England: the most picturesque landscapes and villages

England is an incredibly diverse travel destination and probably has more to offer than most people think. There are stunning nature parks such as the Peak District and Lake District, picturesque little towns like the Cotswolds and the coastal towns of Yorkshire, and vibrant cities such as Oxford and London. On top of that, the English are generally hospitable and there are many cosy B&Bs and restaurants everywhere.

We can especially recommend a road trip through England by car (and tent) or campervan. In this England itinerary, we take you along some of the highlights of this lovely country!

Recommended itinerary

• Essex and Suffolk coast
• Norfolk coast
• Peak District
• North York Moors coast
• Lake District
• Cotswolds
• Oxford
• London

This itinerary will take about 3 weeks, depending on your travel pace. If you have more time, you can add our Scotland itinerary to this route. You can also do a smaller combination of the two, like visiting the area between the English peak district and the Scottish Cairngorms. Whatever you choose, you'll probably have to return sometime as there is just so much to see!

Essex and Suffolk coast

As we travelled by boat from Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands to Harwich in England, we started our trip with a not-so-popular region for foreign tourists, namely the southeast part of England. Would we highly recommend going here? No. Is it fun to explore whilst in the neighbourhood? Yes!

Next up, you can visit the Suffolk region. The coastline is a nature reserve in its entirety. We visited the lovely little fishermen's town of Aldeburgh. It's very tiny, but it has some lovely streets, shops and cafés. It's also known for its cultural side, there are many painters and there is a famous music festival every year in June.

We then stayed the night in Southwold, which we thought was the most charming coastal town so far. It has beautiful surroundings, which you can especially appreciate by going to the pier. The beach huts here are very colourful as well. We can recommend camping at Pigs in Blankets, which is a calm campsite at a pig farm. They have a path to the beach, which makes for a lovely walk!

We started our trip by visiting friends in Clacton-on-Sea, a typical English coastal town. You can visit the pier and eat some fish and chips to get into the real English vibe. Next up, pay a quick visit to the nearby Frinton-on-Sea. Especially the colourful, neatly lined up beach houses and the sectioned beach make for a very funny view.

The last town we visited in the region of Essex was Walton-on-the-Naze, where we had a lovely hike near the famous Naze Tower. If you walk up to Stone Point, you'll enjoy a beautiful view of the Hamford Water National Reserve.

Norfolk Coast

The Norfolk region is already a bit more popular. Its capital is the old city of Norwich. We didn't go there because at the time there was a heat wave in England. Instead, we chose to visit a vast nature area called The Broads. This enormous national park is famous for its many waterways and marshlands, which reminded us very much of our home country, The Netherlands.

We wanted to do a very touristy activity here, namely to go on a river cruise. Near Wroxham and Horning you'll find several tour operators. However, the thought of being trapped on a boat in almost 40-degree weather was just too daunting. Therefore, we cannot suggest this activity by experience, but it did look like a lot of fun!

Next up is our favourite place in this region, Blakeney. This little town is located in a beautiful nature reserve consisting of marshes and mud flats. Because this area gets flooded at high tide, a beautiful landscape with purple and green plants gets uncovered at low tide. There is also a lot of wildlife, such as birds and more extraordinarily: seals.

Just like the Suffolk Coast, Norfolk Coast is also a nature reserve in its entirety. You can drive along the coast and stop whenever you see something that interests you, like at one of the big beaches and dune areas. The drive itself is beautiful as well. We didn't really stop until Hunstanton where we ate some delicious fish and chips at Henry's before going to Old Hunstanton Beach, which is the gateway to the amazing Hunstanton Cliffs. These cliffs are incredibly stunning because of them being half orange and half white. The most beautiful sight was at the Wreck of the Steam Trawler. One of the final famous sights you'll come across in Norfolk is the Sandringham Estate, the country retreat of the royal family.

Blakeney Point is a famous spot because it is home to the largest grey seal colony in England. There are also common seals, but these are more difficult to spot as they tend to stay underwater. There is no other way of seeing the seals than by going on a boat trip. We had a great experience with Temple Seal Trips. They were very flexible with our last-minute request to hop on board and told us many interesting facts during the tour!

