31 night travel plan help - UK

A couple of observations.

This is a lot of driving with not much time to see anything, for example you are travelling all the way to Wales to see Conwy and Caernarfon in one day before driving all the way down to Bath.

Oxford, Windsor, Brighton, Cambridge are all easy day trips from London and will be much easier and quicker to get to be train. Also don't under estimate the pain it is to park in many UK towns especially the historic ones.

You will need to build some flexibility into the plan to take account of possible bad weather. You might get lucky but it could really limit your ability to travel long distances. For example it doesn't take much snow to close routes over the Peak District.

When looking at journey times on route planners it's always worth adding a third in my experience.

Do you have any particular interests etc? there are lots of people on the forum who can suggest places that might interest you on your trip.

Thanks Emma, Yes, was worried about driving distances, and appreciate your reply.

Appreciate the recommendation on Oxford, Windsor, Brighton, Cambridge out from London. If I can see these without hiring a car, that would be ideal.

My family are History nuts, wife majored in English History, so those sights are key (Castles and monuments). I wouldn't mind getting in a football match or a rugby match (6 nations would be ideal).

My thinking is to reduce the towns, and perhaps spend more time. What I would really appreciate is an understanding of that places I need a car, and ones that I dont.

At the end, I am thinking Bath to London on 19th, and basing in London for 7 nights. Then day trips as you have identified. I will need to see if I can combine multiple in a day. I also need to get stonghenge in somewhere.

In terms of Wales to Bath, yes thats not a great plan. Let me research other options here

Thanks for the hints.

Ive dropped north wales, and added in a stop at Cardiff. Reduced the number of stops

Date Overnight Location Travel Mode & Time Key Highlights / Day Trips
26 – 27 Dec 2 nights St Andrews Drive from Edinburgh Airport – 1.5h St Andrews Castle, Cathedral
28 -29 Dec 2 nights Inverness Drive – 3.5h Culloden Battlefield, Loch Ness day trip to Glencoe
30 Dec 1 Jan 3 Nights Edinburgh Drive – 3.5h Stirling Castle (en route), Hogmanay celebrations Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle
2 - 3 Jan 2 Nights Dublin Flight – 1.5h Dublin Castle, Trinity College
4 -6 Jan 3 Nights Killarney Drive – 4h (via Galway) Day trip to Cork – 1.5h each way Galway stop, arrive Killarney. Killarney National Park, Dingle Peninsula Blarney Castle, English Market
7 Jan Dublin Drive – 4h Return to Dublin, rest day
8 - 10 Jan 3 Nights Windermere Flight to Manchester – 1.5h, Drive – 1.5h Lake District cruise, Grasmere, Wordsworth House
11 -12 Jan 2 nights York Drive – 2.5h York Minster, Viking Centre
13 - 14 Jan (2 nights Stratford-upon-Avon Drive – 2.5h Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Chatsworth House (day trip – 1.5h each way)
15 – 16 Jan 2 Nights Bath Drive – 2h Stonehenge en route (1h from Bath)
Roman Baths, Georgian architecture
17 Jan 1 Night Cardiff Drive – 1.5h Cardiff Castle, National Museum
18 - 25 Jan 8 nights London Drive – 2.5h Museums, West End, day trips to Oxford, Windsor, Brighton, Cambridge
26 Jan (Tue) – Departure – Departure day

Some of these drive times are very optimistic.

Especially in Scotland they take zero account of potential weather conditions, for a starter. If it happens to snow heavily (not that unknown) and the A9 in particular gets blocked or the snow gates have to be closed then you are going exactly nowhere.

From a brief read 1.5 hours from Stratford on Avon to Chatsworth is highly, highly optimistic, and you want to do that twice in the day? Added to which we don't even have opening times currently for Chatsworth in January.

