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Fodor's Essential Great Britain: with the Best of England, Scotland & Wales
Great Britain remains a perennial favorite with travelers, drawing almost 3 million Americans each year, many of whom will revisit the nation. People may come for the hipness of London, the thatched-roof villages of the Cotswolds, or the moors and loch of Scotland, but all want the most worthwhile destinations and savvy travel tips at a glance. Fodor's full-color Essential Great Britain provides this with a selective collection of the best of England, Scotland, and Wales.
Curated Coverage: Because Britain isn't large, many people do combine a trip to England with Scotland or Wales. This new guide offers the top attractions and experiences in Britain by region, whether it's cities, great castles or stately homes, or best country villages, with plenty of Fodor's Choices for sights as well as dining and lodging options. Some of the 18 destination chapters are: in England, London, the Southeast of England, Oxford & the Thames Valley, the West Country, the Cotswolds & Stratford-upon-Avon, the Lake District, and Yorkshire; northern and southern Wales, in one chapter; and, in Scotland, Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Central Highlands, Aberdeen & the Northeast, and the Great Glen and the Isle of Skye. Inspiring full-color photos capture memorable attractions and activities.
ILLUSTRATED FEATURES: Full-color features on top experiences such as iconic Stonehenge, pubs, hiking in the Lake District, and English gardens give travelers a deeper understanding of the country. Spotlights on English food, great West Country drives, Welsh castle, and Scottish whisky provide insight into contemporary life as well as the past.
ESSENTIAL TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS: Essential Great Britain makes organizing a trip a snap. An Experience Great Britain chapter includes Top Attractions not to miss, Quintessential Britain for classic experiences, If You Like for the best sights by type (great walks, stately homes, and so on), a Great Britain Planner with transportation information and money-saving tip, and four Great Itineraries to cover a variety of routes and options. Each city or regional chapter contains an orientation page with a map and Top Reasons to Go; a Planner section suggest best times to go and how to organize your trip within the region and get around. Throughout the guide, clear, easy-to-read maps show sights and key roads.
DISCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS: Fodor's Essential Great Britain offers savvy advice and recommendations from local writers to help travelers make the most of their time. Fodor's Choice designates our best picks, from hotels to nightlife. "Word of Mouth" quotes from fellow travelers provide valuable insights.
ADDED-VALUE PULLOUT MAP: A handy take-along map of London gives travelers essential lay-of-the-land information about top attractions and nearby dining so they can travel with confidence.
ABOUT FODOR’S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts.
Curated Coverage: Because Britain isn't large, many people do combine a trip to England with Scotland or Wales. This new guide offers the top attractions and experiences in Britain by region, whether it's cities, great castles or stately homes, or best country villages, with plenty of Fodor's Choices for sights as well as dining and lodging options. Some of the 18 destination chapters are: in England, London, the Southeast of England, Oxford & the Thames Valley, the West Country, the Cotswolds & Stratford-upon-Avon, the Lake District, and Yorkshire; northern and southern Wales, in one chapter; and, in Scotland, Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Central Highlands, Aberdeen & the Northeast, and the Great Glen and the Isle of Skye. Inspiring full-color photos capture memorable attractions and activities.
ILLUSTRATED FEATURES: Full-color features on top experiences such as iconic Stonehenge, pubs, hiking in the Lake District, and English gardens give travelers a deeper understanding of the country. Spotlights on English food, great West Country drives, Welsh castle, and Scottish whisky provide insight into contemporary life as well as the past.
ESSENTIAL TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS: Essential Great Britain makes organizing a trip a snap. An Experience Great Britain chapter includes Top Attractions not to miss, Quintessential Britain for classic experiences, If You Like for the best sights by type (great walks, stately homes, and so on), a Great Britain Planner with transportation information and money-saving tip, and four Great Itineraries to cover a variety of routes and options. Each city or regional chapter contains an orientation page with a map and Top Reasons to Go; a Planner section suggest best times to go and how to organize your trip within the region and get around. Throughout the guide, clear, easy-to-read maps show sights and key roads.
DISCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS: Fodor's Essential Great Britain offers savvy advice and recommendations from local writers to help travelers make the most of their time. Fodor's Choice designates our best picks, from hotels to nightlife. "Word of Mouth" quotes from fellow travelers provide valuable insights.
