Instead of Heathrow

If you’re visiting anywhere in England outside the London area, consider using the Manchester or Birmingham airport rather than Heathrow, as each is so much easier and less congested. In addition to the big American and continental carriers, they also serve most of the smaller airlines, like Flybe, Ryanair, Germanwings, etc.

We flew on United from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Manchester Airport (via Washington Dulles), and we have two caveats to pass along. First, the American airlines are not all in one terminal, so if you’re departing or having someone pick you up, be sure to check which of the three is the correct one. 

And if you choose to get local currency at the airport upon your arrival, be aware that Travelex, the currency exchange bank, has a monopoly on cash machines in Manchester Airport and offers an outrageous exchange rate.

When we were there on May 26, 2014, Travelex was asking $1.83 for £1, while at cash machines at banks like NatWest in the city it was $1.69 for £1.

We had planned on five days in Cornwall before coming back to Yorkshire, and, online, we had booked our flight from Manchester to Newquay Airport in Cornwall. However, except on Saturdays, there’s only one flight on that route per day, so, having arrived in Manchester at 7 a.m. and not flying on until 4:40 p.m., we had a lengthy layover. We knew we had to remain somewhat active to overcome jet lag.

We found the solution, highly recommended on TripAdvisor.com, in Manchester Taxi Tours (phone +44 0161 248 8483, manchestertaxitours.co.uk). John Consterdine (email john@manchestertaxitours) offers tours customized to your interests, whether historical, architectural or cultural. At £50 (near $85) per hour for a party of up to six, he’ll show you whatever interests you.

In our case, we enjoyed learning more of Roman and medieval Manchester. John also took us to Ardwick, where Dickens’ sister Fanny, her husband and their crippled son lived and inspired Ebenezer’s sister Fanny and Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol.”

There is no hop-on, hop-off bus tour of Manchester except on Saturdays, and guides for walking tours charge the same per hour as John.

Manchester is booming as a city. At Salford Quays, which has undergone a beautiful renovation, you can visit the Imperial War Museums North (The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, Manchester; phone +44 [0] 161 836 4000) — which, until March 31, 2015, is housing a magnificent centenary exhibit on World War I — and The Lowry, a performance venue and collection of art exhibits, including one that features artwork by Manchester’s own L.S. Lowry. Across the way is a huge outlet mall. 

In town, Manchester’s outstanding art museum is right down the street from Piccadilly train station — easy to access from the airport and cheap.

We wanted a relaxing stay while we were in Cornwall, so we chose not to rent a car. Instead, we used taxis and public buses to visit sites. 

Our center, on the south coast, was Charlestown, a port built for the nearby clay-mining industry in St. Austell. Today it’s the home of the Charlestown Shipwreck & Heritage Centre (Quay Road, Charlestown, St. Austell; phone 01726 69897) and of tall ships that are still used in films.

We stayed in the best B&B we’ve ever encountered, the award-winning Tall Ships B&B (Tall Ships, Eleven Doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, PL25 3NZ, U.K.; phone 01726 871095).

At £85 ($144) per night, we had a separate, elegant, one-floor apartment that had been beautifully detailed by owners Nick and Brenda.

Nick, a gourmet cook, provided long lists of choices for our breakfast each day. He and Brenda were friendly and helpful, inviting us to ride along to Truro, so we could visit that city, and giving us a ride to the clay museum, which was a bit out of the way in St. Austell.

The B&B’s lovely garden, alone, was worth the visit, and its location made it easy to access the six restaurants in Charlestown as well as public buses.

Some places we enjoyed visiting were the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the picturesque villages of Mevagissey and Fowey, where Daphne DuMaurier lived. 

It’s so easy to read up on all these places now and plan a personally appealing itinerary away from the crowds and high costs of London.

CORY & LOU PEPOY

Holland, MI