Peak District

The Peak District National Park is located in the heart of England, between the cities of Sheffield and Manchester. As the name implies, it's a nature park with a lot of height differences. This in combination with all the heather fields, creates a stunning landscape. It can be quite difficult to decide where to go, as it is a big park. Therefore, we searched for the most stunning viewpoints and selected one.

We opted for Stanage Edge, which is an incredible mountain ridge with beautiful views. It's very easy to visit as you can just park on the nearby road. The edge is famous for being a location in the movie Pride and Prejudice. Moreover, within the edge you find the so-called Robin Hood's Cave. The legend goes that Robin Hood used to hide here. This area in England is known for Robin Hood sites, as he (or so the legend tells us) used to live around here. The cave is a very fun lookout point.

Other famous sights are the Chatsworth House and the caverns (cave systems that you can visit) near Castleton. We didn't go there, but we did visit Cave Dale, which is believed to be a collapsed cave system. It's a beautiful short hike through the pass with a view of the Peveril Castle, a ruin that you can visit as well.

Other famous viewpoints in Peak District National Park are Higger Tor, Monsal Head, The Roaches, Thor's Cave, Alport Castles, Kinder Scout, Great Ridge, Bamford Edge, and the list goes on and on. We were only here for a day, but you can definitely drive around this stunning park for two to three days. We especially loved the road through Winnats Pass that leads to the Mam Tor viewpoint.

The small town of Castleton is also lovely to have lunch, afternoon tea or a pub meal. The George seemed like the most fun place to us. Unfortunately, we were already full of tea and scones, but in the summer we would definitely have a seat on the terrace here with a lovely view of the castle. In case you're looking for a typical English hotel, we can highly recommend The Maynard, a lovely boutique hotel with great breakfast.

North York Moors Coast

The North York Moors is another big national park. It's a stunning drive through the immense heather fields and remnants of the Roman past. We didn't explore much of the park but went to three very well-known seaside villages that are located here. We visited all the villages in one day, but you can also choose to take more time and go on a long coastline walk from village to village.

First of all, we visited Robin Hood's Bay, which we loved the most of the three due to the cute little streets and the stunning surroundings. There is only one car park at the top of the town, from which you have to walk all the way down to the cosy town centre. We had a lovely lunch at Brambles Bistro. We can also recommend a nice walk from Robin Hood's Bay Beach along the Cleveland Way, which takes you along the bay and allows you to enjoy the beautiful views.

The next town is the biggest of all three: Whitby. This is also noticeable due to the number of (mostly English) tourists here. It took us some time to enjoy Whitby, as it's quite a contrast with Robin Hood's Bay due to the many (tacky) tourist shops and restaurants. However, once you make it to the old part of town near the beautiful Whitby Abbey ruin, you'll be able to appreciate it more. Especially the views of the town from the Abbey, the 199 Steps, and the Church of St Mary are great.

Lastly, we visited Staithes, the birthplace of the world-famous explorer James Cook. Though the town was beautiful, it was also a bit too quiet for our taste, but that might be because we visited it past 17 o'clock... It's the smallest town of the three and has a very interesting look during low tide when the water retreats out of the town. There are only a few cafés and restaurants, but the ones that are there (like Cod & Lobster and Dotty's Vintage Tearoom) all seem to be of high quality and authenticity, so definitely check those out if you visit! We would recommend seeing all three towns as they make for a lovely 'triptych' of this region.

Lake District

One of the most popular destinations in England is the Lake District. This national park is full of grand lakes, hence the name. It can be quite crowded during the summer, which is understandable because of the beauty and nice weather. Many people stay near Windermere or Derwentwater, which are two of the biggest lakes. Both have picturesque towns and plenty of activities such as boat trips and water sports.

Another amazing sight is Moss Force, a small waterfall in between several stunning mountain edges. You can do some hiking over the mountain ridges here as well if you want. Otherwise, drive up to the beautiful Buttermere, a smaller lake with an amazing hidden waterfall called Scale Force Waterfall next to it. It's about a two-hour hike in total. When you get to the waterfall, you have to climb a bit to get to the much prettier second tier. Although we are afraid of heights we can assure you that the challenge is definitely worth it!

