Help with 3 week England/Scotland Itinerary please?

Cambridge to Durham is c 3.5 hours by train via Peterborough so if you leave in the morning after 9.30/10 am to get the best train prices, you will have time to see Durham the same day. That will give you one full day in Durham before you move on to Edinburgh. Beamish is one option.

There isn't much to see at Hadrian's wall unless you are going to spend longer walking it. Holy Island is a good half day trip plus getting there (1.5 hours each way from Durham) so this will fill the day in total. The only problem you will have on 24 September is that the safe times to get on and off from the island due to the tides are 01.40 to 10.25 and 14.45 to 22.40 so this maybe difficult from Durham.

If you are visiting again near (York) or Thirsk, a visit to Robert Thompson's factory may be of interest as this is one of the UKs best known carpenters, having been making wooden furniture, particularly for churches for years. Their trademark is a carved mouse.

The times we've stayed in Edinburgh have been at a B&B off of Dalkeith Road (the area south of the old town center but a short bus ride away from the main attractions, recommended by Rick Steves) or in an apartment right on the Royal Mile. With an apartment (which also had a clothes washer and a dishwasher), you have to fix your own breakfast, but that was a big part of the appeal for us, and a Tesco supermarket was just a short distance away for obtaining groceries.

The pubs don't stay open as late as the bars in D.C., and even if you don't drink, consider stopping by for a little while some evening for some great Scottish music in a pub like the Royal Oak in Edinburgh (which is next to an excellent, very affordable Indian restaurant)!

I think you've made some great destination choices. Durham Cathedral, and Castle College if you have time for a tour, are real treats. We loved Hadrian's Wall and there is a local bus, the AD 322, that runs its length between Newcastle and Carlisle, if you can get to Newcastle or Hexham. Or it might be more efficient to go on a day tour from Durham if there is one. Vindolanda and Housesteads were very interesting, different, accessible sites.

In Edinburgh we stayed in one of the Dalkeith Road B&Bs which pretty much required local bus rides to the center, but they were easy and quick. I don't know the places you're considering, but closer in would help you make the most of your time.

And I'd recommend Ely Cathedral if you can do it, though with only one full day in Cambridge it might be too much. Ely's unique "lantern" is well worth seeing.

Jan, I am a newbie to this RS England forum, and will be visiting the UK for the first time this May-June, so have little to offer you. But I will be spending three nights in Cambridge, so will share: (1) after doing considerable research looking for a nice, cozy place to stay, not a modern hotel, I have a reservation at Worth House, a nice B&B with great reviews, helpful and communicative hosts, some minutes walk to the center of town, and within your price range; (2) I have also signed up for a Cambridge Food Tour one day from 11 am to 3 pm, seems like a nice way to get to know the town, and eat well, you might look into it, also with a helpful and communicative owner; and (3) I also plan to spend a chunk of time in Ely, just 15 minutes away I understand, at least for an afternoon into the evening. Hope that gives you something to chew on, as they say.

I would stay further in than Haymarket in Edinburgh, but others like the Haymarket area. You should think about a couple of day trips while you're in Edinburgh.

First, think about Stirling. It's an easy train ride and the castle is magnificent. They have restored the Renaissance Palace and I think that you would enjoy it. The town itself is nice too.

Second, you might enjoy going up to Perthshire. It's a different part of the highlands. Go to Birnam and Dunkeld. There is a cathedral there. The Scottish Church was first based in Dunkeld before moving to St. Andrews. And, you can take some nice shore walks in the area, which would be a change from the urban travel so go on a nice day!

Of course the cathedral in Glasgow is wonderful. Do you like historical mysteries? Pat Macintosh has a series based in Glasgow in the late 1400's and the first one involves the cathedral.

As for a place to stay in Glasgow, I found that the Premier Inn near George Square was convenient for travel.

I'll second Cyn's suggestion that you try for some traditional Scottish music one night. Another place that holds sessions is Sandy Bells. It's small. I went around 9 and left before 11 and got some music. I just sat at the bar and had a wonderful conversation with others as we listened to the music.

Pam

What a wonderful trip! I've been to London (for Wimbledon) 11 times, so I'll speak to what to do there. You say you've seen the major sites, so I won't waste your time saying some tours are a must (Tower of London, St.Pauls, Westminster Abbey) and if you have any interest at all so are Churchill War Rooms/Museum and the Imperial War Museum. Have you been to Hampton Court and Windsor Castle? What about the Royal Mews (next to Buckingham Palace)? If not, you have to...not huge, but very British. Last summer I did the day trip to Greenwich by boat, a very nice day. Check out the offerings from the Evan Evans Tour Company. I've done 3 of their all-day bus trips (Windsor Castle-Bath-Stonehenge was terrific; Leeds Castle-Canterbury-Dover was enjoyable) and they do a nice job. Enjoy!