Destination Cardiff

Welcome to Cardiff
If you are not from Cardiff or the surrounding area then here are some fascinating and quirky facts about Cardiff
Cardiff is the capitol city of Wales and boasts the large Millennium Stadium. Cardiff was once one of the richest cities in the world, thanks to the Docks and coal industry. The first million pound deal was struck at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff Bay. The first British news film ever recorded was of the Prince and Princess of Wales visiting the Cardiff exhibition of 1896. Cardiff Bay Once an area of tidal mudflats, Cardiff Bay is now one of Europe's top waterfront developments.


If you are visiting Cardiff this autum there are many things to do from the unusual Great British Cheese Festival, which makes Cardiff Castle its new home, to sporting events like.

Wales V New Zealand

Millennium Stadium Cardiff,
Sat 22 Nov 2008, 17:15

Monster Jam Monster Truck Racing 2009

Millennium Stadium Cardiff,
Sat 6 Jun 2009, 19:00

2009 Fim British Speedway Grand Prix

Millennium Stadium Cardiff,
Sat 27 Jun 2009, 18:00

Find Hotels near Millennium Stadium - Cardiff

Find Hotels near Cardiff Castle

Enjoy Cardiff this Autumn.

Destination York

Superbly preserved, York has witnessed more than 2000 years of vibrant history – with its cobbled streets and snickleways, welcoming inns, restaurants and candlelit churches.

York is a year round destination offering a lively café bar and restaurant culture and vibrant entertainment and festivals. Visit the stunning York Minster, enjoy Stonegate and Shambles shopping and live the York history at the JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum and York Castle Museum.

York Minster first church on the site was a wooden structure built hurriedly in 627 to provide a place to baptise Edwin, King of Northumbria. The present building was begun in about 1230 and completed in 1472. It has a cruciform plan with an octagonal chapter house attached to the north transept, a central tower and two towers at the west front. The Minster is 158 metres long and each of its three towers are 60 metres high. The choir, which has an interior height of 31 metres, is only surpassed in height in England by the choir of Westminster Abbey. The cruciform plan of York Minster The North and South transepts were the first parts of the new church to be built.

Hotels near York Minster on Pandarooms.com

JORVIK Viking Centre Archaeologists started digging on the site of an old sweet factory and unearthed remains of 10th century Viking-age buildings that were surrounded by moist, spongy layers of earth similar to that of a peat bog. These damp conditions helped preserve everyday Viking items such as wood, leather, cloth, bugs and even a Viking toilet and its contents. In total an incredible 40,000 objects were uncovered by excavating 36,000 layers and sieving 8 tonnes of soil!

Hotels near JORVIK Viking Centre on Pandarooms.com

Finally if you want a great day out at the races York Racecourse is not to be missed.

Hotels near York Race Course on Pandarooms.com

Accommodation in York is abundant, you can stay at stunning hotels in York or browse through our vast selection of B& B's and Hotels.

Destination Manchester

Manchester is a relatively new city; born of the Industrial Revolution, it took the lead in the world's textile manufacture and production in the late 18th century, a position it held until its decline in the 1960s.

Manchester is one of the largest metropolitan conurbations in the United Kingdom, justly proud of its history and heritage, its culture, enterprise and its entrepreneurial spirit.

In more recent times, it has had to reconfigure its traditional manufacturing base to develop thriving new technologies. It has rebuilt itself as a leading centre of modernist architecture since the terrorist bombing of the city in 1996. Actually, it was the neighbouring City of Salford that dominated the region, and the Salford Hundred covered all lands between the River Ribble to the north and the Mersey to the south, and to this day the sovereign still bears the title of Lord of the Manor of Salford.

Not until the 19th century, after many protests and petitions to parliament, notably by the Chartists, did Manchester gain the status of a city.
Places like Blackburn, Burnley, Bolton, Wigan, Salford, Oldham and Rochdale, (to name but a few) sent their woven and spun produce to the Exchange in Manchester and from thence to the world via the newly created Manchester Ship Canal, and received raw materials which were distributed out from the city and its well established system of canals and railways.

Steam power drove the Victorian city, with water from the many local rivers like the Irwell, Medlock, Irk and Tame, and coal from Worsley via the Duke of Egerton's Bridgewater Canal to Castlefield, or other coal pits around Wigan.
The City of Manchester and innumerable little satellite towns and villages surrounding it saw the rapid growth of factories manufacturing merchandise for cotton weaving and spinning, dyeing, fulling and all apects of the textile industry.
Manchester was nicknamed " Cottonopolis" where ' King Cotton' ruled.

