First Trip to Great Britain (finally!)

My opinion is don’t even think about driving on arrival day. I know that sounds harsh, but it shouldn’t even be a consideration.

We had no intention of driving on arrival day. We will either sleep near the airport, or take a coach and pick up the car elsewhere. It depends on what time we arrive as to which of those it would be.

Let's think about where to start and end your trip. It sounds as though you plan to fly into and home from London. If you're sure you want to go as far north as Edinburgh, then why not save some travel time and fly home from Glasgow? You'd need to rearrange your destinations a bit. A map and the National Rail website will help. Be sure to explore ways to save on rail tickets.

If you choose to drive for part of the trip, please don't attempt to drive on the day of arrival. For four adults, a car may be more economical than public transportation, but you will be in an unfamiliar car, probably with a standard transmission, on roads you don't know, driving on the left, and in some rural areas on very narrow roads. This is stressful and tiring. Perhaps you could use more public transportation than you originally planned.

Finally, try to limit the number of 1-2 night stops. You lose a lot of time with frequent hotel changes.

Let us know your plans as you develop them.

Anita, thank you. I edited my original post to clarify that we don't intend to drive on arrival day.
How would you alter the plan in order to fly out of Glasgow? Wouldn't that require a lot of zigzagging east/west? I'm open to the idea, but not clear on how to work it.

I think you're trying to do far too much in the time you have. You'll have maybe 1-1/2 days in Edinburgh and less than a day in York, just for two examples. I know you can move around better with a car than I was able to do via public transportation, but this looks like the sort of trip on which you have to keep checking your watch so you can stick to an unrealistic schedule.

Looks like you are trying to cover most of the British Isles on this trip. You will have to narrow down the most important areas. One-night stops are really not enough to explore the area constantly checking in and out of hotels, all takes time and energy away from a trip. If Bury St. Edmunds is important to you then make that your first stop. Stay in Cambridge and day trip out. I am from that area, and I will say there is not a great deal in Bury St. Edmunds to look at compared to other places. York is worthy of two nights. If you rent a car from here, you could cross country through the Yorkshire Dales and onto Keswick. This area is one of the most beautiful in Britain and I would spend at least 4 days here. From Keswick. You could return the car to York and train to Edinburgh or drive. Then fly home from Edinburgh. I just think adding the Cotswolds and Wales is going to be too much. Driving in England is fine but you have to be on your game at all times. It can be stressful for the driver who is missing the scenery. Alternatively, take out Scotland and focus on Wales, then the Cotswolds and return to London.

You will love Great Britain. It is one of our favorite countries. Also, the British countryside is amazing.

We have been to GB several times, but our last visit was in 2017 and we did a four week drive tour of South Wales (did N. Wales on earlier trip) and England.
Here is my review, perhaps it will assist with your planning.
https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=599139

I do have a few tips, because I have been to most of the places that you plan to see.

1) Driving, especially in southern England and around London will be in congested traffic. If you plan to drive 150 miles and it will take 2.5 hours, plan instead for 3.5 hours. It is slower going. It gets a bit better in northern England. Make sure you have a rental car with a navigation system or a GPS or phone with a navigation feature.
2) Plan your entire trip from where you will stay to how to go from point A to B. B&Bs are great places to stay and usually close to the center city.
3) Salisbury/Stonehenge are great, don't miss them. If you have read Ken Follett's Pillars of The Earth it will amaze you. There is an original copy of the Magna Carta in the cathedral. Wells was worth a stop. Glastonbury was a little bit of a disappointment. You still might wish to go.
4) We stayed six nights in the Cotswolds at Chipping Campden and used it as a base. We did Oxford, Blenheim Palace and Stratford Upon Avon (don't miss this home of William Shakespeare). Also, we spent about two full days doing the Cotswolds. There is more to see than you might think (check out my review). We stayed in the Volunteer Inn (very affordable and they have a great pub and Indian restaurant). You may not wish to do 6 nights there, but you should plan on more time than you indicated.
5) You can do Conwy in one full day. Consider visiting Chester if you are interested in Roman history.
6) We stayed in Keswick for three nights and enjoyed the Lake District. It is mainly for outdoor stuff. We did drive the recommended Rick Steves circle around the lake next to Keswick. You will need at least two nights there.
7) York was one of favorite cities in Britain. We did three nights and need all that time. Walk the ancient Roman walls, visit the Munster (Cathedral) it is amazing. Also, there are three museums (see my review) that I recommend, especially the National Railway Museum.
8) Your drive from the Lake District to Edinburgh will be long. Edinburgh deserves at least two nights.

