Traveling to England on your own. Traveling around the UK by car

16.08.2020

Game designer from Mogilev Yulia Pepler decided to arrange a super-busy May for herself, and with a team of friends went on a trip to England and Scotland. Stonehenge, Loch Ness, castles from Harry Potter and the Isle of Skye - how to fit it all into one trip - in a first-person story.

Julia Pepler

Preparing for your trip

We went on a trip with our student fraternity - almost all the participants in our trip were graduates of one of the Mogilev lyceums. We spend every May in a new place and traditionally call it a “hike.” This year the choice fell on Scotland, and I couldn’t stay away.

When we started planning the route, it became clear that the trip would consist of two parts: England and Scotland. According to the plan, we were going to fly from Vilnius to Luton (the airport is 48 km from London), then rent a minibus and move towards Edinburgh, from where we were scheduled to fly to Kaunas. This time we decided not to waste time on London itself - everyone has six-month visas, so we can see the capital another time.

It is better to find out everything related to car rental in advance - the conditions of all companies are different, not to mention local laws. For example, it is important that the card with which you will pay rent is at least Visa classic. Initially, 14 people were going to go on our trip, and we wanted to take a large bus. But it turned out that despite one of us having an international license and category D, in the UK only a resident of the European Union or the United Kingdom itself with at least 2 years of driving experience can transport more than 8 people. I had to book 2 minibuses. So there were 16 of us. By the way, renting one 16-seater bus would cost us £1,100, but for one 9-seater we paid about £1,200. You also need to be careful with insurance - weigh the pros and cons. We chose the slightly more expensive option and it ended up paying off (we broke a headlight on a cart guard in the parking lot).

Our team included the inspirer and organizer of the “hike” - Alexander Machekin, who developed the route. We chose places that guidebooks and other travelers advised us to visit, put everything on the map and plotted an approximate route. Initially, it was clear that we had a “reserve” route: about 30% of the points that we had outlined for ourselves had to be sorted on the spot.

Before starting the trip, we all stocked up on waterproof and windproof jackets. It is also advisable to have waterproof pants and trekking boots, although you can do without them - it's just a matter of your comfort. We also had sleeping bags and several tents with us. We never used the latter. We also took food with us (porridge, tea, kozinaki, noodles and homemade granola) - it helped us out if we didn’t have time to stop by the store. Most often we shopped at supermarkets (Tesco extra deserved a special love among us).

Let's fly

We flew to England with the low-cost airline Wizzair. At the airport, a free shuttle bus picked us up at a special stop to the right of the exit and took us directly to the car rental place. We got two brand new minibuses of the simplest configuration. They had a significant drawback - on the road, those riding in the rear seats were thrown around the cabin, as if on an attraction. We knew that if you rent a car, you must inspect it together with a company employee and ask about everything in detail. Our driver paid attention to the AdBlue level (this is a reagent needed for cars running on a diesel engine). The company employee told us not to worry - everything was fine with the reagent. But, as you understand, this story will continue.

We bought several SIM cards at a gas station. For £10 we got 2GB of internet and several dozen included minutes. Having activated his SIM card, Sasha immediately went to book accommodation. Everything was done promptly through booking.com, because on airbnb.com you still have to wait for confirmation from the owners. We made reservations on the go: we simply looked at how far we wanted to travel by the end of the day and looked for a hostel or house nearby. Cards were accepted almost everywhere; cash was needed only on toll roads and markets.

Fabulous towns of mid England

Our first stop was Cambridge, where we stayed only briefly. It’s interesting to take a walk here, eat at the street market in the center, and hang out in a bookstore. Most popular transport The locals have a bicycle.

And then Windsor: pleasant streets, flowering trees and cafes that have probably existed here for centuries. Right on the road in front of the current residence of the British monarchs there is a statue of Queen Victoria, and in a small neat park there is a statue of Queen Elizabeth II with corgis frolicking around. I don’t know how it happened, but we were always next to our “second minibus,” although at times we were forced to travel in two cars and split up along the way. You're walking, you come to some interesting bar - and Masya from our second bus comes out and smiles. The old bar, which is located right next to the royal alley, has a wonderful bar counter, many tables, books and visitors with dogs. It seems like there are dogs everywhere here, and all establishments are dog-friendly. From the window of the second floor of the bar, cardboard Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are waving to you (the wedding of the century was just around the corner). From behind the bar you can see an incredibly long and photogenic alley. We took a selfie here, and a couple of weeks later I watched in the chronicles how a wedding team with that same royal wedding carriage was driving along this very path. We didn't get to Windsor Castle because everything in the UK closes after 5 p.m. After 18.00 at best.

Our first overnight stay was in Oxford. We rented a two-story house: it was designed for fewer people, but we initially agreed that the “camping” format meant that someone would sleep in sleeping bags where they could sit comfortably.

Strawberry cromlech

Of course, we couldn't miss Stonehenge. In advance, we unanimously decided not to waste time on a paid excursion, since we have such a busy schedule. But you better not do like us. Get to tourist center, buy a ticket (£18) and take the free bus to cromlech. With a ticket you will be able to get much closer to the stones, but they still won’t let you into the center - they’ll keep you safe.

We stood a little further, but this did not upset us. From the overabundance of emotions, tears appeared in my eyes. We took out champagne and strawberries, bought the day before at the supermarket, and solemnly celebrated this important point of our trip.

Locals know best

Without slowing down, we moved on to the village of Bybury, described by every guidebook as “the most picturesque village in England.” All the houses here are built from a special stone - shell rock or oolite. All around there is a surprisingly harmonious combination of well-groomed and neglected conditions, which can be said about the entire island. It seems that the locals have some kind of methodological manual, which indicates which bushes should be cut out into intricate shapes, and which ones should be left to overgrow. By the way, we asked a local resident how to pronounce the name of the village correctly, and she insisted on “Bayburi”. But if you look for it on Russian-language resources - write “Biburi” - you will find more information.

You can get around the village very quickly. A local attraction here is a trout farm. There is also a souvenir shop and a cafe where trout is the signature dish. We ordered the mixed fish (£7.9) cooked by three different ways: baked with creamy sauce, smoked and the third, which we called “herring under a fur coat” - in some kind of salad with beets. And the tea we ordered was brought with milk without asking (£ 1.5).

Looking into hometown William Shakespeare, where, according to legend, his father's house is preserved, we moved to the last stop for the day - Birmingham.