ADDED-VALUE PULLOUT MAP: A handy take-along map of London gives travelers essential lay-of-the-land information about top attractions and nearby dining so they can travel with confidence.
ABOUT FODOR’S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts.
800 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2014
194 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.
1,847 books61 followersFodor's Travel Publications is a United States-based producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor in 1936.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 13, 2016
Review in Brief
Inspired largely by my Outlander obsession and by my English teaching and literature background, I've determined to take my first trip to the UK with my husband soon.
Snagged by me two months ago at the book store, this comprehensive Great Britain travel guide for England, Scotland, and Wales contains a helpful mixture of features and a layout of short text segments throughout for quick reference and easy reading. Numerous listings for sights, lodging, dining, shopping, and night life include starred “Fodor's Choice” recommendations for their opinions of the most worthwhile experiences, as well as labels such as “Family” to point out good options for children.
A key at the front indicates the clear symbols used to label different types of establishments, map elements, and important associated notes. With its few and minor shortcomings in content, structure, and format, I can recommend this guide to most travellers.
Countries' Coverage
One thing that threw me at first was the lack of an opening section page for Scotland; the Wales section precedes the “Edinburgh” chapter and the rest of the Scottish focus areas. However, the England section also lacks an “England” label page, starting right at London--why waste precious manuscript real estate?
The order of presentation is England, Wales, Scotland, and they make up about 58, seven-tenths, and 35 percent of the book, respectively. In the Great Britain introductory section, there is a proportional list of top attractions, including 6 for England, 1 for Wales, and 3 for Scotland. My family's decision to skip Wales for this upcoming trip reflects this distribution. (Castles are the main Welsh draw, and you can see lots of those in England and especially in Scotland.)
The Writing
A group of 10 British writers all have written clearly and in entertaining ways without distracting from the content. The text also demonstrates good editing. Special terminology, i.e., Briticisms, are usually pointed out in helpful ways, though sometimes acronyms and other words appear without identification on first instances, such as for “V.A.T” (Value Added Tax). That term appears later with explanation but in neither the index nor a glossary, which is an absent element that could be helpful. I detected only a few typographical errors in this large book and none that impeded understanding.
Arrangement of Parts
The opening chapter is an extensive orientation to Great Britain overall. Chapters are then divided by region or major metropolitan area. An overview spread beginning each chapter presents a highlight picture or two, “Top Reasons to Go” blurbs that highlight a mixture of sights and types of experiences, a zoomed-out map of the area with main segments labeled and described, and a smaller map of the entire nation with the featured section highlighted in orange. A navigational “Getting Oriented” column of text lines the far right-hand side.
Inspiring Highlights
Introductions to each chapter follow the overview spread and precede specific listings with varied descriptive text that does a laudable job of making the reader want to see absolutely everything at first. There are also regional and city-center maps interspersed among listings; sidebars and feature pages on topics such as “In Search of Jane Austen,” “Close Up: Clans and Tartans,” and “The Beatles and Liverpool”; as well as photographs and shorter sidebar blurbs about open-air markets, local legends, and more. Special sections about travel tips, specific cultural elements, highlights of sights not to miss, and more populate the front and back matter.
Other Features
A thick, somewhat heavy paperback book, it might be more practical during travel as a spiral-bound guide. I found the font size and sans-serif type easy to read, but I would have liked a bonus map or two with more detail. In addition, regional maps do not show overlap where regions connect, and some maps fail to show distinctive topography highlighted in the text, such as Loch Awe (in western Scottish Argyll) on the region's main introductory map. However, there is a tear-out map of London included inside the back flap, and there are oodles of website references, along with a sights-focused index and table of contents.
The Literary Approach
After a brief flip through the book, I started to combed the chapters with the express purpose of identifying literary sights in England and Scotland. I was able to make a preliminary list of places to target in our travels, which means, in England:
Bronte sisters country in Yorkshire
Romantic poet Wordsworth's homes in the Lake District
Jane Austen country in Hampshire (Bath, Chawton, Winchester, Lyme Regis)
numerous places in London such as Virginia Woolf's Bloomsbury
Oxford University (Lewis Carroll, W.H. Auden, Percy Shelley, Oscar Wilde, etc.)
