The town centre is set on a hill above the river and is packed with historic buildings, shops, hotels, bars, cafes and restaurants. With ample parking it is ideal for your rental car, whether you use the central area car parks or the popular park and ride schemes on the outskirts of town.

Shrewsbury Castle is behind the railway station and dates back more than 500 years to the era of William the Conqueror - as does the Abbey. Having been a settlement for more than 100 years in total, Shrewsbury's wealth dates back to wool merchants, who used the town for the processing of wool from the nearby Welsh hills for domestic and export use. The many street names date back to medieval times when each particular activity of the town was concentrated on an individual street such as Coopers Row for barrels and Fish Street for fish.

Below the town centre you will find The Dingle and The Quarry, a complex of gardens that runs alongside the river. The area is ideal for walks, sitting in the park and scenic trips on the river in pleasure boats. 

If you are in town at the right time of year you can enjoy the Darwin Festival. Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury and is celebrated with a statue and annual festival.

Once you have finished exploring the town centre and its black and white market square, you could make a short drive to one of the many garden centres in the area. Famous for being the home of the late Percy Thrower, you can visit the family business and pick up plants and seeds on an afternoon's visit.

Birmingham (BHX) or Manchester (MAN) airports are the nearest to the town and are within around one to one and a half hours' drive.  You can pick up your hire car at these airports or at downtown locations in Shrewsbury. To find the best price on car rental in Shrewsbury, use TravelSupermarket's search tool to the left.

Ironbridge is around a 30-minute drive from Shrewsbury and home to the Gorge Museum. This superb complex pays homage to the birthplace of industry with exhibits covering furnaces, factories and workshops related to the birth of the modern industrial age. The first iron bridge in the world was built across the Severn nearby and there are plenty of places to pick up local crafts and enjoy meals and snacks in the many cafes and restaurants. Coalbrookdale and Coalport make up the most important places to visit for your history lesson.

Attingham Park is a National Trust property just outside the town centre, with a deer park and tours around the house. Hawkstone Park is known for its many follies which can be explored on trails in the woodland.

If you venture to Wroxeter, you'll find the remains of what was once the fourth largest Roman settlement in the UK, with a reconstruction of a Roman Town house.

South of Shrewsbury along the A49 you will find the Shropshire Hills. Church Stretton is home to excellent walks along the Long Mynd, with views across the West Midlands and mid-Wales countryside. It is known for its Alpine climate and often referred to as Little Switzerland. Wenlock Edge also makes an excellent location for days out and walks.