Few would disagree that London is one of the best touristic cities in the world. It has been made for visitors, and this can be highlighted through the fact that the economy rakes in hundreds of billions from it.
However, it’s certainly not the only place in the UK that you should be turning to. In short, there is so much more to this country and if you are planning a getaway there, here are four reasons that you should also consider areas other than the capital.
The cost-factor
First and foremost, we don’t need to say too much more about the huge expense associated with a trip to London. Granted, when compared to some other cities throughout the world, it’s no longer ranked as the most expensive. Nevertheless, it can hurt your pocket – and that’s before you’ve even arrived there. Hotels can cost a fortune, and can quickly put you out of pocket.
This is in contrast to the rest of the UK. Take accommodation in Manchester, for example. Even though this is still a major city, the cost of a hotel is significantly lower.
It doesn’t show true, local UK life
In some ways, we all love a tourist trap. We all love going to a place knowing that our needs are going to be catered for. This might be about language or just the general culture which seems very accepting of tourists. There’s no doubt that London comprehensively satisfies this.
However, it can get too much. The philosophy of living like a local has become much more popular over the last few years, and this is where other UK cities can enter their own. Manchester is one, as we have mentioned, but the list doesn’t stop there. Newcastle, Brighton, Leeds and Birmingham are just a few cities which can show a different side to UK life – and one that isn’t necessarily 100% tourist focussed.
There are attractions throughout the country
Following on from the above, even though other cities might not be relying completely on tourism from an economic perspective, there are plenty of attractions in them. Let’s not forget that museums through the whole of the UK are free – and London doesn’t hold all of the best ones.
In short, you can find some excellent things to do in this country, and there’s a very good chance these attractions won’t be in the capital.
Intercity travel can be easy
A natural concern when travelling out of a “tourist zone” is logistics. Fortunately, the UK has become very convenient when it comes to intercity travel, with numerous forms of transport facilitating this.
It could be argued that the train is the best that falls into this category. Unsurprisingly, London is the hub of the rail network, but it’s very easy to get to the opposite side of the country in a matter of a couple of hours. It can be better to book in advance to save money on tickets, but this is your main consideration.