Table of Contents

Britain on Your Own was written especially for the over-50 travelers who would enjoy setting off on their own but who might be intimidated by the thought of traveling solo. Guided by the expert advice here on how to plan a memorable trip, the unease a traveler might feel can be turned into confidence and enthusiasm.

Great Britain has been the number one overseas destination for Americans for many years. First-time solo travelers, especially, will appreciate the reasons for this popularity. There is no culture shock, the transportation system is excellent, and the British are friendly, helpful people.

You can enjoy traveling on your own with this guide to carefree travel. It includes everything from pre-trip planning to discovering special corners of Britain. There are sections on taking trains and buses, health and safety, hotels and inns, currency, and that most British of institutions—pubs.

You'll find golden stone buildings in the Cotswold villages—British writer J.B. Priestley wrote of these old Cotswold walls that they seemed to know the trick of “keeping the lost sunshine of centuries glimmering about them.” Not far from this soft and easy area are gray stone villages hunkered at the foot of Welsh mountains where slate was once laboriously quarried.

There are bustling market towns with half-timbered black-and-white buildings and Cornish towns that are built of granite. And in scattered areas set in rolling hills you'll find villages that still have ducks on the village pond and charming thatched cottages lining country lanes.

Black-and-white half-timbered buildings are found in many towns throughout Britain.

Places You Can Find in Britain on Your Own
This is the second edition of Britain on Your Own. It includes travel in Western England from the southern tip of Cornwall north to the Lake District and travel to some special places in Wales. The book has received a Bronze Award for overall excellence in the travel category in the 2001 National Mature Media Awards.

Mapping Your Trip
Knowing some of the terms you will find in learning about Great Britain will simplify your planning. Here are some that might be confusing:

Travelers to Britain often mistakenly refer to the entire island as England, but Wales and Scotland, though united politically with England, are independent countries. The Welsh and Scottish are proud of their distinct history and traditions and hold their separate identities. Understanding the terms that define Britain will eliminate confusion in your travels.

BRITAIN (Great Britain): England, Scotland, and Wales

UNITED KINGDOM (UK): Britain plus Northern Ireland

BRITISH ISLES: UK plus the Republic of Ireland and the adjacent islands

Navigating Our Web Site
To learn more about what you'll find in Britain on Your Own, check out the Table of Contents—you'll get a little background on what is in each chapter.  For expert advice on planning a leisurely carefree trip, go to Planning a Perfect Trip.

To read what others are saying about Britain on Your Own, check our two-page listing of Reviews (this is a PDF file; 27KB). 

West Wind Books is also offering free travel tips—just send us an e-mail request from the Travel Tips page and we'll send the tips to your e-mail address.

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