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England has more to offer than London, and visiting those locations will make you wonder what the fuss is all about only touring Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

Expanding your vacationing horizons in England is a rewarding experience, rich with history and breathtaking scenery. Here is a rundown of the top five spots to visit in England without a thought of London:

Liverpool

This is a must-see location for Beatles music lovers. You can visit the places where George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were raised, and where Ringo Starr worked as a steward. Spots made famous by Beatles songs Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields are popular attractions.

The Beatles Story, a multi-media museum, offers plenty of information about the legendary pop group's history. Recreations of some of the Beatles' roots in Liverpool include the Kasbah Coffee Shop (owned by the mother of Pete Best, the group's first drummer), and the Cavern Club (where the Beatles played more than 200 concerts before they became famous).

Perhaps the most interesting location is McCartney's childhood home, where he and Lennon wrote their early songs in a back room because the acoustics were better.

An hour-long round-trip ferry ride on the Mersey River is captivating. Millions of immigrants departed from there for America and Australia, symbolized by a statue facing the Mercey.

Isles of Scilly

These islands are to England what the Hawaiian Islands are to the United States. Off the Cornish coast, the Isles of Scilly, a cluster of small islands, is warmed by the Gulf Stream. The climate is very tropical with winters rarely seeing frost.

Five inhabited islands and more than 100 inhabited islands comprise the Isles of Scilly. Some are only a few square miles. The largest island St. Mary's is more than 30 square miles. St. Mary's, Tresco and St. Agnes are the major tourist attractions.

So many beaches, beautiful and serene, exist that you may find yourself alone on a beach for the entire day. How relaxing is that thought? You will be alone only among humans as thousands of seabirds flock to the islands from the Atlantic.

The Isles of Scilly is also a hot spot for fishing, especially for lobster, crayfish and crabs. The islands also feature burial chambers, standing stones, deserted cottages, lighthouses and windmills.

Cambridge

Located 55 miles north of London and 80 miles northeast of Oxford exists the college town of Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge are notorious for being England's ancient seats of learning.

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