Watch your back

Birmingham, forgive the philosophical arguments, was called upon to balance all this beauty that we experienced during the day. Surely, walking around the city center on a sunny day, we would get a different impression of it. But then, at dusk, we saw continuous industrial buildings, and many, many young people walking around. We checked into an anthill hostel with a confusing system of passages, part of the team went to the bar, the other part passed out on clean sheets. In the morning, while pulling things out into the foyer, I turned around at the scream of Polina from our team - she ran in from the street and stomped her feet and yelled, “It was stolen! Stolen! Everything was stolen!” At night, our car was opened, and a forgotten wallet disappeared from the glove compartment by a cruel accident. “I'm being deported! I can’t come back here again!” – she continued. We rushed to look around the area in search of the abandoned passport and asked at the reception where the nearest police station was. Polina, gradually coming to her senses, checked the bag - and lo and behold! – She handed over the passport and card. So, only cash was stolen. Polina was even somehow happy (the biggest nightmare - not getting to the UK again - was over), said that it was just money and there wasn’t very much of it. It was decided not to write a statement to the police - anyway, the money could not be returned.

“All around is a surprisingly harmonious combination of well-groomed and neglected conditions, which can be said about the entire island”

Manchester

Here, our division into two minibuses played into our hands - we divided into those who are interested in the Old Trafford stadium, where the Manchester United team trains, and those who don’t care.

Those who did not go to the stadium were sent for a walk around the city. Manchester turned out to be very beautiful, lively and modern city. It was lunchtime, so everywhere we met Englishmen in luxuriously fitting business suits, with street food in one hand and a leather briefcase in the other. It’s amazing how in this cold everything was already in bloom, because when we left, the leaves were just trying to bloom in Belarus, although the temperature was much higher.

Another minibus fully visited the museum at the stadium (£ 18) and spent a lot of money on souvenirs: T-shirts, scarves, mugs and caps, and even bed linen with the symbols of their favorite club.

Pudding that isn't pudding

We went to York for the night. If you want to see the largest medieval stained glass window in the world, be sure to check out York Minster (£10), but remember, it will turn into "Closed" after 6pm.

We rented a two-story house again. I was not pleased with the one bathroom for everyone, and even the one combined with a toilet. The mood was lifted only by the cookies carefully left by the owners. This is the famous Scottish Shortbread - shortbread cookies with a pleasant creamy taste. In York we really wanted to try the famous Yorkshire pudding. Of course, we had a certain idea of pudding in our heads, and it was very different from what we found in York. Yorkshire pudding is a baked “mold” of batter into which various sauces and fillings are placed.

Another incident happened in York. When we were unpacking our things, one of the sleeping bags fell out and rolled under the stairs. We discovered this at another parking lot, when its owner needed a sleeping bag. Later we contacted the owners and they kindly agreed to send a sleeping bag to Belarus. For their troubles with the mail, the Yorkers asked for another £10.

When ruins are as stunning as a preserved castle

In North Yorkshire, on a cliff near North Sea We were greeted by Whitby Abbey, or rather what was left of it. They say it has the highest number of ghosts in England. After paying £6 for entry and audio guides, we headed towards the abbey. It rained constantly, as if to order, creating the right atmosphere. Having passed a small pond, we approached well-preserved ruins, and the audio guide, in excellent English, reported that the first abbess here was Hilda, and she turned all the snakes that plagued the local residents into stones. The abbey was destroyed twice: first by the Vikings, and second by German cruisers during the First World War. Through the incredibly beautiful arches you can see the sea here. From the ruins one can only guess about the former greatness of the temple. No wonder he impressed Bram Stoker so much. In his book, it is in Whitby that Count Dracula disembarks from the ship in the form of a creature resembling a dog and runs towards the abbey and the adjacent cemetery.

Even magic won’t help with the operating mode

Since the trip turned out to be so cinematic, it would be wrong not to stop by Alnwick Castle, which became the prototype of the Hogwarts School of Wizardry. We hurried here to make it before closing, checked the schedule - everything is fine, we still have 1.5 hours. But here’s what the guidebooks don’t tell you: the castle is open until 17.30, and the ticket office closes at 15.45. At 16.00 we were no longer able to buy a ticket, so we walked around the castle on the other side and admired it from afar. On the way we found a narrow bridge with a lion figure. Apparently, the lion is another local landmark - its image with its arrow-like tail is on every guidebook and postcard.

A little disappointed, we moved to Bamborough Castle, which we persistently read as Bamburgh. Huge, in the sunset rays it seemed no less beautiful than Alnwick. We went up to it and heard the sound of the sea. Even though it was northern and cold, we ran to it like to an old friend. We spent perhaps even more time here than in Alnwick. Someone took off their shoes and ran into the water to go at least ankle-deep, someone began to cartwheel in delight, and everyone took pictures of the rainbow in front.

“The Scots used to believe in unicorns (the maid whispered that there is no “before” - everyone still believes)”

Scotland and the Scots

And although officially this is one state, the difference between England and Scotland is still very noticeable. The fences seem to have become higher, and the people are friendlier. Instead of plains, we could see mountains, sheep in the fields were more often seen with black faces, and in addition to cows, we also met musk oxen. Cartoonishly funny, with long red fur and bangs that obscure the eyes, this is the local pride.

Scottish friendliness amazed us. At the first store, an elderly woman saleswoman spoke to us. She asked where we were from and what places we intended to visit. Having familiarized herself with the route, she nodded approvingly and wished have a good travel and certainly good weather. After the English, who never gave us even a meager smile, the Scots seemed like angels descended from heaven. Which, of course, we immediately informed her about. She smiled and said that yes, the Scots are like that. “We also drink a lot!” – she laughed at last.

Do you believe in unicorns?

In the most important Scottish castle - Stirling - we were offered to buy an Explorer pass (£ 30), which gives the right to visit 77 attractions for free. From the 5 days that it is valid, use free entry You can only spend 3 days, but you can visit as many castles as you like in one day. The subscription pays off with interest. We calculated that entry to Stirling alone costs £15 and Edinburgh Castle costs £18.

In the castle, a sweet maid-tour guide answered the most burning question at that moment: why are unicorns cool here? It turned out that the unicorn is the official symbol of Scotland! The Scots used to believe in unicorns (the maid whispered that there is no “before” - everyone still believes). And it’s not for nothing that he was depicted on the coat of arms of Scotland along with three lions (a lion is a symbol of royal power), because only three lions can kill one unicorn

In search of Nessie and the most atmospheric overnight stay

Of course, in addition to Stonehenge, Loch Ness was a must-see place. Now I understand why people are so eager to see “something” in these troubled waters. The wind raises such waves that something supernatural is seen in every black crest. The view from the shore is picturesque: the lake is divided by two mountains covered in fog.

Along the road there is a hotel, on the territory of which a “statue” of Nessie is enterprisingly placed. A hotel room is expensive, but a photo with a green-skinned beauty is free (and priceless). The area here became completely mountainous, and we moved up the serpentine road to our next overnight stay at Camping Pod Heaven. Four-person barrel houses were waiting for us, with air mattresses, sockets and lamps inside. On site there is a comfortable toilet and shower, an open sink with hot water, and a long common table. There is no kitchen, but there are several barbecues. You can rent a small electric kettle for £1. A small group of Poles shared coal with us - a little drunk, they themselves came up and invited us to the grill, and we were showered with gratitude in response.

