The British Isles are an ancient set of culturally and geographically diverse jewels in the North Atlantic, bearing strong traces of Celtic, Roman, Viking, and Norman heritage. The land is dramatic and beautiful - primeval forests, vast chalk and granite cliffs, windswept seaside moors and rocky highlands, golden meadows, immense monumental rocks rising out of the sea off the wave-pounded coasts. Against this landscape great societies have thrived for millennia, leaving us great gifts including myths and music, some of the earliest religious texts and written histories in Europe, precise navigation tools for the seas and physics for the land, a legal system that has been adopted, adapted and applied throughout the world, and delightful works of literature and art known everywhere.

The hospitality matches the isles' many proud families and clans, each unique, and nearly all unified by the wit, warmth, and spirit that history and modern society have created in this fascinating corner of the world. England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland have each had their share of great cultural successes and defeats in the past millennium, and yet have persevered to both conserve their collective wisdom and monuments, and to forge ahead with their own identifies. Traveling through these countries, honeymooners and vacationers alike will find great beauty in the land and people, good humor, and places to either join the urban flow of life or disappear into the backcountry on foot or bicycle. While one or two cities or regions can be visited and savored on a shorter trip, the British Isles will usually demand more attention than you were initially prepared to give, and you'll be delighted. Allow for time to wander!

More about the British Isles:

Reasons to choose the British Isles:
Sports and plays, beer and good food, museums and castles, manor houses and country inns, morning mists and fireside evenings with music and good company.

Reasons to choose someplace else:
If you desire a perfect beach, you won't likely find it in the British Isles and the cold waters of the North Atlantic. If you want a very laid-back lifestyle and more of a departure from the cycles of global business life, you might better enjoy the siestas and late evenings of Italy and Spain. If you need absolutely consistent, sunny weather, this is not your place.

MoonRings Signature Itineraries:

Castles and Coasts: England and Wales 10 days / 9 nights	Stone and Heather: Adventures in Ireland 13 days / 12 nights
From London to Loch Ness: England and Scotland 11 days / 10 nights	Relaxation & Restoration across the Channel 8 days / 7 nights

Best suited for:
Couples who enjoy history, peaceful countryside, driving, and exploring a multitude of places. Lovers of food and beer. People who love being outdoors and being active.

When to go:
May through October are the best months from a weather perspective. High tourist season is June - September when festivals and arts venues are common, and you'll want to book far in advance for these months. Although it can get quite cold in England and Scotland over the winter, Ireland never freezes, and 40s and 50s F (5-10 C) can be found even in January (with beautiful morning mists and hardly any tourists). Ireland is perfect for a Christmas/ New Year's escape - you can even golf!

Accommodations:
There is no limit to the diversity in accommodations here - grand hotels in the big cities, intimate farm-based hideaways in the countryside, lakeside mansions and castles converted to luxury boutique hotels, even some quaint beachside bed and breakfasts in the southwest of England.

Dining:
British dining often gets a bad rap, which is pretty much unfounded in the current state of the world. Continental cooking schools have earned great renown in London, Dublin, and Cork, and chefs are recently focusing on reintegrating local ingredients and traditions with cosmopolitan cuisine. Away from the cities, food is substantial and savory as it has always been when times are good, and sitting down to good beer, stews, eggs, mushrooms, pies, and fish are a delight.

Special Activities:
Touring London via open bus, viewing an outdoor Shakespeare play in Stratford, horseback riding in the Lakes District, looking for Nessie in the lakes of the Great Glen of Scotland. In Wales and Ireland, deep sea and river fishing, hill walking, exploring ruined castles, communing with nature in meadows and ancient stone circles.