Britainexpress.com

Review by Adrian Mann, owner of Adrian Mann Design, providing independent reviews and analysis of travel web sites in the UK.

Here’s a site that’s a labour of love for the author, David Ross. As a committed Anglophile, he’s set out to make BritainExpress.com the best place on the net to get information about Britain.

Overall
The homepage hardly has a pixel of white space! If you have any interest in things British, it looks like there’s a link to it from here. The homepage downloads in just over 22 seconds for a 56kb modem, which is a bit long but tolerable. The design is basic, but looks pretty good and doesn’t get in the way of navigating the site.
The coverage certainly looks comprehensive – there are links to all the usual travel-related subjects such as accommodation and city tours, but also some more detailed background information such as myths and legends, royalty and culture.

Content
Lets check out the functional elements first, for example, accommodation. This has two parts, bed & breakfast and hotels. The B & B section is split into geographical areas, and from here you can search for something relevant. The coverage looks good, and most areas have a good selection. The level of information on each property is excellent, with most having links to a website or an email address, and a few have online booking. The hotels section is a little different, concentrating more on cities and towns. Again, there is online booking, provided by worldchoicetravel.com.

Another major content area is the UK destinations section, which can be browsed by region or attraction type. These are mainly of the historical type, such as Castles, Historic Houses and Ancient Britain. These are sorted alphabetically and are also shown on clickable maps, making it very simple to find whatever you’re after. Information is good, if brief, but there are links to further reading or information where appropriate. There’s also a section of the authors favourite places, which makes an interesting selection and a good starting point if you’re looking for ideas of where to go. This is taken further with the ‘Virtual Tours’ section, which takes the user on an interesting, if lengthy tour of all the best attractions, providing pictures and background details along the way.

Another fascinating and informative area is the British Culture section. This features everything from the history of tea to the laws of cricket, from Henley Regatta to a recipe for Scotch Eggs! All that’s missing is who’s who in the Archers.

There’s a lot more on this site – history, biography, royalty, national parks, architecture – in fact far too much to cover in a short review. Suffice to say that if you’re looking for some information on Britain, you’ll probably find it, or at least a link to it, here.

Summary
A fascinating site, even if you don’t use the travel elements. I can see two major audiences for this site – for those who are planning a trip to Britain and are researching attractions and accommodation, and for Brits living abroad, who could use it as a resource for indulging in some sightseeing and nostalgia.

However you use it, it’s packed full of information and background, and there are mountains of links to other sites. It’s easy to get around and find what you want, doesn’t indulge in needless technology, is entertainingly written, and has all the hallmarks of a site that’s been built and maintained by someone who’s passionate about what they do. If you are looking to visit Britain and want to do some research first, or if you just want ideas for great days out, have a look at Britainexpress.com first. Highly recommended.