Many tourists went on short weekend breaks, choosing to stay in serviced apartments or hotels.  A large proportion of those taking short weekend breaks tended to be young couples and groups visiting cities such as Bristol.  There are plenty of places to stay in Bristol that meet the needs of younger people but many families wanted something a bit different when it came to a holiday.

There were a couple of accommodation trends in 2009 that became noticable as it became clear that budget was having an effect on holiday maker's decisions.  A large number of caravan and mobile home owners traveled to campsites in the South of England because it was cheaper.  People that wanted something a bit more comfortable and had more expendable income decided to rent holiday cottages.

Holiday cottages have always been popular in the southern counties of the UK with areas such as Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall proving to be prime locations for tourists to visit.  It is easy to see why as all of these areas have a wealth of local tourist attractions on offer.  The New Forest in Hampshire is very popular, Exeter in Devon is a hotspot and all the surfers love Cornwall.

A large number of holiday cottage rental agents have stated that holiday cottages in Cornwall had a huge increase in the number of properties they rented last year.  This is likely to be because places like Newquay receive regular young visitors each year after the end of GCSE and A level exams.  This area of Cornwall has become well known for catering for young people looking to let off some steam after years of studying.

The other more popular destination was the New Forest.  It is thought that holiday cottages in the New Forest saw the increase as a result of the number of families visiting the area.  The appeal of the New Forest is likely to be because of the wide variety of outdoor activities, wildlife and beautiful scenery it has to offer.  The New Forest is also very close to other places that are interesting to visit.  These are towns and cities such as Salisbury, which has a large cathedral and Bournemouth with it's beautiful golden sands.

All the signs are showing that 2010 is likely to be another successful year for the UK tourism industry.  The slow improvements in the economy mean that people still don’t have vast amounts of money to spend and with an increase in strikes amongst airline and railway workers many travellers feel uncertain about heading abroad.  These are all strong signs of the continued success of the ‘staycation’ in the UK.

When you first arrive Plymouth appears rather bland and modern, but searching a little bit deeper and you will soon find that the city of Plymouth has a rich history and a deep association with the sea. As far back as the fifteen hundreds there has been a port in Plymouth. In 1588 Francis Drake embarked from the town's port to successfully defend England from the Spanish Armada. Another historic moment occurred in sixteen twenty when the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for North America.

It is possible to take low cost vacations in Plymouth by booking bed and breakfast in Plymouth rather than booking a overpriced hotel. A quick look online will show that you can make a reservation from £29 a night and many places have dinners at a very reasonable cost, commonly equal to, or less expensive than local restaurants.

Things To See And Do In Plymouth

There are many interesting places in Plymouth that are well worth visiting. Popular visitor attractions include; Merchant's House Museum, St Andrew's church, the National Marine Aquarium and the Mayflower Steps. A boat cruise around the waters of the port is an excellent way to spend some time but if you discover that you have more time to spare why not take a trip to places close by Plymouth, such as; Mount Edgcumbe, Buckland Abbey or Saltram House.

Saltram House is a pretty Tudor Mansion which is found 2 miles from the town of Plymouth, Mount Edgcumbe is a further Tudor house with landscaped gardens, parklands and coastal paths, and Buckland Abbey, roughly 6 miles in distance from Plymouth, is a Cistercian abbey which was once owned by Francis Drake and was later converted into a family home.

If you and your family are currently deciding upon spending a few days in the city of Plymouth it is crucial that you book your  lodgings at your first opportunity as, unfortunately hotels and guest houses in Plymouth tend to be alarmingly busy and are frequently fully booked months in advance. If you are travelling in a group you might find that apartments in Plymouth prove to be cheaper option to Plymouth bed & breakfast. If you are visiting Great Britain from abroad then why not consider making a reservation for a room in London hotels to take in the sights of the nations capital also.

Blackpool began to see its first visitors in the 18th century who had visited to indulge in  the new practice of sea bathing. With the arrival of the railways, from 1846, Blackpool saw increasing numbers of visitors to"take the cure". Nowadays you can travel to Blackpool by road, rail or aeroplane arriving there much faster than the early Victorian visitors who would take up to 2 days from Manchester.