It will be hard to cram all the travel you want into two weeks, considering that you probably want to spend some days in London. Consider eliminating some places. Edinburgh is great, but you could save it for another trip where you focus on Scotland.

Thank you, geovagriffith, that was helpful. I will read your past posts.
A few thoughts since reading replies here so far:
What if we went from London straight to the Cotswolds? Is there a reasonable way to get there from the airport? (Still wrapping my head around the size of GB in relation to the US) If we stayed in the Cotswolds for a few nights could we just do a day trip to Salisbury/Stonehenge/Wells? Then on to Conwy before heading to the Lake District.
Would it then make more sense to leave the car in Keswich and take the train to Edinburgh?
The Bury St. Edmunds thing would really just be for the chance to see the air base where my father was stationed in the war. I don't think we could even go onto the base, and the memorial plaque is on the wall near the gate. Might not be something that makes the final itinerary.

I understand and appreciate the comments regarding doing too much in a short time, but this may be the only time I get to go. I'm not getting any younger, and we are just working class folks on a budget.

One family member really wants to see Stonehenge and Glastonbury. One really wants to see the Lake District and the Cotswolds. One really wants to see the castles in North Wales. And if we are going all the way across the pond, I'd like to at least see one thing in Scotland. Then everyone says "don't miss York". Honestly, I've spent so many weeks agonizing over the whole Bath area part of the trip that I haven't even read what there is to see and do in York. And obviously we want to see London. It's a good thing I've got a year to work on this plan!

Any chance you can go for 3 weeks?

That's a lot for 2 weeks ... unless North Wales is a must, I'd drive around the Cotswolds for a week and return the car where I started (or pay a huge drop-off fee in Scotland) ... and don't forget the cost of gas to go over and back to Wales, is it worth the added expense? ... after this first part of the trip, here are 2 options ... 1) to maximize sightseeing time, drop the car in the late afternoon then head to London Euston station and take the New Caledonian sleeper train to Edinburgh area for a few days (leaves around midnight and you won't need a hotel for the night) ... on way back to London, stop at York (if that is a must see), then see if there is a train to Bury for a day, then back to London for remainder of trip and then home ... 2) spend 3-4 days in London after dropping car, with one day trip to Bury ... then train from London to Edinburgh (stopping at York for a day?) and surrounding area (maybe rent another car for a few days) for 3-4 days, then home ... check which flights might be cheaper (R/T from London might be cheaper than arrive London depart Edinburgh) to help decide which option might be best ... and for all your train needs, read this chapter in the train traveler's Bible ... https://www.seat61.com/london-to-edinburgh-by-train.htm

Please don’t hire a car immediately upon arrival. Read the recent post about an American who did this and is lucky to be alive.

Sorry, but I think you need at least 3 weeks to cover all your destinations plus however many days you want to spend in London, otherwise you are in danger of spending longer stuck in a car than actually seeing places. Two nights somewhere is only a day visiting somewhere, particularly with the distances you are hoping to cover.

You are intending to visit into October, so most of the colour will have gone from the gardens in places like the Cotswolds. That time of year can be lovely, but it can also be changeable - cooler and wetter.

Salisbury and its cathedral are very pleasant. I am not a Stonehenge fan - it’s disappointingly small. It takes a couple of hours including the visitor centre. You can get closer to the standing stones at Avebury.

I was disappointed with Glastonbury - too many tourist shops selling crystals etc, although the walk up The Tor was worth it for the views. Wells is charming and the polar opposite of Glastonbury. The cathedral, Bishop’s Palace and Gardens and Vicar’s Close are all worth seeing as is the market (Wednesday and Saturday). You can spend a day here. Depending on where you are starting the day from with your hire car, I would sleep in Wells for 2 nights unless it’s going to be too far.

