Get Bowled Over By Greatness Of UK This World Cup Season

A picturesque countryside, huge heap of epic destinations, the London city life, Royal Castles, Scottish Highlands made famous by the drama series “Outlander”, remote isles brought to light by the “Bronte Sisters”, vast coastlines, and of course ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, are just the reasons you need to fill up your tank, pile up the snacks, turn on your playlist and set out on your great journey to explore UnitedKingdom in your Avis car rental. With innumerable tourist attractions in UKand between all the nail-biting cricket fever, you are sure not to have even a single dull moment.

Host to the world championship of the sport – cricket – worshipped as a religion in India, if there is the best time to visit the UK, it is now.

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The Lowdown

From 30^th May to 14^th July, 2019, multiple stadiums across England and Wales will be hosting the matches, across Cardiff, Bristol, Southampton, London, Nottingham, Taunton, Manchester, Leeds, Chester-Le-Street, and Birmingham.

Driving Rules:

Which side of the road?

In the United Kingdom, please drive on the left side of the road. Your rental car in the UK will always be a right-hand drive.

Country driving laws

• Mobile phones may only be used with a headset or hands-free device
• Use the outside lane to overtake on motorways and dual carriageways, however, only overtake on the right side of the road. Overtaking on the left could result in prosecution for dangerous driving. 
• There is a congestion charge payable when driving in London.
• Zebra crossings (black and white stripes on the road) give pedestrians right of way to cross the road

Speed Limits

• All speed signs will be in miles per hour (mph)

• For a standard Avis rental vehicle with no trailers:

• Urban areas: lowest 20 mph (31 km/h, for congested city centres like central London) and usually 30mph (48km/h)

• Rural areas: 60 mph (96 km/h).

• Motorways: 70 mph (112 km/h)

Unless indicated by road signs.

Child safety / Seatbelt laws

• It is compulsory for the driver and all passengers to wear a seatbelt.

• Children aged under 12 or less than 135cm tall must be seated in an appropriate child restraint for their size.

• Please note, it is the child’s parent / guardian or vehicle renter’s responsibility to fit the child seat.

Cardiff

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The only venue in Wales hosting 4 matches, Cardiff has been picking up popularity with vacationers and locals alike, because of its Welsh culture and history, renting an Avis car is the best way to enjoy the various dining and drinking festivals hosted in the city. Things to do in Cardiff, well apart from enjoying the matches, include catching a show at Wales Millennium Centre, stepping back in time at the Cardiff Castle, immerse yourself in the long-running show ‘Doctor Who’ exhibit, relax in Bute Park, surf at UK’s best waterfront, eat at Anna Loka – a vegan café that has taken Cardiff by storm.

Cardiff makes for an excellent spot for many trips as well. You can get to the nation’s two most critical national parks, Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons, which is under an hour’s drive through staggering views. The Brecon Beacons is a national park at the heart of Welsh valleys and Celtic culture. It is also the easiest to get to from Cardiff in your Avis car rental.

Where to eat and drink:

Apart from the obvious, Cardiff Wales Stadium, catch some grub and live screening at Elegano, an Italian restaurant just 5 minutes from Sophia Gardens. The Potted Pig is a quicker alterative to enjoy some local Welsh cuisine.

Hire your Avis car from:

• Cardiff Airport
• Cardiff city center

London

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Boasting of two most iconic cricket stadiums, the Oval and the Lords, London has been on the bucket list of almost everyone. The epic city will be hosting the Cricket World Cup finals for the fifth time. Discover a wealth of culture and attractions like world famous buildings, museums, restaurants, and distinct neighbourhood, all in the comfort of you Avis car hire.

Big Ben, London Eye, Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard, Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London and London Bridge are some places to visit in londonthat are so synonymous with London that any trip to the city will be incomplete without them. Amongst the best places to visit in London, there is also a great variety of parks, art galleries and museums to explore: Hyde Park or Regents Park, British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern – a group of four museums, Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, and so many others.

Just 1.6 hour drive from London, lies Brighton. The perfect place to go pub hopping while catching the sunny rays. Windsor is a 50-minute drive, via the M4, from London with its biggest attraction being the Windsor Castle, the residence of the British Royalty for over a 1000 years.

Where to eat and drink:

The Wolseley, The Footman Mayfair, Hutong at The Shard, The Connaught Bar, Dandelyan at the Mondrian, will satiate you to the core. Indian restaurants in London include Lucknow 49 at Mayfair with a homely vibe, Gunpowder at  Tower Bridge for gunpowder chaat, Soho Wala for some street style grub and Little Kolkata at Covent Garden.

Hire your Avis car from:

• Gatwick Airport South
• London Heathrow Airport T2 (Fast Track)
• London Heathrow Airport T2-4
• London Heathrow Airport T5
• London City Airport
• Battersea
• Brent Cross
• Charing Cross Train Station
• London Euston Train Station
• London Liverpool Street Train Station
• London Paddington Train Station
• London Victoria Coach And Train Station
• London Waterloo Train Station
• Westfield London – Shepherd’s Bush

Manchester

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With the largest cricket ground outside of London, Manchester will be hosting 6 matches including semi-finals. Raving like it’s 1989, Manchester’s music scene is still going strong and boasts of beginnings of internationally renowned artists like The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Oasis, Freddie and the Dreamers, Chemical Brothers, Take That, so on and so forth. Manchester United Football Club certainly demands a visit by all the football fans and tops the things to do in Manchester.

A little more than a hour’s head out, you’ll end up among mountains and lakes amidst one of the nation’s best adored National Parks. The Lake District is the ideal day trip from Manchester in case you’re looking for natural air, hiking, interesting towns or Michelin-star restaurants.