In case you're booking in advance, you could check out the Syke Farm Campsite as the drive up here is quite long and bumpy. Otherwise, you can just return to Keswick or continue to Windermere.

We stayed at Dalebottom Farm Caravan and Camping Park, which we would vote as one of the prettiest campings we have come across! The nearby town of Keswick is nice to stroll around and have a meal. A famous site to visit is Castlerigg Stone Circle, a henge on top of a hill, surrounded by beautiful mountains. Truly magical! Next, you can visit the Derwentwater lake and especially the stunning viewpoint called Friars Crag. Grab a coffee and a snack to go at the lovely The Moon & Sixpence Coffeehouse.

Windermere is the largest and perhaps most famous lake in England. With the backdrop of the mountains and the luxurious houses, it is truly stunning. There is a lot to do on and around the lake, so you could definitely spend a few lovely days here. We didn't have a lot of time, so we chose to do only one activity which allowed us to see most of the area, namely a lake cruise. We would recommend doing the red cruise and hopping off at the picturesque town of Ambleside for a drink and a nice walk.

Cotswolds

The Cotswolds could be the front page of any England travel book with its cosy villages and beautiful old houses. You can spend a day or two driving around, hopping from one village to another. We had a lovely stay at the Blue Boar in Witney, which was very convenient as we were going to Oxford after the Cotswolds. Otherwise, you can make your way to the south to the famous Roman city of Bath and see some more villages along the way.

Next are the Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter. The name might sound awful but it's derived from an old English word for marsh or mud. Even though this might not sound very appetizing as well, the Slaughters are very beautiful. It's most fun to park at Lower Slaughter and then walk towards Upper Slaughter via the dedicated path. Afterwards, you can visit Bourton-on-the-Water, which some refer to as the 'Venice' of England. That might be too much of a title if you ask us, but it is certainly a picturesque place with its little canals.

We started in Broadway, one of the biggest Cotswold villages. We happened to be there during the second weekend of August when there was a car show. The Highstreet has many lovely shops and there are also plenty of cosy restaurants and cafés like Leaf and Bean, where we had a lovely lunch. Many people also visit the Broadway Tower for some great views over the Cotswolds. Another town nearby that you can add to your trip is Chipping Camden.

Stow-on-the-wold is also one of the bigger villages. It has a town square surrounded by beautiful buildings. Unfortunately, the beauty of the place is somewhat diminished by the big parking lot on the square... One of the more famous sights is the St Edward's church, which has a beautiful Harry Potter-like entrance with a tree that has grown onto it.

When we say that the Cotswolds are the front page of a book about England, we should specify that nine out of ten times, the place you see is probably Bibury and even more specifically Arlington Row. The houses here were already built in the 14th century and are still inhabited, though now owned by the National Trust because of their cultural significance.

Although it is indeed a pretty sight, we didn't enjoy it much more (or perhaps even less) than the other villages. Maybe it's because of all the tourists that are peeping into people's homes... Nevertheless, if you're already here, you might as well visit this most famous street in England. Lastly, you can visit the nearby bigger town of Burford.

Oxford

Oxford is well-known because of its world-famous university. It's conveniently located between London and the Cotswolds, just an hour away from London by car or train. In case you're travelling by car we would suggest going to one of the cheap 'park & ride' places and hopping on a bus to the centre.

Another must-visit is the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The building itself is beautiful and the natural history collection is very impressive. However, even more impressive to us was the Pitt Rivers Museum, housed in the same building. This museum is full of anthropological artefacts from all over the world. It is truly mind-blowing, and also a bit awkward to be fair, as much of the collection seems to have a colonial background. Apart from that, it really is a must-see!

The city centre is really pretty and cosy. There are lots of shops, restaurants, cafés and beautiful old buildings. It's very noticeable that Oxford is a student city because of its lively atmosphere. We can recommend visiting the Covered Market, an old indoor market. It's a really lovely place to stroll around and have a cup of coffee or tea, for example at the great Colombia Coffee Roasters!