Manchester Airport to Windermere in 1.5 hours also requires very optimal conditions. On a working day (which 8 January is) it needs light traffic conditions which you are unlikely to meet, and that's before any roadworks or other issues like weather or RTC's. And don't try to follow my example- just because I have done Whitehaven to Bolton in 1 hour 35 minutes doesn't mean you either can or should. That requires a very heavy right foot, good road knowledge and a lot of luck.

On Windermere the cruise schedule is deep low season, so on your dates cruises to the south end of the lake are ONLY on 10 January- https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cdn.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk/pdf/timetable_05_01_26_to_06_02_26_web.pdf

North end is running, as is a very limited Islands cruise timetable.

Windermere to York in 2.5 hours also feels like an unfeasibly fast timing. I don't doubt it CAN be done (either via the A66 or the A65) but requires perfect circumstances. I'm not even sure it can be done on the most scenic route via Hawes. Even if you can in theory do it, you are missing so much on the way. This isn't Australia or New Zealand where there is just countryside and nothing between towns. There is a multiplicity of places to see on either route.

You have now cut out the Peak District- which is at the very back door of Manchester Airport.

Stratford to Bath via Stonehenge- 2 hours- I don't know where that timing comes from, but it is very fast. It should be over 2 hours just to Stonehenge.

Cardiff to London in 2 1/2 hours- good luck with that one, what are you doing with the car? I hope the 4 day trips from London are by train.

I feel this needs a root and branch review, and a large dose of reality put into it.

This is a tough one. Coming from a distance and having a month, it feels like it should all be possible even if it might not be.

Having spent 5 weeks driving in New Zealand in January this year, I think you probably have a good idea of what driving in the UK is like. You can definitely do the drives (unless weather interferes). But add to that the time darkness falls and you have some short days, losing sightseeing time. I drove twice at night in NZ and a couple of times in Ireland - it was about 2 times more in each place than I liked.

Another place to double check your plan is on car rental and return days. That definitely adds an hour or so to your travel time. Another thought - have you checked into actually staying at Trinity when you arrive in Dublin? It might be available since it will be school holidays (I think). It’s not fancy, but I liked it and they have a variety of options.

I would probably drop a drive by of Galway. It is cute but so are a bunch of other little towns that will be on your route. You may have to also cut Cork, as you decide. You only have 2 full days in Killarney, with 3 days of potential activities (Killarney sights, Dingle, and Cork) - you don’t have to decide now but just aware of.

We are all different, but just me I would probably cut the one night in Cardiff and add that night to one of your other stays.

I am not trying to discourage you - your second plan definitely feels more workable! But add to your planning process an idea of what you can do in each location if a day trip doesn’t seem workable, as well as what is enjoyable to see if it’s cold or rainy or dark.

Driving in NZ is absolutely nothing like driving in the UK. The only similarity is that you’re on the same side of the road. NZ is a huge country with barely anyone living there. The roads are really quiet and driving is easy. Couldn’t be more different to our roads here which are congested and require a lot of concentration at all times.

January though!
You could get lucky and have lots of bright crisp days, but even then in Northern Scotland it will not be light until 9am and then dark again at 3pm.
If it was anything like last year, with a two week long anti-cyclone in January, there was barely a minute of sunshine and instead it was dull, very cold and with heavy snow. For illustration, if there is snow in the hills then your route from St Andrews to Inverness will have to go via Aberdeen and is likely to be more 4.5 to 5 hours. That said, the snow on the fields might give you a more truer Jacobite experience at Culloden!
Closer to home for me, if the weather is inclement here then they close the access to the city walls, so as to save anyone falling off the walkways. The pubs will be homely in January though. All the best!

I’m pleased to see that you have moved away from your original plan. I lost count after 20 one night stays. Attempting that would probably have necessitated adding a day in London to consult lawyers about a divorce.

Helen is right - apart from driving in the same side of the road driving here is nothing like driving in New Zealand. Imagine a situation where the drive from Auckland to Wellington was virtually all built up with lots of slow moving traffic. I’m typing this whilst travelling home to Preston from London on the train. It takes just over two hours, plus 30 minutes to get to the station from my son’s house. The drive is routinely five hours, none of it enjoyable.

