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Britain by Rail is the independent website offering consumer information on all UK rail companies together with  bus and shipping links. 

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Tourist Information

Tourist Information offices are located throughout Britain.  Most are identified by an 'i' symbol.  They are usually run by the relevant government tourist board such as Visit Scotland and Visit England.  Sometimes tourist information is also provided by transport companies or private companies who provide leaflet and information boards in hotels and other places where visitors gather.

Online there are many excellent tourist information sites.  While the official tourist boards do an excellent job with an overview of Britain, keep in mind that local sites often have more detail.  Also it is unfortunately common for tourist boards to price small quality B&B's and other accommodation providers away from their services.  By searching other sites the range of accommodation on offer can be much broader. 

You might even like to find out about British life before you even get here by listening to British Radio on your PC from anywhere in the world!  Click here for details. 

Official Tourist Board Information

The official Tourist Boards of Britain offer all the advice an overseas visitor could hope for before setting foot in Britain.  They are excellent for an overview.  If you are looking for more detailed information though you are better to look up a local or regional website.  Official Tourist Board Sites:

VisitBritain.com is the British Tourist Board website.  Although detailed it is only an overview of Britain.  However the best thing about this website is that it comes in over 38 languages!  If English is not your first language, make your way to Visit Britain for an excellent introduction to the country.   

EnjoyEngland.com  is the official website of the English Tourist Board. There are sections on accommodation, days out, destination guides and other features of interest.  There are new sections where website readers have added their thoughts and photos.  Keep in mind though that as with other Tourist Boards attractions and accommodation providers pay to be registered on the site, so not everything is listed. 

VisitScotland.com is the website of the Scottish Tourist Board, covering mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.  The site has a map which divides the country into areas and allows you to find out all about each area you have selected.  The attraction guides are excellent, although there are a lot of good accommodation providers missing (again due to the cost of being represented on this site) so you should shop around before booking anything.

VisitWales.com is the official website of the Welsh Tourist Board.  The site includes details of places to visit, accommodation and holiday ideas. 

Local Information - Regions and Towns

While the national tourist boards (above) offer excellent information for first time visitors to the UK, they are often lacking in detailed information for towns and areas. 

Glasgow seeglasgow.com has information on Scotland's second city.  There is a convention section, events guide and details of significant occasions throughout the year in the city.  The site is managed by the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board. 

British Radio and News - Listen Online

If you want to start finding out more about Britain before you even arrive, why not start listening to British radio from anywhere in the world?  You can now listen online with your computer to live radio from the UK.  Try these for interest:

The BBC's national, local and regional stations are available online to listen to on your computer.  Also with I-Player you can listen to shows up to seven days after they have been broadcast.  The BBC is funded by a license scheme and does not accept advertising.  The quality of the programs tends to be high and there is a reputation for being impartial (although not everyone agrees with that). 

What to listen to.  Radio 2 is known as the most listened to station in the UK.  It has a selection of easy listening music and programs including news every hour on the hour.  Radio 3 has classical, jazz and other music from around the world.  Radio 4 has in depth programs on British life, politics and current affairs while Radio 5 has constant news and sport throughout the day.   

 
UCB has five radio stations available in the UK on digital radio and all over the world over the internet.  There are news sections with British and international news, together with music and programs on many interesting subjects.  These are probably the best independent (non BBC) radio stations around.  In common with the BBC there is no advertising, so you can listen to your favorite programs uninterrupted.  UCB Europe and UCB Inspirational are probably the most listened to stations and both are available on your computer anywhere in the world.  

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