Football Plays a large part in Manchester having Two Large football Teams one is Manchester United the Largest Club in the World and Manchester City the Richest Club in the world.

Find Hotels near Manchester United - Old Trafford

Find Hotels near City of Manchester Stadium

Plus great nights out including the new the printworks and Canal Street.

Find Hotels near the Printworks

Destination Liverpool

As everyone knows who lives in the Northwest of England. Liverpool This year Liverpool celebrates its title of European Capital of Culture. The city will also host the U K's largets contemporary arts festival, the Biennial in 2008, when Liverpool will be crowned European Capital of Culture.

Beatles associations abound across the city but Liverpool's love of music embraces much more than just the fab four, through events such as the Summer Pops and Africa Oye, Europe's largest African music festival.

If you are planning to stay in the city, you'll never be stuck for somewhere to eat thanks to an increasing number of restaurants and cafe's, catering for every taste and budget. Plus with over 250 city centre bars, pubs and clubs, you won't have to work hard to have a great night out.

Hotels near The Cavern Club on Pandarooms.com

Everyone knows that Liverpool is football mad, but the city and Merseyside also hosts world class rugby league, horse racing, tennis, sailing and golf competitions.
Five national parks are only a couple of hours drive away plus there are over 2,000 acres of parkland within the city itself.

Liverpool FC play in the Premier League, and are the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club.
They have won a record 18 English League titles, although the last time they won the title was in 1990.

Hotels near Liverpool FC on Pandarooms.com

Next to Liverpool FC there is also another football club in Liverpool Everton FC
Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool!
The club competes in the Premier League and have contested more seasons in the top flight of English football than any other. They are one of the top five most successful English clubs in terms of major honours, having won the League Championship nine times, the F A Cup five times and the U E F A Cup Winners' Cup once. The club's most recent major trophy was the 1995 F A Cup.

Hotels near Everton FC on Pandarooms.com

Destination London

If you are looking to go to a concert at the o2 or visit London Tower, Picadilly Circus or Buckingham Palace London is full of culture, history and Money. London is the location of the next Olympic Games in 2012.

London is made up of two ancient cities which are now joined together.
They are: the City of London, know simply as 'the City' which is the business and financial heart of the United Kingdom. the City of Westminster, where Parliament and most of the government offices are located. Also Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the Queen and the Royal family are located there too.
Together they all make up a region known as Greater London.

Standing guard by the River Thames, The Tower is an impressive London landmark.
Discover the secrets that lie within its walls, marvel at the breathtaking Crown Jewels, stand on the site where three English queens were beheaded and explore the myths and legends that make a visit to The Tower a fantastic day out.
The Crown Jewels Gain a fascinating insight into the role of the Crown Jewels in royal pageantry with our introductory films which include rare colour footage of H M Queen Elizabeth I I's coronation. The Jewel House Wardens will be on hand to answer any questions about this priceless collection. Learn more about the history of the Crown Jewels in the Crown and Diamonds exhibition in the Martin Tower. Yeoman Warder ' Beefeater' Tours Nobody knows more about the history of The Tower than the Yeoman Warders and no visit is complete without joining one of their tours. Having guarded this royal palace and fortress for centuries they will captivate you with amazing stories, passed on from generation to generation, and guide you to the infamous Traitors' Gate and the execution site. They'll also give you the unique opportunity to visit the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, final resting place of those executed inside The Tower. The White Tower The first stones of this imposing structure were laid around 1078 by order of William the Conqueror.

Hotels near the Tower of London

Buckingham Palace is The Queen's official London residence
Buckingham Palace is one of the world's most familiar buildings and more than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the Royal Garden Parties.
Since 1660, Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign and the Royal Palaces.

Hotels near Buckingham Palace

The Circus is close to major shopping and entertainment areas in a central location at the heart of the West End. Its status as a major traffic intersection has made Piccadilly Circus a busy meeting point and a tourist attraction in its own right.
The Circus is particularly known for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of an archer. Piccadilly Circus connects to Piccadilly, a thoroughfare whose name first appeared in 1626 as Pickadilly Hall, named after a house belonging to one Robert Baker, a tailor famous for selling piccadills or piccadillies, a term used for various kinds of collars.The street was known as Portugal Street in 1692 in honour of Catherine of Braganza, the queen consort of King Charles I I of England, but was known as Piccadilly by 1743. Piccadilly Circus was created in 1819, at the junction with Regent Street, which was then being built under the planning of John Nash on the site of a house and garden belonging to a Lady Hutton. The circus lost its circular form in 1886 with the construction of Shaftesbury Avenue.

