Hi travel guru's... my husband and I are flying into and out of Dublin... late Aug and I have about a month or slightly less to spend time in Ireland, Scotland and England. We have to fly in and out of Dublin, but that's the only part of the trip that is set... How much time should I allow per country. SIde bar.. we've only been to London for 4 days. We also will probably NOT have an opportunity to go back to any of these places, so I'd like to make sure that we get to hit the highlights. I like staying at least 2 or more nights in one place. We will have rental car, but can also fly between countries and/or train/ferry. I'd love recommendations for best itinerary and if anyone has recommendations for places to stay that are in line with RS type of travel, I'd appreciate it. Thanks so much!
Posted by
Tigard, OR, USA
1068 posts
Not that I will be able to give you a good answer but you didn't really provide enough info for people to help. You could spend a month in any of those countries and still leave much behind. So what do you like?: museums, historical buildings/sites, music, hiking/landscapes, big cities, small towns, being pampered, roughing it? There will be lots of help, but I think more data is required.
Posted by
USA
40 posts
My suggestion would be to take a look at the Rick Steves tours and see how their itineraries are structured. That might give you some help in deciding how to plan at least some of your time and/or flow of your trip. Have fun planning and traveling!
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1450 posts
We have done 2 road thruout the UK but not Ireland. I think that I have read on this site that is better to have separate auto rentals for GB and Ireland. One reason is ferry cost for auto. And different insurance policies. Check with vendors before you go for best deals on auto rentals. You can take ferry to Scotland, England and Wales. We really enjoyed Wales because of Edwards Castles. they seem to be the most "real" medieval castles. As someone else here suggested you need to give us some idea of your interests.
If you like Downton Abbey: Many of the Great Estates are decorated with fabulous art and antiques. Look up the National Trust UK site which has many listings that are open to view. Becoming a member gives you free entry and parking. Historic Scotland has a site with listings and may have pass or membership too. One advantage of driving yourself is that you can pick a direction and look at the many things available between here and there. You can call ahead for your night's lodging. August will be busy in the "popular" places; these may require reservations. You, however can stay in a farm B & B that you happen to pass by or see in the brochures at the local tourist office or train station. Check their rating and give them a call. If you find a place that you may like to linger make sure to make reservation cancelations in time. Don't overbook yourselves. Relax and enjoy yourself. Most of the time surprises are half the fun of travel.
Posted by
OP
Nashville, TN, usa
27 posts
Oh gosh.... okay.. I didn't give enough information for people to really help me. I'm trying to figure out the most efficient way to move between the countries, and which I'm not sure if I should allow more time to Ireland or Scotland and I hadn't even thought about Wales. We love both small towns that are quaint and pretty (such as hill towns in Italy) and big cities that offer lovely buildings and sites (like Paris and London) We really like a variety of activities. Not big hikers, but love walking the towns and short hikes to see lovely vistas. We like mingling with local people, and love local cultural activities. I'm usually the person that makes hotel/ B & B and apartment reservations in advance so I know where we are going and when... but I'm not sure if I should do that on this trip.. or if there are places that we will surely find we will want to linger a little longer. I have to start and finish in Dublin, but I know we can fly on Ryan Air very inexpensively to Edinburg.... So I was going to drive a Rick Steves itinerary loop of Ireland, then fly to Scotland and then maybe train to Bath and see that area... there's just so much to see and do I don't know how to focus on a realistic trip! Help! We travel Aug 23 and return Sept 20
Posted by
Redding, California
244 posts
We spent a month in England and Scotland this last fall. Absolutely breathtaking! When we started our planning this website was very useful. Itinerary planning we started with these suggestions; England Itinerary ; Scotland Itinerary ; and here is Ireland Itinerary here . Happy planning!