Lacock Abbey and the Fox Talbot Museum are interesting and can easily fill 2-3 hours. Oxford is a little out of the way if your next stop is north Wales, but you can easily fill a day here and another at Blenheim Palace. You will need at least another night if you want to see some of the Cotswold villages. The route you take depends on how much time you have. I would take the M5, then the M54/A5. Heading to Aberystwyth on the coast then north is about 2 hours longer or 3 hours if you take the small coastal road through Harlech etc.

It’s going to take half a day to see each castle in Wales plus travel time, so you need at least 2 nights there and ideally 3 if you want to see the stunning Snowdonia area too. Bodnant Garden near Conwy is also worth seeing.

Conwy to Keswick is about a 4 hour drive, so you need at least 2 nights here and ideally 3. I was in Keswick last summer and it has suffered due to Covid with quite a few vacant shops and restaurants. I usually stay in the Eskdale area, which is wilder and has fewer tourists.

The drive to Edinburgh will take the best part of 4 hours. A car is a disadvantage here, so returning it on arrival is sensible. The city’s attractions can easily fill 3 full days (4 nights).

York - the Minster, the old walls and the excellent Railway Museum etc can easily fill 2 full days (3 nights). Half a day door to door to London. I suggest that you visit BSE from London as a day trip. Heading there from York will necessitate a journey time with luggage of 4-5 hours, involving 2 or 3 trains, then 1 or 2 buses depending on the time of travel. Then to get to London would involve another 3+ hour journey on a bus and 2 trains. According to their website, you can only visit RAF Honington on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10am and 3pm (pre booking necessary).

I think you need to prioritise what you want to see given your timeframe. A quick paced 2 week itinerary would be London combined with York and Edinburgh and the Lake District (assuming you don’t want long in London or drop the Lakes if you want longer in London). Many spend a week in London and don’t run out of things to see. Alternatively, see London, Wales and the Lake District. It’s difficult to choose as each area has different things to offer.

Your children are adults, so split the party - some head to Wales, others elsewhere. Sorry, but you can’t cover all the areas in 2 weeks together.

Okay, thinking out loud here. What if instead we did:

Fly into Edinburgh, 3 nights.
Train (or car) to Keswick, 2 nights.
Drive to Conwy, 1 night.
Drive to Chipping Campden, 2 nights.
Drive to Glastonbury/Salisbury/Wells/Stonehenge, 1 night.
Train to London, 6 nights. Fly out of London.
We skip York, and possibly do Bury St. Edmund as a day trip.

1 day is not enough to do north Wales. Glastonbury - I would not bother with the place.

Check out my reply on this post in the Wales section:>https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/wales/driving-wales

Lose Glastonbury. It’s embarrassing.

Sorry, but driving 4 hours from Keswick to Conwy for a one night stay followed by another 4 hour drive the next day is tiring for the driver and you won’t have time to see much in Wales. If you want to see the castles, head straight to Wales for 3 nights from Edinburgh and drop the Lakes.

Driving from Chipping Campden to Glastonbury, Wells, Salisbury and Stonehenge is around 5 hours actual driving time plus time to find somewhere to park in each location plus comfort stops. This isn’t going to give you enough time to see anything anywhere!

It is difficult when everyone has their own itinerary, but you don’t want the whole trip to be a blur. As many on this forum say, less is more.

Driving here isn’t like driving in the parts of America that I have visited - there is far more congestion and the roads are narrow, particularly in the Lake District and parts of Wales. Plus fuel is an eye watering price at present.

I think its all been said. Jennifer is speaking the truth.

I'd love for you to honour your Dad at the base near Bury St Eds, and its relatively near me so warms my heart.

BUT you and your family are trying to fit a gallon into a pint jar....

Time to reconsider over the months. Maybe send the kids off on their own and meet up a bit later, then everybody gets what they want and it would save time.

I can't conceive of leaving the Lake District for a single overnight in Conwy, then turn around to Chipping Campden then head south to the stones. My mind boggles and I do a lot of driving here.

Hi Mary Ellen -

I’m certain you’ll benefit from spending more than one night in Keswick and unless there’s some really personal or compelling reason to visit Glastonbury, I think you can safely lose that. I’m, as others also seem to be, not a fan, although Jennifer is right about the walk up and around Tor being worth doing.

