UK Tourist Attractions

Isambard Kingdom Brunel is one of Britain's most famous sons and as an engineer he is responsible for the creation of the Great Western Railway as well as numerous important tunnels and bridges including the Thames Tunnel and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

However, Brunel also created a number of famous steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship – the SS Great Britain – which can be seen moored in Bristol's dry dock.

Bristol has many tourist attractions and the SS Great Britain attracts its fair share of visitors onto its decks. First launched in 1843, the SS Great Britain was the largest vessel of its time and the first to incorporate iron construction with a screw propeller into a single ocean-faring ship.

The SS Great Britain was constructed in Bristol's dry dock – where it resides today – and was launched in 1843. Originally designed to have a wooden hull, Brunel redrafted plans and adopted an iron hull after associates travelled to Antwerp and back aboard an iron hulled vessel.

SS Great Britain's original propulsion was to be via paddlewheels but after an encounter with the SS Archimedes – the world's first screw-propelled steamship, Brunel studied and developed the technology for use on the SS Great Britain. This led to the scrapping of paddlewheel propulsion for the ship, and despite the ship already being well into construction screw-propulsion was incorporated into the final design.

Despite launching in 1843, SS Great Britain wasn't completed until 1845 due to a series of delays caused by the constant redesigns and remained in Bristol harbour until 1844, as the redesigns had made SS Great Britain too large to pass through Bristol harbour's lock gates. After modifications the ship eventually took to sea in the following year.

As a passenger liner the SS Great Britain traversed a route between Britain and the United States and latterly between Britain and Australia before later becoming a cargo ship. After a fire on board in 1886 caused a navigational error, the SS Great Britain landed at Port Stanley in the Falkland Isles where it was found to be damaged beyond repair. It became a storage hulk for coal before being scuttled and abandoned in 1937.

In 1970, following numerous sizeable donations a salvage crew took the SS Great Britain back to Britain and Bristol dry dock where it all began.

Today, the SS Great Britain is a popular tourist attraction for visitors to Bristol where the sights, sounds and smells of life on board the vessel during its service years can be experienced and the ship's full history and that of its creator can be discovered.

Such is the popularity of the SS Great Britain as a tourist attraction that guests from numerous hotels in Bristol visit on a regular basis thanks in part to its free unlimited visits for a year following visitors' initial ticket purchase. Most hotels will also carry tourist information leaflets detailing not only the SS Great Britain but also other tourist attractions in and around the city.

When you are planning your next trip to the United Kingdom, make sure you take advantage of the travel savings for United Kingdom tourist sites. These sites might include visiting the hundreds of British castles and stately houses, through which tour packages will give you the best price. The sheer number of people will give you the savings, and the sites will give you the history.

The British Tourist Authority will point the way to the choices in travel savings for United Kingdom sites. They offer quick links to flights and transportation sites in Great Britain that will take you to such airports as the famous, Heathrow International Airport, where travel to other points of interest are available.

There are terrific travel savings for United Kingdom sites offered in the many forms of transportation that is available in Great Britain. The British Tourist Authority has all of the links that will conveniently take you to all available public transportation sites, rental car sites, taxi companies, and companies that will transport you direct.

When you can travel the best routes between all tourist destinations to be found in Great Britain, then the travel savings for United Kingdom sites will be found in reduced rail ticket costs, and rental car costs, because you will know where you are going and will not have to spend money on petrol unnecessarily.

Sightseeing offers great travel savings for United Kingdom sites, because you see more of Great Britain than you would ever think possible. Convenient city maps can be obtained that will give the placement of every castle in the United Kingdom. If you do not care to drive, you can use the public transportation and save money in the fares that are cheaper than any other travel mode being offered.

Some of the unofficial guides to Great Britain will give you a hint about the travels savings for United Kingdom sites that will give you a first-hand perspective on what things there are to do at these sites, because these unofficial guides are written by people who have done the travels already. These people might be Londoners, or people from Peoria, Illinois and any other location in the world.

By learning from their personal experiences you will know of other unadvertised travel savings for United Kingdom sites that cropped up from conversations with proprietors of local pubs and eateries that were on your list of attractions to visit while you were in Great Britain.

At attractions such as Buckingham Palace, you can get travel savings for United Kingdom sites from the tour guides. They know the best places, with the best deals for all your needs that are within walking distance of the Thames River, and the business districts. There are millions of people that in Great Britain. See where they go, and how they bargain for prices. Some of the ways will surely delight you.

The locals are the best source of information about travels savings for United Kingdom sites. Talk with them, and you might even get some advice about the local delicacies such as fish and chips, and which size lager is proper for a lady to drink. The United Kingdom is full of friendly people who do not mind pointing out a good place to eat at a reasonable price.