The next day we went to explore the local species - there is no way to describe them. I don't know what could be more beautiful than the mountains and the sea.

Another failure: the home stretch

The Scottish part of the trip is very difficult to divide into any “blocks”, because it is pure ecstasy. It’s impossible to get unstuck from the car window; there’s no strength to stop taking those blurry photos with your smartphone. It seems like the air is about to tear your lungs apart, and a current runs through your body after every turn. Overhanging cliffs covered with gorse give way to pastures and mirror lakes.

We arrived at Eilean Donan Castle, which, like many points on our journey, is also a movie hero. “Highlander” was filmed here. Purring that very Queen song, we filmed it for our video report. We returned to the minibus, drove off, and realized that the gears had stopped shifting. Looking sideways at the AdBlue meter, we called the number indicated on the car rental documents. We described the problem and decided on the cause (the ill-fated blue liquid had run out!). We were redirected to the technical assistance department. To the technical assistance department, which is not open on weekends! We split up with the second minibus, and the guys weren’t supposed to arrive any time soon. Two volunteers from us decided to hitchhike to the nearest gas station and buy a reagent. The guys turned around very quickly, and already in the car they said that Chichvarkin had given them a ride in a red Audi before refueling. They spoke to him first in English, and then in Russian. We were embarrassed to take a photo. Is it a joke? We still don’t understand, but the guys still won’t admit it. There is no evidence, only their truthful eyes.

The AdBlue worked and we headed to the Isle of Skye.

Get to another planet without leaving your car

Previously, Skye could only be reached by ferry, but in 1995 a road bridge was opened. We joined the snake of cars crawling towards the island. Sky is like another planet. To the left, green grass lines a valley that suddenly bends and is torn by piercing black rocks that extend into the clouds. On the right there is a cliff, the road twists around the rocks, and you can see ahead a mountain stream that flows to the edge of the island and falls down. And so it’s a 40 minute trip. Mountain landscapes give way to futuristic ones stone valleys. We drove deeper into the island, stopping periodically and going out to look at the natural surroundings. The further we drove, the harder the rain fell, and everything around was shrouded in fog. There are 2 on the island hiking trails: at 3 and 6 kilometers. Be sure to go through one of them. We were afraid of the slippery ground and endless rain, and now we regret it.

This day finished us off with the next two stops. Do you remember the second Harry Potter film, and the Weasley flying car? The scene with the train catching up to her was filmed here on the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Many tourists climb to the observation deck on the right, but you approach from the left. Here you can go upstairs to the very railway and even higher. It’s interesting that if you try to actually follow the route described by JK Rowling, it is here, not far from the viaduct, that the Hogwarts School of Wizardry should be hiding from people.

And the control shot is the Glencoe Valley, where all the Scots we talked to advised us to visit. Here my artistic skills are not enough to try to convey at least an approximate atmosphere of this place. The mountains, of course, are not as high as in the Himalayas, but no less beautiful.

Biggest "failure"

We spent the last day of our trip in Edinburgh. After the deserted mountain roads, the city crowded with tourists was a little scary and oppressive. Be sure to try the Scottish breakfast here (average £5). On the plate there will be scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, beans in tomato sauce and, of course, haggis (twisted spicy offal). This is a good option to try because if you don't like it, you'll still leave full.

“We managed to check the visas, but literally 5 minutes were not enough for us to return”

We arrived at the airport 5 hours before departure. Rented cars were left in the parking lot nearby, and the keys were placed in a special box. We repacked our things, weighed everything, and checked in our luggage. We went through security and stood at the front of the line to board. And they didn’t fly away. The employee checking the tickets said that he could not let us on board without a visa-check, this internal rule Ryanair. Where should it have been done? Down at the very beginning of the airport. In the next few seconds we made a big mistake. It was necessary to stop and calmly discuss what to do. But we didn’t stop, we ran. Through the entire airport, with things, not knowing where exactly we need to go. At such moments, some of the body’s capabilities and strengths are probably activated. We managed to check our visas, but literally 5 minutes were not enough for us to return. Later, rewinding this situation over and over again, we found many solutions. Moreover, at other airports it was important for us to ask what should have been done. We learned that the visa-check could have been given to us by hand before boarding by the same employee who checked the tickets. We could drop our things and run without them. The flight could have been delayed, but they didn’t. Even for the sake of 16 people. Of course we were upset, confused, tired and empty. But no one became hysterical. At the airport, at the same visa-check counter, thirteen of us were replaced with tickets for London - Warsaw (goodbye, ordered and paid for minibus in Kaunas). At our own expense, we had to buy a ticket to London and find a way to get to Minsk. Miraculously found desired route bus directly from Warsaw airport. Another $110 was added to the money spent on the trip. The remaining two people flew through Dusseldorf, and one through Vilnius. We were lucky to have one day left – May 9th. We spent the next day on the road. We haven't slept for about 35 hours and haven't eaten for a long time. But we were happy that we were heading home.

Photo: Julia Pepler, Christophe Vrankenne, Andrew Ridley, Stijn Hoekstra, Daniel Quarg

The capital of Great Britain attracts thousands of people from all over the world every year, and for good reason. London has something to surprise its guest: incredibly beautiful parks, museums that have collected outlandish objects of art, rich story and infrastructure of a modern metropolis. Who didn’t dream as a child, while rereading the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle, to visit Baker Street? And who hasn’t admired the images of Buckingham Palace or Tower Bridge in their first textbook? in English?

But many are stopped from traveling to London by the fear that getting a visa to England on their own is difficult, it is often denied, and tickets and accommodation are too expensive. We will try to dispel this myth in this article, explaining in detail how to travel to London on your own, and why the trip is not at all difficult to organize.

Visa to London on your own

To obtain a visa to the UK, you need to fill out an application form, pay the consular fee, collect the necessary documents and take it all to the British visa center. There are five UK visa centers in Russia: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don.

You can fill out an online application for a British visa, make an appointment at a visa center at a time convenient for you, and also view the list of documents required for a visa on the official website of the British Embassy in Russia (https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa ) or on the website (https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk). There are three types of tourist visas to choose from: for children under 18 years of age, for visiting relatives and the so-called general visa, which is suitable for all other cases, be it a trip to visit friends or just a desire to explore the city. The questionnaire is filled out in English, but those who do not know English have nothing to be afraid of - the Internet is full of volunteers who have posted a translation of the questionnaire with comments and advice for free access. Also, for convenience, a Google Translate translation immediately appears next to each question in the questionnaire.