Avebury is better than Stonehenge as a) you can get up close to the stones and b) it’s free! And c) nobody has any definitive idea about why either was built in the first place. Or how to some extent! I tend to favour utilitarian purpose as much as spiritual. My friend who actually lived in a tent near Stonehenge for months and knows as much as anybody about the place says that any theory you can up with that you can support with evidence is as good as anybody else’s! Like Stonehenge, Avebury has many other Neolithic sites close by - Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, Woodhenge, even Wayland’s Smithy is not that far away.

Have a great trip whichever itinerary you eventually come up with.

Ian

to visit RAF Honington you will probably need a taxi from Bury St Edmunds station. The base is north of a school I work with from time to time - the Culford School - and I haven't seen public buses there in previous visits. There may be one but it won't be frequent, and RAF Honington is off the main road. It shouldn't cost much and s/he can wait for you and take you back. It is about 6 miles or so from the station.

There isn't direct train service from London to Bury St Eds but there is a little branch line from Cambridge; Cambridge (well worth a visit) is on the Great Northern main line to London Kings Cross (most nonstop) and the slightly slower Thameslink main line to London St Pancras and the Anglia Trains much slower (but slightly cheaper) line to London Liverpool Street.

As everyone one has said, you need to do some prioritising/culling.

A couple of other points. Wales is not the only place with castles. There are castles in Scotland, and you may be better able to fit a Scottish castle into your itinerary. Have a look at Rabbies tours, day trips and longer which originate in Edinburgh www.rabbies.com.
There is also Warwick Castle in England, which may fit into a Cotswold itinerary.

Stonehenge, if it is a must, can also be done as a day trip from London. London walks, when they get up an running again post-pandemic will probably start their day trips there (which they combine with Salisbury). Look at www.walks.com.

I love York and it is worth more than a one night stay - it is also halfway between Edinburgh and London on the train, so an easy break of journey, doable and not out of the way.

Agree that Glastonbury not worth it. And Bury St Edmunds detour would take a heap of time for very little in return.

But, its your trip and you need to work out what your priorities are. Any chance you could extend the trip to three weeks, it would be so less rushed.

Firstly, how exciting! I can't tell you how delighted I have been to see you lovely U.S. folks coming back to the UK. Thank you for remembering us and for persevering with all the Covid stuff and traveling here in spite of it all. I think that's wonderful. In return, we will do our best to give you sunshine and greasy fish and chips.

Anyway, back to my suggestions.
Salisbury - interesting & lovely city - allow 1/2 a day to explore. Maybe spend night here so you'll get decent food and can explore city in the evening.
Stonehenge - quick to walk around, takes time getting there. Don't go on a weekend, the traffic in all directions is awful.

Glastonbury - cute little town, not a lot to see there though. Lots of shops selling crystals and mystical stuff. Great walk up to the Tor. wear sensible shoes!
Wells - very pretty town. Nice to walk around. A couple of hours should be enough to explore.

Cotswolds - 2 full days & 1 night here would be great. Day 1: Visit Stow on the Wold (stay in Stow, eat at The Porch House or The Old Butchers book well in advance!), Burford, Upper Slaughter, Lower Slaughter, Snowshill in one day. Day 2: Chipping Campden, Broad Campden (thatched cottages) Broadway (cute village with shops), Broadway Tower. There is a wonderful equestrian centre near here which takes you on amazing rides through the Cotswolds. Kids love it!!

Oxford is my home town and is just so beautiful. I am biased, but it is a wonderful city and more attractive than any of the other cities on your list (imo). You could stay the night here and experience an evening in Oxford. So lovely walking around the little lanes at dusk. It's very safe.

To get to North Wales without a car is probably quite a long journey, so good idea to go in your hire car. Best to go inland direct route. Will take forever to get there along the coast.

Much too much - one night hardly gives you any time in a place when you take out travelling time. You need a minimum of two nights per stop to make it worthwhile.

There is NO WAY you can do Glastonbury/Salisbury/Wells/Stonehenge in one day - m inimum of two days bn[]needed to even begin to scratch the surface.

Driving distances my not look far but will take a lot longer to cover than you might expect. You need to slow down unless you just intend to see everything through the car windscreen as you drive past.

Maryellen, most of us who are responding to your plans are experienced tourists and many of us have attempted what you are planning: That is, we've crowded too many different sites and experiences into too little time. The result is fatigue, frustration, and vague confused memories of a trip, most of which will involve transportation because we wasted so much time trying to rush from place to place.