Stratford-upon-Avon and Southwark (London) for Shakespeare
Canterbury for Chaucer and Dickens
Cornwall for Woolf, Tennyson, du Maurier, Doyle, Christie, and Arthurian legend
Prominent Scottish writers and stories with sights to match include Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe, historical though unofficial tourism ambassador for Scotland), poet Robert Burns (in Dumfries), and as many Outlander filming locations and book references as possible.
While still in the England portion of the guide, my approach quickly morphed into aiming for arts, nature, and literature sights, as reflected in my blog focus. I'll be more interested in parks, landscapes, seascapes, other bodies of water, country estates, and the countryside than in most urban attractions.
Obviously, that doesn't leave much time for, well, anything else, to say nothing of my husband's interests that lean more toward soccer, pubs, castles, technology, and industry. Although I have a decent handle on art and theater attractions, I barely scratched the surface concerning music-related sights.
If only I could somehow take my own trip for travel writing or scholarly research. Hmm.... It became apparent quite early in this process that visiting Ireland would have to be a separate trip as well. For that matter, the same could be said for London.
Conclusions
Although I began reading Fodor's Travel Essential Great Britain: With the Best of England, Scotland & Wales in the hopes of identifying key places I'd like to visit, reaching the end of the book has only made choosing more difficult, which is both good and bad for the guide, and definitely excellent for the UK. There is just so very much to see and do! Although brimming with sound advice, tips, and orienting elements, it seems this text alone will not be the deciding factor in our ultimate itinerary. I am inclined, for example, to compare other guides and consult a travel agency for help. I will also have to see how useful the guide is in practice and on location before finalizing my rating for it.
Good Luck and Happy Travels!
Inspired largely by my Outlander obsession and by my English teaching and literature background, I've determined to take my first trip to the UK with my husband soon.
Snagged by me two months ago at the book store, this comprehensive Great Britain travel guide for England, Scotland, and Wales contains a helpful mixture of features and a layout of short text segments throughout for quick reference and easy reading. Numerous listings for sights, lodging, dining, shopping, and night life include starred “Fodor's Choice” recommendations for their opinions of the most worthwhile experiences, as well as labels such as “Family” to point out good options for children.
A key at the front indicates the clear symbols used to label different types of establishments, map elements, and important associated notes. With its few and minor shortcomings in content, structure, and format, I can recommend this guide to most travellers.
Countries' Coverage
One thing that threw me at first was the lack of an opening section page for Scotland; the Wales section precedes the “Edinburgh” chapter and the rest of the Scottish focus areas. However, the England section also lacks an “England” label page, starting right at London--why waste precious manuscript real estate?
The order of presentation is England, Wales, Scotland, and they make up about 58, seven-tenths, and 35 percent of the book, respectively. In the Great Britain introductory section, there is a proportional list of top attractions, including 6 for England, 1 for Wales, and 3 for Scotland. My family's decision to skip Wales for this upcoming trip reflects this distribution. (Castles are the main Welsh draw, and you can see lots of those in England and especially in Scotland.)
The Writing
A group of 10 British writers all have written clearly and in entertaining ways without distracting from the content. The text also demonstrates good editing. Special terminology, i.e., Briticisms, are usually pointed out in helpful ways, though sometimes acronyms and other words appear without identification on first instances, such as for “V.A.T” (Value Added Tax). That term appears later with explanation but in neither the index nor a glossary, which is an absent element that could be helpful. I detected only a few typographical errors in this large book and none that impeded understanding.
Arrangement of Parts
The opening chapter is an extensive orientation to Great Britain overall. Chapters are then divided by region or major metropolitan area. An overview spread beginning each chapter presents a highlight picture or two, “Top Reasons to Go” blurbs that highlight a mixture of sights and types of experiences, a zoomed-out map of the area with main segments labeled and described, and a smaller map of the entire nation with the featured section highlighted in orange. A navigational “Getting Oriented” column of text lines the far right-hand side.
