2024 England family trip..questions !

I don't know what the minimum is but this is what we did. In 2019 we spent 17 nights in England and Edinburgh. We did not see anything else in Scotland. This was our division of days.

London 5 nights
Bath 3 nights
Cotswolds 3 nights, this was in 3 different towns as we hiked part of Cotswold Way
York 3 nights
Edinburgh 3 nights

In London we made a day trip to Cambridge. We saw Salisbury Cathedral on our way to Bath. We went to Stonehenge from Bath. We took a day trip to the moor from York.

Timing wise, this seemed about right, except I would have liked one more day in York.

As far as cost of lodging goes, I would go as early in summer as possible and I would reserve as soon as possible. I was in London for two nights in July and it was $300 a night for a pretty small room with two twin beds with breakfast. And that was relatively cheap! I wanted air conditioning and that eliminates a lot of cheaper places (most apartments do not have it). Of course, the high was in the 60s when I was there!

We are going back to England this coming May and we did okay with cost of lodging after some searching. May is cheaper than July but the cost has definitely gone up in the last few years.

We have never rented a car in England but the trains are pricey there. For four of you, it might be something to consider. Another thing to consider is that buses are much cheaper than trains.

Look for self catering accommodations. You can save by not having to eat out every meal. www.visitscotland.com has accommodations offered in every part of Scotland. Some vacation resorts have time share apartment available; you don't need to be a member. Check with friends and relatives to see if they have one that you can use. Colleges and Universities have access to rooms in the Summer, not just dorms! National Parks have cabins, but you'd have to book ahead. If you are driving you can stay in more rural areas. There are budget business class hotels. There are also Camp Grounds that have a lot of amenities such as laundry. If you drive a small van, the parents can sleep in back and teens can tent it just like I did with my folks long ago! Now it's a real bed for me! www.nationaltrust.org.uk has a variety of accommodations. Some are charming cottages...one must pay for that!

If you're on a budget book family rooms in youth hostels to save money

https://www.yha.org.uk/

https://www.hostellingscotland.org.uk/

How long you can stay depends on your schedule(s), budget, and how much you want to see and do. I'd suggest at least three weeks, four would be better, for a variety of experiences. Airfare will be the same, and a longer stay will make the cost and discomfort of the flights more worthwhile.

I agree that early summer would be a good idea if possible, ideally June for less crowding and more daylight. And a car will give you flexibility and expand your lodging options. Of course a car is a liability in London. Chances are a car will cost less, even with gas and some paid parking, than four train fares over multiple rides.

Travel in Britain is like travel elsewhere in Europe, where you have lots of experience. An advantage is knowing the language, a disadvantage is driving on the left side. Some people adjust well to this (I don't). You already know the value of guidebooks and open-jaw flying.

U.K. school summer holidays start in mid July and run until the beginning of September. This period is going to be the most expensive time of year to find accommodation in locations that the Brits like to visit on holiday - coastal areas etc. On the other hand it can be a cheaper time to stay in cities, especially London, because there is far less business travel going on.

Accommodation is expensive here in general. If you’ve got a car you can stay outside the prime spots and drive to what you what you want to see but that does compromise the experience a bit. Check out Premier Inn and Travelodge chains but you’d need 2 rooms.

1. If travelling by public transit, you can cut costs dramatically by booking in advance and taking advantage of certain rail cards. I would check man in seat 61 and national rail websites. Also rural buses in England max out at £2 but not in Scotland and not sure how long it will last. I was in Britain this spring and found buses were good if the timing works, often no buses on Sundays. I went from Whitby to York for £2.
2. YHA has family rooms @ around £ 100 - 140 ( they too have dynamic pricing ) which give you access to kitchens and laundry. Some independent hostels are doing the same. Central London is really expensive so consider staying in a suburb and commuting ie I spent 3 nights in. Premier inn in Slough for £150. One day I walked into Elton and Windsor and the next took the new Elizabeth line into Central London in under 30 minutes. Also check out the local tourist board websites as they usually reference local b&b and short term rentals not on major sites. They also link to local events and museums which are often free. Be careful in Scotland as the government in cracking down on unregistered rentals and many smaller b&bs were getting caught in the crossfire.
3. As to timing, I would stay as long as time and budget allow. For years I cycled around Britain, moving on almost every day but now I find I like to break down my trip by spending about a week in an area with about 2 locations ie 4 nights in York and 3 in a smaller town or village in the Dales. I would go as early as possible to give yourselves a few weeks before school holidays begin. Enjoy the planning!