If you are going in the Autumn, I'd start that trip at your northern most destination. Flying into Edinburgh or Glasgow, I suggest you spend 3 nights in Edinburgh. Take your time and really explore the castle, the palace, walk the royal mile, etc.

Next, I'd suggest several nights in York. There is a train that goes from Edinburgh to York with no changes. Check out the York Minster (and be sure to go to the part underground to see evidence of the ancient Roman structure that once stood there). Visit the rail museum and walk on the defensive walls around the city. Learn about the Vikings who once controlled the city. Visit the Shambles. Walk through the ancient bars (gate houses in the walls, not the kind that serve drinks) and imagine how York might have looked (and smelled) 2000 years ago, or 1000 years ago.

I know members of your family want to visit the Lake District, the Cotswolds, Wells, Salisbury, northern Wales, etc. These are so spread out that you'll lose too much time just traveling from place to place. Your could go to Bath. I read that none of you want to go there but it's a convenient place to stay if you want to do day trips to the Cotswalds, Wells, Salisbury, and Stonehenge. I'd suggest taking the train to Bath. Then you could rent a car for a few days or use one of the commercial van tour companies for day trips. Mad Max Tours are reliable. This might be a time when members of the family split up to pursue their individual interests. (And if you're like most of us, you'll be glad to be apart for a bit after so much time together.)

End your trip in London. If you rented a car, get rid of it and take the train into London. First time visitors worry about the "best" location for their hotel. Let me assure you that there is no best or right part of town. If you're near an Underground station, you'll be able to get around the city. Borrow a guide book or two from your library or use the internet to read about using the Underground. I don't know where you live but if you're from many parts of the U.S., you may not use public transportation. Look at the train, subway, double-decker bus, etc,. as just another part of sight-seeing. Personally, I wouldn't plan a strict schedule of things to do in London, but I would have a rough plan of likely destinations and which are close together and open at the same time.

Keep posting as you develop your travel plans.

@Anita- Thank you for your comments. I do understand where everyone is coming from with the warnings.
We are currently working on Plan E right now since A-D don't seem feasible.
We are thinking we will head straight to Bath from the airport, have a walk and some dinner and then sleep.
Rent a car in Bath to go to Stonehenge and Salisbury. Spend the night in Bath, then drive to Lacock National Trust Village, have lunch, then on to Oxford to drop off the car. Train to Moreton-in Marsh. Two nights in the Cotswolds, then take the RS suggestion of taking the train to Conwy for 2 nights. Train to Penrith, bus to Keswick for 2 nights. Morning train to Edinburgh, one night, then train to London.

Question regarding this plan: Would Bath still be the best place for those 2 nights or Salisbury? I'm not seeing any information on being able to rent a car in Salisbury, so I'm guessing Bath.

Knowing my family, nobody would be happy if we split up on the trip. We love experiencing things together and we get along very well. We are just trying to take each person's wishes into account.

The plan is far from being finished, hopefully I don't need the entire alphabet before getting to the final version!

"Would you do Oxford at this point, or not?"--In your original question.
Yes!

You can rent a car when you are ready to leave Oxford to explore the Cotswolds.
Stay 1 or 2 nights in Oxford and enjoy this lovely city and its colleges and great museums.

When you leave Oxford, pick up the car to explore the Cotswolds.
When you're done there, head to Wales.

That's my 2 cents. Your trip is best planned in segments, rather than trying to tackle the whole thing at once.

P.S. You wrote: "Drive to Conwy, 1 night." You are really shortchanging Wales. Think about taking one night away from London and adding it to Wales. You have some amazing castles there to see, but a one night stay in Wales is not enough.

Since this is your first trip to GB, I would seriously consider signing up for this tour;
Rick Steves' Best of England In 14 Days:
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/england-scotland/england

Take a look at the map and itinerary. It covers many of the places you say you wish to go, including Wales and the Lake District. Transportation, hotels, some meals are taken care of for you, so that's a tremendous plus.

Since you are planning to take your trip in 2023, you can sign up and choose your preferred dates.
With this being your first trip, this Rick Steves tour is perfect for you to "get your feet wet" traveling in England and Wales. It allows you and your family to relax and enjoy the trip, instead of trying to piece together a hectic schedule of your own, trying to go to too many places.

