One of the world’s most powerful countries for centuries, the United Kingdom is made up of four separate regions: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. From Roman times to the present-day, the United Kingdom has more history than you can shake a teacup at.
The island of Great Britain was inhabited by numerous tribes, until Romans invaded from the South. By the time the Roman armies left around 410 CE, they had established medical practices, a language of administration and law and had created great public buildings, roads, and a giant wall.
Lincoln, England, is just one of many towns and cities with amazing churches.
Numerous invasions from Scandinavia and France gave the island its language, English, a Latin-baked hodgepodge with Germanic origins, which was to become the lingua franca of the world. Today England shows evidence of Celtic, Roman and Christian influences, making one of the most diverse and interesting countries on earth for the history buff.
Tips
If you want to see the whole country on your own terms, rent a car. You will get used to the round-abouts.
The United Kingdom has a great public transport system, trains and buses go to every major destination, even some smaller hamlets.
Buy a day ticket for the London tube. It is cheaper than buying two separate tickets and they are good for bus transportation also. If you are staying for more than a few days, invest in an Oyster Card. It’s preloaded and saves you money, especially if you ride the much cheaper buses. You can get all your money back from the card when you leave.
If you are visiting multiple Heritage Sites or National Trust sites, invest in a Heritage or National Trust pass. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland both have their own versions. If you want a National Trust pass buy the Scottish National Trust membership, it works for all National Trust sites in the UK (English memberships are much more expensive.) For extended stays, buy the year pass for Heritage sites. The only other option is a week pass. They give student rates.
Check out these travel guides:
