I remember using a tourist map – bad for road directions but studded with pictures of landmarks – and an O/S Survey map (the best maps of the UK) to sort of triangulate my way to where I thought a piece of the wall might be.

Eventually, I found a small, handpainted sign on a fence – “To Hadrian’s Wall” and an arrow. Under it was a handwritten note, directing drivers to a muddy field for parking. There was an honor box in which to deposit 5p for the parking and another note that read, “Please do not worry the cows”. I tried my best, as I recall, not to give the cows any cause for wringing their hooves.

It’s so much simpler now. There’s a wonderful website, Hadrian’s Wall Country, with everything you need to know about the entire length of the wall, coast to coast – bus routes, maps, guides, hiking paths, history – new information all the time.

I recently discovered their accommodation guide and even that is beautifully done and easy to navigate. It’s handily divided into four regions and includes all classes of digs – from luxury hotels to hostels for walkers and cyclists, B&Bs , and wheelchair friendly accommodations. All accommodation is quality assessed by either Visit Britain or the Automobile Association(AA).

What I like best about the website is that you can look for a place to stay based a town, a specific stretch of the wall you’d like to visit or with an interactive map search.

The site should be useful if you’re traveling to the region to see the coast to coast Hadrian’s Wall Illumination on March 13.

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Where to Stay Near Hadrian’s Wall originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Thursday, January 7th, 2010 at 10:01:29.

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But how do you choose a hotel based on what you can find on the Internet? Hotel web sites, after all, are hotel promotions of themselves. You could, of course, read what other people have to say about the hotels on review sites like TripAdvisor. But lack of control means that competitors, family members and others who are not entirely objective can skew the results.

Two of About.com’s guides have put together their own advice about how to choose a hotel – anywhere. Their ideas are so sensible and knowledgeable, I think they’re worth sharing with you.

• Betsy Malloy, About.com’s guide to California, explains how she chooses hotels when planning her own trips and vacations. The tips and pointers in Choosing a California Hotel are just as useful for choosing a hotel in the UK or anywhere in the world.

• Susan Breslow Sardone, About.com’s Honeymoons and Romance guide, decodes hotel web sites in How to Judge a Hotel By Its Web Site

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Once you’ve had a look at their advice, you’ll be all set to book your vacation like a pro.

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How to Choose a Hotel – Anywhere originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 at 01:33:57.

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Priority booking tickets for members have already gone on sale and tickets go on sale to the general public on February 15. Will you be a groundling, standing, rain or shine, in the pit?

See what’s on for the 2010 season at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

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Kings and Rogues at Shakespeare’s Globe originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 01:19:57.

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… Or get warm and cosy in a pile of hay bales? I love this triumphal arch, hidden among the trees and shrubs of a Herefordshire estate. What tickles me even more is that there is a small rental apartment inside where you can spend your vacation – with the help of the National Trust.

There are all sorts of weird and wacky accommodations around Britain, from cottages made of straw to isolated castle keeps. Look a little further afield and you can find some astonishing digs all over the world – ice hotels in Scandinavia, an amazing spherical house, suspended from the trees in Vancouver, BC., and more.

About.com’s Canada expert, Jane McLean has collected some of the most unsual accommodations from around About.com Travel’s world. Check out our latest blog carnival, Weird and Wacky Accommodation Around the World for some of the strangest vacation accommodations on the planet.

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Why Stay in a Hotel Room When You Can Swing From the Trees…? originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 01:47:30.

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I have to admit that I’m a novice myself. But my introduction to this Kashmiri-style one-pot cooking, at Al Frash on Ladypool Road in Birmingham, won me over instantly. My chicken and spinach balti – chunks of chicken, soft spinach and almost melted onions – was the kind of dish you write home about.

I liked the informality and friendliness – it’s impossible to be formal when you are scooping up the spicy food with chunks of naan, the variety of tastes and the down to earth prices.

Now I want to try a local balti place wherever I go in the UK. Can you help? I’m looking for:

• Informality

• Authenticity
• Meals served in the ‘balti’ in which they are cooked
• Casual dinner for two for under £30 – even less if you rate the place

Where do you find the best Balti? And what do you usually order? Let us know in “Comments”, below.

Sure hope you can help because I’m already getting hungry for my next Balti meal.

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Best Balti in Britain? originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Sunday, January 17th, 2010 at 17:26:54.

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