Hi! My husband, 4 year old and I will be driving from London to Edinburgh in August and are looking for routes to take that are scenic. We would like to stay over at least one or two nights in small towns/cities on the way but not sure where to go and what to do. Any suggestions for scenery, castles, pubs to visit where there may be parks and places to picnic as well on route to Edinburgh? Recommendations for hotels, airbnbs etc.? I have read that perhaps taking a train to Oxford (any other town to recommend to rent from?) outside of London would be best and then rent the car from there in order to avoid congestion fees. Obviously taking the train would be a faster, cheaper option and am considering it, but would like some insight on a getaway that will perhaps be exhausting yet exhilarating. Thank you in advance :) Please note that we live in Canada and drive often down to Florida so a drive from London to Edinburgh in a day is nothing to us.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6608 posts
There is no fee unless you drive into the city. York is a nice stop and about halfway to Edinburgh. Further north and about 3/4 of the way to Edinburgh are Bamburgh and Alnwick castles. On the other side of England is Keswick in the Lake District, and also worth a stop.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2405 posts
I assume you already have lodging in Edinburgh, or are aware that the city is crazy busy in August between the Tattoo and the Fringe Festival?
Posted by
Yorkshire
1287 posts
Hi king0056 -
How about if you pick up the car in Oxford, drive up the M6 (sorry, not hugely scenic) up as far as the A591 into the Lake District (much more scenic) - Kendal - Windermere - Ambleside and beyond - and have a night somewhere there - Keswick is the Rick Steves stop of choice (other options are available) - then next day take the A66 back to the M6, head up to Carlisle, then take the A69 to the B6138 to run largely parallel to Hadrians Wall (plenty of stops off en route - Housesteads, Vindolanda, etc.), west-east across the spine of England. Then take the A1 up to Morpeth and head west onto the Northumberland Coastal Route - A1068 to start with - (look out for a) the brown signs and b) lots of speed cameras, observe the speed limit scrupulously). This will take you north via Warkworth, Alnwick/Alnmouth, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh (castles!) Seahouses, Lindisfarne (Holy Island), St Abbs and finally back onto the A1 into Edinburgh.
None of our motorways are especially scenic, but the journey through the Lakes, across England, and then north up the Northumberland coast definitely is.
Hope this is of some help. Hope also you have a great trip!
Ian
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Amazing thank you! These responses are very helpful and yuppers I've got accommodations booked for Scotland - landed that down last year - main reason we're coming to the UK is to visit family in England and watch my father play the pipes in the Tattoo :)
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I would stop in York or Harrogate and then on the Northumberland coast. Holy Island is a good option if the tides are in your favour (it’s approached via a tidal causeway). The east coast scenery is more interesting than the west coast IMO.
Areas worth seeing en route include Rutland, the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, Whitby, Durham, Beamish Museum and Bamburgh.
If you are just going to make a 1 night stop, I would take the train, as it’s a long, tedious drive, particularly with a young child. London to Edinburgh is probably the best part of 9 hours driving plus stopping for breaks. The traffic in Oxford is bad, so I would take the train to York and pick up a car there, as the drive there from London is often congested.
Posted by
7688 posts
Durham and York are great choices, if you can visit the Yorkshire Moors and Whitby.
I recommend that you avoid driving anywhere near London. The M25 is usually a parking lot. Dropping your car off in Oxford might be a good choice.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32885 posts
The congestion charge (and new clean air charge) is only within the central area of London where nobody should be driving without a very good reason during the week. Driving is by far the slowest way to get around central London, parking is absurd and there are more hazards than a dog has fleas.
If you don't drive into central London you don't need to worry about the congestion charge or the clean air charge.
I hope that the place you want to stay in Edinburgh has parking. During the Fringe and the Tattoo parking is very difficult there too.
What do you plan to do about the car seat / booster required by law?
UK law states that children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 4 feet 5 inches. It must be an EU approved one - those from North America are not legal - and must use ISOFix and iSize. The requirement is taller in France, Ireland and Germany - 4'11".
For children after their third birthday until their 12th:
Front seat: Correct child restraint must be used.
Rear seat: If there’s no room for a third child seat in the back of your vehicle, children aged three or older can sit in the back using an adult belt. If your vehicle does not have seat belts in the rear, a child aged three or older can travel in the back seat without a car seat and without a seat belt. This rule only applies if the car came without seat belts in the back originally. A child aged three or over can travel in the rear seat of a licensed taxi or mini cab (private hire vehicle) without a car seat but only if they wear an adult seat belt. For journeys which are unexpected and necessary and over a short distance, a child aged three or over can sit in the back only, using the adult seat belt. Who is responsible? The driver.