Immediately after filling out the application form, you can pay the visa fee online in the amount of 83 pounds for a six-month visa, 300 pounds for an annual or two-year visa. After which all that remains is:

print the form,
To make a photo,
collect documents about your solvency (account statement, work certificate - the more evidence of having funds for the trip, the higher the chances of getting a visa),
obtain travel insurance and you are ready to go to the visa application center.

We must remember that when receiving an account statement or a certificate from work from a bank, you must ask for a document in English.
The official period for obtaining a visa is 3 weeks, but it is valid for tourist season. The rest of the time, the visa can be issued much faster, and you will be notified by email.

How to buy a plane ticket to London

When purchasing air tickets to London, the same rules apply as for other destinations: the cost of tickets will be cheaper if you buy them a few months before the trip, if there is a transfer or if you fly on weekdays. Many airlines fly from Russia to London, and some have several scheduled flights per day. Surprisingly, London is one of the cheapest destinations. The best deals can be found with EasyJet and Transaero airlines, and also for non-stop flights.

For example, if you look for tickets to London from Moscow using the website for the summer of 2015, then prices for round-trip flights start at just 6,150 rubles. Of course, the price may change due to the dates of purchase of tickets, exchange rate increases and other factors, but sites like this help you adapt your trip to external conditions and choose the most profitable option for purchasing tickets. If travel dates are not important, then you can select the +-3 days option to compare prices for upcoming dates.
You can try to find flights to London right now using this form below, just select your departure city and dates.

If you have never bought air tickets online on your own, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the step-by-step process of buying air tickets online.

How to choose and book a hotel in London

At first glance, housing in London is not cheap at all. But acceptable options for any budget can always be found. To do this, it is most convenient to use hotel search sites such as, for example, or. Using the filters on the left side of the window, you can select the price category of housing, distance from the city center and other living conditions. It is also important to check: were the previous residents of the hotel satisfied, does the declared level of quality correspond to the real state of affairs? To do this, on each of these sites there is a system of reviews by which you can determine whether it is worth booking this or that accommodation.
For convenience, you can use this search form, just enter the dates you need and the system will select the most suitable ones for you. best options hotels in London.

The most budget option In London, hostels are hotels where you will share a room with one or more roommates. This is not only a great way to save money that would be better spent on a trip out of town or shopping, but also a unique experience of communicating with people from other countries, because anyone can be in the same room with you - a student from China or a young couple from Canada.

For greater immersion in the atmosphere of the city, it is more convenient to book an apartment or apartment. In addition, it is significantly cheaper than a hotel when booking for a long period, for example, a month. For this purpose, there is a website where you can choose an apartment in a cozy residential area of London or an attic floor in the city center with a view of Big Ben.

UK currency

The official currency of Great Britain is the pound sterling GBP, which at the exchange rate at the end of December 2014 is equal to 81 rubles. The pound is divided into 100 pence or, as they are also called, pennies.

It is best to exchange rubles for pounds in Russia, since here you have the opportunity to choose a bank with the most favorable exchange rate for buying and selling currency. But if you already have euros or dollars, then you can change them in London, the main thing is to avoid exchange offices in the most tourist places, for example, next to the tourist information office or at the airport and train station - the rate there may differ significantly from the rate in the city banks.

Having a credit or debit card can solve many problems. London is one of the most modern and advanced cities in the world, so you can pay with a card in almost any store. If you have a plastic card, then you may only need cash to go to the local market or just in case.

When is the best time to go to London?

Let me start with the fact that Foggy Albion is actually not that foggy. And the stereotype about incessant rain and eternal bad weather is just a stereotype. Due to the slight fluctuation in air temperature between seasons, London is a great holiday destination at almost any time of the year, but there are still some nuances to consider.

In July and August, temperatures can exceed 35 degrees, which is not very comfortable for long walks in a large metropolis. And the number of tourists in summer increases significantly compared to other times of the year. In the spring, a trip to London can be overshadowed by an allergy that unexpectedly manifests itself in response to the blooming beauty of the city’s parks and boulevards. The city is home to so many different plant species from all over the world that during their flowering period - April and May - even Londoners themselves suffer.

Otherwise, London will delight tourists with its beauty and diversity at any time. At the end of October you can also catch Halloween celebrations, at the end of December you can take part in seeing off the old year, and at the end of January you can meet Chinese New Year, which is celebrated annually in London's Chinatown. You can plunge into sports life in mid-May by watching a pub together in local residents FA Cup final. Well, on the last weekend of August, residents and guests of the capital come with pleasure to the Notting Hill district of London to watch a real carnival, which is second in scale only to famous carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Public transport in London

In London you can find a means of transportation for every taste: the subway, the famous double-decker buses, ferries and motor ships for river trips along the Thames, electric trains, taxis and bicycles. Public transport in England it is not cheap, but the price is compensated by the convenience - one or another type of transport is available anywhere in London, so no matter where you are, there will be no problem getting to the center. In addition, there is no need to run to the last bus or rush to the subway before it closes - there are many night buses in London every day. bus routes.

The fare depends on the zone you are in and the one you need to get to. The London Underground is divided into six zones, and the bus route map is divided into four zones. For example, one metro trip within zones 1-3 costs 3 GBP. To save money, you can buy an Oyster card at the metro ticket office, an analogue of the Moscow Troika card; it will reduce the cost of the ticket by almost half. In London, public transport route maps are available at all stops and stations - this is a necessity, because, at first glance, it is very Big City with quite a confusing transport links. Fortunately, workers or ordinary passers-by are ready to help the lost tourist and show the way. To plan your route in advance, it is very convenient to use the official website of London Transport www.tfl.gov.uk, where you just need to set the starting and ending points, after which the system will offer you all travel options.

There are as many as six airports within London and its suburbs. Flights from Russia most often land at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. There are several ways to get from them:

Metro. Heathrow Airport is located within the city, and there is even a blue metro line to it. So from the airport you can get a direct ride to King’s Cross Station or Piccadilly Circus. The cost of travel to the city center one way is 3.8 GBP.
By express. This method is more expensive than the previous one (and in the case of Gatwick Airport you can’t get there by metro at all), but the express is definitely the fastest method to get to London. Trains run every 15-30 minutes, and by comparison, the express train from Heathrow to the city takes just 15 minutes, and the tube takes almost an hour. You can buy a ticket at special terminals at the airport or in advance online at www.heathrowexpress.com and www.gatwickexpress.com.
Heathrow: express ticket price – 21 GBP, destination station – Paddington.
Gatwick: express ticket price – 17.7 GBP, destination station – Victoria.