I really think this is a good idea for you, or I wouldn't mention it.

If there are any places you wanted to go that this tour doesn't cover (and there are), you can either add time after the tour to do those things, OR just save them for the next trip.

Very similar to the trip my sister and I did in 2017, but... with some difference's. I LOVE Scotland but for this trip ditch Edinburgh. You'll need 2 days in your first area. I loved the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. We did that in the morning and Wells in the afternoon staying for the AMAZING evensong. You'll need the other day for Stonehenge and Salisbury. We stopped at Tintern on our way up to Conwy. I love castles so would say see at least 2 of them if not more. We hiked Catbells from Keswick. Spend some time with the Romans on Hadrian's wall and drop the car in York. Spend at least one full day there if not 2. Train easily down to London. If you choose to start in Edinburgh then I would ditch the Lake District and the Cotswolds and keep York.

My son lives in Bury St. Edmunds and basically said what everyone else said, not much to see.

Bus 332 runs from Bury St Edmunds Railway Station to Honington
Not a very frequent service
see www.coachservicesltd.com

I would really recommend 3 weeks to fit everything on your list. Fly open jaw London-Edinburgh.

Here are the priorities for this trip:
* Beautiful countryside
* Castles
* History
* London and Edinburgh

Luckily, both London and Edinburgh provide loads of history and access to castles. Highlights at either end of the trip include the Tower of London and Edinburgh Castle and too many palaces, cathedrals, museums and historical sites to see. Also, Windsor castle is an easy day trip from London and Stirling Castle is fairly easy from Edinburgh. I would need at least 3 nights in each of London and Edinburgh, but I recommend more time in London, even without a visit to Windsor.

So, the main issues to consider for the 4-6 days in between:
- best access to beautiful countryside?
- is there other specific history outside of London and Edinburgh (including family history) that I want to see first hand?
- is there a particular castle or type of castle that I absolutely want to see that I won't see in and around London and Edinburgh?

I choose Somerset & Wiltshire and the Cotswolds to see beautiful countryside along with ancient history (stone circles and Roman baths) and English history (Stratford-upon-Avon, Wells, Glastonbury, Blenheim). This can be done as a 4-night driving tour from Heathrow (perhaps add a day with Windsor as a the first stop?). I could visit York as an easy Edinburgh-London stopover.

I wouldn't go wrong to instead choose the Lake District, Hadrian's Wall, and York + Durham to meet my beautiful countryside and history priorities...but I wouldn't have enough time or bandwidth to fit both options into the 2-week itinerary without short-changing Edinburgh or London.

I would leave out Wales completely, unless I could add even more time to my trip.

I hope maryellenhowen is still reading this thread although she hasn't checked back here in several days.

Forum members are giving her good advice.
It's very kind of them to take time to do so.
So I hope it is appreciated.

@Rebecca, Yes, I am still checking in as we continue tweaking our plans. We have made decisions for the first 2 days of the trip! It's a good thing we have plenty of time to plan. We have a general plan for the rest of the time, but still working on details.
We have taken into consideration the comments regarding only staying 1 night in certain places, and regarding driving vs trains. We have weighed that against our own preferences and feelings, considering how we feel about doing a lot of driving, or changing lodgings more or less frequently, and what our priorities are. Here is where we are currently:
Arrive Heathrow, coach to Bath. Walk around Bath, dinner, sleep in Bath.
First full day: Rent car, visit Wells and Glastonbury, continue to Salisbury. Sleep in Salisbury.
2: Salisbury Cathedral (unless there was time to see it the previous day), Stonehenge (not the visitor center),
Lacock Village, continue to Stow. Sleep in Stow for 2 nights, touring Cotswolds and Oxford. Turn in car in Oxford.
Train to Conwy, 2 nights in Conwy. Explore Conwy Castle and Caernarfon.
Train to Penrith, bus to Keswick (approx 3 hour total) Sleep 1 (maybe 2) nights in Keswick.
Morning train to Edinburgh, wander the city, sleep in Edinburgh 1 night.
Train to London for remainder of trip.

Maybe return the car to Bath instead of Oxford (about an additional 2 hour drive) to avoid the high cost of returning to a different city ... train to Conwy will also be another hour longer (and may cost more which will negate the savings of dropping the car at the same location) ... time vs cost decision.

