The last thing I expected to find at the National Trust house last weekend was a guide asking if I had "found Attingham on the internet". Nowadays, even venerable institutions like the National Trust have websites of their own.

Britain's bank holidays have an annoying tendency to come along all at once, and the last Monday in May is another extended weekend. If the April bank holidays have exhausted your ingenuity, you'll find that days out are genuinely easy to plan online and routine information, such as prices and maps, is readily available.

Sightseeing.co.uk
"What would you like to do?" asks the site, rather like a weary parent to an attention-deficient child. What would we like to do? Well, there are railways, theme parks, zoos, football clubs, castles, museums and the wonderful juxtaposition of cathedrals and shopping centres. (The petulant can opt for "anything"). The site returns a good range of suggestions and minimal information about each, including the nearest motorway junction and, curiously, port. A possible starting-point for the truly exhausted day-tripper.

Virgin
With far more detail than Sightseeing.co.uk and listings of special events, Virgin's service is efficient and mercifully excludes shopping centres.

Visit Britain
Visit Britain has a similar listing and is more likely to appeal to foreign visitors.

Garden visit
A formidable but nonetheless useful directory of gardens that are open to the public, and substantially cheaper than buying a paperback guide, the site also tackles garden history in depth.

Good beach guide
The Marine Conservation Society's verdict on most beaches in Britain, including details of their facilities. Incomplete but worth checking before a day at the seaside.

This is London
The Evening Standard's site is still by far the best resource for days out in and around the capital, with a special section to evaluate attractions from a child's point of view and excellent links. You'll also find discount offers that are valid in other parts of the country.