Brunel's ss Great Britain

Imagine stepping back in time, on board the world's first great ocean liner, Brunel's ss Great Britain, in Bristol's historic Harbourside.

Be amazed by the sumptuous surrounds of the First Class Dining Saloon, once admired by Queen Victoria!

Scramble into the cramped bunks in Steerage! Take a whiff of the smells, from gorgeous freshly baked bread to vomit, and search out the talking toilet!

Discover the true story of Victorian passengers and crew on a super-speedy two-month voyage to Australia (twice as fast as a sailing ship!).

This iconic steam ship, and national treasure, was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and lies at the heart of a multi award-winning visitor attraction.

Explore under water, below the beautiful and amazing glass sea. Test your skills with interactive displays. Investigate the Riggers' Yard and the Great Western Dockyard.

A choice of audio companions is included in admission, for visitors to travel First Class, Steerage, with a Maritime Archaeologist, or there is Sinbad the Ship's Cat for children. French and German adult and children tours are also available.

Check out the special deals for families and grandparent families. Family tickets include two adults and two or three children. Under fives go free.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

The world famous Clifton Suspension Bridge was designed by the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, although he never lived to see his creation finished in 1864.

Work actually began in 1831, but the project was dogged with political and financial difficulties, and by 1843, with only the towers completed, the project was abandoned. Brunel died aged only 53 in 1859, but the Clifton Suspension Bridge was completed as his memorial. Designed in the early 19th century for light horse drawn traffic, it still meets the demands of 21st century commuter with 11-12,000 vehicles crossing it every day.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge’s spectacular setting on the cliffs of the Avon Gorge has made it the defining symbol of Bristol, drawing thousands of visitors a year just to stroll across for views of the ancient Avon Gorge, elegant Clifton and the magnificent city beyond.

What's more, a Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre can be found on the Leigh Woods side of the Bridge, which opens daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm.

Snowdonia

Snowdonia - Deep Glacial Valleys and Some of the Oldest Rocks on Earth

Fossil shell fragments found on the top of Mt Snowdon are the remains of life on a seabed, 500 million years ago. Successive ice ages shaped the mountains of Snowdonia National Park, in North Wales, grinding smooth their profiles. Surprisingly, these mountains are not particularly high -- Mt. Snowdon, the highest peak in the range, is only 3,560 feet. But there is an undeniable presence in the way their brooding bulk hangs over wide, U-shaped valleys.

This is terrific country for mountain walks and gentler leisure walks as well as riding, cycling and pony trekking. It is also among the most dramatic landscapes in the UK and has the most rapidly changing weather.

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall - The Northern Border of the Roman Empire

As the Roman Empire began to crumble, the Romans built a defensive wall, across the North of Britain, from Carlisle to Newcastle-on-Tyne, to keep out Picts, invading from Scotland. No one knows how long it might have held because troubles in the rest of Europe drew the Romans away from this northern most reach of their Empire.

Today, remnants of the wall can be found for about 73 miles - a lot of those remnants forming stone fences, stone barns and the cobbles in stable courtyards.

Excavations at Vindolanda, a fort and village on Hadrian's Wall, provide a fascinating glimpse into the life of a Roman legion at the edge of the empire. Exhibitions at Vindolanda and the nearby Roman Army Museum include poignant evidence of the Roman soldier's life in Britain. Included are rare letters home, written in ink on wood, asking for warm clothing and socks.

Stratford on Avon - Shakespeare's Home Town

Going to Stratford on Avon may seem like something of cliché but so what? Don't be a travel snob - there's a lot to enjoy.

According to my British friends, the best place to find Americans in the UK is Stratford-upon-Avon. It's all right for them to be a bit ironic. They're completely immersed in Shakespeareana from a very early age -- even when they don't know it.

For the rest of us, visiting the birthplace of the man considered by many to be the greatest writer the English language has ever produced, is a terrific day out, about two and a half hours - by train or car - northwest of London.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle - An Ancient Fortress in the Heart of a City

High up on what is believed to be an extinct volcano, Edinburgh Castle has dominated the city for almost 1,000 years. The landmark is visible from almost anywhere in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Castle has had many uses over the years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Edinburgh Castle was a prison for sailors. Some incarcerated in the dungeons of Edinburgh Castle, who left graffitti on their prison walls, sailed with John Paul Jones, founder of the US Navy.

More than a million people a year visit Edinburgh Castle, thousands to attend the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a colorful pageant of the Scottish regiments, complete with bagpipes, tartans and lots of horses, held every August.