Known as ‘The Rock’, Gibraltar is a little bit of Britain in the Mediterranean. The ownership of this tiny piece of land has long been a sensitive issue with the neighbouring Spanish. In Greek mythology, Gibraltar (Calpe) was one of the Pilars of Hercules marking the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. The north coast of Africa is just 14 miles away and can be seen from Europa Point, making Gibraltar a place of strategic importance. Britain took control of the Rock in 1713 and it was formally declared a colony in 1830. It was also here where the HMS Victory underwent repairs after the Battle of Trafalgar before returning back to Britain with Nelson’s body. In 2002, there was a referendum where the locals overwhelming rejected any involvement by Spain in their government.

The locals are proud to be British citizens and while on the Rock, you are under no illusion that it is anything other than British. Street names such as “Winston Churchill Avenue”, the cash machines churn out £10 notes (proper ones, not like ones from Scotland), familiar high street names like Marks & Spencer, pictures of the Queen in the hotels, pubs such as the “Lord Nelson”..you get the idea. The one concession that has been made is that traffic flows on the right hand side of the road on the narrow, badly signposted one-way system of Gibraltar.

The airport at Gibraltar is owned by the Ministry of Defence for use by the Royal Air Force as RAF Gibraltar. Civilian flights share the runway which dissects Winston Churchill Avenue. This means every time a plane lands or takes off, the main street has to be closed to traffic for around 10 minutes. While this feature of Gibraltar is part of its charm, it also means that only a few flights a day can land / take off without causing severe traffic disruption. A new airport is planned which will give the airport a large increase in capacity and a tunnel under the runway which will reduce tailbacks and delays. Once completed, the new Gibraltar airport will give both Gibraltar and the Andalucia region of Spain a better air link.

There is a still a big military presence in Gibraltar with the very upper part of the rock out of bounds to the public. For the tourist, the majority of the attractions are in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. If you have a car, you can drive the route yourself otherwise there are plenty of companies who are willing to take you. Once you’ve paid your entrance, the first point of call are the spectacular St Michael’s Caves. Around 300m above sea level, they are one of Europe’s most natural grottoes.

Next stop is Apes’ Den. The most famous residents of Gibraltar are the Barbary Macaques and they roam freely throughout the nature reserve. Despite giving the impression they are tame, visitors must remember they are wild animals who will bite. They aren’t shy about stealing food or other belongings and will almost certainly try to get into your vehicle if given the opportunity.

The Great Siege Tunnels were excavated by the British Army during the siege of 1779-1783. Visitors can’t fail to be impressed with this defence system which gives a fantastic view from the rock over the airport into Spain. The military theme continues at the Military Heritage Centre where there is an array of artefacts housed in Princess Caroline’s Battery.  The City Under Siege Exhibition demonstrates the appalling conditions the British soldiers had to survive under during the Great Siege and there is graffiti dating back to the 18th century.

The final point of interest on the Upper Rock is the Moorish Castle that dates back to the 14th century. It is located on the north-western slope and its Tower of Homage dominates the only land entrance to Gibraltar. Your entry ticket to the National Park also gets you into one more place; the 100 Ton Gun which is located down in the town. This fearsome weapon had a bore of 17.72 inches, fired a 371 kg shell which was capable of piercing 16.3 inches of mild steel at a range of 2,000 yards.

Gibraltar is well worth a visit as it is a unique place for the curious traveller either as a short break or part of a longer trip to Andalucia.

Anyone who has traveled in the USA with children knows how hard it can be to research the area, plan interesting activities for the kids, and at the same time, relax and enjoy your vacation, too. But when you plan your family vacation with a travel professional to plan your overseas trip, it can be worry-free.

Traveling with a family requires a different type of vacation, and traveling overseas has its own challenges - passports, time changes, disrupted sleep schedules and more. .England, and all of Great Britain come to mind as stress-free family vacation destinations.

Are you or your children history buffs, Harry Potter fans, or just interested in travel? We arrange everything for your family travel packages to England, Scotland and Wales, so there is nothing for you to do but enjoy yourself.

Here are just some suggestions for your family travel packages to Great Britain:

Rent a cottage or a castle in Britain. When you'd like to be on your own, an a small house on an estate or castle grounds, or in a holiday vacation village of 8-10 identical cottages with other vacationers from around the world. Walk to the local store, cook your own meals for that finicky eater, and have your own home away from home for a week or more.

Self Drive Britain

Relive the history of your father's father's father. Visit all the sites they've only read about - King Arthur's England, the fabled land of knights and maidens, Harry Potter and more. Go wherever you please with our open prepaid voucher program, or we will pre-plan your itinerary for you. Hotels with swimming pools are highlighted for family fun.

