Canada AM travel expert - Has all this wedding talk got you thinking about England as a possible summer trip?
Between the hype of the wedding and the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics coming in 2012, this summer is the time to head to Britain. There are new attractions and hotels opening and plenty of royal wedding themed deals available. Here is just a sampling of the great reasons for a summer jaunt across the pond.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon was opened by Her Majesty the Queen last month and boasts the largest thrust stage with a tiered auditorium in the world, following a £112.8 million transformation. In addition to the new stage, the new building features a new rooftop restaurant, Avon River-front café and art exhibition spaces. Throughout 2011, the Royal Shakespeare Company will be celebrating its 50th anniversary.
His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh celebrates his 90th birthday on June 10, 2011. To mark this occasion, a special exhibition will be shown all year in the Drawings Gallery at Windsor Castle, home to The Duke of Edinburgh, as Consort of Her Majesty The Queen for nearly 60 years.
In celebration of the royal wedding, during the month of May, 2011, a costume exhibition called "From Hamlets to Hollywood" will be on display at Barley Hall in York www.barleyhall.org.uk. The costumes will be taken from Hollywood films featuring the costumes used in the recent Oscar winning "The King's Speech."
BritRail has a Royal Gift promotion on that gives a free travel day on some BritRail passes. You need to purchase the pass before April 29th but travel can be taken any time in the next 6 months so the pass is good up until the end of October. It can also be used in conjunction with other BritRail discounts like the FamilyPass or SeniorPass.
*Note that you do need to purchase your pass from home before you leave on your trip. The passes can't be purchased in Britain.
You can sleep in a castle, just like a royal! There many castles in the UK, which double as hotels. Henry VIII's home, Thornbury Castle, is a Castle Hotel in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire. It is the only Tudor castle in England to be open as a hotel. Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn once walked these rooms and grounds. The 500-year-old castle-palace has beautiful oriel windows, Tudor hall and historic parkland. There is even a vineyard within the castle walls, from which Thornbury Castle wine is still produced.
Langley Castle Hotel in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland, is a 14th-century castle nestling in the Northumbrian valley of the South Tyne. Built in 1350, during the reign of Edward III, the castle has retained its architectural integrity and is regarded as one of the few medieval fortified Castle Hotels in England. It is set in its own 10-acre woodland estate.
If you want to follow in Will and Kate's footsteps there are walking tours in London and St. Andrew's at their favourite clubs, hangouts and restaurants. However, the newest Will and Kate hot spot is Anglesey. This island in Wales is the place the couple plans to call home while William is with the RAF. Anglesey has quaint hotels, restaurants, antique shops and beautiful beaches. The Beaumaris Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
