Hello all, We are planning a June/July 3 week trip and are considering combining rail travel with driving. As this is our first time in GB advice is welcome. Tentative itinerary is: 5 nights in London; train to York-spend 3 nights; train to Durham, 1 night; train to Edinburgh spend 5 nights; train to Liverpool, pick up a rental car and drive to Burford in the Cotswolds. Spend 5 nights here and then finish up in Salisbury for 2 nights. At this point we would have to return the car in Salisbury and take a train to Heathrow or drive to the airport.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Posted by
3122 posts
Sounds like a good plan and wonderful itinerary -- except that you won't see much of Scotland outside of Edinburgh, but I assume that is your preference. Are you spending any time in Liverpool, or just going straight from the train to the rental car? I can highly recommend the Beatles Experience museum, Magical Mystery Tour bus, and Hard Day's Night Hotel.
Have you previously driven in the UK (or on the left)? Liverpool has traffic jams and confusing signs & roads like any big city, so it's not the easiest place to get oriented. The Edge Lane / M62 is the main thoroughfare connecting it to the rest of the country (as a helpful woman in the TI at the Albert Dock advised me). You'll want to study a map carefully and plan your route from the rental car location to the M62. I would stay on M62 eastward to the M6, not try to navigate south through Runcorn to the M56. Once on the M6, it's a straight shot to Birmingham where you pick up the M5 and then exit at Cheltenham to get to Burford.
Is your 2-night stay in Salisbury to include a visit to Stonehenge? If you are serious Stonehenge fans I would allow at least a half day for Stonehenge / Woodhenge / Durrington Walls / Old Sarum; a full day if it's to include Avebury as that is more than an hour's drive north of Stonehenge. Another thought is that you may want to stop in Bath en route from Cotswolds to Salisbury; you could tour the Roman bath ruins and then be on your way.
Others can advise but my guess is you'll find it easiest to drive to Heathrow and return the rental car there.
Posted by
2399 posts
All of the best Scottish scenery is in the highlands north west of Edinburgh. So, if you just go to Edinburgh, you won’t see this. My advice would be to take a coach tour - possibly to the Loch Tay area. Alternatively, hire a car for a day or 2 and drive into the highlands.
The Lake District is the most scenic part of England. (This is the part around Keswick > Windermere etc.) You will go straight past this on the train to Liverpool. I would consider possibly having a hire car to see this area. (Might as well hire in Edinburgh)?
You don’t say how long you are staying in Liverpool. Chester is well worth the short train ride from Liverpool.
Can’t see much point in renting a car in Liverpool for the trip to Burford as you will just be driving along congested motorways. For this leg of the journey, it would be better to use the trains. By pre-booking ahead (like 11 weeks out), you can purchase for specific trains for £24 for a journey from LIV to Cheltenham - which would take 2 hours 36 minutes with 1 change en route. Then, have a hire car from Cheltenham and just follow the A40 (eastbound) to Burford.
When in Salisbury, consider driving or taking the train to Bath - which is about 1 hour. (This would require adding an extra night in Salisbury).
When you leave Salisbury for Heathrow, take the train to Woking - which has a shuttle bus to Heathrow & thus saves you going into London.
Consider getting a Railcard. (You can pre-book the longer trips assuming that you already have the Railcard. Note that the 2 together Railcard has a time restriction on weekday mornings - so read the small print).
https://www.railcard.co.uk
Posted by
Gateshead, UK
223 posts
Can I just ask is your one night in Durham for an overnight stay at Lumley Castle, by any chance?
Posted by
3122 posts
Re: comment from @James, I'm not sure it's fair to argue that your proposed itinerary misses out on the Lake District, Scottish highlands, etc. I'm assuming you're aware of what Great Britain has to offer and have chosen your destinations according to what interests you. Presumably your choice to use public transport until the Cotswolds & Salisbury portion of your trip is based on what you want to see -- sights & locations served by the railways -- and you want a car from that point on so that you can meander the back roads around Burford and make your way to Salisbury.
However, following @James's suggestion to take the train to Cheltenham and hire a rental car there would save you the stress of driving out of Liverpool.