How much time minimum would we need to have a nice trip

It would be helpful to know what is important to you to make a trip "nice." Last year we spent 2 weeks just in Southern England between Salisbury and Canterbury and on a separate trip 2 weeks in Scotland, making a circle route starting in Edinburgh, through the Highlands and ending in Glasgow. Here are links to both Trip Reports that may help you with some ideas.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-the-south-of-england

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-scotland-the-search-for-jamie-fraser

Also rural buses in England max out at £2 but not in Scotland and not sure how long it will last.

Note that this is ALL buses, rural and urban. Nor does it apply in Wales

As a general rule this finishes at the end of October, and then becomes £2.50 a journey for a further year.

Please also note that participation in the scheme is voluntary on companies, and some are NOT participating in the scheme or have excluded certain routes.

For instance the bus to Lindisfarne and Reliance Motors (the York to Thirsk bus)- £2 is valid on that bus and all their other routes but NOT the Thirsk to Ripon route.

Also Manchester and West Yorkshire have separate local £2 schemes which are running on indefinitely. But in both counties if you take more than 3 buses a day a County Day Rover ticket will be cheaper.

This is the full list of included operators and excluded routes by those operators- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2-bus-fare-cap

Look at this listing for London. You have to book it far in advance because it is quite reasonably priced for an excellent location.
I stayed here with my adult son in 2022. It isn't fancy, but the location is good, particularly for buses and walking along the Thames.. Westminster Tube about 10 minute walk away.
https://www.vrbo.com/439545ha?unitId=1065757

I think BethFL's minimum lengths of stay are extremely reasonable for traditional tourists with limited time. From reading your previous itineraries, I don't know that you are so traditional in your interests, and I remember that you are able to take longer trips, so I'd be inclined to add some time in London.

The places Beth lists are among the most expensive in the UK. Other costly destinations are Oxford, Portree on Skye, Oban and coastal towns in Cornwall that are accessible by public transportation. I know you generally rent a car for at least part of each trip, so staying in towns not on easy public-transportation routes will probably help considerably.

Cities I've visited since 2017 that were a lot cheaper than London, Edinburgh, etc., include Brighton, Norwich, Liverpool, Glasgow and Dundee. All were very appealing to me, but they're only recommendable if they fit your interests. There's a youthful liveliness about Brighton and Liverpool that the teenagers might find appealing.

I'm sure you can find something affordable that will allow visiting northern Wales by car. I based in Chester but don't remember how my lodging rate there stacked up.

One suggestion I have is that you not pay London lodging rates while daytripping to multiple sights well outside the city.

We have visited the UK several times and except in London, we usually stay in Bed and Breakfast places located near the main sites of the city. With a BnB you get a great free breakfast and can just skip lunch or have a small snack.

For Bath, recommend the Brooks Guesthouse, it was great, they actually offered Eggs Benedict as a choice for breakfast.

For York, check out the Minster Hotel, not far from the ancient walls.
If you stay in the Cotswolds, recommend the Volunteer Inn in Chipping Campden. You will need a car to do the Cotswolds.

Thanks to all for all those answers/tips/advices !

1) we would like to go as soon as possible but given the fact that our kids are in school and that I'ma teacher and that my wife is a school psychologist we cant really go before july 3 or 4.

2) We use to rent a car in most of our europeans trip, but driving to the ''wrong side'' make us think twice about it !

3) Staying outside ''prime'' spot, or go less traveled places is something we are willing to do if we have a car. We would still have to know those places, so a lot of reading ahead !

4) We like to cook meals so that's why we usually rent on Airbnb or VRBO.

You might want to look at the apartment Carol now retired provided link to for your family for London. It is an excellent price for what you get. We are going next May with our niece and it is much better for the three of us than any other option I found.

And thank you Carol now retired!