Ability to find lodging along the way?

It may depend on what time of year you're traveling... We drive through Scotland last year from mid-July to mid-August, and perle on this forum strongly recommended booking accommodating in advance. I'm glad we did because on the one occasion we had to pivot, we did find a place to stay but it cost us much more...

I often ,often just look for accommodation on the day in England .

it can be reasonably easy with data on your phone and the right apps. But places do sell out or the price goes up (it used to go down at the last minute but I haven't seen that recently).

Everybody (nearly) is on the internet these days and you can watch as they fill.

The days of booking accommodation as you go are long past - especially in the summer. You are also wanting two rooms which will increase the problem. This is high holiday period and many places are already booked up, especially in popular spots.

You will probably find something eventaullay, but may waste a lot of time doing this. You may also find you are having to travel quite a distance (and not necessarily the way you want to go). The accommodation may not be what you would normally book and may end up being quite expensive or pretty grotty...

While I think flying by the seat of one's pants is commendable, there is an expense of travel time and uncertainty in either looking for accommodation when you arrive or trying to choose/book something the night before, on your smartphone.

I have done it on occasion and quickly found out that I best go with 4* and 5* hotels and stop trifling/wasting my time looking for decent 3*s, either in quality or in location.

I think it could be difficult to find places and last minute bookings can be really expensive. If you’re in popular tourist areas then accommodation can be very limited in peak season. I’d definitely advise booking in advance.

If you are going to rural areas I think you will be okay, however any tourist area may be a problem. Are you and your parents prepared to spend a couple hours just looking for hotels every night. Are you okay in staying at either out of the way places or paying more for a nicer place.

My parents are a couple years older than you and they tend to get nervous when glitches come up or things aren't planned out. For your own sanity it may be worth it to book ahead at least arrival and departure hotels and maybe in any bigger cities.

England is NOT the US.

Yes there are chain hotels. Like in US the Summer months are touristy.

You’ll find Chinese, Africans, Germans, Italians, Irish, etc vying for accommodations.

So book in advance.

The last time I attempted any of this was 9 years ago ( September and October 2014 ) PIA , never again !

"If you are going to rural areas I think you will be okay,"

No. There is less accommodation in rural areas. You may actually find it easier to get accommodation in the cities rather than small rural towns.

This is just me but I find a certain security in knowing where I'm going to lay my head at night. That way, I can focus on my day and not worry about my bed.

I traveled all over England, Scotland, and Wales in 1995 with no reservations, and had no trouble finding accommodation, usually B&Bs in private homes, etc. I found all of these just by looking for B&B signs along the road, and had no problems.

I too am wondering if that's possible anymore. Do private B&Bs still exist in large numbers, and can they now be booked online? Which booking service(s) would these typically use? Or are these private B&Bs kind of a thing of the past, and will I have to stay in hotels, etc.?

Things have changed a lot since the 90s. I too used to travel without reservations and found places easily anywhere I went in Europe. You’d just queue up at the tourist information desk and get some options then off you’d go.

I think the internet has made it so much easier to book in advance that it’s just become standard. I can’t imagine phoning up a small hotel in Barcelona and trying to make a reservation with no Spanish but it’s easy to do online.