Planning a long trip to the UK for Autumn 2025

Just wanted to share some thoughts on Stratford-upon-Avon, having been there a few times. It's an easy day trip from London, and personally while it's nice, I wouldn't give it more than that - the birthplace has undergone significant Victorian reconstruction and renovation. Personally if you're in that part of the world, I'd recommend Kenilworth Castle (a substantial ruin with strong links to Queen Elizabeth I) as worth visiting.

Oxford on the other hand is definitely worth a couple of nights.

In terms of hubs, for both London is probably the easiest. If staying overnight, Leamington Spa is nice.

York to Stratford or Oxford is straightforward.

For Oxford there is the one through train, currently at 0936, otherwise one change at Birmingham New Street

For Stratford train to Birmingham New Street, walk about 300 yards down the road to Birmingham Moor Street - 2 trains an hour to Stratford upon Avon

The whole of Wales in 6 days feels ambitious but if that is your style of travel, then that's fine.

You would need to price the journeys out, and decide whether you want flexibility on the trains you use, or are happy to commit to specific timed trains. If the latter point to point is likely to work out the cheaper.

I would spend more time in York/Whitby. We took a day trip to Whitby which seems you are also planning. My husband really wanted to see the moors. The end result is we didn’t have enough time in York.

I would spend at least 4 nights in York.

Perhaps settle for 7 nights in London and redistribute 3 nights. I am not saying you can’t fill 10 nights but London is intense. I have spent 5 nights there and then 6 nights. Both times I was ready to move on to smaller communities.

I might consider doing 2 nights in Salisbury, then 3 in Bath. It's easy to take the local shuttle out to Stonehenge and then you would also be able to do Evensong at Salisbury Cathedral if that is an interest for you. The small Salisbury Museum on the Cathedral Close has some excellent neolithic artifacts.

Others might have an opinion on weather...I wonder if it might be better to do your northern sights first - Scotland, York and Hadrian's Wall, and work your way south? Still, I'd go for London at the end.

There are no direct flights to Edinburgh from Seattle BUT you can fly Delta/KLM via Amsterdam to Edinburgh and avoid coming in to Heathrow. I'll add that I did this to Aberdeen last year and the transit thru Schiphol was phenomenal - since UK is not in the EU you don't even go thru Immigration. You stay in the international terminal so not even any security stuff. So easy.

After 10 days in London, even if it was my first time, I'd be bored. Obviously it depends because if you really like cities then it's fine, and there's plenty to do to fill 10 days in London. But those are my 2 pence.
Granted, 10 days in London is a good idea IF it's your first time AND IF you are planning to spend some days in nearby areas.
However, at the end of a six week period of being a tourist the last thing you may want is a massive city break for 10 days.
Spend more time near Hadrians Wall if you were to reallocate your time anywhere.

If you are starting with Bristol; a friend of mine, who is English, always flies into Bristol from Seattle. I see that you are going to Wales, which is a wonderful idea. There is a bus that goes north/south thru Wales, You might be able to watch this trip on You Tube. Visit Chester if you are going to Liverpool. Bath can be a one day/night to see the sights. Stratford is a one night: good for going to a Play. Oxford has several World Class Museum. I did go to a Shakespeare play here, also. If you go to Stonehenge; go to Salisbury Cathedral. York is best visited coming or going, especially if going by train, Glasgow/Edinburgh to/from London. Some sights in Scotland close or keep open fewer hours starting in October. The Lake District does have great views if you hike up the hills. They do have boat excursions. It seems to cater to Day Trippers. It does start to rain in October and Great Britain's Latitude is higher than Seattle, so days are shorter. We enjoyed Hadrian's Wall. We stayed in a B & B. They cater to hikers here and have shuttle buses with pick up and drop off along the Wall. I don't know how long they continue this in the fall. You can probably visit most of your list. The fall may have less tourists, depending on the weather, so you may be able to have flexibilty in whether you stay or go. If you get a travel buddy, you might want to rent a car once in a while (not in London) to visit the countryside easier. Bon Voyage!

