scotch Eggs – hard boiled egg wrapped in the sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and fried.
• Piccalilli – English version of Indian pickles, salty, sour and spiced.
• Marmite – food spread made from yeast extract.
• Crumpets – English muffin with butter of jam.
• British Scones – dense biscuits served with butter or jam.
• Chip Butty – white bread sandwich with chips and ketchup inside.
• Meat Pies – steak and kidney pie, steak and ale pie, pork pie, chicken and leek pie, served hot or cold.
• Cornish Pastry – meat, veggies (plenty of potatoes) mixed in a gravy sauce, wrapped in the pastry and baked in the oven.
• Full English Breakfast – bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, fried beans, hash browns and toasts.
• Sunday Roast – roasted joint lamb, beef or pork, served with Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy.
• Afternoon Tea – tiny finger triangle sandwiches with no crust, filled with cucumber and cream cheese.
• Bangers and mash – sausage, mash potatoes, gravy and peas.
• Sausage Toad – sausage in Yorkshire butter, served with veggies and gravy.
• Fish and Chips – cod in beer butter, chips and mushy peas.
• Beef Wellington – beef steak coated in mushroom mixture and wrapped in the puff pastry, served with mash potatoes and asparagus.
• Shepperd’s (Cottage) Pie – mash potatoes crust and meat base baked in the oven.
• Chicken Tikka Masala – roasted chunks of chicken cooked in the spiced tomato cream sauce.

Typical English Deserts:

• Sticky Toffee Pudding – moist sponge cake made of dates in a toffee sauce, served with vanilla custard or ice cream.
• Victoria Sponge Cake – raspberry and double whipped cream filling.
• Mince Pie – minced meat, fruit and spices, sweet taste served during Christmas.
• Banoffee Pie – bananas, cream, toffee and condensed milk.
• Eton Mess – strawberries, bananas, crushed meringue and cream.
• Ale – traditional English beer.

How to Get Around England

The domestic flights, trains and buses are the best way of getting around England. For the most remote places, it’s recommended you book the national flights or the high speed trains. The buses are cheaper but take longer to travel between the cities.

England Travel Guide – Cost and Budget

If you’re a backpacker wishing to visit England, your daily budget shouldn’t be more than £45. That’s assuming you stay in a shared accommodation or use camping facilities, cook your food or dine in McDonalds, walk or cycle to see the main tourist attractions.

If you want to explore England on the mid – range allowance, you would spend around £135 daily. This sort of budget allows you to book a double room in a nice hotel, have some fish and chips or other delicious English dishes, travel with a public transport and see many things around the English towns and villages.

If you want a luxury in England, you must pay at least £290 a day. That should cover staying in the top rated hotels in the city or in the countryside, have the most finest meals, use mini cabs a lot and experience the most indulgent moments during your trip.

England Travel Guide – Best Time to Visit

Best time to go to England is between June to August as those months are the driest. For the cheap sightseeing, you should travel in the late spring or early autumn. Those months bring a mixture of sun and rain, less crowds and the temperatures between 9°C and 17°C.

TIP: Spring festivals in England: the University Boat Race (rowing on the Thames River, London, March), the London Marathon (April) and May is dedicated to FA Cup Final, Brighton Festival, Chelsea Flower Show, Glyndebourne and Cotswold Food & Farming Festival.

TIP: Autumn festivals in England: the Guy Fawkes Night (5th November), Remembrance Day (11th November).

If you want a beach holiday in England, you should travel in summer from June to August. Those months bring the sunniest weather and the temperatures between 19°C and 22°C. There are many lovely beaches to enjoy such as Bournemouth, Brighton, Southend, Camber Sands and Cornwall.

TIP: Summer festivals in England: June – Salisbury Festival, Horse Racing at Derby Week (Epsom) and Royal Ascot, Wimbledon Tennis, Glastonbury Festival, Pride, August – Notting Hill Carnival.

If you want a ski holiday in England, you should travel in winter from December to February. Those months bring the temperatures up to 7°C and the rain all over the country, except for the North where snow is common (Pennines Hills).

TIP: Christmas in December (Winter Wonderland, London), Chinese New Year in January and Six Nations Rugby in February.

England Travel Guide – Average Monthly Temperatures

England is the hottest during summer from June to August. Those months bring the average temperatures between 19°C and 22°C with July being the hottest. In contrast, England is the coldest during winter from December to February. Those months bring the mild temperatures up to 7°C with January being the coldest.

England Travel Guide – Average Monthly Precipitation

England is the wettest in autumn and winter form October to January. The month when it rains the most in England is October with up to 92 mm and 13 days of showers. When you travel to England in winter, you are likely to see the snow in the northern parts of the country. In fact, the County Durham, the Lake District (Cumbria) and West Yorkshire located near the Pennines Hills, they experience a snow falling around 53 days a year. That’s also where you might be tempted to go skiing in England. On the contrary, England is the driest in spring and summer which from February to August. The month with the least rainfall is July bringing up to 65 mm and roughly 10 days of showers.

England Travel Guide – Practical Information

This part of my travel guide is full of tips on what to expect during your travels to England. For more information on language and local time, religion, electricity plug, internet, currency, visa, safety and health matters in England, just follow my guidance below.

Population and Language – Over 56 million people live in England, UK. Around 9 million people living in London, the capital of England. The official language is English and the regional is Cornish. There are more than 300 languages spoken in the city of London.

Religion – The main religion in England is the Church of England (Anglican): 59.5 % Christian, 25.7% No Religion, 7.2% Not Stated, 4.4% Islam, 1.3% Hindu, 0.7% Sikh, 0.4% Jewish, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.4% Other.

Local Time – There is 1 time zone in England, UTC+0 hour. The UK overseas territories and crown dependencies bring the total to 9 time zones.

Electricity – England runs on 230V voltage. There is 50Hz and the plug type G (three pin plug). Getting an adapter is recommended.

Internet The internet in England is available all over the country. The free Wi-Fi is offered in the hotels, restaurants, pubs and other public places. It’s recommended to buy a cheap sim card (around £0.99) and the mobile internet on arrival. Best prepaid (pay as you go) sim cards in England are: EE, Vodafone, Three and O2. The standard monthly tariffs start from £10 a month.

Money and Currency in England

Money In England the ATMs are widely available. There are two types of cash machines: free and pay-to-use. The typical charge in England is £1.50 to £2 per transaction. Visa, MasterCard and Credit Cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. Having some cash is always advisable.

Currency – The official currency in England is Pound Sterling (£) (GBP).

Visa Requirements for England

Visa – England left the European Union on 31st of December 20202. The EU citizens don’t need a tourist visa to travel to England if staying up to 6 months. Irish can travel anytime they wish with no limits to how long they want to stay. Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans don’t need a visa to England if their trips are less than 90 days. Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months before your travels.

Safety in England

Safety England is a safe country to travel. The country is politically stable with very little crime. Petty theft might be a problem in places where tourists are congested. The rural areas are more quiet and therefore more secure. The racism is not common and the LGBT communities are welcomed with respect all over England. The cabs should always be booked from the licenced taxi offices. The football matches can spike some turmoil and riots.

Emergency Numbers – In England an emergency free numbers to dial are 999 or 112. The numbers for the particular emergency services in England: Police – 101 (Non Emergency), Fire – 112, Medical Services (Non Emergency) – 111.

Health and Travel Vaccinations in England

Health – Travelling to England requires doesn’t require any additional vaccinations. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that everyone is covered for the diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B regardless of their destination.