Travel To Nottingham, England - EuropeTrip Part 1

TRAVEL TRIP (JULY 2011)

My family was in UK for quite a while. This was the starting point of my first EuroTrip. I arrived at Stansted Airport, London in July and took a bus to Nottingham with UK National Express. From Nottingham is where I planned my trip to the other places in Europe.

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is the seventh-largest urban area in the United Kingdom, ranking between those of Liverpool and Sheffield. Nottingham is famed for its links with the legend of Robin Hood.

TRANSPORTATION

1. From Malaysia
If you are travelling from Malaysia, usually you will departure from KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport). KL or Kuala Lumpur is the federal capital with lots of city attractions.

To book the airlines ticket, you have two choices. Try AirAsia (www.airasia.com) for a better rate as this is Malaysian low-cost carrier. AirAsia flies only to few international destinations. You must check where is your departure airport in Malaysia because most of AirAsia flights fly from KLIA2. For another option you may also check MAS (www.malaysiaairlines.com) as this is the national carrier of Malaysia, price could be higher. But you will be surprised during promotion, price is very competitive. MAS definitely takes off from KLIA, not KLIA2. Journey will takes about 14 to 15 hours by direct flight.

MAS will lands in Heathrow Airport while AirAsia in Stansted Airport, London (check for update information). There is no direct flight to Nottingham.

2. From London
By Road:
You may travel by car/bus/taxi to Nottingham. Jouney is about 2 to 3 hours. The National Express coach is very reliable. National Express is an intercity coach operator providing services throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

You can check this website for more information on UK National Express: www.nationalexpress.com.
You can check these websites for car rental: www.avis.com.my, www.europcar.com.my, www.thrifty.co.uk, www.hertz.co.uk, www.enterprise.co.uk.

By Rail:

If you want to travel by train, please check this website www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com. The journey will also takes about 2 hours. Train to Nottingham will departure from London Kings Cross or St Pancras Station and arrive in Nottingham Station.

ACCOMMODATION

I stayed with my family when I was in here so I will not be able to advise much on the accommodation. Somehow I believe it is not very difficult to find a place to stay in this town. Ranging from 5 star hotels to simple budget country accommodations, Nottingham have them all.

This is a good website to find out more information on type of accommodations that are available in Nottingham: http://www.experiencenottinghamshire.com/stay

PLACES OF INTEREST

You may find and read about a lot of interesting places in Nottinghamshire, but each traveler might personally have his/her own taste of attractions that must be visited.

I did lots of research on points of interest in Nottingham. The only one that is really unique to me and do not resemble to any other places in Europe is the Old Market Square. I love Nottingham Old Market Square. Located in the heart of Nottingham City Centre, the square is bounded by Beast Market Hill to the West, Smithy Row to the North, and South Parade to the South. The Eastern end of the square is dominated by the Council House, which serves as Nottingham's city hall. The nature of the square means it is often used for large local events, fairs, concerts and exhibitions. During summer, the whole square is converted into a large theme park area for children.

From my opinion, Nottingham is a quiet city and good place to live if you enjoy this kind of lifestyle. It does not contains a lot of tourist attractions. The living cost also seems way much cheaper than London, yet the area is still considered to be an urban place.

-Alvy-