The Famous Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The most popular attraction in the town, in Lancashire in the north west of England, which brings in roughly seven million visitors every twelve months, is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Blackpool's Pleasure Beach is a static funfair with fear inducing big rides, for example Valhalla, Grand National, Ice Blast, the Pepsi Max Big One, Zipper Dipper and Wild Mouse, and including many more sideshows, food booths, children's rides, thrill rides, sidestalls and games. The most recently added big ride is Infusion, the first ride in the world to be a suspended looping coaster entirely over water.

 A useful tip: If you are traveling as a group or family it is possible to save a substantial amount of cash by purchasing a wristband for unlimited rides especially if you will be going on as many rides as you can handle as the individual cost of each ride soon amounts to serious cash.

Getting There And Accommodation 

Blackpool is, as said earlier, very easy to get to nowadays as you are able to travel there by air, automobile or railway. If arriving by train you will, most probably, be arriving at Blackpool's main rail station, which is Blackpool North found on Talbot Road. Just a short distance down the road is situated Blackpool's main coach station, the Blackpool National Express Coach Station. The other railway station, Blackpool South, is at Waterloo Road, South Promenade. Blackpool's airport is found approximately two miles south of the centre of town and was known as, Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, one of the oldest British airports.

Blackpool bed & breakfast accommodation is priced fairly low. Accommodation is far less expensive in the off season and a little more expensive at weekends. Blackpool hotels are at their most costly during the Blackpool Illuminations, which is really Blackpool's peak season.

A useful tip: Some hotels can be busy and noisy especially those close to North and Central Pier. If you require at a place which is not so busy try booking somewhere past the North Pier.

Burrell Collection

In 1944 The Brurrel Collection was gifted, by Sir william and Lady Burrell, to the city of Glasgow and the collection can be viewed at Pollok Country Park which is in the south of Glasgow This astounding collection of works of art includes more than nine thousand items of art. The collection is very diverse containing some modern sculptures as well as an Islamic art collection. Visitors can view paintings by Degas, Cezanne and other European artists. As well as sculptures and paintings visitors is able to enjoy the incredibly beautiful collection of alabasters, English furniture, stained glass and tapestries. On top of all this, the Burrell Collection also has a most important collection of medieval art plus collections from ancient Chine & Egypt.

The House For An Art Lover

House For An Art Lover is one of the most popular attractions in Glasgow. The house is of an Art Nouveau design designed, originally, by Glasgow's most famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh with some assistance from his talented wife.

In actual fact the design was an entry for a 1901 competition to create plans for a 'House for an Art Lover', however, the Mackintoshs' entry was disqualified from the competition because of late submission. Luckily, more than one hundred years later the house is located in Bellahouston Park due to the hard work of the engineer Graham Roxburgh and architect Professor Andy Macmillan. Building began in 1989, halted for a short amount of time but restarted in 1994 due to the collaboration between the Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow City Council.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

One of Scotland's finest museums and art galleries, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery is where one of the greatest civic art collections in Europe is housed, but also it is one of Scotland's most popular free to enter attractions.

You will find Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on Argyle Street, on the banks of the River Kelvin, in the West End of Glasgow. The gallery was constructed in a Spanish Baroque style using the traditional red sandstone. The building was followed the designs of E.J. Milner Allen and Sir John W. Simpson and first opened its doors to the public in 1901. The collections of the museum were originally from the McLellan Galleries and the old Kelvingrove House Museum.

If you are planning to have a short break in the Scottish city of Glasgow you will discover plenty of online hotels and guest houses providing bed and breakfast accommodation in Glasgow. You will discover a comprehensive selection of hotels and guest houses in Glasgow at http://www.glasgowhotelscotland.com/

Cambridge dates back to the medieval period and because of this there there are numerous examples of fantastic architecture. You may walk amongst the ancient streets, relax one of the various parks and gardens or you could take a punt up and down the river. If the idea of punting takes your fancy, then you can rent a punt or for something a little different one can rent a chauffeured punt. There are numerous organisations offering this facility along the River Cam. Otherwise a cruise up the River Cam in a narrowboat.