By taxi. A taxi is the most comfortable, but also the most expensive way to get to London from the airport. The cost of a one-way trip can range from 40-70 GBP. It is better, as in other countries, to use the services of an official taxi, whose stands can be found in the airport arrivals hall. But what you should understand is that there are traffic jams in London, so a taxi is not the fastest way to get to the city. But all the inconveniences are compensated by the fact that a taxi is the only way to get your suitcases from the airport directly to the hotel door, with a minimum of effort.
By bus. It is easy to spot bus stands near the terminals of Heathrow and Gatwick airports. From here you can reasonable price(from 3 GBP with an Oyster card) to get to London, but from Heathrow Airport and to other cities in the UK there are even more intercity bus routes than local ones. Tickets, just like express tickets, can be purchased in advance at www.easybus.co.uk/london-gatwick and www.nationalexpress.com.
By rented car. At all London airports there are counters of companies offering car rental services. This is the most convenient option for those who are going to travel a lot outside the city or move around the country, but it is worth considering that in England, driving is on the left, so the driver renting a car in London must not only be confident in his abilities, but also have sufficient experience and skills.

London's main attractions

London is very rich in attractions and entertainment. During the day it’s nice to walk around the city, go to one of the many museums, and in the evening sit in a pub somewhere in the Soho area. You can fall in love with London instantly, but it won't take you a week to explore all the interesting things it has to offer. Organized excursions They will only help if you need to gallop across Europe, superficially and selectively. But you can truly get to know the capital of England and enjoy every moment in a park or museum only by traveling on your own.
The most recognizable symbol of London is undoubtedly Big Ben. Clock tower Palace of Westminster, or the Palace of Parliament, is a symbol of England, its calling card. Here you can see where the House of Lords sits and where all the official ceremonies of the kingdom take place. Or you can admire Westminster and Big Ben while walking along the Thames embankment, or sailing past on a boat.

Tower of London and Tower Bridge

The Tower holds a special place in British history. The centuries-old former prison still stands eerily on the banks of the Thames, although it is not something to be feared now. There is a museum, an armory, and also stores royal regalia. Entrance costs 22 GBP, but this is a fair price, because you can spend more than an hour here. IN summer time Tower of London open from 9 to 17:30 from Tuesday to Saturday and from 10 to 17:30 from Sunday to Monday. In winter, the Tower's opening hours are reduced to 16:30.

Opposite this iconic landmark of London is another building recognizable throughout the world - Tower Bridge. You can walk along it completely free of charge, but if you are interested in its structure (this is one of the first drawbridges!), then you can go up to the museum located in one of the bridge towers. From here, by the way, one of the best views to London.
St. Paul's Cathedral is not only religious building, but also an important architectural monument of London, which is definitely worth a look, at least from the outside. Entrance fee is 15 GBP, the cathedral is open all days of the week except Sunday.

Undoubtedly, the cathedral will impress you with its size - in size it is second only to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which, by the way, the architects took as an example.
Even those who are not very fond of museums will appreciate the British Museum, one of the largest in the world. It houses countless interesting things, for example, the collection of Egyptian Halls in many ways surpasses in importance even the collection of the Cairo Museum. And the best part is that, like most public institutions in London, entry is completely free. You can visit the world-famous museum from 10 to 17:30 every day, and on Friday the British Museum has an extended day - it is open until 20:30.

Fans of panoramic photography and viewing the city from above should definitely take a ride on the now legendary London Eye - the largest Ferris wheel in Europe. It offers unparalleled views of London and its surroundings, and the enclosed cabins are not scary at all! The ticket costs 18.85 GBP, and the trip lasts a full half hour.

Of course, this is just the beginning of a long list of London attractions. Believe me, it is much more interesting to choose places to visit yourself, plan your day in advance, or, on the contrary, spontaneously visit what you meet along the way of a walk around London, rather than become a slave to the strict time frame of a travel agency, which will most likely show you only a small part of the beauties of the city.

If you have doubts that you will be able to book a hotel or buy a ticket on your own, then I advise you to read articles on this topic in the section - Independent travel. In fact, everything is much simpler than it seems, and most importantly, more interesting.

An increasing number of tourists are deciding to plan their trips on their own, without relying on travel companies. The beauty of such trips is that you develop your own route, choose transport, cities to visit, museums, galleries, castles, hotels or hostels, rather than choosing a ready-made option.

This way you can save a lot of money and not have to pay for the services of intermediaries. One of the popular routes now is traveling around England, sights and interesting places which will delight absolutely versatile travelers.

If we move away from the most traditional destination in England - London, although there are a lot of interesting things there, you can visit small towns, which will allow you to learn more about the history of the country, delve deeper into the real life of the British, not shown to tourists, and see sights no less interesting than in the capital.

In addition, it should be noted that traveling to small towns will be much cheaper than excursions in London.

When you are planning a trip to England on your own, you will have to put in a little more effort than when booking a trip to travel agency. You will have to deal with the issues of obtaining a visa, insurance, purchasing tickets and booking accommodation yourself. With sufficient knowledge of English it is quite simple.

People visit England for a variety of reasons:

Overview of the entire country while traveling in a rented car or even a boat,

Shopping, visiting large shopping centers,

Ecotourism (biking and overnight stays in tents),

Visiting certain places (for example, royal residences, castles of England, abbeys, Shakespearean theatre, filming locations for the adventures of Harry Potter, etc.),

Visiting traditional regional festivals and various international sporting events.

Accordingly, you should choose transport and travel routes around England taking into account your own travel purposes. In England, it is convenient to use public transport (the London metro, trains to almost every region, comfortable regular buses), your own or rented car, bicycle, or even practice traveling on your own (hiking).

Traveling around England by bus can be a great holiday activity and is considered an economical option. There are many advantages to such a trip:

Travel routes connect almost all important points in England,

Buses run on schedule, you can plan your trip almost minute by minute,

Traveling on buses is very comfortable (they are equipped with a toilet, sockets, for which, however, you need an adapter, free wi-fi on board),

IN regular buses you can get acquainted with the English mentality, since a lot of English people go there.

Those who have difficulty traveling long distances may encounter the problem of motion sickness. Quite long journeys are best done by train.

The main bus carrier in England is National Express. On its website you can find out the schedule, prices and routes, as well as book tickets. There are also services “Megabus” and “Megatrain”, where you can buy cheap bus or train tickets. You can save a lot of money if you buy return tickets right away..

When you are planning a trip by public transport, think in advance about the hotels in which you will have to stay along the chosen route. This will have to be taken care of at the stage of obtaining a visa, but then you may encounter a situation when a bus or train arrives in the city quite late.

You will have to navigate the terrain almost in the dark. It is better to print the maps in advance or contact the hotel representative.