Hotels near Piccadilly Circus

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Destination Edinburgh

Edinburgh has one of the most wonderful cityscapes in the world, making it the ideal city break destination. With Scotland's most famous castle dominating the city skyline, there is loads to see and do with the impeccable balance between all things traditional and modern. Its dramatic contours, long surviving buildings, breathtaking views, green hills, wide water and compact, bustling city centre have encouraged a truly cosmopolitan population. And high above it all, in its towering splendour, stands the Castle.

Up in the Old Town amongst the aged and multi layers of sinewy architecture lies the city's pride and joy, its 12th century castle. The cobbled walkway leading downwards towards the east of town and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is majestically addressed as the Royal Mile. A medieval golden mile, it is the heart and soul of the city's 'colourful' and murky history. Flanked by an array of public houses, museums, souvenir shops and dark alleyways, the Royal Mile and the 12th century castle are the best introduction you can get to the city of Edinburgh.


There is plenty of archaeological evidence that the Roman army mixed on a day to day basis with the locals. After all most of the Roman army was made up of Celts ( Gauls) from mainland Europe.

This is the city where the first and the last words of the Harry Potter chronicles were penned and where on its outskirts a tiny church in the village of Rosslyn was made famous by ' The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown.

Since the last war Edinburgh prestige has risen not least because of the establishment of the Edinburgh Festival.


There is therefore not one Edinburgh Festival, but a collection of independent Festivals which happen to take place in the same city at the same time.
Edinburgh International Festival (1947)* — The original and "official" festival consisting of classical and contemporary Theatre, Opera, Music and Dance.
Edinburgh Fringe (1947)* — Started life as a small scale "fringe" event to the E I F, but is now the largest of all the festivals and indeed the largest arts festival in the world.

However, from 2008 the E I F F has moved to late June, citing concerns over costs during August and congestion in the international film festival calendar.

In the 1960's the city was being torn down and rebuilt at an alarming rate, but fortunately the New Town Conservation Committee (formed in the 70's) put a stop to that. Buildings have been restored using traditional and sympathetic methods, and now the city looks as though it will remain as one of Europe's most beautiful and historically interesting living monuments.


If you are looking to visit Edinburgh in the next few months then I will list a few hotel the main attractions where you can stop.

Hotels near Edinburgh Castle
Hotels near Palace of Holyroodhouse
Hotels near Rosslyn Chapel

And for all those Wiskey drinkers

Hotels near Scotch Whisky Experience

Many more hotels in Edinburgh can be found at Pandarooms.com

Destination Cambridge

A few week ago I wrote a blog about Oxford, so not to upset all those university students in Cambridge I decide to write about their town this week.

Steeped in history Cambridge is one of the most interesting of English towns, once a historic fort, and later headquarters of the Danes, and then the University.

The historical university buildings of Magdelene, Trinity and Kings Colleges are but a few of the attractions of the town. The University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology contains treasures and relics from Hadrian’s Wall, and the Round Church built in 1130 with a circular nave to commemorate the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is one of only four round churches in Britain to be found here. Whipple Museum has a collection of scientific equipment and the huge portico of the Fitzwilliam Museum forms the entrance to one of Europes top museums.

Going out in Cambridge is just as good for lectures as it is for students.
If you're looking for mellow late night vibes, or just a change from the two large disco style clubs, then there's The Fez in Market Passage. There's plenty of seating for when you want a break and a good variety of music including salsa and hip-hop.

If you enjoy smaller, more chic clubs then you'll want to get down to Po Na Na in Jesus Lane, which caters for Latino, pop, funk, hip-hop and jazz in its funky basement setting. Of course, if you want even more choice you can always catch a fast train to the big city!

If you are looking to visit a family member who is studding at one of the Cambridge University's then I will list a few hotel nearby where you can stop.

Hotels near Magdalene College
Hotels near Trinity College
Hotels near King's College

Many more hotels in Cambridge can be found at Pandarooms.com

Destination Chester

Chester and Cheshire has everything you need for a short break or a long stay.

One of the most delightful and picturesque cities in Europe. Was known as Deva and by later, Legecester. Its walls are particularly impressive, and it is possible for three people to walk abreast all round the city on them. There are several Roman remains. St. John's Church was originally built by the Saxons, and rebuilt by the Normans as a Cathedral. The present Cathedral occupies the site of a Druidical shrine bearing the bones of St. Werburgh. There are fine medieval carvings in the stalls.

The Rows are probably the most often photographed sight in Chester, a series of half-timbered buildings joined with long galleries, looking for all the world like a Tudor shopping mall. There is not one single "Rows" but several complexes of houses in the same style, with the best examples on Watergate, Eastgate and Bridge Street.

The layout of the Rows go back to the 13th century. There were shops or warehouses at street level, with a long gallery above, reached by steps from the street level. Living quarters are on the gallery level. In the Middle Ages this would have been a hall, open to the roof and heated by a central hearth. The private rooms, or solar, were above the gallery.

In the Tudor and Jacobean period the upper floors were built out over the gallery, supported on long poles down to the street level. Shops at ground level used the space between the posts to display their goods to passers-by.

The story of Chester's Rows is told in detail in a special exhibit entitled "Our House – The Story of the Rows of Chester". The exhibit is housed at the Chester Visitor Centre on Vicar’s Lane. The Castle overlooks the Dee, and there is a racecourse outside the walls, where races have been held for over 300 years.

Hotels near Chester Racecourse

Whilst here, why not pay a visit to some of the local visitor attractions in Chester and Cheshire that include Chester Zoo, or perhaps have a flutter at one of several race meetings at the famous Chester racecourse. You can now book your attraction tickets for Chester Zoo and 'farmer for the day' online. Cheshire also offers a range of fabulous golf courses, so come and swing into action and book your golf experience in Cheshire today.

Chester Football Club is always bustling on a Saturday and with over 1,000 shops in Chester, shopping in Chester is a great experience as an alternative to football.

Whether you're browsing for high street fashion in many of our stores or simply enjoying a country break, take a walk and explore the fantastic eye catching gardens and come and see what is currently on in Chester and Cheshire - we guarantee you will feel better for having visited Chester and Cheshire!

Destination Oxford

Oxford, The City of Dreaming Spires, is famous the world over for its University and place in history. For over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century an established town, although people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years.

Nowadays, the city is a bustling cosmopolitan town. Still with its ancient University, but home also to a growing hi-tech community. Many businesses are located in and around the town, whether on one of the Science and Business Parks or within one of a number of residential areas.

With its mix of ancient and modern, there is plenty for both the tourist and resident to do. Whether its visiting one of the many historic buildings, colleges or museums, going out for a drink or a meal, taking in a show or shopping till you drop, Oxford has it all.

Whether you're visiting for business or pleasure you will find a wide range of hotels, guesthouses, apartments and self-catering accommodation.

But, if you find you do want more, then Oxford is a just a short hop away from many other attractions and the capital city itself, London.

The University of Oxford is not a campus university and our Colleges, departments and other constituent units are to be found throughout the city of Oxford, rather than on one central site.

If you need a hotel, guesthouses or B&B On the main university building you can find them here:

Hotels near Oxford University

Destination Conwy

Anyone who wishes to travel to north Wales will more than likely pass under the A55 bypasses Conwy is one of the most wonderful sites in Great Britain. The first time that visitors catch sight of the castle, commanding a rock above the Conwy Estuary and demanding as much attention as the dramatic Snowdonia skyline behind it, they know they are in the presence of a historic site which still casts a powerful spell.

Having been to Conwy many times on my journey through north Wales. It is full of colourful history including its magnificent castle and a very old streets. Very similar to York surround by walls. but with great views of snowdonia in the backdrop.

Within a few miles there are many hotels, B&Bs and Guesthouses. Here are just a few to be looking at:

Great Value Hotels near Conwy Castle

Welcome to Travel Britain

Pandarooms Travel Britain is all about destinations around the UK from London to Loughborough and Aberdeen to Abersock. I will give you an insight of the area and then give you a list of hotels in that town if you wish to spend a weekend or night. I will mention the towns that I have been to but also I am looking for volenteers to send me information of towns local to them giving me the background of the town and good value accommodation plus local pub guides so that you will never be stuck again.