Where to eat and drink:

Hawksmoor, Dishoom, Hispi, Mana are some of the finer options, whereas, the streets of Old Trafford are lined with takeaways and burger vans for a local flavour.

Hire your Avis car from:

• Manchester Airport England
• Manchester Piccadilly
• Manchester South

Bristol

Source: ice.org.uk

Bristol is the city of contrasts where the old and the new, the traditional and the innovative co-exist, creating a fiercely independent atmosphere. With an illustrious history and being one of the oldest ports of England, Bristol offers much to see and do. Explore the refurbished harbourside lined with trendy bars and vegan cafes, Bristol Cathedral, Clifton Suspension Bridge spanning the 260-foot-deep Avon Gorge, the Old City for a cultural retreat, numerous art galleries at the Art Quarter, Old Vic theatre and Banksy’s graffiti work.

You can also explore South-West of England beyond Bristol. World Heritage City of Bath is less than half an hour drive, United Kingdom’s most iconic landmark – Stonehenge, Cheddar Gorge providing a breath-taking vista, Salisbury Town and Cathedral, Painswick, Berkeley Castle, are easily reachable from Bristol.

Where to eat and drink:

The Olive Shed in Prince’s WharfKnown for its delightful tapas, gyoza dumplings at Eatchu, Pasta Ripiena specialising in stuffed pasta, Under the Stars for more tapas, Prego for delicious pizza and wine are the best places to discover brilliant Bristol grub.

Hire your Avis car from:

• Bristol Airport
• Bristol Temple Meads Train Station
• Bristol Central
• Bristol North

Southampton

This port city is one of the world’s largest natural harbors, is also home to numerous museums – Tudor House Museum, Southampton Maritime Museum, God’s House Tower, Titanic Memorial Museum. It also holds the longest stretch of medieval walls in England, the best views of which can be obtained from the Western Esplanade.

With great transport links, it also forms the perfect base for exploring Winchester, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight.

Where to eat and drink:

Mettricks for coffee and brunch, The Grand Café for afternoon tea, The pig in the wall to try local produce, The dancing man for real ale and pies, ice cream from the New Forest, and wine from the Three Choirs vineyard are simply not to be missed.

Hire your Avis car from:

• Southampton Road, Eastleigh
• Southampton Airport

Birmingham

Source: Pixabay

Hosting 5 matches including semi-finals, Birmingham is the getaway to Midlands of the beautiful Cotswolds and Malvern Hills areas. Pleasure boating is a must in Birmingham with its extensive canal system. Things to do in Birmingham include Historic City Centre, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Thinktank, National SEA LIFE Centre, Jewellery Quarter, St Philip’s Cathedral, and Cadbury World.

Ironbridge Gorge lies 30 miles from Birmingham and is the place of origin of the Industrial Revolution. Head to the midlands of Cotswolds for outstanding natural beauty, with an hour’s worth of drive. Peak District, the oldest national park in the UK is around 1.5 hours from Birmingham.

Where to eat and drink:

Adam’s for Michelin-starred grandeur, Opheem for exquisite Italian, Original Patty Men for great burgers, Zindiya for Indian street food, Purecraft Bar & Kitchen for craft beer, Bistro 1847 for vegetarians will certainly bowl you over with culinary delights.

Hire your Avis car from:

• Birmingham City Centre
• Birmingham Airport
• Birmingham NEC
• Birmingham New Street Station

Beyond exploring the venues hosting CWC19, your trip to England for the World Cup can be used as the perfect opportunity todiscover the unique, unforgettable United Kingdom.

Road trips in UK by rental car

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Penrith to Haydon Bridge, England

Irrespective of which side you start from the entirety of A686 that stretches for almost 60 km is abundant in Instagram worthy villages of Langwathby and Melmerby, dramatic scenery of Pennines, and magnificent sweeps of the Solway Firth, that will have you turning around again and again for more. Drive in your Avis car hire, across ‘the roof of England’ along the A868, from Cumbria’s Penrith to Northumberland’s Haydon Bridge.

Abergwesyn Pass – Powys, Wales

As challenging to navigate as it is to pronounce, Abergwesyn Pass leads up to the Devils Staircase, called so with good reason. Starting from the town of Tregar and passing through the Cambrian Mountains, this tarmac strip is narrow and twisty with endless hairpin bends and crests and definitely not for the faint of heart.  With colossal mountains, thick forests, and quaint villages as a backdrop, it is easy to see why Abergwesyn Pass is hailed as one of the greatest drives of UK.

Cheddar Gorge – Somerset, England

Britain’s biggest gorge holds fascinating secrets about prehistoric ages, in its caves and cliffs. At 16 kms south-west of Bristol, Cheddar George will have you stop your car every so often to take in the beauty of the breath-taking limestone cliffs forming one spectacular route full of twists and turns as you navigate of the most iconic landscapes in Britain.

Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland

No UK road trip is complete without a piece of Northern Ireland. 320 kms of Causeway Coastal Route stretching from Belfast to Derry, is studded with castles, Game Of Thrones shootlocations, fishing villages, sandy beaches, sound of crashing waves, unspoilt coastline, whiskey distilleries and World Heritage Sites.

Line by the wild Atlantic on one side and fables landscape on the other, the compelling glory of Causeway Coastal Route is best explored in your Avis car hire, with abundant pitstops to explore along the way.

North Coast 500, Scotland

Stunning coastal scenery of North Coast makes it one of the most scenic drives on the planet. Starting and ending in Inverness, the 800 km route will take you along breath-taking views,  Scottish Highlands, picturesque villages of Ullapool, Durness, John O’Groats and Dornoch, fairy-tale castles and historic ruins, along an unspoilt coastline.

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