Inspiring Highlights
Introductions to each chapter follow the overview spread and precede specific listings with varied descriptive text that does a laudable job of making the reader want to see absolutely everything at first. There are also regional and city-center maps interspersed among listings; sidebars and feature pages on topics such as “In Search of Jane Austen,” “Close Up: Clans and Tartans,” and “The Beatles and Liverpool”; as well as photographs and shorter sidebar blurbs about open-air markets, local legends, and more. Special sections about travel tips, specific cultural elements, highlights of sights not to miss, and more populate the front and back matter.
Other Features
A thick, somewhat heavy paperback book, it might be more practical during travel as a spiral-bound guide. I found the font size and sans-serif type easy to read, but I would have liked a bonus map or two with more detail. In addition, regional maps do not show overlap where regions connect, and some maps fail to show distinctive topography highlighted in the text, such as Loch Awe (in western Scottish Argyll) on the region's main introductory map. However, there is a tear-out map of London included inside the back flap, and there are oodles of website references, along with a sights-focused index and table of contents.
The Literary Approach
After a brief flip through the book, I started to combed the chapters with the express purpose of identifying literary sights in England and Scotland. I was able to make a preliminary list of places to target in our travels, which means, in England:
Bronte sisters country in Yorkshire
Romantic poet Wordsworth's homes in the Lake District
Jane Austen country in Hampshire (Bath, Chawton, Winchester, Lyme Regis)
numerous places in London such as Virginia Woolf's Bloomsbury
Oxford University (Lewis Carroll, W.H. Auden, Percy Shelley, Oscar Wilde, etc.)
Stratford-upon-Avon and Southwark (London) for Shakespeare
Canterbury for Chaucer and Dickens
Cornwall for Woolf, Tennyson, du Maurier, Doyle, Christie, and Arthurian legend
Prominent Scottish writers and stories with sights to match include Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe, historical though unofficial tourism ambassador for Scotland), poet Robert Burns (in Dumfries), and as many Outlander filming locations and book references as possible.
While still in the England portion of the guide, my approach quickly morphed into aiming for arts, nature, and literature sights, as reflected in my blog focus. I'll be more interested in parks, landscapes, seascapes, other bodies of water, country estates, and the countryside than in most urban attractions.
Obviously, that doesn't leave much time for, well, anything else, to say nothing of my husband's interests that lean more toward soccer, pubs, castles, technology, and industry. Although I have a decent handle on art and theater attractions, I barely scratched the surface concerning music-related sights.
If only I could somehow take my own trip for travel writing or scholarly research. Hmm.... It became apparent quite early in this process that visiting Ireland would have to be a separate trip as well. For that matter, the same could be said for London.
Conclusions
Although I began reading Fodor's Travel Essential Great Britain: With the Best of England, Scotland & Wales in the hopes of identifying key places I'd like to visit, reaching the end of the book has only made choosing more difficult, which is both good and bad for the guide, and definitely excellent for the UK. There is just so very much to see and do! Although brimming with sound advice, tips, and orienting elements, it seems this text alone will not be the deciding factor in our ultimate itinerary. I am inclined, for example, to compare other guides and consult a travel agency for help. I will also have to see how useful the guide is in practice and on location before finalizing my rating for it.
Good Luck and Happy Travels!
August 29, 2016
Concise, useful guide. Pretty up-to-date for when we used it. Gave us good highlights of what to see and what to expect. I generally like the Fodor's travel guides and this one did not disappoint.
December 14, 2021
Why aren't I there? Great read about what to see and what to do while traveling in Great Britain. Published in 2021 so is pretty up to date. Even a chapter on COVID do's and don'ts. I will walk Hadrian's Wall someday.......
September 5, 2016
helpful
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2019
Armchair travel... Wishing I was taking a trip... :-)
May 4, 2022
An excellent choice when planning and preparing for travel.
Read
May 4, 2023Fodor always provides a comprehensive guide. It was very useful before and during my trip
October 22, 2023
Super helpful in planning our trip to Egypt, but not as thorough as the Lonely Planet guide (which we happened upon during our trip).
November 1, 2024
Very detailed and informative.
June 27, 2025
We will be visiting Egypt later this year. We plan to take this book along because of the many helpful maps.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews