Fodor's Essential England
Whether you want to dine in London, marvel at Stonehenge, or explore the Cotswolds, the local Fodor’s travel experts in England are here to help! Fodor’s Essential England guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time.

Fodor’s “Essential” guides were named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020!

Fodor’s Essential England travel guide includes:

  • AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do
  • MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time
  • MORE THAN 60 DETAILED MAPS and a FREE PULL-OUT MAP to help you navigate confidently
  • COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust!
  • HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, and more
  • PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “What to Eat and Drink in England,” “England’s Best Museums,” “England’s Best Royal Sites,” “The Best Literary Experiences in England,” and more
  • TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money
  • HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography, and more
  • SPECIAL FEATURES on “The Tower of London”, “Mysterious Stonehenge”, “Glorious English Gardens”, “Hiking in the Lake District”, and more
  • LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems
  • UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: London, Bath, Cambridge, the Cotswolds, Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Manchester, Stonehenge, York, Oxford, Cornwall, and more.

Planning on visiting the rest of Great Britain? Check out Fodor’s Essential Great Britain, Fodor’s London, and Fodor’s Essential Scotland.

*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.

ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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Fodor's Essential England
Whether you want to dine in London, marvel at Stonehenge, or explore the Cotswolds, the local Fodor’s travel experts in England are here to help! Fodor’s Essential England guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time.

Fodor’s “Essential” guides were named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020!

Fodor’s Essential England travel guide includes:

  • AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do
  • MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time
  • MORE THAN 60 DETAILED MAPS and a FREE PULL-OUT MAP to help you navigate confidently
  • COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust!
  • HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, and more
  • PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “What to Eat and Drink in England,” “England’s Best Museums,” “England’s Best Royal Sites,” “The Best Literary Experiences in England,” and more
  • TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money
  • HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography, and more
  • SPECIAL FEATURES on “The Tower of London”, “Mysterious Stonehenge”, “Glorious English Gardens”, “Hiking in the Lake District”, and more
  • LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems
  • UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: London, Bath, Cambridge, the Cotswolds, Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Manchester, Stonehenge, York, Oxford, Cornwall, and more.

Planning on visiting the rest of Great Britain? Check out Fodor’s Essential Great Britain, Fodor’s London, and Fodor’s Essential Scotland.

*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.

ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

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Fodor's Essential England

Fodor's Essential England

by Fodor's Travel Publications
Fodor's Essential England

Fodor's Essential England

by Fodor's Travel Publications

Paperback

$26.99 
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Overview

Whether you want to dine in London, marvel at Stonehenge, or explore the Cotswolds, the local Fodor’s travel experts in England are here to help! Fodor’s Essential England guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time.

Fodor’s “Essential” guides were named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020!

Fodor’s Essential England travel guide includes:

  • AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do
  • MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time
  • MORE THAN 60 DETAILED MAPS and a FREE PULL-OUT MAP to help you navigate confidently
  • COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust!
  • HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, and more
  • PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “What to Eat and Drink in England,” “England’s Best Museums,” “England’s Best Royal Sites,” “The Best Literary Experiences in England,” and more
  • TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money
  • HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography, and more
  • SPECIAL FEATURES on “The Tower of London”, “Mysterious Stonehenge”, “Glorious English Gardens”, “Hiking in the Lake District”, and more
  • LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems
  • UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: London, Bath, Cambridge, the Cotswolds, Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Manchester, Stonehenge, York, Oxford, Cornwall, and more.

Planning on visiting the rest of Great Britain? Check out Fodor’s Essential Great Britain, Fodor’s London, and Fodor’s Essential Scotland.

*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.

ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781640977877
Publisher: Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.
Publication date: 06/24/2025
Series: Full-color Travel Guide
Pages: 800
Product dimensions: 5.19(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel advice for every stage of a traveler's trip. We hire local writers who know their destinations better than anyone else, allowing us to provide the best travel recommendations for all tastes and budgets in over 7,500 worldwide destinations. Our books make it possible for every trip to be a trip of a lifetime.