You can then head on to probably the most famous sights around town, namely the University Church, the Radcliffe Camera and Square and the Bodleian Library. All of these university buildings are truly stunning. The library was the inspiration for the Harry Potter library. Visiting these sights is also possible, but when we were there in mid-August they were fully booked so make sure to reserve your spot in advance or don't mind just seeing the exterior.

Other famous places to visit are Keble College, the Ashmolean Museum, Carfax Tower, Oxford Castle and Prison and Christ Church Cathedral. It's also really fun to just wander around town because of all the beautiful old architecture. In case you're looking for a more unique thing to do in Oxford, you can consider a lovely boat trip on the Castle Mill Stream.

We were surprised by how many cool restaurants there are in Oxford, with cuisines from all over the world. There are fancier ones, but also just really chill and affordable ones because of all the students. We had a very fun time enjoying cocktail hour and Jamaican food at Turtle Bay Oxford!

London

There are many extensive travel guides online that take you to the most well-known and hidden gems of London. We don't think that our short visit can exceed those. Nevertheless, we love to share our favourite places with you so far, as we think London is one of the best cities we've ever been to!

London is also well-known for its gastronomy and vibrant city life. Nothing combines this better than the several (food) markets like Covent Garden, Camden, Seven Dials, Borough, Old Spitalfields, Boxpark and Leadenhall. They all have very different styles and atmospheres. Some are very touristy like Covent Garden and Camden, while others are more authentic. We especially liked the area around Covent Garden, such as Neal's Yard, the Seven Dials Market (a hip food court) and Chinatown.

Some other awesome places to eat are the Taiwanese Din Tai Fung and the Indian-inspired Dishoom. The famous chef Yotam Ottolenghi also has several restaurants in London. We would especially like to eat at his Ravi restaurant which was also featured on the London episode of Somebody Feed Phil. Definitely watch the episode before you visit London. We can confirm that the chocolate chip cookies at Fortnum and Mason and breakfast at Les Filles are indeed great.

First of all, we would recommend getting a London city pass to see all the main highlights like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the Palace of Westminster in one go. These sites are very expensive to visit, so doing them all in one trip using the pass, can be more affordable.

Although we often expect the least from very touristy places like Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, the Big Ben and the London Eye, we thoroughly enjoyed going on a long city walk, passing by these different famous sites.

Another fun thing to do is to go on a boat trip on the River Thames. You can just take a public ferry with your public transport card (Oyster card) and go all the way to Greenwich where there are also some sites to visit.

Some great museums to visit are the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. The British Museum could be described as a colonial museum, with a massive collection of artefacts from all the previous British territories. As the museum is very reluctant to give things back, it is quite controversial. Nonetheless, it's a really beautiful museum. The Natural History Museum is also great, with all types of collections about the Earth and even about space. Both museums can get really crowded during the holidays though, so make sure to visit them at down times.

Another fun area to walk around is the famous Notting Hill, with its colourful houses and street market. Consider watching the all-time favourite romcom with the same name before you go. Here, we had a great Greek meal at the cosy and authentic Tavernaki Portobello.

Another fun place to walk around is Shoreditch, here you'll find the rooftop food market Boxpark and some famous Bagel bakeries. This part of town can feel a bit sketchy, the social issues can be quite visible from time to time. The graffiti and rough vibe are also what draws a lot of young people here, as there are many bars and clubs around.

Next time, we would also definitely go to a rooftop bar, such as the stunning Sky Garden. Primrose Hill is another famous spot for a sunset picnic in the park with a view of the city.

Some general good-to-knows

• England is not a cheap destination to visit. You can save a lot of money by travelling with a tent or campervan and making your own meals. Activities can be quite expensive, but if you mostly explore museums, cities, towns and nature, the only thing you'll pay is parking fees.

• The UK has an amazing train network. You can even reach the most picturesque little towns! You can save a lot of money on train tickets by getting an interrail pass. Check out our sustainability page for more info on that.

• Some places in England (like London and the Lake District) can be rather busy in the summer, so it's advisable to visit England during the 'shoulder season', such as in June and September, if you can.