Help this American plan his trip to the UK

[A Guy Named Tracy]

For my 40th birthday, I'm traveling to the U.K. for vacation. I'll be arriving in Dublin at 8:30am on August 16th and flying home from Dublin on August 22nd. Overnight stays in Dublin will bookend my trip. I will be taking the ferry to Holyhead, so stops in Wales and England will make up the rest of my trip. 

I know I'll be spending one day in Llandudno and another hiking in Snowdonia. That leaves two unscheduled days. I will be using train and bus to get around. I need to decide if there is enough to do somewhere else in northern Wales (like Rhyl) or if I should spend two days in England, whether it be Manchester, Liverpool, or Blackpool. 

I'll be traveling solo. I travel quite a bit, but this will be my first time overseas. When I travel, I am easygoing and don't have much of a set schedule. I love to walk and if something catches my eye, I'll pop in and check it out.  I'm also easily entertained. I'll probably spend hours in the local Tesco checking out the difference between American and British foods/packaging. (Look, Oreos are packaged in cylindrical shapes instead of rectangles like back home. Plus they call them biscuits here!) 

I love sports, but don't necessarily care for soccer. However, I wouldn't mind checking out a match just for the experience. I also like nature, architecture, people watching, and kitschy touristy spots, hence my desire to visit either Rhyl or Blackpool. 

Suggestions on must-sees in Dublin? Should I spend an extra day in Wales or spend two days in Manchester, Liverpool, or Blackpool? I'm not a Beatles fan, so Liverpool definitely isn't a must-visit. Thanks ahead of time. 

[AxB]

I'd definitely favour Blackpool over Rhyl. You've got enough time in Wales already. And William Regal isn't from Rhyl

If you're thinking Northern England rather than the South (because you said nothing about London), try Yorkshire rather than Lancashire. Leeds is a good city.

[Ryan]

Go into a pub and start a row with a couple of chavs, but don't be all nancy boy and just box their ears up a bit, make sure to go really buffalo bison on their faces if you catch me, sunshine. I don't know what I just said. Someone translate, also follow the Britons.......Leeds on good things to do. I'll see myself out. *falls out of window*

[Red is Dead]

Tip #1 - dont call Dublin or any part of the republic of ireland "part of the uk" - it's like calling canada part of america.

Tip #2 - stay up north. Go to a pub from about 530 onwards on saturday if you wanted to watch some football and the world pass by. On saturdays they dont have live football to watch unless you have the right sports package - pubs often have the package. If you're over in august, it'll be close to the start of the new season, so you can watch the world come to a standstill for that to start. Rhyl is a decent sea-side town to visit, chester and leeds are good as well. York is a beautiful historic city. 

Have a fried breakfast somewhere that doesnt have premier, inn, or toby in its name. Have a roast in a toby carvery. Marvel at some places being closed on a sunday.

for places to go in dublin - guinness factory and then a local pub. If you sit still for long enough, someone will strike up a conversation with you. 

[Ryan]

Canada is part of America, they just don't know it yet. What, you think Canadian Bacon was a farcical romp? It was a blueprint for our inevitable takeover. Also, go to East London and piss off random shady looking blokes until some fun starts.

[Death From Above]

If you do decide to do a soccer match, Liverpool has far better atmosphere than most of the other big English clubs in truth. Unfortunately Blackpool are trapped in the nuclear wasteland that is the fourth division right now. Then again, I imagine that means tickets would be dirt ass cheap, but as a non-fan you're also entering into buyer beware territory.

[AxB]

Don't give any money to Blackpool FC. Toxic owners.

[Ryan]

Just give your money straight to me and go watch some children play in the park, I'll give you 500 to 1 odds on the Leicester City children.

[AxB]

On 02/03/2017 at 3:09 PM, Ryan said:

Go into a pub

Go into a Bar

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and start a row

And get into an argument

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with a couple of chavs,

Chav is a pejorative term for a working class person, implying that they're stupid and (in the original pronunciation of "Charve") descended from Irish gypsies. I guess the American equivalent would be 'rednecks'.

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but don't be all nancy boy and just box their ears up a bit,

Don't be a pussy, and... 'box your ears' is what 70s Mums used to threaten to do to unruly children. Nobody's really said it for about 40 years though.

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make sure to go really buffalo bison on their faces

Don't know where you've got that from. Buffalo Bison? What are two animals that don't exist in England?

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if you catch me, sunshine. 

If you know what I mean, sunshine. Sunshine used to be used as an endearing term used to your beloved, but then Eric Morecambe (a Comedy legend) started using it sarcastically as a means of condescending intimidation, on telly in the 70s. That's where Mr Regal got it from.

[Ryan]

Buffalo Bison is my bad attempt at Cockney rhyming slang. Mike Tyson.

[AxB]

Oh, right. Yeah,the unwritten rule of rhyming slang is you can't make up your own, and they all have to be culturally relevant to the 1940s/50s. Hence "Going for a Ruby" means going for a Curry, after Ruby Murray, an Irish Singer from the 1950s (who was completely forgotten by the mid-1960s). But basically rhyming slang is a working class southern equivalent to Welsh or Polari - language used not as a communication tool, but as a means of social exclusion.

[Ryan]

I stand by my choice!

Good source material even though one guy is actually American.

 

[sevendaughters]

you're nearly here but if you like kitsch then maybe consider Morecambe. the kicker of Morecambe is that while it fulfils one thing, you have a beautiful historic place like Lancaster 2 miles away, two different tourist experiences of the north in one day.

but to be honest it sounds like you know what you want and Snowdonia is an incredible choice. I used to go fell running over there.

[bazzil]

Wear a "Back to Back World War champs" tshirt.