Mid June Diy UK Two Week Trip

Wow! That's covering a lot of ground! Can you fly into London and out of Edinburgh?
We love using Arnold Clark (out of Heathrow; have also rented from York). I don't know their fee for drop off at different location.

Seconding what was said above about covering a lot of territory in the time alotted. We did London>Costwolds>Liverpool>LakeDistrict>FtWilliam>Edinburgh>London in 16 days. It was loads of driving time, and we took the M roads wherever possible. Not in Scotland, and it was slow going, a tyre blow-out and 2-hr ride in the cab of a recovery vehicle nonwithstanding. By the time we got to Edinburgh we had enough (especially the bridge leading into the city which rises at a terrifyingly steep angle!) turned in our hired car and booked train back to London rather than what would have been an 8-hour drive. If we did it again it would be at least a 3-wk trip (or 2 separate trips). And I've driven Chicago to Vancouver to LA and back to Chicago in 2 weeks but that was when I was in college!

If Harry Potter is a back theme, then Durham Cathedral could be on your itinerary. As well as being one of the UK's great Cathedrals it's cloister was used in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, when Harry released his pet owl Hedwig for a flight around Hogwarts Castle, and in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Cloister Garth was the setting for the famous scene when Ron's 'eat slugs' curse backfires.
The Chapter House was used as the filming location for Professor Minerva McGonagall's classroom in the first two Harry Potter films. Dame Maggie Smith's character led Transfiguration lessons that saw the young students attempt to turn animals into goblets.
Also Filch the Caretaker is often seen with a set of big old-fashioned keys as he prowls the school looking for mischief. While filming at Durham Cathedral, an actual set of Durham Cathedral's keys were used as props.

In the Watford Junction area a good place to stay might be the city of St Alban's. We don't really do Motels in this country, but if by that you mean budget hotels such as Premier Inn then my preference would always be for a B and B or traditional hotel, subject to any budget constraints. A Bed and Breakfast (or Guest House is now the usual word) is a different kind of thing to what you often see in the US. Here it is normally a mid range option, rather than being a higher end option as you often see in the US.

Given the rest of the itinerary the Cotswolds seems an outlier, in terms of scenery there are better National Parks far more on your line of route- the Peak District, the North Yorkshire Moors, the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland.

We lived in the Bedford area in the early 70s for a couple years, so are somewhat familiar with driving habits and public transportation

Things have changed a lot in the intervening years.... Traffic levels are a lot higher and you may be surprised how lomg it takes to drive between places. That is a pretty intensive itinerary and hrad work for the driver(s)....

Driving from London to Noerth York Moors via Bedford and Lakenheath is goiung to take nearly a full day without time for stops... Depending on what your expectations ar, you may want to break journey and spend a night in Lakenheath befor travelling north.

Check out details for the Jacobite steam train as you may need to add another night to Fort William (one before and one after). The 2025 timetable, the morning service got you back into Fort Williamjust turned 4pm. You could start heading south for a short distance afterwards to cut down driving the next day

Fort William to the Cotswolds is another very long drive - could be 9-10 hours without any stops. Even if you do head south after the Steam train that is still going to be a very long drive. Being realsitic, I would break that up with another stop on the way.

Regarding the Jacobite train- West Coast Railways are now over two months late in opening bookings, having deferred it several times.
While train paths (in last year's timings) have been reserved, it would suggest that something is happening behind the scenes.

Whether or not you plan to travel on the train, it may be worth while keeping that visit as optional until there is confirmation of running.

Wow, that Itinerary is really going to require some work on your part. I agree with wasleys that traffic has changed a lot. My first trip to the UK was in 1996, and I drove blissfully over much of the country with no problems at all. I went back in 2024 and spent almost six weeks there, and discovered that it takes a lot longer to get from place to place. If all you're going to see in London is the Warner Bros Studios tour, then sure, why not stay in Watford Junction, but it's very easy to get to Watford Junction by train from London so I'm not sure why you would since you can see a few other sites while you're there. I think you'd be missing out on a lot by staying in Watford Junction, and also it's going to be easier to get a rental car out of London.

I'm not sure about the rest of your itinerary. You mentioned you're going to drive to North Yorkshire Via Bedford and Lakenheath. Are you planning to stay overnight in those two places along the way, or is that just the drive that you prefer to take? More details here would be helpful. Also where are you staying in North Yorkshire? That will be a long drive and will take the better part of a day, especially if you stop at places.

Then tacking on Scotland to this, especially Fort William, is really going to add more time to your travel time, and you won't have nearly as much time to enjoy the place as you're staying. And as isn31c mentioned, the Jacobite train status is unknown at this point, so you could really run the risk of not being able to take it. I would also leave Edinburgh in, but save Scotland for another trip. Or tack on more time to your trip.

More to follow....

So in answer to your questions, here are my responses:

1) Staying in Watford Junction is a matter of choice. You might find a cheaper place there, but you won't have an extensive list of hotels or BnBs to choose from. I would check both places and see what you find and what works for you.

2) As isn31c noted, they don't have motels in the UK. With regards to bed and breakfast versus hotels, a lot depends on your budget and how much you are willing to research. I've stayed in both B&Bs and hotels and enjoyed my stays in both. If I was going to really watch my budget, I might look for Premier Inns, as they are a chain of hotels in the UK that are very consistently clean and comfortable and reasonably priced. You also might want to consider apartments, at least in some of your stays, as it will be easier for a family of four adults. There would be a kitchen there and also possibly a washer.

