Travel report: United Kingdom
Date of visit: 1998
The United Kingdom is a sovereign country consisting of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I have traveled to the UK seven times so far, which makes the country one of my most visited.
My first trip happened in 1998 or 1999, I’m not sure anymore. I just remember that I was 13 years old and went to London together with my mother, my godmother and my two cousins. We did the obvious tourist stuff by visiting the Hide Park, Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds and SegaWorld, a theme park that doesn’t exist anymore.
As far as I remember, we spent five nights in the capital of England, which was something very special for me back then. Keep in mind that flights from Switzerland to the United Kingdom cost almost $1,000 per person in the last century.
Since then, I have traveled to the United Kingdom six more times. The places I have visited are London again, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gibraltar and Edinburgh.
World-class London
I have been to London twice, and the capital of the United Kingdom is in my opinion still one of the best European cities if not THE best. It’s a city, which you can visit several times again without getting bored, as there is so much do to.
London has great sights and attractions, interesting neighborhoods, there is no shortage of world-class restaurants, you have pubs, bars, nightclubs and a good infrastructure. Furthermore, London is in my opinion also the only real world city or metropolis in Europe that is on the same level as cities like Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York etc. I’m sorry, Paris, Berlin or Barcelona, but you’re not in that league.
London is a cosmopolitan and multi-cultural city, and also sort of an own universe within England. When people talk about England, they usually think about London. They think about the Queen, the red double decker buses or the famous metro signs. However, this is only London but not all of England…
The other or the real England
…because there’s the ugly England, which some even call the real England.
Although London is an exceptional city, it is not representative of England or the United Kingdom. Only 15% of the English population lives in the capital, whereas most of the rest lives in cities that are far less attractive. I cannot comment on the South of England (it has some beautiful places from what I heard), but the further north you go the unprettier it gets.
Many English cities in the north are industrial, working-class cities. You won’t find beautiful architecture in most of these cities and the typical English weather make these places look really dull. Moreover, most of these cities don’t have sights and the crime rate in the outskirts/suburbs can be exceptional high for European standards.
Combine all this with terrible food and loud drunk locals, and the result are cities you usually don’t want to visit. Still, I had some great trips to these cities…
I have been to Manchester, Middlesbrough and Newcastle upon Tyne. All of them were anything but pretty, but I would rate Middlesbrough as the least attractive among theme (and maybe even among all European cities I have been to).
But as I said, traveling to those cities can be fun as long as you’re into (not so classy) nightlife. Think about the excesses you see in Benidorm or Mallorca-Magaluf. Many drunkards on the streets but just without a nice beach.
Gibraltar
I didn’t see any drunk people in Gibraltar though.
Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, is located at the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula between Cadiz and Malaga. The British forces captured Gibraltar in the 18th century and the sovereignty of the territory are still a contentious issue between Spain and the United Kingdom.
We visited Gibraltar during a long weekend in Marbella in 2015. The idea of heading to the United Kingdom from Spain by car was somehow funny to us. There are customs controls before you enter Gibraltar, and right after the controls you have to cross the runway of Gibraltar’s airport in order to get to the city center.
Gibraltar’s main landmark is the Rock of Gibraltar, a 426m-high rock made of limestone and full of monkeys. This landmark is definitely a highlight, which makes Gibraltar worth a visit. The city itself is so small that I wouldn’t spend a night there though.
Scotland
In March 2017, I added another “country” within the United Kingdom to my list. A weekend in Edinburgh was my first trip to Scotland. It wasn’t a very eventful trip with crazy stories, but rather a trip full of interesting sights and nightlife.
Edinburgh is a nice city. I know people, who even call it their favorite city in Europe. I wouldn’t go so far though. It’s without a doubt a unique city, and it looks like a “haunted city” with the spooky castle, the brown buildings and the fog (during our visit). I haven’t seen a city like this so far.
Scotland is a country with incredible landscapes, which I did not see during my first and only visit so that I definitely want to come back someday. Google the picture of Scotland’s highlands and you will understand why. And there is also Loch Ness, which attracts many tourists looking for the monster. Although I wouldn’t head to Loch Ness, I truly believe that Scotland offers a lot even for a longer trip. It’s on my bucket list.
Wales & Northern Ireland
I haven’t been to Waled and Northern Ireland yet but it’s on my radar. Cardiff and Belfast could be interesting cities so that it will be only a matter of time until I set foot in these “countries”.
My travel experience in the United Kingdom
I wouldn’t call the United Kingdom one of my absolute favorite countries, but I still enjoy traveling there from time to time. London is a city that I could visit every year without getting bored.
Anyway, I also enjoy being in cities of the real England I mentioned above. A trip to the United Kingdom always includes lots of beer, a breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, beans etc and shopping. I wouldn’t want to have these kind of trips four or five times a year, but it’s fun when I do it once a year.
Here is a pro tip: if you’re European, travel to the UK in winter. You might think now that this is the most stupid thing you have heard in a long time, but let me explain. We all know that the weather in the United Kingdom isn’t the best. However, the great thing is that it’s rarely gets really cold! Even in February, when Central European cities are covered with snow, temperatures in the UK are often a few degrees warmer.
That’s why I rather travel to the UK in November or February than in August. It doesn’t make a different to spend a rainy weekend in Switzerland or in England in November. Temperatures are more or less the same or even better in England during that time of the year. But it does make a different to spend a sunny weekend (which means 15°C) or more likely a rainy weekend in England in July rather than spending a sunny weekend (25-35°C) at home.
I will definitely revisit the United Kingdom soon. As I haven’t been to London since 2015, I might plan another trip to the capital in the near future.
Find the travel reports of the other countries I’ve visited here!
