United Kingdom

A four-in-one destination (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the U.K. offers beautiful, memorable, and accessible nature, some of the best museums in Europe, and a flourishing food scene far beyond mushy peas or beans on toast. Its landscapes are unparalleled and diverse—think craggy mountain peaks, ancient forests dripping with moss and ferns, and cool glassy lakes increasingly popular for wild swimming.

5-summer_trains-jacobite-train-scotland.jpg
Overview

Planning your trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to the United Kingdom.

Related Guides
READ BEFORE YOU GO
HOTELS
Opened in February 2026, the Newman is an independent hotel that puts guests in the heart of Fitzrovia, a character-rich London neighborhood that visitors often overlook.
London may be one of the world’s most expensive cities, but these 13 hotels prove you don’t need a luxury-hotel budget to stay somewhere stylish.
The hotels on this list are as thoughtful about accessibility as they are about design, going beyond compliance to make travel more comfortable and intuitive for disabled guests.
Sleep under the world’s darkest, clearest skies across six continents at one of these 19 dark sky zone hotels.
From Victorian London to Boston and Pasadena, Langham hotels continue to define timeless elegance and modern hospitality.
Afar editors share the 2025 hotel stays they didn’t want to leave—and would happily return to.
Opening in February 2026 just north of London’s West End, the Newman takes cues from Fitzrovia’s bohemian history, balancing thoughtfully designed rooms with street-facing spaces meant to be shared.
Whether it’s a villa in Italy, a dude ranch in the U.S. West, or a luxury all-inclusive in the Caribbean, here are places where accommodations and experiences are ideal for large family groups with a wide range of ages.
The luxury hotel industry is changing fast. The Langham Hospitality Group CEO Bob van den Oord discusses how his brand is adapting—and what the future holds for high-end travel.
These are the 24 hotels we recommend most for wellness.
RESOURCES TO HELP PLAN YOUR TRIP
Between royal celebrations, the return of large-scale events (ahem, Elton John at Hyde Park), and a flock of new hotels and restaurants, now is the time to hop the pond.
Calling all former Norwegian Air admirers—the bargain-basement transatlantic carrier from Scandinavia has been reborn (sort of) and is offering low-cost flights to Oslo, London, and Berlin.
Following centuries of deforestation, the U.K.’s northernmost territory has invested heavily in rewilding. Now some environmental leaders want to go a step further.
From honoring new beginnings to welcoming the harvest season, here are eight festivals and holidays that celebrate our stately friends.
With these new protocols, the country is largely returning to many of its prepandemic operations.
JetBlue is also celebrating “Twosday” with fares as low as $349 round-trip to London.
It’s another season of new travel regulations in Europe, with some countries loosening requirements and others tightening them. But one thing remains the same—it’s still confusing.
Author Lauren Shockey’s colorful book presents hangover cures and remedies found across the globe, in the form of traditional and delicious dishes.
From a twist on the traditional British pub to charitable, eco-friendly hotels and dining in a prison, experience an alternative side of London that also supports its local communities along the way.
Escape the crowds in favor of the British country’s UNESCO sites, diverse landscapes, ruins, and undiscovered cities—and minimize your carbon footprint from the comfort of a train car at the same time.