You need to check whether car hire companies will be open in Edinburgh on Boxing Day - maybe but not guaranteed.

You can keep North Wales in the plan by taking the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead rather than flying to Manchester. Hire a car in Llandudno and have a day touring Eryri/Snowdonia NP before heading south. (You could do the Lakes and York after Edinburgh and then fly to Dublin from either Manchester or Liverpool.

One thing to add is that, even with global warming, the Lake District does get disruptive snow. It would be your bad luck for that to happen when you are trying to drive from Windermere to York, so you need to be flexible.
Say you had planned to take the A66 route, if snow comes (and it happened only last winter) you may be unable to reach the A66 if the Kirkstone Pass and the A591 Dunmail Raise both close. Even if you can reach the A66 in snow conditions it can close (snow gates shut) between Brough and Scotch Corner.
I've even known the A591 closed south of Windermere- so you are effectively stuck in Windermere (all roads blocked) unable to reach the A65 route either. It happens- just much less often than in the past. It is 8 miles from Windermere to Grasmere. Again last year in snow that became all but impassable one day, taking an hour or even more before closing entirely. With abandoned cars it can take a while to re-open roads.

Unlike in New Zealand the UK has a very good rail system, with trains connecting with ferries at Holyhead at very cheap integrated through fares.

Your revised itinerary is much better, but still a bit rushed.
We have been to all the places you plan to visit and you need more time in places like Dublin, Edinburgh, York and London.

On Ireland, we did a great 10 day guided tour that covered what you plan for Ireland. It was 8 nights since the tour company makes it a 10 day tour counting the travel days at the beginning and end.
We did 3 nights in Dublin, 2 in Galway, 2 in Killarney, and 1 in Cork.

First off, huge thanks for the dose of reality. I appreciate your observations, and its these that help me imporve. As mentioned its a first draft, but you are right, I need to dose it in reality.

Thanks for the heads up on the driving conditions and times.

For the record. Im more than happy to take public transport where it will be safer or better.

I guess where I am at now, is how to reset/or change the trip to make it more feasible. Im more than happy to lose or add any location at this point.

My priorities now to do a bit of work on the following
- more due diligence on driving times and modes of transport, exploring any public transport
- removal of anywhere that might be troublesome in winter. Im considering dropping the lake district because of reasons mentioned above.

- a more balanced trip, without making my family struggle with the driving. For the record, Im happy driving and have done long lengths in NZ, US, and other countries. I get the UK is different, and I will plan to avoid any night time driving, which means between 9 and 4pm.

Let me do a take three. Let me know if you think there are any towns I should add or remove, and any more hints on public transport.

Thanks, Trent

For a starter to save what could be problems renting a car on 26 December there is a direct bus, the 787, from Edinburgh Airport to St Andrew's, also another hourly bus from the City of Edinburgh to St Andrew's. The 787 is new this year, but every year the Edinburgh to St Andrew's bus runs hourly from 10am to 7pm, so there is every chance the 787 will also run.
You could then, on Saturday 27 December take the very frequent bus from St Andrew's to Dundee and rent a car there for the rest of Scotland.
If there is snow and you have to route via Aberdeen so be it. But sometimes Aberdeen gets the snow and the Cairngorms not. So whatever route is open, hoping one is!

In principle you could train Leuchars (for St Andrews) to Dundee to Perth to Inverness, but leave that as car for now.

Culloden Battlefield does have an hourly bus from Inverness, and Stirling could be an easy train day trip from Edinburgh.

Then off rent the car when you get back to Edinburgh on 30 December.

On 2 January take the train (way faster than driving) to York.

After York take a train to Manchester Airport, and fly from there to Dublin.

(If Chatsworth is open in January 2026, add it to your trip in 2027, but I'm somewhat sceptical it will be open at all)- that can be done by train/bus easily from York. But if you want a car for that day so be it.