Cambridge is also widely known for its churches, 13 of which are situated within the city's boundaries. Of the thirteen churches found in Cambridge town centre it is All Saints Church which is said to be one of the best examples of Gothic revival architecture in England. Another church which you must visit is Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is one of only four round Norman churches located in England. The tiniest church in Cambridge is the Church of St Peter's, which is hidden away in a tranquil part of the city. Possibly the most spectacular panoramic views of the city and University colleges are to be experienced from the viewpoint of the University church, the Great St Mary's Church.

As there is a vast collection of visitor attractions to see in Cambridge, it would be virtually impossible to visit all of them in just 24 hours.  We therefore strongly advise that you spend at least two days in Cambridge. If you and your family are currently considering taking a break in Cambridge it is vital that you reserve your  accommodation at the earliest opportunity because, sadly hotel accommodation in Cambridge tend to be surprisingly busy and are frequently fully booked for weeks or even months in advance. If your group is large you might find that Cambridge apartment accommodation prove to be reasonable option.

The city of Birmingham is situated in the English county of the West Midlands  and the city's residents are described as being "Brummies". The Brummy accent is a strong northern English sounding dialect and it is tricky to understand fully what is being discussed a problem which is exaggerated if if you are unfamiliar with such dialects. Happily the majority of people from Birmingham are kind, extremely helpful and polite and do their very best to explain so if you need to do not hesitate to engage in conversation about directions and help or help with  Birmingham bed & breakfast.

Birmingham has  a healthy collection of visitor attractions including some highly interesting and informative art galleries and museums, for example the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the new Thinktank  which is in the Eastside. The city also features a large number of square kilometers of woodland, parks and open spaces, Sutton Park being the largest with 970 hectares it is also the largest urban nature reserve in Europe.

Birmingham features a wide ranging and vibrant nightlife with an excellent choice of restaurants, bars, cafes and nightclubs. You will discover most in one of the city's squares, Victoria Square, Centenary Square, St Martin's Square, Rotunda Square, Chamberlain Square, the historic Old Square at Corporation Street and the Gas Street Basin. Gas Street Basin is the central hub of the city's intricate canal network. The city has approximately thirty two miles of canals with a total of 8 canals which were built during the 18th century and continued being used until the 1970's. Today the Gas Street Basin has been cleaned up and is now a incredibly popular tourist attraction.

Rather than staying bed and breakfast why not think about Birmingham apartments. If you If you are considering taking a vacation in Birmingham you should know that the nearest airport is about eight miles distance from the the city center just off the A45 and near the M42 (junction 6). You will will be able to find a number of hotels and b & b's nearby the airport.

Well Known Department Stores In London

Probably the most famous of London's department stores is knightbridge's Harrods the world's largest having around 18,000 m2 of floor space.  The motto of Harrods department store is "all things for all people, everywhere" or 'Omnia Omnibus Ubique'. Harrods has earned a reputation of being luxurious and exclusive and their toy department and food hall are extremely famous

Selfridges is another department store worthy of a mention.  Found on Oxford Street, the store first opened to the public in 1909. Named after, and constructed by the businessman Gordon Selfridge Selfridges was specially designed so that the goods on sale were readily accessible to the prospective customer which was a drastic departure from the common practices of the day.

London's Key Shopping Areas

Covent Garden has become extremely well known for its unusual and specialist shops and is considered a trendy place to hang out. As well as the fantastic stores there are also an excellent selection of eating places and restaurants around Covent Garden.

Camden Market is another popular London market place. Even though there have been a number of different markets in Camden for an incredibly long time the present market only appeared in 1974. Camden Market is actually a group of various adjoining markets of various types together providing an incredible selection of wares.

Famous Shopping Streets In London

Chelsea's main high street is the Kings Road which is one of London's most stylish and chic streets in which to go shopping. The Kings Road had, during the nineteen seventies, a close association with Punk, the Sex Pistols and their manager Malcolm Maclaren, in more recent times the Kings Road is much more subdued but still worth visiting.

Sloane Street is another London road with a strong association with shopping which takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane who purchased much of the surrounding land in 1712.

Visiting London

Getting to London is amazingly easy, being England's capital transportation links are first class and London's underground rail network makes everywhere easy to reach.

London accommodation seems to be everywhere and is easy to find but sadly it can be to be a little expensive. It is usually best to book your London hotels online and you will discover a variety of London hotels, guest houses and apartments at http://www.londonhotel4u.co.uk/.