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About getting out and about
Typical, says Lucy Howard. You wait ages for an accessible travel guide and then two come along at once
The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain has been a choice addition to the popular and reliable worldwide Rough Guide series.
The latest edition includes the results of the Accessible Britain
Awards 2010, with the Eden Project in Cornwall the outright winner of
the Readers’ Choice award. Another recent addition is a Family Days Out
version, with reviews of over 75 venues, available free at accessibleguide.co.uk.
Hot on the Rough Guides’ heels is the second Open Britain guide,
published by Tourism for All. This “definitive travel guide to
accessible Britain” carries some weight, as is emphasised by a
demand-led increase in the print run for its 2011 edition.
The guide is easy to use and navigate around, and has clear contents
and guidelines on how the reviews for individual accommodation and
venue options are categorised and rated, including a key to the symbols
used. There is handy colour coding for each location around the UK,
with sections on where to stay, where to go and where to eat, along
with contact details for tourist information centres in each area.
Throughout the guide there are colourful, eye-catching images, and
large, clear, accessible print, so it is easy to read as well as nice
to look at.
Open Britain features summaries of UK highlights and suggestions on
what to see and do at the start of each section, so that you can see
what you like the look of before delving deeper into the chapter and
finding out more.
There is something for everyone here, whether you want to travel on a
budget or have cash to splash, and whether you want to indulge your
penchant for history at Stonehenge in the South West or visit the new
accessible Elizabethan garden at Kenilworth Castle in the East
Midlands.
Both guides are well written and researched, and work quite well in
tandem because the Rough Guide looks more at venues while Open Britain
looks more at accommodation.
The Rough Guide, despite being smaller and lighter, has more content
and goes into more detail, so it is the guide to go to for the bigger
picture – as long as its density and mainly black-and-white images do
not put you off.
Open Britain 2011 is chunkier and features less content, but is worth
the extra space and weight in your backpack, because of its
accessibility and attractive layout. The trouble is, just reading it
is so enjoyable that you are going to have to make an extra effort to
tear yourself away and actually get out there and explore.
INFORMATION
Open Britain 2011, Tourism for All, £9.99.
The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, Rough Guides Ltd, £6.99 or free to Blue Badge holders through Motability