3) I'm going to skip this, since I would suggest, once you narrow down your itinerary, that you start looking at guidebooks. Then come back here if you have any specific questions and we will all be able to give you some advice about that.

4) London is good for arrival and departure. That said, you might consider a multi-city flight. For example, if you reworked your itinerary, you could visit the Cotswolds at the beginning of your trip, then head up to North Yorkshire and beyond, see what you want too see, and then fly home from Edinburgh. That would definitely give you an extra day of time, since otherwise coming back from Fort William to the Cotswolds will take a full day of travel time.

5) With regards to rental cars, I've used Arnold Clark on my last two trips to the UK. In 2023, I rented from them through their affiliate, Celtic Legend (14 day rental) for my trip to Scotland, and 2024 when I spent 6 weeks in England, I rented directly with AC (18 day rental). Both rental experiences went very well. Arnold Clark is a pleasure to deal with, no matter who you book with. I would check with both to see what price they give you. Celtic Legend will sometimes offer specials if you book through them, like giving you free sat nav or a second driver for free. I usually don't take advantage of the sat nav because I prefer using Google Maps on my phone, and since I'm a solo traveler, I don't really need an extra driver. But it does pay to check there

The best thing about them is that when you pick up the car, the agents explain everything to you and make sure that you understand the fine print. They are good about upgrading sometimes as well (once I was upgraded to a Mercedes at no cost, and another time I received an automatica at no extra cost (I had booked a manual). They are always very courteous and helpful, and I will continue to use them in the UK for future rentals.

Arnold Clark has offices in London (including Heathrow) and Edinburgh.

Thanks to all, exactly what I needed. Revised itinerary is flying into London and out of Edinburgh. From London to Cotswold - North York - Edinburgh, spending 2-3 nights in each, and as mentioned get a guide book for each. Will use B&B to the extent possible, Premier Inn as alternate, and Arnold Clark for auto rental. Harry Potter is driving force for London visit, so if time becomes the issue, would limit our time there. Bedford and Lakenheath are drive-by for former residence and daughters' birth place. Being a retired gandy-dancer, Jacobsite steam train is a draw for me. Will also work in Durham Cathedral. Would this be more doable in 10 - 12 days? Again, thanks to each.

Would this be more doable in 10 - 12 days?

As opposed to a 2 week trip? Only if you omitted something. 😊 Seriously, you're already pushing it with two weeks. If you take off a couple of days, I would definitely remove a couple of destinations.

If your interest in the Jacobite train is primarily to see a steam train in action then there are many others you could see without having to go all the way up to Fort William. In particular the North York Moors railway is right where you will be anyway -https://www.nymr.co.uk/. Not going up too Fort William would give you more time to enjoy the rest of your itinerary without being endlessly on the road.

If your interest in the Jacobite train is primarily to see a steam train in action then there are many others you could see without having to go all the way up to Fort William.

John, I agree (and would also highly recommend the North Yorkshire railway), but I have a feeling that the reason they want the Jacobite train is because of the Harry Potter connection. It sounds like they are big Harry Potter fans, and I get that. But as noted above, there is a chance that it won't be running when you get there, so definitely something to keep in mind. Here's a link to the NYMR site if you want to check it out: https://www.nymr.co.uk/pages/category/goathland-station

Danny, when are you planning on traveling there? Is that for this year or next year? (Never mind - I just noticed the title said "mid-June"). 😊

EDIT: now that I think about it, the Goathland station of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway was used in the movie Harry Potter, so that might be worth seeing anyway if you're going to be up there. It was Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter film. See the link above for details.

Also, I need to start reading the previous posts a bit more thoroughly. I totally missed that you used to work on railroads, and so that's why you're interested in them. The NYMR is still a cool railway, and I would definitely suggest seeing it if you're staying in North Yorkshire.

Moreton-in-Marsh (Cotswolds notional start) to Bedford 2 hours drive, Bedford to Lakenheath 1 hour 30 minutes, Lakenheath to York 3 hours 30 minutes- Total drive time 7 hours in that day, with no stops. On UK roads that is a pretty lengthy day.

You could even off rent the car at Peterborough, then train to York and thence Edinburgh- both of those rail legs are a lot faster than the equivalent drives.

The thing is that the Jacobite runs on a normal railway. If you are a Gandy Dancer a preserved railway may suit you better, like the North York Moors or the Nene Valley Railway at Peterborough.
You pass the Nene Valley between Lakenheath and York, so could do a one night stay somewhere in that area. They have a very interesting collection of historic train cars from across Western Europe.

If you do get up to Fort William then you certainly want to visit the little museum at Glenfinnan Station.

Another obvious option in Edinburgh is the Bo'ness and Kiniell Railway- https://www.bkrailway.co.uk/

Another vote for ther North York Moors Railway. It is scenically one of the best and longest of the preserved Steam Railways and has an intresting selection of locs. It ties in nicely with a stop in the North York Moors too.

in immediate walking distance from Watford Junction station is a high rise Holiday Inn Express with a microscopic - yes really - car park around the back, 1 or 2 minutes walk from the station forecourt (I've stayed there both with and without a car), a Holiday Inn a few minutes further (haven't stayed there), and a Premier Inn nearby (haven't stayed there either).

Just 2 stops further out from Watford Junction on the all stops train is Apsley which has a low rise Holiday Inn Express with a large carpark and walks along the Grand Union canal which is adjacent. It is 2 minutes from Apsley station walking across the street and about 30 yards along.