Posts Tagged ‘family vacations’

Things You Need To Know about Spending Time In Cambridge

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

The university town of Cambridge is widely known throughout the earth as home to the University of Cambridge, one of the world’s finest learning centres. The University includes some thirty one colleges including; St Catharine’s College, St Edmund’s College, St John’s College and Selwyn College which dominate the city. Although many folk come to Cambridge with their main intention being to view the University, Cambridge has many more attractions well worth a visit besides the University.  Luckily there is a large selection of bed and breakfast in Cambridge to choose from (Important: more information at the end of the article).

The city is an ancient town dating back to the medieval period and subsequently there there is an abundance of fantastic architecture. You may stroll through the ancient streets, enjoy one of the many parks or gardens or you could take a punt up the River Cam. If you like the sound of punting, then you should hire a punt or as an alternative you could rent a chauffeured punt. You will find a fair number of people offering this service along the River Cam. As a further alternative a small journey up the river in a narrow boat.

The city of Cambridge is also well known for its churches, 13 of which are situated within the confines of the city of Cambridge. Of all the 13 churches located in the centre of Cambridge it is All Saints Church which is generally accepted as one of the most incredible examples of Gothic revival architecture in the country. Another church which you simply must get to see is Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is one of only 4 round Norman churches found in the country. The smallest of Cambridge’s churches is the Church of St Peter’s, which is hidden away in a tranquil part of the city centre. Probably the finest panoramas across the city of Cambridge and University colleges can be found from the site of the Great St Mary’s Church, the University church.

As there is a vast collection of tourist attractions to visit in Cambridge, it would be virtually impossible to view them all in a single day.  We therefore advise that you spend at least two days in Cambridge. If you and your family are currently considering taking a vacation in the city of  Cambridge it is vital that you book your  lodgings at the earliest opportunity because, unfortunately hotels and guest houses in Cambridge tend to be alarmingly busy and are often fully booked for months in advance. If you have a large family you may find that apartments in Cambridge prove to be cheap alternative.

Spending Time In Birmingham And Facts You Need To Know

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

In the last few years growing numbers folk are looking for new vacation destinations which offer something completely unique or, at the very least something rather than the popular beach and bar vacation. During these difficult times, often called the credit crunch, many groups of people are, alarmingly discovering that they have dramatically reduced funds for investing in a family holiday and are, obviously, forced into shaving corners to stretch their money further. One way of doing this is to seek out less expensive destinations. The following article introduces you to Birmingham, a city in the UK. With the dollar and euro so strong against the pound Sterling hotels in Birmingham are  far less expensive than last year.

The city of Birmingham is situated in the English county known as the West Midlands  and the city’s inhabitants are referred to as being “Brummies”. The Brummy dialect sounds very similar to those of other northern English cities and it is difficult to follow what is being said a difficulty which is made worse if if you are unfamiliar with such accents. Luckily nearly all folk from Birmingham are extremely helpful, polite and kind and do their utmost to explain clearly so if you need to do not be afraid to engage in conversation about help and directions or guidance in finding  Birmingham bed & breakfast.

The city has  a healthy collection of tourist attractions including some informative and interesting art galleries and museums, for example the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and the Thinktank in the Eastside. Birmingham also has a huge number of square kilometers of parkland, woodland and open spaces, Sutton Park being the largest with 970 hectares making it the largest urban nature reserve in Europe.

The city of Birmingham features a vibrant and wide ranging night scene with a large number restaurants, bars, cafes and nightclubs. You will discover some of the most popular in one of Birmingham’s squares, Victoria Square, Centenary Square, Chamberlain Square, St Martin’s Square, the historic Old Square at Corporation Street, Rotunda Square and the Gas Street Basin. Gas Street Basin is the hub of Birmingham’s intricate canal systems. Birmingham has approximately thirty two miles of canal with between 8 canals which were dug during the 18th century and remained in industrial use nearly until the end of the twentieth century. Nowadays the area has been cleaned up and is now a pretty decent tourist attraction.

Rather than staying in a bed & breakfast why not think about staying in Birmingham apartments. If you If you are planning to have a Birmingham city break you should be aware that the international airport is approximately 8 miles distance from the the city center just off the A45, near the M42. You will be pleased to know that there is a lot of hotels and b & b’s close by the airport.

Some Useful Information about Inverness Vacations

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Inverness, frequently referred to as being the capital city of the Highlands, was eventually granted city status in the year two thousand and one and at this time is the only Highland city. Uniquely (in Britain) the city has no legal boundaries which can create problems when estimating populations. The problem is exaggerated because of the fact that the city’s population is increasing dramatically, Inverness has the highest growth rate of any city in Great Britain. One thing we can state with some certainty is that the population of the city is rather happy, in 2008 the Telegraph.co.uk took a survey of the quality of life in 189 cities in the United Kingdom and Inverness was ranked fifth. Following on we can say that Inverness is a lovely city in which to live and this is more than likely one of the facts which make Inverness immensely popular with tourists. Crucially there is plenty of Inverness bed and breakfasts with the majority being available to book online.

Inverness is also often referred to as the gateway to the Highlands for the obvious fact that it is the best place to make the most of the Highland public transport system and a large number of tourist attractions are not too far away. Probably the best way to see them is by using a tour or day trip. A small number of companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Culloden or Loch Ness or for the adventurous tourist it is possible to visit John O’Groats or even Orkney on a days round trip. There are also a few city tours, such as those run by Tony Harmsworth or City Sightseeing.

A small amount of tourists decide to stay in two different locations in the Highlands of Scotland as an example Inverness then Fort William. The town of Fort William is very popular with people who enjoy sports especially hill walkers, mountaineers and ramblers who get excited getting to the top of Ben Nevis which looks down upon the town’s center. In a similar fashion to Inverness Fort William bed & breakfast and like all Scotland bed and breakfast it is most often not too expensive, very good value for money and very tidy, clean and comfortable with world famous hospitality.

One of the most important things to know is that Inverness Airport is, about, seven miles to the east at Dalcross. It is easy to catch a bus to the small and busy airport which is not very expensive. If you will be needing a map of the area then you should get one of the free ones at the tourist office, in the center of town. While you are taking a city break in Inverness you should remember to visit the Mercat Cross and ‘stone of tubs’, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery and Inverness Castle especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an enjoyable interactive experience.