However there is the possibility of going on from Chatsworth to the Peak District (Castleton, Bakewell, Buxton or elsewhere) by car then on to Manchester Airport.

The Peak District can also suffer from bad winter weather. It's like the Lake District, much rarer than when I was younger, but it still happens from time to time. Buxton especially, regularly got snowed in when I was growing up in the area.

If that happened just divert into the city of Manchester for the odd day or so. You will always find somewhere to stay in Manchester and maybe add Liverpool to a short substitute city break.
Or if weather allowed Windermere is a very easy day trip by train from Manchester.

After the Irish section fly from Dublin to Birmingham for Stratford on Avon/Bath/Cardiff etc, off rent the car in Cardiff then train to London.

But you could equally take the morning ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, train to Llandudno Junction (for Conwy for a day or two) then rent a car at Llandudno Junction for Stratford etc.

That to me, while very much a sketch outline, flows better, and is a pragmatic mixture of modes of transport. And a better way of coping with the vagaries of winter in the UK.

Yes there will be several one way car rental charges, but in the overall cost of a trip from NZ they are neither here nor there- small change.

I definitely defer to local expertise on driving in the UK! So, OP, apologies, with the acknowledgment that I drive in a number of different countries and didn’t mean to say UK driving was fast and easy - more that I didn’t find NZ driving fast and easy with its mountains switchbacks and tourist traffic in many areas.

All good TexasTravelMum. Appreciate all the hints and tips. I get driving is different everywhere. Just completed a roadttrip between Washington DC and Chicago through Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. I get the roads I have just been on there far different to what we get in NZ, and gain far different to UK.

Just the advice Im getting here is brilliant, Thank you.

You mention the National Museum in Cardiff. Note that the National Museum of Wales is in the city centre - a 10 minute walk NE of Cardiff Castle. This museum has extensive art galleries as well as other exhibits on geology, archaeology and the flora and fauna of Wales. https://museum.wales/cardiff/?

Another Museum of Welsh History is found in the grounds of St.Fagans Castle - about 5 miles west of the city centre. You would need at least half a day to see this place properly:>https://www.visitwales.com/attraction/museum/st-fagans-national-museum-history-527739

Should you visit Cardiff, also note that 2 other castles are within 8 miles or so of the city centre- Caerphilly Castle (a huge medieval castle surrounded by a moat) and Castell Coch - on a wooded hillside on the northern edge of Cardiff.

The cathedral in Cardiff is at Llandaff - about 2 miles NW of the city centre. https://www.llandaffcathedral.org.uk

Note that parking in the city centre can be expensive and there are complicated one way systems with bus and cycle lanes taking up road space. If you do visit by car, suggest you check in for accommodation in north Cardiff and take a Metro train in from Radyr station - which has free parking. Bath also has similar issues of arriving by car.

If driving from NW Wales to Cardiff - the A470 is the route to follow . Note that this road crosses some mountain ranges and could be liable to snow. Should this happen, you would have to use longer routes via England to avoid the higher ground in Wales. That said, the A470 is very scenic most of way with plenty of sheep on the land - so you will feel right at home!

I travel a lot with my kids and a great rule of thumb to keep everyone happy is to do as many 3-4 night stops as possible and if I have to do a 1-2 night stop only do one in the middle of longer stops. When we traveled Europe last winter (November) we realized you really do have significantly less time to see sites (short opening times and cold/dark/rainy evenings) and enjoy the location you are in, I recommend traveling slower in the winter.

If you don't have flights already, I'd recommend starting in Ireland and then flying to Scotland. That removes 2 flights in the middle of the trip. Or honestly, I'd personally remove Ireland and focus more on Wales and England where you will have the highest chance of better weather. Cities imo are the best in winter, it gives you indoor options if it's cold/rainy/snowing. Oxford, Bath, London, Edinburgh, York are all great options with outside and inside options.

