The UK's only city thats not!

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England South East

Recommendation added: 12/03/2006 21:50
By: Yerrell1 (YSUK rating +203)

Yerrell1 has been thanked 5 times for this contribution

"Its true - Milton Keynes is not a city, its a town. But, Milton Keynes truly has everything a city needs, minus the Cathedral. Great nightlife, unique activities, all the shopping you can handle, it has it all! From the moment you arrive in Milton Keynes, you will notice something strange. its not like most cities. The roads are in straight lines (called Grid Roads) It is actually very difficult to get lost! There are the famous 0000's of roundabouts, and how can I forget the concrete cows! Now the stereotypes of Milton Keynes are out the way, lets get down to business. Why is Milton Keynes a great place to visit? Where should I stay? What should I do? Lets answer these questions and more!

Location: Milton Keynes is located in Buckinghamshire. Around 40 miles from London, it is the ideal base if you want to stay outside the capital, with frequent trains and bus service leaving hourly. It is off junction 14 of the M1.

What To Do?

There is so much to do in Milton Keynes, I could not possiblly list it all down here, but I will tell you the best of the best:

The Xscape (Ski Dome) - The Xscape is now described as the entertainment hub of Milton Keynes. Equally as fantastic during the day as it is at night. In the Xscape you will find the Ski Slope - The UK's premier indoor ski centre with real snow. Although it can be quite pricey, its well worth a go. Don't be scared now! Also, within the Xscape, their is a multi-screen cinema called cineworld, many brand name sports shops, resturants and bars, including the moon under water, where a single shot and mixer is just £1.60. Also, why not give the wall climbing a try, if you dare! Within the Xscape, you will find City Limits. If you fancy a bowl, or a try on the many arcade games they have to offer, City Limits is the place for you.

bowling - Milton Keynes has the City Limits bowling alley, as mentioned above and also megabowl, which is situated near the Central train station, behind argos.

Walking and Relaxing - By far the most popular place to walk is willen lake. You will find Willen Lake a short distance from the town centre (5 min drive) and yes, it does have a lake! Take the circular walk, and take in the views or try the exercise tasks they have dotted around. There is also a park for the kids, a mini railway train and boat hire. If you don't fancy Willen Lake, add these locations to your "check it out" list: Furzton Lake, Salcey Forest (10 miles), Great Linford and Linford Wood"

Nightlife - Milton Keynes has a host of well known clubs along side 100's of pubs and bars. For the ultimate nightclub experience, try out Oceana. It has 3 floors of a themed nature, including the relaxing log cabin and the disco area. Prices are quite pricey, but before 10 they usually have drink offers. Also Revolution, the vodka bar is fantastic. Thursday nights are a good night to go as they offer good drink promotions. Around Oceana, you will find many other good clubs, so be adventurous!. If you don't fancy the clubbing experience, pubs are located everywhere.

Shopping - Milton Keynes has the famous centre:mk with a huge range of different shops. From dept stores like debenhams, right down to smaller stores, it is the ultimate shopping experience. With ample parking, great places to eat, and a creche for the younger ones, you will not be dissappointed. Just remember to take it easy on the credit cards!

Food and Drink - Again, Milton Keynes has hundreds of resturants, fast food outlets and take aways. I reccommend the following, depending on your mood

Curry: Mysore Indian Resturant, Newport Pagnell - A top rated resturant with a huge selection. Find it listed in all the top curry guides!

British Cusine: Venture down to the Xscape, where you will find loads of decent eating houses like frankie and bennys, all equally as good as eachother

Buffet: Milton Keynes has two well known buffet places. Chillies is situated in the theatre district (just opposite the Xscape) It offers a wide variety of dishes for a set price. Also, there is Elements Eatery, also located in the theatre district. Here, for a set price you can enjoy many of the different cantonese and chinese dishes they have to offer.

Take Away: Milton Keynes has 5 or 6 McDonalds, burger Kings, Pizza Huts etc. See them dotted around the city. For late night eating after the clubs, try KFC which is open until 3am

Other Places of interest:

The Milton Keynes museum - nr Wolverton - Shows the history of MK

Bletchley Park (10 mins from Centre) - Made famous for the WW2 codebreaking, and featured on the hollywood blockbuster Enigma, Bletchley park shows the history of codebreaking and the war. Very interesting.

AirKix - I have heard some good reviews on this. In a nutshell, it is like indoor skydiving, and the first of these in the country. Definatlly one for the daredevil!

Trips to London - Easybus, Silverlink/Virgin Trains and National Express all have regular runs to London, and prices start at just £5. Milton Keynes is an ideal base for a visit to the capital, with train times taking as little as 40 minutes.
Where to stay:

Top End: The Hilton, Kents Hill is around a 10 minute drive from the centre of Milton Keynes. Expect to pay £££ for a room though - in return get the luxary you expect from the hilton including swimming pool.

Mid Range: There is a travelodge and holiday Inn situated in Central Milton Keynes itself, with prices starting at around £40 per room per night

Budget: The youth hostel is situated in bradwell village, and offers a good standard of accomodation for singles and groups alike, at a very reasonable cost. See www.yha.org.uk for more details.

Overall, Milton Keynes is a busy fast paced city, which is full of life and things to do. If you are looking for something a little quieter, dont be put off. There is still plenty of things in and around Milton Keynes that are sutiable for you, including national park walks, bingo, cinema, quiet pubs etc. So take a trip to Milton Keynes - see what memories you take back! Believe the hype!

Also: An ideal base for people flying from Luton Airport, wanting to visit London, Cambridge or Oxford, Fishermen etc."