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Lonely Planet concedes that many parts of Great Britain are still 'great', and that it is still one of the most fascinating places in the world to explore.

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Britain is full of overpriced restaurants, poor quality tourist attractions and expensive hotels, according to an influential guidebook.

The latest edition of the Lonely Planet Guide claims the country “has had its day” and even natives can no longer afford to holiday at home.

It found that many destinations were “overpriced or lacking in quality” and that the tourist industry sometimes “just doesn’t deliver”.

The guide, which boasts of a “no-holds-barred view”, is regarded as one of the most authoritative books for travellers, 100,000 of whom are expected to buy it.

Lonely Planet concedes that many parts of Great Britain are still “great”, and that it is still one of the most fascinating places in the world to explore. The guide said London had excellent restaurants with many free attractions for children, while Edinburgh was “one of the world’s most fascinating cities” and Manchester was “truly special”.

But it said that Britain may leave some holidaymakers regretting plans for a “staycation”.

Overall, the guide said overseas visitors are the winners because they can take advantage of the weak pound.

David Else, author of the Great Britain guide, wrote: “It’s perfectly possible to have a cheap holiday in Britain, but unfortunately you can find it costs as much as a trip abroad.

“If you’re on a tight budget, there’s no getting away from it - Britain ain’t cheap. Public transport, admission fees, restaurants and hotel rooms all tend to be expensive compared with their equivalents in many other European countries.

“Everyone is looking harder to get more bang for their buck and a return to Great British value.”

He added: “There is no doubt that Britain is great.

“In my opinion its history, scenery and people make it one of the most fascinating places in the world to explore.

“However if Brits feel they don’t get value for money with their staycation this year then they will look to go elsewhere in 2012.”

The guide also found that despite its good restaurants London also offered overpriced food. It said: “You’re often better spending £5 on a top-notch curry in Birmingham or a homemade steak-and-ale pie in a country pub in Devon than forking out £30 in a restaurant for a modern European concoction that tastes like it came from a can.”

It is not first time London-born Mr Else has painted a dim view of his homeland.

In March, in the England edition, he described it as a celebrity-obsessed country with an addiction to junk food.

As co-ordinating author of the Lonely Planet Guide to England, he wrote: “A culinary heritage of ready-sliced white bread, fatty meats and boiled-to-death vegetables, all washed down by tea with four sugars, remains firmly in place in many parts of the country.”

The guide said “scurrilous” celebrity autobiographies were bought “by the bucketload” and the economy was “dicey”.

The guide, published every two years, is compiled by 12 authors who split the country up between them. - Daily Mail

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