We are booked on a barge cruise in an upcoming year in May that starts in Burnley marina and ends in Skipton.
We also want to visit Liverpool and the Lake District and end up in London, where we fly home.
How would you plan this itinerary? And how would you get to each location?
What airport?
First, what airport would you fly into? Manchester or Liverpool? (we are flying from SFO) or London (and take the train to????)
If Liverpool airport, we would visit Liverpool first, then train to Leeds. then rent a car or hire a service to take us to the boat in Burnley Marina. It ends in Skipton. Then from Skipton, what would you do?
If from Manchester, would you go straight to Burnley/skipton/ Leeds or would you go west to Liverpool and backtrack to Leeds or North to the Lake District first?
From Skipton, the closest city around is Leeds. So we would go there, and take the train to Keswick or Windermere? And rely on public transportation and private day tours to get around the Lake District?
Lake District- rent a car or rely on buses?
Or rent a car in Leeds and drive to Keswick/Windemere? Or rent the car in Keswick?
Then from Keswick/Windemere, return the rental car somewhere (if we do the rental car plan) and then train to London, spend a week there (we've been to London three times, so don't need advice on what to see here) and fly home from there.
I'm usually geographic adept at planning routes, but the airport, bus and train routes and car rental options, has me confused. Any advice?