Features of a road trip in England

If, when traveling by train or bus, you can stop only at certain points of arrival, then the car will allow you to go to places where you had not planned to go in advance. Paying attention to beautiful view or an interesting castle, you can easily turn around and look at the wonders of England up close.

If you plan to travel in your own car, you should bring the car into perfect condition and arrange everything Required documents permitting border crossings. It would be better if the car was built in Europe: If it breaks down, it can be easily repaired at your local auto repair shop.

If you plan to rent a car, you need to check specialized sites in advance, for example, the companies Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent-A-Car, Hertz, Avis Rent-A-Car, OneTwoTrip. The arrival time, airport, rental periods and other data are specified there.

Then the company representative will tell you which stop to arrive at from the airport (the terminals of the companies providing cars are not located directly at the airport) and explain the rules for using the car. One of them is a fully filled tank when handing over the car to the office.

Issues of car insurance need to be decided in advance, but do not forget that in England the traffic is on the left, and you still need to get used to it, so it is better to pay for full insurance.

Some roads in England have tolls., which you need to find out in advance, otherwise the fines will be quite significant. IN big cities It is better not to try to get into the center, since the parking lots are most likely full, and the fines for incorrect parking are very high. Fuel prices are also high, so traveling by car can be classified as economical at a stretch.

By the way, those who want to get to Europe by car from England, crossing the English Channel through the Eurotunnel, should also take care of obtaining a Schengen visa. You will also need to obtain permission to leave England from the car rental company.

Together with the car you can load into a special carriage passenger train. But if in Europe they practically do not check who comes to them from England, then on the way back they will have to go through careful control.

If you can travel almost everywhere by car, but, of course, not go into the smallest villages, then a bicycle can provide such an opportunity. It makes it easy to get to your destination even on country roads.

In addition, inland cycling routes in England often run through very picturesque places. The only problem with using a bicycle in England is the weather.. If you are not bothered by frequent rains, changeable weather and dampness, you can safely go on a bike trip.

It will be possible to cover the entire country from south to north by bicycle in a month and a half to two months. Some sections of the route can be covered by train, so that the journey does not take too long: traveling with bicycles is allowed here and there are even special places in the carriages for their transportation.

Ecotourism lovers should take care of obtaining a visa in advance, since camping can be difficult in terms of obtaining a visa. If you book hotels along the chosen route by bicycle, there should be no problems obtaining a visa. Although it is better to seek advice from those who deal with visa issues.

In order not to bring a bicycle from home, although many are accustomed only to their own iron horse, you can, like a car, rent it on the spot, having learned in advance all the conditions and cost of the rental.

There are a huge number of routes worthy of cycling in England. They vary in length and complexity. There has even been a service showing popular cycling destinations in England.

One of the most popular routes is the direction along the Thames, where you can visit Oxford, Windsor, Richmond. You can take a walk around the Cornish peninsula. Nature lovers can watch the Lake District. A fairly short route is offered to the Isle of Wight, which will showcase excellent sea views.

Having chosen the purpose of your visit, you can easily choose one of the many types of travel around England. Each type of holiday has its own advantages and disadvantages, and therefore you need to carefully think through the route, stops, choose the type of transport and set out on your own to explore mysterious England.

10 most charming places in Britain:

February 8, 2010 5:18 am Scotland, London, Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh + 2 cities - UK May 2008

Airplane Tallinn-London. Taking into account the time zone, the flight lasted only an hour; of course, three objective hours passed. From a bird's eye view, England looks unusually green as always (at least to the eyes blurred by Estonian landscapes). It’s also surprising every time that all visible land is divided into neat patches. Not an inch of ownerless land, it’s not like that with us.

We were met at the airport, taken home, given water, food and a walk along the Trafalgar Horse - Big Ben route. London at night is, of course, good, but my soul yearned for the confines of the bustling capital. However, my mortal body failed me, and I was sick the whole next day, but that’s a completely different story.

Bank Holiday is Monday, but no one is working. It seems that it is not an official holiday, but an official day off. Somewhere after lunch we left the house to the east, to the very blue sea. There was no specific purpose for the trip, I just wanted to look at East Coast. The weather did not disappoint and was simply beyond all praise. We made a stop when we reached the shore. Kingsgate Bay (Broadstairs, Kent) enchanted with its white cliffs and views of the castle of the same name.

Kingsgate Castle

We stopped at a roadside cafe (Captain Digby pub), drank beer and looked around. Built in 1760, Kingsgate Castle looks simply luxurious, stingers are not allowed inside, the private territory is private. But you can walk along the shore as much as you like, and the shore with white cliffs looks no less breathtaking. In fact, it was for these rocks that England was called Foggy Albion. It seemed that the tide was low, because about two meters from the base of the rock were covered with a layer of bright green algae and every more or less suitable depression was densely populated with shells.

Having walked around enough, we decided to drive further along the coast. Just a few kilometers later we stopped in the center of the town of Broadstairs.

A tiny town, only about 25 thousand inhabitants, but it has been known for about 700 years. The town is also famous for the fact that Charles Dickens lived here for quite a long time, in particular, “David Copperfield” was written here. We arrived in the city already at five o'clock, at that time there was just a fair going on here, or something else like that, but in the center of the city there were attractions, stalls and everything attached to it. True, it was noticeable that activities were beginning to be curtailed. Walking along main street, which, of course, runs parallel coastline, we stopped for dinner at a local eatery overlooking the sea. After dinner, we decided to take a small lap of honor around the city and head back towards London. While walking around the city, I got the strong impression that the town was popular with local (read English) tourists - there were many houses that looked like boarding houses and advertisements for housing for rent. Another thing that caught my eye was the unusual decoration of the fences. An ordinary fence made of small stones, with large shells inserted in places - it looked very beautiful.

On the way home, I persuaded me to stop in Canterbury. I really wanted to see the famous cathedral, and it was on the way.
Canterbury is a relatively small town (45 thousand inhabitants), but one of the oldest in England. It is known throughout the world for the fact that it is here that the main residence of the head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is located. And the cathedral itself, which is almost a thousand years old, and which is included in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.

Canterbury Cathedral

We arrived in Canterbury at eight o'clock, and the town was already empty, and the cathedral was already closed. We meandered through the narrow streets and admired the cathedral from the outside. A majestic building, what more can I say. It was here that I noticed the benches with signs: “In memory of so-and-so,” “So-and-so loved to sit in this place.” We later saw benches like this all over England, I liked this tradition.

It was quickly getting dark outside, and our English hosts had a working day the next day, so we set a direct course for London.

I chose the program for our first day of independent travel around England to be rich and the main word was “Castles”. Even before the trip, I pre-selected several castles near London, the look of which I liked. Indeed, castles in England are found at every step, you can find almost every taste, and in varying degrees of preservation. Therefore, I chose solely on the principle of “beautiful picture” and “more or less on the way.”

