England, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, the British Isles…whatever you call it, making the decision to visit is always the right call.
It can be confusing when it comes to differentiating all the different terms for a place that many people simply call ‘England’. But there are nuances that are important here, especially when it comes to where you choose to visit (and more importantly to Brits, where they are from!).
England is actually a country that forms part of Great Britain, the island that also includes Scotland to the north and Wales to the South. But Great Britain also includes Northern Ireland (on its own island to make things even more confusing). The term United Kingdom is pretty much synonymous with Great Britain and includes them all. And when speaking about the British Isles, this generally refers to the outlying islands such as the Isle of Wight. Whew.
Not surprisingly, visiting all the countries and places that make up Great Britain is about as varied as you can imagine, geographically, historically, and of course linguistically. The capital cities alone can keep a visitor entertained and engaged for weeks, nevermind the beautiful countrysides and coasts.
Regardless of whether you choose to explore the urban or rural aspects of the UK, one thing is certain: Great Britain’s impact on global culture, history, science, industry and exploration is profound. So whether you come here to enjoy an afternoon tea, take in a theatrical performance, or explore historic castles and palaces, plan on returning. Because one visit is nowhere close to enough to take in everything that makes Great Britain, well, so great.
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Bridgerton, Jane Austen, Harry Potter and More: “Starring Great Britain”
With all of its history, architecture and seemingly frozen-in-time villages, it’s easy to see why so many big and small screen productions are shot in England. From Jane Austen classics to Harry Potter and Thor, here are some of the film locations in the UK that we visited (sometimes by accident), and what to see in each of them.