Table of Contents

1 Experience england 9

26 Ultimate Experiences 10

What's Where 20

England Today 24

What to Eat and Drink in England 26

What to Buy in England 28

Best Museums in England 30

Best Royal Sites in England 32

Best Literary Experiences in England 34

London's Royal Legacy 36

What to Watch and Read Before You Go 44

2 Travel smart 47

Know Before You Go 48

Getting Here and Around 50

Essentials 59

Great Itineraries 66

On the Calendar 71

Best Tours in England 73

Contacts 75

3 London 77

Welcome to London 78

Planning 80

Westminster and St. James's 86

Mayfair and Marylebone 97

Soho and Covent Garden 106

Bioomsbury and Holborn 117

The City 125

East London 137

South of the Thames 144

Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, and Notting Hill 153

Regent's Park and Hampstead 165

Up and Down the Thames 170

4 Oxford and the thames valley 175

Welcome to Oxford and the Thames Valley 176

Planning 179

Windsor 181

Eton 187

Ascot 188

Cliveden 189

Marlow 190

Henley-on-Thames 191

Oxford 193

Woodstock 204

Aylesbury 206

St. Albans 208

Woburn Abbey 211

Althorp 212

5 Canterbury and the southeast 213

Welcome to Canterbury and the Southeast 214

Tea Time in England 216

Planning 219

Canterbury 221

Deal 228

Dover 230

Royal Tunbridge Wells 232

Hever 235

Tonbridge 237

Rochester 239

Rye 241

Hastings 246

Lewes 249

Brighton 255

Arundel 263

Chichester 265

Guildford 268

6 Stonehenge and the south 273

Welcome to Stonehenge and the South 274

Planning 278

Winchester 280

Chawton 285

Portsmouth 287

Southampton 292

Isle of Wight 294

Salisbury 298

Stonehenge 304

Avebury 306

Longleat House 315

Stourhead 316

Lyndhurst 317

Beaulieu 321

Bournemouth 322

Wimborne Minster 323

Corfe Castle 324

Dorchester 326

Cerne Abbas 329

Sherborne 329

Weymouth 330

Abbotsbury 332

Lyme Regis 333

7 Cornwall and the west country 335

Welcome to Cornwall and the West Country 336

Planning 339

Bristol 342

Wells 350

Glastonbury 352

Dunster 355

Exmoor National Park 356

Porlock 356

Lynton and Lynmouth 357

Clovelly 359

Cornwall 360

Plymouth 381

Dartmoor National Park 385

Tavistock and Around 386

Lydford 388

Okehampton 389

Chagford 390

Exeter 391

Topsham 395

Beer 396

Torquay 396

Totnes 398

Dartmouth 399

8 Bath and the cotswolds 401

Welcome to Bath and the Cotswolds 402

Planning 405

Bath 408

Castle Combe 422

Lacock 424

Cheltenham 424

Winchcombe 430

Broadway 432

Chipping Campden 440

Moreton-in-Marsh 444

Stow-on-the-Wold 445

Bourton-on-the-Water 446

Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter 448

Northleach 449

Burford 450

Bibury 451

Cirencester 452

Malmesbury 454

Painswick 455

Tetbury 456

9 Stratford-upon-avon and the heart of england 458

Welcome to Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England 460

Great Indian Food in England 462

Planning 466

Stratford-upon-Avon 468

Henley-in-Arden 481

Warwick 482

Kenilworth Castle 485

Birmingham 486

Great Malvern 498

Ledbury 501

Ross-on-Wye 502

Hereford 503

Shrewsbury 506

Ironbridge Gorge 509

Ludlow 511

Chester 512

10 Manchester, liverpool, and the peak district 517

Welcome to Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District 518

The Beatles in Liverpool 520

Planning 523

Manchester 525

Liverpool 540

Buxton 553

Bakewell 556

Matlock 558

Castleton 560

Edale 562

Stoke-on-Trent 563

11 The lake district 565

Welcome to the Lake District 566

Planning 569

Kendal 572

Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere 576

Ambleside 581

Rydal 583

Grasmere 584

Elterwater and the Langdales 587

Coniston 594

Hawkshead 596

Cartmel 599

Penrith 600

Ullswater 604

Keswick 605

Borrowdale 609

Cockermouth 610

Bassenthwaite Lake 612

12 Cambridge and east anglia 613

Welcome to Cambridge and East Anglia 614

East Anglia's Seafood Bounty 616

Planning 619

Cambridge 621

Ely 633

Sudbury 635

Long Melford 636

Lavenham 637

Bury St. Edmunds 639

Dedham 642

Woodbridge 644

Aldeburgh 645

Norwich 648

Blakeney 651

Wells-next-the-Sea 653

Stamford 655

Lincoln 657

13 Yorkshire 661

Welcome to Yorkshire 662

Great English Cheeses 664

Planning 668

York 670

Harrogate 685

Knaresborough 687

Ripon 688

Castle Howard 690

Leeds 691

Saltaire 696

Haworth: Heart of Brontë Country 697

Bolton Abbey 700

Skipton 701

Hawes 703

Richmond 703

Danby 706

Hutton-le-Hole 706

Helmsley 707

Hull 709

Scarborough 711

Robin Hood's Bay 714

Whitby 715

14 Hadrian's wall and the northeast 719

Welcome to Hadrian's Wall and the Northeast 720

Spotlight: Hadrian's Wall 722

Planning 725

Barnard Castle 727

Bishop Auckland 728

Durham 729

Newcastle upon Tyne 733

Hadrian's Wall 737

Hexham 739

Greenhead 741

Morpeth 742

Alnwick 744

Dunstanburgh Castle 746

Bamburgh 748

Lindisfarne (Holy Island) 750

Index 751

About the Writers 767

Maps

Westminster and St. James's 88-89

Mayfair and Marylebone 98-99

Soho and Covent Garden 108-109

Bloomsbury and Holborn 120-121

The City 126-127

East London 138

South of the Thames 146-147

Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, and Notting Hill 154-155

Regent's Park and Hampstead 166

Up and Down the Thames 171

Windsor, Marlow, and Nearby 182

Oxford 196

Oxfordshire and Environs 205

Canterbury 226

Canterbury and the Kent Coast 229

Tunbridge Wells and West Kent 233

Brighton and East Sussex 244

Brighton 254

West Sussex and Surrey 263

Winchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, and the Isle of Wight 289

Salisbury, Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain 305

New Forest, Dorset, and the South Coast 318

Bristol, Wells, and North Devon 343

Cornwall 361

Plymouth, Exeter, and South Devon 383

Bath 410-411

Bath Environs 423

The Cotswolds 425

Stratford-upon-Avon 472-473

Shakespeare Country 483

Birmingham 488-489

Great Malvern and Hereford 499

Shrewsbury and Chester 506

Manchester 528-529

Liverpool 544-545

The Peak District 553

The Lake District 573

Cambridge 624-625

Ely and Suffolk 636

Norwich, North Norfolk, and Lincoln 652

York 673

Around York 686

Leeds, Bronte Country, and the Yorkshire Dales 693

The North York Moors and the North Yorkshire Coast 705

Durham, Newcastle, and Hadrian's Wall 728

The Far Northeast Coast 746

Fodor's Features

England Through the Ages 37

The Tower of London 129

Mysterious Stonehenge 308

Glorious English Gardens 434

Hiking in the Lake District 588

York Minister 678

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