The first point was Leeds Castle.

It is located just 70 km east of London. Having left early in the morning, we were already there at 10. The parking lot was still almost empty, but the employee was already standing in the parking lot and indicating where to park the car - it was immediately obvious that the place was not offended by tourists. A peacock was walking around the parking lot, well-fed, very confident and absolutely not scared. He came almost a meter closer to us, the more he scared me, the bird was still not small, it would still bite. But without expecting anything from us, the little peacock proudly and leisurely went about his business. Tickets to the castle and the surrounding area were quite expensive - 15 pounds per nose, but were valid for a year. Of course, we didn’t need it, but we could give the tickets to our English friends. With this thought in mind, we agreed to take the money from our hearts.

Leeds Castle was first mentioned in the ninth century, with the first stone castle being built in the 12th century. It is famous for being the residence of English queens for several centuries. The castle stands on an island in the middle of a small lake, surrounded by a well-kept garden with a pond where many different waterfowl live. The castle also has a large aviary where you can find many exotic birds.

The castle is in excellent condition, there are tours inside the castle (of course only in English). The excursion is included in the ticket price. Everything in the castle has been put in order, the interiors of the royal bedroom and bathroom have been restored, other rooms are decorated in the style of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. You can take photographs anywhere and as much as you like.

What is also noteworthy is that next to the castle there is a platform with balloon, which you can ride if you have money and desire. But the prices are steep, so we didn’t dare. We stayed on the castle grounds for about two hours, but to see everything we needed at least two more. In a word, very a good place for relaxation, especially with children.

The next point on the plan was Bodiam Castle. From Leeds Castle it is approximately 60 km to the south and takes about an hour on the road.

Bodiam Castle

A very picturesque castle. It is not surprising that the castle periodically serves as a setting in films on historical themes. It was built around the 19th century, surrounded on four sides by a moat filled with water, and a fairly narrow path leading to the castle. wooden bridge. Unfortunately, the interior of the castle has not been preserved. To get inside, you need to pay a “symbolic” fee of 5 pounds. We got greedy and admired for free appearance. About half an hour was enough for us to walk around the castle and take photos. And then Brighton was waiting for us.

Brighton is a fairly large city on the south coast with half a million indigenous population. I was drawn to Brighton to see the Royal Pavilion.

The palace was built at the beginning of the 19th century by Prince and future King George IV for his mistress. Queen Victoria once stayed in the palace, but later sold it to local authorities. The palace was built in the style of the Taj Mahal and is very unusual for England. A ticket inside cost 8.8 pounds. Visitors are provided with audio guides. Unfortunately, there was no audio guide in Russian, but there was a choice between “normal English” and “simplified English”. The interior of the palace is also made in Hindu style. Although the audio guide told us that the architects had never been to the east. Especially the luxurious banquet hall. By the way, the palace can be rented for celebrations and weddings. I don’t want to think about the price for this pleasure. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside. The inspection took about an hour.

It would be sacrilege to visit Brighton and not go to the beach.

The beach in Brighton is not sandy, but made of pebbles, but the pebbles are very smooth and pleasant to the touch. There were a lot of people on the beach, but only a few optimists were swimming, because, despite the warm weather, the water in the English Channel at the beginning of May is rather cold. It was already evening and it was time to think about spending the night. And here shortcomings in preparation appeared. We had neither a map nor addresses of the campsites; we relied on the words of our English friends that we had south coast campsites are like mushrooms after the rain. But according to the law of meanness, we never found a single one, and we didn’t want to go far at night. Therefore, we decided to return and spend the night in London, fortunately it was not far, only about 100 kilometers, and then stock up on addresses and rush further west the next day.

We left home before nine, but made a huge mistake by driving west through the center. We made our way through traffic jams for three hours, tired as if we had been driving for ten hours. We escaped the traffic jams and rushed along the M3 southwest to the world-famous landmark Stonehenge.

Stonehenge

Driving along the highway and climbing one of the hills, Stonehenge suddenly appeared in front of us and at the first moment seemed grandiose. As we got closer, this feeling dulled slightly, but Stonehenge is still one of the most unusual places, ever seen by me. Admission ticket cost 6.6 pounds, and in addition they give an audio guide, which - surprise, surprise - included Russian.

The excursion, or rather listening to the audio guide, took about an hour. Afterwards we decided to go south, to the sea.
On the way to Salisbury we came across a sign for Old Sarum - the ruins of an ancient fortress, the remains of a rampart and a wall.

On the way to Salisbury

In principle, there is nothing seriously to do there, but you can stretch your legs and admire Salisbury, which lies in full view.
We drove further south through Salisbury and were too lazy to examine the cathedral, since there was already a problem with time. But they stopped at the grocery store.

Having passed through Poole, we decided to stop for lunch at the ruins of Corfe Castle.

Corfe Castle

These are also very ancient ruins - more than a thousand years old. We didn’t get inside, since everything was already closed, but we wandered around, looked at the shaggy bulls and a herd of equally shaggy goats that grazed on the steep slopes.

It was time to think about spending the night, so we drove west along the coast in search of signs for campsites. About an hour later we were already in West Bay. A cozy little town on the very shore of the English Channel. The camping area was provided with all facilities, including a night bar and an indoor swimming pool. We dismantled the tent for the first time and spent almost two hours. By then it was already dark. We somehow especially liked West Bay and decided in advance that we would stay here for another day.

In the morning, leaving the tent in West Bay, we drove to Cornwall. But on the way, it was decided to stop at Dortmoor National Park, which served as the setting for Conan Doyle’s famous story The Hound of the Baskervilles. On my GPS, of course, there was no indication of a place called Grimpen Mire. But there was a place called Grimspoung - a Stone Age monument. Remembering that the story mentioned prehistoric caves, I decided that this was just what I needed.

By big roads we drove quite quickly, and when we stopped at national park, then the speed of movement has decreased significantly. Firstly, some of the roads were only one car wide; of course, there were occasional widenings where it was possible to let oncoming people pass. Then, when we drove a little further, the maximum permissible speed became 50 km per hour. And not for nothing, since the roads were not fenced, and the sheep, which can be found there at every step, wandered along the roads, lay on the road, and in general, with all their appearance, showed who was the boss here.

Dartmoor impressed me greatly, a huge bare expanse as far as the eye can see.

Dartmoor National Park

Soon we reached Grimpound. This is not what I expected at all from these places; in the book it was all described as dull swampy places with eternal fog. And here the weather couldn’t be better, there was no swamp, no fog in the area, and the huge free spaces, personally, took my breath away, but with delight.