"It does start to rain in October"

This year it doesn't feel like it's stopped raining this Summer. But it is actually amazing how often the Lake District (or my bit out on the coast) has the same weather as Seattle- not inland WA, but Seattle. This last week for instance we've actually had a weather break and have been breaking heat temperatures for September the same as Seattle has. Each of our heatwaves this year has coincided with yours. And in the winter we usually have severe weather at pretty much the same time as you on the coast. It is uncanny.

Some amazingly helpful advice so far! :-)

Just popping in to say that if you are spending 10 days in London, that would be a perfect time for a couple of quick trips out of town… to Brighton, for example, or Windsor, or Greenwich.

I am a London lover, of course (I live here) but there are some fun quick trips that also might be of interest, since it seems you are a lover of more “energetic” travel (apologies if I have gotten that wrong).

For those suggesting that it might be “a bit much” to end with 10 days in a big, bustling city, I would just counter with the notion that London has so many parks and so many low-key, pretty neighbourhoods that I don’t think your nerves are in danger of being at all frazzled. :-)

Oh gosh, sorry to post again but for myself 10 days is not too much for London. And I agree with the day trips ideas....will add Bletchley Park if you have an interest in WWII. Fascinating place where the code breaking took place.

Just jumping in to thank everyone for the thoughtful advice and ideas for my trip! I really appreciate it and will continue to track it.

I am very big on the idea of flying to Edinburgh via Amsterdam, then travel from north to south, in counterpoint to the days of autumn growing shorter between mid September and late October.

Lovely places I had not considered but look wonderful: Chester, Salisbury, Bletchley Park, Kenilworth Castle, Royal Leamington Spa. Thanks for these shout outs!

Taking a north to south route, it would appear at first glance that I could do something along these lines, with days readjusted:

Edinburgh - 3
Hadrian's Wall - 6
Whitby / York - 5
Liverpool / Chester - 3
Birmingham / Stratford area - 4
Wales - 6
Bath / Salisbury area - 4
Oxford - 3
London - 6

Food for thought! (What is more fun than planning a trip?)
Steven

We did a four week trip in 2017 that was just for England (no London) and S. Wales.
It was great.

We stayed in Chipping Camden for six nights and used it as a base for Oxford, Blenheim Palace and Stratford upon Avon.
I don't think you need more than two days in Stratford Upon Avon.
You can do the Cotswolds with a rental car in two full days.

Bath, recommend the Brooks Guesthouse and dine at the Scallop Shell (fantastic fish and chips).
Winchester, Warwick Castle, the Lake District, Whitby, the Yorkshire Moors and York were great. We especially loved York.

South Wales, we did many castles. In Cardiff, don't miss the Museum of Welsh Life. also we loved Tenby and St. David.

As for renting a car and driving on the left, it is not so bad after a couple of hours of driving. Just be patient, drive carefully, don't speed and pay special attention when turning.

Hi, steven, your itinerary looks great! I spent almost 6 weeks in England earlier this year and my itinerary was as follows: 5 nights London, 9 nights Cornwall and Devon, 3 nights Liverpool, 5 nights The Peak District, 7 nights Yorkshire, 3 nights Northumberland and 3 nights in Haltwhistle near Hadrian's Wall. That was followed by one night in Oxford, which in hindsight, I wish I would have spent at least 3 nights there.

That's good that you are planning long enough stops and not trying to do one destination per day. I did have a car for most of my trip, although I did take the train from London to Plymouth, Plymouth to Liverpool, and Carlisle to Oxford, then the Airline Bus directly to Heathrow.

One thing I would consider changing is to remove 2-3 nights from Hadrian's Wall (unless that includes Northumberland) and add 2-3 nights to Northumberland, which you will be passing from Edinburgh on your way down and is just wonderful! I loved my stay there! Hadrian's Wall is great but unless you are planning to do a lot of hiking, 6 nights is a lot for just that area.