Maps Of Britain
There is a way to travel in Brittan that will assure you will get so much more out of your travel dollar than just going on a tour bus with a guide and a set agenda. To really experience a country, you have to develop the courage to get out there and become a native in a sense. By getting a car and mapping your own route through England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, your experience will be so much richer and memorable than if you used the same funds to keep some travel agency in business.
One way to map out the key objectives of your tour of Britain is to make your tour a vacation of traveling from one bed and breakfast to another. It is easy to get maps of British bed and breakfasts and staying these quaint cottages is so much more authentic than staying in the Sheridan in the middle of London. In fact, to feel like you are experiencing British life like a native, you need to get out of the big cities and enjoy the more relaxed culture of many of Britain's smaller communities.
If you need only one reason to get away from the canned tours and get out and experience England yourself it would be the food. The tastes of the various cultures of these ancient societies are phenomenal and to only go to Britain to eat in the tourist stops would not do your experience of British culture service. There is nothing like waking up in a genuine British bed and breakfast to the tastes of an authentic English breakfast. It is an experience you will never forget.
One reason that most people prefer the bus tours of Britain is a fear of driving in the UK. So be sure you prepare well by learning the nuances of driving in Europe and by getting good maps of where you want to go and study those maps before you head out. If you take these precautions, your can conquer British driving with some concentration. One way to give yourself some leverage in learning to drive in England is to get your rental car in a smaller community at a slow part of the day. In that way, you will have a more relaxed environment to acclimate.
By getting to know the country along with the customs and the way of life, you will come away from your vacation in Britain with a deeper and richer experience than you would have had if you had not taken the less traveled paths of mapping your own course through the UK. And because you had an adventure, you will be more prepared when you come back to seek out more new experiences and become even more of a "Brit" yourself. You deserve it because you learned to live like a native during y our wonderful vacation in Britain.