England Archives - Top Spot Travel

January 29, 2016 by Jeremy

Indulge Your Sporting Side with a Sports-themed Break

There are many people who are huge fans of sport with people having an interest in all sorts of sporting activities. Some enjoy actually taking part in various sports while others prefer to sit on the sidelines and enjoy the action as a spectator. Either way, the world of sports can be hugely entertaining and has a huge following including men, women and children.

As a fan of playing or watching sporting activities, one thing you can do to indulge this interest is to consider a sports-themed mini-break. No matter what sort of sport you are into – football, golf, horseracing, or any other type of sport – you will find the perfect destination to enjoy the thrills and excitement of being able to enjoy it up close and personal.

Some great sports-based holidays to enjoy

If you are looking to enjoy a sports based holiday in 2016, there are certainly plenty of options you can choose from. There are some fabulous sports events taking place this year and there are even holidays where you can enjoy some sporting activity yourself if you are keen to participate. Some great options include:

Euro 2016: Football fans will be very excited this year, as Euro 2016 is set to kick off in June and will be held in France. If you are a big fan of this sport, what better way to get up close and personal than winging your way over and enjoying it first hand from one of the various stadiums and areas where matches are being held? Depending on which teams and matches you want to see, you can head to cities and areas such as Paris, Lille, Marseille, and Lyon amongst others. Not only will you be able to look forward to the thrill of the game but you can also enjoy the electric atmosphere that you will find at this major football event. You can also soak up the culture, history and attractions in the area you decide to stay in as well as the sumptuous cuisine that the French are known for.

Grand National: If you are a fan of horse racing you will find plenty of major events going on this year, such as the wide range of UK events that are scheduled. The Grand National is 2016’s major horse racing meeting and is certain to attract people from far and wide. Many people will be heading to a Grand National betting site such as Coral to have a flutter on their favourite and can then enjoy the excitement of the event at the famous Aintree course. Taking place in April 2016, this is an event where you can enjoy getting dressed up and taking in the thrill of the racing. The event takes place from April 7th to April 9th, with the Grand Opening on 7th, Ladies’ Day on 8th, and Grand National Day on 9th.

Golf break: Those that want to combine sports and relaxation will find that a golf break is the perfect option. You will find golf resorts in destinations worldwide. This includes various parts of Spain, which means that you can enjoy playing golf, take in some sea air, and enjoy lapping up the beautiful sunshine. One of the places that you can head to is the Santa Barbara Golf and Ocean Club, which offers sun, sea, spa facilities, and a range of amenities in a stunning setting. Located in Tenerife, this is a resort that is suitable for breaks all year round.

Breaks such as these provide you with the perfect way of combining your love of sports with the chance to relax and explore new places.

June 25, 2014 by jfalbelda

Little Known Attractions in London

If you’re considering a city break in Britain’s capital this summer, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking things to do. The wealth of activities and events means that you’ll never be at a loose end and you can even treat yourself to a stay in a luxury boutique hotel like those available from Chic Retreats. If you’re interested in avoiding the major tourist traps, it’s definitely worth looking into the more unusual attractions that London has to offer. They may not be as well-known, but you’ll avoid the crowds and have a holiday to remember.

The Cat Café

Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium is London’s very first Cat Café. The idea of a relaxation space where urban-dwellers can pet and play with animals is common in Japan and the same premise has been replicated in London. Café visitors pay a £5 entrance fee that allows them two hours with the cats. The space is modelled as an old English tea room, with adjacent rooms where patrons can simply play with the cats and the cats can play and sleep.

St Katherine Docks

Take the tube to Tower Hill and discover one of London’s best kept secrets. St. Katherine Docks are usually bypassed by tourists on their way to the Tower of London, but this pocket of tranquillity gives a view of the main marina and the city’s collection of luxury yacht moorings.

Temple Church

Those interested in history and theology shouldn’t miss the 12th century Temple Church. It was built by the Knights Templar and was featured in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. The architecture was constructed to resemble Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and is known for its effigy tombs and circular nave.