Harry Potter Tours

Have your children enjoyed Harry's adventures? The new Harry Potter film comes out in November 2009. Be there for the buzz. See where the movies were made. All of the attractions are featured in the "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", and "Chamber of Secrets" films including the Hogwarts School.

We have self drive tours and guided tours but if you have a group of friends or family (6 or more), we can do an individual escorted tour for you. These trips are created to give children, parents and grandparents an opportunity to enjoy each other's company in a far-off and exciting destination. On these tours, enrollment is limited to family groups. Sightseeing and other special activities are designed with the interests and attention spans of all generations in mind.

Grandparent Travel to London and England. Do you relish the idea of having your children and their children all together at one time? I got the idea for grandparent travel when I realized just how important a part grandmothers and grandfathers play in so many families. Some are baby-sitters when parents are so busy with their working lives, while others try to keep in touch though from states away, maintaining a unique relationship with their grandchildren. Is your family spread out all over the world, so this can be a once in a lifetime opportunity to get everyone together. 

Many grandparents are struggling with the effects of divorced, separated, second marriage, or single parent families I know the special relationship that exists between grandparents and grandchildren. A family trip to England is the answer, with something to delight every member of the family, from school-age children to grandparents. Plan your own, special itinerary with the help of Lynott Tours, or choose from one of our well planned, well tested plans. We can work with any budget, planning memories that will last a lifetime and beyond.



Scotland Family Vacation - The Clan Escorted Tour

Fun adventures include a castle climb, a visit to a sheep farm, monster-hunting and traditional music. This very special tour for your clan combines enriching experiences in the charming towns of Scotland with some extraordinary accommodations at guest houses, hotels, and inns, and even a romantic castle. Family togetherness is at a premium and no one will complain about being bored.



Small barge cruising on the River Thames

ACTIEF cruises the River Thames. Join Toad, Ratty and Mole from Kenneth Grahame "Wind In the Willows" on this truly magical journey, winding through woodland and open country, passing quintessentially English villages of great beauty en-route. Our special family itinerary has been designed to combine the magic of life on the river with exciting family tours and excursions. Available for charters on any departure date. Throughout the week children (and adults too) can also enjoy rowing and fishing from Actief’s dinghy. In addition we will be running a treasure hunt and scavenger hunt, plus various other fun competition and games throughout the week.

Whatever your family needs, and no matter what their ages or attention spans, England is the perfect place for a family travel adventure. Plan your own, special itinerary with the help of Lynott Tours, or choose from one of our well planned, well tested plans. We can work with any budget, planning memories that will last a lifetime and beyond.

There are discounted travel savings for United Kingdom room rates that will save you as much as 70%, and place you in some of the best of cities that are located throughout the United Kingdom. They are offered by discounted travel agency sites that beckon you to save by any type of communication means possible.

These discounted travel sites will make doing business with them so easy, because each of the websites has the capability of letting you see their various discounted travel offers in the language and currency that is right for you. That makes taking advantage of discounted travel savings for United Kingdom travel really easy.

There are so many travel options available that are true discounted travel savings for United Kingdom travelers. These discounted travel agencies will allow you to view all of the cities in Europe, and those that are in Great Britain will certainly be the best of the best discounted travel savings for United Kingdom that you will ever find.

To truly appreciate the discounted travel savings for United Kingdom travel, you can take the opportunity to use the convenient travel guides that are posted for England, Scotland, Ireland and Europe. When you see the marvelous tips and reviews in these handy destination guides, you will certainly know that you are reaping excellent discounted travel savings for United Kingdom tours, lodging, and airfare.

There is even a UK Travel Guide, and a list of worldwide cities, that you can use to compare the discounted travel savings for United Kingdom bargains against those being offered in the rest of the world. This is something that is not normally available unless you have a great relationship with your travel agent.

Then you know you will be making the wise choice to book your travel with these discounted travel agencies, because they are not afraid of what the comparison results will show. They know they offer the lowest prices on air, train, lodging and dining attractions for Great Britain and they relish the opportunity to be challenged.

There are so many nice combinations you can use to enjoy discounted travel savings for United Kingdom visits. These discounted travel agencies urge you to book your airfare, hotel accommodations and rental car needs together to save marvelous amounts of money on things you truly need to travel to and throughout Great Britain.

These friendly travel agencies are nice enough to allow you to only combine what you need, and if you only need a flight and a hotel room or a hotel and a car, they are willing to work with you to meet your discounted price travel needs. They want you to keep coming back, so they can continue to offer you the best discounted travel savings for United Kingdom fun.

Whenever you need discounted travel savings for United Kingdom travel, simply remember that these friendly discounted travel agencies are waiting to serve you in your needs to travel to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The opportunities to visit Edinburgh Castle and The Highlands of Scotland are only a discounted phone call away.