Thanks. That is a good suggestion. We want to have new years in Scotland, but flying into either Dublin or Belfast could be an option, and then into Edinburgh.

Might reduce the driving around Ireland and fix to short day trips.

Our family did 26 days in Italy in Jan 2023. We chose 3 anchor cities and 3 transit through cities. Will see how close we can get to this. Without a car, its luggage movement and storage that affects quick stops. We travel light, and will have two bags for our family of 4.

Will look into the suggestions

Here is my new plan

26 Dec - 30 Dec Dublin (4 nights) (Day trips or a 2 day trip to Killarney or Galway or Cork) - Public Transport
30 Dec - 2 Jan Edinburgh (3 nights) - Flight from Dublin to Edinburgh Public Transport
2 Jan - 4 Jan - Inverness (2 Nights) - Stay in Inverness 5 hour drive (Pick up car on the 2nd)
4 Jan Inverness to Hexham (1 Night) - Long 6 hour drive
5 -8 Jan Hexham to York (3 nights) - Long 5.5hr drive. Return Car
8 -10 Jan York to Caernarfon (3 night) (5 hour train)
10-12 Jan Caernarfon to Derby (2 nights) (4.5 hour train)
12-14 Jan Derby to Stratford upon Avon (1.5 hour train)
14-17 Jan Stratford upon Avon to Bath (4 nights). Pick up car 14th, return 15). Do cotswolds down and stonehenge on the 15th.
Day trip to Cardiff.
18-26th Bath to London 8 nights (Train 1.5 hours) (Day train trips to Windsor, Oxford, Brighton, Canterbury.

So this feels better balanced. Two car hires Edinburgh to York 4 days and Stratford to Bath 2 days.

The bit I am most uncertain about is from York to Bath. Am I seeing the right locations. Are Caernarfon/Derby and Stratford the best road stops between the two cities.

Otherwise I feel this is coming together a lot better. Feels nicely balanced with Ireland at the start, however I do lose a couple of days in Ireland with this plan. But adds more to to England

I am intrigued about Caernarfon to Bath. I'm not being nasty in any way about Derby, but am genuinely interested about what draws you there specifically. For that part of the world I might have more suggested somewhere like Matlock or Matlock Bath.
But more to the point you are criss crossing the country.
Derby or area would be better and more logically taken on your way from York to Caernarfon IMO. Then you could go from Caernarfon to Stratford on Avon (bus to Bangor, train via and changing at Birmingham.
You could arrive via Bangor and leave on the bus from Caernarfon to Porthmadog for the direct train to Birmingham (for Stratford).

And yes Ireland is better at the start, not in the middle.

Yes, its this part that worries me
Im happy to drop Derby and go from Carnarfon to Stratford upon Avon.

Or do I continue down through wales and then onto Bath. However keen to see stratford upon avon, which could be a day trip from london.

This is probably where i need the most help now..;

I can’t see the point in driving all the way up to Inverness just to have one day there before an even longer drive south. Inverness is not all that interesting a place to visit anyway. There are places to see from there but I would either plan to stay up north a bit longer or don’t bother at all, especially in January. I would suggest going to the Trossavhs or maybe Oban rather than Inverness anyway.

If Derby is just a pit stop then why not substitute Chester or Liverpool. They have the merit of being on a logical Caernarfon to Stratford route.
I do feel bad about seemingly dissing Derby, but feels like a more logical tourist destination.

Chester is definitely a more sensible place to stay than Derby. It’s a very historic, pretty city with very good transport links to North Wales, Liverpool, the Peak District. It’s only 2 hours from London on the train when Avanti are playing ball.

Using it as a base for a few days it will give you flexibility to deal with what the weather throws at you. Good weather explore north wales, poor weather explore Chester and visit one of the cities like Liverpool.

You'll be pleased to know that Hexham to York isn't a 5 hour drive. Without any issues on the road, it is normally about 3 hours, perhaps a bit less.