Primrose Hill

For some of the best scenic views in London, you should visit Primrose Hill. This green space is located on the north side of Regent’s Park and is the perfect spot for a picnic, particularly in the summer. You will be treated to uninterrupted views of central London and this space should be much less busy than better known greens like Hyde Park. Below Primrose Hill, in Queen Mary’s Gardens in Regent’s Park is home to one of the world’s finest floral displays.

London Wetland Centre

Bird-lovers will be pleased to know that London has its own Wetland Centre, which covers more than 100 acres of land, previously occupied by several small reservoirs. It is home to sparrow-hawks, bats, great crested grebes and ring-necked parakeets among others, and there are plenty of activities appropriate for children.

Don’t forget about the “normal” tourist attractions in London as well!

May 2, 2014 by jfalbelda

Enjoy the Magic of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships!

Summer is undoubtedly the best time of year to visit Britain, as you’ll get the best of the UK weather. Although you can never guarantee wall to wall sunshine, you get some lovely weather during the summer months of May through to September and there is always lots going on at this time of year, wherever you decide to visit.

Coming up in June is one of the world’s biggest tennis tournaments – the Wimbledon Championships. This fortnight of tennis is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the UK sports calendar, and as it’s the oldest Grand Slam and the only one to be played on grass, it’s one that all the big names in tennis want to win.

This year, the favourite four to win the Men’s Championship are Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. At the moment, Nadal and Djokovic are numbers one and two respectively in the world tennis rankings. Andy Murray won the tournament last year, ending a 77 year period where there hadn’t been a British winner in the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon. Federer is the oldest of the four, but has the best record at Wimbledon, having won the tournament seven times, a feat only equalled by Pete Sampras. This year could be the year that Federer makes history with a record eighth win at Wimbledon. Check out the odds on bet365.

If you’re planning to go to Wimbledon, you will struggle to get a seat in the Centre Court or Court Number One for this year’s Championship as you either have to know someone with a debenture seat that they’re willing to let you have for a day, or to have entered the public ballot between August and December last year. The public ballot is a simple process of sending your name and address in to win the chance of a randomly allocated ticket for any of the matches during the two week tournament. You might get nothing or you might get seats for the Wimbledon final – you still have to pay the face value on the tickets, but it’s one of the few ways to get amazing seats.

Don’t be put off going to the grounds without a ticket though. Wimbledon always reserves a number of tickets for sale on the day – 500 each for the Centre Court, Court Number One and Court Number Two and it’s one of the traditions of tournament to join The Queue to get seats that way. There are also several thousand tickets available each day for access to unreserved seating and standing room on Courts 3-19. It’s great to be amongst the courts and enjoy the refined garden party atmosphere, and you can move from court to court and watch the games on the main courts via big screens too.

Wimbledon is a great day out, and an experience to remember. You just have to hope you don’t pick to go on a day when rain stops play!

April 16, 2014 by Jeremy

Manchester: London’s cooler cousin

Everyone is familiar with the English capital London, it is Europe’s most visited city and attracts around 27 million tourists every year. Now there is nothing wrong with London but it is not the only city in the UK worth visiting.

Each city in Britain has its own culture and societal norms that drastically differ from one another. Manchester is the cool guy with a whiskey and a cigarette in comparison to London’s stiff aristocrat with champagne and a cigar, meaning it is the coolest city in the UK.

Sport plays a huge part in British culture and, at the minute, Manchester is the country’s hotbed of talent. Football wise they have two great clubs; Manchester United and Manchester City, United are one of the most valuable sports club in the planet and their 70,000 seater stadium is a coliseum. As for City, they are the favourites to win the league this year and like United are one of the best clubs in European football.

The city is also the home to Lancashire County Cricket club and teams from both rugby union and rugby league. Manchester is the sporting hub of England and a place that witnesses so much success it leaves bookmakers such as Betfair severely out of pocket.