Not itinerary advice because you are getting lots of that from knowledgeable people. I’m currently on my 4th trip to the UK and one of the more surprising things to me has been the disappearance of cash. Don’t spend a great deal of time worrying about getting British pounds. Many places are contactless card only. Do spend time making sure you have a contactless credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees.

All the way to Edinburgh for 1 night?
Why?

Edinburgh for one night, because we plan on taking the train from there to London, as it is a nice direct train ride allowing us to "see" the countryside on the eastern side of GB, and it gives us a chance to see a bit of Edinburgh after arriving mid-morning before leaving the next day for London. We aren't going there expecting to fully experience Edinburgh, but as it is close and a good transit location, we may as well get a taste of it. We don't have the time or $ to spend 3 nights in every town we visit, so we do what we can.

Blockquote

Don’t spend a great deal of time worrying about getting British pounds. Many places are contactless card only. Do spend time making sure you have a contactless credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Blockquote

Am I right in thinking we will need coins for parking our rental car in Wells, Glastonbury, Salisbury, Lacock, and Stow?

Personally, I would skip Edinburgh and Scotland in favor of York. It would save time and back-tracking. I also think that the family member that wants to see both the Lake District and Cotswolds needs to choose only one of those destinations. London is worth at least 4 full days. Your husband and his passengers may also find that driving on the opposite side of the road is harder than you think.

EDITED: This will be considered sacrilege, but if I were on my death bed, I wouldn't regret not seeing Scotland. This opinion is based on a trip where we did spend several days in Edinburgh, my husband and daughter went to St Andrews and we did a Rabbies one day Highlands tour from Glascow.

I would rather spend 1 night in Edinburgh than zero nights.

When I don't feel like I have room on the itinerary for 2 nights at every stop, one consideration I find helpful is to avoid consecutive one-night stops, especially once you've already been traveling for 3+ days. That will wear on any traveler. You will feel like you are on a repeat cycle: wake up, pack, check out, find food, find next stop, find lodging, check in, unpack, find food. Repeat.

Also, after several days, you will need to think about laundry. If you're in a place for 2 nights, you have time to wash clothes in the sink on the first night and let them dry sufficiently while you're out for the day.

So, I recommend that you take the 2 nights in Keswick or stay for 2 nights in Edinburgh.

PS - I wouldn't go to Edinburgh because it is a good transit location. The York suggestion is a good one if you're looking for a stop between Keswick and London....and you'll feel like you have more time in York and still get to see plenty of countryside from the train. Go to Edinburgh because it's awesome!

I too would rather spend 1 night in Edinburgh than zero nights.. It's not like we can just pop back over the following month to see anything that we missed.
The whole family wants to see the Lake District and the Cotswolds, so that is what we are planning. We will still have 4-5 days in London. If time and money were no object I would gladly spend a whole month, but that's not the case, so we are seeing as much as we can in the time that we have.

I feel like I have to echo what just about everyone has said. This is a lot. While you may not be able to come back two weeks later, plan like you are coming back. This is a wonderful vacation, not a sprint.

My own thoughts - Edinburgh and York are both lovely. York definitely deserves more than one night. Being on the East Coast Mainline, its easy to go London-York-Edinburgh.

While there isnt much in Bury St Edmunds itself, Cambridge is lovely. Bury is quite easy to get to from Cambs. As Nigel said, a taxi from the station is likely your easiest option to get to RAF Honington. You could easily incorporate two days in Cambridge (one for Cambridge, one for Bury). Rogerbrown mentioned the bus, but also keep in mind as he and Nigel have said, service will be infrequent.

Finally, regarding driving there are things to remember: roads are narrower, congestion is likely far worse than you might imagine, and fuel is...horrendously expensive (2-3 times what you pay at home.) Also, if you are driving, please remember not to use your mobile phone as it is illegal in the UK and the fines are quite steep.

If you're going to be in the area of Cambridge and Bury St. Edmonds and you had family that served there in WWII you should check into going to the IWM Duxford air museum- and see if they have any air shows while you're there as well. In any case, even without the air show the facility is very large and has extensive WWII exhibits. It is easier to get there with a car unless there is an air show- then the roads are terrible.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford