Car Trip between Edinburgh and London

Driving east on the A1 from the south side of Edinburgh is fun and mostly scenic, turning south and following the coast at some points. At Berwick-upon-Tweed you cross into England. Further south, if the tide is low you can cross the causeway to Lindisfarne (aka Holy Island), where you can see the ruins of one of the most important monasteries of the Dark Ages, also a castle. You need to pay attention to tide times so you don't get stuck on the island. (I was sorry we missed it because of tides.) Around Belford, turning left toward the coast takes you to windswept, well-preserved Bamburgh Castle overlooking the North Sea. Further down the coast is Dunstanburgh Castle, a National Trust property which I haven't visited.

Back on the A1 you come to Alnwick (ANN-ick), whose castle is the ancestral home of the Percy family, prominent in English history, where some scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed. I believe it has a falconry exhibit, also a well-recommended garden. a famous site where we were nearly blown away by the wind. Further south is Newcastle, a large city with important sights. You can turn west there and drive along a road parallel to Hadrian's Wall, with various sites along the way including Hexham, Housesteads, and Vindolanda. South of Newcastle is the Beamish Museum, a "living history" experience that I haven't had but others on this forum have recommended.

Further south you come to Durham, with one of my favorite English cathedrals, a Norman masterpiece in a striking setting above the river. You can also tour Durham Castle, part of the University of Durham, and take a boat ride on the river. Then you get into the Yorkshire Dales country, with scenic valleys like Swaledale, Wensleydale, and others, and finally to York, with its outstanding Minster (cathedral), walls, medieval center, Yorkshire Museum, and Railway Museum. Nearby are Castle Howard and Fountains Abbey, often recommended but not places I've been.

I haven't driven between York and London, but the map shows Lincoln (cathedral) and Cambridge (university) not far off the direct route. You will have no problem filling five days with outstanding sights and experiences, and undoubtedly other posters will have more (and possibly better) suggestions. Rather than driving into the London area, you could drop the car in a place like Cambridge and take the train from there.

Writing this makes me realize how much of Britain I haven't seen and makes me want to return. But that could be said of many places!

Don't drive to London, return the car somewhere inbetween (e.g. York) and take the train the last bit.

Durham and York are must sees.

If you take the train, you will certainly get to London more quickly, but if you drive down the M1, you will be able to stop at two remarkable places. One is Hardwick Hall, one of the finest Elizabethan Houses in England. It was built by Bess of Hardwick, one of the richesr women in England, who also built Chatsworth, "Hardwick Hall - more glass than wall".
The other place to visit is Bolsover Castle, which is noteworthy as somewhere in a strong defensive position which was also an occupied home. and is well preserved.
Both are visible from the motorway and can be easily visited.

Hi Silvia -

Dick gives you an itinerary that is hard to beat, even for someone with more local knowledge. That said, Badger makes a fair point when he advises you not to take your car into London - I wouldn’t choose to either, so finding somewhere outside with a direct rail link into London is a good suggestion, as is Cambridge as a candidate. Or turn the car in at York if you spend a couple of days there and take the train south to London.

For my twopennorth, I’d say if you were in York for a couple of days, a visit to Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal Deer Park and water gardens is well worth it but would eat a whole day. You’d need a day or two to see York alone. In five days you’ll need to see what’s on offer - starting above - and prioritise, because to echo the old refrain, you don’t have time to sensibly do it all. You can do plenty but not all by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m sure you’ll be able to devise a schedule from the suggestions here that will give you a great time!

Ian

For some reason my earlier response hasn’t saved, but it mirrors Dick’s, other than I would head to York via the North York Moors rather than the Dales then take the train to London from York, as that drive is tedious.

Id also recommend the North York Moors with stops at Mount Grace Priory and Rievaulx Abbey on the way down from Durham.

If you want to stop in a castle, then think about Lumley Castle (a genuine C14th castle) between Newcastle and Durham.

https://www.lumleycastle.com/

Your problem wont be finding places to see. It will be deciding what to leave until next time!

As others have said, there is plenty to see and do between Edinburgh and York. Alnwick, Hadrian's Wall, Durham, York - all superb suggestions. I would not drive any further south than York, however. Driving in London is just a flat hassle and not worth the aggrivation (not to mention expensive). Getting to London, the A1 gets monotonous, backed up, and there arent many ways around potential tailbacks.

Personally, I would take the train, but thats me - though I suspect Nigel might agree with me. If you do drive, take the train to London from York.