MadChester was a music scene in Britain that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s and left a mark in the music industry that is still present today. The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, The Stone Roses, The Happy Mondays, The Mock Turtles and Oasis are just a drop in the Manchester musical pool.

MadChester transformed Manchester into the musical venue in the country, something that is still true today even if we are no longer blessed with the Hacienda nightclub. This rich history puts Manchester in a category similar to Motown and Detroit, and Country and Nashville.

Liverpool may have had the Beatles but Manchester have had nearly anyone else. If you are a music lover then you need to visit Manchester, it really is incomparable and it is simply phenomenal that a city with a population of half a million could give so much.

Matchstick men artist L.S. Lowry was a native of the city and his artwork is situated at the aptly named Lowry museum in the middle of town. The city also consists of a network of canals, a commonplace in most British cities, which has given rise to waterside bars and restaurants making it an idyllic place to chill out.

If you want to go shopping then the Trafford Centre will be right up your street. This palatial shopping complex, once the largest in Britain, has numerous shops and the largest food court in Europe.

Manchester has just as much culture and, to a certain degree, history, making is well worth a visit if you are planning on visiting Britain.

March 16, 2014 by jfalbelda

Discover Notting Hill, London!

Ever wondered what it would be like to hang out in London’s trendiest urban scenes? If only for a day? Well stop that daydreaming and spruce up your next London break with a trip to one of Capital’s most fashionable areas, the one and only, Notting Hill. You don’t need to be a millionaire to enjoy the sights on offer, just get a load of these fantastic ideas to fill up your day in Notting Hill.

First on the list for visiting the area is the famous Portobello Market. Selling everything from antiques and handcrafted goods to clothes and food, this mile-long street market is a shopaholic’s paradise! To get the most out of your London market experience make sure you immerse yourself into the hustle and bustle, haggle for bric-a-brac, and sample foodie delights from one of the many eateries along Portobello Road.

World-renowned as the second largest street festival in the world, The Notting Hill Carnival is definitely not to be missed. Taking place over August Bank Holiday weekend, there’s no better excuse to let your hair down and party the day away with amazing costumed dancers and incredible musical entertainment. Locals welcome this iconic annual parade, and they also welcome visitors from all over the world to come and join in the fun! Oh and don’t worry, there’s plenty of stalls offering food and drink to help that party spirit run throughout the whole weekend, so make sure you’ve got your whistle and vuvuzelas ready!

Now, we’ve all seen and love the film Notting Hill, but wouldn’t it be lovely to see those iconic movie locations first hand. Fear not, those popular points of interest are easily found with the right insider knowledge…or a quick Google search. Head to Rosemead Gardens to see the very spot where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant break in to the gardens after too much alcohol induced fun! (Re-enactments not advised). Or visit the iconic blue door of William’s (Hugh Grant) flat door on Westbourne Park Road – now actually black and white, but who cares right?! Alternatively, you can see the store used for William’s Travel Book Co. at 142 Portobello Road. Sadly, it’s no long a bookshop but there’s good news…it’s now a shoe shop. Double the reasons to go if you ask me!

If that’s not enough celebrity stalking to satisfy your needs, then you maybe interested to hear about Madonna’s London real estate obsession. With 5 London properties already under her belt, her most recent purchase was a luxury home in none other than Notting Hill – worth a staggering £10 million might I add! Sneak a peak at her gaff in Notting Hill to see how the rich and famous live it up in London.

For those fond of a Royal garden, a trip to Kensington Park should sit at the top of your to do list in Notting Hill. With a staggering 242 acres to explore, you could easily forget you’re in the city. Admire the beautiful gardens, take a breezy stroll or enjoy a picnic with friends…the options are endless!

For most, the dream of having a W11 postcode is unlikely to become a reality, but a London short break to Notting Hill means we can all have a taste of the high life.

Have you ever visited Notting Hill? What are your top tips for exploring this fashionable London area? Come on, share those travel secrets with us all!

Hayley is Superbreak’s Adventure and Budget travel expert! She’s been back packing around Italy and Eastern Europe and loves to see as many places for as little as possible.