Britain, Ireland investing to boost tourism
Olympic Park, visitors can descend the futuristic Orbit tower via a thrill added in 2016: the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide, a tube measuring 580 feet with corkscrew turns.
London’s transportation scene continues to change. Uber is in the midst of a legal challenge after Transport for London decided not to renew the ridesharing service’s license; it could cease operation at any time. Meanwhile, starting in December, a new train line, the Elizabeth line, will run right through the city center — with stops at several Tube stations — and zip travelers from Heathrow Airport to Paddington Station in just 25 minutes.
Across Britain, new museums highlight the diversity of its history. In Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall showcases a circa-1420 guild headquarters and the very classroom where Shakespeare was a student, where visitors can try a quill pen. Liverpool’s British Music Experience tells an immersive story of British music from 1945 until today. And at Durham’s impressive cathedral, the new Open Treasure exhibit displays rare artifacts from the cathedral treasury and monks’ library.
In Portsmouth, on England’s south coast, the 16th-century warship Mary Rose is completely dried out, preserved and on display after 35 years of conservation work. The town’s D-Day Museum is slated to reopen this spring with exhibits incorporating first-person stories from D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. The museum also plans to restore the last surviving D-Day landing craft in time for the 75th anniversary in 2019.
In Scotland, Edinburgh’s Scottish National Gallery is undergoing a major renovation, with plans for expanded gallery space and a grand entrance from Princes Street Gardens. Certain exhibits and paintings may be out of view.
In Glasgow, the original Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street — the only surviving tearooms designed inside and out by art nouveau architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh — will reopen this year with a new visitors center, a restored interior based on Mackintosh’s original design and exhibits marking the 150th anniversary of his birthdate. Across town, however, the star attraction at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum, Salvador Dali’s Christ of St. John of the Cross, is on the road until 2020.
The Isle of Skye, just off Scotland’s west coast, is bursting with tourism, which means hotel rooms are booking up six or more months in advance, and restaurants are turning away diners without reservations. Travelers should book early.
In Ireland, Dublin is sprucing up its museum lineup with new high-tech sights. Epic: The Irish Emigration Museum tells the story of the Irish diaspora using interactive displays. The museum also houses the Irish Family History Centre, which helps visitors research their Irish roots. The new exhibit at GPO Witness History offers an immersive look at the 1916 Easter Uprising from underneath the General Post Office, which served as the rebel headquarters.
Travelers heading up to Northern Ireland should note that along the Antrim Coast, timed tickets are now required to cross the rickety Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. But they’re only available in person on the same day, so arrive early before they sell out. Nearby, at the striking basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway, the new Clifftop Experience is a three-hour guided trek exploring 5 miles of the Causeway coast. And in Belfast, the Titanic museum now offers a half-price ticket sold one hour before closing. But at such an impressive attraction, it’s worth the fullprice ticket (about $25) to spend more time here.
Britain and Ireland are a work in progress for travelers, and those equipped with the latest information enjoy a better experience.