We decided to walk up the hill. Naturally, we were too lazy to look for the path. And they were punished for it. What from a distance looked like short, dry grass turned out to be dry, prickly heather, 30 centimeters in height. I was wearing shorts, and after this walk my legs looked as if they had been kicked by ten cats, all of whom I immediately stepped on their tails. We spent about an hour climbing the hills and looking at prehistoric settlement, surprisingly well preserved. By the way, there were a lot of tourists there, but, of course, they were all locals. I think foreign tourists are not the most frequent guests in those places.

We made our way back to civilization along some goat paths, and it took two hours to cover a hundred kilometers. And we were going to the Eden Project. Eden Project is a remarkable place not only locally, but also on a global scale. It's huge Botanical Garden, with the largest greenhouse in the world (1.5 hectares).

The territory is huge; a bus runs from the parking lot to the main building. We spent about three hours walking around, and this was at a fairly brisk pace, but I think in my mind, we should set aside a whole day for this place and walk around there slowly. On the street, flower beds were divided according to periods of development flora, from the oldest to the youngest, but the most interesting of course were the greenhouses, one with a tropical forest climate, the second with a Mediterranean climate. As a northern person, tropical forests turned me on more. Inside the tropical greenhouse, the natural conditions for plants are simulated as much as possible, the paths are located on three levels, there is even a quite decent-sized waterfall. The Mediterranean is cooler and more cultured. We were still at the end of the tulip season, so we had time to admire the sea of tulip beds, although some had already bloomed.

At about five we headed back to our tent site. Having arrived at the place, we realized that we had made another mistake by placing the tent on the top of the hill. The view is of course amazing, but the wind. In a word, our tent was a little tattered, something even came off, but not fatally. What was worse was that it rained here during the day, and since we wanted to move out tomorrow, we raised a prayer to heaven that everything would dry by morning.

The sky responded, and in the morning, in the local wind, we already folded a dry tent. The next points on my map were two places: Cheddar, and on the way to it Glastonbury Abbey.

Glastonbury Abbey

The abbey is a very picturesque ruin, so the place attracts many tourists. In addition, according to legend, the same King Arthur and his wife are buried here. And the place itself has 2,000 years of history.

About half an hour's drive from Glastenbury is a small town, or rather a large village, Cheddar, famous throughout the world for its cheese.

Cheddar

Cheddar Caves are also famous, and that’s where I was drawn. Cheddar Caves are located in the gorge of the same name, the largest in all of England. The place has been popular since very ancient times (Late Paleolithic 12-13 thousand years BC). A museum dedicated to primitive people, three caves and Observation deck on the top of the mountain. The best thing is the caves. Moreover, I am not at all an experienced cave visitor. The largest cave available for visiting is Gough's Cave (depth 90 m, length more than 2 km).

Cheddar Caves

About 800 meters are open to tourists: stalagmites, stalactites, small lakes, entire stone waterfalls illuminated by electricity. The farther from the entrance, the heavier the air; in the farthest cave there is a local worker-guide, apparently in case someone becomes ill. Thank God, I didn’t feel bad, but the man seemed quite sad and we communicated as best we could in broken English. The peasant showed us their “famous” cat - it’s a shadow from a stone on the wall. To be honest, it seemed to me that the cat could only be seen there after inhaling local fumes and with great melancholy.

Cheddar Caves

The second cave is small, only 18 m deep and 100 m long, but even there you can admire the bizarre natural architecture. The third cave is an attraction for tourists - they tell some kind of fairy tale about a crystal ball that someone evil stole and needs to be saved. You’re walking along, and suddenly red eyes flash in the corner, or mechanical skeletons move, or even non-mechanical ones. In general, it's funny.

We also climbed to the top of the hill, the gorge itself, in which the village is located, is up to 140m deep, so the climb is quite steep. This sucked all the last strength out of me, so after lunch and shopping for local sweets and cheese, we headed back to London.

We planned to spend the next week in Scotland with our English friend. We were supposed to leave on Sunday, so there was one free day left. But our friends decided to spend this day eventfully and suggested we go to south Wales for a day, or rather to Cardiff. The matter did not arise for us and in the morning we headed west.

Cardiff is the capital of Wales, a port and industrial city with a population of approximately 300,000 inhabitants. But, looking ahead, I was somewhat disappointed in the tourist value of the city. We visited Cardiff Castle, but it didn’t make much of an impression on me, and to my taste it looks much more interesting from the outside than from the inside. Interior decoration- this is essentially a clumsy mixture of different styles, which seemed to me, although rich, but tasteless.

Cardiff Castle

Cardiff Castle

A small river or canal flows in the park next to the castle. Pleasure boats for tourists ply along this waterway. A return ticket cost 5 pounds, one way 3 pounds. Plus, you still have to get on the boat, it was a Saturday, the weather was excellent and there were quite a few sucker tourists eager for river walks in the park. Ahhh, those were the most pointlessly spent pounds I've ever spent. The one-way trip lasts approximately half an hour. The boat travels along a narrow and nondescript canal, under some dirty bridges. The banks are high and nothing is visible. Even with a manic passion for photographing everything, you won’t find a more worthy subject besides each other along the way. As a result, they took us to some locks and said that everyone could take a photo as a souvenir. There were very few lock fans and the boat turned back, landing us at the Cardiff Bay pier. We decided to walk back to the center, and along the way we came across a couple of interesting buildings, for example, the building of the Welsh National Opera (The Wales Millennium Center) and the adjacent square.

Wales Millennium Center

On the way back home, we turned off the main highway following the “Ancient Roman Landmark” sign. The sign led us to the small village of Caerleon. Here at the dawn of our era there was a Roman fortification. Nowadays you can find a well-preserved Roman amphitheater here, but it is quite small and did not make much of an impression. Well, to console myself, I also took a photo of a local picturesque church with an adjacent cemetery.

Caerleon

From London to Edinburgh 650 km, a decent distance. Along with the stops, make sure you have 8 hours on the road. We drove into Edinburgh, parked the car, got out and…. experienced temperature shock. It was about 20 degrees in London, and we were in shorts and T-shirts, but here it was 8 degrees and a cold wind from the Arctic. The picture was still the same, there were people around in warm jackets, and here we were in shorts, sunglasses and panama hats were just missing. We put on what we had (and there wasn’t much), bought whiskey to warm us up and went to look for a campsite. About 20 kilometers from Edinburgh we turned into the small town of Linlithgow to stop there for the night. The wind blowing at the reception was extremely severe, but upon entering the territory, my worst assumptions were not justified. The clearing for tents was closed on all sides by a dense forest of crookedly growing fir trees (apparently due to constant winds), at the level of the tree tops a thick fog was rushing at high speed, and below there was peace and grace, but the temperature was, of course, not tent-like. But otherwise the place is very good - a toilet, a shower with hot water, a barbecue grill, and benches. Surprisingly, we were not the only tourists; there was another tent next to us.